CA2173024A1

CA2173024A1 - Cyclone

Info

Publication number: CA2173024A1
Application number: CA 2173024
Authority: CA
Inventors: Klaus Moessinger; Stefan Kochert
Original assignee: Filterwerk Mann and Hummel GmbH
Current assignee: Mann and Hummel GmbH
Priority date: 1995-03-31
Filing date: 1996-03-29
Publication date: 1996-10-01
Also published as: JPH08281149A; EP0734775A1; BR9601460A; DE29505380U1; IN184034B

Abstract

A cyclone, particularly for preliminary separation of dust from a gas, including a plastic housing 1 on which a dust collecting container is affixed by a bayonet catch.
The plastic housing has an inlet opening 2 with guide vanes for generating a swirling flow of gas, and additional guide vanes 9 are also provided adjacent the air outlet opening for redirecting the swirling flow of gas into a linear flow, thereby reducing the flow resistance. The cyclone has the advantages of a flat construction; individual parts being connected by simple elements such as a bayonet catch 11 or a snap connection; and an enlarged dust collection space 6 due to the geometry of the housing, so that servicing intervals are extended.

Description

CYCLONE
Field of the Invention This invention relates to a cyclone for separating particles from a gas, particularly for separating dust from the intake air of an internal-combustion engine.

Back~round of the Invention Published German Patent Application No. DE-OS 1,576,517 discloses a dust separator with a cyclone system for internal-combustion engines. In this dust separator, the air to be cleaned is drawn in through a lid, guided to a ring of inlet vanes, and passes via a flow deflector to the air outlet opening. The separated dust collects in an additionally arranged dust collecting container and can be removed from there from time to time.
It is a disadvantage of this dust separator that the path of flow of the air is deflected in several places by 180, causing considerable flow losses. Also, additional component expense is involved in constructing the dust removal container.

Sum~ary of the Invention It is an aspect of the invention to provide a cyclone which, on the one hand, has a high degree of dust separation and, on the other hand, presents a very low flow resistance to a gas such as air passing therethrough.
These and other aspects of the invention have been realized by providing a cyclone for separating particles from a gas comprising a substantially cylindrical housing, an air inlet opening which opens upwardly into the housing, a dust collecting container, a downwardly open outlet opening for the cleaned gases, first guide vanes associated with the air inlet opening for imparting a swirling motion to an upwardly flowing gas stream enterins through the inlet opening, means for deflecting the upwardly flowing gas stream downwardly toward the outlet opening, and second guide vanes associated with the outlet opening.
An important advantage of the invention is that the gases passing therethrough experience only a single, approximately 180 deflection, so that the flow resistance is kept very low.
The cyclone of the invention can be constructed in a simple manner substantially of plastic parts. The plastic parts are joined by means of suitable plug-in connections and may be exchanged without any problem.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the dust collecting container is fastened to the housing of the cyclone by means of a bayonet catch. As a result, it can be removed easily and can be emptied from time to time. The lid of the cyclone is also attached to the dust collecting container in a simple manner by means of a snap connection and can be detached easily.
The arrangement of guide vanes in the air outlet counteracts or neutralizes the swirl of the gas flow. As a result, the flow resistance of the cyclone is considerably reduced by the redirection of the flow of the gas stream to a linear flow.
These and other features of preferred embodiments of the invention, in addition to being set forth in the claims, are also disclosed in the specification and/or the drawings, and the individual features each may be implemented in embodiments of the invention either individually or in the form of subcombinations of two or more features and can be applied to other fields of use and may constitute advantageous, separately protectable constructions for which protection is also claimed.

