Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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[0001] TITLE OF THE INVENTION
[0002] WET/DRY VACUUM APPLIANCE, DUST FILTRATION ATTACHMENT THEREFORE, AND
METHODS OF USE
[0003] CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0004]This patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S.
Provisional patent application serial no. 61/352,818, filed June 8, 2010,
which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0005]STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR
DEVELOPMENT
[0006] Not applicable.
[0007] REFERENCE TO APPENDIX
[0008] Not applicable.
[0009] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Field of the Invention. The inventions disclosed and taught herein
relate
generally to vacuum appliances, and more specifically are related to portable
wet/dry
utility vacuum cleaners having improved convenience and performance, and
methods
of use of such vacuum cleaners for debris collection and dust control
applications,
such as for controlling dust generated from sanding drywall joint compound and
the
like.
[0011] Description of the Related Art.
[0012] Utility vacuum cleaners, also referred to as wet/dry vacuum cleaners,
are
commonly used in basements, garages, workshops, on construction job-sites, and
the
like, for a variety of heavy duty cleaning tasks which are beyond the
capabilities of the
standard vacuum used to clean carpets and floors. While generally speaking
these
2
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known wet/dry vacuums work for their intended purpose, such as cleaning up
solid
and liquid debris, there are a few drawbacks with the typical configuration.
[0013] One such drawback concerns the size and portability of many of the
known
wet/dry vacuum cleaners. Some vacuums are of such a size that their use in
smaller
areas or elevated areas, such as in attics, closets, and crawl spaces, is not
readily
possible due to size or weight issues, or is limited.
[0014]Another drawback concerns the collection drum used in containing the
dirt,
debris, and/or liquid material which is vacuumed up by the wet/dry vacuum
appliance.
In the typical wet/dry vacuum configuration, the vacuum includes a debris
collection
drum and a power head. During typical operation, solid and/or liquid debris
are drawn
up through a collection hose and into the collection drum via vacuum generated
by a
motor assembly within the power head, the solid and/or liquid debris being
deposited
1s within the collection drum. Thereafter, the user must empty the full
collection drum. In
some instances, such as when cleaning up certain types of particulate or
liquid debris,
e.g., drywall compound dust, fine sanding dust, or other fine particulate
matter, the
dust can be dangerous to the user, and due to the fine nature of the
particulate matter
being drawn into the vacuum, can in part make its way through the filters and
re-enter
the environment through the vacuum exhaust, thus reducing efficiency and
subjecting
the user to additional airborne particles. Further, when using a vacuum
appliance to
clean up select fine particulate matter, it can be difficult to fully remove
all of the
particulates from the collection drum after cleaning, due to static or other
adherence to
the inside walls of the collection drum. Thus, it would be preferable in
situations like
this to be able to simply dispose of the container itself, once full, while
retaining the
vacuum power head assembly for continued use.
[0015] Several approaches to solving this problem have been suggested to date.
U.S.
Patent No. 6,083,307 describes a water filtration kit for drywall dust control
for use in
3,
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capturing and controlling dust generated from sanding drywall joint compound.
The
invention device includes a container. A lid portion secures to the open upper
end of
the container. The lid has a pair of apertures therethrough. A filtering tube
is secured
to one of the apertures of the lid and extends interiorly of the container.
[0016] In a further example, U.S. Patent No. 6,616,733 describes a method and
apparatus for filtering an air stream with an aqueous froth. According to the
disclosure, the process includes passing a contaminated air stream through a
diffusing
sieve, into an aqueous solution in an expansion chamber; generating,
maintaining, and
io containing an aqueous froth between the liquid-bath reservoir and a
saturated fiber
element; and continually saturating a coarse-fiber element with liquid from
the
aqueous solution. The froth is generated and maintained, and the fiber element
is
saturated, by controlling the dynamic interface between the contaminated air
stream
and the liquid-bath reservoir. The apparatus for filtering an air stream
includes: an air
15 filter device that incorporates a liquid-bath filter initial stage; an
aqueous-froth filter
second stage; a constantly saturated, coarse-fiber filter as a combined third
stage and
froth-limiter; and a moist, fine-fiber filter as the final stage.
