Dust removing apparatus for air cleaner

Claim 2

An air cleaner for an engine comprising: a hollow casing having an air inlet, an air outlet, and an inner surface; an air filter which is housed inside said casing surrounding said air outlet and which has an outer surface which together with the inner surface of said casing forms an air passage which is connected to said air inlet and generally decreases in cross-sectional area downstream of said air inlet, the inner surface of said casing having a non-straight portion in its inner surface which changes the direction of flow of air that flows along said air passage; and a dust receiver which is formed in a surface of said casing in a location downstream of where the direction of flow of air has been changed by said non-straight portion of the inner surface of said casing, said dust receiver comprising a discharge port extending outside of said casing into an external passage through which there is a high-speed air flow and a dust-guiding surface which is formed as an end wall portion of said dust receiver and extends inwards from the inner surface of said casing adjacent said discharge port and guides particles in a direction transverse to the direction of air flow through the air passage into said discharge port.

Claim 3

An air cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air inlet comprises a curved passage of decreasing cross-sectional area having an inlet which opens onto the outside of said casing, an outlet which opens into said external passage, and an opening between said inlet and said outlet which opens into said casing, the cross-sectional area of said outlet being smaller than the cross-sectional area of said inlet or said opening.

Claim 4

An air cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein said discharge port of said dust receiver comprises a slit which is formed in a surface of said casing, said slit having curved sides whose ends extend into said external passage.

Claim 5

An air cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein said casing has a plurality of straight sides and said non-straight portion is a corner where two of said straight sides meet.

Claim 6

An air cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air inlet comprises a tube of decreasing cross-sectional area which extends into said casing towards said non-straight portion of the inner surface of said casing, said tube being integral with a surface of said casing.

Claim 7

An air cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein a portion of said filter comes into close proximity with the inner surface of said casing downstream of said air passage of decreasing cross-sectional area so as to substantially block the flow of air.

Claim 8

An air cleaner comprising: a hollow casing having an air inlet, an air outlet, and an inner surface; an air filter which is housed inside said casing and which surrounds said air outlet, said air filter having an outer surface which together with the inner surface of said casing forms an air passage which is connected to said air inlet and generally decreases in cross-sectional area downstream of said air inlet, the inner surface of said casing having a non-straight portion which changes the direction of flow of air that flows along said air passage; a cooling fan; mean for driving said cooling fan; a duct through which air is blown at a high speed by said cooling fan, said duct adjoining an outer surface of said casing; and a dust receiver which is formed in a surface of said casing in a location downstream of where the direction of flow of air has been changed by said non-straight portion, said dust receiver comprising a discharge port extending outside of said casing into said duct downstream of said cooling fan and a dust-guiding surface which is formed as and end wall portion of said dust receiver and extends inwards from the inner surface of said casing adjacent said discharge port and guides particles in a direction transverse to the direction of air flow through the air passage into said discharge port.

Claim 9

An air cleaner comprising: a hollow casing having an air inlet, an air outlet, and an inner surface; an air filter which is housed inside said casing and which surrounds said air outlet, said air filter having an outer surface which together with the inner surface of said casing forms an air passage which is connected to said air inlet and generally decreases in cross-sectional area downstream of said air inlet, the inner surface of said casing having a non-straight portion which changes the direction of flow of air that flows along said air passage; a cooling fan; mean for driving said cooling fan; a duct through which air is blown at a high speed by said cooling fan, said duct adjoining an outer surface of said casing; and a dust receiver which is formed in a surface of said casing in a location downstream of where the direction of flow of air has been changed by said non-straight portion, said dust receiver comprising a discharge port extending outside of said casing into said duct downstream of said cooling fan and a dust-guiding surface which is formed as and end wall portion of said dust receiver and extends inwards from the inner surface of said casing adjacent said discharge port and guides particles in a direction transverse to the direction of air flow through the air passage into said discharge port.

Claim 10

An air cleaner as claimed in claim 7 wherein said outer surface of said casing forms a side of said duct.

Claim 11

An air cleaner for an engine comprising: a cooling fan; a duct for cooling air having an upper wall, a first end disposed in the proximity of said cooling fan, and a second end which communicates with the atmosphere; a hollow casing which is mounted on the upper wall of said duct and which has an inner surface, an air inlet, and a bottom wall in which an air outlet is formed; an air filter which is housed inside said casing surrounding said air outlet and which has an outer surface which together with the inner surface of said casing forms an air passage which is connected to said air inlet and generally decreases in cross-sectional area downstream of said air inlet, the inner surface of said casing having a non-straight portion in its inner surface which changes the direction of flow of air that flows along said air passage; and a dust receiver comprising a discharge port which is formed in the bottom wall of said casing in a location downstream of where the direction of flow of air has been changed by said non-straight portion of the inner surface of said casing and which opens into said duct downstream of said cooling fan and a dust-guiding surface which is formed as an end wall portion of said dust receiver and extends inwards from the inner surface of said casing and downwards to said discharge port to guide dust particles transversely to the direction of air flow through the air passage into said discharge port.

Claim 12

An air cleaner for an engine comprising: a cooling fan; a duct for cooling air having an upper wall, a first end disposed in the proximity of said cooling fan, and a second end which communicates with the atmosphere; a hollow casing which is mounted on the upper wall of said duct and which has an inner surface, an air inlet, and a bottom wall in which an air outlet is formed; an air filter which is housed inside said casing surrounding said air outlet and which has an outer surface which together with the inner surface of said casing forms an air passage which is connected to said air inlet and generally decreases in cross-sectional area downstream of said air inlet, the inner surface of said casing having a non-straight portion in its inner surface which changes the direction of flow of air that flows along said air passage; and a dust receiver comprising a discharge port which is formed in the bottom wall of said casing in a location downstream of where the direction of flow of air has been changed by said non-straight portion of the inner surface of said casing and which opens into said duct downstream of said cooling fan and a dust-guiding surface which is formed as an end wall portion of said dust receiver and extends inwards from the inner surface of said casing and downwards to said discharge port to guide dust particles transversely to the direction of air flow through the air passage into said discharge port.

Claim 13

An air cleaner as claimed in claim 9, wherein the upper wall of said duct constitutes the bottom wall of said casing, and said discharge port comprises a through hole formed in the upper wall of said duct.

Claim 14

An air cleaner as claimed in claim 10 further comprising an ejector nozzle which is formed on an inner surface of said duct adjacent to said discharge port.