Granted Patent B2

US 12,722,884 · App. 18/109,707 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Inventor: Wayne Ernest Conrad (Hampton, CA)

Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.

B65F1/14A47L5/24A47L9/106A47L9/12A47L9/16A47L9/1683A47L9/2873B65F1/105B65F1/1607A47L2201/024B65F2210/129

Abstract

Claims (18)

1 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;

(b) an air treatment member positioned in the air flow path, the air treatment member comprising an air treatment member air inlet, an air treatment member air outlet, a chamber and a dirt collection region, the dirt collection region having an openable door and an opening that is closed by the openable door; and,

(c) a suction motor provided in the air flow path downstream of the chamber,

wherein, during an emptying mode of operation, the openable door is opened whereby dirt collected in the dirt collection region is emptiable by gravity, and

wherein, during a cleaning mode of operation, air enters the chamber through the air treatment member air inlet, travels in a first pattern through the chamber and is exhausted to ambient by the suction motor and, during the emptying mode of operation, air enters the chamber other than through the air treatment member air outlet, travels in a second pattern through the chamber and is also exhausted to the ambient by the suction motor wherein the second pattern differs to the first pattern.

2 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt collection region is exposed to sub-atmospheric pressure when the openable door is opened.

3 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the cleaning mode of operation, air exits the air treatment member through the air treatment member air outlet, which is located on one wall of the air treatment member and, during the emptying mode of operation, air exits the air treatment member through another wall of the air treatment member.

4 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a valve which moves from a first position when the surface cleaning apparatus is used in the cleaning mode of operation and a second position during the emptying mode of operation.

5 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the openable door is opposed to and faces the air treatment member air outlet.

6 . A system comprising the surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 and a collection apparatus for receiving dirt from the dirt collection region of the surface cleaning apparatus wherein, when the dirt collection region of the surface cleaning apparatus is docked with the collection apparatus and the system is in the emptying mode of operation, the suction motor produces a flow of air as dirt travels from the dirt collection region of the surface cleaning apparatus to an air treatment member of the collection apparatus.

7 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;

(b) an air treatment member positioned in the air flow path, the air treatment member comprising an air treatment member air inlet, an air treatment member air outlet, a chamber and a dirt collection region, the dirt collection region having an openable door; and,

(c) a suction motor provided in the air flow path downstream of the chamber,

wherein during a cleaning mode of operation, air exits the air treatment member through the air treatment member air outlet, which is located on one wall of the air treatment member, and is exhausted to ambient by the suction motor and, during an emptying mode of operation, air enters and exits the air treatment member through one or more other walls of the air treatment member, and is also exhausted to the ambient by the suction motor, and

wherein, during the emptying mode of operation, the openable door is opened whereby dirt collected in the dirt collection region is emptiable by gravity.

8 . The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a valve which moves from a first position when the surface cleaning apparatus is used in the cleaning mode of operation and a second position during the emptying mode of operation.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (400)