Surface cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A hand vacuum cleaner has a front end having a dirty air inlet, a cyclone and a dirt collection chamber external to the cyclone. The cyclone has a dirt outlet in flow communication with he dirt collection chamber. The dirt collection chamber has a wall that opens a front end of the dirt collection chamber. In the closed position, the wall extends rearward at a non-zero angle to the cyclone axis of rotation and a plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation.

1 . A hand vacuum cleaner having a hand vacuum cleaner front end having a dirty air inlet, a hand vacuum cleaner rear end, a hand vacuum cleaner upper end and a hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
 (a) an air flow path extending from the dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;   (b) a cyclone provided in the air flow path, the cyclone comprising a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet, a dirt outlet, a cyclone front end, a cyclone rear end and a cyclone axis of rotation which intersects the cyclone front end and the cyclone rear end;   (c) a dirt collection chamber external to the cyclone, the dirt collection chamber having a wall that is openable wherein, when the wall is in an open position, a front end of the dirt collection chamber is opened, and when the wall is in a closed position, the wall extends rearward at a non-zero angle to the cyclone axis of rotation and a plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation;   (d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path; and,   (e) a handle.   
     
     
         2 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the dirty air inlet is provided at the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner and the wall is provided at the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
         3 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 2  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the hand vacuum cleaner upper end above the hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the plane intersects the cyclone and the dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 3  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the hand vacuum cleaner upper end above the hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the dirt collection chamber has a dirt collection chamber upper end, a dirt collection chamber lower end and a height from the dirt collection chamber lower end to the dirt collection chamber upper end, wherein the height is greater at a rear end of the dirt collection chamber than at a front end of the dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 3  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the hand vacuum cleaner upper end above the hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the cyclone has a cyclone upper end and a cyclone lower end and, when the wall is closed, the forward end of the wall is located at the cyclone lower end. 
     
     
         6 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the wall is provided at the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner and the dirty air inlet is transversely spaced from the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
         7 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 6  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the hand vacuum cleaner upper end above the hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the plane intersects the cyclone and the dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 7  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the hand vacuum cleaner upper end above the hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the dirt collection chamber has a dirt collection chamber upper end, a dirt collection chamber lower end and a height from the dirt collection chamber lower end to the dirt collection chamber upper end, wherein the height is greater at a rear end of the dirt collection chamber than at a front end of the dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 7  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the hand vacuum cleaner upper end above the hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the cyclone has a cyclone upper end and a cyclone lower end and, when the wall is closed, the forward end of the wall is located at the lower end of the cyclone. 
     
     
         10 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the hand vacuum cleaner upper end above the hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the plane intersects the cyclone and the dirt collection chamber and the hand vacuum cleaner further comprises a pre-motor filter, the cyclone axis of rotation intersects the pre-motor filter and a line extending in a common direction with the cyclone axis of rotation extends through the dirt collection chamber and intersects the pre-motor filter. 
     
     
         11 . A hand vacuum cleaner having a hand vacuum cleaner front end having a dirty air inlet, a hand vacuum cleaner rear end, an upper end and a lower end, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
 (a) an air flow path extending from the dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;   (b) an air treatment chamber provided in the air flow path, the air treatment chamber comprising a dirt outlet, an air treatment chamber front end, an air treatment chamber rear end and a central longitudinal axis which intersects the air treatment chamber front end and the air treatment chamber rear end;   (c) a dirt collection chamber external to the air treatment chamber, the dirt collection chamber having a wall that is openable wherein, when the wall is in an open position, a front end of the dirt collection chamber is opened, and when the wall is in a closed position, the wall extends rearward at a non-zero angle to the central longitudinal axis and a plane that is transverse to the central longitudinal axis;   (d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path; and,   (e) a handle.   
     
     
         12 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 11  wherein the dirty air inlet is provided at the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner and the wall is provided at the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
         13 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 12  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the hand vacuum cleaner upper end above the hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the plane intersects the air treatment chamber and the dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 13  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the hand vacuum cleaner upper end above the hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the dirt collection chamber has a dirt collection chamber upper end, a dirt collection chamber lower end and a height from the dirt collection chamber lower end to the dirt collection chamber upper end, wherein the height is greater at a rear end of the dirt collection chamber than at a front end of the dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 13  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the hand vacuum cleaner upper end above the hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the air treatment chamber has an air treatment chamber upper end and an air treatment chamber lower end and, when the wall is closed, the forward end of the wall is located at the air treatment chamber lower end. 
     
     
         16 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 11  wherein the wall is provided at the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner and the dirty air inlet is transversely spaced from the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
         17 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 16  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the hand vacuum cleaner upper end above the hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the plane intersects the air treatment chamber and the dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 17  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the hand vacuum cleaner upper end above the hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the dirt collection chamber has a dirt collection chamber upper end, a dirt collection chamber lower end and a height from the dirt collection chamber lower end to the dirt collection chamber upper end, wherein the height is greater at a rear end of the dirt collection chamber than at a front end of the dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 17  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the hand vacuum cleaner upper end above the hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the air treatment chamber has an air treatment chamber upper end and an air treatment chamber lower end and, when the wall is closed, the forward end of the wall is located at the air treatment chamber lower end. 
     
     
         20 . The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 11  wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the hand vacuum cleaner upper end above the hand vacuum cleaner lower end, the plane intersects the air treatment chamber and the dirt collection chamber and the hand vacuum cleaner further comprises a pre-motor filter, the central longitudinal axis intersects the pre-motor filter and a line extending in a common direction with the central longitudinal axis extends through the dirt collection chamber and intersects the pre-motor filter.