Surface cleaning apparatus

• US 9,320,401 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, JON S
• Application Number:
  US13/779,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20140237758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 153/44, 153/51, 153/53
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• 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 9/1666 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 air travels in a first direction from the cyclone chamber to an upstream side of the pre-motor filter, and air travels in an opposite direction to the first direction in a portion of an air flow path extending from the pre-motor filter to the suction motor.

Claims

1. A hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirty fluid inlet;

(b) an air treatment member downstream of the dirty fluid inlet, the air treatment member comprising a bottom, an upper end spaced longitudinally from the bottom along an air treatment axis, an air inlet and an air outlet, the air outlet is located at the upper end;

(c) a pre-motor filter positioned downstream of and longitudinally above the air treatment member and comprising at least one porous physical filter media, at least a portion of the porous physical filter media overlies the air treatment member, the porous physical filter media having an upstream side through which air enters the porous physical filter media and an opposing downstream side through which air exits the porous physical filter media;

(d) a suction motor positioned downstream of the pre-motor filter and comprising a motor axis, wherein a projection of the motor axis intersects a projection of the air treatment axis;

(e) an air flow path extending from a position downstream of the porous physical filter media to the suction motor wherein the air flow path has a first portion that comprises an air conduit having front and rear walls that are uninterrupted by a suction motor inlet port, the air conduit being disposed exterior to and rearwardly of the air treatment member and that extends from an upstream end to a downstream end that is located at a position that is below the upstream end and between and laterally spaced from the bottom and the upper end of the air treatment member and the suction motor inlet is in flow communication with the downstream end; and

,

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

2. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone chamber, wherein the air treatment axis comprises a cyclone axis and the suction motor inlet is positioned exterior to the cyclone chamber and between the bottom and the upper end of the cyclone chamber.

3. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein the motor axis is generally perpendicular to the air treatment axis.

4. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone chamber, and wherein the motor axis is generally perpendicular to the air treatment axis.

5. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air inlet is provided at the upper end and a dirt outlet is provided at the bottom.

6. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first portion of the air flow path extends along an exterior wall of the air treatment member.

7. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone chamber, and the surface cleaning apparatus further comprises a dirt collection chamber positioned exterior to the cyclone chamber and the first portion of the air flow path extends along an exterior wall of the dirt collection chamber.

8. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the upstream side of the porous physical filter media is spaced further from the air treatment member than the downstream side of the porous physical filter media.

9. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 8 further comprising an outlet conduit that is in flow communication with the air outlet of the air treatment member and extends through the pre-motor filter.

10. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 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.

11. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 8 further comprising an upstream header on the upstream side of the pre-motor filter and the upstream header is openable.

12. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein at least a portion of the upstream header is transparent.

13. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus further comprises a handle, a suction motor housing and a pre-motor filter housing, the handle extending between the suction motor housing and the pre-motor filter housing.

14. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 13 wherein the pre-motor filter housing is openable.

15. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 13 wherein the handle has a suction motor housing end that is spaced laterally from a pre-motor filter end of the handle and the pre-motor filter end of the handle is longitudinally spaced from the suction motor end of the handle.

16. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 13 further comprising an opening having a perimeter and the perimeter comprises portions of the handle, the pre-motor filter housing and the suction motor housing.

17. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus is a hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus and further comprises a handle, wherein a portion of the handle is placed rearward of a center of gravity of the surface cleaning apparatus.

18. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a bleed valve having an inlet end in the air flow path and an axis that is generally parallel to the motor axis.

19. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone chamber having an air outlet and the surface cleaning apparatus further comprises a conduit in communication with the air outlet of the cyclone chamber, and extending through the pre-motor filter.

20. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone bin assembly comprising a cyclone chamber.

21. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone bin assembly comprising a cyclone chamber having a bottom and an upper end, wherein the air treatment axis comprises a cyclone axis and the first portion of the air flow path is exterior to the cyclone chamber, and wherein the downstream end is located at a position that is between and laterally spaced from the upper end and the bottom of the cyclone chamber.

22. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone bin assembly comprising a cyclone chamber wherein the air treatment axis comprises a cyclone axis.

23. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pre-motor filter comprises at least one porous physical filter media.

24. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a handle and a connector, the connector extending between the dirty air inlet and an air treatment member air inlet, the connector having an axis which intersects the handle.

25. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a connector and a body having a handle, the body housing the suction motor, wherein the handle and the body define a gap in which a user may place the user'"'"'s fingers while gripping the handle, wherein the connector extends between the dirty air inlet and an air treatment member air inlet and the connector has an axis which intersects the gap.

26. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an air treatment member air inlet, wherein the air treatment member air inlet has an axis extending along a centerline thereof and the axis is located above an inlet of the suction motor.

27. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an air treatment member air inlet, wherein the pre-motor filter is located above the air treatment member air inlet.

28. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a handle wherein an upper end of the handle is located above the pre-motor filter.

29. The hand carriable surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a handle wherein an upper end of the handle is located above an inlet of the suction motor.