[0017]ln U.S. Patent No. 7,297,188, a dust collecting apparatus is described
that
20 provides a vacuum system with a liquid filtering medium to collect dust
produced
during screening. A dust collection unit is also disclosed to collect and
separate
sawdust produced by sanding which can cause foaming of a liquid filter medium.
[0018] While all of these approaches seek to address the problems associated
with
25 vacuuming selected fine particulate materials, they suffer from being
cumbersome to
handle and move from area to area, as well as expense and similar related
issues.
[0019]The inventions disclosed and taught herein are directed to an improved
utility
vacuum cleaner, particularly a wet/dry vacuum system, with improved
portability while
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retaining the vacuum suction power, the vacuum system including a disposable
debris
collection container. Also disclosed herein are methods of use of such vacuum
appliances in conjunction with a water filter kit, acting as vacuum-based dust
removal
units for fine particulate dust control which acts to capture and control dust
generated
from sanding drywall joint compound, fine sawdust, and the like within the
disposable
collection container.
[0020] BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0021]Wet/dry vacuum appliances for use with disposable containers as debris
collection drums are described, as well as methods and assemblies for the use
of such
vacuum appliances in both typical vacuum operations, and in the vacuum
collection of
fine particulate material, such as fine sawdust or gypsum dust.
[0022] In accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, a vacuum
assembly
is described, the vacuum assembly comprising a container having an open upper
end,
a closed lower end, and at least one sidewall there between, the container
including a
continuous handle member for carrying the container in a suspended position; a
power
head assembly capable of removable attachment to the open upper end of the
container, the power head assembly including a housing, a motor, a fan, an air
inlet
and an air outlet; and two oppositely spaced handle-latching assemblies, V- or
U-
shaped wherein the latching members are spaced on opposite sides of the lower
outer
rim of the power head assembly.
[0023] In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, a water
filter kit
for a wet/dry vacuum assembly for dust control so as to capture and control
dust
generated from a construction-related process is described, wherein the kit
comprises,
in combination, a container having an open upper end, a closed lower end
opposite
the upper end, and at least one side wall extending therebetween, the
container being
capable of holding a predetermined quantity of water therein; a wet/dry vacuum
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assembly comprising a power head assembly capable of removable attachment to
the
open upper end of the container, the power head assembly including a housing,
a
motor, a fan, an air inlet, an air outlet, and a filter cage; and a filtering
assembly, the
filtering assembly comprising: a filtering tube having an open proximal end
and an
oppositely spaced distal end, the proximal end being capable of securedly
engaging
the lower face of the power head assembly in an air-tight manner such that the
distal
end extends downwardly towards the interior of the container; and a mixer
plate
securable to the distal end of the filtering tube, the mixer plate extending
substantially
parallel to the lower end of the container. In further accordance with this
aspect of the
present disclosure, the container has a cylindrical configuration and a
cylindrical side
wall extending between the upper end and the lower end.
[0024] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025]The following figures form part of the present specification and are
included to
is further demonstrate certain aspects of the present invention. The invention
may be
better understood by reference to one or more of these figures in combination
with the
detailed description of specific embodiments presented herein.
[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary vacuum appliance
in
accordance with the present disclosure.
[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the vacuum appliance of FIG. 1.
[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the vacuum appliance of FIG. 1.
[0029] FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the vacuum appliance of FIG. 1.
[0030]FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the vacuum appliance of
FIG. 1,
showing an exemplary dust filtration assembly in accordance with the
disclosure.
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[0031] FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom view of the motor head assembly of the
vacuum
appliance disclosed herein.
[0032] FIG. 7A illustrates a top view of the proximal end of an exemplary
downspout
assembly.
[0033] FIG. 7B illustrates a partial bottom view of the motor head assembly
with the
downspout assembly attached.
[0034] FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of the assembly of FIG. 7B.
[0035] FIG. 8A illustrates an expanded view of the cage engagement interface
shown
in FIG. 8.
[0036] FIG. 8B illustrates a detailed view of the cage engagement interface.
[0037] FIG. 9 illustrates a bottom view of an exemplary mixer plate assembly
in
accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0038] FIG. 9A illustrates a partial top view of the mixer plate assembly of
FIG. 9.
[0039] FIG. 9B illustrates a detailed bottom view of the mixer plate assembly
of FIG. 9.
[0040] FIG. 10 illustrates a further exemplary mixer plate assembly in
accordance with
aspects of the disclosure.
