DEBRIS COMPACTOR FOR A VACUUM CLEANER AND VACUUM CLEANER HAVING THE SAME
A debris compactor may include an inlet configured to receive debris, an auger chamber having an auger extending therein, and a dust cup disposed at a distal end of the auger chamber. The auger may be configured to urge the debris into the dust cup.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/756,760, filed on Nov. 7, 2018, entitled Debris Compactor for a Vacuum Cleaner and Vacuum Cleaner having the same, which is fully incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present disclosure is generally directed to surface treatment apparatuses and more specifically to a debris compactor configured to urge debris into a dust cup of a vacuum cleaner.
BACKGROUND INFORMATIONSurface treatment apparatuses may include vacuum cleaners configured to suction debris from a surface. Debris suctioned from a surface may be deposited in a dust cup for temporary storage. As the dust cup fills, performance of the vacuum cleaner may be degraded. As a result, it may be necessary to periodically empty the dust cup such that the vacuum cleaner maintains consistent performance.
One approach to reducing the frequency at which the dust cup is emptied is to increase the volume of the dust cup. However, increasing the dust cup volume can detrimentally effect, for example, the maneuverability of the vacuum cleaner. For example, in a robotic vacuum cleaner or an upright vacuum cleaner, a large dust cup may prevent the vacuum cleaner from cleaning under furniture.
These and other features and advantages will be better understood by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the drawings, wherein:
The present disclosure is generally directed to a debris compactor configured to urge debris into a dust cup of a surface treatment apparatus. The debris compactor includes an auger (or screw) disposed within a flow path extending through the surface treatment apparatus such that a fluid (e.g., air) having debris entrained therein passes over the auger. The auger extends along a chamber defined within the surface treatment apparatus. The chamber includes a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a dust cup opening. Fluid flows into the chamber through the fluid inlet and exits the chamber through the fluid outlet. Debris that is removed from the fluid flow, may be deposited within a dust cup that is fluidly coupled to the chamber through the dust cup opening. The fluid outlet includes a filter medium to capture debris entrained within the fluid after the fluid passes over the auger. The auger may engage the filter medium such that a rotation of the auger removes debris from the filter medium and urges the debris along the chamber in a direction of the dust cup. As such, when compared to depositing debris directly into the dust cup (i.e., without using an auger), the quantity of debris stored within the dust cup may be increased (i.e., the debris stored in the dust cup is compacted due to operation of the auger). As a result, the frequency at which the dust cup is emptied may be decreased when an auger is used without increasing a volume of the dust cup.
When the debris within the dust cup 106 reaches a predetermined fill level 110, continued rotation of the auger 102 will cause the debris to be compacted within the dust cup 106. In other words, as more debris is urged into the dust cup 106 by rotation of the auger 102, the greater the compaction of the debris within the dust cup 106.
In some instances, a vacuum may be applied to the auger chamber 103 in order to draw debris into the auger chamber 103 for compaction by the auger. Additionally, or alternatively, debris may be gravity fed into the auger chamber 103. As a result, the presence of a vacuum source to draw debris into the auger chamber 103 may be unnecessary.
In instances having a suction generated within the auger chamber 103 (e.g., by a suction motor), the debris compactor 100 can be located in multiple different locations in the flow path. For example, the debris compactor 100 can be positioned at a cyclone outlet or at a cyclone inlet of a vacuum system have a cyclonic separator. By way of further example, in vacuum systems not having a cyclone, the debris compactor 100 can be disposed at an inlet to a suction motor. In some instances, the dust cup 106 for holding the debris may not be part of the air flow. In other words, debris is caused to be deposited in the dust cup 106 substantially as a result of the movement of the auger 102 and the air flow does not pass through the dust cup 106.
