PORTABLE SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS
A hand vacuum cleaner has a cyclonic stage comprising a cyclonic stage front end, a cyclonic stage rear end, a cyclonic stage sidewall, a cyclone, the cyclonic stage front end having an openable door, the cyclone comprising a cyclone front end, a cyclone rear end, a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation which intersects the cyclone front end and the cyclone rear end, the cyclone air outlet comprising an assembly which includes a filter screen. The assembly is removeable through the cyclonic stage front end when the openable door is in an open position.
1 . A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end and a rear end that is positioned rearward of the front end is a rearward direction, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
(a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet provided at a front end of the hand vacuum cleaner to a clear air outlet;
(b) a first cyclonic stage comprising a first cyclonic stage front end, a first cyclonic stage rear end, a first cyclonic stage sidewall, a cyclone, the first cyclonic stage front end having an openable door, the cyclone comprising a cyclone front end, a cyclone rear end, a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation which intersects the cyclone front end and the cyclone rear end, the cyclone air outlet comprising an assembly which includes a filter screen,
(c) a housing that houses a suction motor that is positioned in the air flow passage, the suction motor having a suction motor axis of rotation; and,
wherein the assembly is removeable through the first cyclonic stage front end when the openable door is in an open position.
2 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the first cyclonic stage further comprises a dirt collection region that is exterior to the cyclone.
3 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 2 wherein the first dirt collection region is positioned forward of the cyclone.
4 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the suction motor axis of rotation intersects the first cyclonic stage front end and the first cyclonic stage rear end.
5 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein a handle is provided on a sidewall of the housing.
6 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 5 wherein the suction motor axis of rotation and the cyclone axis of rotation are spaced from the handle in a plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation.
7 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the first cyclonic stage sidewall is removable from the housing.
8 . A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end and a rear end that is positioned rearward of the front end is a rearward direction, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
(a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet provided at a front end of the hand vacuum cleaner to a clear air outlet;
(b) a first cyclonic stage comprising a first end, a second end, a first cyclonic stage sidewall, a cyclone, the first end having an openable wall, the cyclone comprising a cyclone front end, a cyclone rear end, a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation which intersects the first end and the second end, the cyclone air outlet comprising an assembly which includes a filter screen,
(c) a housing that houses a suction motor that is positioned in the air flow passage, the suction motor having a suction motor axis of rotation; and,
wherein the assembly is axially removable from the cyclone through an opening, which opening is provided when the openable wall is opened.
9 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 8 wherein the first cyclonic stage further comprises a dirt collection region that is exterior to the cyclone.
10 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 9 wherein the first dirt collection region is spaced from the cyclone in a plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation.
11 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 10 wherein the suction motor axis of rotation intersects the first cyclonic stage front end and the first cyclonic stage rear end.
12 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 8 wherein a handle is provided on a sidewall of the housing.
13 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 12 wherein the suction motor axis of rotation and the cyclone axis of rotation are spaced from the handle in a plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation.
14 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 13 wherein further comprising, in operation, a pre-motor filter is provided and the pre-motor filter is accessible when the first cyclonic stage is removed from the housing.
15 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 14 wherein the cyclone axis of rotation and the motor axis of rotation extend through a volume that is positioned radially inward of a perimeter of the pre-motor filter.
16 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 8 wherein the first cyclonic stage sidewall is removable from the housing.
17 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 8 wherein the suction motor axis of rotation and the cyclone axis of rotation are spaced from the handle in a plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis of rotation.
18 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 17 wherein further comprising, in operation, a pre-motor filter is provided and the pre-motor filter is accessible when the first cyclonic stage is removed from the housing.
19 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 18 wherein the cyclone axis of rotation and the motor axis of rotation extend through a volume that is positioned radially inward of a perimeter of the pre-motor filter.
20 . The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 8 wherein further comprising a second cyclonic stage downstream from the first cyclonic stage.