Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
Adaptable Vacuum Unit With Adjustable Debris Can Egress
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application
No. 61/851,777
filed December 18, 2016 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/563,628, filed
September 26,
2017.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates, generally, to industrial and
commercial vacuum
cleaning systems or units. More particularly, the invention relates to an
industrial vacuum unit
that allows on site configuration in applications where installation of a
traditional vacuum unit
may not be feasible.
BACKGROUND
[0003] An exemplary industrial or commercial vacuum cleaning system that
employs a
separator and filter canister assembly having a removable debris can and a
vacuum producer
connected to the separator for evacuating air from it is illustrated and
described in U.S. Pat. No.
4,874,410. The tubular bag separator disclosed therein includes a cylindrical
casing that houses
a bag chamber containing inverted filter bags mounted to a moveable bag head
which comprises
a manually or powered operable bag shaker mechanism. Access to the bag chamber
is provided
by a single access door on the front of the housing. Installation of the
vacuum cleaning system
requires positioning the system in an orientation that allows access to the
single access door for
servicing the filter bags in the canister.
[00041 A debris can is contained within a base assembly and cooperates with
the casing to
form a lower portion of the separator. The debris can has a rim flange which
cooperates with a
pivotally moveable bail or other mechanism for lifting the debfis can into and
retaining it in
sealing engagement with the lower end portion of the separator casing. In this
configuration, the
debris can may be readily detached from the separator casing and removed from
the base
assembly to allow removal of debris from the debris can. The base assembly
typically has an
opening on one side that defines the direction of egress of the debris can.
The debris can is
typically mounted on wheels to facilitate removal of the debris can.
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[0005] In operation of the vacuum cleaning system, a vacuum producer draws
air into the
separator through a vacuum inlet. The vacuum air stream is directed toward one
or more striker
or deflector plates. An air tight plate with filter bag attachment ports
separates the filter canister
from the separator. Heavy or large debris particles carried by the vacuum air
stream contact the
striker plate(s) in the separator and drop into the debris can. The lighter
debris not separated by
contact with the striker plate(s) is carried by the air stream through the
ports and into the attached
inverted filter bags where most of it is trapped.
[0006] A typical industrial vacuum cleaning system as described above
usually is effective at
removing heavy or large debris from the vacuum air stream and depositing it
into the debris can.
The debris can in turn may be readily removed from the base assembly to allow
accumulated
debris to be disposed of from the debris can. The base assembly is typically
permanently affixed
in the vacuum cleaning system through welding or similarly permanently
attaching the vacuum
bag canister onto the top of the base assembly.
[0007] Accordingly, the direction of egress of the debris can from the base
assembly is
limited to a single direction from the base assembly. This single, permanent
direction of debris
can egress relative to the rest of the vacuum cleaning system can be a primary
factor in limiting
the positioning and placement of the vacuum cleaning system, since positioning
and placement
of the system must allow for access to and removal of the debris can. In this
regard, positioning
and placement of a vacuum cleaning system can be restricted, particularly in
industrial
applications in which there is limited or tight space for installation of a
vacuum cleaning system.
[0008] In addition to allowing for debris can egress, position and
placement of the system
must allow for access to the bag chamber provided by the access door on the
front of the
housing, further contributing to restrictions on vacuum system placement.
Typically, the debris
can base and access door will face the same direction to allow for access,
thereby limiting design
of the system to account for placement of the debris can base and access door
on the front of the
housing.
[0009] Placement of a typical industrial vacuum cleaning system can be
further
compromised by the position of the vacuum producer. Typically, the vacuum
producer is
mounted on a base that connects to or is an extension of the debris can and
canister base. The
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vacuum system accordingly has a relatively large or cumbersome installation
area footprint to
accommodate the separator and filter canister assembly along with the vacuum
producer.
[0010] The physical installation of a typical industrial vacuum cleaning
system can be
impeded by the lack of lifting or handling features to assist in placing a
vacuum system.
Typically, a vacuum system is designed with respect to its final, operational
location with little to
no regard for lifting or handling features incorporated into the system to
facilitate and ease
installation.
