Surface cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus comprises an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and includes a cyclone bin assembly, a screen and a suction motor positioned in the air flow path. The screen is axially removable from the cyclone bin assembly in the absence of removing any other air treatment member and, when positioned in the cyclone bin assembly, the screen is suspended in the cyclone bin assembly from a fixed wall of the cyclone bin assembly.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 (a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;   (b) a cyclone bin assembly positioned in the air flow passage and having a longitudinal axis defining a longitudinal direction, a top end and a longitudinally spaced apart openable bottom end;   (c) a screen positioned in the air flow passage; and,   (d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the screen,   
       wherein the screen is axially removable from the cyclone bin assembly in the absence of removing any other air treatment member and, when positioned in the cyclone bin assembly, the screen is suspended in the cyclone bin assembly from a fixed wall of the cyclone bin assembly. 
     
     
         2 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the fixed wall has an opening and the screen is slidably receivable in the opening. 
     
     
         3 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the screen comprises a rim which seats on a wall defining the opening. 
     
     
         4 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the openable bottom end comprises a floor of the dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the screen is removable in the absence of opening all of a top end of a cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the screen is frusto-conical in shape. 
     
     
         7 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the screen has an upper end and a lower end and a transverse width of the upper end is greater than a transverse width of the lower end. 
     
     
         8 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the cyclone bin assembly comprises a cyclone having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end positioned at the top end of the cyclone bin assembly and the screen has an upper end proximate the upper end of the cyclone. 
     
     
         9 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 (a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;   (b) a cyclone bin assembly positioned in the air flow passage and having a longitudinal axis defining a longitudinal direction, a top end and a longitudinally spaced apart openable bottom end;   (c) a physical filtration member positioned in the air flow passage; and,   (d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the physical filtration member,   
       wherein the physical filtration member is axially removable from the cyclone bin assembly by itself and in the absence of removing any other air treatment member and, when positioned in the cyclone bin assembly, the physical filtration member is suspended in the cyclone bin assembly from the top end of the cyclone bin assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the top end has an opening and the physical filtration member is slidably receivable in the opening. 
     
     
         11 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the physical filtration member comprises a rim which seats on a wall defining the opening. 
     
     
         12 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the openable bottom end comprises a floor of the dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the physical filtration member is removable in the absence of opening all of a top end of a cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the physical filtration member is frusto-conical in shape. 
     
     
         15 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the physical filtration member has an upper end and a lower end and a transverse width of the upper end is greater than a transverse width of the lower end. 
     
     
         16 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the cyclone bin assembly comprises a cyclone having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end positioned at the top end of the cyclone bin assembly and the physical filtration member has an upper end proximate the upper end of the cyclone. 
     
     
         17 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 (a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;   (b) a cyclone bin assembly positioned in the air flow passage and having a longitudinal axis defining a longitudinal direction, a top end and a longitudinally spaced apart openable bottom end;   (c) a physical filtration member positioned in the air flow passage; and,   (d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the physical filtration member,   
       wherein the physical filtration member is axially removable from the cyclone bin assembly in the absence of opening all of a top end of a cyclone chamber and in the absence of removing any other air treatment member. 
     
     
         18 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the physical filtration member is slidably receivable in an opening in the top end. 
     
     
         19 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the physical filtration member is removable by itself. 
     
     
         20 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the physical filtration member comprises a rim which seats on a wall defining the opening. 
     
     
         21 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the physical filtration member is removable without the rim. 
     
     
         22 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the openable bottom end comprises a floor of the dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         23 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the physical filtration member is frusto-conical in shape. 
     
     
         24 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the physical filtration member has an upper end and a lower end and a transverse width of the upper end is greater than a transverse width of the lower end. 
     
     
         25 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the cyclone bin assembly comprises a cyclone having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end positioned at the top end of the cyclone bin assembly and the physical filtration member has an upper end proximate the upper end of the cyclone.