Vacuum Cleaner Patents (Class 417/423.2)
  • Patent number: 11867197
    Abstract: A fan motor includes: a motor including a stator and a rotor, a motor housing accommodating the motor, a bearing case disposed at a lower portion of the motor housing, an impeller coupled to a rotary shaft of the motor, a vane structure disposed at a lower side of the impeller and configured to guide air, and a lead cable connector provided in the bearing case. The stator of the motor includes a core and a coil that is wound on the core, and the lead cable connector is connected to a lead cable of the coil of the stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jin Hong, Kwangyong Jang, Yongdae Kim, Sunggi Kim
  • Patent number: 11585342
    Abstract: A dry type primary vacuum pump is provided, including at least two pumping stages mounted in series between a suction and a discharge of the pump; two rotors extending in the pumping stages and being configured to rotate synchronously in a reverse direction to drive a gas to be pumped between the suction and the discharge; an injection device configured to distribute a purge gas in at least one pumping stage, the injection device including at least one injector and at least one injection valve with an on or off control configured to be interposed between a purge gas supply source and the injector; and a control device configured to control opening and closing of the injection valve to inject a purge gas by successive pulses into the at least one pumping stage. A method for controlling the injection of a purge gas the vacuum pump is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: PFEIFFER VACUUM
    Inventors: Serge Brandolin, Eric Mandallaz
  • Patent number: 11464379
    Abstract: Applicant has created vacuum apparatuses with improved stability and methods for improving the stability of a wet/dry vacuum. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a motor, a removable drum adapted to store debris collected by the apparatus, and a base that can be adapted to receive the removable drum. The motor can be adapted to be interposed between the removable drum and the base. The methods can include the step of providing a base, the step of providing a removable drum adapted to be coupled to the base, and the step of coupling a vacuum motor to the base such that the vacuum motor is adapted to be disposed beneath the removable drum when the drum is coupled to the base. By relocating the motor of vacuum apparatus beneath the drum, the vacuum's center of gravity can be lowered significantly and, thus, its propensity to tip over is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventor: Mark Tomasiak
  • Patent number: 11454246
    Abstract: An electric blower includes an air blowing unit including a mixed-flow fan to generate a current of air, a motor to rotate the mixed-flow fan, and a housing including a first portion surrounding the mixed-flow fan in a circumferential direction, and a second portion surrounding the motor in the circumferential direction. The inner diameter of the second portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuchika Tsuchida, Naho Adachi
  • Patent number: 11116367
    Abstract: An electric fan and a vacuum cleaner having the same are provided. The electric fan includes: a cover having an open side; an impeller disposed in the cover; a diffuser including a diffuser body and a plurality of vanes, the diffuser body being located at a side of the impeller adjacent to the cover, the plurality of vanes being disposed at an end of the diffuser body adjacent to impeller and spaced apart from one another along an outer circumference of the impeller, an outlet angle of each vane being denoted as ?, and ? satisfying: 45°???90°; and a refluxer disposed at an end of the diffuser body away from the impeller. The electric fan reduces flow losses of airflow, and improves work efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lele Ming, Xiaowen Hu, Hui Zhang, Xiaoyin Han
  • Patent number: 10731281
    Abstract: A heat dissipation apparatus for a sewing machine including a forepart and a motor shaft horizontally projecting out of the forepart includes a sleeve releasably secured to the motor shaft and including a first fan mounted thereon; a stator seat including an axial channel with the sleeve rotatably disposed through, and a plurality of first air inlets; and a guide member fastened between the stator seat and the forepart and including a disc-shaped opening with the first fan rotatably disposed therein. In response to activating the first fan, air is drawn through the first air inlets and a gap between the stator seat and the guide member prior to exiting the forepart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: H. S. MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tzu Sang Chan
  • Patent number: 9558969
    Abstract: A pumping device intended to be connected to a process chamber (2) includes a dry primary vacuum pump, an auxiliary pump mounted so that the auxiliary pump bypasses a check valve on the vacuum pump, a first valve device connected to a purging device for purging the dry primary vacuum pump and intended to be connected to a gas supply, a second valve device mounted so that the second valve device bypasses a check valve upstream from the auxiliary pump, and a controller configured to control the first and second valve devices on the basis of an operating status of the process chamber in such a way that the first valve device is at least partially closed and the second valve device is open when the process chamber is operating at ultimate vacuum. Also a method for pumping of a process chamber by way of such a pumping device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: ADIXEN VACUUM PRODUCTS
