Surface cleaning apparatus

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) an air treatment member having a first end, a longitudinally spaced apart second end, a longitudinal axis extending between the first and second opposed ends, an air inlet and an air outlet comprising an outlet conduit;

(b) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including a suction motor and the air treatment member;

(c) a pre-motor filter positioned in the air flow path downstream from the air treatment member, the pre-motor filter comprising a filter media having an upstream surface through which air enters the filter media and a downstream surface through which air exits the filter media, the downstream surface is spaced apart from the upstream surface in a flow direction as air passes through the pre-motor filter; and,

(d) an agitation member positioned downstream of the pre-motor filter and an agitation motor having a drive shaft, the agitation member is eccentrically mounted to the drive shaft whereby the agitation member periodically impacts the pre-motor filter as the drive shaft rotates to impart a force in a direction generally parallel to the flow direction, wherein the agitation member is solely supported by the drive shaft.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the downstream surface is planar and wherein the drive shaft extends in a direction that is generally parallel to the downstream planar surface.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the agitation motor is on a downstream side of the pre-motor filter.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an agitation motor operatively connected to the agitation member and the agitation member is eccentrically mounted to the agitation motor.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone chamber having a cyclone axis of rotation, the pre-motor filter overlies the cyclone chamber whereby the agitation member imparts the force in the longitudinal axial direction.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pre-motor filter comprises a foam filter.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone chamber having a cyclone axis of rotation, the pre-motor filter overlies the cyclone chamber whereby the agitation member imparts the force in the longitudinal axial direction.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the pre-motor filter comprises a foam filter.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the agitation member imparts the force to the downstream surface of the filter media.

10. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) an air treatment member having a first end, a longitudinally spaced apart second end, an air inlet and an air outlet comprising an outlet conduit;

(b) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including a suction motor and the air treatment member;

(c) a pre-motor filter positioned in the air flow path downstream from the air treatment member, the pre-motor filter comprising a filter media having an upstream surface through which air enters the filter media and a downstream surface through which air exits the filter media, the downstream surface is generally parallel to the upstream surface and spaced apart from the upstream surface in a spacing direction that is generally perpendicular to each of the upstream and downstream surfaces; and,

(d) an agitation member positioned downstream of the pre-motor filter and an agitation motor having a drive shaft, the agitation member is eccentrically mounted to the drive shaft whereby the agitation member impacts the filter media in an impact direction that is generally parallel to the spacing direction as the agitation member rotates about the axis of the drive shaft of the agitation motor.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the filter media comprises a foam filter.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the agitation member impacts the downstream surface of the filter media.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the drive shaft extends in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the spacing direction.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the agitation motor is on a downstream side of the pre-motor filter.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the agitation member is eccentrically mounted to an agitation drive member.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 further comprising an agitation motor operatively connected to the agitation member and the agitation member is eccentrically mounted to the agitation motor.

17. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) an air treatment member comprising a cyclone having a first end, an axially spaced apart second end defining an axial direction, an air inlet and an air outlet comprising an outlet conduit;

(b) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including a suction motor and the air treatment member;

(c) a pre-motor filter positioned in the air flow path downstream from the air treatment member, the pre-motor filter comprising a filter media having an upstream surface through which air enters the filter media and a downstream surface through which air exits the filter media, the downstream surface is spaced apart from the upstream surface in the axial direction of the cyclone; and,

(d) an agitation member positioned downstream of the pre-motor filter and an agitation motor having a drive shaft, the agitation member is eccentrically mounted to the drive shaft whereby the agitation member periodically impacts the pre-motor filter as the drive shaft rotates to impart a force to the pre-motor filter generally in the axial direction, wherein the agitation member is solely supported by the drive shaft.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the agitation member impacts the downstream surface of the filter media.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the downstream surface generally defines a plane, wherein the drive shaft extends in a direction that is generally parallel to the plane.