Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This is a division of application Serial No. 302,607
Eiled 4 May, 1978.
The present invention is directed to an improved air
cleaner incorporating a plurality oE cyclone separator tubes
such as those disclosed in the parent application of this
divisional application. The cyclone separator tube of the
parent application has a side outlet for clean air and improved
means for generating a vortex in the axial flow of contaminant
laden air through the separator tube.
The following discussion of the background of the
invention relates not only to the invention disclosed in the
present application but also to the invention disclosed in
Application Serial No. 302,607 which is the parent application
of this divisional application.
The prior art includes two basic types of cyclone
separator tubes. In a straight-through axial flow separator
tube, such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,517l821, issued
to Monson et al. on 30 June, 1970, contaminated air enters the
separator tube and passes through a helical vane device which
generates a vortex in the flow of the contaminant laden air. A
clean air outlet conduit is disposed near the outlet of the
separator tube and concentrically positioned with respect to
the tube. A contaminant output channel is defined by the
exterior surface of the clean air outlet conduit and the inner
surface of the separator tube. The contaminants are thrown
outward toward the inner surface of the separator tube and are
discharged through the defined channel. Clean air passes
axially into the clean air outlet conduit. High flow rates are
achieved in the straight-through axial flow separator tube by
` providing a scavenge air flow. The scavenage air flow
facilitates the contaminant exhaust flow by minimizing
turbulence and thereby permi-tting higher flow ra-tes within the
separator tube.
Reverse flow cyclone separator tubes are disclosed in
the prior art. Examples oE such separator tubes are disclosed
in U.S. patent numbers:
3,517,821, issued to Monson et al. on 30 June, 1970;
3,498,461, issued to Iller on 3 March, 1970;
- 2,889,008, issued to Copp et al. on 2 June, 1959, and
2,887,177, issued to Mund et al. on 19 May, 1959
which are assigned to the assignee of the present application.
In the reverse flow cyclone separator tube, a clean air outlet
is concentrically disposed within the separator tube near the
inlet end thereof. Flow deflecting vanes at the inlet of the
separator tube again generate a vortex in the axial flow of
contaminant laden air into the separator tube. The
contaminants are discharged via straight-through axial flow.
Clean air, on the other hand, reverses its flow entering the
clean air outlet conduit. The pressure drops experienced in
the reverse flow cyclone separator tubes necessitate a clean
air outlet conduit having a length at least as long and
preferably greater than the length of the separator tube.
- Thus, the reverse flow devices are somewhat bulky and do not
permit compact packaging within an air cleaner. Additionally,
the reverse flow devices have lower throuyhput than
straight-through axial cyclone separators. In an air cleaner
housing, both prior art cyclone separator tubes, i.e.
straight-through flow or reverse flow, require substantial
space for manifolding of clean air from the separator tubes to
a final filter element.
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In -the above-mentioned U.S. Patent 3,517,821, issued
to Monson et al. on 30 June, 1970, a helical vane vortex
generating elemen-t is disclosed. This prior art vortex
-- generating element includes a trailing end having a surface
which tapers toward the clean air outlet conduit. It was found
that with this vortex generating element structure some of the
lighter contaminan-ts become entrapped at the inner periphery of
the vortex and would enter the clean air outlet conduit,
decreasing the efficiency of the contaminant separation.
The side outlet cyclone separator tube of the present
invention combines the advantages of high flow rates and
eficiency of a straight-through axial cyclone separator with
the non-scavenge flow characteristics of a reverse flow cyclone
separator. The side outlet cyclone tube also provides for
reduced packaging requirements by minimizing the space required
by the prior art devices for manifolding fluids from the
separator tubes to the final filter. Additionally, the present
invention incorporates an improved vane structure for
generating a vortex in the flow of contaminant laden air that
can also be utilized to increase the efficiency of the prior
- art straight-through cyclone separator by directing
contaminants trapped at the inner periphery of the vortex
toward the side wall of the separator tube.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One embodimen-t of the separator tube disclosed in the
parent application includes a first conduit member having a
tubular portion proximate the inlet end of the tube and a
second portion which has the shape of a frustum of a right
oblique cone. The side outlet aperture is formed in the second
portion which defines a converging contaminant discharge
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passageway of decreasing cross-sectional area toward the outlet
end of the separator tube. The second conduit member of the
separator tube also has a diverying discharge passageway for
clean air. This embodiment provides particular advantages when
a plurality of such tubes are incorporated into an air cleaner
structure.
The improved air cleaner of the present application
incorporates the embodiment of the separator tube discussed
above. The air cleaner includes a housing having inlet and
outlet conduits and a pair of baffles secured within that
housing to divide the housing into an inlet chamber, a dust
collection chamber, and a clean air outlet chamber. A
plurality of separator tubes are connected between the baffles
to provide fluid communication between the three chambers
within the housing. In particular, the side outlet separator
tubes are aligned in parallel rows with the side outlet
apertures of the tubes in one row directed toward the tubes in
an adjacent row. The side outlet apertures of one row are
offset with respect to the side outlet apertures of the
adjacent row to define clean air discharge channels within the
clean air outlet chamber of the housing. An annular filter
element is disposed within the clean air outlet chamber to
provide a final filter stage before the clean air exits the
housing.
