Hand carryable surface cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A hand vacuum cleaner has a cyclonic stage which comprises a stationary portion and an openable portion. The openable portion is rotatably mounted by a rotatable mount between a closed position in which a cyclone chamber is closed and an open position in which the cyclone chamber is open. The stationary portion comprises an upper portion of the first cyclonic stage and the openable portion comprises a lower portion of the first cyclonic stage. The rotatable mount is located at a rearward end of the openable portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hand vacuum cleaner having an upper end, a lower end, a front end, a rear end, a handle and first and second laterally opposed sides, each laterally opposed side extends in a forward/rearward direction, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
 (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet positioned rearward of the dirty air inlet;   (b) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path upstream of the clean air outlet; and,   (c) a first cyclonic stage positioned in the air flow path, the first cyclonic stage comprising a first stage cyclone chamber having a first stage cyclone air inlet, a first stage cyclone air outlet and a first stage cyclone axis of rotation that extends in the forward rearward direction; and,   (d) a second cyclonic stage downstream from the first cyclonic stage, the second cyclonic stage comprising a second stage cyclone chamber having a second stage axis of rotation and a second stage dirt collection region,   wherein the hand vacuum cleaner comprises a stationary portion and an openable portion, the openable portion is rotatably mounted by a rotatable mount between a closed position in which the first stage cyclone chamber and the second stage dirt collection region are closed, and an open position in which the first stage cyclone chamber and the second stage dirt collection region are open.   
     
     
         2 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the first stage cyclone axis of rotation oriented horizontally, the stationary portion comprises an upper portion of the hand vacuum cleaner and the openable portion comprises a lower portion of the hand vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
         3 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable mount is located at a rearward end of the openable portion. 
     
     
         4 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable mount is located at a rearward end of the first cyclonic stage. 
     
     
         5 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable mount is located at a forward end of the Second cyclonic stage. 
     
     
         6 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the second stage dirt collection region comprises a second stage dirt collection chamber that is in communication with the second stage cyclone chamber by a dirt outlet. 
     
     
         7 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the second cyclonic stage comprises a plurality of second stage cyclones, each second stage cyclone has a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet wherein the cyclone air outlets are located at a rear end of the second stage cyclones. 
     
     
         8 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the second stage cyclone is also opened when the openable portion is in the open position. 
     
     
         9 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the first stage cyclone air inlet is located at a front end of the first stage cyclone and the first stage cyclone air outlet is located at a rear end of the first stage cyclone. 
     
     
         10 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the dirty air inlet is located at an axially extending central portion of the first stage cyclone, a conduit extends through an axially extending central portion of the first stage cyclone and the first stage cyclone air inlet and the first stage cyclone air outlet are located at a rear end of the first stage cyclone. 
     
     
         11 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the dirty air inlet is located at a central portion of the first stage cyclone, and the openable portion comprises an upstream portion of the air flow path that is upstream of the first stage cyclone air inlet. 
     
     
         12 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 11  wherein the dirty air inlet includes a conduit that extends to the first stage cyclone air inlet and the upstream portion comprises a portion of the conduit. 
     
     
         13 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 11  wherein the upstream portion has an inlet end that is opened when the openable portion is opened and the inlet end extends at a non-zero angle to the first stage axis of rotation and also at a non-zero angle to a plane that is transverse to the first stage axis of rotation. 
     
     
         14 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the first stage cyclone comprises a first stage dirt collection chamber that is in communication with the first stage cyclone chamber by a first stage dirt outlet, the second stage dirt collection region comprises a second stage dirt collection chamber that is in communication with the second stage cyclone chamber by a second stage dirt outlet, and the second stage dirt collection chamber is located in an axially extending central portion of the first stage cyclone. 
     
     
         15 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the first stage cyclone comprises a first stage dirt collection chamber that is in communication with the first stage cyclone chamber by a first stage dirt outlet, the second stage dirt collection region comprises a second stage dirt collection chamber that is in communication with the second stage cyclone chamber by a second stage dirt outlet, and the second stage dirt collection chamber is located radially inwardly of the first stage cyclone dirt collection region. 
     
     
         16 . A hand vacuum cleaner having an upper end, a lower end, a front end, a rear end, a handle and first and second laterally opposed sides, each laterally opposed side extends in a forward/rearward direction, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
 (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet positioned rearward of the dirty air inlet;   (b) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path upstream of the clean air outlet; and,   (c) a first cyclonic stage positioned in the air flow path, the first cyclonic stage comprising a first stage cyclone chamber having a first stage cyclone air inlet, a first stage cyclone air outlet and a first stage cyclone axis of rotation that extends in the forward rearward direction; and,   (d) a second cyclonic stage downstream from the first cyclonic stage, the second cyclonic stage comprising a second stage cyclone chamber having a second stage axis of rotation and a second stage dirt collection region,   wherein the dirty air inlet is located at an axially extending central portion of the first stage cyclone,   wherein the hand vacuum cleaner comprises a stationary portion and an openable portion, the openable portion is rotatably mounted by a rotatable mount between a closed position in which the first stage cyclone chamber and the second stage dirt collection region are closed, and an open position in which the first stage cyclone chamber and the second stage dirt collection region are open, and   wherein the openable portion comprises an upstream portion of the air flow path that is upstream of the first stage cyclone air inlet.   
     
     
         17 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 16  wherein the upstream portion has an inlet end that is opened when the openable portion is opened and the inlet end extends at a non-zero angle to the first stage axis of rotation and also at a non-zero angle to a plane that is transverse to the first stage axis of rotation. 
     
     
         18 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 16  wherein the dirty air inlet includes a conduit that extends to the first stage cyclone air inlet and the upstream portion comprises a portion of the conduit. 
     
     
         19 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 18  wherein the portion of the conduit has an inlet end that is opened when the openable portion is opened and the inlet end extends at a non-zero angle to the first stage axis of rotation and also at a non-zero angle to a plane that is transverse to the first stage axis of rotation.