Configuration of a surface cleaning apparatus

1. A hand vacuum cleaner comprising:

(a) a front end and a rear end;

(b) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet of the hand vacuum cleaner to a clean air outlet of the hand vacuum cleaner;

(c) a cyclone unit positioned in the air flow passage upstream from a suction motor and comprising a first cyclonic stage comprising a securing member and an openable front wall provided at the front end of the first cyclonic stage, wherein the securing member releasably secures the openable front wall in a closed position;

(d) the first cyclonic stage comprising a front end, a rear end and a cyclone, the cyclone comprising a cyclone sidewall, a cyclone air inlet, a first stage cyclone air outlet comprising a screen and a cyclone axis extending in an axial direction between the front end and the rear end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the first stage cyclone air outlet having a direction of flow;

(e) a pre-motor filter positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the first stage cyclone air outlet and rearward of the cyclone, the pre-motor filter having a diameter in a direction transverse to the cyclone axis that is larger than a diameter of the cyclone air outlet in the direction transverse to the cyclone axis;

(f) a cleaner body including the suction motor, the suction motor is positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the pre-motor filter, the suction motor having a motor axis and a downstream end, the first cyclonic stage is provided forward of the suction motor; and,

(g) a handle provided on the cleaner body,

wherein the pre-motor filter has an outer perimeter defining a volume and the cyclone axis and the motor axis each extend through a central portion of the volume, and

wherein the cyclone axis is generally parallel to the motor axis, and

wherein when the openable front wall is opened, the front end of the first cyclonic stage is opened and has an opening, the opening has a diameter in the direction transverse to the cyclone axis, and the rear end of the first cyclonic stage has a diameter that is generally equal to the diameter of the opening, and

wherein the cyclone unit has first engagement members and the cleaner body has second engagement members that are removably interengageable with the first engagement members, wherein the first cyclonic stage is removable from the cleaner body when the first and second engagement members are disengaged and

wherein a portion of the cyclone unit that has the securing member is removable from the cleaner body whereby the first cyclonic stage is removable from the cleaner body with the openable front wall in the closed position, and

wherein, when the first cyclonic stage is removed, the pre-motor filter is accessible for removal.

2. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the openable front wall has a radial centre and the cyclone axis and the motor axis extend through the radial centre.

3. Hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the motor axis and the cyclone axis are co-axial.

4. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the cyclone air inlet of the first cyclonic stage is located at a rear end of the first cyclonic stage.

5. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising a post-motor filter positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the suction motor, the post-motor filter has an outer perimeter defining a volume and the cyclone axis and the motor axis each extend through a central portion of the volume of the post-motor filter.

6. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the cyclone unit comprises a dirt collection chamber, and the openable front wall is rotatably mounted to the dirt collection chamber.

7. A hand vacuum cleaner comprising:

(a) a front end and a rear end;

(b) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet of the hand vacuum cleaner to a clean air outlet of the hand vacuum cleaner, wherein the dirty air inlet is provided at the front end of the hand vacuum cleaner;

(c) a cyclone unit positioned in the air flow passage upstream from a suction motor and comprising a cyclonic stage comprising a cyclone unit wall, a securing member and an openable end wherein the securing member releasably secures the openable end in a closed position;

(d) the cyclonic stage comprising an upper end, a lower end, a front end and a rear end, a cyclone comprising a cyclone sidewall, a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis extending in an axial direction between the front end and the rear end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the cyclone air outlet having a direction of flow;

(e) a pre-motor filter positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the cyclone air outlet and rearward of the cyclone, the pre-motor filter having a length between the upper end of the cyclonic stage and the lower end of the cyclonic stage in a direction transverse to the cyclone axis that is larger than a length of the cyclone air outlet in the direction transverse to the cyclone axis; and,

(f) a cleaner body including the suction motor, the suction motor is positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the pre-motor filter, the suction motor having a motor axis and a downstream end, the cyclonic stage is provided forward of the suction motor,

wherein the pre-motor filter has an outer perimeter defining a volume and the cyclone axis and the motor axis each extend through the volume, and

wherein the cyclone axis is generally parallel to the motor axis, and

wherein when the openable end is opened, the openable end has an opening, the opening has a length between the upper end of the cyclonic stage and the lower end of the cyclonic stage in a direction transverse to the cyclone axis, and the length of the pre-motor filter is generally equal to the length of the opening, and

wherein the cyclonic stage together with the securing member is removably mountable to the cleaner body by a hand manipulatable mechanical fastener whereby the cyclonic stage is removable from the cleaner body with the openable end in the closed position, and

wherein, when the first cyclonic stage is removed, the pre-motor filter is accessible for removal.

8. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 , wherein, when the openable end is in an open position, the openable end opens a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection chamber.

9. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 , wherein the motor axis and the cyclone axis are co-axial.

10. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 , further comprising a post-motor filter positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the suction motor, the post-motor filter has an outer perimeter defining a volume and the cyclone axis and the motor axis each extend through a central portion of the volume of the post-motor filter.

11. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 10 , wherein the post-motor filter has a diameter that is different to the pre-motor filter diameter.

12. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 11 , wherein the diameter of the post-motor filter is smaller than a diameter of the rear end of the first cyclonic stage.

13. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 , wherein the suction motor has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the pre-motor filter.

14. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 , further comprising a post-motor filter positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the suction motor, the post-motor filter has a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the rear end of the first cyclonic stage.

15. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 14 , wherein the diameter of the pre-motor filter is different to the diameter of the post motor filter.

16. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 , the openable end has a radial centre and the cyclone axis and the motor axis extend through the radial centre.

17. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 16 , wherein the motor axis and the cyclone axis are co-axial.

18. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 , wherein when the openable end is opened, the openable end of the first cyclone unit is opened and has an opening, the opening has a diameter in the direction transverse to the cyclone axis, and the rear end of the first cyclonic stage has a diameter that is generally equal to the diameter of the opening.

19. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 , further comprising a post-motor filter positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the suction motor, the post-motor filter having a radial outer perimeter which is positioned radially outwardly of a motor of the suction motor.

20. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 , further comprising a post-motor filter positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the suction motor, the post-motor filter has a curved outer perimeter that defines a volume, the volume has a radially inner central portion and the cyclone axis and the motor axis each extend through the central portion of the volume.

21. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 , wherein the suction motor has a length in the direction transverse to the cyclone axis that is smaller than the length of the pre-motor filter.