Removable gas/liquid separator for a motor

Abstract

A motor-driven blower, particularly suited for carpet cleaners and other wet vacuuming appliances, includes a rotating separator cup to impede water droplets and foam from being drawn into the blower. The separator cup is removably connected to a spider bracket that is mounted more permanently to one end of the motor shaft. Since the separator cup is not directly connected to the motor shaft, the cup can be removed without disturbing the rest of the blower. Thus, the blower can be run either with or without the separator cup. Moreover, by not attaching the separator cup directly to the motor shaft, the shaft can be made shorter to minimize vibration and noise at high rpm's.

1. A motor-driven blower for moving air and separating moisture therefrom, the motor-driven blower comprising:
 a motor bracket;  
 an outboard bearing supported by the motor bracket;  
 a housing defining an inlet opening;  
 an inboard bearing supported by the housing;  
 a stator interposed between the motor bracket and the housing;  
 a rotor shaft having an outboard end and an inboard end, wherein the outboard end is supported by the outboard bearing and the inboard end is supported by the inboard bearing;  
 an impeller attached to the inboard end of the rotor shaft and being able to rotate within the housing for drawing air into the housing via the inlet opening;  
 a spider bracket including a hub and an outer perimeter area and defining a plurality of spider bracket openings therebetween, wherein the hub is connected to the inboard end of the rotor shaft so that the spider bracket is adjacent to the inlet opening and rotates with the rotor shaft, and  
 a separator cup that includes an end cap, a rim and a sidewall extending therebetween, wherein the rim is attached to the outer perimeter area of the spider bracket, and the sidewall defines a plurality of separator openings so that the motor-driven blower can move the air in series through the separator openings, through the spider bracket openings, and through the inlet opening but not necessarily in that order, wherein the separator cup rotates with the rotor shaft due to the spider bracket being connected to the rotor shaft; however, the separator cup is spaced apart from the rotor shaft.  
 
     
     
       2. The motor-driven blower of  claim 1 , wherein the rim of the separator cup is attached to the outer perimeter area of the spider bracket via a disconnectable joint that permits the separator cup to be separated from the spider bracket without diminishing the motor-driven blower's ability to move air, whereby the motor-driven blower can be selectively operated with and without the separator cup. 
     
     
       3. The motor-driven blower of  claim 2 , wherein the disconnectable joint is a twist-on connection that permits separating the separator cup from the spider bracket by rotating the separator cup relative to the spider bracket. 
     
     
       4. The motor-driven blower of  claim 3 , wherein the twist-on connection comprises a plurality of fingers releasably engaging a plurality of finger-engaging surfaces, wherein the plurality of fingers extend from the spider bracket and the plurality of finger-engaging surfaces are part of the separator cup. 
     
     
       5. The motor-driven blower of  claim 3 , wherein the twist-on connection comprises a plurality of fingers releasably engaging a plurality of finger-engaging surfaces, wherein the plurality of fingers extend from the separator cup and the plurality of finger-engaging surfaces are part of the spider bracket. 
     
     
       6. The motor-driven blower of  claim 2 , further comprising a latch extending from the separator cup and selectively engaging and disengaging the spider bracket, wherein the disconnectable joint is a snap-on connection that permits separating the separator cup from the spider bracket by deflecting the latch. 
     
     
       7. The motor-driven blower of  claim 6 , wherein the latch extends from the separator cup, wherein the separator cup is a unitary piece comprising the end cap, the rim, the sidewall, and the latch. 
     
     
       8. The motor-driven blower of  claim 1 , wherein the end cap of the separator cup is hole-free. 
     
     
       9. The motor-driven blower of  claim 1 , wherein the separator cup is made of plastic and the spider bracket is made of metal. 
     
     
       10. The motor-driven blower of  claim 1 , further comprising a threaded nut that clamps the spider bracket to the rotor shaft without the separator cup being clamped between the threaded nut and the rotor shaft. 
     
