CONFIGURATION OF A SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS

• US 20180303298A1
• Filed: 06/29/2018
• Published: 10/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 10,433,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 5/36 Suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing; Suction cleaners for fixing on staircases; Suction cleaners for carrying on the back
• 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 9/327 for suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing

Abstract

A hand vacuum cleaner with front and rear support members whereby, when the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned on a horizontal surface, the hand vacuum cleaner has two support members which support the hand vacuum cleaner with the cyclone axis extending horizontally and the vacuum cleaner body and the cyclone unit positioned above the horizontal surface.

Claims

1. A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end and a rear end, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:

(a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clear air outlet;

(b) a vacuum cleaner body comprising a suction motor positioned in the air flow passage, a front end, a rear end and a handle having a hand grip portion, the suction motor having a suction motor inlet end that faces the front end of the vacuum cleaner body and a motor axis; and

,

(c) a cyclone unit positioned in the air flow passage upstream from the suction motor and comprising an openable front door provided at the front end of the hand vacuum cleaner and a cyclone comprising a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis,

wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned on a horizontal surface, the hand vacuum cleaner is self-supporting with the cyclone axis extending horizontally and the vacuum cleaner body and the cyclone unit positioned above the horizontal surface.

2. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a first support member provided at a side of the hand vacuum cleaner at a first location and a second support member provided at the side of the hand vacuum cleaner at a second location.

3. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the first support member is located below the cyclone unit and the second support member is located below the vacuum cleaner body when the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned on a horizontal surface with the first and second support members at a lower side of the hand vacuum cleaner body.

4. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the first support member is located below the cyclone unit and the second support member is located below the suction motor when the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned on a horizontal surface with the first and second support members at a lower side of the hand vacuum cleaner.

5. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the cyclone unit and the vacuum cleaner body comprise a hand vacuum cleaner portion and the first support member is located closer to the openable front door than the second support member.

6. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 5, further comprising a pre-motor filter wherein the first location is forward of the pre-motor filter.

7. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the second location is positioned radially inwardly from the first location.

8. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 6, further comprising a post-motor filter housing, the post-motor filter housing is removably mounted to a portion of the vacuum cleaner body and the second location is forward of the post-motor filter.

9. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the motor axis and the cyclone axis are co-axial.

10. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the front door has a diameter, the cyclone unit comprises a first cyclonic stage and a rear end of the first cyclonic stage has a diameter that is generally equal to the diameter of the front door.

11. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the cyclone unit comprises a first cyclonic stage and a second cyclonic stage, the second cyclonic stage comprising a plurality of second stage cyclones in parallel that are positioned downstream of the first cyclonic stage and forward of the suction motor, each of the second stage cyclones having a second stage cyclone air outlet wherein the first location is forward of the second stage cyclone air outlets.