[0011] In addition to positioning and placement limitations of a typical
vacuum unit that can
limit its adaptability for specific installations, many industrial and
commercial vacuum producers
are designed to run at one constant speed thereby limiting the ability to
adjust the rate of air flow.
Accordingly, vacuum unit adaptability can be enhanced by a vacuum unit that
has a vacuum
producer with a controller that allows for adjustable speed control to adjust
air flow.
[0012] The typical industrial vacuum cleaning system can impose positioning
and placement
limitations of the vacuum unit, given the typical separator assembly of a
single access door in a
separator and filter canister, along with the removable debris can having a
single, fixed
orientation of egress from the base assembly. Moreover, positioning and
placement can be
limited by the size of the unit given the footprint of the canister and vacuum
producer bases.
Accordingly, there is a need for an adaptable vacuum cleaning system that
allows for on site
configuration where installation of a traditional vacuum unit is not readily
feasible. In particular,
there is a need for an adaptable vacuum system that incorporates an adjustable
debris can egress
direction, multiple canister assembly doors, multiple vacuum inlet ports, a
canister assembly
mounted vacuum producer, features that facilitate handling and installation of
the vacuum
system, and a vacuum producer with an adjustable rate of airflow. The present
technology
provides such a desirable vacuum cleaning unit having these features.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] A primary objective of the presently disclosed technology is to
provide an adaptable
vacuum cleaning system or unit having a separator assembly in which the filter
canister assembly
is attached to a rotatable base assembly having a debris can. The vacuum
cleaning system
advantageously incorporates an adjustable debris can direction of egress; a
debris can lifting and
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locking bar; multiple filter canister access doors; multiple vacuum inlet
ports; a canister mounted
vacuum producer; lifting lugs around the top edge of the canister assembly;
slots in the base of
the unit to facilitate handling the unit with a forklift, and an adjustable
speed vacuum producer
that permits control of air flow rate.
[0014] The debris can is removably attached to the base assembly by a
lifting, sealing, and
locking mechanism. The base assembly contains an opening that defines the
direction of egress
of the debris can from the base assembly. By allowing rotation of the
attachment of the filter
canister assembly to the base assembly, the base assembly can be rotated
relative to the filter
canister assembly to provide different orientations of the direcLion of egress
of the debris can.
The ability to reorient the direction of the egress of the debris can at the
installation site provides
for enhanced versatility of installation locations for the vacuum cleaning
unit.
[0015] In addition to providing different orientations of egress of the
debris can, the
installation versatility of the presently disclosed vacuum cleaning unit is
further increased by
including two or more access doors and two or more vacuum inlets to the filter
canister
assembly. Multiple access doors increase the versatility of the installation
location or placement
of the vacuum cleaning unit, since access to one of the access doors can be
limited or blocked
due to space constraints of particular installation sites. Likewise, multiple
vacuum inlets
increase the versatility of installation location by providing multiple sites
to which vacuum
tubing can be attached. If only one vacuum inlet is being used, the other
vacuum inlets are
sealed off.
[0016] Some of the objectives of the invention having been stated, other
objectives will
appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the
vacuum unit.
[0018] Figure 2 is an exploded schematic perspective view of an embodiment
of the vacuum
unit showing a configuration of attachment of the filter canister assembly
(with attached vacuum
producer and electrical control enclosure) to the base assembly, including a
ring seal disposed
between the filter canister assembly and the base assembly.
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L00191 Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a
vacuum unit similar
to the vacuum unit shown in Fig. 1, in which the base assembly has been
rotated 90 degrees
clockwise relative to the filter canister assembly.
[0020] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a
vacuum unit similar
to the vacuum unit shown in Fig. 1, in which the base assembly has been
rotated 180 degrees
clockwise relative to the filter canister assembly.
[0021] Figure 5 is a cut away view of an embodiment of a vacuum unit
similar to the vacuum
unit shown in Fig. 1
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] The overall configuration of a typical vacuum cleaning unit as
described herein
includes, but is not limited to, a separator assembly having a filter canister
assembly, a vacuum
producer mounted to or independently of the filter canister assembly, an
electrical control
enclosure, and a base assembly to which the filter canister assembly is
mounted. The base
assembly includes the removable debris can. The filter canister assembly
includes an access
door(s) to allow access to inverted filters contained in the filter canister
assembly, as well as a
vacuum inlet.
