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.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of international application PCT/CN2019/115343, filed Nov. 4, 2019, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a wet-dry vacuum cleaner device. The present invention relates to a handheld wet-dry vacuum cleaner device.

Vacuum cleaners are used to clean debris and dirt off surfaces. However, if the surface to be cleaned is also wet, many vacuum cleaners are not suitable. This is because the dirt and debris combines with the liquid on the surface and the resulting dirty paste can clog the vacuum cleaner.

It is known to clean wet surfaces with a vacuum cleaner device which is specifically designed for removing liquid and solid matter. Often these types of vacuum cleaner are known as “wet-dry” vacuum cleaners. Specifically, a wet-dry vacuum cleaner comprises a container for removing and holding liquid entrained in the dirty air flow.

One such wet-dry vacuum cleaner device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,968,593. A problem with this wet-dry vacuum cleaner device is that when the interior chamber for holding the dirty liquid becomes full or the user tilts or rotates the wet-dry vacuum cleaner during use, the liquid can enter the air inlet conduit connected to the motor fan assembly. This means that the dirty liquid can contaminate and damage the motor fan assembly.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Examples of the present invention aim to address the aforementioned problems.

According to an aspect there is a provided 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.

The liquid trap may comprise at least one liquid trap inlet in fluid communication with the tank and the tank outlet. The at least one liquid trap inlet may be located above the tank inlet. The liquid trap may comprise at least one inlet conduit in fluid communication between the at last one liquid trap inlet and the tank outlet. The at least one inlet conduit may comprise multiple inlet conduits.

The at least one inlet conduit may comprise a first inlet conduit and a second inlet conduit. The first and second inlet conduits may project into the tank. The first inlet conduit and the second inlet conduit may project away from the tank inlet. The first and second inlet conduits may be laterally offset from the tank inlet. The first and the second inlet conduits may be offset from the tank inlet in a first, second and third orthogonal directions.

The at least one inlet conduit may project into at least one ridge in the upper surface of the tank.

The tank may be removably mountable on the housing. The tank may comprise a releasable lid which is only releasable once the tank is removed from the housing. The tank may comprise a latch mechanism for releasing the releasable lid from the tank.

At least one baffle may be mounted on the tank adjacent to the first and/or second inlet conduits.

The liquid trap may comprise a chamber for retaining liquid.

The liquid trap may comprise a filter. The filter may be mounted in the chamber.

The liquid trap may be removably mountable on the tank.

A finger guard may be mounted at an outlet conduit in fluid communication with the tank outlet and the motor fan housing and the finger guard may be arranged to engage the tank outlet when the tank is mounted on the housing.

The airflow path may follow a serpentine path through the liquid trap.

The liquid trap may be mounted to the tank outlet.

The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device may be a handheld wet-dry vacuum cleaner.

Various other aspects and further examples are also described in the following detailed description and in the attached claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device;

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional side view of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device

FIG. 3 shows another a cross-sectional side view of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional front view of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device; and

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the tank of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100. The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 as shown in FIG. 1 is a handheld wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 (also known as a “handvac”), but the in other examples the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 may be an upright vacuum cleaner, a stickvac, a canister vacuum cleaner or any other type of wet-dry vacuum cleaner. References to wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 hereinafter will be in reference to the handheld wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 as shown in the Figures.

The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 comprises a housing 102. The housing 102 comprises a clam shell type construction comprises two halves which are fastened together. The halves of the housing 102 are fastened together with screws but in alternative examples any suitable means for fastening the housing 102 together may be used such as glue, clips, bolts and so on. For the purposes of clarity, the fastenings in the housing 102 are not shown.

The housing 102 comprises a handle 104. The handle 104 is integral with the housing 102 and the user grips the handle 104 when operating the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100. FIG. 1 shows a gripping portion 106 which is substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis A-A of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100. In other examples, the gripping portion 106 can extend in different directions such as extending along an axis approximately 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis A-A or substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A-A of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 e.g. a “pistol grip”.

