Configuration of a surface cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus has a surface cleaning head, a support pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head and a surface cleaning unit vertically removably mounted to an upper end of the support. The support consists of an upflow duct. The surface cleaning unit comprises a cyclone chamber having an external dirt collection chamber, a pre-motor filter, a suction motor and a flexible hose.

1 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;   b) a surface cleaning head having the dirty air inlet, the surface cleaning head having a pivoting connector, an upper end of the pivoting connector providing an air outlet of the surface cleaning head;   c) a support pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head by the pivoting connector, the support consisting of an upflow duct;   d) a surface cleaning unit vertically removably mounted to an upper end of the support, the surface cleaning unit comprising:
 (i) a cyclone unit positioned in the air flow passage, the cyclone unit comprising a cyclone chamber having a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet, a dirt outlet and a dirt collection chamber external to the cyclone chamber; 
 (ii) a pre-motor filter positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the cyclone air outlet; 
 (iii) a suction motor positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the pre-motor filter; and, 
 (iv) a flexible hose. 
   
     
     
         2 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein, when the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the support and the support extends vertically, the cyclone unit is removably mounted to an upper end of a suction motor housing. 
     
     
         3 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein, when the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the support and the support extends vertically, the cyclone unit has an openable upper end and wherein, when the upper end of the cyclone unit is opened, the cyclone chamber and the dirt collection chamber are concurrently opened. 
     
     
         4 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein, when the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the support and the support extends vertically, the cyclone air inlet and the cyclone air outlet are provided at a lower end of the cyclone chamber and a dirt outlet is provided at an upper end of the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein, in one portable mode, the surface cleaning unit remains in air flow communication with surface cleaning head as the surface cleaning unit is removed from the support. 
     
     
         6 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein, when the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the support and the support extends vertically, the surface cleaning unit overlies the surface cleaning head. 
     
     
         7 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the dirty air inlet is provided at a front end of the surface cleaning head and, when the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the support and the support extends vertically, a rear side of the portable cleaning unit is mounted to the support and the portable cleaning unit is positioned forward of the support. 
     
     
         8 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the dirt collection chamber comprises a portion that is positioned radially outwardly of the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a rotatable valve and a wand is provided upstream from the hose, and the surface cleaning apparatus is operable in a floor cleaning mode in which the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the support, the rotatable valve is in a first position and the air flow passage comprises a first air flow path portion that extends from the dirty air inlet to the cyclone chamber, and in a portable mode in which the wand is removed, the cyclone chamber is in flow communication with an inlet of the wand and the rotatable valve is in a second position. 
     
     
         10 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the rotatable valve is provided in the portable cleaning unit and is located at an upper end of the support when the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the support and the support extends vertically. 
     
     
         11 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;   b) a surface cleaning head having the dirty air inlet provided at a front end of the surface cleaning head, the surface cleaning head having a pivoting connector, an upper end of the pivoting connector providing an air outlet of the surface cleaning head;   c) a support pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head by the pivoting connector;   d) a surface cleaning unit vertically removably mounted to an upper end of the support, the surface cleaning unit comprising:
 (v) a cyclone unit positioned in the air flow passage, the cyclone unit comprising a cyclone chamber having a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet, a dirt outlet and a dirt collection chamber external to the cyclone chamber; 
 (vi) a pre-motor filter positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the cyclone air outlet; 
 (vii) a suction motor positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the pre-motor filter; and, 
 (viii) a flexible hose 
   wherein when the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the support and the support extends vertically, a rear side of the portable cleaning unit is mounted to the support and the portable cleaning unit is positioned forward of the support and overlies the surface cleaning head.   
     
     
         12 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 11  wherein, when the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the support and the support extends vertically, the cyclone unit is removably mounted to an upper end of a suction motor housing. 
     
     
         13 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 11  wherein, when the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the support and the support extends vertically, the cyclone unit has an openable upper end and wherein, when the upper end of the cyclone unit is opened, the cyclone chamber and the dirt collection chamber are concurrently opened. 
     
     
         14 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 11  wherein, when the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the support and the support extends vertically, the cyclone air inlet and the cyclone air outlet are provided at a lower end of the cyclone chamber and a dirt outlet is provided at an upper end of the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein, in one portable mode, the surface cleaning unit remains in air flow communication with surface cleaning head as the surface cleaning unit is removed from the support. 
     
     
         16 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the dirt collection chamber comprises a portion that is positioned radially outwardly of the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 11  further comprising a rotatable valve and a wand is provided upstream from the hose, and the surface cleaning apparatus is operable in a floor cleaning mode in which the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the support, the rotatable valve is in a first position and the air flow passage comprises a first air flow path portion that extends from the dirty air inlet to the cyclone chamber, and in a portable mode in which the wand is removed, the cyclone chamber is in flow communication with an inlet of the wand and the rotatable valve is in a second position. 
     
     
         18 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the rotatable valve is provided in the portable cleaning unit and is located at an upper end of the support when the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the support and the support extends vertically. 
     
     
         19 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the support consists of an upflow duct.