| CPC A47L 5/24 (2013.01) [A47L 9/00 (2013.01); A47L 9/106 (2013.01); A47L 9/1691 (2013.01)] | 18 Claims |
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1. A hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
(a) a front end and a rear end;
(b) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet of the hand vacuum cleaner to a clean air outlet of the hand vacuum cleaner;
(c) a cyclone unit positioned in the air flow passage upstream from a suction motor and comprising a front unit end, a rear unit end comprising a rear wall, a cyclone unit air inlet, a cyclone unit air outlet, a central axis extending in an axial direction between the front end and the rear end of the hand vacuum cleaner, and a first cyclonic stage and a dirt collection chamber, the cyclone unit having an openable end which opens the first cyclonic stage and the dirt collection chamber, the cyclone unit air outlet having a direction of flow;
(d) the first cyclonic stage comprising a front end, a rear end, and a cyclone comprising a first stage cyclone air inlet, a first stage cyclone air outlet, a cyclone sidewall surrounding a cyclone chamber, and a cyclone axis of rotation extending in the axial direction, wherein the dirt collection chamber is a distinct chamber from the cyclone chamber;
(e) a foam pre-motor filter which, in use, is positioned in a pre-motor filter housing and is positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the first stage cyclone air outlet, the foam pre-motor filter having an area in a direction transverse to the cyclone axis that is larger than an area of the cyclone unit air outlet in the direction transverse to the cyclone axis, the pre-motor filter housing comprising a first portion and a second portion;
(f) a cleaner body including the suction motor, the suction motor is positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the foam pre-motor filter, the suction motor having a motor axis and a downstream end;
(g) a post-motor filter positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the suction motor; and,
(h) a handle,
wherein the pre-motor filter housing has an outer perimeter defining a housing volume and the central axis, the cyclone axis and the motor axis each extend through a central portion of the housing volume, and
wherein the cyclone axis is generally parallel to the motor axis, and
wherein the first cyclonic stage has a first cross-sectional area in a first plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis and is located midway between the front and rear ends of the first cyclonic stage, the first cyclonic stage has a second cross-sectional area in a second plane that is transverse to the cyclone axis and is located at the openable end and the second cross-sectional area is generally equal to the first cross-sectional area of the first cyclonic stage, and
wherein the first cyclonic stage is removable from the cleaner body with the openable end in a closed position and when the first cyclonic stage is removed from the cleaner body, the first portion of the pre-motor filter housing is removed from the second portion of the pre-motor filter housing whereby the pre-motor filter housing is opened, and
wherein, when the first cyclonic stage is removed, the foam pre-motor filter remains in position in the first portion of the pre-motor filter housing and is accessible for removal, and
wherein the cyclone unit air outlet comprises a port in the rear wall of the cyclone unit and, in operation to clean a surface, the pre-motor filter is positioned rearward of the rear wall.
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