CONFIGURATION OF A SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS

• US 20170119221A1
• Filed: 01/13/2017
• Published: 05/04/2017
• 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 10,561,286 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 reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus has a surface cleaning unit removably mounted to the floor cleaning unit. The surface cleaning unit has a rear air inlet and a front air outlet.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

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

b) a floor cleaning unit comprising a surface cleaning head having a front end having the dirty air inlet and a rear end having a driving handle drivingly connected thereto, the driving handle moveable between a storage position and a rearwardly inclined floor cleaning position; and

,

c) a surface cleaning unit removably mounted to the driving handle and, when mounted to the driving handle, the surface cleaning unit has a front side and a rear side, the surface cleaning unit comprising;

(i) a cyclone unit positioned in the air flow passage, the cyclone unit comprising a cyclone unit air inlet provided on the rear side and at least one cyclone comprising a cyclone axis, the cyclone unit having first and second ends that are intersected by the cyclone axis wherein the first end is openable;

(ii) a pre-motor filter positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the at least one cyclone;

(iii) a suction motor positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the pre-motor filter and having a suction motor axis; and

,

(iv) the clean air outlet wherein the clean air outlet is provided on the front side.

2. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein air travels downwardly through a post motor filter when the driving handle is the storage position and the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the driving handle.

3. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a post motor filter positioned below the suction motor when the driving handle is the storage position and the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the driving handle.

4. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein the post motor filter has an upstream side that faces towards a cyclone unit air outlet.

5. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the driving handle extends in a plane and the surface cleaning unit further comprises a longitudinally extending carry handle which extends in the plane.

6. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 4 wherein the carry handle is provided on the front side of the surface cleaning unit.

7. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone unit is positioned above the suction motor when the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the floor cleaning unit.

8. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone unit is removable from the surface cleaning unit as a sealed unit other than air inlet and outlet ports.

9. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 8 wherein the cyclone unit further comprises a dirt collection chamber exterior to the at least one cyclone and the at least one cyclone and the dirt collection chamber are concurrently openable when the first end is opened.

10. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface cleaning unit is spaced from the floor cleaning unit when mounted to the driving handle.

11. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the suction motor is provided in a suction body housing and the cyclone unit is removably attachable to the suction body housing.

12. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the first end is openable when the cyclone unit is attached to the suction body housing.

13. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air flow passage comprises a flexible conduit providing air flow communication between the surface cleaning head and the surface cleaning unit when the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the driving handle and the flexible conduit is located rearward of the driving handle when the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the driving handle.

14. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a post motor filter wherein the post-motor filter has a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the cyclone.

15. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a post motor filter having an upstream side and a downstream side and the post motor filter is oriented such that the cyclone axis and the suction motor axis extend through the upstream side and the downstream side.

16. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 the cyclone axis and the suction motor axis are aligned.

17. The reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 the cyclone axis and the suction motor axis are coaxial.