Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a filtration chamber with an inner wall and an outer wall, an air inlet arranged to feed air carrying dust particles into the space between the inner wall and outer wall of the filtration chamber and a dirt chute for discharging dirt and/or dust from the vacuum cleaner. A tapered filter is located between the inner wall and the outer wall of the filtration chamber. The tapered filter includes a narrow end and a wide end, and the narrow end of the filter is located at or proximate to the air inlet and/or the dirt chute.

1 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a filtration chamber with an inner wall and an outer wall;   an air inlet arranged to feed air carrying dust particles into the space between the inner wall and outer wall of the filtration chamber;   a dirt chute for discharging dirt and/or dust from the vacuum cleaner; and   a tapered filter located between the inner wall and the outer wall of the filtration chamber, wherein the tapered filter comprises a narrow end and a wide end, and the narrow end of the filter is located at or proximate to the air inlet and/or the dirt chute.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum cleaner has a longitudinal axis and the air inlet and/or the dirt chute extends along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer wall is air impermeable and the inner wall is air permeable, such that there is an airflow path from the air inlet, through the tapered filter, and through the inner wall. 
     
     
         4 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner wall defines a cavity. 
     
     
         5 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 4 , wherein the cavity houses an agitation mechanism arranged to agitate dust filtered by the tapered filter to release dust from the tapered filter during emptying of the vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
         6 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner wall is cylindrical and/or the outer wall is cylindrical. 
     
     
         7 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner wall and/or the outer wall is tapered. 
     
     
         8 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer wall tapers in an opposite direction to the tapered filter. 
     
     
         9 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the tapered filter is thinner toward the air inlet and/or dirt chute. 
     
     
         10 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the tapered filter tapers in a straight line from the wide end of the tapered filter to the narrow end of the tapered filter. 
     
     
         11 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the tapered filter comprises an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein in a first portion of the tapered filter the outer surface is parallel with the inner surface and in a second portion of the tapered filter the outer surface tapers toward the inner surface. 
     
     
         12 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the tapered filter has a consistent thickness from the narrow end to the wide end. 
     
     
         13 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the tapered filter comprises a narrow end ring to provide structural integrity to the narrow end of the tapered filter. 
     
     
         14 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the tapered filter comprises a wide end ring to provide structural integrity to the wide end of the tapered filter.