Surface cleaning apparatus

• US 9,301,666 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): Muller, Bryan R
• Application Number:
  US14/489,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20150000077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 153/53, 153/44, 153/277
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1616 Multiple arrangement thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/322 for hand-supported suction cleaners

Abstract

A hand vacuum cleaner is provided with a wand mounted to the dirty fluid inlet of the hand vacuum cleaner and the wand has a distal inlet that is mounted on a surface cleaning head. The hand vacuum cleaner has a cyclonic cleaning stage. The dirty fluid inlet has a passage with a passage axis and the cyclonic cleaning stage has a longitudinal axis. The fluid flow motor is displaced from the passage axis in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis.

Claims

1. A hand vacuum cleaner comprising an air treatment portion and a main body, the air treatment portion comprising a first cyclonic cleaning stage, a second cyclonic cleaning stage and a pre-motor filter, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:

a) a fluid flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and the dirty fluid inlet defines a passage extending along a passage axis;

b) the first cyclonic cleaning stage is positioned in the fluid flow path and comprises a first cyclone having a dirt collection region wherein the dirt collection region has an openable bottom;

c) the second cyclonic cleaning stage is positioned in the fluid flow path downstream from the first cyclonic cleaning stage and comprises a central longitudinal axis, the second cyclonic cleaning stage comprising a plurality of cyclones in parallel that are arranged around a central portion and, after exiting the second stage cyclones, air enters an upper portion of the central portion and exits the central portion at a position below the upper portion where the air enters the central portion;

d) the pre-motor filter is positioned in the fluid flow path downstream from the second cyclonic cleaning stage and comprises an upstream side and a downstream side wherein the central longitudinal axis extends through a volume occupied by the pre-motor filter; and

,

e) the main body comprises a fluid flow motor housing for a fluid flow motor that is disposed in the fluid flow path downstream from the pre-motor filter, wherein the fluid flow motor has a rotational axis and a projection of the rotational axis intersects the central longitudinal axis and the fluid flow motor housing is secured to only a portion of a sidewall of the air treatment portion,

wherein

(i) the fluid flow motor and a handle of the hand vacuum cleaner are positioned rearward of the second cyclonic cleaning stage;

(ii) the dirt collection region is positioned beneath and vertically aligned with the cyclones of the first and second cyclonic cleaning stages and the pre-motor filter; and

,

(iii) the handle comprises an upwardly extending portion when the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned on a horizontal surface, the upwardly extending portion extends away from the fluid flow motor housing and the passage axis of the dirty fluid inlet intersects the upwardly extending portion of the handle.

2. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the fluid flow motor is provided in a rear portion of the hand vacuum cleaner and the pre-motor filter is provided forward of the rear portion.

3. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein each of the second cyclones are smaller than the first cyclone.

4. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the fluid flow motor is rearward of the second cyclonic cleaning stage and air travels downwardly through the central portion prior to travelling rearwardly to the fluid flow motor.

5. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dirty air inlet has a central longitudinal axis and a projection of the dirty air inlet central longitudinal axis intersects the second cyclonic cleaning stage.

6. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein a lower end of the pre-motor filter is located below a lower end of the second cyclonic cleaning stage.

7. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein a portion of a handle of the hand vacuum cleaner is located above a lower end of the pre-motor filter.

8. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein an end of the handle is mounted to the hand vacuum cleaner at a position adjacent an upper end of the first cyclonic cleaning stage.

9. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the dirt collection region has a pivotally openable bottom.

10. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 9 wherein the bottom is openable when the dirt collection region is attached to the main body.

11. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the rotational axis of the fluid flow motor is displaced from the passage axis in a direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis.

12. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 11 wherein the rotational axis of the fluid flow motor is parallel to the passage axis.

13. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a hand grip region which is positioned between the upwardly extending portion of the handle and a portion of the sidewall of the air treatment portion.