    Inventor: Bertrand Seigeot
  • Patent number: 9387298
    Abstract: A fan unit that forms part of a gases supply unit used as part of a breathing assistance system for providing heated gases to a user. The fan has an impeller surrounded by an upwardly sloped surface to facilitate improved airflow performance under surge conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: FISHER & PAYKEL HEALTHCARE LIMITED
    Inventor: Johannes Nicolaas Bothma
  • Patent number: 8939736
    Abstract: A fuel pump assembly may include a housing and a fuel pump within a fuel pump cavity. The fuel pump may include a motor, a pumping element driven for rotation by the motor, a pump body that maintains the position of the pumping element relative to the motor and the housing, and a flexible seal. The seal may be disposed between the pump body and the housing to provide a fluid tight seal between them. A portion of the seal may be disposed radially outwardly of a distal end of the pump body to radially position the pump body within the fuel pump cavity and a portion of the seal may be disposed axially outwardly of the distal end of the pump body to axially position the pump body within the fuel pump cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Walbro Engine Management, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Kevin L. Israelson, Douglas W. Salowitz, Jr., David L. Speirs
  • Patent number: 8905727
    Abstract: Isolated pressure compensating electrical motor connections and related methods are provided. According to an example of a sealed motor electrical connection, the connection incorporates a sealed female motor connection positioned to receive a male motor connector. The female motor connector has one or more independent dielectric oil chambers each pressure compensated by a bellow or similar device interfaced with the motorhead oil and/or well annulus fluid to thereby pressure compensate the chamber pressure of the female motor connection with that of the internal motor and/or well annulus. This configuration locates the electrical connection point of the motor lead extension with the motor lead wires to a separate area outside the motor to thereby prevent the occurrence of phase to phase or phase to ground shorts occurring in this critical area due to conductive element contamination that may reside in the motor oil or the well bore fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Jeffrey G. Frey, Ryan P. Semple
  • Patent number: 8499412
    Abstract: An electric blower includes a stator, a rotor, a bracket, rotary fan, air guide, a fan case covering air guide and rotary fan. Air guide includes a partition plate, a diffuser, a partition slope, and a guide vane. Diffuser vanes configure closed passages. Passage lengths of closed passages include a first passage length and a second passage length that is different from the first passage length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shizuka Yokote, Michihiro Kurokawa, Akira Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20130171013
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a motor assembly for a vacuum cleaner, the motor assembly including: an inlet introducing air therethrough; a motor; an impeller installed on a shaft of the motor and including a plurality of blades disposed at predetermined intervals between a pair of plates facing each other so that it rotates by the motor to suck the air; a diffuser disposed at an outer side of a discharge hole formed at an edge of the impeller; a first fan including a plurality of blade parts disposed at predetermined intervals while having the shaft as a concentric axis and disposed beneath the diffuser; and an outlet discharging the air to the outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Su Bong Jang, Han Kyung Bae, Hee Soo Yoon, Chang Hwan Park, Sang Jong Lee, Young Bok Yoon, Jin Su Seok
  • Patent number: 8272854
    Abstract: This impeller-free vacuum cleaner is based on a rotary piston. Vacuum suction of 300 inches of water or better can be delivered. Quietness of below 70 db can be delivered. Tongued rotary piston assemblies may be strategically placed, such as stacked, to eliminate vacuum suction dead zones. Sealing problems that otherwise were encountered with previous reciprocating and rotary piston structures for vacuum cleaners are solved by using a tongued rotary piston with a double-notched rotary valve operating by a Geneva mechanism, and a novel pancake-shaped cylindrical structure to house the rotary piston. An inventive rotary combustion engine also is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Inventor: Charles A. Castronovo
  • Publication number: 20100209271
    Abstract: A fan motor apparatus of a vacuum cleaner having a diffuser unit is provided. The fan motor apparatus of a vacuum cleaner includes a fan motor unit into and from which an air stream is introduced and discharged in the same direction, and a diffuser unit having an air suction area to discharge an air stream to the fan motor unit through a fluid passage surface, the fluid passage surface through which an air stream is drawn in and discharged out of the diffuser. An air discharge area of the diffuser unit may receive the air stream discharged from the fan motor unit, and distribute and discharge the air stream through a perimeter of the air suction area of the fluid passage surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Inventor: Dong-hun YOO
