Surface cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A surface cleaner comprising a surface cleaning head, an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head and an auxiliary dirt collection assembly removably mountable to the upright section. The hand vacuum cleaner, when removed from a remainder of the surface cleaner, is useable to clean a surface and when the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to the remainder of the 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, dirt is collected in the hand vacuum cleaner. sIn an emptying configuration in which the hand vacuum cleaner mounted to the remainder of the surface cleaner and the auxiliary dirt collection assembly mounted to the upright section, dirt collected in the hand vacuum cleaner is transferred to the auxiliary dirt collection assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A 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 surface cleaner and, when removed from the remainder of the 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 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,   wherein, in an emptying configuration in which the hand vacuum cleaner mounted to the remainder of the surface cleaner and the auxiliary dirt collection assembly mounted to the upright section, dirt collected in the hand vacuum cleaner during the hand vacuum cleaner mode of operation is transferred to the auxiliary dirt collection assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein upon being placed in the emptying configuration, dirt collected in the hand vacuum cleaner during the hand vacuum cleaner mode of operation is automatically transferred to the auxiliary dirt collection assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The surface cleaner of  claim 2  wherein upon being placed in the emptying configuration, a dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner is automatically connected in communication with the auxiliary dirt collection assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The surface cleaner of  claim 3  wherein the dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner has an openable door and, in the emptying configuration, the dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above a dirt inlet of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly, upon being placed in the emptying configuration, the door is opened and the dirt collected in the hand vacuum cleaner during the hand vacuum cleaner mode of operation falls into the auxiliary dirt collection assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The surface cleaner of  claim 4  wherein, when the door is opened, the door moves into the auxiliary dirt collection assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The surface cleaner of  claim 4  wherein, 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. 
     
     
         7 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein, 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. 
     
     
         8 . The surface cleaner of  claim 7  wherein, in a second upright mode of operation to clean the surface, an air treatment chamber of the hand vacuum cleaner is bypassed. 
     
     
         9 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the hand vacuum cleaner comprises a hand vacuum cleaner dirt collection chamber that, in the hand vacuum cleaner mode of operation, is in communication with a hand vacuum cleaner air treatment chamber by a dirt outlet and a door which, when opened, opens the hand vacuum cleaner dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The surface cleaner of  claim 9  wherein, when the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is mounted to the upright section, the door is opened when the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to the remainder of the surface cleaner. 
     
     
         11 . The surface cleaner of  claim 10  wherein, when the door is opened, the door moves into the auxiliary dirt collection assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to the upright section. 
     
     
         13 . The surface cleaner of  claim 12  wherein the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to the upflow duct. 
     
     
         14 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly comprises an auxiliary dirt collection assembly dirt collection chamber that is in communication with an auxiliary dirt collection assembly air treatment chamber by a dirt outlet. 
     
     
         15 . The surface cleaner of  claim 14  wherein, in the emptying configuration, dirt collected in the hand vacuum cleaner during the hand vacuum cleaner mode of operation is transferred to the auxiliary dirt collection assembly dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         16 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein an upper end of the upright section has an engaging portion that drives an openable door of the hand vacuum cleaner to a dirt emptying position as the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to the upright section. 
     
     
         17 . The surface cleaner of  claim 16  wherein the openable door closes automatically upon disconnecting the hand vacuum cleaner from the upright section. 
     
     
         18 . The surface cleaner of  claim 17  wherein, when the openable door is opened, the door moves into the auxiliary dirt collection assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The surface cleaner of  claim 18  wherein, 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. 
     
     
         20 . The surface cleaner of  claim 19  wherein, in a second upright mode of operation to clean the surface, an air treatment chamber of the hand vacuum cleaner is bypassed.