Another embodiment of the separator tube disclosed in
the parent application includes a first conduit which has a
tubular portion defining the lnlet end of the separator tube
and a frusto-conical portion defining the outlet end of the
separator tube. The second conduit member defines a passageway
having a curved central azis from its inlet end to a side
.
outlet aperture in the tubular portion. The passageway defined
by the second conduit member has a cross-sectional area taken
along planes normal to its curved axes that increases gradually
from its inlet end to the outelt aperture. The passageway of
gradually increasing area diffuses the exhaust clean air
allowing a recapture of the pressure drop experienced within
the vortex generated by the separator tube.
The improved air cleaner may incorporate the second
embodiment of the separator tube by arranging a plurality oE
such tubes in similar fashion to the conEiguration described
above for the air cleaner incorporating the separator tubes oE
the other embodiment.
The advantages of the present invention will become
apparent with reference to the detailed description of the
preferred embodiment, drawings and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The following brief description of tne drawings
20 relates to the present application and also to Application
Serial No. 302,607 filed on 4 May, 1978, which is the parent
application of the present divisional application.
; FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of one embodiment
of the side outlet separator tube disclosed in the parent
application;
FIGURE 2 is a plan view of -the inlet end of the
; separator tube shown in Figure l;
FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of an improved air
cleaner incorpora-ting the separator tube shown in Figure l;
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FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional
view illustrating the separator tube of Figure 1 taken along
line 4-4 of Figure 3;
FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a
portion of Figure 3 taken along line 5-5 of Figure 3;
FIGURE 6 is a view in perspective of an alternative
embodiment of the side outlet separator tube disclosed in the
parent application;
FIGURE 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the
separator tube shown in Figure 6 taken along line 7-7 of Figure
6;
FIGURE 8 is an axial sectional view of a prior art
reverse flow cyclone separator tube;
FIGURE 9 is an axial sectional view of a prior art
straight-through axial cyclone separator tube;
FIGURE 10 is a view in perspective of -the improved
vortex generating device disclosed in the parent application as
viewed from above;
FIGURE 11 is another view in perspective of the
vortex generating device disclosed in the parent application as
viewed from below;
FIGURE 12 is an axial sectional view illustrating the
improved vortex generating device as utilized in a prior art
straight-through axial cyclone separator tube.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Application Serial No. 302,607, which is the parent
application of this divisional application, discloses two
embodiments of a separator tube.
Figures 3 and 5 illustrate an air cleaner 112
utilizing a plurality of separator tubes 10 as disclosed in the
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one embodiment of the invention disclosed in the parent
application. Air cleaner 112 has a housing 114 provided with
an inlet conduit 116 and an outlet conduit 118. Secured within
housing 114 is a first baffle member 120 which has a
cylindrical side wall 112 and a circular base 124 which define
a contaminant laden air inlet chamber 126 within housing 114.
A second baffle member 128 is also secured within housing 114
and has a cylindrical side wall 130 and a circular base 132
defining a contaminant collection chamber 134. First baffle
member 120 and second baffle member 128 further de:Eine a clean
air outlet chamber 136 in housing 114.
Separator tubes 10 provide Eor fluid communication
between chambers 126, 134, and 136. As shown more particularly
in the enlarged view of Figure 5, circular base 124 has a
plurality of apertures which receive inlet ends 16 of separator
tubes 10. Base 132 is also provided with a plurality of
apertures through which outlet ends 18 of tubes 10 are
inserted. As shown in Figure 3, annular flange 20 and
ramp-like projections 22 on each separator tube 10 acilitate
mounting of separator tubes 10 in base members 124 and 132,
respectively. Passageway 64 provides fluid communication
between inlet chamber 126 and collection chamber 134. Side
outlet openings 46 of separator tubes 10 provide fluid
communication between inlet chamber 126 and outlet chamber 136.
Disposed within outlet chamber 136 is an annular filter element
138 which serves as a final filter stage for air which exits
openings 46, passes through filter element 138 and into outlet
conduit 118.
As shown in Figures 3 and 5, separator tubes 10 are
aligned in parallel rows, A, B, C, D and E. In Figure 5, the
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arrows indicate the direction of flow through side openings 46
in separator tubes 10. As illustrated, tubes 10 in adjacent
rows, Eor example rows B and C, have their outlet openings 46
disposed so that air exiting openings 46 of tubes 10 in row B
is directed toward row C, and vice-versa. It will also be
noted that outlet openings 46 of tubes 10 in one row are offest
with respect to outlet openings 46 of tubes 10 in the adjacent
row. This alignment of separator tubes 10 defines a plurality
of outlet air channels as indicated at 140 within outlet
chamber 136. Outlet air channels 140 have longitudinal axes
that are generally transverse with respect to the longitudinal
axis of air cleaner 112, and outlet air channels 140 increase
the efficiency of air cleaner 112 by facilitating the exhaust
of clean air and consequen-tly permitting higher flow rates.
The offset alignment substantially eliminates turbulent flow
. within channels 1~0.
r Separator tubes 10 may be utilized in air cleaner
112. Contaminant laden air enters inlet chamber 126 and is
channeled by baffle member 120 into the plurality of separator
tubes 10. Contaminants are discharged through outlet ends 18
into contaminant collection chamber 134. Clean air exhausts
: through side outlet openings 46 into outlet chamber 136. The
clean air passes through a final stage comprising annular
filter element 138 before passing from air cleaner 112 through
outlet conduit 118. As previously men-tioned, outlet air
channels 140 defined between adjacen-t parallel rows of
separator tubes 10 facilitate the flow of clean air into
chamber 136.
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms
without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics
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- thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be
considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive,
the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended
: claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all
changes coming within the meaning and range of the equivalency
of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.
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