Vacuum cleaner with filter cleaning means

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a housing comprising a dust container having an inlet for dust laden air;

a filter unit comprising a flexible filter body;

a motor fan unit for generating a flow of air through the inlet, and through the filter unit; and

dust removing means configured to agitate the flexible filter body in response to a force applied to the dust removing means,

wherein the dust removing means comprises:

a rod connected to a portion of the filter unit, the rod being retractable in a direction away from the filter unit to thereby collapse the filter unit upon retraction of the rod, and

an elastic element that exerts the force to agitate the flexible filter body, the force acting on the rod to expand the flexible filter body.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the dust removing means is configured to be manually operated.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the filter unit comprises an attachment member for attaching the filter unit to at least one of the housing and the dust container.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3 , wherein the attachment member supports the dust removing means.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3 , wherein the filter unit and the dust removing means form an integrated and exchangeable filter assembly.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3 , wherein the attachment member comprises an annular member that is molded together with an open end of the flexible filter body.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the flexible filter body is generally tubelike and has a closed end and an open end opposite the closed end.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the flexible filter body has a surface facing the interior of the dust container that is configured to prevent hair and fibers from adhering to said surface.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , further comprises a coarse pre-filter body at least partially encompassing the flexible filter body, wherein the coarse pre-filter body comprises part of the filter unit.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9 , wherein the coarse pre-filter body has a baglike shape having an open end, and wherein the flexible filter body is arranged inside the coarse pre-filter body such that an open end of the flexible filter body is located at the open end of the coarse pre-filter body.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9 , wherein the coarse pre-filter body has a first opening generally adjacent an open end of the flexible filter body, and a second opening opposite the first opening, the second opening being adapted to pass dust that has been removed from the filter body by means of the dust removing means.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11 , further comprising a flexible sealing member attached to a bottom portion of the flexible filter body and adapted to close the second opening of the coarse pre-filter body during vacuum cleaning operation.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the flexible sealing member is also adapted to clean an interior surface of the flexible filter body.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the rod is adapted to tilt side to side.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising means for swirling the flow of air through the inlet around the filter unit.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the housing, the dust container and the filter unit comprises at least one air flow guiding vane for swirling the flow of air through the inlet around the filter unit.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the dust container and the filter unit comprises a dust-trapping rib.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the dust removing means is configured to collapse and expand the flexible filter body in response to a force applied to the dust removing means.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises a hand held vacuum cleaner.