Vacuum cleaner power head including volute and vacuum cleaner including same

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a canister defining a debris chamber, a power head mounted to a top of the canister, a motor connectable to a power source, and an impeller connected to the motor and operable to generate air flow upon operation of the motor. The power head includes a housing that includes an upper wall, a lower wall, a radial outer sidewall, and a volute that defines a volute chamber. A first portion of the upper wall and a first portion of the lower wall define an impeller chamber. A second portion of the upper wall, a second portion of the lower wall, and the sidewall define a flow passage that extends from the impeller chamber to the volute chamber. The volute is disposed radially outward from the flow passage and includes a lower wall that extends radially outward from the sidewall and around the perimeter of the sidewall.

1 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a canister defining a debris chamber;   a power head mounted to a top of the canister and including a housing that includes an upper wall, a lower wall, a radial outer sidewall, and a volute defining a volute chamber, wherein a first portion of the upper wall and a first portion of the lower wall define an impeller chamber, and wherein a second portion of the upper wall, a second portion of the lower wall, and the sidewall define a flow passage that extends from the impeller chamber to the volute chamber;   a motor connectable to a power source; and   an impeller connected to the motor and disposed within the impeller chamber, the impeller operable to generate air flow through the volute chamber upon operation of the motor;   wherein the volute is disposed radially outward from the flow passage and includes a lower wall that extends radially outward from the sidewall and around the perimeter of the sidewall.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , further including a filter depending from the housing lower wall, wherein the filter extends into the debris chamber to filter debris. 
     
     
         3 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein one of the canister and the power head defines an inlet, the volute defines an outlet, and the impeller is operable to generate air flow from the inlet, through the volute chamber, and to the outlet. 
     
     
         4 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the volute defines a volute chamber inlet through which air flow from the flow passage enters the volute chamber, wherein the volute chamber inlet is located along a radial inner portion of the volute such that air flow through the flow passage is directed into the volute chamber through the volute chamber inlet and radially outward from the flow passage. 
     
     
         5 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the flow passage has a height extending from the lower wall to the upper wall, and wherein the height of the flow passage is substantially constant from the impeller chamber to the volute chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall includes a lip that extends vertically beyond the volute lower wall. 
     
     
         7 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the housing lower wall joins the sidewall along a rounded corner segment. 
     
     
         8 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an upper shell and a lower shell joined to the upper shell such that the flow passage is defined by the upper shell and the lower shell. 
     
     
         9 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein the housing lower wall joins the sidewall along a rounded corner segment, wherein the rounded corner segment includes a first curved segment defined by the lower shell and a second curved segment defined by the upper shell. 
     
     
         10 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein each of the upper shell and the lower shell is constructed of injection-molded plastic. 
     
     
         11 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the volute defines an outlet, and wherein the volute chamber has a cross-sectional area that increases as the volute chamber extends circumferentially towards the volute outlet. 
     
     
         12 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the volute joins the upper wall along a radial outer edge of the upper wall, and wherein the volute extends circumferentially around the upper wall. 
     
     
         13 . A power head for a vacuum cleaner, the power head comprising:
 a housing including an upper wall, a lower wall, a radial outer sidewall, and a volute, wherein the volute defines a volute chamber, wherein the upper and lower walls define an impeller chamber, and wherein the upper wall, the lower wall, and the sidewall define a flow passage that extends from the impeller chamber to the volute chamber;   a motor mounted to one of the upper wall and the lower wall; and   an impeller connected to the motor and disposed within the impeller chamber;   wherein the volute is disposed radially outward from the flow passage and includes a lower wall that extends radially outward from the sidewall and around the perimeter of the sidewall.   
     
     
         14 . The power head of  claim 13 , wherein the volute defines a volute chamber inlet through which air flow from the flow passage enters the volute chamber, wherein the volute chamber inlet is located along a radial inner portion of the volute such that air flow through the flow passage is directed into the volute chamber through the volute chamber inlet and radially outward from the flow passage. 
     
     
         15 . The power head of  claim 13 , wherein the housing includes an upper shell and a lower shell, and wherein each of the upper shell and the lower shell is constructed of injection-molded plastic. 
     
     
         16 . The power head of  claim 13 , wherein the flow passage has a height extending from the lower wall to the upper wall, and wherein the height of the flow passage is substantially constant from the impeller chamber to the volute chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The power head of  claim 13 , wherein the volute defines an outlet, and wherein the volute chamber has a cross-sectional area that increases as the volute chamber extends circumferentially towards the volute outlet. 
     
     
         18 . The power head of  claim 13 , wherein the impeller rotates about a rotational axis, and wherein the volute and the impeller are arranged such that the impeller is located entirely on a first side of a horizontal plane that is orthogonal to the impeller rotational axis, and the volute chamber is located entirely on a second side of the horizontal plane. 
     
     
         19 . The power head of  claim 13 , wherein the sidewall includes a lip that extends vertically beyond the volute lower wall. 
     
     
         20 . The power head of  claim 13 , wherein the housing lower wall joins the sidewall along a rounded corner segment. 
     
     
         21 - 22 . (canceled)