[0041] FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary fine
particle filtration
system according to the present disclosure in use as a dust removal unit, with
portions
of the vacuum system broken away for purpose of clarity.
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[0042] FIG. 12 illustrates a side-view of a further exemplary filtration
system in
accordance with the disclosure.
[0043] FIG. 13 illustrates a more detailed side-view of the filtration system
of FIG. 12.
[0044] FIG. 14 illustrates a bottom view of the filtration system of FIG. 12.
[0045] FIG. 15 illustrates a perspective bottom view of the filtration system
of FIG. 12.
[0046] While the inventions disclosed herein are susceptible to various
modifications
and alternative forms, only a few specific embodiments have been shown by way
of
example in the drawings and are described in detail below. The figures and
detailed
descriptions of these specific embodiments are not intended to limit the
breadth or
scope of the inventive concepts or the appended claims in any manner. Rather,
the
figures and detailed written descriptions are provided to illustrate the
inventive
concepts to a person of ordinary skill in the art and to enable such person to
make and
use the inventive concepts.
[0047] DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0048]The Figures described above and the written description of specific
structures
and functions below are not presented to limit the scope of what Applicants
have
invented or the scope of the appended claims. Rather, the Figures and written
description are provided to teach any person skilled in the art to make and
use the
inventions for which patent protection is sought. Those skilled in the art
will appreciate
that not all features of a commercial embodiment of the inventions are
described or
shown for the sake of clarity and understanding. Persons of skill in this art
will also
appreciate that the development of an actual commercial embodiment
incorporating
aspects of the present inventions will require numerous implementation-
specific
decisions to achieve the developer's ultimate goal for the commercial
embodiment.
8
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Such implementation-specific decisions may include, and likely are not limited
to,
compliance with system-related, business-related, government-related and other
constraints, which may vary by specific implementation, location and from time
to time.
While a developer's efforts might be complex and time-consuming in an absolute
sense, such efforts would be, nevertheless, a routine undertaking for those of
skill in
this art having benefit of this disclosure. It must be understood that the
inventions
disclosed and taught herein are susceptible to numerous and various
modifications
and alternative forms. Lastly, the use of a singular term, such as, but not
limited to,
"a," is not intended as limiting of the number of items. Also, the use of
relational terms,
such as, but not limited to, "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "upper,"
"lower," "down," "up,"
"side," and the like are used in the written description for clarity in
specific reference to
the Figures and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention or the
appended
claims.
[0049] Applicants have created a wet/dry vacuum assembly which includes a
power
head capable of sealingly engaging a separate, disposable collection
container. This
vacuum assembly may be used in typical wet/dry vacuum operations, or may be
used
in conjunction with a dust filter attachment for use as a dust removal unit.
-20 [0050]Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 - FIG. 4 are illustrations of
various views of a
wet/dry vacuum assembly 10 in accordance with the present disclosure. FIG. 1
illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary, non-limiting vacuum assembly
10 in
accordance with the present disclosure. FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the
vacuum
assembly 10 of FIG. 1, showing the air inlet port. FIG. 3 illustrates a side
view of the
vacuum assembly 10 of FIG. 1, illustrating the latching of the power head
assembly to
a container by way of at least a handle on the container. FIG. 4 illustrates a
top view
of the vacuum assembly 10 of FIG. 1. These Figures will now be discussed in
combination.
9
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[0051]Vacuum assembly 10 is shown in FIG. 1 in a perspective view as a
completed
unit with a power head assembly 12 attached to a collection container 14. The
power
head 12 typically comprises an upper motor cover and opposite, lower lid 11
having a
plurality of reinforcing ribs 31, 33 and 35, and includes a motor, a fan (not
shown), and
s a filter assembly, and a mounting flange or plate to which the motor,
impeller or fan,
and filter assembly are coupled. The mounting flange is sized and configured
to seal
the open top of the collection container 14. The attachment of the motor cover
to the
lid may be accomplished by a plurality of fasteners, including, but not
limited to, a set
of screws. Power head assembly 12 releasably attaches to a collection
container 14
by latches 18a, 18b, the collection container housing any fluid or debris (wet
or dry)
introduced into the vacuum during normal suction operations. The lid on the
power
head isolates a motor M from container 14 to prevent contamination from liquid
and
debris entering the vacuum during normal operation.
