Separating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10842332-B2
Application number	US-201615739013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2016
Priority date	Jul 1, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a surface cleaning apparatus comprising a regenerative filter having at least one filter, the at least one filter comprising a plurality of layers of filter material, the filter having a first filtering configuration where the plurality of layers are held together such that air to be cleaned can pass through the plurality of layers of filter media during use of the surface treating apparatus, and a second regeneration configuration wherein at least a portion of one of the plurality of layers of filter material is spaced from the remainder of the layers of filter material for regeneration, and a filter regenerator for regenerating the filter material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising a dirty air inlet for receiving dirt laden air from a surface to be cleaned and a separating apparatus located in a fluid flow path downstream of the dirty air inlet, the separating apparatus comprising a regenerative filter having at least one filter, the at least one filter comprising a plurality of layers of filter material, the at least one filter having a first filtering configuration where the plurality of layers are held together such that air to be cleaned can pass through the plurality of layers of filter material during use of the surface cleaning apparatus, and a second regeneration configuration wherein at least a portion of one layer of the plurality of layers of filter material is spaced from the remainder of the plurality of layers of filter material for regeneration, and
a filter regenerator for regenerating the filter material.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the regenerative filter comprises a plurality of filters.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2 , wherein at least one filter is in the filtering configuration and at least one filter is in the regeneration configuration.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3 , wherein a plurality of filters are in the filtering configuration.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3 , wherein a plurality of filters are in the regeneration configuration.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the regenerative filter comprises a filtration zone and a regeneration zone which are spaced apart.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6 , wherein the at least one filter is moveable between the filtration zone, where the at least one filter is in the filtering configuration, to the regeneration zone where the at least one filter is in the regeneration configuration.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein in the filtering configuration and the regeneration configuration, the plurality of layers of filter material are held together along one edge to form a book type filter.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein in use, the filter regenerator moves at least a portion of one of the layers of the at least one filter in the regeneration configuration, such that dirt deposited on the filter material is knocked or shaken from the filter material.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein in use the filter regenerator repeatedly makes contact with at least a portion of one or more layers of filter material of the at least one filter in the regeneration configuration, such that dirt deposited on the filter material is knocked or shaken from the filter material.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter is connected to the filter regenerator when the at least one filter is in the regeneration configuration, and in use, the filter regenerator moves the at least one filter that is in the regeneration configuration such that dirt deposited on the filter material is shaken from the filter material.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter comprises a scroll type filter when the at least one filter is in the filtering configuration, and the at least one filter comprises a single layer of filter material when the at least one filter is in the regeneration configuration.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the at least one filter in the regeneration configuration is arranged to pass through a regeneration zone for regeneration.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13 , wherein the at least one filter comprises a pair of scroll type filters through which air to be filtered can pass, the regenerative filter being arranged such that the filter material is movable in both directions between first and second scrolls of the pair of scroll type filters, passing a single layer of filter material through the filter regenerator as the filter material moves between the first and second scrolls.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the filter regenerator comprises a pair of opposed brushes between which the at least one filter in the regeneration configuration will pass during use of the separating apparatus.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising a surface contacting head.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the separating apparatus comprises a further filter.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the separating apparatus is removable from the remainder of the vacuum cleaner.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the filter material has electrostatic properties.

Assignees

• Dyson Technology Ltd

Inventors

• Nicolaou Richard David

Classifications

• B01D46/681

  by scrapers, brushes or the like · CPC title

• B01D46/66

  Regeneration of the filtering material or filter elements inside the filter (B01D46/04, B01D46/48 take precedence) · CPC title

• B01D46/56

  with multiple filtering elements, characterised by their mutual disposition (B01D46/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D46/76

  involving vibrations · CPC title

• A47L9/20 Primary

  Means for cleaning filters · CPC title