Surface cleaning apparatus

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) an airflow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including a suction motor;

b) a cyclone chamber including a first cyclone end, a second cyclone end spaced apart from the first cyclone end in an axial direction and a cyclone sidewall extending between the first and second cyclone ends, the cyclone chamber comprising a dirt outlet, a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet, the dirt outlet comprising a space between the cyclone sidewall and the first cyclone end and having an outlet height in the axial direction;

c) an outer chamber defined between the cyclone chamber sidewall and including a radial outer sidewall that is spaced laterally outwardly from the cyclone chamber sidewall in a lateral direction that is substantially orthogonal to the axial direction, having an axial height that is equal to or greater than the entire outlet height and faces a portion of the cyclone chamber sidewall, that has the dirt outlet such that air flows from the cyclone chamber to the outer chamber and the radial outer wall having a diameter in the lateral direction;

d) a dirt collection chamber external the cyclone chamber in communication with the outer chamber, the dirt collection chamber comprising a radial outer wall having an inner surface that at least partially bounds an interior of the dirt collection chamber and has a height in the axial direction, the radial outer wall having a larger diameter than the diameter of the radial outer wall of the outer chamber, the radial outer wall of the dirt collection chamber being substantially parallel to the radial outer sidewall of the outer chamber, the outer chamber and the dirt collection chamber defining a contiguous volume that is in communication with the dirt outlet; and,

(e) a transition wall disposed axially between the radial outer wall of the outer chamber and the radial outer wall of the dirt collection chamber, directly connecting the radial outer wall of the outer chamber to the radial outer wall of the dirt collection chamber, forming part of an inner surface of the contiguous volume and being inclined at an oblique angle relative to the radial outer wall of the outer chamber and the radial outer wall of the dirt collection chamber and wherein the transition wall provides a change of an outermost diameter of a cross-sectional area of the contiguous volume.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dirt collection chamber is connected in air flow communication with the outer chamber via a connection passage positioned laterally between the cyclone chamber sidewall and the radial outer sidewall and extending axially between the outer chamber and the dirt collection chamber.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dirt collection chamber has an end wall that faces the second cyclone end.

4. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) an airflow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including a suction motor;

b) a cyclone bin assembly positioned in the air flow passage having a bin first end, an opposed bin second end spaced apart from the bin first end in an axial direction and a bin sidewall extending between the bin first and second ends;

c) a cyclone chamber positioned within the cyclone bin assembly toward the bin first end and including a first cyclone end, a second cyclone end spaced apart from the first cyclone end in the axial direction and a cyclone sidewall extending between the first and second cyclone ends, the cyclone chamber having a first cyclone end diameter in a lateral direction that is generally orthogonal to the axial direction and comprising a dirt outlet disposed toward the first end of the cyclone chamber and having an outlet height in the axial direction, a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet, the dirt outlet comprising an opening in the cyclone sidewall;

d) an outer chamber defined between the cyclone chamber sidewall and the bin sidewall, the bin sidewall having a height in the axial direction that is equal to or greater than the entire outlet height and facing the dirt outlet and the cyclone chamber sidewall whereby the bin sidewall laterally surrounds the first cyclone end, the outer chamber being in communication with the dirt outlet such that air flows from the cyclone chamber to the outer chamber and having a flow chamber diameter in the lateral direction that is greater than the first cyclone end diameter and the outer chamber including a radial outer sidewall that is spaced laterally outwardly from the cyclone sidewall; and,

e) a dirt collection chamber external the cyclone chamber and positioned within the cyclone bin assembly axially intermediate the second cyclone end and the bin second end, the dirt collection chamber connected in air flow communication with the outer chamber and comprising a chamber sidewall having an inner surface that at least Partially bounds an interior of the dirt collection chamber the chamber sidewall being substantially parallel to the radial outer sidewall, the chamber sidewall having a dirt chamber diameter in the lateral direction that is different than the flow chamber diameter, the outer chamber and the dirt collection chamber defining a contiguous volume; and,

f) a transition wall disposed axially between the bin first end and the chamber sidewall, directly connecting the radial outer sidewall to the chamber sidewall, forming part of an inner surface of the contiguous volume and being inclined at an oblique angle relative to the bin sidewall and the chamber sidewall and wherein the transition wall provides a change of an outermost diameter of a cross-sectional area of the contiguous volume.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the dirt collection chamber is connected in air flow communication with the outer chamber via a connection passage positioned laterally between the cyclone chamber sidewall and the bin sidewall and extending axially between the outer chamber and the dirt collection chamber.