[0052] With continued reference to the Figures, and in particular FIG. 4, a
top view of
vacuum assembly 10 is shown. According to the embodiments of the present
disclosure, vacuum assembly 10 includes a power head 12 with a motor cover,
lid,
power cord (not shown for purposes of clarity), suction inlet port 20, air
outlet port 22,
and a power actuating switch 24. Other features of the power head assembly not
shown in the figures may include exhaust doors, motor exhaust ports (26),
noise
dampening means, and the like, as appropriate. During typical operation, a
flexible
vacuum collection hose (not shown) is connected to the suction inlet port 20,
via a
locking attachment, twist attachment, friction-fit, or the like, and allows
the user to
vacuum up debris while leaving the vacuum assembly 10 in a stationary
position.
[0053]As illustrated generally in the cross-sectional view presented in FIG.
5, a motor
"M" is contained inside the motor cover of power head assembly 12. An optional
motor exhaust diverter (not shown) may be included so as to redirect the motor
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exhaust (used to cool the motor) that passes by the motor vertically to an
exit point
through motor exhaust port 26, as appropriate.
[0054] Included with vacuum assembly 10 and collection container 14 may be one
or
more of a float, filter cage 40, filter, and muffling device, each of which
may be
installed by the consumer, or during the manufacturing process. Filter cage 40
may be
connected to the bottom face of the power head 12, specifically to the bottom
face of
the collector plate 11, by a plurality of fasteners-for example notches on the
collector
plate may connect with mating tabs or the equivalent on filter cage 40. Filter
cage 40
preferably includes a plurality of rings 42 oriented horizontally about a
central,
longitudinal axis of the filter cage, and two or more vertical ribs
(longitudinal supports)
44 coupled to the plurality of rings 42, so as to form a plurality of open
spaces between
the rings and the supports. A filter (not shown) may be optionally placed
snugly over
the outside of filter cage 40, as appropriate and depending on the material to
be
is cleaned with the vacuum assembly 10. Filters suitable for use with the
present
disclosure include paper filters, bag filters, pleated filters, HEPA-type
filters, and filters
made of either paper or non-natural fiber, such as polymers or polymer/paper
mixtures
or other appropriate synthetic materials suitable for such application.
[0055]The assembly 10 further includes a separate debris collection container
14, the
container having an open upper end, an opposite closed lower end 15, and at
least
one sidewall there between, the container preferably (but not necessarily)
including a
continuous handle member 16 for carrying the container in a suspended
position. The
handle member 16 may be of a generally curved shape, as shown, or may have a
specific shape, such as a V-shape formed in the middle portion (not shown), to
allow
the vacuum assembly 10 to be hung from an elevated position, e.g., from a
ladder
hook while the user works atop a ladder. In non-limiting example, the
container 14
may be a cylindrical container having a cylindrical configuration and a
cylindrical side
wall extending between the substantially circular-shaped upper end and the
lower
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ends. Alternatively and equally acceptable, the container 14 may be square,
rectangular, ovoid, or any other appropriate shape, the only restriction being
that the
container must be capable of sealingly engaging the power head 12 of the
vacuum 10.
The container 14 is preferably a bucket, pail, or similar container being
capable of
holding a predetermined quantity of water therein, such as a .5-gallon or 10-
gallon
plastic bucket.
[0056] In a typical manner of operation, power head 12 is sealingly attached
to the
open end of container 14 via latches 18 on the lower edge of the power head,
which
are preferably spaced about 180-degrees apart as illustrated in FIG. 4. Each
of the
latches has an upper hinged portion 29 which may be biased upward and
downward,
and two ears 28a,28b which are oriented substantially perpendicular to the
body of the
latch. Ears of the 28a,28b in combination form a V- or U-shaped groove 27
capable of
receiving handle 16 associated with container 14. In typical operation, the
user orients
is the power head 12 over container 14 such that latches 18a, 18b are
substantially
aligned with the direction of the handle 16 when it is raised to a 90-degree
angle
(parallel with the central axis of the container 14), biases the latches 18
upward toward
the top of the power head 12, and then pushes the power head down over the
upper
lip 19 of the open end of the container 14. The handle 16 of the container is
then
raised from a lowered position to an upright vertical position (as shown in
FIG. 3), and
fit into the groove 27 formed between ears 28a,28b. Latches 18a and 18b are
then
biased downward via a hingeable rotation about hinges 29 until the latches are
tight
against the outer wall of the container 14. At this point, the vacuum
appliance 10 is
ready to for operation by the user.
