Cyclone chamber and dirt collection assembly for a surface cleaning apparatus

1. A cyclone bin assembly comprising:

(a) a cyclone chamber having an air inlet, an air outlet, a dirt outlet, a first opposed end, a second opposed end, a sidewall and a direction of rotation; and,

(b) a dirt collection chamber in communication with the dirt outlet and surrounding at least a portion of the cyclone chamber and comprising a first opposed end having a first end wall, a second opposed end having a second end wall that is spaced from and opposed to the first end wall and is provided with the dirt outlet, a first portion and a second portion, the first portion comprising a first chamber and the second portion comprising a second chamber, the first chamber being positioned downstream from the second chamber in the direction of rotation, the first chamber having a downstream distal end in the direction of rotation and the second chamber having an upstream distal end in the direction of rotation, wherein the first chamber is isolated from the second chamber other than by a passage extending between the dirt outlet and an opposed wall of the dirt collection chamber that is laterally spaced from the dirt outlet,

wherein the dirt outlet has an upstream end in the direction of rotation and a downstream end and the upstream distal end of the second chamber is located upstream of the upstream end of the dirt outlet in the direction of rotation

wherein the passage is provided in the second opposed end of the dirt collection chamber, and the passage is narrower in the lateral direction than the first portion and the second portion immediately beside the passage.

2. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein the cyclone chamber has a longitudinal axis, the dirt outlet has a height in a direction of the longitudinal axis and the portion of the wall has a height so as to extend along the height of the dirt outlet.

3. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 2 wherein the portion of the wall extends away from the dirt outlet along at least a portion of a length of the cyclone chamber.

4. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein the dirt outlet is positioned adjacent the second end wall of the dirt collection chamber and the passage terminates prior to the first opposed end wall of the dirt collection chamber.

5. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein the air inlet and the air outlet are at the first opposed end of the cyclone chamber.

6. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 5 wherein the dirt outlet is spaced from the first opposed end.

7. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 6 wherein the dirt outlet is at the second end of the cyclone chamber.

8. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein the cyclone chamber comprises a sidewall extending between the first and second opposed ends and the dirt outlet comprises a slot that is provided in the sidewall adjacent the second end.

9. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 8 wherein a portion of the sidewall terminates prior to the second end and defines a terminal end of the sidewall, the terminal end extending part way around the cyclone chamber.

10. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein the dirt outlet has an angular extent around the cyclone chamber and a larger portion of the angular extent of the slot faces the first portion.

11. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 10 wherein the dirt collection chamber has a direction of rotation wherein, with reference to the passage, the first portion is angularly positioned upstream of the second portion in the direction of rotation of the dirt collection chamber.

12. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 11 wherein the first and second portions have a first section adjacent the passage and a second the second portion has a divider wall that extends inwardly towards the second end wall of the dirt collection chamber from the first opposed end wall of the dirt collection chamber and the divider wall is spaced from the second section.

13. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 12 wherein the divider wall is positioned adjacent the first section.

14. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein, in use, the cyclone chamber has a longitudinal axis that is horizontally oriented and the dirt outlet is provided in a lower portion of the cyclone chamber and has a portion that is positioned at an upper end of the dirt collection chamber.

15. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein, in use, the cyclone chamber has a longitudinal axis that is horizontally oriented and the dirt outlet has a portion that is positioned at an upper end of one of the first and second portions.

16. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 15 wherein, in use, the cyclone chamber has a longitudinal axis that is horizontally oriented and the dirt outlet has a portion that is positioned at an upper end of the first portion.

17. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein the passage is configured to produce an airstream travelling through the passage between the first and second portions that has a velocity that is greater than a velocity of the airstream immediately upstream and downstream of the passage.

18. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein the dirt collection chamber has a direction of rotation wherein, with reference to the passage, the first portion is angularly positioned upstream of the second portion in the direction of rotation of the dirt collection chamber.

19. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 18 wherein the first and second portions have a first section adjacent the passage and a second section spaced from the passage, the second portion has a divider wall that extends inwardly towards the second end wall of the dirt collection chamber from the first opposed end wall of the dirt collection chamber and the divider wall is spaced from the second section.

20. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 19 wherein the divider wall is positioned adjacent the first section.

21. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein a portion of the opposed wall facing the dirt outlet extends convexly inwardly towards the dirt outlet.

22. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein the passage extends between a portion of the opposed wall of the dirt collection chamber and a portion of the sidewall of the cyclone chamber, wherein the portion of the opposed wall of the dirt collection chamber is curved inwardly towards the portion of the sidewall of the cyclone chamber and the portion of the sidewall of the cyclone chamber is curved inwardly towards the opposed wall of the dirt collection chamber.

23. A vacuum cleaner comprising an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, the air flow path including a suction motor in a suction motor housing and the cyclone bin assembly comprising:

(a) a cyclone chamber having an air inlet, an air outlet, a dirt outlet and a first opposed end and a second opposed end; and,

(b) a dirt collection chamber in communication with the dirt outlet and surrounding at least a portion of the cyclone chamber and comprising a first opposed end having a first end wall, a second opposed end having a second end wall that is spaced from and opposed to the first end wall and is provided with the dirt outlet, a first portion and a second portion, the first and second portions each comprising a chamber wherein the chambers are separated from each other by a passage extending between the dirt outlet and an opposed wall of the dirt collection chamber that is laterally spaced from the dirt outlet,

wherein the passage is provided in the second opposed end and the passage is narrower in the lateral direction than the first portion and the second portion immediately beside the passage

and wherein the portion of the wall is configured to sit on a portion of the suction motor housing.

24. A vacuum cleaner comprising an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, the air flow path including a suction motor in a suction motor housing and the cyclone bin assembly comprising:

(a) a cyclone chamber having an air inlet, an air outlet, a dirt outlet and a first opposed end and a second opposed end; and,

(b) a dirt collection chamber in communication with the dirt outlet and surrounding at least a portion of the cyclone chamber and comprising a first opposed end having a first end wall, a second opposed end having a second end wall that is spaced from and opposed to the first end wall and is provided with the dirt outlet, a first portion and a second portion, the first and second portions each comprising a chamber wherein the chambers are separated from each other by a passage extending between the dirt outlet and an opposed wall of the dirt collection chamber that is laterally spaced from the dirt outlet,

wherein the passage is provided in the second opposed end and the passage is narrower in the lateral direction than the first portion and the second portion immediately beside the passage

and wherein the first and second portions are configured to be positioned on opposed sides of the suction motor.

25. A cyclone bin assembly comprising:

(a) a cyclone chamber having an air inlet, an air outlet, a dirt outlet having an outlet end, a first opposed end, a second opposed end, a sidewall and a direction of rotation; and,

(b) a dirt collection chamber in communication with the dirt outlet and surrounding at least a portion of the cyclone chamber and comprising a first opposed end having a first end wall, a second opposed end having a second end wall that is spaced from and opposed to the first end wall and is provided with the dirt outlet, a first chamber and a second chamber, the second chamber being positioned downstream from the first chamber in the direction of rotation, the second chamber having a downstream distal end in the direction of rotation and the first chamber having an upstream distal end in the direction of rotation, wherein the first chamber is isolated from the second chamber other than by a passage extending between the dirt outlet and an opposed wall of the dirt collection chamber that is laterally spaced from the dirt outlet, a portion of the opposed wall directly faces the outlet end of the dirt outlet,

wherein the passage extends between a portion of the opposed wall of the dirt collection chamber and a portion of the sidewall of the cyclone chamber, wherein the portion of the opposed wall of the dirt collection chamber is curved inwardly towards the portion of the sidewall of the cyclone chamber and the portion of the sidewall of the cyclone chamber is curved inwardly towards the opposed wall of the dirt collection chamber.