[0023] The presently disclosed adaptable vacuum unit design combines
several features that
allow for on-site configuration in applications where installation of a
traditional vacuum unit is
not feasible. It also includes adjustable performance parameters to match
application
requirements. These features include, but are not limited to, an adjustable
debris can egress
direction; multiple bag canister assembly doors; multiple vacuum inlet ports;
a canister mounted
vacuum producer; a debris can lifting and locking bar; lifting lugs placed
around the top edge of
the canister assembly; slots in the base of the unit that facilitate handling
of the unit with a
forklift; and an adjustable speed vacuum producer that permits control of air
flow rate. The
advantages of these features are detailed herein.
[0024] As described above, previously disclosed vacuum units that contain a
removable
debris can mounted below a filter canister assembly limit direction of egress
of the debris can
from the base assembly to a single direction. The presently disclosed
adaptable vacuum unit
allows the filter canister assembly to be mounted at different positions on
the base assembly,
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thereby allowing the position of the base assembly to be rotated relative to
the filter canister
assembly. Rotation of the position of the base assembly in turn allows
rotation of the direction
of debris can egress, such that the adaptable vacuum unit allows for
adjustable debris can egress
direction. The multiple options for adjustable debris can egress direction
allows the vacuum unit
to be installed with optimum orientation in a specific installation
environment without blocking
removal of the debris can for emptying. The base assembly containing the
debris can lift
assembly can be rotated to a position at the site of vacuum unit installation
that provides
clearance for debris can removal and insertion. The direction of debris can
egress can be
adjusted before or at installation of the vacuum unit. Once the vacuum unit is
installed with a
specific orientation, the direction of debris can egress is set and not
adjustable by an operator of
the vacuum unit.
[0025] The debris can features a lifting and locking bar that allows the
debris can to be
unlocked from the bottom of the vacuum unit. The lifting bar rotates through a
cam, allowing
the debris can to be lowered from the base assembly until the castors on the
bottom of the debris
can contact the floor. The operator accordingly only has to support a fraction
of the weight of
the debris can. Likewise, the operator can readily lift and lock the debris
can into place with the
lifting and locking bar.
[0026] The adaptable vacuum unit described herein contains multiple bag
canister doors on
the filter canister assembly. The two or more canister doors enables the
vacuum unit to be
installed with an optimal orientation in a specific installation environment
without blocking
access for servicing the filter bags in the canister. This increased access
allows for more flexible
positioning of the vacuum unit, such that the vacuum unit can be positioned
closer to a wall,
other structure, or other equipment than a vacuum unit with a single canister
door.
[0027] The configuration of installation flexibility afforded by the
present adaptable vacuum
unit is further enhanced by the presence of multiple vacuum inlet ports. The
multiple ports
provide for more direct tubing connections and connection options between
overall vacuum
system plumbing and the vacuum unit regardless of vacuum unit orientation. The
increased
tubing connection options results in less tubing, fewer plumbing elbows, and
fewer other
connection components required for connecting the vacuum unit to the rest of
the overall vacuum
system.
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[0028] The presently disclosed vacuum unit preferably includes a canister
assembly mounted
vacuum producer, but may also be used with an independently mounted vacuum
producer. The
canister mounted vacuum producer decreases the foot print size of the vacuum
unit, since the
vacuum producer is supported by the canister and a portion of the base
assembly, such that the
vacuum producer does not require its own, separate base. In addition to
increasing installation
site flexibility, the canister mounted vacuum producer minimizes structural
components required
to support the vacuum producer. Furthermore, it minimizes plumbing and
hardware components
required to connect the vacuum producer to the canister, which in turn reduces
overall weight of
the vacuum unit.
[0029] The adaptability of the presently disclosed vacuum unit is further
enhanced by a
variable speed vacuum producer, which allows for adjustable air flow. Many
industrial and
commercial vacuum producers are designed to run at one constant speed, thereby
limiting the
ability to adjust air flow. In a preferred embodiment, the vacuum producer has
unlimited speed
control, within the design parameters of the vacuum unit, to adjust the rate
of airflow. For
example, the vacuum unit can be equipped with a three phase AC motor and
variable frequency
drive (VFD) controller. Adjustable rate of air flow, combined with the other
vacuum unit
features disclosed herein, increases the adaptability of the vacuum unit.