A diameter of the auger 102 can vary based on application (e.g., for use in an upright vacuum, robotic vacuum, wand vacuum, docking station configured to remove debris from a vacuum, and/or any debris receiving device). For example, the auger 102 may have a diameter of 15 millimeters (mm), 30 mm, 45 mm, 60 mm, 80 mm, 90 mm, 120 mm, 145 mm, and/or any other diameter. Similarly, a length of the auger 102 can vary based on application. For example, the auger 102 may have a length of 15 millimeters (mm), 30 mm, 45 mm, 60 mm, 80 mm, 90 mm, 120 mm, 145 mm, and/or any other length. The auger 102 can be configured to be rotated at a rate in a range of, for example, 15 rotations-per-minute (RPM) and 100 RPM. By way of further example, the auger 102 can be configured to be rotated at a rate of 22 RPM. By way of still further example, the auger 102 can be configured to be rotated at a rate of 75 RPM.
The filter medium 210 can be configured to allow debris particles having a certain particle size to pass therethrough. As such, larger particles can be urged into the dust cup 106 by the auger 102 and smaller particles can be deposited in the dust cup 106 by cyclonic action. Therefore, the cyclonic separator 200 can be configured to cyclonically separate particles from the air flow having a particle size measuring less than an average pore size of the filter medium 210. For example, the filter medium 210 may have an average pore size in a range of 30 microns (μm) to 100 μm. By way of further example, the filter medium 210 may have an average pore size in a range of 60 μm to 80 μm. By way of still further example, the filter medium 210 may have an average pore size of about 74 μm.
After the air passes through the filter medium 210 at least a portion of the remaining debris in the air may be separated from the air by cyclonic forces and deposited within the dust cup 106. The air may then exit the cyclone chamber 202, pass through the suction motor 206 and a post motor filter 209, and exit the cyclonic separator 200.
By having the airflow pass over the auger 102, at least a portion of any debris that accumulates on the auger 102 may also be removed from the auger 102. As a result, the auger 102 can be generally described as self-cleaning as a result of air flowing over the auger 102.
As shown, the dust cup 106 includes a divider 212 extending between the cyclonic separator 200 and the debris compactor 100. As such, larger particulates separated from the filter medium 210 may be collected in an auger collection portion 214 of the dust cup 106 and finer particulates that are separated from the air by cyclonic action may be collected in a cyclonic separator portion 216 of the dust cup 106.
A filter medium 320 can extend between the debris compactor 302 and the cyclonic separator 304. The filter medium 320 can be positioned such that the filter medium 320 and/or an interior surface of the auger chamber 308 engages (e.g., contacts) a peripheral edge 322 of a helical body 324 that defines at least a portion of the auger 310. As such, as debris collects on the filter medium 320, rotation of the auger 310 causes debris to be urged along the filter medium 320 in a direction of the dust cup 306. In other words, the auger 310 may be generally described as being configured to clean the filter medium 320. The peripheral edge 322 of the helical body 324 of the auger 310 can include a peripheral lining 326 (e.g., a rubber such as a silicone rubber or natural rubber). The peripheral lining 326 may be configured to form a seal between the auger 310 and the filter medium 320 and/or an interior surface of the auger chamber 308 and/or mitigate the effects wear due to the engagement of the auger 310 with the filter medium 320. Debris which is not captured by the filter medium 320, may pass through the filter medium 320 and into the cyclonic separator 304.
The filter medium 320 and/or the helical body 324 of the auger 310 can be configured such that rotation of the auger 310 results in the auger 310 cleaning (e.g., removing at least a portion of the debris adhered to the filter medium 320) substantially all of the surface of the filter medium 320 facing the auger 310. For example, the pitch of the helical body 324 can be configured such that a first portion of the helical body 324 engages a first distal end of the filter medium 320 and a second portion of the helical body 324 engages a second distal end of the filter medium 320. As such, rotation of the auger 310 causes the helical body 324 to move relative to the filter medium 320 such that such that a substantial portion of a surface area of the filter medium 320 comes into engagement with a portion of the helical body 324. Additionally, or alternatively, the filter medium 320 can be configured to have a curvature that generally corresponds to that of the helical body 324 of the auger 310 such that a portion of the helical body 324 extends from a first side to a second side of the filter medium 320. The pitch of the helical body 324 can be variable and/or constant along the length of the auger 310. Having a variable pitch may improve the efficiency of the auger 310. In some instances, the auger 310 can be angled relative to a longitudinal axis 325 of the debris compactor 302.
