Domestic air treatment apparatus
View Patent ↗A domestic air treatment apparatus such as a vacuum cleaner comprises a fluid flow path including a dirt inlet and a clean air outlet. A suction motor and a treatment member are provided in the flow path. The fluid flow path comprises a portion that has a bend, such as an elbow, wherein all portions of the fluid flow path through the bend have a cross sectional area that is at least about the same as a cross sectional area of the inlet.
1. A domestic air treatment apparatus comprising:
(a) a fluid flow path including a dirt inlet and a clean air outlet;
(b) a suction motor and a treatment member provided in the flow path; and,
(c) the fluid flow path comprising a portion that has a bend of at least 45°, the bend having a bend inlet having an inlet direction of flow, a bend outlet having an outlet direction of flow, and a medial portion between the bend inlet and the bend outlet, and a curved outer wall;
(d) whereby the fluid flow path through the bend has a cross sectional area and the cross sectional area increases from the bend inlet towards a midpoint of the bend, and decreases from the midpoint to the bend outlet, wherein the curved outer wall defines an outer radial side of the bend inlet, an outer radial side of the medial portion, and an outer radial side of the bend outlet, and wherein a portion of the outer radial side of the medial portion is radially outwardly positioned from a line defined by the outer radial side of the bend inlet and a portion of the outer radial side of the medial portion is radially outwardly positioned from a line defined by the outer radial side of the bend outlet.
2. The domestic air treatment apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inlet direction of flow and the outlet direction of flow are in the same plane.
3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein all portions of the fluid flow path through the bend have a cross sectional area that is at least 90% of the cross sectional area of the inlet.
4. The domestic air treatment apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bend is constructed from at least a first part and a second part, wherein the first part comprises the bend inlet and the bend outlet and the second part comprises at least part of the curved outer wall.
5. The domestic air treatment apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bend is an elbow.
6. The domestic air treatment apparatus of claim 5 wherein the elbow has an inner side extending between the bend inlet and the bend outlet and an opposed outer side extending between the bend inlet and the bend outlet, the outer side being longer than the inner side, wherein at least a portion of the outer side comprises a second part.
7. The domestic air treatment apparatus of claim 6 wherein the second part is moveably mounted to the first part.
8. The domestic air treatment apparatus of claim 6 wherein the second part is removeably mounted to the first part.
9. The domestic air treatment apparatus of claim 4 wherein the outlet direction of flow is at about 90° to the inlet direction of flow.
10. The domestic air treatment apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bend is constructed from two parts.
11. The domestic air treatment apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bend has a curved inner wall.
12. The domestic air treatment apparatus of claim 1 wherein the domestic air treatment apparatus is a surface cleaning apparatus.
13. The domestic air treatment apparatus of claim 1 wherein the domestic air treatment apparatus is an air cleaner.
14. The domestic air treatment apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cross sectional area increases continuously from the bend inlet towards a midpoint of the bend, and decreases continuously from the midpoint to the bend outlet.