Surface cleaning apparatus with enhanced operability

Abstract

An upright surface cleaning apparatus comprises a floor cleaning head and an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head. The upright section comprises a cyclone chamber, a dirt collection chamber, a suction motor and a pre-motor filter. A vertical plane extends through the cyclone chamber, the dirt collection chamber, the pre-motor filter and the suction motor.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An upright surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 (a) a surface cleaning head having a dirty air inlet at a front end thereof, an air outlet rearward thereof and a central longitudinal axis extending rearwardly;   (b) an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between an upright storage position and an inclined use position, the upright section having a clean air outlet; and,   (c) an air flow passage extending between the dirty air inlet and the clean air outlet,   wherein the upright section comprises:
 (i) a filtration member housing comprising a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone chamber, the cyclone chamber comprising a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone dirt outlet in communication with the dirt collection chamber; 
 (ii) a suction motor disposed in a motor housing and positioned in the air flow passage; and 
 (iii) a pre-motor filter positionable in a pre-motor filter housing wherein, when the pre-motor filter is positioned in the pre-motor filter housing, the pre-motor filter is disposed between the cyclone chamber and the suction motor, 
 wherein, when the upright surface cleaning apparatus is in the upright storage position, a vertical plane that extends in a direction of the central longitudinal axis, extends through the cyclone chamber, the dirt collection chamber, the pre-motor filter and the suction motor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a carry handle is provided on an upper surface of the filtration member housing and the carry handle extends in the direction of the central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a suction and filtration unit is removably connected to a support structure of the upright surface cleaning apparatus, the suction and filtration unit comprising the filtration member, the suction motor and the pre-motor filter housing, the upright surface cleaning apparatus is reconfigurable between an upright configuration wherein the suction and filtration unit is provided on the support structure and a second configuration wherein the suction and filtration unit is removed from the support structure, and in the upright configuration the suction and filtration unit is moveable with the support structure between the upright storage position and the inclined use position. 
     
     
         4 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein, when the suction and filtration unit is connected to the support structure and the upright surface cleaning apparatus is in the upright storage position, a first end of the motor housing defines an upper end and forms a portion of the pre-motor filter housing. 
     
     
         5 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the filtration member housing comprising a first end and a second end that is axially spaced apart from the first end along a cyclone axis of rotation, the second end being a lower end when the suction and filtration unit is connected to the support structure and the upright surface cleaning apparatus is in the upright storage position and the lower end seats on the motor housing. 
     
     
         6 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the filtration member housing comprising a first end and a second end that is axially spaced apart from the first end along a cyclone axis of rotation, and each of the first and second ends are openable. 
     
     
         7 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 6  wherein, the first end closes the cyclone chamber and the dirt collection chamber and the second end closes the dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein, when the suction and filtration unit is connected to the support structure and the upright surface cleaning apparatus is in the upright storage position, the cyclone chamber comprises an upper end and a lower end that is axially spaced apart from the upper end along a cyclone axis of rotation, the dirt collection chamber comprises an upper end and a lower end that is axially spaced apart from the upper end of the dirt collection chamber along a cyclone axis of rotation and the lower end of the dirt collection chamber is axially spaced from the lower end of the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 8  wherein, when the suction and filtration unit is connected to the support structure and the upright surface cleaning apparatus is in the upright storage position, the lower end of the dirt collection chamber is at a lower elevation that the lower end of the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 9  wherein, when the suction and filtration unit is connected to the support structure and the upright surface cleaning apparatus is in the upright storage position, the cyclone air inlet and the air outlet are at a lower end of the cyclone chamber and the cyclone dirt outlet is at an upper end of the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         11 . An upright surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 (a) a surface cleaning head having a dirty air inlet at a front end thereof, an air outlet rearward thereof and a central longitudinal axis extending rearwardly;   (b) an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between an upright storage position and an inclined use position, the upright section having a clean air outlet; and,   (c) an air flow passage extending between the dirty air inlet and the clean air outlet,   wherein the upright section comprises:
 (i) a filtration member housing comprising a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone chamber, the cyclone chamber comprising a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone dirt outlet in communication with the dirt collection chamber; 
 (ii) a suction motor disposed in a motor housing and positioned in the air flow passage; and 
 (iii) a pre-motor filter positionable in a pre-motor filter housing wherein, when the pre-motor filter is positioned in the pre-motor filter housing, the pre-motor filter is disposed between the cyclone chamber and the suction motor, 
 wherein, when the upright surface cleaning apparatus is in the upright storage position, a vertical plane that extends in a direction transverse to the central longitudinal axis, extends through the cyclone chamber, the dirt collection chamber, the pre-motor filter and the suction motor. 
   
     
     
         12 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 11  wherein a carry handle is provided on an upper surface of the filtration member housing and the carry handle extends in the direction of the central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         13 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 11  wherein a suction and filtration unit is removably connected to a support structure of the upright surface cleaning apparatus, the suction and filtration unit comprising the filtration member, the suction motor and the pre-motor filter housing, the upright surface cleaning apparatus is reconfigurable between an upright configuration wherein the suction and filtration unit is provided on the support structure and a second configuration wherein the suction and filtration unit is removed from the support structure, and in the upright configuration the suction and filtration unit is moveable with the support structure between the upright storage position and the inclined use position. 
     
     
         14 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 11  wherein, when the suction and filtration unit is connected to the support structure and the upright surface cleaning apparatus is in the upright storage position, a first end of the motor housing defines an upper end and forms a portion of the pre-motor filter housing. 
     
     
         15 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the filtration member housing comprising a first end and a second end that is axially spaced apart from the first end along a cyclone axis of rotation, the second end being a lower end when the suction and filtration unit is connected to the support structure and the upright surface cleaning apparatus is in the upright storage position and the lower end seats on the motor housing. 
     
     
         16 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the filtration member housing comprising a first end and a second end that is axially spaced apart from the first end along a cyclone axis of rotation, and each of the first and second ends are openable. 
     
     
         17 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 16  wherein, the first end closes the cyclone chamber and the dirt collection chamber and the second end closes the dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 11  wherein, when the suction and filtration unit is connected to the support structure and the upright surface cleaning apparatus is in the upright storage position, the cyclone chamber comprises an upper end and a lower end that is axially spaced apart from the upper end along a cyclone axis of rotation, the dirt collection chamber comprises an upper end and a lower end that is axially spaced apart from the upper end of the dirt collection chamber along a cyclone axis of rotation and the lower end of the dirt collection chamber is axially spaced from the lower end of the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 18  wherein, when the suction and filtration unit is connected to the support structure and the upright surface cleaning apparatus is in the upright storage position, the lower end of the dirt collection chamber is at a lower elevation that the lower end of the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 19  wherein, when the suction and filtration unit is connected to the support structure and the upright surface cleaning apparatus is in the upright storage position, the cyclone air inlet and the air outlet are at a lower end of the cyclone chamber and the cyclone dirt outlet is at an upper end of the cyclone chamber.