Central vacuum cleaner apparatus
A central vacuum cleaner having a housing, a suction chamber, a suction motor at an upper end of the suction chamber, a suction motor inlet, a dirt receptacle, a suction chamber inlet into the suction chamber, and a filter bag between the suction chamber inlet and the suction motor inlet cover. The suction motor has an impeller axis and a suction motor inlet located on and surrounding the impeller axis. The suction motor inlet cover has a bottom wall on the impeller axis below the suction motor inlet, a sidewall extending upwards from the bottom wall and surrounding the suction motor inlet, an inlet chamber formed by the bottom wall and sidewall, and an inlet cover opening fluidly connecting the suction chamber to the inlet chamber. The inlet cover opening is offset from the impeller axis and faces at an upwards angle towards the upper end of the suction chamber.
1. A central vacuum cleaner comprising:
a main housing;
a suction chamber located in the main housing;
a suction motor connected to the main housing at an upper end of the suction chamber, the suction motor having an impeller axis and a downward-facing suction motor inlet located on and surrounding the impeller axis;
a suction motor inlet cover comprising:
a bottom wall located on the impeller axis below the suction motor inlet,
a sidewall extending upwards from the bottom wall and generally surrounding the suction motor inlet,
an inlet chamber formed by the bottom wall and sidewall, the inlet chamber being located adjacent to and in fluid communication with the suction motor inlet, and
an inlet cover opening fluidly connecting the suction chamber to the inlet chamber, the inlet cover opening being offset from the impeller axis and facing at an upwards angle towards the upper end of the suction chamber;
a dirt receptacle connected to the suction chamber;
a suction chamber inlet comprising a fluid passage through the main housing and into the suction chamber; and
a filter bag located between the suction chamber inlet and the suction motor inlet cover.
2. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the inlet cover opening faces directly upwards.
3. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 2 , wherein the inlet cover opening comprises a perimeter edge that lies in a plane that is perpendicular to the impeller axis.
4. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the inlet cover opening comprises an outwardly-flared lip.
5. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall of the suction motor inlet cover is generally flat, and the sidewall is generally cylindrical.
6. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the inlet cover opening is fluidly connected to the inlet chamber by an inlet passage.
7. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 6 , wherein the inlet passage comprises a curved lower wall configured to redirect a suction airflow entering the inlet cover opening towards the suction motor inlet.
8. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the filter bag comprises a flexible bag adapted to move towards the suction motor inlet when the suction motor is activated to generate a suction airflow, and to move away from the suction motor inlet when the suction motor is not activated.
9. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the suction motor inlet cover comprises one or more offset structures, and the filter bag is dimensioned to be able to contact the one or more offset structures when the suction motor is activated to generate the suction airflow.
10. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 9 , wherein the one or more offset structures comprise a plurality of posts.
11. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the inlet chamber and suction motor inlet are fluidly connected to the suction chamber only by one inlet cover opening.
12. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the suction motor is contained within a suction motor housing that extends into the suction chamber, and the suction chamber comprises a circumferential space between the suction motor housing and an inner wall of the main housing.
13. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the inlet cover opening faces the circumferential space.
14. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising at least one electrical conductor connected to the suction motor and located in a corresponding conductor structure that extends into the suction chamber adjacent the inlet cover opening to be cooled by air passing into the inlet cover opening.
15. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the dirt receptacle is removably mountable to the main housing at a bottom end of the suction chamber.
16. A central vacuum cleaner comprising:
a main housing;
a suction chamber located in the main housing, the suction chamber including a ring-shaped space at an upper end of the suction chamber;
a suction motor connected to the main housing at an upper end of the suction chamber, the suction motor having an impeller axis and a downward-facing suction motor inlet located on and surrounding the impeller axis;
a suction motor inlet cover comprising:
a bottom wall located on the impeller axis below the suction motor inlet,
a sidewall extending upwards from the bottom wall and generally surrounding the suction motor inlet,
an inlet chamber formed by the bottom wall and sidewall, the inlet chamber being located adjacent to and in fluid communication with the suction motor inlet, and
an inlet cover opening fluidly connecting the suction chamber to the inlet chamber, the inlet cover opening being offset from the impeller axis and facing at an upwards angle towards the ring-shaped space;
a dirt receptacle connected to the suction chamber; and
a suction chamber inlet comprising a fluid passage through the main housing and into the suction chamber.
17. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 16 , wherein the inlet cover opening faces directly upwards.
18. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 16 , wherein the ring-shaped space is formed between a suction motor housing that contains at least a portion of the suction motor, and an inner wall of the main housing.
19. A central vacuum cleaner comprising:
a main housing;
a suction chamber located in the main housing;
a suction motor connected to the main housing at an upper end of the suction chamber, the suction motor having an impeller axis and a suction motor inlet located on and surrounding the impeller axis;
a suction motor inlet cover comprising:
a bottom wall located on the impeller axis and spaced from the suction motor inlet,
a sidewall extending upwards from the bottom wall and generally surrounding the suction motor inlet,
an inlet chamber formed by the bottom wall and sidewall, the inlet chamber being located adjacent to and in fluid communication with the suction motor inlet, and
an inlet cover opening fluidly connecting the suction chamber to the inlet chamber, the inlet cover opening being offset from the impeller axis and facing at an upwards angle towards the upper end of the suction chamber;
a dirt receptacle connected to the suction chamber;
a suction chamber inlet comprising a fluid passage through the main housing and into the suction chamber; and
a filter bag located between the suction chamber inlet and the suction motor inlet cover.
20. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 19 , wherein the inlet cover opening faces directly upwards.
21. The central vacuum cleaner of claim 19 , wherein the inlet cover opening comprises a perimeter edge that lies in a plane that is perpendicular to the impeller axis.