Vacuum cleaner

A vacuum cleaner is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from carpeted floors.

Recent developments

Vacuum cleaners working on the cyclone principle became popular in the 1990s. These were adapted from industrial cyclonic seperators by James Dyson in 1985. He launched his cyclone cleaner first in Japan in the 1980s at a cost of approx $1,800 and later the Dyson DC01 upright in the UK in 1995 for £200. It was expected that people would not buy a vacuum cleaner at twice the price of a normal cleaner, but it later became the most popular cleaner in the UK. Air is forced around at high speed in a tighter and tighter circle inside a collection vessel. The dust particles move to the outside of the vessel by centrifugal force, and clean air from the center of the vortex is expelled from the machine. Since Dyson, several companies have adopted cyclone models, including Hoover.

Related Topics:
Cyclone - 1990s - James Dyson - Japan - $ - DC01 - UK - £ - Centrifugal force

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In early 2000 several companies developed robotic vacuum cleaners. Some examples are Roomba, Robomaxx, Trilobite and FloorBot. These machines move by themselves in patterns across a floor, cleaning surface dust and debris into their dustbin. They are usually capable of navigating around furniture and finding their recharging station. Most robotic vacuum cleaners are designed for home use, although there are more capable models for operation in offices, hotels, hospitals, etc. By the end of 2003 about 570,000 units were sold worldwide.

Related Topics:
Roomba - Robomaxx - Trilobite - FloorBot - Dustbin - 2003

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In 2004 a British company released Airider, a hovering vacuum cleaner that floats on a cushion of air. It is claimed to be light weight and easier to manoeuvre (compared to using wheels), although it is not the first vacuum cleaner to do this.

Related Topics:
2004 - Airider

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