Wet-dry vacuum cleaner device

Abstract

A wet-dry vacuum cleaner device comprising: a housing; a motor-fan assembly mounted in the housing and arranged to generate an air flow between a dirty air inlet and a clean air outlet; a tank arranged to capture liquid entrained in the dirty air flow, the tank comprising a tank inlet in fluid communication with the dirty air inlet and a tank outlet in fluid communication with the motor fan assembly; wherein the tank outlet is in fluid communication with a liquid trap mounted inside the tank arranged to capture liquid entrained in the air flow exiting the tank.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wet-dry vacuum cleaner device comprising:
 a housing;   a motor-fan assembly mounted in the housing and arranged to generate an air flow between a dirty air inlet and a clean air outlet;   a tank arranged to capture liquid entrained in the dirty air flow, the tank comprising a tank inlet in fluid communication with the dirty air inlet and a tank outlet in fluid communication with the motor fan assembly;   wherein the tank outlet is in fluid communication with a liquid trap mounted inside the tank arranged to capture liquid entrained in the air flow exiting the tank.   
     
     
         2 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 1  wherein the liquid trap comprises at least one liquid trap inlet in fluid communication with the tank and the tank outlet. 
     
     
         3 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 2  wherein the at least one liquid trap inlet is located above the tank inlet. 
     
     
         4 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 3  wherein the liquid trap comprises at least one inlet conduit in fluid communication between the at last one liquid trap inlet and the tank outlet. 
     
     
         5 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 4  wherein the at least one inlet conduit comprises a first inlet conduit and a second inlet conduit. 
     
     
         6 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 5  wherein the first and second inlet conduits project into the tank. 
     
     
         7 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 5  wherein the first inlet conduit and the second inlet conduit project away from the tank inlet. 
     
     
         8 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 5  wherein the first and second inlet conduits are laterally offset from the tank inlet. 
     
     
         9 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 8  wherein the first and the second inlet conduits are offset from the tank inlet in a first, second and third orthogonal directions. 
     
     
         10 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 2  wherein the at least one inlet conduit projects into at least one ridge in the upper surface of the tank. 
     
     
         11 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 1  wherein the tank is removably mountable on the housing. 
     
     
         12 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 11 , wherein the tank comprises a releasable lid which is only releasable once the tank is removed from the housing. 
     
     
         13 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 12  wherein the tank comprises a latch mechanism for releasing the releasable lid from the tank. 
     
     
         14 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 5  wherein at least one baffle is mounted on the tank adjacent to the first and second inlet conduits. 
     
     
         15 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 1  wherein the liquid trap comprises a chamber for retaining liquid. 
     
     
         16 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 15  wherein the liquid trap comprises a filter. 
     
     
         17 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 16  wherein the filter is mounted in the chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 1  wherein the liquid trap is removably mountable on the tank. 
     
     
         19 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 1  wherein a finger guard is mounted at an outlet conduit in fluid communication with the tank outlet and the motor fan housing and the finger guard is arranged to engage the tank outlet when the tank is mounted on the housing. 
     
     
         20 . The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device according to  claim 1  wherein the airflow path follows a serpentine path through the liquid trap.