Surface cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A hand vacuum cleaner has a cyclone unit and a pistol grip handle. The cyclone unit comprises a cyclone chamber with a cyclone axis of rotation and a dirt collection chamber. A cyclone sidewall extends between the cyclone chamber and a first portion of the dirt collection chamber that is radially positioned from the cyclone chamber. The dirt outlet comprises an opening in the cyclone sidewall that opens into the first portion of the dirt collection chamber. The dirt outlet has a perimeter defined by a plurality of walls including the cyclone sidewall, and one or more walls defining a first part of the perimeter of the dirt outlet are moveable relative to one or more walls defining a second part of the perimeter of the dirt outlet from a closed position to an open position in which a size of the dirt outlet is increased.

1 . A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end, an upper end and a lower end, the 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 that is positioned in the air flow path, the suction motor having a motor axis of rotation;   (c) a cyclone unit provided in the air flow path, the cyclone unit comprising a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection chamber external to the cyclone chamber, the cyclone chamber having a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet, a dirt outlet, a cyclone chamber front end, a cyclone chamber rear end, a cyclone axis of rotation extending between the front and rear ends of the cyclone chamber, and a cyclone sidewall located between the cyclone chamber front end and the cyclone chamber rear end; and,   (d) a handle,   wherein the cyclone sidewall extends between the cyclone chamber and a first portion of the dirt collection chamber that is radially positioned from the cyclone chamber, and   wherein the dirt outlet comprises an opening in the cyclone sidewall that opens into the first portion of the dirt collection chamber, and   wherein the dirt outlet has a perimeter defined by a plurality of walls including the cyclone sidewall, and one or more walls defining a first part of the perimeter of the dirt outlet are moveable relative to one or more walls defining a second part of the perimeter of the dirt outlet from a closed position to an open position in which a size of the dirt outlet is increased.   
     
     
         2 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the front end of the cyclone unit is openable. 
     
     
         3 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 2  wherein, when the front end is opened, the cyclone chamber and the dirt chamber are opened. 
     
     
         4 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the cyclone unit is openable and, when the cyclone unit is opened, the one or more walls defining the first part of the perimeter of the dirt outlet are moved to the open position. 
     
     
         5 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 4  wherein, when the cyclone unit is opened, the cyclone chamber and the dirt chamber are opened. 
     
     
         6 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 5  wherein the dirt collection chamber comprises a second portion that is axially spaced from the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the dirt collection chamber comprises a second portion that is axially spaced from the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  further comprising an openable door wherein the openable door comprises an axially extending portion of a sidewall of the cyclone unit. 
     
     
         9 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  further comprising an openable door wherein the openable door comprises an axially extending portion of the cyclone sidewall. 
     
     
         10 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 9  wherein the handle is a pistol grip handle. 
     
     
         11 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 10  wherein the openable door is rotatable mounted at an upper end of the openable door and the pistol grip handle is provided on a lower surface of the hand vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
         12 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 11  wherein an energy storage pack is provided on a lower end of the pistol grip handle. 
     
     
         13 . A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end, an upper end and a lower end, the 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 that is positioned in the air flow path, the suction motor having a motor axis of rotation;   (c) an air treatment unit provided in the air flow path, the air treatment unit comprising an air treatment chamber and a dirt collection chamber external to the air treatment chamber, the air treatment chamber having an air treatment chamber air inlet, an air treatment chamber air outlet, a dirt outlet, an air treatment chamber first end, an air treatment chamber second end, an air treatment chamber axis extending between the first and second ends of the air treatment chamber, wherein the air treatment unit comprises an openable door that is rotationally moveable between a closed position in which the hand vacuum cleaner is operable to clean a surface and an open position in which the air treatment chamber is opened; and,   (d) a pistol grip handle,   wherein the air treatment chamber sidewall extends between the air treatment chamber and a first portion of the dirt collection chamber that is radially positioned from the air treatment chamber, and   wherein the dirt outlet comprises an opening in the air treatment chamber sidewall that opens into the first portion of the dirt collection chamber, and   wherein the dirt outlet has a perimeter defined by a plurality of walls including the air treatment chamber sidewall, and one or more walls defining a first part of the perimeter of the dirt outlet are moveable relative to one or more walls defining a second part of the perimeter of the dirt outlet from a closed position in which the hand vacuum cleaner is operable to clean the surface to an open position in which a size of the dirt outlet is increased and the one or more walls defining the first part of the perimeter of the dirt outlet are moved to the open position when the air treatment chamber is opened.   
     
     
         14 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 13  wherein, when the openable door is opened, the air treatment chamber and the dirt chamber are opened. 
     
     
         15 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 14  wherein the openable door is rotatably mounted about a rotational axis that extends in a common direction with the air treatment chamber axis. 
     
     
         16 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 15  wherein an energy storage pack is provided on a lower end of the pistol grip handle. 
     
     
         17 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 16  wherein an upper end of the pistol grip handle is mounted to a remainder of the hand vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
         18 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 17  wherein the upper end of the pistol grip handle is mounted to the remainder of the hand vacuum cleaner at a location below the suction motor. 
     
     
         19 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 18  wherein the air treatment chamber comprises a cyclone chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 18  wherein the openable door is rotatable mounted at an upper end of the openable door.