Vacuum cleaner with a plurality of cyclonic cleaning stages

1. A portable appliance comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) first and second cyclonic stages wherein each cyclonic stage comprises a plurality of cyclones in parallel, the second cyclonic stage is downstream from the first cyclonic stage and for at least some of the cyclones of the first cyclonic stage, air exiting a cyclone of the first cyclonic stage is fed to only one cyclone of the second cyclonic stage; and,

(c) a fluid flow motor

wherein at least one of the cyclones has a dirt collection chamber that, during operation of the portable appliance, is not in communication with any other cyclone.

2. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the cyclonic stages comprises at least 15 cyclones in parallel.

3. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the cyclonic stages comprises at least one cyclone per square inch.

4. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 1 wherein the appliance is a surface cleaning apparatus, a household air cleaner or a breathing mask.

5. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 1 wherein the appliance is a surface cleaning apparatus.

6. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a vacuum cleaner, a sweeper and a carpet extractor.

7. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cyclonic stages are positioned upstream from the motor.

8. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 7 wherein the air travels from the cyclonic stages to the motor without passing through a filter.

9. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an additional cyclonic stage wherein three cyclonic stages are positioned upstream from the motor.

10. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 9 wherein the air travels from the three cyclonic stages to the motor without passing through a filter.

11. A portable appliance comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) first and second cyclonic stages wherein each cyclonic stage comprises a plurality of cyclones in parallel, the second cyclonic stage is downstream from the first cyclonic stage and each of the cyclones of the first cyclonic stage is in fluid communication with only one cyclone of the second cyclonic stage; and,

(c) a fluid flow motor

wherein each cyclone of at least one of the cyclonic stages has an associated dirt collection chamber and each dirt collection chamber is associated with only one cyclone.

12. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 11 wherein all of the dirt collection chambers are emptied concurrently.

13. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 12 wherein the dirt collection chambers have a common openable bottom.

14. A portable appliance comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) first and second cyclonic stages wherein each cyclonic stage comprises a plurality of cyclones in parallel and the second cyclonic stage is downstream from the first cyclonic stage; and,

(c) a fluid flow motor

wherein each cyclone in the second cyclonic stage is connected in fluid flow communication with only one cyclone in the first cyclonic stage.

15. A portable appliance comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) first and second cyclonic stages wherein each cyclonic stage comprises a plurality of cyclones in parallel and the second cyclonic stage is downstream from the first cyclonic stage; and,

(c) a fluid flow motor

wherein each cyclone of the first cyclonic stage has a fluid outlet and each cyclone of the second cyclonic stage has a fluid inlet and the outlet of a cyclone of the first cyclonic stage and the inlet of a cyclone of the second cyclonic stage form a continuous passage whereby air exiting one cyclone of the first cyclonic stage is fed to only one cyclone of the second cyclonic stage.

16. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 15 wherein the fluid outlet is configured to maintain at least some of the cyclonic flow produced by fluid flowing through an associated cyclone.

17. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 15 wherein the passage comprises a continuous curve.

18. A portable appliance comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) first and second cyclonic stages wherein each cyclonic stage comprises a plurality of cyclones in parallel, each cyclone having a cyclone air outlet the second cyclonic stage is downstream from the first cyclonic stage and the cyclone air outlet of at least some of the cyclones of the first cyclonic stage is in fluid communication with only one cyclone of the second cyclonic stage; and,

(c) a fluid flow motor.

19. A portable appliance comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) first and second cyclonic stages wherein each cyclonic stage comprises a plurality of cyclones in parallel and the second cyclonic stage is downstream from the first cyclonic stage;

(c) a post motor cyclonic stage: and,

(d) a fluid flow motor.

20. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 19 wherein fluid exiting the post motor cyclonic stage has a level of filtration at least equal to HEPA without the use of a HEPA filter.

21. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 19 wherein the post motor cyclonic stage comprises a plurality of cyclones in parallel.

22. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 21 wherein the first and second cyclonic stages are each separately removable from the appliance.