  • Patent number: 7736133
    Abstract: Upstream and downstream pump assemblies are mounted in a capsule having a bulkhead between the upstream and downstream pump assemblies, dividing the capsule into upstream and downstream chambers sealed from each other. In a dual operation mode, well fluid flows through the inlet of the capsule into the upstream chamber, where it is pumped to a first pressure level by the upstream pump assembly and discharged into the downstream chamber. The downstream pump assembly then pumps the well fluid to a second pressure level and discharges the well fluid out the outlet of the capsule. The assembly has also an upstream pump assembly only operational mode and a downstream pump assembly only operational mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Ignacio Martinez
  • Patent number: 7651325
    Abstract: In a vacuum cleaner blower (1) consisting of an electric drive motor (2) and a support cage (10) for receiving the structural modules of the drive motor such as stator pack (6), rotor (7) and brush holders (8) including carbon brushes (9) as well as an at least single stage blower unit driven by the motor including a deflector (11), impeller (12) and suction hood (4), the deflector being formed as a support cage lid including a bearing seat for the rotor (7) and the support cage (10) being formed for a mounting direction (C) of its structural modules in the axial direction of the blower and for direct contacting and the brush holder (8) of the carbon brushes being provided adjacent to the upper side (B) of the support cage which also faces the deflector (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Miele & Cie. KG
    Inventors: Guenter Esch, Peter Rode, Hans-Joachim Hegemann
  • Patent number: 7481630
    Abstract: A housing for a hand held vacuum cleaner is so constructed that a suction motor mounting bracket which is enclosed by a lower housing section, is removably secured to an upper housing section. A suction coupling pipe section is either an integral part of or directly secured to the suction motor mounting bracket, so that forces introduced to a suction tool attached to the suction coupling pipe section are transmitted through the mounting bracket to the upper housing section thereby at least partly relieving the lower housing section from forces passing from the suction tool to the handle and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Achim Liffers, Bernd Falkenstein
  • Publication number: 20090022590
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrical suction unit for use in a vacuum cleaner includes a turbine unit and an electrical motor with a rotor and a stator. The turbine unit is attached to the rotor and forms, together with the rotor, a rotatable part of the suction unit, which is rotatable about an axis of rotation. An amount of material is removed from the rotor and from the turbine unit to torque-balance the rotatable part of the suction unit. In this manner, the amount of material to be removed from the rotor to torque-balance the rotatable part is considerably reduced, so that the adverse influence of the removal of the material from the rotor on the performance of the electrical motor is limited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventor: WESSEL ADOLF OTTEN
  • Publication number: 20090010782
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner fan with an electric drive motor having a stator assembly and a rotor. The stator assembly and rotor are disposed in a bearing pot. An at least single-stage fan unit is driven by the electric motor. The fan unit includes a guide stage, a suction cap, and an impeller that is configured to generate an air stream. The bearing pot includes a receiving pocket which holds an adapter housing. The adapter housing accommodates a printed circuit board. A power semiconductor operable to control rotational speed of the fan unit is included on the printed circuit board. At least a portion of the power semiconductor protrudes from the adapter housing into the vicinity of the air stream generated by the fan unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: MIELE & CIE. KG
    Inventors: Klaus Bartsch, Manfred Gerhards, Friedhelm Sicken
  • Patent number: 7418763
    Abstract: A hand-held portable vacuum having a filter indicator that is coupled to an outlet housing and in fluid communication with a portion of the outlet housing between a fan inlet and an intake. The filter indicator includes a pressure differential indicator that is configured to indicate a pressure differential between air in the portion of the outlet housing and atmospheric air pressure. The filter indicator is employed to indicate to the user of the hand-held vacuum that replacement and/or cleaning of the filter is required. The vacuum may also be used in a blower mode with a set of inflator nozzles to permit a user to inflate an article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: David M. Shaver, Jacob R. Prosper, Murray D. Hunter, Carolyn Martin, Patrick W. Mooney, Olga Makeev
  • Patent number: 7416384
    Abstract: An electric blower includes an electric motor including a stator and a rotor. The impeller is rotated by the electric motor. An air guide having a plurality of guide blades is disposed around the impeller, and a casing encloses the impeller and the air guide. The casing is provided with a number of exhaust openings through which a part of an air stream suctioned by the impeller is discharged, and a circumferential length of each of the exhaust openings is substantially identical to a circumferential distance between outer peripheral ends of adjacent guide blades. Alternatively, the circumferential length of each of the exhaust openings may be less or greater than the circumferential distance between outer peripheral ends of adjacent guide blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Tokuda, Yoshitaka Murata, Yoshitaka Hayamizu, Kazuhisa Morishita, Yasuhiro Yuasa, Norihiro Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20080138202