     
       11. A motor-driven blower for moving air and separating moisture therefrom, the motor-driven blower comprising:
 a motor bracket;  
 an outboard bearing supported by the motor bracket;  
 a housing defining an inlet opening;  
 an inboard bearing supported by the housing;  
 a stator interposed between the motor bracket and the housing;  
 a rotor shaft having an outboard end and an inboard end, wherein the outboard end is supported by the outboard bearing and the inboard end is supported by the inboard bearing;  
 an impeller attached to the inboard end of the rotor shaft and being able to rotate within the housing for drawing air into the housing via the inlet opening;  
 a spider bracket including a hub and an outer perimeter area and defining a plurality of spider bracket openings therebetween, wherein the hub is connected to the inboard end of the rotor shaft so that the spider bracket is adjacent to the inlet opening and rotates with the rotor shaft, and  
 a separator cup that includes an end cap, a rim and a sidewall extending therebetween, wherein the rim is attached to the outer perimeter area of the spider bracket so that the separator cup rotates with the rotor shaft, and the sidewall defines a plurality of separator openings so that the motor-driven blower can move the air in series through the separator openings, through the spider bracket openings, and through the inlet opening but not necessarily in that order, wherein the rim of the separator cup is attached to the outer perimeter area of the spider bracket via a disconnectable joint that permits the separator cup to be separated from the spider bracket without diminishing the motor-driven blower's ability to move air, whereby the motor-driven blower can be selectively operated with and without the separator cup.  
 
     
     
       12. The motor-driven blower of  claim 11 , wherein the disconnectable joint is a twist-on connection that permits separating the separator cup from the spider bracket by rotating the separator cup relative to the spider bracket. 
     
     
       13. The motor-driven blower of  claim 12 , wherein the twist-on connection comprises a plurality of fingers releasably engaging a plurality of finger-engaging surfaces, wherein the plurality of fingers extend from the spider bracket and the plurality of finger-engaging surfaces are part of the separator cup. 
     
     
       14. The motor-driven blower of  claim 12 , wherein the twist-on connection comprises a plurality of fingers releasably engaging a plurality of finger-engaging surfaces, wherein the plurality of fingers extend from the separator cup and the plurality of finger-engaging surfaces are part of the spider bracket. 
     
     
       15. The motor-driven blower of  claim 11 , further comprising a latch extending from the separator cup and selectively engaging and disengaging the spider bracket, wherein the disconnectable joint is a snap-on connection that permits separating the separator cup from the spider bracket by deflecting the latch. 
     
     
       16. The motor-driven blower of  claim 15 , wherein the latch extends from the separator cup, wherein the separator cup is a unitary piece comprising the end cap, the rim, the sidewall, and the latch. 
     
     
       17. The motor-driven blower of  claim 11 , further comprising a threaded nut that clamps the spider bracket to the rotor shaft without the separator cup being clamped between the threaded nut and the rotor shaft. 
     
     
       18. A motor-driven blower for moving air and separating moisture therefrom, the motor-driven blower comprising:
 a motor bracket;  
 an outboard bearing supported by the motor bracket;  
 a housing defining an inlet opening;  
 an inboard bearing supported by the housing;  
 a stator interposed between the motor bracket and the housing;  
 a rotor shaft having an outboard end and an inboard end, wherein the outboard end is supported by the outboard bearing and the inboard end is supported by the inboard bearing;  
 an impeller attached to the inboard end of the rotor shaft and being able to rotate within the housing for drawing air into the housing via the inlet opening;  
 a spider bracket including a hub and an outer perimeter area and defining a plurality of spider bracket openings therebetween, wherein the hub is connected to the inboard end of the rotor shaft so that the spider bracket is adjacent to the inlet opening and rotates with the rotor shaft, and  
 a separator cup that includes an end cap, a rim and a sidewall extending therebetween, wherein the rim is attached to the outer perimeter area of the spider bracket, and the sidewall defines a plurality of separator openings so that the motor-driven blower can move the air in series through the separator openings, through the spider bracket openings, and through the inlet opening but not necessarily in that order, wherein the separator cup rotates with the rotor shaft due to the spider bracket being connected to the rotor shaft; however, the separator cup is spaced apart from the rotor shaft, and the rim of the separator cup is attached to the outer perimeter area of the spider bracket via a disconnectable joint that permits the separator cup to be separated from the spider bracket without diminishing the motor-driven blower's ability to move air, whereby the motor-driven blower can be selectively operated with and without the separator cup, and further wherein the disconnectable joint is a twist-on connection that permits separating the separator cup from the spider bracket by rotating the separator cup relative to the spider bracket.  
 
     
     
       19. The motor-driven blower of  claim 18 , further comprising a threaded nut that clamps the spider bracket to the rotor shaft without the separator cup being clamped between the threaded nut and the rotor shaft. 
     
     
       20. The motor-driven blower of  claim 18 , wherein the separator cup is made of plastic and the spider bracket is made of metal.