Handheld surface cleaning apparatus

• US 10,537,216 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2017
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dung Van
• Application Number:
  US15/642,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20190008339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/26 with driven dust-loosening tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0081 Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Means for sound or vibration damping
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/127 tube- or sleeve-shaped
• 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 9/1666 with filtering means
• 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 9/242 Hose or pipe couplings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2878 Dual-powered vacuum cleaners, i.e. devices which can be operated with mains power supply or by batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/322 for hand-supported suction cleaners

Abstract

A hand vacuum cleaner has an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet. A cyclone chamber positioned in the air flow path has a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet. A pre-motor filter is positioned downstream of the cyclone air outlet and a suction motor is positioned in the air flow path downstream of the pre-motor filter. The pre-motor filter is vertically spaced from the cyclone axis of rotation when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, and air travels generally rearwardly from the pre-motor filter to the suction motor.

Claims

1. A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end, an upper end, a lower end and first and second laterally spaced apart sides and comprising:

(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;

(b) a cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone chamber positioned in the air flow path and having a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation, wherein the cyclone axis of rotation extends generally in a forward/rearward direction;

(c) a pre-motor filter positioned downstream of the cyclone air outlet; and

,

(d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path downstream of the pre-motor filter and upstream of the clean air outlet and having a suction motor axis of rotation,

wherein the pre-motor filter is vertically spaced from the cyclone axis of rotation when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, and

wherein air travels generally rearwardly from the pre-motor filter to the suction motor, and

wherein the cyclone assembly comprises a sidewall that extends generally parallel to the cyclone axis of rotation and the pre-motor filter has an upstream surface that extends generally parallel to the sidewall of the cyclone assembly, and

wherein the pre-motor filter has a downstream surface that is opposed to the upstream surface, and air exits the downstream surface in a generally vertical direction when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner.

2. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the pre-motor filter is vertically spaced from the cyclone chamber when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner.

3. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the pre-motor filter at least partially overlies the cyclone chamber.

4. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the suction motor axis of rotation is generally parallel to the cyclone axis of rotation.

5. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the suction motor is positioned rearward of the cyclone chamber and the suction motor axis of rotation is generally parallel to the cyclone axis of rotation.

6. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the pre-motor filter comprises a generally cylindrical filter having a hollow interior wherein the suction motor has an inlet end that faces towards the hollow interior.

7. A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end, an upper end, a lower end and first and second laterally spaced apart sides and comprising:

(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;

(b) a cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone chamber positioned in the air flow path and having a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation, wherein the cyclone axis of rotation extends generally in a forward/rearward direction;

(c) a pre-motor filter positioned downstream of the cyclone air outlet; and

,

(d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path downstream of the pre-motor filter and upstream of the clean air outlet and having a suction motor axis of rotation,

wherein the pre-motor filter is vertically spaced from the cyclone axis of rotation when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, and

wherein air travels generally rearwardly from the pre-motor filter to the suction motor, and

wherein the pre-motor filter comprises a generally cylindrical filter having a hollow interior wherein the suction motor has an inlet end that faces towards the hollow interior, and

wherein the generally cylindrical filter has an outer upstream surface and an inner downstream surface defining the hollow interior and the suction motor axis of rotation intersects the hollow interior.

8. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 wherein the cyclone chamber comprises a sidewall that extends generally parallel to the cyclone axis of rotation and the upstream surface of the pre-motor filter extends generally parallel to the sidewall of the cyclone chamber.

9. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 8 wherein the pre-motor filter at least partially overlies the cyclone chamber.

10. A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end, an upper end, a lower end and first and second laterally spaced apart sides and comprising:

(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;

(b) a cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone chamber positioned in the air flow path and having a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation, wherein the cyclone axis of rotation extends generally in a forward/rearward direction;

(c) a pre-motor filter positioned downstream of the cyclone air outlet;

(d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path downstream of the pre-motor filter and upstream of the clean air outlet and having a suction motor axis of rotation; and

,

(e) a handle having a hand grip portion that extends upwardly and forwardly when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner

wherein the pre-motor filter is vertically spaced from the cyclone axis of rotation when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, and

wherein air travels generally rearwardly from the pre-motor filter to the suction motor, and

wherein the suction motor is positioned rearward of the cyclone chamber, and

wherein the suction motor is located at an upper end of the hand grip portion.

11. A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end, an upper end, a lower end and first and second laterally spaced apart sides and comprising:

(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;

(b) a cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone chamber positioned in the air flow path and having a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation, wherein the cyclone axis of rotation extends generally in a forward/rearward direction;

(c) a generally cylindrical pre-motor filter positioned downstream of the cyclone air outlet and having a hollow interior; and

,

(d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path downstream of the pre-motor filter and upstream of the clean air outlet and having a suction motor axis of rotation that is generally parallel to the cyclone axis of rotation, wherein the suction motor has an inlet end that faces towards the hollow interior,

wherein the generally cylindrical filter has an outer upstream surface and an inner downstream surface defining the hollow interior and the suction motor axis of rotation intersects the hollow interior.

12. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 11 wherein the cyclone assembly comprises a sidewall that extends generally parallel to the cyclone axis of rotation and the upstream surface of the pre-motor filter extends generally parallel to the sidewall of the cyclone assembly.

13. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 12 wherein the pre-motor filter at least partially overlies the cyclone chamber.