As shown, the debris compactor 302 is fluidly coupled to the cyclonic separator 304. The cyclonic separator 304 includes a cyclone chamber 314 and a vortex finder 316. The cyclone chamber 314 is configured such that a cyclone is generated therein when air is drawn into the cyclone chamber 314 by a suction motor. The cyclone chamber 314 is fluidly coupled to the dust cup 306 such that debris that falls out of the cyclonic airflow is deposited within the dust cup 306. A divider 318 is provided within the dust cup 306 such that the dust cup 306 defines at least two compartments that are fluidly separated from each other. For example, the dust cup 306 may include an auger (or first) compartment 317 to, for example, collect debris from the debris compactor 302 (e.g., debris removed from the filter medium 320) and a cyclone (or second) compartment 319 to, for example, collect debris from the cyclonic separator 304 (e.g., debris separated from the air flow by cyclonic action). As such, the auger compartment 317 may generally be described as corresponding to the debris compactor 302 and the cyclone compartment 319 may generally be described as corresponding to the cyclonic separator 304.
As shown, a flow path 328 extends from an inlet 330 of the auger chamber 308 over the auger 310 through the filter medium 320 into the cyclone chamber 314 out an outlet 332 of the cyclone chamber 314 and to a suction motor. A center line of the inlet 330 may generally be aligned with the center of the filter medium 320. As also shown, a central axis 334 of an outlet 336 of the auger chamber 308 may form a non-perpendicular (e.g., obtuse) angle with a central axis 338 of an inlet 340 of the cyclone chamber 314.
In some instances, the filter medium 902 can be configured to have a surface area corresponding to a desired air flow velocity through the filter medium 902 for a given suction force. For example, the surface area of the filter medium 902 can be such that an air flow velocity extending through the filter medium 902 measures in a range of 3 meters per second (m/s) to 30 m/s. By way of further example the surface area of the filter medium 902 can be such that an air flow velocity extending through the filter medium 902 measures about 20 m/s.
As air flow velocity increases, the force applied to debris adhered to the filter medium 902 may increase. As the force increases, it may become easier for the auger 716 to urge to debris in a direction of the dust cup 706.
As shown, the filter medium 902 is configured to be spaced apart from an inner surface of the auger chamber 802. A plurality of ribs 906 can extend from the filter medium 902 and engage the inner surface of the auger chamber 802 such that a plenum is defined between the filter medium 902 and the inner surface of the auger chamber 802.
As shown, the filter medium 902 and the auger 716 may have a generally frustoconical shape. For example, and as shown, the filter medium 902 and the auger 716 may taper in a direction extending away from the dust cup 706. However, the filter medium 902 and/or the auger 716 may have any suitable shape, for example, a cylindrical shape.
As shown in
An example of a debris compactor, consistent with the present disclosure, may include an inlet configured to receive debris, an auger chamber having an auger extending therein, and a dust cup disposed at a distal end of the auger chamber. The auger may be configured to urge the debris into the dust cup.
In some instances, the debris compactor may include an outlet that may be configured to be coupled to a suction source to cause air to be drawn across the auger. In some instances, the debris compactor may include a filter medium, wherein the filter medium may be disposed at the outlet. In some instances, the auger may be configured to engage the filter medium. In some instances, the debris compactor may include a motor configured to cause the auger to rotate within the auger chamber. In some instances, a peripheral edge of the auger may include a peripheral lining.
An example of a collection system for collecting debris, consistent with the present disclosure, may include a debris compactor, a dust cup configured to receive debris from the debris compactor, and a suction source configured to draw air through the debris compactor. The debris compactor may include an inlet configured to receive debris and an auger chamber having an auger extending therein.
In some instances, the debris compactor may further include a filter medium disposed at an outlet of the auger chamber. In some instances, the collection system may further include a motor configured to rotate the auger. In some instances, the auger may be configured to engage the filter medium such that rotation of the auger urges debris accumulated on the filter medium in a direction of the dust cup. In some instances, the collection system may further include a cyclonic separator fluidly coupled to the suction source and the debris compactor. In some instances, the dust cup may be configured to receive debris from the cyclonic separator. In some instances, the dust cup may define at least a first and a second compartment, wherein the first compartment corresponds to the debris compactor and the second compartment corresponds to the cyclonic separator.
