Multi-inlet cyclone

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus comprising a cyclone positioned in an air flow path. The cyclone has a cyclone chamber with a thin walled cyclone outlet.

1 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;   (b) a cyclone positioned in the air flow path, the cyclone having an interior volume defining a cyclone chamber, the cyclone comprising a cyclone chamber air inlet, a cyclone chamber air outlet at a cyclone chamber outlet end, a centrally positioned cyclone axis of rotation, a cyclone chamber second end axially spaced from the cyclone chamber outlet end and a cyclone chamber sidewall extending between the cyclone chamber outlet end and the cyclone chamber second end; and,   (c) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path upstream of the clean air outlet   wherein, the cyclone chamber air outlet comprises a vortex finder that is metal.   
     
     
         2 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the vortex finder has a radial thickness of 0.001 to 0.025 inches. 
     
     
         3 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the vortex finder has a radial thickness of 0.003 to 0.015 inches. 
     
     
         4 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the cyclone has a diameter of 0.5 inches to 4 inches. 
     
     
         5 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the cyclone has a diameter of 0.5 inches to 2.5 inches. 
     
     
         6 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the cyclone has a plurality of cyclone air inlets. 
     
     
         7 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the plurality of cyclone air inlets are provided at the cyclone chamber outlet end and are positioned radially outwardly of the vortex finder. 
     
     
         8 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 6  further comprising an outer wall positioned outwardly from the plurality of cyclone air inlets, wherein a flow region extends around the plurality of cyclone air inlets between an inner surface of the outer wall and the plurality of cyclone air inlets, wherein the flow region has a cross-sectional area in a plane transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation that is 1 to 1.5 a cross-sectional area of the vortex finder in the plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation. 
     
     
         9 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the cross-sectional area of the flow region is 1.1 to 1.2 the cross-sectional area of the vortex finder. 
     
     
         10 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;   (b) a cyclone positioned in the air flow path, the cyclone having an interior volume defining a cyclone chamber, the cyclone comprising a cyclone chamber air inlet, a cyclone chamber air outlet at a cyclone chamber outlet end, a centrally positioned cyclone axis of rotation, a cyclone chamber second end axially spaced from the cyclone chamber outlet end and a cyclone chamber sidewall extending between the cyclone chamber outlet end and the cyclone chamber second end; and,   (c) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path upstream of the clean air outlet   wherein the cyclone has a diameter of 0.5 inches to 4 inches, and   wherein the cyclone chamber air outlet comprises a vortex finder that has a radial thickness of 0.001 to 0.025 inches.   
     
     
         11 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the vortex finder is made of metal, sheet plastic or plastic machined to have a thickness of 0.001 to 0.025 inches. 
     
     
         12 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the vortex finder comprises a component that is separately manufactured and secured to the cyclone chamber outlet end. 
     
     
         13 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the vortex finder is made of metal, sheet plastic or plastic machined to have a thickness of 0.001 to 0.025 inches. 
     
     
         14 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the cyclone has a plurality of cyclone air inlets. 
     
     
         15 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the plurality of cyclone air inlets are provided at the cyclone chamber outlet end and are positioned radially outwardly of the vortex finder. 
     
     
         16 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of cyclone air inlets is spaced from an inner surface of the cyclone chamber sidewall, wherein a flow region extends around the plurality of cyclone air inlets, wherein the flow region has a cross-sectional area in a plane transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation that is 1 to 1.5 cross-sectional area of the vortex finder in the plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation. 
     
     
         17 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the cyclone has a diameter of 0.5 inches to 2.5 inches. 
     
     
         18 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 17  further comprising an outer wall positioned outwardly from the plurality of cyclone air inlets, wherein a flow region extends around the plurality of cyclone air inlets between an inner surface of the outer wall and the plurality of cyclone air inlets, wherein the flow region has a cross-sectional area in a plane transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation that is 1 to 1.5 the cross-sectional area of the vortex finder in the plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation. 
     
     
         19 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the cross-sectional area of the flow region is 1.1 to 1.2 the cross-sectional area of the vortex finder.