Vacuum cleaner

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising a body having an external surface, a suction inlet on the body for conveying dirty air from outside the vacuum cleaner into the body and a motor configured to draw the dirty air into the body through the suction inlet, the body comprising a plurality of cyclones arranged in parallel to one another, each cyclone including a tapering body having an outside wall, wherein at least a part of each outside wall forms part of the external surface of the vacuum cleaner.

2. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cyclones are equi-angularly arranged about an axis of the cyclonic separating apparatus.

3. A vacuum cleaner having an external surface and incorporating cyclonic separating apparatus comprising a plurality of cyclones arranged in parallel to one another, each cyclone including a tapering body having an outside wall, wherein at least a part of each outside wall forms part of the external surface of the vacuum cleaner, wherein the cyclones are equi-angularly arranged about an axis of the cyclonic separating apparatus, and wherein each cyclone has an axis which is inclined towards the axis of the cyclonic separating apparatus.

4. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the cyclonic separating apparatus comprises at least one further cyclone arranged in parallel to the plurality of cyclones, the further cyclone having a tapering body with an outside wall which does not form a part of the external surface of the vacuum cleaner.

5. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the further cyclone is arranged closer to the axis of the cyclonic separating apparatus than the plurality of cyclones.

6. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 , 2 or 3 , wherein each tapering body is frusto-conical in shape.

7. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 , 2 or 3 , wherein all of the cyclones are substantially the same size and shape.

8. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the cyclonic separating apparatus comprises an upstream cyclone having an outer wall, at least a part of which forms a part of the external surface of the vacuum cleaner.

9. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the outer wall of the upstream cyclone is substantially cylindrical in shape.

10. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the plurality of cyclones arranged in parallel to one another are located wholly outside the outer wall of the upstream cyclone.

11. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 or 2 , further comprising at least one further cyclone arranged in parallel to the plurality of cyclones, the further cyclone having a tapering body with an outside wall which does not form a part of the external surface of the vacuum cleaner.

12. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the further cyclone is arranged closer to the axis of the cyclonic separating apparatus than the plurality of cyclones.

13. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 or 2 , further comprising an upstream cyclone having an outer wall, at least a part of which forms a part of the external surface of the vacuum cleaner.

14. A vacuum cleaner having an external surface and incorporating cyclonic separating apparatus comprising a plurality of cyclones arranged in parallel to one another, each cyclone including a tapering body having an outside wall, wherein at least a part of each outside wall forms part of the external surface of the vacuum cleaner, wherein each cyclone has a lower end and an upper end, and wherein the lower end is larger than the upper end.

15. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the upper end of each cyclone opens into a common collection area.