An example of a vacuum cleaner, consistent with the present disclosure, may include a chassis and a collection system for collecting debris coupled to the chassis. The collection system may include a debris compactor, a dust cup configured to receive debris from the debris compactor, and a suction source configured to draw air through the debris compactor. The debris compactor may include an inlet configured to receive debris and an auger chamber having an auger extending therein.
In some instances, the debris compactor may further include a filter medium at an outlet of the auger chamber. In some instances, the vacuum cleaner may further include a motor configured to rotate the auger. In some instances, the auger may be configured to engage the filter medium such that rotation of the auger urges debris accumulated on the filter medium in a direction of the dust cup. In some instances, the vacuum cleaner may further include a cyclonic separator fluidly coupled to the suction source and the debris compactor. In some instances, the dust cup may be further configured to receive debris from the cyclonic separator. In some instances, the dust cup may define at least a first and a second compartment, wherein the first compartment corresponds to the debris compactor and the second compartment corresponds to the cyclonic separator.
While the principles of the invention have been described herein, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation as to the scope of the invention. Other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the present invention in addition to the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention, which is not to be limited except by the following claims.
Claims
1. A debris compactor comprising:
- an inlet configured to receive debris;
- an auger chamber having an auger extending therein; and
- a dust cup disposed at a distal end of the auger chamber, the auger being configured to urge the debris into the dust cup.
2. The debris compactor of claim 1 further comprising an outlet configured to be coupled to a suction source to cause air to be drawn across the auger.
3. The debris compactor of claim 2 further comprising a filter medium, the filter medium being disposed at the outlet.
4. The debris compactor of claim 3, wherein the auger is configured to engage the filter medium.
5. The debris compactor of claim 1 further comprising a motor configured to cause the auger to rotate within the auger chamber.
6. The debris compactor of claim 1, wherein a peripheral edge of the auger includes a peripheral lining.
7. A collection system for collecting debris comprising:
- a debris compactor, the debris compactor including: an inlet configured to receive debris; and an auger chamber having an auger extending therein;
- a dust cup configured to receive debris from the debris compactor; and
- a suction source configured to draw air through the debris compactor.
8. The collection system of claim 7, wherein the debris compactor further comprises a filter medium disposed at an outlet of the auger chamber.
9. The collection system of claim 8 further comprising a motor configured to rotate the auger.
10. The collection system of claim 9, wherein the auger is configured to engage the filter medium and rotation of the auger urges debris accumulated on the filter medium in a direction of the dust cup.
11. The collection system of claim 7 further comprising a cyclonic separator fluidly coupled to the suction source and the debris compactor.
12. The collection system of claim 11, wherein the dust cup is further configured to receive debris from the cyclonic separator.
13. The collection system of claim 12, wherein the dust cup defines at least a first and a second compartment, the first compartment corresponding to the debris compactor and the second compartment corresponding to the cyclonic separator.
14. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a chassis; and
- a collection system for collecting debris coupled to the chassis, the collection system including: a debris compactor, the debris compactor including: an inlet configured to receive debris; and an auger chamber having an auger extending therein; a dust cup configured to receive debris from the debris compactor; and a suction source configured to draw air through the debris compactor.
15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein the debris compactor further comprises a filter medium at an outlet of the auger chamber.
16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 15 further comprising a motor configured to rotate the auger.
17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein the auger is configured to engage the filter medium and rotation of the auger urges debris accumulated on the filter medium in a direction of the dust cup.
18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14 further comprising a cyclonic separator fluidly coupled to the suction source and the debris compactor.
19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein the dust cup is further configured to receive debris from the cyclonic separator.
20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19, wherein the dust cup defines at least a first and a second compartment, the first compartment corresponding to the debris compactor and the second compartment corresponding to the cyclonic separator.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 7, 2019
Publication Date: May 7, 2020
Inventors: David S. CLARE (London), Christopher P. PINCHES (Surrey)
Application Number: 16/676,827