The history of vacuum cleaner technology dates back about a century and a half. The modern vacuum cleaner was born from the fruits of original carpet sweepers in the middle of the nineteenth century. Beginning originally with manually rotated sweepers and suction (often operated by a hand pump), they would give way to motorized systems that use pressure differentials to create suction from high pressure to low pressure areas in the early twentieth century. Over time, the vacuum cleaner has continued to evolve. This has occurred to the point where multiple modern technologies have emerged for current vacuum cleaners, each of which can be found in houses and businesses across the United States. Here is a look at some of those technologies.

Upright: These represent the most common form of vacuum cleaners and the one that most people associate with the term. They are named so because they obviously stand upright and are typically used at an angle after pressing on a release lever. Compared to other vacuum cleaners, they are popular primarily because they offer a nice balance of cleaning power in a compact system (waste receptacle connected to same frame as hoses and sweeper nozzle) that can be easily stored.

Canister: Canister vacuums tend to operate in two separate sections. The main canister region creates the suction and holds the dust, dirt, or other collected waste. Meanwhile, the powerhead and pole operate more freely and are attached only by connecting hose and power cord. They offer a little more freedom in terms of floor/ground that can be covered, but they are also more awkward and difficult to move around compared to an upright system.

Central: These systems have their primary cylinder and motor built into a certain area. The hose is either attached directly to this central unit or to ducts located throughout the building. The hose and cleaning head can be attached to the most convenient local location and the dirty and waste will be collected and sent back to the central unit for holding. These operate many advantages in terms of cleaning capacity, allergic problems, and noise reduction, but also greatly reduce flexibility and are much more expensive compared to the self contained models.

Cyclonic: This is the system that was popularized by James Dyson. Rather than use bags to collect the dust and dirty, this system creates a miniature cyclone within the holding tank that spins the collected air to separate out the dust and dirt. Due to centrifugal force, these particles are pushed to the outer portion of the container. When the vacuum is turned off, the cyclone ends and one can just remove the canister and dump out the waste into a trash receptacle.

Robotic: Of all modern vacuums, these are the most fun. The most common forms are small discs that operate on their own, going around the building collecting little particles while bumping off walls and edges. Unfortunately, at this time, they still are not the most effective form of vacuuming and can even become stuck at times.

Other vacuum technologies of note: Vacuum devices in surgery describe at Reuters. Outdoor Vacuum cleaner described at NY Times. http://www.dhgriffin.com/vacuum-dryers.asp at DH Griffin.

Vacuum Devices in Surgery: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/30/us-forceps-delivery-tied-lower-brain-inj-idUSTRE7AT2JG20111130
Outdoor Vacuum Cleaner: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/garden/22tools.html
Vacuum Dryers: http://www.dhgriffin.com/vacuum-dryers.asp

Author Bio: Other vacuum technologies of note: Vacuum devices in surgery describe at Reuters. Outdoor Vacuum cleaner described at NY Times. http://www.dhgriffin.com/vacuum-dryers.asp at DH Griffin.

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: Vacuum cleaners