Rexair, Inc.

Eric Lee Gustafson

Jeffrey Robert Kassien

Dean R Rohn

Craig Richard Cummins

Michael R Lovelace, Jr

Skip Erickson

A vacuum cleaner apparatus includes a housing, a motor disposed within the housing and having an output shaft, and a fan coupled to the output shaft for generating a vacuum airflow through an air intake port in the housing. A separator is operably coupled to the output shaft for separating dust and dirt particulates entrained in air ingested through the intake port. The separator has a body that defines a longitudinal axis of rotation and the motor drives the separator to rotate about the axis. The body includes a plurality of longitudinally extending vanes with each vane presenting a curved flow surface for increased particulate separation as the body rotates about the axis. The longitudinally extending vanes include beveled lower ends that reduce foaming. The separator also includes a plurality of secondary particle impacting vanes positioned in the bottom of the separator for trapping particulates within said separator.

Separator with multiple function vanes for a vacuum cleaner apparatus

A vacuum cleaner assembly having a separator of reduced dimensions. The separator is operated at preferably between about 20,000 rpm-30,000 rpm and includes a reduced number of slots formed therein. A labyrinth sealing plate and fan adapter are secured to an upper end of the separator to prevent water and dust and dirt particles from bypassing the separator during operation. The separator is preferably spaced from about 1.0 inch to about 6 inches above the upper surface of the liquid in a liquid reservoir of the vacuum cleaner assembly with which the separator is used. The separator, because of its reduced dimensions and weight, is able to be driven with a small conventional, and less costly and less powerful motor at a higher speed than previously designed separators without suffering breakage. The higher speed of 20,000-30,000 rpm helps to prevent the airflow through the separator from being impeded because of the reduced number of slots. The labyrinth sealing plate coupled to the separator helps to provide a labyrinth seal to prevent water and dust and dirt particles from bypassing the separator and entering the interior of a blower housing. In an alternative embodiment a spider member includes a circumferential raised shoulder portion which cooperates with a circumferential groove formed in a lower surface of the blower housing to form a labyrinth seal.

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Cadillac, MI, United States of America

Eric Lee Gustafson