Surface cleaning apparatus
A surface cleaning apparatus includes an air flow path, a filter housing, and a filter member in the filter housing. An air treatment member, a suction motor, and the filter housing are positioned in the air flow path. The filter member includes a plurality of individual filter elements arranged in parallel, each including porous filter material having at least one upstream face and at least one portion defining a porous filter media air outlet. The at least one upstream face has a larger surface area than the at least one portion. An outside gap is provided between at least some of the upstream faces and opposed facing walls of the filter housing, and an inside gap is provided between opposed upstream faces. A cross-sectional area of the outside gaps and the inside gaps is at least as large as a cross-sectional area of an air treatment member air inlet.
1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet with an air treatment member and a suction motor positioned in the air flow path;
(b) a filter housing provided in the air flow path; and,
(c) a filter member provided in the filter housing, the filter member comprising a plurality of individual filter elements arranged in parallel, each of the individual filter elements comprising porous filter material having at least one upstream face and at least one portion defining a porous filter media air outlet, wherein the at least one upstream face has a larger surface area than the at least one portion,
wherein an outside gap is provided between at least some of the upstream faces and opposed facing walls of the filter housing and an inside gap is provided between opposed upstream faces, and
wherein a cross-sectional area of the outside gaps and the inside gaps, in a plane transverse to a direction of air flow through the outside and inside gaps, is at least as large as a cross-sectional area of an air inlet to the air treatment member in a plane transverse to a direction of air flow through the air inlet to the air treatment member.
2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one portion is provided on a single downstream face.
3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein only a portion of the single downstream face is porous.
4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein an air impermeable material is provided on a portion of the single downstream face.
5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one portion is provided on the interior of the porous filter media and the porous filter media has an air outlet passage extending in an air flow direction, the air outlet passage having a sidewall extending in the air flow direction and at least a portion of the air outlet passage is air impermeable.
6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein an air impermeable material is provided on at least a portion of the sidewall of the air outlet passage.
7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 6 wherein the air impermeable material comprises a conduit inserted into the air outlet passage.
8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein an air impermeable material is provided on a part of the porous filter media surrounding the porous filter media air outlet.
9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least some of the filter elements have a plurality of upstream faces.
10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least some of the individual filter elements are generally polyhedron in shape.
11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least some of the individual filter elements are generally annular in transverse section and are at least partially nested inside each other.
12. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet with an air treatment member and a suction motor positioned in the air flow path; and,
(b) an individual filter element comprising a porous filter material having a plurality of upstream faces and at least one portion defining a porous filter media air outlet, wherein an air impermeable material is provided on a portion of a single downstream face.
13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 12 wherein the at least one portion is provided on a single downstream face.
14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 13 wherein only a portion of the single downstream face is porous.
15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 12 wherein the at least one portion is provided on the interior of the porous filter media and the porous filter media has an air outlet passage extending in an air flow direction, the air outlet passage having a sidewall extending in the air flow direction and at least a portion of the air outlet passage is air impermeable.
16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein an air impermeable material is provided on at least a portion of the sidewall of the air outlet passage.
17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 wherein the air impermeable material comprises a conduit inserted into the air outlet passage.
18. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet with an air treatment member and a suction motor positioned in the air flow path; and,
(b) a first pre-motor filter part comprising a first plurality of individual filter elements in parallel and located at a first location in the surface cleaning apparatus;
(c) a second pre-motor filter part comprising a second plurality of individual filter elements in parallel and located at a second location in the surface cleaning apparatus;
wherein each of the individual filter elements comprises porous filter material having at least one upstream face and at least one portion defining a porous filter media air outlet, wherein the at least one upstream face has a larger surface area than the at least one portion.
19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 18 wherein at least some of the individual filter elements are generally polyhedron in shape.