Handheld surface cleaning apparatus

• US 10,631,693 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2017
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): Horton, Andrew A
• Application Number:
  US15/642,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20190008341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/127 tube- or sleeve-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/246 with electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2878 Dual-powered vacuum cleaners, i.e. devices which can be operated with mains power supply or by batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/322 for hand-supported suction cleaners

Abstract

A hand vacuum cleaner has an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet. A cyclone chamber positioned in the air flow path has a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet. A handle having a hand grip portion extend upwardly and forwardly when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner. At least one energy storage member is positioned in an energy storage chamber. A suction motor is positioned in the air flow path upstream of the clean air outlet, wherein the suction motor is located at an upper end of the handle and rearward of the at least one energy storage member when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner.

Claims

1. A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end, an upper end, a lower end and first and second laterally spaced apart sides and comprising:

(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;

(b) a handle having a longitudinally extending hand grip portion having a longitudinally extending hand grip portion axis that is parallel to the handle and is oriented substantially vertically;

(c) a cyclone chamber positioned in the air flow path and having a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation, wherein the cyclone axis of rotation is centrally located in the cyclone chamber;

(d) at least one energy storage member positioned in an energy storage chamber; and

,

(e) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path upstream of the clean air outlet,

wherein the suction motor is positioned at an upper end of the handle and all of the suction motor is positioned rearward of the at least one energy storage member

wherein the cyclone axis of rotation extends generally in a forward/rearward direction and intersects the handle.

2. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the suction motor is positioned at an upper end of the hand grip portion.

3. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the at least one energy storage member comprises a plurality of energy storage members wherein at least some of the plurality of energy storage members are arranged one above another in a generally upwardly extending configuration.

4. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 3 wherein the cyclone axis of rotation intersects a volume defined by the generally upwardly extending configuration of energy storage members.

5. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the at least one energy storage member comprises a plurality of energy storage members wherein at least some of the plurality of energy storage members are arranged one above another in a generally upwardly extending configuration and the suction motor is positioned rearward of an upper end of the plurality of energy storage members.

6. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the suction motor is positioned above the cyclone axis of rotation.

7. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a pre-motor filter positioned in the air flow path downstream of the cyclone chamber, the pre-motor filter comprising a generally cylindrical filter having a hollow interior wherein the suction motor has an inlet end that faces towards the hollow interior.

8. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 wherein the generally cylindrical filter has an outer upstream surface and an inner downstream surface defining the hollow interior and the suction motor axis of rotation intersects the hollow interior.

9. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 8 wherein the cyclone assembly comprises a sidewall that extends generally parallel to the cyclone axis of rotation and the upstream surface of the pre-motor filter extends generally parallel to the sidewall of the cyclone assembly.

10. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 9 wherein the pre-motor filter at least partially overlies the cyclone chamber.

11. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the dirty air inlet has a dirty air inlet axis that extends generally rearwardly and is positioned above the cyclone chamber.

12. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 11 wherein the dirty air inlet axis intersects a volume defined by a pre-motor filter housing.

13. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 11 wherein the dirty air inlet axis intersects the suction motor.

14. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 11 wherein the dirty air inlet axis intersects the suction motor.

15. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a pre-motor filter positioned in the air flow path downstream of the cyclone chamber, the pre-motor filter comprising a generally cylindrical filter having a hollow interior wherein the dirty air inlet has a dirty air inlet axis that extends generally rearwardly and intersects the hollow interior.

16. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 15 wherein the dirty air inlet axis intersects the suction motor.

17. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 15 wherein the dirty air inlet is positioned above the cyclone axis of rotation.

18. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner has the dirty air inlet.