WO1989000021A1

WO1989000021A1 - Liquid bath vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: WO1989000021A1
Application number: PCT/AU1988/000245
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alwyn Harold Pearson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-07-07
Filing date: 1988-07-07
Publication date: 1989-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 1990-01-07
Also published as: NZ225333A

Abstract

In a top mounted vacuum cleaner liquid (7) is caused to swirl in a debris containment assembly (3) by air drawn in through an angulated tube (6), the liquid (7) acting as a primary filter to entrap debris. A secondary filter (11), moistened by a mist generated by the passage of air through the cleaner, entraps any debris not captured by the primary filter liquid (7). The angulated tube (6) allows the cleaner to operate even when the liquid level is above the lower end of the tube (6).

Description

LIQUID BATH VACUUM CLEANER

This invention relates to an improved vacuum cleaning system, and more particularly to an improved liquid bath vacuum cleaning system where dirt, dust, debris and the like is separated by a liquid separation medium from air drawn through a cleaning wand.

The invention is applicable to the construction of new vacuum cleaning apparatus or to the conversion of conventional vacuum cleaners with top mounted motors incorporating dry (dust bags etc.) or wet (liquid) separation mechanisms.

In conventional vacuum cleaners having a top mounted motor and employing cloth, paper, foam rubber or plastics filters, the dirt and dust laden air is circulated within the cleaner collection chamber.

Heavier particles fall to the cleaner floor whilst the lighter particles circulate within the chamber.

Because the above mentioned filters, are of necessity, porous, very fine dust particles pass therethrough with the exiting air whilst the slightly larger particles tend to clog the filter pores thus necessitating periodic cleaning and/or replacement. The frequency of cleaning and/or replacement of the filter elements will depend upon the amount of use made of the cleaner and the type of dirt, dust, etc. being removed. In commercial cleaners, filters clog rapidly resulting in time consuming down time and costly replacement of filter units.

Whilst the substitution of liquid baths has, to some extent, alleviated the above mentioned problems, complicated and expensive baffle arrangements have been required in the cleaner apparatus to maintain the dirt laden incoming air in contact with the liquid cleaning medium for sufficient time to facilitate removal of the dirt and dust particles etc.

Further, liquid bath systems have, been prone to discharging the liquid through the filter element, particularly on start up or when the debris collected has neared the maximum capacity of the debris collection chamber.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a liquid bath vacuum cleaner which alleviates or ameliorates some of the problems associated with prior art vacuum cleaners.

According to the present invention there is provided a liquid bath vacuum cleaner wherein a motor assembly is mounted above a debris containment assembly having an inlet port and an outlet port, each port located remotely from a base of said debris containment assembly and wherein there is provided:

(i) a pipe member communicating at a top end thereof with said inlet port and extending downwardly therefrom said pipe having an outlet end disposed such that air drawn through the pipe member to exit from the outlet end causes liquid in said debris containment assembly to swirl, and

(ii) a secondary filter located remotely from the base of the containment assembly and moistened by a mist generated within said containment assembly by said air flow to entrap from air exiting said containment assembly any debris not captured by said liquid. The debris containment assembly may be of any convenient shape. For example, the assembly may be substantially tubular and of any convenient cross sectional shape.

In a preferred form of the invention, the debris containment assembly comprises a cylinder. In such an arrangement, the pipe member is angled tangentially to a vertical axis of the containment assembly.

Typically, the pipe member is also angled radially inward, preferably at approximately 5° from the vertical. To assist in initiating and maintaining the swirling motion of liquid within the debris containment assembly as the air is drawn in through the pipe member, it is convenient to further angle the outlet end of the pipe member towards the container wall. Such a configuration is particularly advantageous in large diameter or relatively deep cylindrical debris containment assemblies.

In another preferred form, the debris containment assembly is barrel shaped. In such a form, the natural curvature of the walls of the barrel assists in initiating and maintaining the swirling action of liquid in the debris containment assembly as air is drawn through the vacuum cleaner. Conveniently, the outlet end of the pipe member is also bevelled such that the lower end lies generally in a plane either substantially parallel with the liquid surface at rest in the debris containment assembly or within an angle of up to 10°. In an alternate configuration the outlet end of the pipe member may be bevelled so as to present a negative or reverse rake to the pipe end in the direction of swirl of liquid in the debris containment assembly. According to a further feature of the invention, the debris containment assembly may be provided with a shut-off means, conveniently a ball valve, located in an upper portion of the debris containment assembly. The shut-off means may be located on a support means about which the second filter is located. The shut-off means prevents or minimizes the likelihood of liquid being expelled through a filter as the debris containment assembly fills with debris.

In order that the invention and its manner of performance may be more fully understood, reference will now be made to example embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional ellevational view of one embodiment of the invention, showing the flow path of air passing through the vacuum cleaner,

Figure 2 is a sectional elleviational view of a dry separater vacuum cleaner showing the flow path of air passing through such a cleaner, Figure 3 is a sectional elleviational view of a further embodiment of the invention in which the debris containment assembly is barrel shaped, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged view showing a pipe member useful in the performance of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1 , there is shown a liquid bath vacuum cleaner 1 having a motor assembly 2 mounted above a debris collection container 3. In Figure 1 the debris collection container 3 is substantially cylindrical. An inlet port 4 is provided in the debris collection container 3 remote from the base 5 thereof. The inlet port allows for connection of conventional wands (not shown) to the cleaner 1.

