Diffuser for a vacuum cleaner motor-fan assembly

Abstract

A motor-fan assembly for a vacuum cleaner configured to remove debris from a surface. The motor-fan assembly includes a fan, a motor including an output shaft coupled to the fan, the motor operable to rotate the fan, and a diffuser. The diffuser includes a disc, a wall that surrounds the disc, and a plurality of vanes that are coupled to an outer surface of the wall and extend radially outward from the outer surface of the wall.

1 . A motor-fan assembly for a vacuum cleaner, the motor-fan assembly comprising:
 a fan;   a motor including an output shaft coupled to the fan, the motor operable to rotate the fan; and   a diffuser including,
 a disc having a first surface facing toward the fan, a second surface facing away from the first surface, an aperture extending through the disc between the first surface and the second surface, the output shaft extending through the aperture, the disc further including an outer periphery that extends radially around the aperture, 
 a wall that surrounds the outer periphery of the disc having an inner surface that faces toward the output shaft and an outer surface facing away from the inner surface, and 
 a plurality of vanes coupled to the outer surface of the wall and extending radially outward from the outer surface of the wall. 
   
     
     
         2 . The motor-fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wall extends in a direction from the disc and toward the fan to surround an outer periphery of the fan. 
     
     
         3 . The motor-fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wall extends in a direction from the disc and toward the motor along the output shaft and away from the fan. 
     
     
         4 . The motor-fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wall extends in a first direction from the disc and toward the fan to surround an outer periphery of the fan and in a second direction from the disc and toward the motor along the output shaft and away from the fan. 
     
     
         5 . The motor-fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wall is a continuous wall that extends three-hundred and sixty degrees around the disc. 
     
     
         6 . The motor-fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wall includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the plurality of vanes are a first plurality of vanes and extend from the first portion, wherein the diffuser further includes a second plurality of vanes that extend radially outward from the second portion of the wall and the outer surface of the wall, and wherein the first plurality of vanes are spaced from the second plurality of vanes in a direction along the output shaft of the motor. 
     
     
         7 . The motor-fan assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the first plurality of vanes and the second plurality of vanes both include airfoil-shaped vanes. 
     
     
         8 . The motor-fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wall is an inner wall, wherein the diffuser further includes an outer wall located radially outward from the inner wall with respect to the aperture, and wherein the plurality of vanes extend between the inner wall and the outer wall. 
     
     
         9 . The motor-fan assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vanes include airfoil-shaped vanes. 
     
     
         10 . The motor-fan assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the airfoil-shaped vanes each include a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a chord line connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge, wherein a reference plane intersects the chord line at the trailing edge and the reference plane is parallel to the first surface and the second surface of the disc, and wherein an acute angle is defined between the chord line and the reference plane. 
     
     
         11 . The motor-fan assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of vanes extending from the second surface of the disc and arranged circumferentially around the aperture. 
     
     
         12 . A vacuum cleaner, comprising:
 a dirt collection chamber;   a base including a nozzle defining an inlet of the vacuum cleaner through which debris travels toward the dirt collection chamber;   a handle coupled to the base and configured to move the base along a surface to be cleaned; and   a motor-fan assembly operable to generate an airflow through the inlet and the dirt collection chamber, the motor-fan assembly including,
 a fan, 
 a motor including an output shaft coupled to the fan, the motor operable to rotate the fan to generate the airflow, and 
 a diffuser including,
 a disc having a first surface facing toward the fan, a second surface facing away from the first surface, an aperture extending through the disc between the first surface and the second surface, the output shaft extending through the aperture, the disc further including an outer periphery that extends radially around the aperture, 
 a wall that surrounds the outer periphery of the disc and the wall having an inner surface that faces toward the output shaft and an outer surface facing away from the inner surface, and 
 a plurality of vanes coupled to the outer surface of the wall and extending radially outward from the outer surface of the wall. 
 
   
     
     
         13 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein the motor-fan assembly includes a cover defining an inlet of the motor-fan assembly through which air travels toward the motor, and wherein the fan and the diffuser are disposed within the cover. 
     
     
         14 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein the wall extends in a direction from the disc and toward the fan to surround an outer periphery of the fan. 
     
     
         15 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein the wall extends in a direction from the disc and toward the motor along the output shaft and away from the fan. 
     
     
         16 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein the wall extends in a first direction from the disc and toward the fan to surround an outer periphery of the fan and in a second direction from the disc and toward the motor along the output shaft and away from the fan. 
     
     
         17 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein the wall is a continuous wall that extends three-hundred and sixty degrees around the disc. 
     
     
         18 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein the wall comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the plurality of vanes are a first plurality of vanes and extend from the first portion, wherein the diffuser further includes a second plurality of vanes that extend radially outward from the second portion of the wall and the outer surface of the wall, and wherein the first plurality of vanes are spaced from the second plurality of vanes in a direction along the output shaft of the motor. 
     
     
         19 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein the wall is an inner wall, wherein the diffuser further includes an outer wall located radially outward from the inner wall with respect to the aperture, and wherein the plurality of vanes extend between the inner wall and the outer wall. 
     
     
         20 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of vanes extending from the second surface of the disc and arranged circumferentially around the aperture.