Fascinating
facts about the invention of the Dyson Vacuum Cleaner by
James Dyson in 1978. |
DYSON VACUUM CLEANER |
AT A GLANCE:
James Dyson was vacuuming
his house when he realized his top-of-the-line machine was losing
suction and getting clogged. An industrial designer by training, Dyson
went to work reengineering vacuum cleaner technology to fix this
problem. But that wasn’t his only challenge. Fifteen years and more than
5,000 prototypes later, he launched Dyson Limited to produce his design
when no other manufacturer would take it on. |
THE
STORY
RELATED INFO
BOOKS
WEB SITES
WHERE TO FIND
QUOTATIONS
HOW IT WORKS
DID YOU KNOW? |
|
Invention: |
Dyson
vacuum cleaner |
|
|
Definition: |
noun /
floor cleaning appliance |
|
Function: |
Cyclone
technology uses 150,000 g's of centrifugal force in the cyclones to
filter dust and remove dirt from the airflow efficiently. Because
there is nothing to obstruct the airflow, the Dyson doesn't clog and
doesn't lose suction. |
| Patent: |
4,377,880
issued 1983 for vacuum cleaning appliances
5,090,976 issued 1992 for Dual cyclonic vacuum cleaner |
|
| Inventor: |
James Dyson |
|
| Birth: |
1947 in Norfolk, Great
Britain |
|
Nationality: |
British |
|
Milestones:
1974 Strikes out on his own to
develop the Ballbarrow. Designs a water-filled plastic garden roller
1977 The Ballbarrow wins the Building Design Innovation Award.
1978 James invents the Trolleyball - a boat launcher with ball wheels.
1978 James stumbles across the idea of a bagless cleaner while
renovating his country house
1979 Spends five years developing the cleaner, and builds 5,127
prototypes of the Dual Cyclone™ .
1981 Files U.S. Patent application
1983 Dyson produces his first prototype vacuum cleaner, a pink machine
called the G-Force
1982 James Dyson spends two years trawling, looking for someone to
license the product.
1985 Dyson takes his product to Japan where he begins to work with a
company that imports Filofax.
1986 The Japanese start to sell the G-Force
1995 The Dyson DC01 becomes the best-selling vacuum cleaner in the UK.
1995 The Dyson Dual Cyclone™ DC02 is launched, and becomes the second
highest seller
1996 Launches DC02 Absolute, the first with both HEPA filtration and a
bacteria-killing screen.
1997 James Dyson's autobiography 'Against the Odds' is published
2001 New Root8Cyclone technology is the most powerful upright
vacuum cleaner on the market.
2005 The Dyson DC15 (The Ball™) replaces conventional wheels with a
ball.
2002 Duson brings Western Europe's top-selling vacuums to the United
States
invention, history,
inventor of, history of, who invented, invention of, fascinating
facts. |
|
The Story:
You know the feeling when some everyday product lets you down. You wish
someone could solve the problem. James Dyson does that. He is a man who
likes to make things work better. With his research team he has developed
products that have achieved sales of over $10 billion worldwide.
In 1978, while vacuuming his home, James Dyson realized his bag vacuum
cleaner was constantly losing suction power. He noticed how dust quickly
clogged the pores of the bag and blocked the airflow, so that suction
dropped rapidly. He set to work to solve this problem. Five years and 5,127
prototypes later, the world's first cyclonic bagless vacuum cleaner arrived.
James Dyson offered his invention to major manufacturers. One by one they
turned him down, apparently not interested in new technology. They seemed
determined to continue selling bags, worth $500 million every year. Later,
Hoover's vice president for Europe, Mike Rutter, said on U.K. national TV,
"I do regret that Hoover as a company did not take the product technology
off Dyson; it would have lain on the shelf and not been used." |
TO
LEARN MORE
RELATED INFORMATION:
Invention of
the Vacuum Cleaner from The Great Idea Finder
ON THE BOOKSHELF:
Against the Odds: An Autobiography
by James Dyson / Hardcover: 320 pages / Texere; 2 edition (April, 2003)
The inspiring autobiography of James Dyson, the country?s leading
entrepreneur and inventor, and how he succeeded against all the odds.
Dyson's freewheeling account of his struggles, failures and successes is
interspersed with his insights on how to turn an inspired idea into a
household name. Against the Odds will inspire engineers, inventors,
and entrepreneurs and appeal to readers around the world.
History of Great Inventions
by James Dyson (Editor), Robert Uhlig (Editor) / Hardcover: 188 pages /
Carroll & Graf (2001)
Lucidly written and generously illustrated in color, this volume of
scientific history by award-winning inventor James Dyson details the
greatest achievements of the human imagination since early hominids invented
stone tools about 250,000 years ago.
20th Century Icons-Design
by James Dyson / Paperback: 64 pages / Absolute Press; 1 edition (May 1,
2001)
20th Century Icons is a stylish, quirky and instantly collectable
series of little books created to celebrate the last hundred years. Famous
names in the arenas of fashion, film, rock and pop, design, kitsch and camp
have all chosen their own personal icons, recorded with interesting and
amusing and sometimes controversial results. Design has been chosen by James
Dyson, Chairman of London's Design Museum-25 iconic designs which have all,
in one way or another, shaped the 20th century
ON THE WEB:
Dyson
Official dyson Web site. Information on technology and products.
About Dyson
Information about the company and the man. James Dyson biography.
Help for Inventors
If you have an idea for a new product which you think could be commercially
successful, there are several different forms of protection which the
product can enjoy. Advice from an inventor is the best advice you can
recieve.
James Dyson: Business Whirlwind
The Dual Cyclone was nearly never
made due to patent and legal costs. Unlike a songwriter who owns his songs,
an inventor must pay substantial fees to renew his patents each year.
Article from BBC News.
The Inventor and Entrepreneur Answers your Questions
One of the great business success stories of the 21st
century, James Dyson's bag-less vacuum cleaner has literally cleaned up -
and currently accounts for 20 per cent of all vacuum cleaner sales in
America. Article from London Times.
Inventing a Better Way
After 15 years of tinkering and 5,000 prototypes, Dyson developed a bagless,
cyclone vacuum-- the first that doesn't lose suction. It's elegant, too: On
September 24, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art put it in its permanent
collection. Interview with Fast Company.
WHERE TO FIND:
Dyson DC14 Cyclone Animal Upright Vacuum
Home / by Dyson
/ ASIN: B0002UW0FG / DC14 / Less than
$550.00
Named for its power and uncompromising approach to pet hair, the Dyson DC14
Animal upright vacuum cleaner is skillfully engineered by James Dyson,
inventor of the world's first cyclonic bagless vacuum cleaner.
WORDS OF WISDOM:
"Anyone developing new products and new
technology needs one characteristic above all else: hope." - James Dyson
HOW IT WORKS:
Dyson Root™
Cyclone technology uses 150,000 g's of centrifugal force in the cyclones to
filter dust and remove dirt from the airflow efficiently. Because there is
nothing to obstruct the airflow, the Dyson doesn't clog and doesn't lose
suction.
DID YOU KNOW?:
- Spent five years developing the cleaner,
and built 5,127 prototypes
- With his research team he has developed
products that have achieved sales of over $10 billion worldwide.
- It's elegant, too: On September
24, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
put it in its permanent collection.
- Dyson accounts for
20 per cent of all vacuum cleaner sales in America.
|
Dual Cyclone, Root Cyclone and
The Ball are trademarks of Dyson Limited
|
Reference Sources in BOLD Type. |
This page revised April, 2005. |
|
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