In some examples, the handle 104 comprises an ON/OFF switch 110 for operating the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100. The switch 110 as shown in FIG. 1 is a sliding switch mechanism mechanically coupled to a microswitch (not shown). The trigger switch 110 is positioned on the top side of the handle 104. In other examples, the ON/OFF switch 110 can be located on the underside surface of the handle 104. In other examples, the switch 110 can be located on any exterior surface of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100.

In some examples, the handle 104 comprises indicators (not shown) for providing information about the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 to the user. For example, optionally a battery indicator (not shown) is mounted on the handle 104 for indicating to the user the charge level status of a battery 200 (which is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3). The battery 200 is housed in a battery housing 202. The battery housing 202 is mounted to the housing 102. In some examples, the battery housing 202 is integral with the housing 102. In other examples, the battery housing 202 and the battery 200 are releasably mountable to the housing 102. In this way, the battery 200 can be switched with another battery.

The battery 200 comprises one or more sockets (not shown) for charging the battery 200. In other examples, the battery 200 is charged via socket mounted elsewhere on the housing 102. Further indicators (not shown) such as filter status indicators (filter blocked/filter cleared) can be mounted on the handle 104 or elsewhere on the housing 102. In other examples, the indicator is a symbol indicating to the user when to charge the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100.

The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 comprises a generally elongate shape which extends along the longitudinal axis A-A. The housing 102 comprises a dirty air inlet 108 and a clean air outlet 112. An air flow path extends between the dirty air inlet 108 and the clean air outlet 112. The air flow path will be discussed in further detail below.

The clean air outlet 112 can comprises a plurality of openings 114 which are mounted in the housing 102. The openings 114 can be directed in one or more directions for dissipating the clean air exhaust into the environment. For example, the openings 114 can be orientated to direct the clean air away from the surface to be cleaned. This means that the dirt and debris on the surface to be cleaned is not dislodged by the exhaust clean air and blown away from the dirty air inlet 108. For the purposes of clarity, only one opening 114 has been labelled in FIG. 1.

The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 comprises a motor fan assembly 204 which is best shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a side cross-sectional view of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100.

The motor fan assembly 204 comprises a motor 206 and a fan 208 for generating a negative pressure for sucking up dirt and debris via the dirty air inlet 108. The fan 208 is mounted in the housing 102 such that it is aligned with the openings 114 for outputting exhaust air from the fan 208. In some examples the fan 208 is an impeller although in other examples the fan 208 may be an axial fan or a centrifugal fan.

In some examples, the motor 206 is a brushed d.c. motor with its drive shaft directly coupled to the centrifugal fan 208. The motor's 206 drive shaft has a rotational speed within a range of 15,000 and 40,000 revolutions per minute (rpm). For example, the no-load speed of the motor may be 24,000 to 28,000 rpm. In other examples, the motor 206 can be a d.c. motor, an a.c. motor, or an asynchronous multiphase motor controlled by an electronic circuit (not shown). A permanent magnet brushless motor, a switched reluctance motor, a flux switching motor, or other brushless motor type, may have a high rotational speed within a range of 80,000 to 120,000 rpm.

The motor fan assembly 204 is mounted within the housing 102 and electrically connected to a power source. As mentioned above, the power source is a battery 200 comprising a plurality of battery cells 210. In some examples, the battery 200 is a lithium ion battery. In other examples, the battery 200 can be any suitable type of battery for use in a wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100. In other examples the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 additionally or alternatively comprises a mains electricity supply (not shown). The housing 102 and the battery 200 can comprise one or more seals for preventing water ingress.

The rotation axis of the motor fan assembly 204 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis A-A of the housing 102. In some examples, rotation axis of the motor fan assembly 204 is coaxial with the longitudinal axis A-A of the housing 102. However, in other examples as shown in FIG. 2, rotation axis of the motor fan assembly 204 can be offset from the longitudinal axis of the housing 102.

Turning back to FIG. 1, the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 will be described in further detail.

