# US 11,304,578 B2 · Cyclonic air treatment member and surface cleaning apparatus including the same

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- Number: US 11,304,578 B2
- Document ID: US11304578B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/150,852
- Filed: 2021-01-15
- Published: 2021-05-06
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-13
- Assignees: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
- Applicants: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
- Inventors: Wayne Ernest Conrad
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11304578B2

## CPC

- A47L 9/1608: {Cyclonic chamber constructions}
- A47L 5/24: Hand-supported suction cleaners
- A47L 5/28: Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle (A47L5/24 takes precedence)
- A47L 9/106: {Dust removal}
- A47L 9/12: Dry filters
- A47L 9/125: {funnel-shaped}
- A47L 9/1641: {for parallel flow}
- A47L 9/165: {Construction of inlets}
- A47L 9/1658: {Construction of outlets}
- A47L 9/1666: {with filtering means}
- A47L 9/1683: {Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles}
- A47L 9/22: Mountings for motor fan assemblies
- A47L 9/2884: {Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation}
- A47L 9/322: {for hand-supported suction cleaners}
- B01D 45/16: generated by the winding course of the gas stream {, the centrifugal forces being generated solely or partly by mechanical means, e.g. fixed swirl vanes}
- B01D 46/2403: {characterised by the physical shape or structure of the filtering element}
- B01D 50/20: Combinations of devices covered by groups B01D45/00 and B01D46/00
- B04C 3/06: Construction of inlets or outlets to the vortex chamber
- B04C 5/185: Dust collectors
- B04C 5/26: for series flow
- B04C 9/00: Combinations with other devices, e.g. fans, {expansion chambers, diffusors, water locks}(with filters B01D50/00)
- B01D 2273/30: Means for generating a circulation of a fluid in a filtration system, e.g. using a pump or a fan
- B01D 2275/201: Conical shape
- B01D 2279/55: for cleaning appliances, e.g. suction cleaners
- B04C 2009/002: {with external filters}
- B04C 2009/005: {with external rotors, e.g. impeller, ventilator, fan, blower, pump}
- B04C 2009/008: {with injection or suction of gas or liquid into the cyclone}
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- B04C: APPARATUS USING FREE VORTEX FLOW, e.g. CYCLONES ({centrifugal separation of water from steam B01D45/12;} jet mills B02C19/06; {wind sifters B07B7/00;} cyclonic type combustion apparatus F23; {vortex burners for cyclone-type combustion apparatus F23D1/02; cyclonic type combustion apparatus for gas turbines F23R3/00})

## Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus comprising an upstream air treatment stage and a downstream air treatment stage, which is positioned rearward of the upstream air treatment member. The upstream air treatment stage comprises an openable portion which is moveable between a closed position and an open position by a mount that is provided on the downstream air treatment stage.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end having a dirty air inlet, a rear end, an upper end and a lower end, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
(a) an upstream air treatment stage comprising an upstream air treatment chamber, the upstream air treatment chamber comprising an air outlet at a rear end of the upstream air treatment chamber; and,
(b) a downstream air treatment stage comprising a downstream air treatment chamber,
wherein the downstream air treatment chamber is positioned rearward of the air outlet of the upstream air treatment chamber and,
wherein the upstream air treatment stage comprises an openable portion which is moveable between a closed position and an open position by a mount that is provided on the downstream air treatment stage wherein the downstream air treatment chamber is moveable concurrently with the openable portion when the openable portion is opened.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the mount is provided at the rear end of the downstream air treatment stage.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the mount comprises a first portion is provided at the rear end of the downstream air treatment stage and a second portion that is provided on a pre-motor filter housing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the downstream air treatment chamber is part of the openable portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a pre-motor filter housing positioned rearward of the downstream air treatment stage, the pre-motor filter housing having an air inlet and the air inlet of the pre-motor filter housing is opened when the openable portion is moved to the open position.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the downstream air treatment stage comprises a dirt collection region positioned underneath the upstream air treatment stage.

### Claim 7

A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end having a dirty air inlet, a rear end, an upper end and a lower end, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
(a) an upstream air treatment stage comprising a front end, a rear end, an upstream air treatment chamber, a first longitudinal axis extending between the front and rear ends of the upstream air treatment stage and an air outlet;
(b) a downstream air treatment stage that is downstream of the air outlet of the upstream air treatment stage, the downstream air treatment stage comprising a front end, a rear end, a downstream air treatment chamber and a second longitudinal axis extending between the front and rear ends of the downstream air treatment stage; and,
(c) a pre-motor filter housing positioned rearward of the downstream air treatment stage, the pre-motor filter housing comprising an air inlet and the air inlet of the pre-motor filter housing is opened when the openable portion is moved to the open position; and,
(d) where in the upstream air treatment stage has an openable portion that is moveable to an open position by a mount comprising a first portion that is provided on the openable portion and a second portion that is provided on a pre-motor filter housing,
wherein dirt collected in each of the upstream air treatment stage and the downstream air treatment stage is emptyable when the openable portion is moved to the open position.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 wherein the first portion of the mount is provided at the rear end of the downstream air treatment stage.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 wherein the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis each extend through a volume defined by a pre-motor filter positionable in the pre-motor filter housing.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 wherein the downstream air treatment chamber is moveable with the openable portion.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 wherein the downstream air treatment chamber is part of the openable portion.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 wherein the downstream air treatment stage comprises a dirt collection region positioned underneath the upstream air treatment stage.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 wherein the upstream air treatment stage, the downstream air treatment stage and the pre-motor filter housing define a cylindrical section of the hand vacuum cleaner.

### Claim 14

A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end having a dirty air inlet, a rear end, a longitudinal axis extending between the front and rear ends, a first lateral side on a first side of the longitudinal axis, a second lateral side on a second side of the longitudinal axis, an upper end and a lower end, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
(a) an upstream air treatment stage comprising a front end, a rear end, an upstream air treatment chamber, an air outlet positioned at a rear end of the upstream air treatment chamber and an upstream dirt collection chamber that is exterior to the upstream air treatment chamber; and,
(b) a downstream air treatment stage that is downstream of the air outlet of the upstream air treatment stage, the downstream air treatment stage comprising a front end, a rear end, a downstream air treatment chamber, an air treatment chamber air inlet positioned rearward of the air outlet of the upstream air treatment chamber, a second longitudinal axis extending between the front and rear ends of the downstream air treatment stage and a downstream dirt collection chamber that is exterior to the downstream air treatment chamber,
wherein, when the longitudinal axis extends horizontally with the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the upstream dirt collection chamber comprises a portion that directly underlies the upstream air treatment chamber and is on the first lateral side, the downstream dirt collection chamber comprises a portion that directly underlies the upstream air treatment chamber and is on the second lateral side whereby the portions are positioned side by side.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 14 wherein the downstream air treatment chamber is positioned rearward of the upstream air treatment chamber.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 14 wherein the portions have a common wall that extends in a direction of the longitudinal axis.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 14 wherein the upstream air treatment stage comprises an openable portion which is moveable between a closed position and an open position and each of the upstream dirt collection chamber and the downstream dirt collection chamber is opened when the openable portion is moved to the open position.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 17 further comprising a mount, the mount comprising a first portion that is provided on the openable portion and a second portion that is provided on the hand vacuum cleaner rearward of the first portion.