Surface cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A multimode surface cleaner comprising a surface cleaning head, an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head and a hand vacuum cleaner removably mountable to an upper end of the upright section. An auxiliary dirt collection assembly is removably mountable to the upright section wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is mountable to the upright section while the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to the upright section. In a first upright mode of operation, the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is removed from the upright section and the hand vacuum cleaner is in airflow communication with the surface cleaning head dirty air inlet whereby dirt is collected in the hand vacuum cleaner. In a second upright mode of operation, the multimode surface cleaner is operable with the auxiliary dirt collection assembly mounted to the upright section whereby dirt is collected in the auxiliary dirt collection assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multimode surface cleaner comprising:
 a surface cleaning head having a surface cleaning head dirty air inlet;   an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head, the upright section moveable between an upright storage position and a reclined floor cleaning position, the upright section comprising an upflow duct which, when the upright section is in the upright storage position, has a lower air inlet and an upper air outlet;   a hand vacuum cleaner removably mountable to the upper air outlet, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising a hand vacuum cleaner air flow path extending from a hand vacuum cleaner dirty air inlet to a hand vacuum cleaner clean air outlet with a hand vacuum cleaner air treatment chamber and a suction motor provided in the air flow path; and,   an auxiliary dirt collection assembly removably mountable to the upright section wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is mountable to the upright section while the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to the upright section,   wherein, in a first upright mode of operation to clean a surface, the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is removed from the upright section and the hand vacuum cleaner is in airflow communication with the surface cleaning head dirty air inlet whereby dirt is collected in the hand vacuum cleaner and,   wherein, in a second upright mode of operation to clean the surface, the multimode surface cleaner is operable with the auxiliary dirt collection assembly mounted to the upright section whereby dirt is collected in the auxiliary dirt collection assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly comprises an auxiliary air treatment chamber and, in the second upright mode of operation, the auxiliary air treatment chamber separates dirt from air flowing therethrough which is collected in the auxiliary dirt collection assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 2  wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly further comprises an auxiliary dirt collection chamber that is external to the auxiliary air treatment chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 3  wherein, when the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is mounted to the upright section, the dirt collection chamber of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is connectable in communication with a dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
         5 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein, when the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is mounted to the upright section, a dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner is connectable in communication with a dirt collection region of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein a dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner has an openable dumping door which is openable to empty the dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner when the hand vacuum cleaner is removed from the upright section, and the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is in communication with the dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner when the hand vacuum cleaner and the auxiliary dirt collection assembly are mounted to the upright section and when the dumping door is opened. 
     
     
         7 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 6  wherein, when the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is mounted to the upright section, the dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner is automatically connected in communication with the auxiliary dirt collection assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein, in the second upright mode of operation, the hand vacuum cleaner clean air outlet is a clean air outlet of the multimode surface cleaner and the hand vacuum cleaner air treatment chamber is bypassed. 
     
     
         9 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 8  wherein, in the second upright mode of operation, air exiting the auxiliary dirt collection assembly passes through a pre-motor filter of the hand vacuum cleaner, the suction motor and exits via the hand vacuum cleaner clean air outlet. 
     
     
         10 . A multimode surface cleaner comprising:
 a surface cleaning head having a surface cleaning head dirty air inlet;   an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head, the upright section moveable between an upright storage position and a reclined floor cleaning position, the upright section comprising an upflow duct which has an air inlet and an air outlet;   an auxiliary dirt collection assembly removably mountable to the upright section wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is mountable to the upright section while the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to the upright section; and,   a hand vacuum cleaner which is removable from a remainder of the multimode surface cleaner and, when removed from the remainder of the multimode surface cleaner, is useable in a hand vacuum cleaner mode of operation to clean a surface whereby, when the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to the remainder of the multimode surface cleaner,   in a first upright mode of operation to clean the surface in which the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is removed from the upright section, the hand vacuum cleaner is in airflow communication with the surface cleaning head dirty air inlet and dirt is collected in the hand vacuum cleaner and,   in a second upright mode of operation to clean the surface in which the auxiliary dirt collection assembly mounted to the upright section, the hand vacuum cleaner is in airflow communication with the surface cleaning head and dirt is collected in the auxiliary dirt collection assembly.   
     
     
         11 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 10  wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly comprises an auxiliary air treatment chamber and, in the second upright mode of operation, the auxiliary air treatment chamber separates dirt from air flowing therethrough which is collected in the auxiliary dirt collection assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 11  wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly further comprises an auxiliary dirt collection chamber that is external to the auxiliary air treatment chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 12  wherein, when the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is mounted to the upright section, the dirt collection chamber of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is connectable in communication with a dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
         14 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 10  wherein, when the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is mounted to the upright section, a dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner is connectable in communication with a dirt collection region of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 10  wherein a dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner has an openable dumping door which is openable to empty the dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner when the hand vacuum cleaner is removed from the upright section, and the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is in communication with the dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner when the hand vacuum cleaner and the auxiliary dirt collection assembly are mounted to the upright section and when the dumping door is opened. 
     
     
         16 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 15  wherein, when the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is mounted to the upright section, the dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner is automatically connected in communication with the auxiliary dirt collection assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 10  wherein, in the second upright mode of operation, the hand vacuum cleaner clean air outlet is a clean air outlet of the multimode surface cleaner and the hand vacuum cleaner air treatment chamber is bypassed. 
     
     
         18 . The multimode surface cleaner of  claim 17  wherein, in the second upright mode of operation, air exiting the auxiliary dirt collection assembly passes through a pre-motor filter of the hand vacuum cleaner, the suction motor and exits via the hand vacuum cleaner clean air outlet.