CYCLONIC SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS

• US 20100229328A1
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: GBD Corporation (G.B.D.)
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/344
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus comprises at least one cyclone and at least one dirt collection chamber. The dirt collection chamber has a removeably mounted door

Claims

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) a front end and a rear end;

b) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;

c) a first cyclone unit positioned in the air flow passage, the first cyclone unit comprising at least one cyclone and at least one dirt collection chamber;

d) the dirt collection chamber having a removeably mounted door; and

,

e) a suction motor positioned in the air flow passage.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one dirt collection chamber is openable when mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a hand vacuum cleaner and the door is positioned at the front end.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a hand vacuum cleaner and the first cyclone unit is positioned forward of the suction motor.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a hand vacuum cleaner, the at least one cyclone has a cyclone front end, a cyclone rear end, a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet and the cyclone air inlet and the cyclone air outlet are at the same end.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the cyclone air inlet and the cyclone air outlet are at the cyclone rear end.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one cyclone has a first end, a second end, a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet and the cyclone air inlet and the cyclone air outlet are at the same end.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the cyclone has a dirt outlet and a separation plate is mounted in facing relation to the dirt outlet.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a hand vacuum cleaner, the cyclone has a dirt outlet and a separation plate is mounted in facing relation to the dirt outlet and the dirt outlet is positioned at the cyclone front end and the cyclone front end is positioned at the front end of the hand vacuum cleaner.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 8 wherein the separation plate is mounted to the door.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt collection chamber is removable from the surface cleaning apparatus as a sealed unit for emptying.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the first cyclone unit is sealed when removed from the surface cleaning apparatus other than fluid flow passages leading to and from the first cyclone unit.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt collection chamber is removable from the surface cleaning apparatus with the first cyclone unit.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first cyclone unit has a single cyclone and a single dirt collection chamber.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 14 wherein the single dirt collection chamber is positioned exterior to the single cyclone.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein the single cyclone and the single dirt collection chamber comprise a one-piece assembly.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 wherein the single cyclone and the single dirt collection chamber are integrally formed.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a suction motor housing, the suction motor is positioned in the suction motor housing and the first cyclone unit is removably mounted to the suction motor housing.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an airflow chamber extending from a dirty air inlet and in communication with a cyclone inlet, wherein the airflow chamber is removable with the first cyclone unit.

20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 19 wherein the airflow chamber is integrally formed as part of the first cyclone unit.

21. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second cyclone unit downstream from the first cyclone unit.

22. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus is a hand vacuum cleaner.