SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS

• US 20160174787A1
• Filed: 08/10/2015
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 9,888,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/225 Convertible suction cleaners, i.e. convertible between different types thereof, e.g. from upright suction cleaners to sledge-type suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/16 Arrangement or disposition of cyclones or other devices with centrifugal action
• 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 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/322 for hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/325 for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle

Abstract

A multimode surface cleaning apparatus comprises a surface cleaning head, an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a plurality of reclined floor cleaning positions and an upright storage position, a hand vacuum cleaner removably mounted to the upright section and an auxiliary dirt collection assembly removably mounted to the upright section wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly comprises a dirt collection region and optionally a pre-motor filter, one or more cyclones and a suction motor.

Claims

1. ) A multimode surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) a surface cleaning head having a dirty air inlet;

b) an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head, the upright section moveable between a plurality of reclined floor cleaning positions;

c) a hand vacuum cleaner removably mounted to the upright section, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising a cyclone chamber, a dirt collection region, a suction motor and a clean air outlet; and

,

d) an auxiliary dirt collection assembly removably mounted to the upright section

wherein, in a first upright mode of operation, the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is removed from the upright section and the hand vacuum cleaner is in airflow communication with the dirty air inlet and, in a second upright mode of operation, the multimode surface cleaning apparatus is operable with the auxiliary dirt collection assembly mounted to the upright section.

2. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly comprises a dirt collection chamber and when the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is mounted to the upright section, dirt separated in the cyclone chamber is collectable in the dirt collection chamber of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly.

3. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein, when the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is mounted to the upright section, the dirt collection chamber of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is selectively connectable in communication with the dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner.

4. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein, in the second upright mode of operation, the dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the dirt collection chamber of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly.

5. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein the cyclone chamber has a dirt outlet and the dirt collection region comprises a dirt collection chamber of the hand vacuum cleaner.

6. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the dirt collection chamber has a manually openenable dumping door and the dirt collection chamber of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is in communication with the dirt collection chamber of the hand vacuum cleaner when the dumping door is opened.

7. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein, when the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is mounted to the upright section, the dirt collection chamber of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is automatically connected in communication with a dirt outlet of the cyclone chamber.

8. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein, in the second upright mode of operation, the dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the dirt collection chamber of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly.

9. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 8 wherein the dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner is in communication with the dirt outlet of the cyclone chamber and the dirt collection region has a dumping door that is automatically opened when the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is mounted to the upright section and the dirt collection chamber of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is in communication with the dirt collection region of the hand vacuum cleaner when the dumping door is opened.

10. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly comprises a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection region.

11. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 wherein, in the second upright mode of operation, the cyclone chamber of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is connected in series with the cyclone chamber of the hand vacuum cleaner.

12. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 wherein, in the second upright mode of operation, the cyclone chamber of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is connected in parallel with the cyclone chamber of the hand vacuum cleaner.

13. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 wherein, in the second upright mode of operation, the cyclone chamber of the hand vacuum cleaner is bypassed and air exiting the cyclone chamber of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly passes through a pre-motor filter of the hand vacuum cleaner, the suction motor and exits via the clean air outlet of the hand vacuum cleaner.

14. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly further comprises a pre-motor filter.

15. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 14 wherein, in the second upright mode of operation, the cyclone chamber of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is connected in parallel with the cyclone chamber of the hand vacuum cleaner.

16. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 14 wherein, in the second upright mode of operation, the cyclone chamber of the hand vacuum cleaner and a pre-motor filter of the hand vacuum cleaner is bypassed and air exiting the cyclone chamber of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly passes through the pre-motor filter of the auxiliary dirt collection assembly, the suction motor and exits via the clean air outlet of the hand vacuum cleaner.

17. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 14 wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly further comprises an auxiliary dirt collection assembly suction motor.

18. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 17 wherein, in the second upright mode of operation, at least a portion of air entering the dirty air inlet bypasses the hand vacuum cleaner and exits via an alternate clean air outlet.

19. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 18 wherein the alternate clean air outlet is provided on the auxiliary dirt collection assembly.

20. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the hand vacuum cleaner has a handle and, when the multimode surface cleaning apparatus is in the first and second upright modes of operation, the handle is a drive handle of the multimode surface cleaning apparatus.

21. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the upright section comprises an up flow duct and the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is removably mounted to the up flow duct.

22. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the up flow duct comprises a rigid extension cleaning wand and the rigid extension cleaning wand is removable from one of the upright section and the surface cleaning head and, in a first above floor mode of operation, an above floor cleaning unit comprises the hand vacuum cleaner and the rigid extension cleaning wand.

23. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the up flow duct comprises a rigid tube, the hand vacuum cleaner has a handle and, the hand vacuum cleaner has an air inlet that is drivingly engageable with the rigid tube whereby, when the multimode surface cleaning apparatus is in the first and second upright modes of operation, the handle is a drive handle of the multimode surface cleaning apparatus.

24. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly has a longitudinal axis that is generally parallel to the up flow duct.

25. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the auxiliary dirt collection assembly comprises a cyclone chamber having a longitudinal axis that is generally parallel to the up flow duct.

26. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the hand vacuum cleaner is provided on a rear portion of the upright section and the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is provided on a front portion of the upright section.

27. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the upright section comprises an up flow duct and the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is removably mounted to a front side of the up flow duct and a portion of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned rearward of the up flow duct.

28. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 27 wherein the suction motor is positioned rearward of the up flow duct.

29. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the upright section comprises a lower portion and an upper portion and the upper section is moveable forwardly relative to the lower section and the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is removably mounted to the lower section.

30. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the upright section comprises an up flow duct having a lower portion and an upper portion and the upper section is moveable forwardly relative to the lower section and the auxiliary dirt collection assembly is removably mounted to the lower section.

31. ) The multimode surface cleaning apparatus of claim 30 wherein the up flow duct comprises a rigid tube, the hand vacuum cleaner has a handle and, the hand vacuum cleaner has an air inlet that is drivingly engageable with the rigid tube whereby, when the multimode surface cleaning apparatus is in the first and second upright modes of operation, the handle is a drive handle of the multimode surface cleaning apparatus.