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(11) | EP 0 357 189 A3 |
(12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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(54) | Apparatus for separating material from a flow of air in a vacuum cleaner |
(57) A wet-dry vacuum cleaner includes a liquid separator (52) having an end wall (54)
facing air flow from an inlet chute (50). The end wall (54) is surrounded by a top
shelf (60), lateral sidewalls (58) and a lower shelf (62) to define a pocket (64)
within which moisture droplets entrained in the flow of air are encouraged to precipitate.
Turbulence fences (68, 70, 72) within the pocket (64) induce eddies in the air flow
to further induce moisture precipitation. The top shelf (60) forces swirling air from
the inlet chute (50) to contact the top shelf (60) before entering the air inlet (66),
thereby reducing the tendency for swirling air flow to carry moisture directly into
the air inlet (66). An entry step (84) at the bottom of the air inlet (66) inhibits
moisture precipitated on the top shelf (60) from passing into the air inlet (66).
Additional ribs and/or turbulence fences (86, 88) may be disposed on an inner surface
of the dust bowl housing (42). |