Granted Patent B2

US 7,914,609 · App. 12/259,641 · Granted Mar 29, 2011

Abstract

Claims (26)

1. An apparatus comprising:

an internal combustion engine having a carburetor;

a blower fan directing air through a screen to cool the engine; and

a cyclonic air cleaner assembly receiving air from the blower fan and directing the air towards the carburetor;

a cylindrical filter; and

one or more structures encouraging helical flow of the air about a cylindrical filter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 for the comprising a duct having an inlet receiving air from the blower fan and an outlet through which debris is discharged, wherein the cyclonic air cleaner receives air from the duct between the inlet and the outlet.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the duct extends from the inlet to the outlet in a first direction and wherein the cyclonic air cleaner assembly receives air from the duct in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cyclonic air cleaner assembly receives air from the blower fan proximate the first end of the cylindrical filter and wherein the apparatus further comprises a debris discharge outlet proximate and outer circumferentially surface of the cylindrical filter and a second end of the cylindrical filter.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a one-way valve regulating flow through the debris discharge outlet.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the one-way valve comprises a duckbill valve.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more structures comprises a scroll.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the one of more structures further comprises a sleeve extending along and axial length of the cylindrical filter between the cylindrical filter and the scroll are located such that the air received from the blower fan enters between the sleeve and the scroll.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising an airflow duct from an interior of the cylindrical filter to the carburetor, wherein the duct is integrally formed as a single unitary body with the sleeve.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a housing extending along an exterior of the cylindrical filter, wherein the housing is integrally formed as a single unitary body with the scroll.

11. A method comprising:

drawing air through a screen with a fan;

directing a first portion of the air drawn through the screen to cool an internal combustion engine;

directing a second portion of the air drawn through the screen to a cyclonic air cleaner assembly, wherein the cyclonic air cleaner assembly includes a filter; and

directing air from the cyclonic air cleaner assembly to a carburetor of the internal combustion engine;

directing the second portion of air through an inlet of a duct having a first debris discharge outlet, wherein the second portion of air enters the cyclonic air cleaner assembly between the inlet and the outlet; and

helically directing the second portion of air about the filter.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the duct extends in the first direction from the inlet to the outlet and wherein the method further comprises directing a second portion of air from the duct into the cyclonic air cleaner assembly in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the filter is cylindrical and wherein filtered air within an interior of the filter is directed to the carburetor.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the filter has a first end and a second and, wherein the second portion of air enters the cyclonic air cleaner assembly proximate the first end and wherein the method further comprises discharging debris through a second debris discharge outlet proximate the second end.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising directing debris out of the second debris discharge outlet and through a one-way valve.

Assignments (8)