Cyclonic surface cleaning apparatus
View Patent ↗A surface cleaning apparatus, which in one embodiment is a hand held vacuum cleaner, comprises a cyclone and a suction motor wherein the cyclone air outlet and the suction motor inlet are positioned towards the same end of the surface cleaning apparatus whereby air exiting the cyclone travels laterally and then axially to the suction motor inlet. A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a cyclone and a suction motor wherein the suction motor is positioned rearward of the cyclone and the cyclone air outlet is positioned at a lower end of the cyclone whereby air exiting the cyclone travels laterally and then axially towards the suction motor inlet.
1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
(a) a dirty air inlet;
(b) a filtration apparatus comprising a cyclone downstream from the dirty air inlet, the cyclone having an upper end, a lower end, a cyclone axis, a dirt outlet, a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet, wherein the cyclone air outlet comprises a passage that is positioned at the lower end of the cyclone;
(c) a cyclone dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone and having a lower openable a dirt collection surface;
(d) a suction motor having a suction motor axis, an upper end, a lower end, a suction motor inlet positioned at the lower end of the suction motor;
(e) an air flow passage extending from the cyclone air outlet to the suction motor inlet and comprising a transversely extending portion; and,
(f) a clean air outlet downstream from the suction motor.
2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein air exiting the cyclone outlet travels transversely through the transversely extending portion of the air flow passage and upwardly to the suction motor inlet.
3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone and the dirt collection chamber are concurrently openable.
4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt collection chamber is positioned around at least a portion of the cyclone.
5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone is inverted.
6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein a pre-motor filter is positioned laterally from the cyclone and below the suction motor.
7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the suction motor axis and the cyclone axis are parallel and the suction motor is laterally spaced from the cyclone.
8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a hand held vacuum cleaner.
9. A surface cleaning apparatus having a first end and a second spaced apart end, the surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
(a) a dirty air inlet;
(b) a filtration apparatus comprising a cyclone downstream from the dirty air inlet, the cyclone having a cyclone axis, a dirt outlet, a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet, wherein the cyclone air outlet comprises a passage that is positioned towards the second end;
(c) a cyclone dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone and having an openable a dirt collection surface positioned towards the second end;
(d) a suction motor having a suction motor axis, an inlet end, an outlet end, a suction motor inlet positioned towards the second end;
(e) an air flow passage extending from the cyclone air outlet to the suction motor inlet and comprising a transversely extending portion; and,
(f) a clean air outlet downstream from the suction motor.
10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein air exiting the cyclone outlet travels transversely through the transversely extending portion of the air flow passage and axially to the suction motor inlet.
11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the cyclone and the dirt collection chamber are concurrently openable.
12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein a pre-motor filter is positioned laterally from the cyclone and upstream from the suction motor.
13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the suction motor axis and the cyclone axis are parallel and the suction motor is laterally spaced from the cyclone.
14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a hand held vacuum cleaner.
15. A surface cleaning apparatus having a front end and a rear end, the surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
(a) a dirty air inlet;
(b) a filtration apparatus comprising a cyclone downstream from the dirty air inlet, the cyclone having an upper end, a lower end, a cyclone axis, a dirt outlet, a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet, wherein the cyclone air outlet comprises a passage that is positioned at the lower end of the cyclone;
(c) a cyclone dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone and having a lower openable a dirt collection surface;
(d) a suction motor having a suction motor axis, the suction motor is positioned rearward of the cyclone;
(e) an air flow passage extending from the cyclone air outlet to the suction motor and comprising a transversely extending portion; and,
(f) a clean air outlet downstream from the suction motor
wherein air exiting the cyclone outlet travels transversely through the transversely extending portion of the air flow passage and upwardly towards the suction motor.
16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein the cyclone and the dirt collection chamber are concurrently openable.
17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein the cyclone is inverted.
18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein a pre-motor filter is positioned laterally from the cyclone and below the suction motor.
19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein the suction motor axis and the cyclone axis are parallel and the suction motor is laterally spaced from the cyclone.
20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a hand held vacuum cleaner.