An elongate pipe member, or tube, 6 is connected to the inlet port 4 within the debris collection container

3. The tube 6 extends downwardly from the inlet port

4 and is angled radially inward by up to approximately

5°.

The tube 6 may be connected directly to the inlet port 4 by an elbow or other fabrication.

To promote the required swirling action of liquid 7 in the debris collection container 3, the tube 6, or a lower end thereof, is further angled to extend at least partially tangentially to the vertical axis of the container 3. In one particular form the tube extends at an angle of up to 45° to the axial plane intersecting the tube 6.

A shown in Figure 1 , the lower portion 8 of the tube 6 is also angled towards the container wall adjacent the outlet end of the tube 6. The outlet end of the tube 6 is formed with a chamfer or edge as at 9 such that when the liquid 7 is at rest in the debris collection container 3 , the edge is substantially parallel with respect to the liquid surface. In Figure 1 , the arrows indicate the flow pattern of dirt laden air being washed through the liquid 7 in the debris collection container 3 before exiting the exit port 10.

Below the exit port 10 is a support 11 for a filter, conveniently a foam filter, which is wetted by a fine mist generated in the debris collection container 3 when the cleaner 1 is started, and maintained in a moist condition by the air flowing through or across the liquid 7. A wet, or moist, filter entraps any debris, such as animal hair or fluff which is not captured by the liquid 7.

A ball valve 12 is located in support 11 and shuts-off the exiting air as the liquid level in the 0 debris collection container 3 rises as debris is collected. An audible or visual warning device (not shown) may be included to indicate that the debris collection container is full and requires emptying.

Referring to Figure 2, the flow pattern of air 5 in a conventional dry vacuum cleaner system 1 is shown. In such a system, paper, cloth or foam filters are employed to minimize the expulsion of collected debris from the debris collection container 3. However, because of the absence of a retaining medium (liquid) o the debris circulates in the collection container 3. Since the filter elements are, of necessity, porous, some fine debris is expelled with the exiting air.

Figure 3 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention in which the container 3 is barrel-shaped 5 and the pipe member or tube 6 extends downwardly from the inlet port 4 at an angle to the vertical axis and in a tangential direction.

In the embodiment of Figure 3, the additional angulation of the lower portion of tube 6 is not required 0 as the natural curvature of the barrel-shaped container

3 facilitates the swirling motion of liquid 7 within the container 3 as air is drawn through the cleaner 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a pipe 6 useful in the performance of the present invention. The pipe 6 is shown extending downwardly from inlet port

4 and angled radially inward at about 5° from the vertical and tangentially to a vertical axis of the container 3. The lower portion 8 of the pipe 6 is angled slightly outwardly towards the container wall. This configuration is particularly useful when deep, cylindrical, or irregularly shaped containers 3 are employed. It will be appreciated that there may be many modifications in details of design and configuration of the above described embodiments within the broad scope of the invention, and all such modifications are deemed to be within the ambit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A liquid bath vacuum cleaner wherein a motor assembly is mounted above a debris containment assembly having an inlet port and an outlet port, each port located remotely from a base of said debris containment assembly and wherein there is provided:

(i) a pipe member communicating at a top end thereof with said inlet port and extending downwardly therefrom said pipe member having an outlet end disposed such that air drawn through the pipe member to exit from the outlet end causes liquid in said debris containment assembly to swirl, and

(ii) a secondary filter located remotely from the base of the containment assembly and moistened by a mist generated within said containment assembly by said air flow to entrap from air exiting said containment assembly any debris not captured by said liquid.

2. A liquid bath vacuum cleaner according to Claim 1 wherein the pipe member is angled tangentially to a vertical axis of said containment assembly.

3. A liquid bath vacuum cleaner according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said pipe member is angled radially inward at approximately 5° from the vertical.

4. A liquid bath vacuum cleaner according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein a lower portion of said pipe member is angled towards a wall of said debris containment assembly adjacent the outlet end of said pipe member.

5. A liquid bath vacuum cleaner according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the outlet end of said pipe member is shaped such that it lies generally in a plane substantially parallel with the liquid surface at rest in the debris containment assembly.

6. A liquid bath vacuum cleaner according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the outlet end of said pipe member is shaped such that said end is provided with a reverse rake in the direction of swirl of the liquid within said debris containment assembly.

7. A liquid bath vacuum cleaner according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the debris containment assembly is cylindrical.

8. A liquid bath vacuum cleaner according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the debris containment assembly is barrel-shaped.

9. A liquid bath vacuum cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a shut-off means is provided in an upper portion of said debris containment assembly, which means is responsive to the level of liquid in said debris containment assembly.

10. A liquid bath vacuum cleaner substantially as hereinbefore particularly described with reference to any one or more of Figures 1 , 3 and 4 of the drawings.