[0030] The adaptable vacuum unit described herein has multiple features
that readily allow
on site configuration of the vacuum unit in applications where installation of
a traditional
vacuum unit is not feasible. In addition, the adaptable vacuum unit has
features that facilitate
installation of the vacuum unit on site. The vacuum unit incluries lifting
lugs around the top edge
of the canister that facilitate handling of the unit with an overhead lifting
device. Furthermore,
slots in the base of the unit facilitate handling the unit with a forklift.
These two features
minimize the equipment and manpower required to move the vacuum unit.
Moreover, by easing
the installation process, these features reduce the risk of damage to the
vacuum unit from
handling.
[0031] Turning now to the figures, the vacuum unit 10 shown in Figs. 1-5
consists of a
separator assembly having a filter canister assembly 12 attached to a base
assembly 14. Attached
to the filter canister assembly 12 is a vacuum producer 16 having an exhaust
18. An electrical
control enclosure 20 is also attached to the filter canister assembly 12. The
filter canister
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assembly 12 includes two vacuum inlets 22 and two access doors 24. The base
assembly 14
includes a debris can 26 that has a direction of egress defined by an opening
in the base assembly
14. As shown in Fig. 1, the vacuum unit may include lifting lugs 48 around the
top edge of the
canister assembly 12 and fork lift slots 50 in the base assembly 14 to ease
and facilitate
installation of the vacuum unit.
[0032] An embodiment of the vacuum unit 10 in which the separator assembly
is removed
from the base assembly 14 is shown in Fig. 2. In this embodiment, the filter
canister assembly
12 attaches to the base assembly 14 by bolts that feed through holes in a
flange 28 at the bottom
of the filter canister assembly 12 into holes in the base assembly 14, whereby
the bolts are held
in place by washers and nuts. An elastomeric seal ring 30 is disposed between
the flange 28 of
the filter canister assembly 12 and the base assembly 14, and contains holes
that align with those
in the flange 28 and the base assembly 14. An exemplary bolt, washer, and nut
32 is shown.
[0033] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 (and Figs. 1, 3-5), the canister
assembly 12
attaches to the base assembly 14 by 8 bolts that feed through holes that are
equidistantly spaced
apart from each other around the circumference of the flange 28, the seal ring
30, and the base
assembly 14. In this particular configuration, the base assembly 14 can be
rotated in 45-degree
increments relative to the filter canister assembly 12 to allow the direction
of egress of the debris
can to be rotated in the 45-degree increments. Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of
the vacuum unit
in which the base assembly 14 has been removed from the filter canister
assembly 12, rotated
90 degrees counter clockwise relative to the orientation shown in Fig. 1, and
reconnected to the
filter canister assembly 12. Accordingly, the direction of debris can egress
has been rotated 90
degrees in the vacuum unit shown in Fig. 3 relative to the orientation shown
in Fig. 1. Likewise,
Fig. 4 shows an embodiment of the vacuum unit 10 in which the base assembly 14
has been
removed from the filter canister assembly 12, rotated 180 degrees clockwise
relative to the
orientation shown in Fig. 1, and reconnected to the filter canister assembly
12. Accordingly, the
direction of debris can egress has been rotated 180 degrees in the vacuum unit
shown in Fig. 4
relative to the orientation shown in Fig. 1.
[0034] While the vacuum unit embodiment shown in Figs. 1-5 illustrates a
configuration in
which the base assembly 14 can be rotated relative to the filter canister
assembly 12 in 45-degree
increments, this embodiment does not limit or restrict the possible means or
configurations of
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attachment of the filter canister assembly 12 to the base assembly 16.