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Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will be described in further detail hereinafter with reference to illustrative preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a view of a cyclone according to the invention, partially in section.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments Figure 1 shows a cyclone comprising a housing 1. An inlet opening 2 for unfiltered air is provided in the housing 1. Guide vanes are arranged in this inlet opening 2 for imparting a swirling motion to an incoming gas stream.
A guiding wall 3 is arranged above the guide vanes. The gas stream, which has been caused to swirl by the guide vanes in the inlet opening 2, flows along guiding wall 3. Dust particles contained in the gas stream are flung outwardly by the swirling gas flow, and at the top of the cyclone the dust particles pass between the top of the guiding wall 3 and the cover 4 into an annularly outwardly disposed dust collecting container 5. These dust particles then are collected in the lower area 6 of the dust collecting container 5.
The cleaned gas stream is deflected and flows as shown by arrow 7 toward the air outlet opening 8. Additional guide vanes 9 are arranged in the air outlet opening 8.
These guide vanes 9 offset the swirling motion of the gas stream or convert the swirling motion into linear motion.
The cleaned gas stream leaves the cyclone through the gas outlet opening 8, and from thence it may be guided to an gas filter (not shown), for example an oil bath air filter, for further filtering.
The cover or lid 4 is arranged on the dust collecting container 5 by means of a snap connection and can easily be removed. The dust collecting container 5 is provided with gripping rails 10. These gripping rails 10 serve for releasing the dust collecting container 5 from the housing - ~730~

1. The dust collecting container 5 is attached to the housing 1 by means of a bayonet catch 11.
Advantages of the cyclone include its flat construction and the use of simple components which can be manufactured from thermoplastic material by injection molding.
Another particular advantage of the cyclone is that the guide wheel or the ring of guide vanes 9 contributes to a pressure recovery. This means that a possible pressure loss, which is caused by the rotational motion of the gas, can be recovered by this conversion of the rotational motion into a linear motion. As a result, the flow resistance caused by the cyclone is considerably reduced.
It is also an advantage that the guide vanes 9 extend beyond the air outlet opening 8. This extension of the guide vanes 9 beyond the upper edge of the air outlet opening 8 is clearly visible in the Figure. This measure additionally improves the pressure recovery and fundamentally can be used wherever rotational flows are to be neutralized.
The foregoing description and examples have been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and are not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A cyclone for separating particles from a gas comprising a substantially cylindrical housing, an air inlet opening which opens upwardly into said housing, a dust collecting container, a downwardly open outlet opening for the cleaned gases, first guide vanes associated with the air inlet opening for imparting a swirling motion to an upwardly flowing gas stream entering through said inlet opening, means for deflecting said upwardly flowing gas stream downwardly toward said outlet opening, and second guide vanes associated with said outlet opening.

2. A cyclone according to claim 1, wherein said cyclone is arranged in the air intake of an internal combustion engine for separating dust from the intake air of the engine.

3. A cyclone according to claim 1, wherein said second guide vanes are arranged to offset the swirling motion of the gas stream and convert the rotational movement of the gas into a linear flow movement.

4. A cyclone according to claim 3, wherein said second guide vanes project upwardly beyond the outlet opening interiorly of said housing.

5. A cyclone according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the dust collecting container annularly surrounds the housing.

6. A cyclone according to claim 5, wherein the dust collecting container is releasably connected to the housing by a bayonet catch.

7. A cyclone according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6, wherein the housing and the dust collecting container are closed at the top by a cover fastened in place by a snap connection.

8. A cyclone according to claim 5, wherein the housing and the dust collecting container are closed at the top by a cover fastened in place by a snap connection.

9. A cyclone according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6, wherein said deflecting means comprise a cover fastened by a snap connection.

10. A cyclone according to claim 5, wherein said deflecting means comprise a cover fastened by a snap connection.

11. A cyclone according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 or 10, wherein the dust collecting container and/or the lid are provided with gripping rails for facilitating detachment.

12. A cyclone according to claim 7, wherein the dust collecting container and/or the lid are provided with gripping rails for facilitating detachment.

13. A cyclone according to claim 9, wherein the dust collecting container and/or the lid are provided with gripping rails for facilitating detachment.