Handheld surface cleaning apparatus
AssigneeOmachron Intellectual Property Inc.
InventorWayne Ernest Conrad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hand vacuum cleaner has an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet. A cyclone chamber positioned in the air flow path has a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet. A pre-motor filter is positioned downstream of the cyclone air outlet and a suction motor is positioned in the air flow path downstream of the pre-motor filter. The pre-motor filter is vertically spaced from the cyclone axis of rotation when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, and air travels generally rearwardly from the pre-motor filter to the suction motor.
Claims13
A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end, an upper end, a lower end and first and second laterally spaced apart sides and comprising:
- (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;
- (b) a cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone chamber positioned in the air flow path and having a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation, wherein the cyclone axis of rotation extends generally in a forward/rearward direction;
- (c) a pre-motor filter positioned downstream of the cyclone air outlet;
- and,
- (d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path downstream of the pre-motor filter and upstream of the clean air outlet and having a suction motor axis of rotation,
- wherein the pre-motor filter is vertically spaced from the cyclone axis of rotation when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, and
- wherein air travels generally rearwardly from the pre-motor filter to the suction motor, and
- wherein the cyclone assembly comprises a sidewall that extends generally parallel to the cyclone axis of rotation and the pre-motor filter has an upstream surface that extends generally parallel to the sidewall of the cyclone assembly, and
- wherein the pre-motor filter has a downstream surface that is opposed to the upstream surface, and air exits the downstream surface in a generally vertical direction when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner.
A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end, an upper end, a lower end and first and second laterally spaced apart sides and comprising:
- (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;
- (b) a cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone chamber positioned in the air flow path and having a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation, wherein the cyclone axis of rotation extends generally in a forward/rearward direction;
- (c) a pre-motor filter positioned downstream of the cyclone air outlet;
- and,
- (d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path downstream of the pre-motor filter and upstream of the clean air outlet and having a suction motor axis of rotation,
- wherein the pre-motor filter is vertically spaced from the cyclone axis of rotation when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, and
- wherein air travels generally rearwardly from the pre-motor filter to the suction motor, and
- wherein the pre-motor filter comprises a generally cylindrical filter having a hollow interior wherein the suction motor has an inlet end that faces towards the hollow interior, and
- wherein the generally cylindrical filter has an outer upstream surface and an inner downstream surface defining the hollow interior and the suction motor axis of rotation intersects the hollow interior.
A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end, an upper end, a lower end and first and second laterally spaced apart sides and comprising:
- (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;
- (b) a cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone chamber positioned in the air flow path and having a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation, wherein the cyclone axis of rotation extends generally in a forward/rearward direction;
- (c) a pre-motor filter positioned downstream of the cyclone air outlet;
- (d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path downstream of the pre-motor filter and upstream of the clean air outlet and having a suction motor axis of rotation;
- and,
- (e) a handle having a hand grip portion that extends upwardly and forwardly when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner
- wherein the pre-motor filter is vertically spaced from the cyclone axis of rotation when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, and
- wherein air travels generally rearwardly from the pre-motor filter to the suction motor, and
- wherein the suction motor is positioned rearward of the cyclone chamber, and
- wherein the suction motor is located at an upper end of the hand grip portion.
A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end, an upper end, a lower end and first and second laterally spaced apart sides and comprising:
- (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;
- (b) a cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone chamber positioned in the air flow path and having a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a cyclone axis of rotation, wherein the cyclone axis of rotation extends generally in a forward/rearward direction;
- (c) a generally cylindrical pre-motor filter positioned downstream of the cyclone air outlet and having a hollow interior;
- and,
- (d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path downstream of the pre-motor filter and upstream of the clean air outlet and having a suction motor axis of rotation that is generally parallel to the cyclone axis of rotation, wherein the suction motor has an inlet end that faces towards the hollow interior,
- wherein the generally cylindrical filter has an outer upstream surface and an inner downstream surface defining the hollow interior and the suction motor axis of rotation intersects the hollow interior.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.