Vacuum cleaner filter assembly and vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner filter assembly having at least one dust collecting chamber adapted to be coupled to a cyclonic dust separation unit, and a filter unit attached to and extending from the dust collecting chamber.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a vacuum cleaner body;   a cyclonic dust separation unit provided in the vacuum cleaner body and having at least one cyclone for separating dust from a flow of air, and a dust outlet through which the dust separated by the cyclone exits the cyclonic dust separation unit; and   a filter assembly removably connectable to the vacuum cleaner body and the cyclonic dust separation unit, the filter assembly comprising:
 a dust collecting chamber comprising a sealed chamber except for a dust inlet that is in fluid communication with the dust outlet of the cyclonic dust separation unit, when the filter assembly is connected to the vacuum cleaner body, to receive the dust separated by the cyclonic dust separation unit, and 
 a filter unit attached to and extending from the dust collecting chamber and having a filter positioned outside the dust collecting chamber. 
   
     
     
         14 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 13 , wherein the filter assembly comprises two dust collecting chambers laterally spaced from each other in a mirror symmetric alignment, each of the two dust collecting chambers having a respective lateral side facing the other of the two dust collection chambers, and wherein the filter unit is attached to and extends between the respective lateral sides of the two dust collecting chambers. 
     
     
         15 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the filter assembly is slideably insertable into the vacuum cleaner body along an installation direction;   the dust inlet is provided at a face side of the dust collecting chamber; and   the face side is tilted at an angle relative to a the installation axis.   
     
     
         16 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 15 , wherein the cyclonic dust separation unit comprises a plurality of cyclones, each cyclone having a separate respective dust outlet, and wherein the separate respective dust outlets are arranged in a line that is parallel to the face side. 
     
     
         17 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 15 , wherein the collecting chamber comprises a base that is adjacent an outer surface of the vacuum cleaner body when the filter assembly is connected to the vacuum cleaner body, and the face side is tilted at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the base. 
     
     
         18 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 17 , wherein a tilt angle of the face side relative to the base is in the range between 10 and 50 degrees. 
     
     
         19 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 17 , wherein the tilt angle of the face side relative to the base is about 30 degrees. 
     
     
         20 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 13 , wherein the collecting chamber comprises a base that is adjacent an outer surface of the vacuum cleaner body when the filter assembly is connected to the vacuum cleaner body, and the cross sectional area of the dust collecting chamber in planes parallel to a base decreases at locations further from the base. 
     
     
         21 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 20 , wherein the filter comprises a panel filter that is slanted at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the base. 
     
     
         22 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 13 , wherein the dust collecting chamber comprises a lid movable between a closed position in which the lid closes and seals a portion of the dust collecting chamber, and an open position in which the lid opens the portion of the dust collecting chamber to allow removal of dust from the dust collecting chamber. 
     
     
         23 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 22 , wherein the lid is pivotably attached to and provided at a bottom face of the filter assembly. 
     
     
         24 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 13 , wherein the dust collecting chamber and at least a supporting frame of the filter unit comprise a one-piece part. 
     
     
         25 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 13 , wherein the vacuum cleaner filter assembly is accessible from a bottom side of the vacuum cleaner body. 
     
     
         26 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the cyclonic dust separation unit comprises a primary stage cyclone unit and a secondary stage cyclone unit located downstream of the primary stage cyclone unit;   the dust collecting chamber comprises a secondary stage dust collecting chamber configured to receive and collect dust separated by the secondary stage cyclone unit; and   the filter unit comprises a tertiary dust separation filter unit.   
     
     
         27 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 26 , further comprising a primary stage dust collecting chamber in fluid communication with an outlet of the primary stage cyclone unit to receive a portion of dust separated by the primary stage cyclone unit. 
     
     
         28 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the cyclonic dust separation unit comprises two separate groups of cyclones, each group of cyclones having a respective dust outlet; and   the dust collecting chamber comprises two dust collecting chambers, each dust collecting chamber having a respective dust inlet configured to couple with the dust outlet of a respective one of the groups of cyclones when the filter assembly is connected to the vacuum cleaner body.   
     
     
         29 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 28 , wherein the filter unit extends between the two dust collecting chambers. 
     
     
         30 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the cyclonic dust separation unit comprises a plurality of parallel cyclones, and the dust outlet comprises a separate dust outlet for each of the plurality of cyclones; and   The dust collecting chamber comprises a separate dust inlet for each of the dust outlets.   
     
     
         31 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 30 , wherein each of the parallel cyclones comprises a conical cyclone body, each separate dust outlet is located at a terminal end of each conical cyclone body, and each separate dust inlet seals with a respective one of the separate dust outlets.