Filter housing construction for a surface cleaning apparatus

• US 8,973,212 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2011
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: GBD Corporation (G.B.D.)
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Lee D
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRANDALL, JOEL DILLON
• Application Number:
  US13/039,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20120222243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 153/47, 153/52, 153/272, 153/274
• US Class Current: 15/347
• 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 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/22 Mountings for motor fan assemblies

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus comprises an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, an air treatment member and a suction motor. The surface cleaning apparatus comprises a main body comprising a front end, a rear end and a filter compartment. A pair of spaced apart wheels may be mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus. One of the wheels overlies the filter compartment and at least a portion of the filter is visible through the wheel.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including an air treatment member comprising a cyclone chamber and a suction motor;

(b) a main body comprising a front end, a rear end and a filter compartment positioned in the air flow path downstream from the air treatment member; and

,

(c) a pre-motor filter positionable in the filter compartment, the pre-motor filter comprising an upstream side and a downstream side;

(d) a pair of spaced apart wheels mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus wherein one of the wheels overlies the filter compartment and at least a portion of the upstream side of the pre-motor filter faces towards and is visible through the wheel.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one of the wheels has a window.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the one of the wheels is transparent.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a seal plate sealingly closing an open portion of the filter compartment.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a wheel axle that extends through the filter compartment and the seal plate.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the seal plate forms a first seal with an outer perimeter of the filter compartment and a second seal adjacent the axle.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 4 wherein the seal plate has an outer surface that is provided with a wheel axle.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein the seal plate forms a seal with an outer perimeter of the filter compartment.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 4 wherein the seal plate has a transparent section.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 4 wherein the seal plate is transparent.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 4 wherein the seal plate is moveable to an open position.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the seal plate is removable.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter compartment is accessible when the one of the wheels is moved to an open position.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 13 wherein the one of the wheels is removably mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the main body further comprises first and second opposed sidewalls, and the filter compartment is provided in one of the first and second opposed sidewalls.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein the filter compartment is positioned in the air flow path between the air treatment member and the suction motor.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone chamber having a longitudinal axis that is generally parallel to an axle of the wheels.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone bin assembly having a cyclone chamber having a diameter, and the filter has a cross sectional area that is larger than a transverse cross sectional area of the cyclone chamber.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the main body comprises first and second opposed sidewalls, the filter compartment is provided in the first sidewall and the filter has a cross sectional area that is at least 60% of a cross sectional area of the first sidewall.

20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 19 wherein the filter has a cross sectional area that is proximate that of the first sidewall.

21. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the main body comprises first and second opposed sidewalls, the filter compartment is provided in one of the sidewalls and the sidewalls overlie essentially all of end walls of the air treatment member.

22. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the spaced apart wheels are provided on the sidewalls and are substantially the same size as the sidewalls.

23. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone bin assembly and the main body further comprises a cavity between the sidewalls that has an open upper end positioned between the first and second opposed sidewalls and the cyclone bin assembly is removably mounted in the cavity.

24. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the main body comprises first and second opposed sidewalls, the filter compartment is provided in one of the sidewalls and the spaced apart wheels are provided on the sidewalls.

25. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wheels are rotatable about an axis of rotation and wherein the filter is generally planar and extends in a plane that is generally orthogonal to the axis of rotation.