Surface cleaner

Abstract

A surface cleaner includes a motor and fan assembly and an air treatment chamber provided in an air flow path. The air treatment chamber has an inlet end including a first end wall, an outlet end including a second end wall, a chamber air inlet provided at the inlet end, a chamber air outlet provided at the outlet end, a chamber axis extending centrally through the air treatment chamber from the first end wall to the second end wall, and a chamber sidewall extending from the inlet end to the outlet end. The chamber air outlet includes a porous wall portion provided at the outlet end and an air impermeable wall portion provided at the location of the porous wall portion. During operation, air entering the air treatment chamber is directed towards the air impermeable wall portion.

1 . A surface cleaner comprising:
 (a) an air flow path from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet with a motor and fan assembly provided in the air flow path; and,   (b) an air treatment chamber provided in the air flow path, the air treatment chamber comprises an inlet end comprising a first end wall, an outlet end comprising a second end wall, an air treatment chamber air inlet provided at the inlet end, an air treatment chamber air outlet provided at the outlet end, an air treatment chamber axis extending centrally through the air treatment chamber from the first end wall of the air treatment chamber to the second end wall of the air treatment chamber, an air treatment chamber sidewall extending from the inlet end of the air treatment chamber to the outlet end of the air treatment chamber, wherein the air treatment chamber air outlet comprises a porous wall portion provided at the outlet end and an air impermeable wall portion provided at the location of the porous wall portion, wherein in operation, air entering the air treatment chamber is directed towards the air impermeable wall portion.   
     
     
         2 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the air treatment chamber air outlet comprises a generally planar member comprising the porous wall portion and the air impermeable wall portion. 
     
     
         3 . The surface cleaner of  claim 2  wherein the generally planar member comprises the second end wall. 
     
     
         4 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  further comprising a non-return valve wherein, when the motor and fan assembly is deenergized, and the air treatment chamber air inlet is oriented downwardly, the non-return valve inhibits dirt exiting the air treatment chamber, and wherein, in operation, the non-return valve assists in directing air entering the air treatment chamber towards the air impermeable wall portion. 
     
     
         5 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  further comprising a non-return valve wherein, when the motor and fan assembly is deenergized, and the air treatment chamber air inlet is oriented downwardly, the non-return valve inhibits dirt exiting the air treatment chamber, and wherein, in operation, the non-return valve directs air entering the air treatment chamber towards the air impermeable wall portion. 
     
     
         6 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein, in operation to clean a floor, the air treatment chamber air outlet has an upper portion, a lower portion, and a height extending from a lower end of the air treatment chamber air outlet to an upper end of the air treatment chamber air outlet, and the lower portion comprises the air impermeable wall portion. 
     
     
         7 . The surface cleaner of  claim 6  wherein, in operation to clean a floor, the air impermeable wall portion has a height extending from a lower end of the air impermeable wall portion to an upper end of the air impermeable wall portion and the height of the air impermeable wall portion is at least 20%, 30%, 40% or 50% or more of a combined height of the porous wall portion and the air impermeable wall portion. 
     
     
         8 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein, in operation to clean a floor, the air treatment chamber air outlet has an upper portion, a lower portion, and a height extending from a lower end of the air treatment chamber air outlet to an upper end of the air treatment chamber air outlet, and the upper portion comprises the air impermeable wall portion. 
     
     
         9 . The surface cleaner of  claim 8  wherein, in operation to clean a floor, the air impermeable wall portion has a height extending from a lower end of the air impermeable wall portion to an upper end of the air impermeable wall portion and the height of the air impermeable wall portion is at least 20%, 30%, 40% or 50% or more of a combined height of the porous wall portion and the air impermeable wall portion. 
     
     
         10 . The surface cleaner of  claim 5  wherein the porous wall portion comprises a frame having a plurality of arms that are spaced apart to define an open region between adjacent arms and the open regions are covered by a screen. 
     
     
         11 . The surface cleaner of  claim 10  wherein a screen section is provided at at least some of the open regions and at least one of the screen sections has a different pore size than another of the screen sections. 
     
     
         12 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the porous wall portion comprises a first porous wall portion and a second porous wall portion, and the first porous wall portion has smaller openings than the second porous wall portion. 
     
     
         13 . The surface cleaner of  claim 12  wherein the first porous wall portion comprises a first screen and the second porous wall portion comprises a second screen. 
     
     
         14 . The surface cleaner of  claim 3  wherein the porous wall portion comprises a screen. 
     
     
         15 . The surface cleaner of  claim 3  wherein the generally planar member comprises a frame having a plurality of arms that are spaced apart to define an open region between adjacent arms and the open regions are covered by a screen. 
     
     
         16 . The surface cleaner of  claim 15  wherein, in operation to clean a floor, the air treatment chamber air outlet has an upper portion, a lower portion, and a height extending from a lower end of the air treatment chamber air outlet to an upper end of the air treatment chamber air outlet, and the lower portion comprises the screen. 
     
     
         17 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the surface cleaner is a hand vacuum cleaner, the dirty air inlet is provided at a front end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the inlet end of the air treatment chamber is a front end of the air treatment chamber, and the outlet end of the air treatment chamber is a rear end of the air treatment chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the air treatment chamber comprises a stationary portion and an openable portion, the openable portion is rotationally mounted between a closed operating position and an open emptying position, each of the stationary and openable portions comprise a portion of the air treatment chamber sidewall and, when the surface cleaner is oriented with the air treatment chamber axis extending horizontally and the dirty air inlet at an upper end of the surface cleaner, the openable portion comprises a lower portion of the air treatment chamber sidewall. 
     
     
         19 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the air treatment chamber comprises a stationary portion and an openable portion, the openable portion is rotationally mounted between a closed operating position and an open emptying position, each of the stationary and openable portions comprise a portion of the air treatment chamber sidewall and the openable portion is generally U shaped in a plane transverse to the air treatment chamber axis. 
     
     
         20 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the first end wall comprises the air treatment chamber air inlet.