Surface cleaning apparatus with openable filter compartment

1. An upright surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including an air treatment member and a suction motor, the suction motor having a suction motor axis that defines an axis of rotation of an impeller;

(b) a surface cleaning head having the dirty air inlet, a front end and a rear end; and,

(c) an upper section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between an upright storage position and an inclined in use position; and,

(d) wherein the upper section comprises a removable cleaning unit, the removable cleaning unit comprising the air treatment member, the suction motor and a post motor filter provided in an openable post motor filter housing, wherein the post motor filter is positioned below the suction motor and wherein the clean air outlet is provided in a wall of the upper section that faces forward when the upper section is in the upright storage position.

2. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein air exiting the suction motor travels axially through the post motor filter and then forwardly to the clean air outlet.

3. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the post motor filter housing includes an openable portion and the openable portion is axially removable.

4. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the post motor filter housing includes an openable portion that includes a sidewall and the post motor filter is positioned in the openable portion when the openable portion is opened.

5. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the post motor filter is axially removable.

6. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the post motor filter housing includes an openable portion that includes a sidewall and the clean air outlet is provided in the sidewall.

7. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the post motor filter is a HEPA filter having axially extending pleats.

8. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the post motor filter housing is openable by a hand operable closure member.

9. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the post motor filter housing is openable by a hand operable rotatable closure member.

10. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein the post motor filter is concurrently axially removable with the openable portion.

11. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the clean air outlet is provided only on a front and sides of the wall of the upper section that faces forward when the upper section is in the upright storage position.

12. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wall of the upper section that faces forward when the upper section is in the upright storage position has an absence of an air outlet on a rear side thereof.