[0057] While the vacuum assembly 10 described above may be used for carrying
out
cleaning operations in a variety of areas, particularly hard-to reach or areas
of limited
confinement (e.g., attics or crawlspaces), due to the fact that the assembly
uses a
disposable and easily replaceable container 14 (such as a 5-gallon bucket) as
the
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collection drum, it can also be used to vacuum up fine particulate dust and
similar
materials, using the particle diffusion assemblies shown in FIGs. 5-15. As
used
herein, the term fine particulate dust material refers to material of fine
particle size,
including but not limited to sawdust from sanding operations, and dust
particles from
drywall installation, particularly those gypsum dust particles which result
from sanding
the joint compound on the drywall between the seams. As shown in FIG. 5, the
power
head 12 of a vacuum assembly 10 may be further modified to include an air-
filter
assembly 60 which may be lockably mounted to the bottom face of the power
head, in
fluid communication with inlet 20, and so as to be free of rotation. The air-
filtration
io assembly 60 comprises at least an inlet pipe or downspout 50 and a
diffusion
assembly, such as diffusion plate 70, 80, or 100, which will be described in
more detail
herein. Inlet pipe 50 is a shaped, hollow tube of any appropriate cross-
sectional
geometry (circular, square, or the line), having a proximal end 52 and an
oppositely-
spaced distal end 54. Proximal end 52 has a shaped region sized to mate
tightly with
the opening 20' of inlet 20 in the bottom face 11 of the lid portion of power
head 12, via
either friction or threaded attachment means. Attachment and securement of the
downspout 50 (and the rest of assembly 60) is by a combination of base insert
32 and
cage attachment means 62, both of which will be described in more detail
herein, and
shown in FIGs. 7-8.
[0058]As shown in FIG. 7A, a base insert 32 is fit over the proximal end 52 of
downspout 50, via a sized orifice 34 in the insert 32. Base insert 32 is
substantially
planer is shape, having sides 36, 38 shaped so as to allow the base insert to
substantially match the shape found on the underside of the lid 111 at the
inlet exit
area 20', such shape being defined by at least the outer wall of the bottom
face of lid
12 and reinforcing ribs 31 and 31' penning in the inlet exit area 20'. This is
shown in
FIG. 6. The shape of the sized base insert 32 at the proximal end of pipe 50
is so as
to prevent the attachment from rotating or slipping free by a twisting motion
during
operation of the assembly. This can be seen in FIG. 7B.
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[0059] Downspout 50, and associated air filtration assembly 60, is also
secured by way
of a filter cage attachment means, 62, as illustrated in FIGs. 8-8B. The
filter cage
attachment means 62 acts to secure the downspout 50 into position proximate
the
s filter cage 40, thereby preventing accidental disassembly during operation
of the
system. Filter cage attachment means 62 includes a first, upper securement arm
61
and a second, lower securement arm 63 extending substantially perpendicular to
the
central axis of downspout 50, and spaced apart both vertically, and
horizontally by a
distance dl, as shown in FIG. 8B. The vertical and horizontal spacing between
arms
61 and 63 is such that they fit around a vertical rib 44 of the filter cage
40, and
between either two rings 42 of the filter cage, or between a ring 42 and the
bottom
face 46 of the filter cage. Lower securement arm 63 may further include a
ramped
portion 67 along its bottom edge 65', so as to aid the attachment means in
slidably
engaging the ribs and rings of the filter cage 40. This attachment feature
forces the
assembly 60 up and into the bottom face of the vacuum power head/lid, thus
creating
an air-tight seal. Additionally, this feature acts to prevent the assembly
from being
pulled side-to-side during operation, and allows for the accessory to be
assembled in
an easy, no-tool fashion.
[0060]As shown in FIG. 9, particle diffusion plate 70 is installed at the
distal end 54 of
downspout 50, and the two pieces connect via a twist-lock engagement, as shown
in
detail in FIG. 9A, wherein the plate 70 includes an opening 79 formed
therethrough
which is sized to accommodate downspout 50, the plate 70 further including a
twist-
lock engagement means 69 formed in the top face 75 of the diffusion plate 70.
