Portable surface cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A hand vacuum cleaner has a cyclonic stage comprising a cyclonic stage front end, a cyclonic stage rear end, a cyclonic stage sidewall, a cyclone, the cyclonic stage front end having an openable door, the cyclone comprising a cyclone front end, a cyclone rear end, a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation which intersects the cyclone front end and the cyclone rear end, the cyclone air outlet comprising an assembly which includes a filter screen. The assembly is removeable through the cyclonic stage front end when the openable door is in an open position.

1 . A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end and a rear end that is positioned rearward of the front end is a rearward direction, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
 (a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet provided at a front end of the hand vacuum cleaner to a clear air outlet;   (b) a first cyclonic stage comprising a first cyclonic stage front end, a first cyclonic stage rear end, a first cyclonic stage sidewall, a cyclone, the first cyclonic stage front end having an openable door, the cyclone comprising a cyclone front end, a cyclone rear end, a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation which intersects the cyclone front end and the cyclone rear end, the cyclone air outlet comprising an assembly which includes a filter screen,   (c) a housing that houses a suction motor that is positioned in the air flow passage, the suction motor having a suction motor axis of rotation; and,
 wherein the assembly is removeable through the first cyclonic stage front end when the openable door is in an open position. 
   
     
     
         2 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the first cyclonic stage further comprises a dirt collection region that is exterior to the cyclone. 
     
     
         3 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 2  wherein the first dirt collection region is positioned forward of the cyclone. 
     
     
         4 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the suction motor axis of rotation intersects the first cyclonic stage front end and the first cyclonic stage rear end. 
     
     
         5 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein a handle is provided on a sidewall of the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 5  wherein the suction motor axis of rotation and the cyclone axis of rotation are spaced from the handle in a plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation. 
     
     
         7 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the first cyclonic stage sidewall is removable from the housing. 
     
     
         8 . A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end and a rear end that is positioned rearward of the front end is a rearward direction, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
 (a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet provided at a front end of the hand vacuum cleaner to a clear air outlet;   (b) a first cyclonic stage comprising a first end, a second end, a first cyclonic stage sidewall, a cyclone, the first end having an openable wall, the cyclone comprising a cyclone front end, a cyclone rear end, a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation which intersects the first end and the second end, the cyclone air outlet comprising an assembly which includes a filter screen,   (c) a housing that houses a suction motor that is positioned in the air flow passage, the suction motor having a suction motor axis of rotation; and,
 wherein the assembly is axially removable from the cyclone through an opening, which opening is provided when the openable wall is opened. 
   
     
     
         9 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 8  wherein the first cyclonic stage further comprises a dirt collection region that is exterior to the cyclone. 
     
     
         10 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 9  wherein the first dirt collection region is spaced from the cyclone in a plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation. 
     
     
         11 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 10  wherein the suction motor axis of rotation intersects the first cyclonic stage front end and the first cyclonic stage rear end. 
     
     
         12 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 8  wherein a handle is provided on a sidewall of the housing. 
     
     
         13 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 12  wherein the suction motor axis of rotation and the cyclone axis of rotation are spaced from the handle in a plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation. 
     
     
         14 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 13  wherein further comprising, in operation, a pre-motor filter is provided and the pre-motor filter is accessible when the first cyclonic stage is removed from the housing. 
     
     
         15 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 14  wherein the cyclone axis of rotation and the motor axis of rotation extend through a volume that is positioned radially inward of a perimeter of the pre-motor filter. 
     
     
         16 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 8  wherein the first cyclonic stage sidewall is removable from the housing. 
     
     
         17 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 8  wherein the suction motor axis of rotation and the cyclone axis of rotation are spaced from the handle in a plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation. 
     
     
         18 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 17  wherein further comprising, in operation, a pre-motor filter is provided and the pre-motor filter is accessible when the first cyclonic stage is removed from the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 18  wherein the cyclone axis of rotation and the motor axis of rotation extend through a volume that is positioned radially inward of a perimeter of the pre-motor filter. 
     
     
         20 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 8  wherein further comprising a second cyclonic stage downstream from the first cyclonic stage.