Surface cleaning apparatus

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a body comprising floor support members operable to enable the body to be moved across a floor, the body having an air flow path extending downstream from a dirty air inlet provided in the body;

(b) an air treatment assembly provided in the air flow path and comprising a carry handle, the carry handle having a hand grip portion, the air treatment assembly is moveable from a cleaning position, in which the air treatment assembly is provided in the body, to a removal position, in which the air treatment assembly is solely supported by the body; and,

(c) a suction motor provided in the body and having a suction motor air inlet and a suction motor axis;

wherein, when the air treatment assembly is moved to the removal position, the hand grip portion is positioned spaced from a portion of the upper surface of the body that is adjacent to the handle when the air treatment assembly is in the cleaning position, in the absence of any reconfiguration of the carry handle by a user.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the air treatment assembly is rotatably moveable from the cleaning position to the removal position.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein the air treatment assembly is pivotally moveable from the cleaning position to the removal position.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air treatment assembly has an outward end and an opposed inward end wherein, when the air treatment assembly is in the cleaning position, the inward end is spaced further from an outer perimeter of the body than the outward end, and the inward end moves upwardly to a location above the outward end as the air treatment assembly is moved to the removal position.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 4 wherein the inward end of the air treatment assembly comprises an openable end of the air treatment assembly and the carry handle is provided on the openable end.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air treatment assembly is moveable vertically from the cleaning position to the removal position.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the hand grip portion is spaced from the air treatment assembly when the air treatment assembly is in removal position.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein the air treatment assembly has an outward end and an opposed inward end wherein, when the air treatment assembly is in the cleaning position, the inward end is spaced further from an outer perimeter of the body than the outward end, and the carry handle is provided on the inward end of the air treatment assembly.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a platform moveably mounted to the body between the cleaning position and the removal position and the air treatment assembly is removably mounted to the platform.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the air treatment assembly is vertically removable from the platform when the platform is in the removal position.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an air treatment assembly lock actuatable by a foot operable lock release actuator, the air treatment assembly lock is moveable between a locked position in which the air treatment assembly is secured to the body and an unlocked position in which the air treatment assembly is removeable.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein when the air treatment assembly is in the cleaning position the air treatment assembly has a longest dimension that extends generally horizontally and, when the air treatment assembly is in the removal position, the longest dimension of the air treatment assembly extends generally vertically.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein when the air treatment assembly is in the cleaning position the hand grip portion is inaccessible by a user and, when the air treatment assembly is in the removal position the hand grip portion is accessible by a user.

14. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a body having a fixed configuration and comprising floor support members operable to enable the body to be moved across a floor, the body having an air flow path extending downstream from a dirty air inlet provided in the body;

(b) an air treatment assembly provided in the air flow path, the air treatment assembly is moveable from a cleaning position to a removal position in which the air treatment assembly is supported by the body; and,

(c) a suction motor having a suction motor air inlet and a suction motor axis;

wherein the air treatment assembly has an outward end and an opposed inward end when the air treatment assembly is in the cleaning position, the inward end is spaced further from an outer perimeter of the body than the outward end, the inward end of the air treatment assembly comprises a carry handle that extends horizontally away from the inward end of the air treatment assembly when the air treatment assembly is in the cleaning position.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 14 wherein the carry handle is mounted in a fixed position to the air treatment assembly.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 14 wherein when the air treatment assembly is in the cleaning position the air treatment assembly has a longest dimension that extends generally horizontally and, when the air treatment assembly is in the removal position, the longest dimension of the air treatment assembly extends generally vertically.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 14 wherein when the air treatment assembly is in the cleaning position the hand grip portion is inaccessible by a user and, when the air treatment assembly is in the removal position the hand grip portion is accessible by a user.

18. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a body comprising floor support members operable to enable the body to be moved across a floor, the body having an air flow path extending downstream from a dirty air inlet provided in the body;

(b) an air treatment assembly provided in the air flow path, the air treatment assembly is moveable from a cleaning position to removal position; and,

(c) a suction motor having a suction motor air inlet and a suction motor axis;

wherein the air treatment assembly comprises at least one carry handle and a lower portion of the carry handle is recessed below an upper surface of the body when the air treatment assembly is in the cleaning position, wherein the air treatment assembly is moveable from the cleaning position to the air treatment assembly removal position while the handle remains in a fixed orientation with respect to the air treatment assembly.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 18 wherein an upper portion of the carry handle is flush with the upper surface of the body when the air treatment assembly is in the cleaning position.

20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 18 wherein when the air treatment assembly is in the cleaning position the air treatment assembly has a longest dimension that extends generally horizontally and, when the air treatment assembly is in the removal position, the longest dimension of the air treatment assembly extends generally vertically.