Absolute Rainbow
Well-known member
The title is the question in this case. It's been widely accepted that Dyson have invented the cyclonic vacuum cleaner, but the likes of @cheesewonton didn't accept that and said that Rexair was the first cyclonic vacuum cleaner. More source (including AI, as started down the quote though you guys can try correcting it) however suggested that Filter Queen was the first cyclonic vacuum cleaner.
We have:
- 1926: Rexair, the supposed cyclonic originator, but in 1936, it's finalized as water-based vacuum cleaner. It has cylindrical bin, and it's very likely the first bagless vacuum cleaner ever.
- 1939: Filter Queen, the ur-example, with conical separator instead of water... but doesn't have nearly enough centrifugal force to do the job properly (especially without enough airflow) because of wide and short cone, and thus relies a lot on filters.
- 1983: Dyson invented the multi-cyclonic (a cylindrical bin like Rexair, and thinner and longer version of FQ's cone, now packs in multiples), or ultimately true cyclonic vacuum cleaner, as in the ones that's less reliant on filters than previous designs thanks to immense centrifugal force. And way less likely to clog and lose suction, if used carefully.
- All three designs are somewhat inspired by industrial cyclones for factories, and they all still exist in the market to this day, with various advancements in the process (most notably Dyson, as the likes of @Vacuum Facts can attest).
Dyson may have revolutionized the industry with his cyclones, but was it original (enough)? Vote and comment!
We have:
- 1926: Rexair, the supposed cyclonic originator, but in 1936, it's finalized as water-based vacuum cleaner. It has cylindrical bin, and it's very likely the first bagless vacuum cleaner ever.
- 1939: Filter Queen, the ur-example, with conical separator instead of water... but doesn't have nearly enough centrifugal force to do the job properly (especially without enough airflow) because of wide and short cone, and thus relies a lot on filters.
- 1983: Dyson invented the multi-cyclonic (a cylindrical bin like Rexair, and thinner and longer version of FQ's cone, now packs in multiples), or ultimately true cyclonic vacuum cleaner, as in the ones that's less reliant on filters than previous designs thanks to immense centrifugal force. And way less likely to clog and lose suction, if used carefully.
- All three designs are somewhat inspired by industrial cyclones for factories, and they all still exist in the market to this day, with various advancements in the process (most notably Dyson, as the likes of @Vacuum Facts can attest).
Gemini 2.5 Pro says: said:You're right that there's confusion, and the answer is more nuanced than a simple "either/or." Neither of the common beliefs is entirely correct, as they mistake different types of technology.
Here’s the breakdown of who invented what:
1. Rexair (Rainbow)
Rexair was not a cyclonic vacuum. The confusion comes from its "separator," which it did have very early on (the company dates to the 1920s). However, its technology, finalized in 1936, is water-based filtration.
* How it works: It sucks air and debris into a high-speed separator that mixes everything with a basin of water. The dust and dirt are trapped in the water (as their slogan says, "Wet Dust Can't Fly!™").
* Conclusion: This is a bagless system, but it filters with water, not with the dry centrifugal force of a cyclone.
2. James Dyson
James Dyson invented the first dual-cyclone (or multi-cyclone) bagless vacuum. His breakthrough, inspired by industrial sawmill cyclones in the late 1970s and 1980s, was figuring out how to make cyclones efficient enough to separate microscopic dust without a bag or filter that clogs and loses suction.
* How it works: It uses a high-speed vortex (the cyclone) to spin air. Centrifugal force throws heavy dirt and debris to the outside of a bin. His key innovation was adding a second, or multiple, smaller cyclones that spin even faster, generating immense G-forces to separate fine dust particles from the air.
* Conclusion: Dyson's claim to fame is inventing the specific multi-cyclone technology that makes modern bagless vacuums work effectively without losing suction.
3. The Actual First Cyclonic Vacuum: Filter Queen
The title for the first company to patent and sell a cyclonic vacuum for home use actually goes to the P.A. Geier Company of Cleveland, Ohio, which patented its design in 1928.
This company was later sold to Health-Mor, which began producing the Filter Queen in 1939.
* How it works: The Filter Queen uses "cyclonic action" (a single, large cone) to spin and separate the heaviest debris. However, its design still relies on a series of filter cones to capture the fine dust.
* The Key Difference: This single-cyclone system was not efficient enough to remove all the fine dust, so it needed those filter cones, which would eventually clog and need cleaning or replacing, causing suction to drop. This is the very problem Dyson solved decades later with his dual-cyclone system.
So, Who's Right?
* Rexair is incorrect. It's a water-filtration vacuum, not a cyclonic one.
* James Dyson is correct in that he invented the first cyclonic vacuum that doesn't lose suction by using dual-cyclone technology.
* However, the Filter Queen was the very first vacuum to use the principle of cyclonic separation in a home appliance, albeit with a less-efficient, single-cyclone design that still relied on filters.
In short, Dyson didn't invent the idea of putting a cyclone in a vacuum, but he perfected it in a way that revolutionized the industry.
Dyson may have revolutionized the industry with his cyclones, but was it original (enough)? Vote and comment!
