Surface cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A door opening mechanism is operable by an actuator (1140) to open a dirt chamber door (1070) to a dirt collection chamber (1066). The door (1070) is movable about a pivot (1072) between a closed position and an open position. In some examples, the actuator (1140) may be located on the same side of the dirt collection chamber (1066) as the pivot (1072). In some examples, the actuator (1140) may be positioned vertically higher than the pivot (1072) when the dirt collection chamber (1066) is in the emptied position.

1 .- 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet with a fan and motor assembly provided in the air flow path;   (b) an air treatment assembly provided in the air flow path, the air treatment assembly comprising an air treatment chamber having an air treatment chamber air inlet, an air treatment chamber air outlet and a dirt collection region, the dirt collection region having a dirt collection region end that is moveable between a closed position and an open position;   (c) a lock operable between a locked position in which the dirt collection region end is securable in the closed position and an unlocked position in which the dirt collection region end is openable; and,   (d) an actuator drivingly connected to the lock and operable to move the lock from the locked position to the unlocked position,   wherein the actuator is provided on a first side of the air treatment assembly and the lock is provided on a second side of the air treatment assembly, and   wherein the actuator is also drivingly connected to the dirt collection region end to move the dirt collection region end from the closed position to the open position and the actuator is operable to move the lock from the locked position to the unlocked position prior to moving the dirt collection region end from the closed position to the open position.   
     
     
         42 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 41  wherein a driving linkage drivingly connects the actuator with the lock and the driving linkage includes a linking member that is located under a lower surface of the air treatment assembly. 
     
     
         43 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 41  wherein the second side is opposed to and faces the first side. 
     
     
         44 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 41  wherein the dirt collection region end is moveably mounted to the air treatment assembly on the first side and the second side is opposed to and faces the first side. 
     
     
         45 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 41  wherein a driving linkage drivingly connects the actuator with the lock and the driving linkage comprises a linearly extending drive rod that is slideably mounted in a sidewall of the air treatment assembly. 
     
     
         46 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 45  wherein the actuator comprises a tab portion that extends outwardly from the driving linkage. 
     
     
         47 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 41  wherein the dirt collection region comprises a dirt collection chamber that is external to the air treatment chamber, the air treatment chamber having an openable air treatment chamber end that is moveable between a closed position and an open position, and the dirt collection region end is an openable dirt collection chamber end, wherein the actuator is also drivingly connected to the air treatment chamber end and the dirt collection chamber end, the actuator is operable between a closed position in which each of the air treatment chamber and the dirt collection chamber is closed and an open position in which each of the air treatment chamber and the dirt collection chamber is open, and wherein the actuator is operable to move one of the air treatment chamber end and the dirt collection chamber end from the closed position while the other of the air treatment chamber end and the dirt collection chamber end commences movement remains in the closed position. 
     
     
         48 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 47  wherein the dirt collection chamber end is spaced from and faces the air treatment chamber end. 
     
     
         49 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 48  wherein the dirt collection chamber end rotates about 90° to the open position prior to the air treatment chamber end opening. 
     
     
         50 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 48  wherein, for at least a portion of the movement of the dirt collection chamber end from the closed position to the open position, the dirt collection chamber end and the air treatment chamber end open concurrently and the air treatment chamber end moves at a speed that is different to a speed at which the dirt collection chamber moves. 
     
     
         51 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 48  wherein, for at least a portion of the movement of the dirt collection chamber end from the closed position to the open position, the dirt collection chamber end and the air treatment chamber end open concurrently and the air treatment chamber end moves at a speed that is about half a speed at which the dirt collection chamber moves. 
     
     
         52 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 41  wherein the air treatment chamber air outlet comprises a conduit that is provided on the dirt collection region end and the conduit moves with the dirt collection region end. 
     
     
         53 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 41  wherein the air treatment chamber air outlet comprises a conduit in the dirt collection region and the conduit remains in position when the dirt collection region end is moved to the open position. 
     
     
         54 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 41  wherein the actuator has a distal end that is directly drivingly connected to both the lock and the dirt collection region end. 
     
     
         55 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 54  wherein the distal end comprises a pivot slot and the dirt collection region end has a drive pin that is positioned in the pivot slot. 
     
     
         56 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 54  wherein lock comprises a cam surface and the distal end of the actuator traves along the cam surface whereby the actuator moves the lock from the locked position to the unlocked position. 
     
     
         57 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 56  wherein the distal end comprises a pivot slot and the dirt collection region end has a drive pin that is positioned in the pivot slot.