Diffusion plate 70 may have a variety of designs in order to maximize
extraction of
dust particles from the air stream during operation. For example, in FIGs. 9
and 9B,
the diffusion plate 70 includes a plurality of walls 73, 75 oriented generally
perpendicular to the walls of the distal end 54 of downspout 50, the walls 73,
75 being
of increasingly shorter height as the walls extend outward away from the
downspout
14
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50 toward the front edge 76 of the diffusion plate 70. This arrangement of
stepped
walls of differing heights forces the air entering the container 14 via
downspout 50 to
cascade over the walls, thus allowing for increased particle extraction from
the air
stream as it flows.
[0061]Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10, the diffusion plate 80 may include a
plurality
of flow channels formed on the bottom face of the diffusion plate by a series
of
radiating walls 81, 83 and 85 extending from the back direction of the back
wall 84 of
the diffusion plate toward the front edge 82 of the diffusion plate,
preferably in a
tapered manner as they extend radially outward. These radiating walls may be
formed
and used alone, or in combination with a plurality of openings 88 of varying
sizes
formed in the top of the diffusion plate, which act to provide an even volume
of bubbles
across the bottom surface of diffusion plate 80, thereby improving the
particle
extraction by the water during operation.
[0062]An example method of operation is now described, illustrating use of the
systems of the present disclosure with diffusion plate 80, although it will be
understood
that any of the diffusion plate assemblies described herein may be used. Once
the air-
filtration assembly 60 has been positioned within the vacuum assembly 10 such
that
the downspout 50 of assembly 60 is in an in-line orientation with the vacuum
air
stream, extends downward into the debris collection container 14 as described
above,
and the operator has filled the container to a predetermined level below the
filter cage
40, thereby forming a liquid reservoir 90 as shown in FIG. 11, the vacuum
assembly
10 can be powered on such that the vacuum power can be used to clean up
particulate dust and debris and decontaminate the vacuum stream simultaneously
during operation. During the typical use, the vacuum brings contaminated air
(that is,
air containing fine, particulate dust particles) into the inlet 20 of the
power head 12,
and this air stream is then introduced below the surface of the liquid
reservoir 90
through the mixer plate/diffusion means 80 attached at the distal end of the
downspout
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50. The contaminated air stream, containing fine particulate matter or the
like, is then
exposed to the water surface during the initial interface with the water and
the plurality
of air bubbles are diffused through the upper reservoir via orifices 88 in the
plate 80.
The majority of the fine particulate contaminants are thus removed from the
air stream
during this filtration process. The lower portion of the liquid reservoir 90
remains
relatively calm, thereby allowing most of the heavier contaminants ( the dust
particles)
to settle out into a sludge layer 92 on the bottom of the container 14. The
turbulence
created by the air stream considerably increases the surface area available to
remove
the contaminants from the air stream, and allows the now clean air stream to
be drawn
through the filter cage 40 and up and out through the exhaust port 22 in the
power
head assembly.
[0063] FIGs. 12-15 are illustrations of various views of a further particle
filtration
assembly 100 for use with wet/dry vacuum assembly 10 in accordance with the
present disclosure. FIG. 12 illustrates a side view of an exemplary, non-
limiting
particle diffusion assembly 100 in accordance with the present disclosure, in
association with a wet/dry vacuum assembly 10. FIG. 13 illustrates a side view
of the
diffusion assembly 100 alone. FIG. 14 illustrates a bottom view of the
diffusion
assembly 100 of FIG. 13, illustrating the details of the scroll design. FIG.
15 illustrates
a bottom perspective view of the assembly 10 of FIG. 12. These Figures will
now be
discussed in combination.
[0064]As illustrated in FIGs. 12 and 13, the diffusion assembly 100 attaches
in
generally the same manner as the previously-described embodiments of the
disclosure, and the base-plate 101 of the assembly attaches to the downspout
50 in a
similar manner, e.g., via an attachment means 32 at the proximal end of the
downspout, and via a cage engagement assembly 62, allowing stabilization of
the
assembly by providing a means for securement to filter cage 40. The diffusion
assembly 100 is generally circular or ovoid in shape, and includes a
downwardly-
16
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extending skirt region 106 which circumscribes substantially all of, or
alternatively the
entire circumference of the base-plate 101. Base-plate 101 further includes an
opening 109 formed in and extending through the top face 104, the opening
being
optionally circumscribed by a raised collar 102. The opening 109 is oriented
in the
base-plate such that when the assembly 100 is attached to the vacuum appliance
10,
the opening 109 is positioned substantially directly below the filter cage 40.
