SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS

• US 20170112339A1
• Filed: 01/09/2017
• Published: 04/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 10,264,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 5/32 with means for connecting a hose hose couplings for suction cleaners A47L9/24
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/362 of the horizontal type, e.g. canister or sledge type
• 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 9/165 Construction of inlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1658 Construction of outlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• 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 hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus, such as a cyclonic hand vacuum cleaner, is provided wherein a pre-motor filter is positioned in a pre-motor filter housing.

Claims

1. A hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus having, a front end, a rear end, a top and a bottom and comprising:

(a) a dirty fluid inlet provided at the front end;

(b) an air treatment member downstream of the dirty fluid inlet and comprising a lower end, an upper end, an air inlet and an air outlet at the upper end;

(c) a pre-motor filter positioned in a pre-motor filter housing having an openable upper cover, the pre-motor filter is positioned above the upper end and downstream of the air treatment member and the pre-motor filter overlies at least a portion of the upper end of the air treatment member when the bottom is resting on a horizontal surface

(d) a suction motor positioned within a motor housing, downstream of the pre-motor filter and rearward of the air treatment member;

(e) a handle having an upper end adjacent a rear end of the pre-motor filter housing, a lower end that is positioned rearward of the upper end and a grip portion extending therebetween, the upper end of the handle overlying the suction motor when the bottom is resting on a horizontal surface, wherein a plane that is transverse to a direction air travels when exiting the air outlet and that extends through the pre-motor filter intersects a finger gap that is provided proximate the grip portion to receive the fingers of a user;

(f) an air flow path extending from the pre-motor filter housing to the suction motor; and

,

(g) a clean air outlet downstream of the suction motor.

8. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cover is openable when the air treatment member is mounted to the hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus.

2. A hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus having, a front end, a rear end, a top and a bottom and comprising:

(a) a dirty fluid inlet provided at the front end;

(b) an air treatment member downstream of the dirty fluid inlet and comprising a lower end, an upper end positioned above the lower end when the bottom is resting on a horizontal surface, an air inlet and an air outlet at the upper end;

(c) a pre-motor filter positioned in a pre-motor filter housing having an openable cover, the pre-motor filter comprising an upstream side and a downstream side, the pre-motor filter is positioned above and overlies the upper end, and is downstream of the air treatment member when the bottom is resting on a horizontal surface, the cover is openable without moving the pre-motor filter;

(d) an upstream header on the upstream side of the pre-motor filter and opening the cover opens the upstream header and reveals the upstream side of the pre-motor filter;

(e) a handle positioned rearward of the openable cover;

(f) a suction motor positioned downstream of the pre-motor filter and rearward of the air treatment member;

(g) an air flow path extending from the pre-motor filter to the suction motor; and

,

(h) a clean air outlet downstream of the suction motor.

3. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein the upstream side is spaced further from the air treatment member than the downstream side.

6. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein

the handle has an upper handle end adjacent the top of the surface cleaning apparatus and adjacent a rear end of the pre-motor filter housing, and a lower handle end and

a power switch operable to control the suction motor is provided on an upward facing surface of the upper handle end and adjacent the rear end of the pre-motor filter chamber.

7. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 6, wherein the power switch overlies the suction motor when the bottom is resting on a horizontal surface.

4. A hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus having a top, a bottom, a front end, a rear end and comprising:

(a) a dirty fluid inlet provided at the front end;

(b) an air treatment member comprising a lower end, an upper end, an air inlet and an air outlet at the upper end;

(c) a pre-motor filter downstream from the air treatment member and covering the upper end, the pre-motor filter is positioned in a pre-motor filter housing having an openable cover, the openable cover has an outer surface that forms an outer surface of the surface cleaning apparatus and a forward portion that is inclined forwardly whereby a front end of the outer surface is lower than a rear end of the outer surface when the bottom of the surface cleaning apparatus is resting on a horizontal surface;

(d) a suction motor positioned downstream of the pre-motor filter and rearward of the air treatment member;

(e) a handle positioned rearward of the openable cover;

(f) an air flow path extending from the pre-motor filter to the suction motor; and

,

(g) a clean air outlet downstream of the suction motor.

5. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pre-motor filter housing has an upper rim that is sealed by the openable cover, and wherein the upper rim lies in a plane that is inclined forwardly so that a front end of the upper rim is lower than a rear end of the upper rim when the bottom of the surface cleaning apparatus is resting on a horizontal surface.

9. A hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus having a top, a bottom, a front end, a rear end and comprising:

(a) a dirty fluid inlet;

(b) a cyclone bin assembly comprising a cyclone chamber downstream of the dirty fluid inlet, the cyclone chamber comprising a lower end, an upper end, a cyclone axis, an air inlet and an air outlet at the upper end;

(c) a pre-motor filter comprising an upstream side and a downstream side, the pre-motor filter is positioned above the upper end and downstream of the cyclone chamber, and the downstream side is positioned between the upstream side and the upper end of the cyclone chamber when the bottom is resting on a horizontal surface;

(d) a suction motor positioned downstream of the pre-motor filter and rearward of the cyclone bin assembly;

(e) an air flow path extending from the pre-motor filter to the suction motor; and

,

(f) a clean air outlet downstream of the suction motor.

10. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the suction motor has a suction motor inlet that is positioned between the lower and upper ends of the cyclone bin assembly.

11. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the suction motor has a motor axis that is generally perpendicular to the cyclone axis.

12. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the air inlet is provided at the upper end and the dirt outlet is provided at the lower end and a dirt collection chamber is positioned below the cyclone chamber.

13. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the air flow path has a portion that is exterior to and extends part way along an exterior wall of the cyclone chamber to a suction motor inlet.

14. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a dirt collection chamber positioned exterior to the cyclone chamber, the air flow path has a portion that extends part way along an exterior wall of the dirt collection chamber to a suction motor inlet.

15. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the upstream side is spaced further from the cyclone chamber than the downstream side.

16. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a conduit that is in flow communication with the air outlet of the cyclone chamber and extends through the pre-motor filter.

17. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a downstream header on the downstream side of the pre-motor filter and the air flow path extends downstream from the downstream header.

18. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 further comprising an upstream header on the upstream side of the pre-motor filter and the upstream header is openable.

19. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 18 wherein at least a portion of the upstream header is transparent.

20. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a handle, a suction motor housing and a pre-motor filter housing positioned above the cyclone chamber, the handle extending between the suction motor housing and the pre-motor filter housing.

21. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 20 wherein the pre-motor filter housing is openable.

22. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 20 wherein the suction motor has a motor axis that is generally perpendicular to the cyclone axis.

23. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 20 wherein the handle has a suction motor housing end that is spaced rearward of the cyclone bin assembly and below the pre-motor filter housing and a pre-motor filter end that is spaced above and forward of the suction motor end of the handle.

24. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 20 further comprising an opening having a perimeter and the perimeter comprises portions of the handle, the pre-motor filer housing and the suction motor housing.

25. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a handle, wherein a portion of the handle is placed rearward of a centre of gravity of the hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus.

26. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a bleed valve having an inlet end in the air flow path.

27. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 26 wherein the bleed valve has an axis that is generally parallel to an axis of the suction motor.