SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS

1 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) a body housing a suction motor;

b) a uniflow cyclone chamber comprising a first end having a first end wall, a second opposed end having a second end wall, a sidewall, an air inlet in the first end, a dirt outlet in the second end and an air outlet that is configured so that air exits the cyclone chamber through the second end;

c) a dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone chamber; and,

d) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including the suction motor and the cyclone chamber.

2 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone chamber has a longitudinal axis and the dirt outlet is oriented generally parallel to the longitudinal axis.

3 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sidewall extends to the second end and the dirt outlet is provided in the sidewall.

4 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first end comprises a lower end.

5 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt outlet has a radial extent and has an upstream end and a downstream end based on the direction of airflow in the cyclone chamber and the upstream end is located from 0-90° downstream from the air inlet.

6 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the upstream end is located from 0-45° downstream from the air inlet.

7 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the upstream end is located from 0-15° downstream from the air inlet.

8 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the downstream end is located from 5-150° downstream from the upstream end.

9 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 6 wherein the downstream end is located from 15-120° downstream from the upstream end.

10 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein the downstream end is located from 35-75° downstream from the upstream end.

11 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt outlet has a radial extent and has an upstream end and a downstream end based on the direction of airflow in the cyclone chamber and the downstream end is located from 5-150° downstream from the upstream end.

12 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the downstream end is located from 15-120° downstream from the upstream end.

13 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the downstream end is located from 35-75° downstream from the upstream end.

14 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt collection chamber partially surrounds the cyclone chamber.

15 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 14 wherein the dirt outlet has a radial extent and has an upstream end and a downstream end based on the direction of airflow in the cyclone chamber and the upstream end is located proximate a location at which a sidewall of the dirt collection chamber extends outwardly from the sidewall of the cyclone chamber.

16 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the dirt collection chamber partially surrounds the cyclone chamber and the upstream end is located proximate a location at which a sidewall of the dirt collection chamber extends outwardly from the sidewall of the cyclone chamber.

17 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the dirt collection chamber partially surrounds the cyclone chamber and the upstream end is located proximate a location at which a sidewall of the dirt collection chamber extends outwardly from the sidewall of the cyclone chamber.

18 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 13 wherein the dirt collection chamber partially surrounds the cyclone chamber and the upstream end is located proximate a location at which a sidewall of the dirt collection chamber extends outwardly from the sidewall of the cyclone chamber.

19 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt collection chamber surrounds the cyclone chamber, the dirt outlet has a radial extent and has an upstream end and a downstream end based on the direction of airflow in the cyclone chamber and the upstream end is located from 0-90° upstream from a location at which a sidewall of the dirt collection chamber is closest to the sidewall of the cyclone chamber.

20 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 19 wherein the upstream end is located proximate the location at which a sidewall of the dirt collection chamber is closest to the sidewall of the cyclone chamber.