Shroud for hand vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A shroud of a vacuum cleaner that includes a housing supporting an impeller configured for creating a working airflow path between a dirty air inlet and an exhaust outlet. The shroud includes a forward wall having a shroud inlet, an annular axial wall, and an opening formed in the annular wall. The shroud inlet is configured to be aligned with an inlet of the impeller inlet along an axial direction, and the annular axial wall extends away from an outer perimeter of the forward wall along the axial direction. The opening is configured to be arranged in line with a portion of the exhaust outlet along the radial direction. The annular axial wall and the opening define an overall circumferential perimeter of the shroud. The annular axial wall occupies more than half of the overall circumferential perimeter, and the opening occupies less than half of the overall circumferential perimeter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a housing defining a dirty air inlet and an exhaust outlet; and   a suction motor assembly operable to create a working airflow path from the dirty air inlet to the exhaust outlet, the suction motor assembly including   a motor having a motor shaft rotatable about a motor axis defining an axial direction,
 an impeller including
 a base plate coupled to the motor shaft for rotation with the motor shaft, 
 a cover plate spaced from the base plate and including an impeller inlet aligned with the motor axis, and 
 a plurality of vanes extending between the base plate and cover plate, wherein rotation of the impeller draws in the working airflow in the axial direction through the impeller inlet and expels the working airflow outwardly from the plurality of vanes in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and 
 
 a shroud supported within the housing and including
 a forward wall covering and facing the cover plate and having a shroud inlet aligned with the impeller inlet, and 
 an annular axial wall extending from an outer perimeter of the forward wall in a direction of the motor axis, wherein the annular axial wall includes an opening aligned with the exhaust outlet; 
 
   wherein the annular axial wall redirects the working airflow exiting radially from the impeller into the axial direction and the opening allows the working airflow exiting radially from the impeller to pass unimpeded by the shroud toward the exhaust outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust outlet is a first exhaust outlet and the housing further defines a second exhaust outlet offset relative the first exhaust outlet relative the axial direction, wherein the annular axial wall directs the working airflow passed the first exhaust outlet and toward the second exhaust outlet. 
     
     
         3 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the forward wall that includes the should inlet has a frustoconical shape. 
     
     
         4 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 3 , wherein a diameter of the shroud inlet decreases as the portion of the forward wall that includes the should inlet nears the cover plate. 
     
     
         5 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the annular axial wall overlaps the impeller in the radial direction, and wherein a second portion of the annular axial wall does not overlap the impeller in the radial direction, the second portion being recessed relative the first portion in the axial direction. 
     
     
         6 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein the opening is defined by at least a part of the second portion. 
     
     
         7 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the annular axial wall, including the opening, defines an overall circumferential perimeter of the shroud, wherein the annular axial wall, not including the opening, occupies more than half of the overall circumferential perimeter, and wherein the opening occupies less than half of the overall circumferential perimeter. 
     
     
         8 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein the opening is continuous along less than half of the overall circumferential perimeter. 
     
     
         9 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein a line extending along the radial direction intersects the exhaust outlet, the opening, and the impeller. 
     
     
         10 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising a battery receptacle configured to receive one or more batteries, a collector mount configured to receive one or more collectors, and a handle positioned between the battery receptacle and the collector mount relative the axial direction. 
     
     
         11 . A suction motor assembly operable to create a working airflow path from a dirty air inlet of a vacuum cleaner to an exhaust outlet, the suction motor assembly comprising:
 a motor having a motor shaft rotatably about a motor axis defining an axial direction;   an impeller including
 a base plate coupled to the motor shaft for rotation with the motor shaft, 
 a cover plate spaced from the base plate and including an impeller inlet aligned with the motor axis, and 
 a plurality of vanes extending between the base plate and cover plate, wherein rotation of the impeller draws in the working airflow in the axial direction through the impeller inlet and expels the working airflow outwardly from the plurality of vanes in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction; and 
   a shroud including
 a forward wall covering and facing the cover plate and having a shroud inlet aligned with the impeller inlet, and 
 an annular axial wall extending from an outer perimeter of the forward wall in a direction of the motor axis, wherein the annular axial wall includes an opening configured to be aligned with the exhaust outlet; 
   wherein the annular axial wall redirects the working airflow exiting radially from the impeller into the axial direction and the opening is configured to allow the working airflow exiting radially from the impeller to pass unimpeded by the shroud toward the exhaust outlet.   
     
     
         12 . The suction motor assembly of  claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the forward wall that includes the should inlet has a frustoconical shape. 
     
     
         13 . The suction motor assembly of  claim 12 , wherein a diameter of the shroud inlet decreases as the portion of the forward wall that includes the should inlet nears the cover plate. 
     
     
         14 . The suction motor assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the annular axial wall, including the opening, defines an overall circumferential perimeter of the shroud, wherein the annular axial wall, not including the opening, occupies more than half of the overall circumferential perimeter, and wherein the opening occupies less than half of the overall circumferential perimeter. 
     
     
         15 . The suction motor assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the opening is continuous along less than half of the overall circumferential perimeter. 
     
     
         16 . The suction motor assembly of  claim 11 , wherein a line extending along the radial direction intersects the exhaust outlet, the opening, and the impeller. 
     
     
         17 . The suction motor assembly of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the forward wall and the annular axial wall includes a lip, the lip extending into the opening from the at least one of the forward wall and the annular axial wall. 
     
     
         18 . A shroud of a vacuum cleaner that includes a housing supporting an impeller configured for creating a working airflow path between a dirty air inlet and an exhaust outlet, the shroud comprising:
 a forward wall having a shroud inlet configured to be aligned with an inlet of the impeller inlet along an axial direction;   an annular axial wall extending away from an outer perimeter of the forward wall along the axial direction; and   an opening formed in the annular wall, the opening configured to be arranged in line with a portion of the exhaust outlet along the radial direction;   wherein the annular axial wall and the opening define an overall circumferential perimeter of the shroud;   wherein the annular axial wall occupies more than half of the overall circumferential perimeter; and   wherein the opening occupies less than half of the overall circumferential perimeter.   
     
     
         19 . The shroud of  claim 18 , wherein the opening is continuous along less than half of the overall circumferential perimeter. 
     
     
         20 . The shroud of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the forward wall and the annular axial wall includes a lip that extends into the opening from the at least one of the forward wall and the annular axial wall.