Low profile dust separator
View Patent ↗A dust separator including a top member having a top member having an inlet port arranged to supply dust-laden air and an outlet port arranged to remove clean air, the top member having a lower portion configured as a lip and having a radius which equals diameter of the inlet port, and a dust separator plate, housed within the lip, having a passage with at least one opening arranged to remove the dust from within the top member.
1 . A cyclonic particle separator comprising:
a first member having a top portion and a side wall portion with a transition portion therebetween, the side wall portion being annular, and the transition portion being arcuate from the top portion to the side wall portion, the first member defining an inlet port extending from the side wall portion tangentially and an outlet port extending from the top portion of the first member; and
a separator plate in communication with the first member, the separator plate and the first member cooperating to form a tapered passage, the tapered passage tapering from a relatively wide portion that receives dust from an airflow proximate the inlet port to a relatively narrow portion downstream of the airflow from the relatively wide portion, the tapered passage extending in a range of about 180 degrees to about 240 degrees adjacent the side wall portion, wherein the separator plate forms a generally flat bottom of the cyclonic separator.
2 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 1 , wherein the tapered passage is a variable width passage.
3 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 1 , wherein the tapered passage includes a first end and a second end, both the first end and the second end being tapered.
4 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 3 , wherein the first end and the second end are each rounded.
5 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 1 , wherein the first member includes a deflector plate extending from the outlet port towards the separator plate.
6 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 1 , wherein the separator plate is oriented perpendicularly to the side wall portion.
7 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 1 , wherein the tapered passage includes a first opening having a leading edge downstream of the airflow from the inlet port and a second opening at an opposite end of the passage downstream of the airflow from the first opening, the first opening being greater than the second opening.
8 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 1 , wherein the separator plate is rounded and has a radius.
9 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 1 , further comprising a cyclonic chamber defined by a volume of space contained between the separator plate and the side wall portion.
10 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 1 , wherein the separator plate defines a top side and a lower side and is configured such that the top side faces towards the first member and lower side faces away from the first member to define a cyclonic chamber between the first member and the top side.
11 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 1 , wherein the separator plate is a bottom-most part of the cyclonic particle separator.
12 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 1 , wherein a lower portion of the first member defines a lip.
13 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 12 , wherein the lip is configured to attach to a bucket.
14 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 1 , wherein the outlet port is integral with the top portion.
15 . A cyclonic particle separator comprising:
a first member having a top portion and a side wall portion with a transition portion therebetween, the side wall portion being annular and having a planar, generally vertical cross-sectional profile, and the transition portion being arcuate from the top portion to the side wall portion, the first member defining an inlet port extending from the side wall portion tangentially and an outlet port extending from the top portion of the first member and having a central axis generally parallel to the planar, generally vertical cross-sectional profile of the side wall portion; and
a separator plate in communication with the first member, the separator plate and the first member cooperating to form a tapered passage, the tapered passage aligned with a dust-laden air flow adjacent the side wall portion, wherein the separator plate forms a generally flat bottom portion of the cyclonic separator, and wherein the tapered passage tapers from a relatively wide portion that receives dust from the dust laden airflow proximate the inlet port to a relatively narrow portion downstream of the airflow from the relatively wide portion, and the tapered passage extends in a range of about 180 degrees to about 240 degrees adjacent the side wall portion.
16 . A cyclonic particle separator comprising:
a first member having a top portion and a side wall portion with a transition portion therebetween, the side wall portion being annular, and the top portion having a sloped surface portion having a generally planar cross-sectional profile, the first member defining an inlet port extending from the side wall portion tangentially and an outlet port extending from the top portion of the first member; and
a separator plate in communication with the first member, the separator plate and the first member cooperating to form a tapered passage tapering from a relatively wide portion that receives dust from an airflow proximate the inlet port to a relatively narrow portion downstream of the airflow from the relatively wide portion, the tapered passage extending in a range of about 180 degrees to about 240 degrees adjacent the side wall portion, wherein the separator plate forms a generally flat bottom portion of the cyclonic separator.
17 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 16 , wherein the sloped surface portion of the top portion extends circumferentially about the outlet port.
18 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 16 , wherein the sloped surface portion of the top portion includes a generally planar portion having a plane that intersects a central axis of the outlet port at an oblique angle.
19 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 16 , wherein the sloped surface portion of the top portion includes a generally planar portion having a plane that intersects a plane of the separator plate.
20 . The cyclonic particle separator of claim 16 , wherein the top portion includes a radially-outward top portion at a first height of the outlet port, and a radially-inward top portion at a second height of the outlet port less than the first height.