    Abstract: An arrangement for supporting a shaft of a vacuum pump includes a first bearing for supporting the shaft at one of its end, a second bearing for supporting the shaft at another of its ends and formed as a rolling bearing, a holder for receiving the second bearing and including an oscillating base, a fixation member secured in the vacuum pump housing, metallic connection members for connecting the oscillating base with the fixation member and axial springs arranged between the oscillating base and the fixation member and providing for the axial stiffness of the holder which is greater than its radial stiffness thereof and greater than the axial stiffness of the first bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Inventors: Martin Eilers, Andreas Rippl, Christopher-Mark Rippl, Tobias Stoll
  • Publication number: 20080050252
    Abstract: Disclosed are a bearing housing, and a motor assembly and a vacuum cleaner having the same. The motor assembly includes: a motor housing; a motor installed in the motor housing, for supplying suction force; an impeller rotatably installed on a rotation shaft of the motor; an impeller cover coupled to the motor housing, for covering the impeller; a guide vane installed between the motor and the impeller, and composed of a plurality of diffuser vanes for converting some of dynamic pressure of the air passing through the impeller into static pressure, and a plurality of return vanes formed on the bottom surfaces of the diffuser vanes, for forming passages for guiding the air with its pressure raised by the diffuser vanes to the motor side; and a bearing housing including a passage formation unit for forming passages by contacting the bottom ends of the return vanes, and a shaft support unit for supporting the rotation shaft of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicant: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Kwang-Woon AHN
  • Patent number: 7104768
    Abstract: A Peristaltic micropump includes a first membrane region with a first piezo-actor for actuating the first membrane region, a second membrane region with a second piezo-actor for actuating a second membrane region, and a third membrane region with a third piezo-actor for actuating the third membrane region. A pump body forms, together with the first membrane region, a first valve whose passage opening is open in the non-actuated state of the first membrane region and whose passage opening may be closed by actuating the first membrane region. The pump body forms, together with the second membrane region, a pumping chamber whose volume may be decreased by actuating the second membrane region. The pump body forms, together with the third membrane region, a second valve whose passage opening is open in the non-actuated state of the third membrane region and whose passage opening may be closed by actuating the third membrane region. The first and the second valve are fluidically connected to the pumping chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Martin Richter, Martin Wackerle, Yücel Congar, Julia Nissen
  • Patent number: 6920867
    Abstract: An air intake apparatus for supplying air to an internal combustion engine comprises a hollow plastics material enclosure, an air filter and an air compressor which when activated compresses air supplied to the engine. The enclosure houses the air filter and compressor. An engine air supply path through the enclosure passes from an air inlet to the enclosure to an air outlet from the enclosure via the air filter. The enclosure inlet and enclosure outlet define respectively an upstream end of the air supply path and a downstream end of the air supply path, wherein the compressor is secured within the enclosure by resilient vibration-isolating mounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Paul Cutts, Olivier Henri Eugene Desmons, Scott John Moore, John Charles New, James Justin Tindall
  • Patent number: 6843644
    Abstract: Disclosed is a mounting structure of a blower for a vacuum cleaner comprising a mounting cover for fixing the blower to a body base so that the blower is structurally separated from a body cover. The mounting cover is put on the upper surface of the blower disposed on supporting ribs, and connected to the body base, and then the body cover is put on the body base. The blower is fixedly interposed between the supporting ribs and the mounting cover and separated from the body cover, thereby preventing oscillation generated by the blower from being transmitting to the body cover and then preventing the oscillation of the body cover and the consequently occurring noise of the body cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Ho Seon Rew, Hyeun Sik Nam, Yong Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 6786706
    Abstract: A fan in which, on one end of the motor shaft 6 a stepped portion 19 having a small diameter is formed, on which a central portion of the motor yoke 11 is press-fitted and fixed by caulking, thereby the motor yoke is mounted directly on the shaft 6. By such a structure, the conventional boss between the shaft 6 and the motor yoke 11 can be omitted and the structure can be simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Shinokubo, Shoichi Takei
