Surface cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A hand vacuum cleaner has a main body housing a suction motor; an air treatment member having a front end and a rear end with a central longitudinal axis extending between the front and rear ends; and a handle. A portion of the suction motor extends downwardly into an interior volume of the handle and/or upwardly into a volume defined by the post-motor filter.

1 . A hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
 (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;   (b) a main body housing a suction motor;   (c) an air treatment member having a front end and a rear end with a central longitudinal axis extending between the front and rear ends; and,   (d) a handle having an upper end that is provided on the main body,   wherein a portion of the suction motor extends downwardly into an interior volume of the handle.   
     
     
         2 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the suction motor comprises brushes and a portion of the brushes extends downwardly into an interior volume of the handle. 
     
     
         3 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  further comprising a post-motor filter housing and a portion of the suction motor extends upwardly into an interior volume of the post-motor filter housing. 
     
     
         4 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 3  wherein the suction motor comprises brushes and a portion of the brushes extends downwardly into an interior volume of the handle and upwardly into the interior volume of the post-motor filter housing. 
     
     
         5 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the handle has first and second laterally opposed sides that are spaced apart in a direction transverse to the central longitudinal axis, and a first plane extends through the first and second laterally opposed sides and the suction motor. 
     
     
         6 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 5  wherein the suction motor comprises brushes and the first plane extends through the brushes. 
     
     
         7 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 5  further comprising a post-motor filter housing, the post-motor filter housing has first and second laterally opposed sides and a second plane that is parallel to the first plane extends through the first and second laterally opposed sides of the post-motor filter housing and the suction motor. 
     
     
         8 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 7  wherein the suction motor comprises brushes, the first plane extends through the brushes and the second plane also extends through the brushes. 
     
     
         9 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  further comprising an electrical cord provided at a lower end of the handle and an electrical conductor extends from the lower end of the handle through the handle to the suction motor. 
     
     
         10 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the suction motor comprises brushes, the handle is a pistol grip handle, and a vertical plane extends through the pistol grip handle and the brushes. 
     
     
         11 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 10  wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone having a vortex finder and the vertical plane also extends through the vortex finder. 
     
     
         12 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the hand vacuum cleaner has first and second laterally opposed sides that are spaced apart in a direction transverse to the central longitudinal axis, the air treatment member comprises a cyclone having a vortex finder, the vortex finder has first and second laterally opposed sides, a first vertical plane extends through the hand vacuum cleaner and is tangent to the first laterally opposed side of the vortex finder, a second vertical plane extends through the hand vacuum cleaner and is tangent to the second laterally opposed side of the vortex finder and the brushes are positioned between the first and second vertical planes. 
     
     
         13 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the hand vacuum cleaner has right and left laterally opposed sides that are spaced apart in a direction transverse to the central longitudinal axis, the air treatment member comprises a cyclone having a vortex finder, the vortex finder has right and left laterally opposed sides, the handle has right and left laterally opposed sides, a first plane extends through the right laterally opposed side of the handle and is tangent to the left laterally opposed side of the vortex finder, a second plane extends through the left laterally opposed side of the handle and is tangent to the right laterally opposed side of the vortex finder and the brushes are positioned between the first and second planes. 
     
     
         14 . A hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
 (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet provided at a front end of the hand vacuum cleaner to a clean air outlet;   (b) a main body housing a suction motor;   (c) an air treatment member having a front end and a rear end with a central longitudinal axis extending between the front and rear ends;   (d) a post-motor filter housing that overlies the suction motor; and,   (e) a handle having an upper end that is provided on the main body,   wherein a portion of the suction motor extends upwardly into an interior volume of the post-motor filter housing.   
     
     
         15 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 14  wherein the suction motor comprises brushes and a portion of the brushes extend upwardly into an interior volume of the post-motor filter housing. 
     
     
         16 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 14  wherein the post-motor filter housing has first and second laterally opposed sides that are spaced apart in a direction transverse to the central longitudinal axis and a plane extends through the first and second laterally opposed sides of the post-motor filter housing and the suction motor. 
     
     
         17 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 14  further comprising an electrical cord provided at a lower end of the handle and an electrical conductor extends from the lower end of the handle through the handle to the suction motor. 
     
     
         18 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 14  wherein the suction motor comprises brushes, the handle is a pistol grip handle, a vertical plane extends through the pistol grip handle and the brushes. 
     
     
         19 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 18  wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone having a vortex finder and the vertical plane also extends through the vortex finder. 
     
     
         20 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 14  wherein the hand vacuum cleaner has first and second laterally opposed sides that are spaced apart in a direction transverse to the central longitudinal axis, the air treatment member comprises a cyclone having a vortex finder, the vortex finder has first and second laterally opposed sides, a first vertical plane extends through the hand vacuum cleaner and is tangent to the first laterally opposed side of the vortex finder, a second vertical plane extends through the hand vacuum cleaner and is tangent to the second laterally opposed side of the vortex finder and the brushes are positioned between the first and second vertical planes. 
     
     
         21 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 14  wherein the hand vacuum cleaner has right and left laterally opposed sides that are spaced apart in a direction transverse to the central longitudinal axis, the air treatment member comprises a cyclone having a vortex finder, the vortex finder has right and left laterally opposed sides, the handle has right and left laterally opposed sides, a first plane extends through the right laterally opposed side of the handle and is tangent to the left laterally opposed side of the vortex finder, a second plane extends through the left laterally opposed side of the handle and is tangent to the right laterally opposed side of the vortex finder and the brushes are positioned between the first and second planes.