Cyclonic separation apparatus

A vacuum cleaner comprising a motor coupled to a fan for generating air flow, and a cyclonic separation apparatus, the cyclonic separation apparatus comprising:

• a first cyclonic separating unit comprising a hollow substantially cylindrical dirt container with a longitudinal central axis and an air inlet port arranged tangentially through a side of the dirt container;
• a second cyclonic separating unit comprising at least one cyclone with an axial inlet port, an axial outlet port and a discharge nozzle and;
• a substantially cylindrical intermediate wall arranged within the dirt container, wherein the intermediate wall surrounds the inlet port of the at least one cyclone;
• wherein the second cyclonic separating unit is located within the dirt container, wherein the second cyclonic separating unit receives air flow downstream from the first cyclonic separating unit, and wherein the first and second cyclonic separating units are arranged to deposit material separated from air flow at the longitudinal end of the dirt container;
• wherein the cyclonic separation apparatus comprises at least one protruding lip arranged to impede return of separated material from said longitudinal end of the dirt container and wherein the at least one lip protrudes radially inwardly from an inner surface of the dirt container or protrudes radially outwardly from the intermediate wall;
• and
• wherein the cyclonic separation apparatus is located in a path of the air flow generated by the fan wherein the at least one cyclone comprises a generally circular array of cyclones arranged about the central axis and wherein the motor is nested in the circular array of cyclones.