The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 optionally comprises a cleaning liquid tank 126 which is in fluid connection with a nozzle 128. In this way, the cleaning liquid can be sprayed on to the surface to be cleaned via the nozzle 128. In some examples, the trigger 130 is coupled to a pump (not shown) in fluid connection with the cleaning liquid tank 126. Accordingly when a trigger 130 is actuated, the cleaning liquid is pumped to the nozzle 128. In some examples, the trigger 130 is mounted on the handle 104 for actuation by the user's finger. FIG. 1 shows the cleaning liquid being sprayed in an area in front of the dirty air inlet 108. In some examples, the pump coupled to the trigger 130 by a linkage (not shown) and the pump is manually actuated by the action of the user depressing the trigger 130.

The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 optionally comprises a rotatable brush bar 132 comprising a plurality of agitators, such as bristles 212, for agitating the surface to be cleaned. Other types of agitators could be used such as rubber tangs or blades. The brush bar 132 may comprise a mix of different types of agitators, for example rubber tangs and bristles. In some examples, the brush bar 132 is activated when the ON/OFF switch 110 is activated. Alternatively, in some examples, the brush bar 132 can be selectively activated with another button (not shown). The brush bar 132 is coupled to a motor-gear box assembly (not shown) for driving the brush bar 132. The motor-gear box assembly and the brush bar 132 are housed in a brush bar housing 134. The brush bar housing 134 is integral with the housing 102. In some examples, the brush bar housing 134 is separable from the housing 102. The operation of the brush bar 132 is known and will not be described in any further detail.

FIG. 1 also shows a tank 116 that is mounted to the housing 102. The tank 116 is a container 116 which is arranged to receive liquid, dirt and/or debris which are separated from the dirty air flow received from the dirty air inlet 112 during operation. Hereinafter the tank 116 will be referred to as a dirty liquid tank 116.

The dirty liquid tank 116 as shown in FIG. 1 is removably mountable to the housing 102. The dirty liquid tank 116 is releasable from the housing 102 with a button 118 which actuates a release mechanism 400 (as shown in FIG. 4). The release mechanism 400 comprises sprung biased latch 402 for engaging with a reciprocal recess 404 in the surface of the dirty liquid tank 116. The latch 402 is shown in a dotted outline since it is mounted in the housing 102 and not part of the dirty liquid tank 116. For the purposes of clarity, the housing 102 of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 is not shown in FIG. 4. In some alternative examples (not shown), the sprung biased latch 402 is mounted on the dirty liquid tank 116 and engages with a reciprocal recess 404 in the surface of the housing 102. In some examples, the release mechanism 400 can be any suitable fastening mechanism such as a clip, a friction fit, a clamp, hook to mount the dirty liquid tank 116 on the housing 102.

The dirty liquid tank 116 is mounted on the underside of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 and at least a portion of the dirty liquid tank 116 optionally extends around the housing 102. When the dirty liquid tank 116 is removed from the housing 102, the dirty liquid tank 116 is detached in a downwards direction as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1. The dirty liquid tank 116 is removeable from the housing 102 and this means that the dirty liquid tank 116 can be washed separately from the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100. In some examples, the dirty liquid tank 116 can be washed under the tap or in the dishwasher. The dirty liquid tank 116 in some examples comprises a plurality of parts and these will be discussed in further detail below.

In some examples, which are not shown in the Figures, the dirty liquid tank 116 is integral with the housing 102. In this case, the dirty liquid 220 held in the dirty liquid tank 116 is drained via a dirty liquid port (not shown).

Turning back to FIG. 1, the dirty liquid tank 116 comprises a releasable lid 120 mounted to the tank base 122. In some examples, the releasable lid 120 is pivots about the tank base 122 via a hinge. The releasable lid 120 is clipped to tank base 122 via a spring biased catch 124. When the catch 124 is actuated, the releasable lid 120 is pivotable from the tank base 122. In some examples, the releasable lid 120 is removeable from the tank base 122. A cross-sectional view of the tank base 122 mounted to the releasable lid 120 is shown in FIG. 4. A plan view of the releasable lid 120 is shown in FIG. 5.

