US20030136094A1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Axial flow centrifugal dust separator
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 2002-12-12
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2022-12-12
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is an improved vacuum cleaning apparatus utilizing a self-sustained vortex flow in a centrifugal separator. More specifically, vortex flow is maintained via pressure differentials allowing the ejection of dust and other particles without bags, filters, or liquid baths. Furthermore, the impeller inside of the separator serves the dual purpose of moving fluid through the system as well as creating a cylindrical vortex fluid flow. Additional circulating blades present throughout the separation chamber prevent fluid flow from slowing due to frictional losses. The axial design of the present invention allows the centrifugal separator to be constructed with an arbitrary length. The present invention excels in producing clean fluid of a better quality more efficiently, more quietly, and more simply than devices known in the art.
Inventors
- 👤 Lewis Illingworth
- 👤 David Reinfeld
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 00:02
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47L; A47L9/00; A47L9/02; A47L9/08; A47L9/10; A47L9/102; E; E04; E04H; E04H4/00; E04H4/14; E04H4/16; E04H4/1654; F; F15; F15D; F15D1/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 53
Claim 1
Independent Claim
73 words
1 . An apparatus for centrifugally separating matter from a fluid comprising: fluid delivery means for moving fluid through said apparatus; at least one cylindrical outer casing; at least one separation chamber contained within said cylindrical outer casing; and at least one circulating blade; wherein said matter is separated centrifugally from said fluid by a fluid flow created by at least one of said fluid delivery means or said plurality of circulating blades.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
73 words
1 . An apparatus for centrifugally separating matter from a fluid comprising: fluid delivery means for moving fluid through said apparatus; at least one cylindrical outer casing; at least one separation chamber contained within said cylindrical outer casing; and at least one circulating blade; wherein said matter is separated centrifugally from said fluid by a fluid flow created by at least one of said fluid delivery means or said plurality of circulating blades.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
2 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said fluid flow forms a cylindrical vortex.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
3 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said circulating blade rotates on a rotating drum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
4 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said fluid delivery means comprises an impeller.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
5 . An apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said impeller comprises at least one curved vane.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
6 . An apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said curved vane is shaped having a reverse curve.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
7 . An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a collector wherein the passage leading into said collector is tapered such that said passage is substantially narrower at the exit of said apparatus.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
8 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said fluid exits said apparatus on the opposite side that said fluid enters said apparatus such that the overall fluid flow is axial with respect to rotation of said circulating blade.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
9 . An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising at least one straightening vane.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
10 . An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a motor to power at least one of said fluid delivery means or said circulating blade.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
11 . An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a driveshaft to transfer power to said circulating blade.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
12 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said fluid delivery means comprises at least one impeller blade which is connected to said circulating blade.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
46 words
13 . An apparatus according to claim 1 that can be constructed such that the axial length of said apparatus, with respect to the rotation of said circulating blade, can be arbitrarily large to effect a desired level of separation of said matter from said fluid.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
14 . An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising tubing serving as a fluid inlet.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
15 . An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a collector.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
49 words
16 . An apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein said fluid flow creates a higher pressure in said collector than in said separation chamber wherein said higher pressure can maintain a cylindrical vortex fluid flow in said separation chamber without inhibiting said matter from traveling into said collector.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
75 words
17 . An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: at least one rotating drum; at least one collector; at least one driveshaft; and at least one cylindrical outer casing; wherein said apparatus can be constructed such that at least one of said rotating drum, said driveshaft, said cylindrical outer casing, said collector, or said plurality of circulating blades is arbitrarily long to effect a desired level of separation of said matter from said fluid.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
45 words
18 . An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: at least one fluid inlet; at least one fluid outlet; and at least one valve; wherein at least one of said fluid inlet or said fluid outlet utilizes said valve to meter said fluid flow.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
19 . An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising at least one recycle tube which transports fluid flow that is at least partially cleaned to mix with fluid flow that is substantially less clean.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
20 . An apparatus according to claim 19 further comprising a collector from which said recycle tube transports said fluid flow.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
21 . An apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein said recycle tube is coupled to the collector at the end further downstream relative to said fluid flow proximally at the middle of a cross-section of said collector.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
22 . An apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein said recycle tube comprises at least one valve.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
20 words