Accordingly, the filter
canister assembly 12 can be attached to the base assembly 14 not only by bolts
but by any other
fastening means that allow the base assembly 14 to be removed, rotated, and
reconnected to the
filter canister assembly 12. Likewise, the means of attachment of the filter
canister assembly 12
to the base assembly 14 can be configured to allow any range of rotation
increments in the flange
28 of the filter canister assembly 12, thereby allowing rotation of the
direction of egress of the
debris can 26 to any range of rotation increments in possible directions of
egress of the debris
can 26. While the base assembly 16 and debris can 26 are rotatable throughout
a 360-degree
circle of possible directions of egress of the debris can 26, in practice the
debris can 26 direction
of egress preferably would not be under the vacuum producer 16.
[0035] The debris can 26 is removably attached to the base assembly 14. In
one
embodiment, a pivotally movable bail 34 that lies across the opening of the
base assembly 14
operates a cam mechanism for raising and lowering the debris can 26. In
operation, debris from
the vacuum air stream in the vacuum unit 10 enters the separator assembly
through a vacuum
inlet 22. The vacuum stream is directed toward one or more striker plates or
deflectors (38),
which are shown in Fig. 5. When large and/or heavy debris contacts a striker
plate (38), the
debris falls into the debris can 26. Finer particulate debris in the vacuum
stream is removed as
the vacuum stream flows through inverted filters 40 in the filter canister
assembly 12. When the
vacuum is not in operation, debris from the filters 40 can be shaken loose by
a bag shaker and
deposited into the debris can 26 for removal. In one embodiment, the bag
shaker can be a
manually operated shaker that is manually moved by a handle 42 located on the
outside of the
filter canister assembly.
[0036] The filter canister assembly 12 includes a bag chamber containing
inverted filters 40.
Access to the bag chamber is provided by relatively large access doors 24 on
the filter canister
assembly 12 to facilitate filter bag inspection and replacement, as may be
necessary. In the
presently disclosed embodiment of Figs. 1-4, the filter canister assembly 12
has two access doors
24 to provide greater versatility of installation of the vacuum unit 10. In
the event that a
particular installation provides limited space and corresponding limited space
for opening one of
the access doors 24, the other door 24 may be accessible, thereby allowing
installation of the
vacuum unit 10 without blocking access to the interior of the filter canister
assembly.
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[0037] The presently disclosed filter canister assembly 12 includes two
vacuum inlets 22.
The inclusion of a second vacuum inlet allows for increased configurations for
attaching vacuum
tubing to the vacuum unit compared to a single vacuum inlet as often typically
found in most
vacuum units. The two vacuum inlets 22 on the filter canister assembly 12
therefore contribute
to the versatility of installation locations of the presently disclosed vacuum
unit.
[0038] The design of the removable base assembly depicted in the presently
disclosed
vacuum unit allows the vacuum unit to be adaptable for installation in spaces
that may be
limited, particularly with respect to being able to access and remove the
debris can. The benefit
of being able to orient the base assembly relative to the filter canister
assembly is to allow
changing of the orientation of the direction of egress of the debris can.
Accordingly, the
presently disclosed vacuum unit can be adapted on site for different
installations that may require
different directions of egress of the debris can.
[0039] The versatility of potential configurations of the presently
disclosed vacuum unit is
further enhanced by including two access doors on the filter canister assembly
and two,
alternative vacuum inlets. These features may allow for installation into
tight or limited spaces
that otherwise might not be achievable or practical with just a single access
door and/or a single
vacuum inlet. The versatility of the adaptable vacuum unit is also enhanced by
the canister
mounted vacuum producer, which decreases the size of the area required for the
vacuum unit
compared to a unit that has vacuum producer mounted independently of the
canister assembly.
The installation of the unit is eased and facilitated by lifting lugs around
the top edge of the
canister, and slots in the base of the unit. These features respectively
facilitate handling of the
unit with an overhead lifting device and a fork lift, thereby minimizing
equipment and manpower
required to move and install the vacuum unit. The versatility of the adaptable
vacuum unit is
further enhanced by including a variable speed vacuum producer, which allows
for adjustable air
flow.
[0040] The drawings and specifications have set forth preferred
embodiments. Although
specific terms are employed they are used in a descriptive sense and not for
the purpose of
limitation.
[0041] Having illustrated and described the principles of the invention in
a preferred
embodiment thereof, it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art
that the invention can
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be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles.
I claim all
modifications coming within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims.
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