In some examples, the releasable lid 120 comprises a seal 500 (as shown in FIG. 5) for preventing the dirty liquid 220 escaping from the dirty liquid tank 116 when the dirty liquid tank 116 is mounted to the housing 102.

In some examples, the releasable lid 120 may secured to the tank base 122 with other suitable mechanisms. In some examples (not shown), the catch 124 is a living hinge with a hook portion which is integral with the releasable lid 120 and arranged to couple with a reciprocal recess on the tank base 122. In other examples, any other suitable mechanism can be used for selectively releasing the releasable lid 120 from the tank base 122. For example, any arrangement of clips, clamps, hooks, latches, catches etc can be used.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, when the dirty liquid tank 116 is mounted to the housing 102, the housing 102 is adjacent to the spring biased catch 124. Indeed, the brush bar housing 134 part of the housing 102 is adjacent to the spring biased catch 124. This means that there is not sufficient room for the catch 124 to move free from the releasable lid 120. This means that the releasable lid 120 cannot be accidentally released from the tank base 122 when the dirty liquid tank 116 is mounted to the housing 102. In this way, the dirty liquid tank 116 is not openable when mounted on the housing 102. This prevents the user spilling the contents of the dirty liquid tank 116 over themselves or a clean surface.

In some examples, optionally at least a portion of the dirty liquid tank 116 is translucent or transparent so that the user can see the status of the dirty liquid tank 116. This makes it easier for the user to know when to empty the dirty liquid tank 116. In some examples, the entire dirty liquid tank 116 is translucent or transparent.

The wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 inherently has a directionality in normal use. In this way, the “front” 136 of the hand wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 is at the end corresponding to the dirty air inlet 108. Likewise, the “back” 138 of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 is the end of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 corresponding to the end where the motor-fan assembly 204 is mounted. Accordingly, the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 also has a top side 140, and a bottom side 142.

The air flow path through the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 will now be described in reference to FIG. 2. The dirty air inlet 108 at the front 136 of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 is in fluid connection to an inlet conduit 214. The inlet conduit 214 connects the dirty air inlet 108 with the dirty liquid tank 116 mounted on the bottom side 142 of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100. The inlet conduit 214 is connected to the dirty liquid tank 116 via a tank inlet 216.

The tank inlet 216 comprises a deflector 218 for diverting the direction of the dirty air. The deflector 218 redirects the airflow on entry to the dirty liquid tank 116. In some examples, the deflector 218 redirects the airflow 180 degrees in the Y axis (as shown in FIG. 3). For reference, the X, Y and Z axes of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 are shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. This means that large droplets of liquid entrained in the air flow are flung out of the air flow as the direction of the air flow path changes and hit the deflector 218. The droplets of water or any other liquid then drip down into the dirty liquid tank 116. The dirty liquid 220 then collects at the bottom of the dirty liquid tank 116.

The dirty liquid tank 116 comprises a tank outlet 222 which is in fluid communication with an outlet conduit 224. The outlet conduit 224 is in fluid communication with the motor fan assembly 204 at the back 138 of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100. In this way, clean air is output from the dirty liquid tank 116 and drawn along the outlet conduit 224 towards the motor fan assembly 204. The exhaust air from the motor fan assembly 204 is then output via the openings 114.

When the dirty liquid tank 116 is full, the user can empty and clean the dirty liquid tank 116 via the tank outlet 222 once the dirty liquid tank 116 has been removed from the housing 102.

The tank outlet 222 is fluid communication with a liquid trap 230 for capturing liquid entrained the air flow exiting the tank outlet 222. This means that if dirty liquid is still entrained in the air flow after passing through the dirty liquid tank 116, the dirty liquid 220 can be captured before contaminating the motor fan assembly 204.

Furthermore, if user is vigorously moving the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100, then dirty liquid 220 in the dirty liquid tank 116 can be picked up by the air flow. The liquid trap 230 captures any dirty liquid which may re-entrained into the air flow as it passes through the dirty liquid tank 116.

