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US 12,251,716 B2Granted
Surface cleaning apparatus
AssigneeOmachron Intellectual Property Inc.
InventorWayne Ernest Conrad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hand vacuum cleaner has a cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone and a dirt collection chamber. The cyclone assembly has a cyclone assembly axis extending centrally between a front end of the cyclone assembly and a rear end of the cyclone assembly. The cyclone has a horizontally extending cyclone axis and the dirt collection chamber has a lower end which is at a lower elevation than a lower end of the cyclone chamber. A line that extends in a common direction with the cyclone assembly axis intersects the dirt collection chamber at an elevation below the cyclone chamber, a pre-motor filter and a handle of the hand vacuum cleaner.
Claims19
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.
6 more elements
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,
- 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, 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 line that extends in a common direction with the cyclone assembly axis and that is below the cyclone chamber intersects the dirt collection chamber and the pre-motor filter, and
- wherein a pivot is provided at a rear end of the cyclone chamber whereby a rearward portion of the cyclone assembly is pivotally openable.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.