US 12,251,716 B2
Surface cleaning apparatus
Wayne Ernest Conrad, Hampton (CA)
Assigned to Omachron Intellectual Property Inc., Hampton (CA)
Filed by Omachron Intellectual Property Inc., Hampton (CA)
Filed on May 17, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/667,610.
Application 18/667,610 is a continuation of application No. 18/225,641, filed on Jul. 24, 2023, granted, now 12,023,690.
Application 18/225,641 is a continuation of application No. 18/298,951, filed on Apr. 11, 2023, granted, now 11,938,491, issued on Mar. 26, 2024.
Application 18/298,951 is a continuation of application No. 17/719,832, filed on Apr. 13, 2022, granted, now 11,673,148, issued on Jun. 13, 2023.
Application 17/719,832 is a continuation of application No. 16/911,882, filed on Jun. 25, 2020, granted, now 11,331,680, issued on May 17, 2022.
Application 16/911,882 is a continuation of application No. 16/717,495, filed on Dec. 17, 2019, granted, now 11,285,495, issued on Mar. 29, 2022.
Application 16/717,495 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/106,443, filed on Aug. 21, 2018, granted, now 10,827,891, issued on Nov. 10, 2020.
Application 16/106,443 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/391,128, filed on Dec. 27, 2016, granted, now 10,258,210, issued on Apr. 16, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0299956 A1, Sep. 12, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B04C 5/04 (2006.01); A47L 5/24 (2006.01); A47L 9/16 (2006.01); B04C 5/26 (2006.01); B04C 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC B04C 5/04 (2013.01) [A47L 5/24 (2013.01); A47L 9/1608 (2013.01); A47L 9/1625 (2013.01); A47L 9/165 (2013.01); A47L 9/1666 (2013.01); B04C 5/26 (2013.01); B04C 9/00 (2013.01); B04C 2009/004 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end, an upper end and a lower end, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet provided at a front end of the hand vacuum cleaner to a clean air outlet provided rearward of the dirty air inlet;
(b) a cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone, a dirt collection chamber external to the cyclone and a cyclone assembly axis extending centrally between a front end of the cyclone assembly and a rear end of the cyclone assembly, the cyclone comprising a cyclone chamber, a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a dirt outlet, wherein when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner the cyclone assembly axis of rotation is oriented horizontal;
(c) a pre-motor filter positioned rearward of the cyclone chamber;
(d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path downstream of the pre-motor filter, the suction motor having an inlet end that is located at a rear side of the pre-motor filter, the suction motor having a motor axis of rotation; and,
(e) a housing positioned rearward of the cyclone assembly wherein a handle extends downwardly from a lower surface of the housing and, when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the housing has a rearward facing wall which remains in position when the cyclone assembly is opened,
wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the cyclone axis extending horizontally and the handle is at the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the dirt collection chamber has a lower end which is at a lower elevation than a lower end of the cyclone chamber and the pre-motor filter has a lower end, and
wherein an interrupted open volume is positioned between the rearward facing wall and an upper end of the handle, and
wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the cyclone axis extending horizontally and the handle is at the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, a first line that extends in a common direction with the cyclone assembly axis and that is below the cyclone chamber intersects the dirt collection chamber, the pre-motor filter, the rearward facing wall and the handle.