In some examples, the liquid trap 230 is mounted to and sealed against the tank outlet 222 inside the dirty liquid tank 116. By placing the liquid trap 230 within the volume of the dirty liquid tank 116, this means that the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 can be more compact. However, in alternative examples, the liquid trap 230 is mounted outside the dirty liquid tank 116. For example, the liquid trap 230 can be mounted inside the outlet conduit 224 or any other position in the air flow path between the tank outlet 222 and the motor fan assembly 204. In some examples, the liquid trap 230 is mounted within the housing 102 and in fluid communication with the tank outlet 222 and the motor fan assembly 204.

The liquid trap 230 will now be discussed in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional side view of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100. FIGS. 4 and 5 are cross sectional views of the dirty liquid tank 116 along axes B-B and C-C respectively.

FIG. 3 shows the position of the releasable lid 120 of the dirty liquid tank 116 with respect to the cross section of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100. Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows the position of a first liquid trap inlet 300 of the liquid trap 230 with respect to the side view of the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100. The first liquid trap inlet 300 is represented as a dashed line because first liquid trap inlet 300 is laterally offset from the tank inlet 216 positioned on the centreline D-D of the dirty liquid tank 116.

Turning to FIG. 4, a front cross-sectional view of the liquid trap 230 is shown. The liquid trap 230 comprises at least one liquid trap inlet 300 and at least one inlet conduit 406 in fluid communication between the at least one inlet conduit 406 and the tank outlet 222.

Referring to FIG. 4, in some examples, the liquid trap 230 comprises a first inlet conduit 406 comprising the first liquid trap inlet 300 and a second inlet conduit 408 comprising a second liquid trap inlet 410. The first and second inlet conduits 406, 408 project into the dirty liquid tank 116. Once the air has passed through the dirty liquid tank 116, the air flows through the liquid trap 230 and out of the dirty liquid tank 116 via the tank outlet 222.

In some examples, at least one liquid trap inlet 300 is positioned above the tank inlet 216. In some further examples, the first and second inlet conduits 406, 408 are positioned such that the first liquid trap inlet 300 and the second liquid trap inlet 410 are positioned above the tank inlet 216. This means that the air flow has to change direction in the Z axis before entering the first and second liquid trap inlets 300, 410. The first and second inlet conduits 406, 408 project away from the tank inlet 216 so that the distance that the air has to travel in the in the dirty liquid tank 116 is increased.

As mentioned, the first and second liquid trap inlets 300, 410 are laterally offset from a centre line D-D of the dirty liquid tank 116 in the X axis. This means that the first and second liquid trap inlets 300, 410 are laterally offset from the tank inlet 216. In this way, the air flow has to change direction in the X axis, the Y axis and the Z axis from exiting the tank inlet 216 and entering the first and second liquid trap inlets 300, 410. As the number of turns in the air flow path increases, so does the chance of any liquid entrained in the air flow falling out of the air flow.

The releasable lid 120 of the dirty liquid tank 116 comprises a plurality of longitudinal ridges 412, 414. The longitudinal ridges 412, 414 extend along the length of the dirty liquid tank 116 in a direction parallel to the axis A-A when mounted to the housing 102. Each of the first and second liquid trap inlets 300, 410 project into each of the longitudinal ridges 412, 414. This means that the distance between the dirty water 220 at the bottom of the dirty liquid tank 116 and the first and second liquid trap inlets 300, 410 is maximised in the Z axis direction.

Since the dirty liquid tank 116 comprises the longitudinal ridges 412, 414 as part of the releasable lid 120, the dirty liquid tank 116 extends around the housing 102 when mounted to the housing 102. This means that the volume of the dirty liquid tank 116 can be increased whilst maintaining a compact form for the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100.

In some examples, the first and second inlet conduits 406, 408 of the liquid trap 230 are curved to make the air flow path more circuitous and tortuous. The path of the air flow is shown in FIG. 4 with arrows. In some examples, the air flow path is serpentine through the liquid trap 230. In some examples there are a plurality of changes of direction of the air flow path. In some examples, the changes of direction of the air flow path are in orthogonal directions. This slows the air flow down and increases turbulence in the air flow. This means that the air flow cannot carry the liquid as easily and the increased swirling of the air flow means that the liquid droplets in the air flow are more likely to collide with the sides of the dirty liquid tank 116 or the sides of the liquid trap 230.