  • Patent number: 6736615
    Abstract: A fan/motor assembly having an integrated brush support and bearing retainer is disclosed. The fan/motor assembly includes a rotatable shaft, a working air fan coupled to the shaft, and a motor bracket and baffle assembly interposed between the working air fan and the motor assembly. The motor bracket and baffle assembly retains a bearing which rotatably receives the shaft and provides integral brush boxes for the motor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Ametek, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Ciccarelli, Jr., David B. Finkenbinder, William H. McCloud, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6508618
    Abstract: A pump has a housing defining a pump chamber and having a shaft opening. An impeller shaft extends through the shaft opening and is sized to define a gap between the impeller shaft and the shaft opening. An impeller is attached to the shaft inside the pump chamber. The impeller includes a first set of impeller blades for transporting fluid through the pump chamber and a second set of impeller blades for creating a pressure force which pushes fluid away from the shaft opening. The pump with sealless shaft prevents fluid from leaking through the gap, and therefore is particularly suited for use in a tank-type vacuum cleaner capable of collecting both dry material and fluid. The gap is used in such an application to prime the pump, thereby discharging fluid collected in the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Shop-Vac Corporation
    Inventor: Robert C. Berfield
  • Patent number: 6378164
    Abstract: A pump inlet fitting for a wet/dry vacuum cleaner is disclosed. The pump inlet fitting frictionally attaches a pump inlet assembly to an inner surface of an intake tube of a wet/dry vacuum cleaner. The pump inlet fitting includes a plurality of radially extending barbs which frictionally engage the inner surface of the intake tube to a degree sufficient to secure the pump inlet assembly to the intake tube without the need for costly and time consuming external clamping mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Shop Vac Corporation
    Inventor: Robert C. Berfield
  • Patent number: 6368066
    Abstract: A vacuum apparatus has a recessed portion which is provided at an appropriate position of a fan casing. When incoming materials frequently pass through the fan casing, the recessed portion wears more quickly than the rest of the inner surface of the fan casing. Hence, a user of the vacuum apparatus can easily know when to replace the fan casing by visually checking the recessed portion from outside the fan casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Kioritz Corporation
    Inventors: Fumihiko Aiyama, Kazunori Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6264427
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a driven impeller that moves working air for the vacuum cleaner. A first housing includes a first wall and a second housing includes a second wall opposite the first wall, and an outlet for the working air. The impeller rotates and draws the working air through an opening and directs the working air radially outwardly toward the first wall and then through an annular passage formed between the first wall and the second wall. The annular passage restricts the flow of working are to provide back pressure on the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Shop-Vac Corporation
    Inventor: Robert C. Berfield
  • Patent number: 6249933
    Abstract: A pump has a housing defining a pump chamber and having a shaft opening. An impeller shaft extends through the shaft opening and is sized to define a gap between the impeller shaft and the shaft opening. An impeller is attached to the shaft inside the pump chamber. The impeller includes a first set of impeller blades for transporting fluid through the pump chamber and a second set of impeller blades for creating a pressure force which pushes fluid away from the shaft opening. The pump with sealless shaft prevents fluid from leaking through the gap, and therefore is particularly suited for use in a tank-type vacuum cleaner capable of collecting both dry material and fluid. The gap is used in such an application to prime the pump, thereby discharging fluid collected in the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Shop Vac Corporation
    Inventor: Robert C. Berfield
  • Patent number: 6232696
    Abstract: A vacuum generating apparatus for a vacuum cleaner is provided, in which an axial type coreless brushless direct-current (DC) motor is implemented in the form of a rotor-impeller integration structure. The vacuum generating apparatus includes an axial type brushless DC motor in which disc-shaped upper and lower rotors are symmetrically disposed facing the upper and lower portions of a disc-shaped stator at either end of a rotating shaft rotatably supported in the inner circumferential portion of the stator, upper and lower impellers integrally fixed in the upper and lower rotors, respectively, and upper and lower housings whose outer circumferential portions are combined with the outer circumferential portions of the respective disc-shaped stator such that air sucked via sucking inlets formed at the center of the housings is guided to a discharging outlet together with the stator. A single rotor structure can also be adopted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Amotron Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byung Kyu Kim, Joon Kim