In this
manner, any liquid splash through the opening 109 that may be generated during
operation of the system is reflected back to the water reservoir within the
container 14,
rather than being sucked into the motor intake of the vacuum appliance. In
accordance with further aspects of this embodiment, a mesh or similar cover
could be
included to cover opening 109 so as to further reduce liquid splash and/or any
foaming
of the liquid within the container 14, the only requirement for such a cover
being that it
is permeable to air.
is [0065] FIG. 14 illustrates a bottom view of the underside of particle
diffusion assembly
100, showing a centrifugal force-generating means, such as a general scroll
shape as
formed on the underside of the base-plate 101. As may be seen therein, the
downspout 50 terminates at its distal end 54' at an angle of approximately 90
, relative
to the central axis of the downspout itself. This angled distal end acts to
direct the
airstream during use of the system into the scroll-shaped diffusion area
having at least
one diffusion wall 110 extending downward from the bottom face 108 of the base-
plate
101, substantially perpendicular to the bottom face 108. Diffusion wall 110
may be
separate from, or a continuation of, outer skirt 106. During operation,
particles enter
the diffusion assembly 100 via downspout 50, and are driven into the walls 106
and
110 of the scroll by centrifugal force, while clean air escapes through the
provided
opening 109. This "cyclonic-cleaning" using centrifugal force is further
enhanced by
the presence of water within the container 14, as described above in
accordance with
the other embodiments of this disclosure, as the water will both serve to
capture and
contain the fine particulate material, and also clean the surfaces of the
interior walls of
17
CA 02742391 2011-07-06
the container 14 during operation of the unit. FIG. 15 illustrates a bottom
perspective
view of the particle diffusion assembly 100 in association with the vacuum
assembly
10.
[0066]The size, shape and geometry of the scroll within the bottom face of the
assembly 100 is limited only by physical factors, and as such variations on
wall
placement (e.g., placement of diffusion wall 110, or the addition of further
diffusion
walls) may be included without detracting from the present disclosure. The
size of the
plate is limited by the bucket diameter at that area. The scroll may be
defined by first
picking a circular path that allows the air flow from the downspout 50
sufficient room
(that is, small enough that the air flow didn't intersect the downspout, but
not so small
it left insufficient clearance to the exit hole 109). Diffusion wall 110 may
then be
defined by an arc of the same diameter and made tangent to the inner and outer
circles at the defined areas. In this way, the air flow into the base-plate
101 is forced
is into the walls at all points, so as to aid in the particle separation.
Alternatively, the
diffusion walls of the assembly may be arranged in a logarithmic or non-
logarithmic
spiral.
[0067] Other and further embodiments utilizing one or more aspects of the
inventions
described above can be devised without departing from the spirit of
Applicant's
invention. For example, the mixer plates associated with the filter attachment
may
include a combination of increasingly shorter deflection walls and air
channels of
varying sizes, or alternatively may include a coarse, fine, or coarse and fine
filter
element associated with the lower face of the mixer plate to act as a pre-
filter. Further,
the various methods and embodiments of the present disclosure can be included
in
combination with each other to produce variations of the disclosed methods and
embodiments. Discussion of singular elements can include plural elements and
vice-
versa.
18
CA 02742391 2011-07-06
[0068]The order of steps can occur in a variety of sequences unless otherwise
specifically limited. The various steps described herein can be combined with
other
steps, interlineated with the stated steps, and/or split into multiple steps.
Similarly,
elements have been described functionally and can be embodied as separate
components or can be combined into components having multiple functions.
[0069]The inventions have been described in the context of preferred and other
embodiments and not every embodiment of the invention has been described.
Obvious modifications and alterations to the described embodiments are
available to
those of ordinary skill in the art. The disclosed and undisclosed embodiments
are not
intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the invention
conceived of by
the Applicants, but rather, in conformity with the patent laws, Applicants
intend to fully
protect all such modifications and improvements that come within the scope or
range
of equivalent of the following claims.
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