Surface cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A hand vacuum cleaner has a front end, a rear end, a vacuum axis extending between the front and rear ends, and an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet. A motor and fan assembly and a cyclone assembly are provided in the air flow path. The cyclone assembly has a cyclone chamber and a dirt chamber. The cyclone chamber has an air inlet, an air outlet, a dirt outlet to the dirt chamber, and a cyclone axis. When the vacuum axis is horizontal, the cyclone axis is horizontal and extends transversely to the vacuum axis, and the cyclone chamber has a sidewall extending transversely between opposed end walls. A front end of the cyclone assembly has an openable portion which is moveably mounted between a closed position and an open position in which the cyclone chamber and the dirt chamber are opened.

1 . A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end and a hand vacuum cleaner axis extending centrally through the hand vacuum cleaner between the front and rear ends, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
 (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet provided at the front end of the hand vacuum cleaner to a clean air outlet, which is positioned rearward of the dirty air inlet, with a motor and fan assembly provided in the air flow path;   (b) a cyclone assembly provided in the air flow path, the cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone chamber, the cyclone chamber comprising a cyclone air inlet, a first cyclone air outlet, a dirt outlet in communication with the dirt collection chamber and a cyclone axis of rotation; and,   (c) a handle,   wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner axis is oriented horizontally, the cyclone axis of rotation is oriented generally horizontally and extends generally transverse to the hand vacuum cleaner axis and the cyclone chamber comprises a first end wall, an opposed second end wall and a cyclone sidewall extending transversely between the first and second end walls, and   wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the dirty air inlet provided at an upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner and the hand vacuum cleaner axis is oriented horizontally, the hand vacuum cleaner has a lower end, the cyclone chamber has a lower end, an upper end and a mid-line positioned at an elevation equidistantly between a bottom of the cyclone chamber and a top of the cyclone chamber and the dirt collection chamber has a lower end, and   wherein a front end of the cyclone assembly has an openable portion which is moveably mounted by a mount between a closed position, in which the hand vacuum cleaner is operable to clean a surface, and an open position, in which the cyclone chamber and the dirt collection chamber are opened, and the mount is provided between the mid-line and the top of the cyclone chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the mount is a rotational mount. 
     
     
         3 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 2  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the dirty air inlet provided at an upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner and the hand vacuum cleaner axis is oriented horizontally, the openable portion rotates forwardly and upwardly to the open position. 
     
     
         4 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the dirt outlet is provided in the lower end of the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the dirt outlet is provided in the cyclone sidewall. 
     
     
         6 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 5  wherein the dirt outlet is provided in the lower end of the cyclone chamber, the cyclone air inlet is provided at an upper end of the cyclone chamber and the first cyclone air outlet is provided in the first end wall. 
     
     
         7 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the openable portion comprises a portion of a front wall of the dirt collection chamber and a portion of the sidewall of the cyclone chamber, wherein, as the openable portion moves to the open position, an opening is provided in the front wall of the dirt collection chamber and, when the openable portion is in the open position, a section of the openable portion closes the opening. 
     
     
         8 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 7  wherein the section comprises the portion of the sidewall of the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 8  further comprising a sealing member provided on at least one of a forward side of the portion of the sidewall of the cyclone chamber and a rearward side of a section of the front wall of the dirt collection chamber having the opening. 
     
     
         10 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein a front end of the dirt collection chamber has an openable door which is moveably mounted by a mount between a closed position, in which the hand vacuum cleaner is operable to clean a surface, and an open position, in which the dirt collection chamber is opened. 
     
     
         11 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 10  wherein the mount is provided at the lower end of the dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 11  wherein the mount is a rotational mount. 
     
     
         13 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 11  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the dirty air inlet provided at an upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner and the hand vacuum cleaner axis is oriented horizontally, the openable door rotates forwardly and upwardly to the open position. 
     
     
         14 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein, in operation, the hand vacuum cleaner further comprises a pre-motor filter and an axis extending in a common direction to the hand vacuum cleaner axis extends through the dirt collection chamber below the cyclone chamber and the pre-motor filter. 
     
     
         15 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein, in operation, an energy storage member housing is positioned at the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner and an axis extending in a common direction to the hand vacuum cleaner axis extends through the dirt collection chamber below the cyclone chamber and the energy storage member housing. 
     
     
         16 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 15  wherein, in operation, the hand vacuum cleaner further comprises a pre-motor filter and the axis extending in a common direction to the hand vacuum cleaner axis extends through the pre-motor filter. 
     
     
         17 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 16  wherein, in operation, the energy storage member housing is positioned at a lower end of the handle. 
     
     
         18 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the first cyclone air outlet is provided in the first end wall and a second cyclone air outlet is provided in the second end wall and the dirt outlet comprises a transversely extending opening in the cyclone sidewall at a position between the first and second cyclone air outlets. 
     
     
         19 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 18  wherein each of the first and second cyclone air outlets comprises a vortex finder.