Surface cleaning apparatus

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) a base comprising or connectable to a power cord;

b) a portable cleaning unit removable from a position in which the portable cleaning unit is supported by the base and comprising at least one cyclonic separation stage, a first energy storage member and a portable cleaning unit suction motor; and,

c) a fluid flow path extending from a first dirty fluid inlet to a clean air outlet of the surface cleaning apparatus,

wherein the energy storage member may be charged when the portable cleaning unit is supported by the base

and wherein the base further comprises a suction motor which is used to provide motive power through the fluid flow path when the surface cleaning unit is switched on and when the portable cleaning unit is mounted on the base.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the portable cleaning unit further comprises a power cord.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power cord is removably electrically connected to the portable cleaning unit.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein the power cord is also removably electrically connected to the base.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 4 wherein the power cord provides AC current to the base and the base provides current to the portable cleaning unit when the portable cleaning unit is supported by the base.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the base provides DC current to the portable cleaning unit when the portable cleaning unit is supported by the base.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a power cord electrically connected to the base and wherein the power cord provides AC current to the base when connected to the base and the base provides current to the portable cleaning unit when the portable cleaning unit is supported by the base.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein the base provides DC current to the portable cleaning unit when the portable cleaning unit is supported by the base.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the portable cleaning unit is powered solely by the first energy storage member when the portable cleaning unit is removed from the position in which the portable cleaning unit is supported by the base.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first energy storage member comprises batteries.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the suction motor in the portable cleaning unit is not used to provide motive power to move fluid through the fluid flow path when the surface cleaning unit is switched on and when the portable cleaning unit is supported by the base.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the portable cleaning unit suction motor is a DC motor.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 12 wherein the base further comprises or is electrically connectable to a power cord, the base further comprises a circuit that receives AC current and outputs DC current and the portable cleaning unit is powered by DC current when the portable cleaning unit is supported by the base.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base comprises a surface cleaning head.

15. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) a base comprising or connectable to a power cord;

b) a portable cleaning unit removable from a position in which the portable cleaning unit is supported by the base and comprising at least one cyclonic separation stage, a first energy storage member and a portable cleaning unit suction motor; and

c) a fluid flow path extending from a first dirty fluid inlet to a clean air outlet of the surface cleaning apparatus,

wherein the base further comprises a second energy storage member,

and wherein the first energy storage member may be charged by the second energy storage member when the portable cleaning unit is supported by the base.

16. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) a base;

b) a portable cleaning unit removable from a position in which the portable cleaning unit is supported by the base and comprising at least one cyclonic separation stage, an energy storage member and a portable cleaning unit suction motor; and,

c) a fluid flow path extending from a first dirty fluid inlet to a clean air outlet of the surface cleaning apparatus,

wherein the base further comprises a portion of the fluid path and has a base suction motor provided in the portion of the fluid flow path and the base suction motor is used to provide motive power through the fluid flow path when the surface cleaning unit is switched on and when the portable cleaning unit is mounted on the base.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 wherein the portable cleaning unit comprises or is electrically connectable to a power cord whereby the portable cleaning unit suction motor may be powered by the energy storage member or power supplied by the power cord and the power cord or an alternate power cord provides AC current to the base and the base provides current to the portable cleaning unit when the portable cleaning unit is supported by the base.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 17 wherein the base provides DC current to the portable cleaning unit when the portable cleaning unit is supported by the base.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 wherein the portable cleaning unit comprises or is electrically connectable to a power cord whereby the portable cleaning unit suction motor may be powered by the energy storage member or power supplied by the power cord and the power cord is electrically connectable to the portable cleaning unit and the base.

20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 wherein the base comprises a surface cleaning head.

21. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) a portable cleaning unit removable from a remainder of the surface cleaning unit and comprising at least one cyclonic separation stage, a first energy storage member and a portable cleaning unit suction motor;

b) the remainder of the surface cleaning apparatus comprising or connectable to a power cord; and,

c) a fluid flow path extending from a first dirty fluid inlet to a clean air outlet of the surface cleaning apparatus,

wherein the base further comprises a portion of the fluid flow path and has a base suction motor provided in the portion of the fluid flow path and the base suction motor is used to provide motive power through the fluid flow path when the surface cleaning unit is switched on and when the portable cleaning unit is mounted to the base.

22. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the power cord is removably electrically connected to the portable cleaning unit.

23. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the power cord provides AC current to the remainder of the surface cleaning apparatus and the remainder of the surface cleaning apparatus provides current to the portable cleaning unit when the portable cleaning unit is supported by the remainder of the surface cleaning apparatus.

24. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 23 wherein the remainder of the surface cleaning apparatus provides DC current to the portable cleaning unit when the portable cleaning unit is supported by the remainder of the surface cleaning apparatus.

25. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) a portable cleaning unit removable from a remainder of the surface cleaning apparatus and comprising at least one cyclonic separation stage, an energy storage member and a portable cleaning unit suction motor; and,

c) a fluid flow path extending from a first dirty fluid inlet to a clean air outlet of the surface cleaning apparatus,

wherein

wherein the remainder of the surface cleaning apparatus further comprises a portion of the fluid flow path and has a suction motor provided in the portion of the fluid flow path and which is used to provide motive power through the fluid flow path when the surface cleaning unit is switched on and when the portable cleaning unit is mounted on the base.

26. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 25 wherein the portable cleaning comprises or is electrically connectable to a power cord whereby the portable cleaning unit suction motor may be powered by the energy storage member or power supplied by the power cord and the power cord or an alternate power cord provides AC current to the remainder of the surface cleaning apparatus and the remainder of the surface cleaning apparatus provides current to the portable cleaning unit when the portable cleaning unit is supported by the remainder of the surface cleaning apparatus.

27. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 26 wherein the remainder of the surface cleaning apparatus provides DC current to the portable cleaning unit when the portable cleaning unit is supported by remainder of the surface cleaning apparatus.