Handheld vacuum with accelerated cyclonic flow and air freshener

Abstract

A hand held vacuum having a tapered centrifugal chamber as its primary filter. The tapering causes the air stream within the centrifugal chamber to accelerate as it moves toward the distal end. The air steam will be able to retain more debris at higher speeds, thereby improving the efficiency of the centrifugal chamber. This will also keep more of the debris in the vicinity of the distal end of the centrifugal chamber and away from its outflow aperture. An air freshener in a filter housing is also provided. The air freshener will sublimate into the passing air stream and be emitted with the exhaust from the vacuum and/or any odor causing particles that may be in the air stream will be absorbed by the air freshener. The filter will prevent any dust and debris in the airstream from adhering to the air freshener and impeding its effectiveness.

1 . A hand held vacuum comprising 
 (a) a suction chamber comprising a suction housing having an intake aperture and an outflow vent, said suction chamber further comprising a power source configured to power a motor and a fan operatively connected to said motor whereby operation of said motor will rotate said fan, said fan positioned and configured to draw air into said intake aperture, through said suction housing, and out said outflow vent upon rotation of said fan;    (b) a centrifugal chamber, said centrifugal chamber comprising a tapered housing having a base end opposite a distal end and sidewalls extending therebetween, said sidewalls having a circumference, wherein said circumference is smaller proximate to said distal end than proximate to said base end, said centrifugal chamber further comprising an inflow aperture proximate to said base end and an outflow aperture in fluid communication with said intake aperture of said suction chamber, whereby air drawn into said intake aperture of said suction chamber must pass through said centrifugal chamber and said inflow aperture; and    (c) a nozzle having a mouth end and a discharge end, said discharge end fluidly connected to said inflow aperture of said centrifugal chamber, whereby air entering said centrifugal chamber will be drawn through said nozzle and whereby refuse proximate to said mouth end of said nozzle may be drawn into said vacuum with air entering said nozzle; and    wherein said connection between said discharge end of said nozzle and said centrifugal chamber is substantially tangential to said centrifugal chamber, whereby air and refuse entering said centrifugal chamber may be entrained in a cyclonic path within said centrifugal chamber.    
   
   
       2 . A hand held vacuum according to  claim 1  further comprising a filter housing comprising a filter positioned between said centrifugal chamber and said suction chamber, whereby air exiting said centrifugal chamber and entering said suction chamber must pass through said filter housing.  
   
   
       3 . A hand held vacuum according to  claim 2  wherein said filter housing further comprises an air freshener.  
   
   
       4 . A hand held vacuum according to  claim 3  wherein said air freshener is positioned in the path of air entering said suction chamber through said intake aperture whereby substantially all air entering said suction chamber through said intake aperture will pass through said air freshener.  
   
   
       5 . A hand held vacuum according to  claim 4  wherein said filter is positioned relative to said air freshener so that substantially all air passing through said air freshener into said suction chamber must first pass through said filter.  
   
   
       6 . A hand held vacuum according to  claim 1  wherein said inflow aperture is provided with a one way valve configured to open when said motor and fan are on and to close when said motor and fan are off, said one way valve further configured to allow air and debris to enter said centrifugal chamber when said one way valve is open and to preclude debris from entering said inflow aperture when said one way valve is closed.  
   
   
       7 . A hand held vacuum according to  claim 1  wherein said sidewalls of said centrifugal chamber have a taper between about three and about thirty five degrees.  
   
   
       8 . A hand held vacuum according to  claim 1  wherein said sidewalls of said centrifugal chamber have a taper of about fifteen degrees.  
   
   
       9 . A vacuum comprising 
 (a) a suction chamber comprising a suction housing having an intake aperture and an outflow vent, said suction chamber further comprising a power source configured to power a motor and a fan operatively connected to said motor whereby operation of said motor will rotate said fan, said fan positioned and configured to draw air into said intake aperture, through said suction housing, and out said outflow vent upon rotation of said fan;    (b) a dust collection chamber, said dust collection chamber comprising a housing having a base end opposite a distal end and sidewalls extending therebetween, said dust collection chamber further comprising an inflow aperture and an outflow aperture in fluid communication with said intake aperture of said suction chamber, whereby air drawn into said intake aperture of said suction chamber must pass through said dust collection chamber and said inflow aperture;    (c) a filter housing comprising a filter positioned between said dust collection chamber and said suction chamber, whereby air exiting said dust collection chamber and entering said suction chamber must pass through said filter housing, wherein said filter housing further comprises an air freshener; and    (c) a nozzle having a mouth end and a discharge end, said discharge end fluidly connected to said inflow aperture of said dust collection chamber, whereby air entering said dust collection chamber will be drawn through said nozzle and whereby refuse proximate to said mouth end of said nozzle may be drawn into said vacuum with air entering said nozzle.    
   
   
       10 . A vacuum according to  claim 10  wherein said air freshener is positioned in the path of air entering said suction chamber through said intake aperture whereby substantially all air entering said suction chamber through said intake aperture will pass through said air freshener.