JN. 43973 07.09.11

Conventional barrel vacuum cleaners can be awkward – heavy to pull, head the wrong way and collide with obstacles. Some drift about on casters and others use wheels that oversteer. It can be a constant battle to keep your machine moving in the direction that it should. You zig-zag around, twisting behind to check that your machine is following.

Heavy to pull

UncontrollableSnag Topple

Timeline showing the development of the Dyson Ball™ barrel vacuum cleaner from idea to finished product.

“ Having an idea is different to the infinitely harder and longer process of invention.”

James Dyson Inventor of Dyson cyclone technology

To make a manoeuvrable barrel vacuum cleaner, Dyson engineers first needed to go back to basic engineering principles.

A ball is a very manoeuvrable shape. It can pivot 360° on the spot and rotate in any given direction. It is perfectly symmetrical and has no edges or corners. A ball is also efficient - no other shape with the same surface area has as great an interior volume. And all points on the surface are the same distance from the centre.

How could Dyson engineers apply the ball shape to a barrel vacuum cleaner? The challenge had begun.

Placing an axle in the ball without compromising its manoeuvrability.

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Fitting the internal components of a barrel vacuum cleaner inside a ball – the motor, cable rewind and filter.

Ways of reducing rolling resistance on the axle.

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SprInG loADED CuFF

Acts as a shock-absorber – re-aligning the machine to keep it on course when pulled.

ArtICulAtInG CHASSIS

Moves in the direction of the user. Steering is smooth and controlled.

DYSon BAll™ VACuuM

44° 27°

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Fully functioning prototypes

Controlled steeringA ball is a very manoeuvrable shape, but a steering mechanism is needed to stop it from free rolling. A good starting point is Ackermann steering geometry. The principles of Ackermann steering geometry are used in most road vehicles to prevent the wheels from slipping sideways when following the path around a curve.

To get true Ackermann steering, the steering wheels have to be at right angles to the centre of the turning circle. Therefore the inner wheel has a greater angle to turn than the outer wheel.

Centre of turning circle

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PrototypingWhen they’re developing a new machine, Dyson engineers make a lot of prototypes. Building prototypes helps them to quickly get a feel for how a design is working, and uncovers subtle design flaws that aren’t apparent on a computer screen.

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Dyson Ball™ Competitor

0CORNER

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Follows obedientlyDyson engineers created the ‘Radial Pull Rig Test’ to simulate the short interrupted tugs around a corner experienced by a barrel vacuum during cleaning. They tested a range of barrel vacuum cleaners, tracking their position using an overhead camera. The data was plotted and analysed for smoothness and the repeatability of the path followed by each barrel vacuum cleaner.

Radial Pull Rig Test ResultsThe data shows a clear difference between the path taken by a Dyson Ball™ barrel vacuum cleaner, and a competitor barrel vacuum cleaner.

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Design complete and frozen

Stable and light to pullTo help with the development of Dyson Ball™ barrel vacuum cleaners, Dyson engineers devised the ‘Cornering Pull Test’. In this test, a vacuum cleaner is placed on one of nine marked squares, and then pulled around the corner at a constant speed.

Stability and manoeuvrability were key considerations during the development of Dyson Ball™ barrel vacuum cleaners. Geometry, materials, mass and the position of the centre of gravity were all fine-tuned to deliver the desired result.

Dyson engineers also set up a ‘Set Pull Rig Test’ and used a digital force gauge to determine the force needed to pull a Dyson Ball™ barrel machine. The ball’s smooth underside and axle bearings help reduce friction with the floor surface. The result? A barrel vacuum cleaner that is light to pull.

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Project transferred to Malaysia – engineering drawings and validation completed

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James Dyson’s original cyclone technology sketch.

Question. Test. Develop.For the past 20 years, Dyson engineers have found ways of improving their cyclone technology. Fine-tuning vortex finders for greater cyclonic efficiency. Diffusing pressure drop to reduce energy consumption. Every angle and dimension interrogated.

1993Dual Cyclone™ technologyFrustrated with bagged vacuum cleaners clogging and losing suction, James Dyson set out to invent something better. 5 years and 5,127 prototypes later he had it – the first cyclonic vacuum cleaner with no loss of suction.

2001 Radix Cyclone™ technologyBy replacing DC01’s large inner cyclone with several smaller ones, Dyson increased vacuum cleaner suction by 45%.

2008 Radix Cyclone™ technology + intermediate cycloneAn intermediary cyclone removes 50% of dust down to 0.7 microns in size (that’s 1/1000th of a pin head). The result is a boost in cyclone efficiency.

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Engineering builds and FRACAS completed

Controlling aerodynamic flow

Suction is created by drawing air through the vacuum cleaner at speed. Cyclone components are designed to separate dust particles, while maintaining air velocity. Competitor vacuum cleaner cyclone systems lose air pressure when the flow is restricted by tight bends, leaky seams or air turbulence. The slower the airflow through the machine, the less efficient the cyclones are at separating dust.

Dyson cyclones capture more dirt than any other. Dyson Ball™ barrel vacuum cleaners have Radial Cyclone™ technology. The cyclone components have been designed to reduce air pressure losses and maintain airflow velocity throughout the cyclone pack. Simplified ducting and fewer obstacles and tight bends have reduced turbulence and ensured smoother air movement. Suction is maximised and high levels of dust separation are maintained.

Sharp edges restrict flow

Airflows colliding in the cyclone cap create turbulence

Air leaks into seams

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Radial Cyclone™ technologyThe latest cyclone technology from Dyson. Reconfigured air channels and improved flow efficiency reduce turbulence and preserve air pressure, so the inner cyclones can extract more microscopic particles.

These refinements help remove more dirt, dust, allergens and pet hair from the airflow.

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Start of production

“ We look at every detail: how machines move, how people use them, how to reduce raw materials while staying strong. The priority is always the same – improvement.”

James Dyson Inventor of Dyson cyclone technology

No loss of suction. No awkward moves.

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LAUNCH