23 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said circulating blade is tapered to smoothly guide fluid flow.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
24 . An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a rotating drum, said rotating drum being tapered to smoothly guide fluid flow.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
52 words
25 . An apparatus for centrifugally separating matter from a fluid comprising: at least one cylindrical outer casing; at least one separation chamber contained within said cylindrical outer casing; and at least one circulating blade; wherein said matter is separated from said fluid by a fluid flow created by said circulating blade.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
52 words
25 . An apparatus for centrifugally separating matter from a fluid comprising: at least one cylindrical outer casing; at least one separation chamber contained within said cylindrical outer casing; and at least one circulating blade; wherein said matter is separated from said fluid by a fluid flow created by said circulating blade.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
17 words
26 . An apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein said fluid flow forms a cylindrical vortex.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
27 . An apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein said circulating blade rotates on a rotating drum.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
41 words
28 . An apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein said fluid exits said apparatus on the opposite side that said fluid enters said apparatus such that the overall fluid flow is axial with respect to rotation of said circulating blade.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
15 words
29 . An apparatus according to claim 25 further comprising at least one straightening vane.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
17 words
30 . An apparatus according to claim 25 further comprising a motor to power said circulating blade.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
19 words
31 . An apparatus according to claim 25 further comprising a driveshaft to transfer power to said circulating blade.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
44 words
32 . An apparatus according to claim 25 that can be constructed such that the axial length of said apparatus, with respect to the rotation of said circulating blade, can be arbitrarily large to effect more complete separation of said matter from said fluid.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
16 words
33 . An apparatus according to claim 25 further comprising tubing serving as a fluid inlet.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
12 words
34 . An apparatus according to claim 25 further comprising a collector.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
56 words
35 . An apparatus according to claim 34 further comprising a collector to collect said matter, wherein said fluid flow creates a higher pressure in said collector than in said separation chamber wherein said higher pressure can maintain a cylindrical vortex fluid flow in said separation chamber without inhibiting said matter from traveling into said collector.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
71 words
36 . An apparatus according to claim 25 further comprising: at least one rotating drum; at least one collector; at least one driveshaft; and a cylindrical outer casing; wherein said apparatus can be constructed such that at least one of said rotating drum, said driveshaft, said cylindrical outer casing, said collector, or said circulating blade is arbitrarily long to effect a desired level of separation of said matter from said fluid.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
35 words
37 . An apparatus according to claim 35 , wherein the passage leading from said separation chamber to said collector is tapered such that said passage is substantially narrower at the exit of said apparatus.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
45 words
38 . An apparatus according to claim 25 further comprising: at least one fluid inlet; at least one fluid outlet; and at least one valve; wherein at least one of said fluid inlet or said fluid outlet utilizes said valve to meter said fluid flow.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
35 words
39 . An apparatus according to claim 25 further comprising at least one recycle tube which transports fluid flow that is at least partially cleaned to mix with fluid flow that is substantially less clean.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
20 words
40 . An apparatus according to claim 39 , wherein said recycle tube transports said fluid flow from said collector.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
38 words
41 . An apparatus according to claim 40 , wherein said recycle tube is coupled to the collector at the end further downstream relative to said fluid flow proximally at the middle of a cross-section of said collector.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
18 words
42 . An apparatus according to claim 39 , wherein said recycle tube comprises at least one valve.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
20 words
43 . An apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein said circulating blade is tapered to smoothly guide fluid flow.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
20 words
44 . An apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein said rotating drum is tapered to smoothly guide fluid flow.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
39 words
45 . A method of centrifugally separating matter from a fluid comprising the steps of: creating a cylindrical vortex fluid flow within a cylindrical outer casing; and maintaining said cylindrical vortex fluid flow with at least one circulating blade.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
39 words
45 . A method of centrifugally separating matter from a fluid comprising the steps of: creating a cylindrical vortex fluid flow within a cylindrical outer casing; and maintaining said cylindrical vortex fluid flow with at least one circulating blade.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
25 words
46 . A method according to claim 45 further comprising the step of straightening said fluid flow to remove rotational components of said fluid flow.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
22 words
47 . A method according to claim 45 further comprising the step of metering said fluid flow with at least one valve.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
19 words
48 . A method according to claim 45 further comprising the step of ejecting said matter into a collector.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
42 words
49 . A method according to claim 48 , wherein the pressure in said collector is greater than the pressure in said cylindrical vortex such that said cylindrical vortex fluid flow is maintained without impeding said matter from traveling into said collector.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
34 words
50 . A method according to claim 45 further comprising the step of recycling said fluid flow that is at least partially cleaned to mix with said fluid flow that is substantially less cleaned.
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