The first and second inlet conduits 406, 408 of the liquid trap 230 are in fluid communication with a chamber 416 for holding trapped liquid 420. The chamber 416 comprises a generally cylindrical shape which is in fluid communication with the first and second inlet conduits 406, 408 and the tank outlet 222. The chamber 416 comprises a sump portion 418 for receiving the dirty liquid from the first and second inlet conduits 406, 408. The first and second inlet conduits 406, 408 are arranged to drain into the sump portion 418 of the chamber 416. In this way, as the air exits the tank outlet 222, the remaining liquid is captured by the liquid trap 230 as the air flow exits the liquid trap 230 and the trapped liquid 420 drains down into the sump portion 418. The trapped liquid 420 in the sump portion 418 may evaporate or the user may actively empty the liquid trap 230 as required.

Optionally, the chamber 416 comprises a filter 422 for further removing liquid and debris from the air flow. In this way, liquid absorbed by the filter 422 can drip down into the sump portion 418. Optionally, the filter 422 is a foam filter, a pleated filter, an air permeable membrane or any other suitable filter. In some examples, the filter 422 is mounted adjacent to the liquid trap 230. For example, the filter 422 can be mounted downstream of the tank outlet 222 in the outlet conduit 224.

FIG. 5 shows an underneath plan view of the releasable lid 120. In some examples, optionally the first and second liquid trap inlets 300, 410 are positioned between one or more baffles 502, 504, 506, 508. In this way, the baffles 502, 504, 506, 508 increase the amount of swirl in the dirty liquid tank 116 and the amount of dirty liquid 220 dropping out of the air flow within the dirty liquid tank 116.

Optionally, the liquid trap 230 is removably mountable in the dirty liquid tank 116. The liquid trap 230 comprises lugs 510, 512 for engaging with resilient clips 514, 516 mounted in the releasable lid 120. This means that the liquid trap 230 is separable from the dirty liquid tank 230 and can be cleaned separately from the dirty liquid tank 116. In addition, the filter 422 can be replaced or cleaned when the liquid trap 230 is removed from the releasable lid 120. In other examples, the liquid trap 230 can be releasably mountable on the tank base 122. In other examples, any other suitable mechanism can be used for selectively releasing liquid trap 230 from the dirty liquid tank 116. For example, any arrangement of clips, clamps, hooks, latches, catches etc can be used.

Optionally the outlet conduit 224 comprises a finger guard 302 for preventing a user's fingers or thumbs from entering the outlet conduit 224. This prevents the user from putting their fingers close to the motor fan assembly even when the wet-dry vacuum cleaner device 100 is not operational. In some examples, the finger guard 302 is mounted at the end of the outlet conduit 224. The finger guard 302 comprises a rigid lattice with a plurality of holes for allowing the air to flow freely exiting the tank outlet 222. The plurality of holes of the rigid lattice are small enough to prevent a user's fingers from protruding therethrough. In some examples, the finger guard 302 abuts the tank outlet 222 when the dirt liquid tank 116 is mounted on the housing 102.

In another example (not shown), there is an arrangement which is the same as shown in FIG. 4 except that there is only the first inlet conduit 406 comprising the first liquid trap inlet 300. In this way, the liquid trap 230 comprises at least one inlet conduit 406 comprising at least one liquid trap inlet 300. By having only one inlet conduit on the liquid trap 230, the number of turns in the air flow path within the liquid trap 230 can be increased. Alternatively, the liquid trap 230 can be made more compact.

In some other examples the liquid trap 230 comprises three or more inlet conduits. It may preferable to increase the number of inlet conduits so that the air flow is not restricted when exiting the dirty liquid tank 116.

In another example two or more examples are combined. Features of one example can be combined with features of other examples.

Examples of the present invention have been discussed with particular reference to the examples illustrated. However it will be appreciated that variations and modifications may be made to the examples described within the scope of the invention.

Claims

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.