Handheld cleaning appliance

A handheld cleaning appliance comprising a dirty air inlet, a clean air outlet and separating apparatus for separating dirt and dust from an airflow in an airflow path leading from the air inlet to the air outlet,

• the separating apparatus comprising a cyclonic separator having at least one cyclone and a collector having a wall and a base member, the base member being held in a closed position by a catch and being pivotably connected to the wall, the appliance further including a main body housing a motor and fan unit for generating an airflow path from the dirty air inlet to the clean air outlet through the cyclonic separator, and a battery for powering the motor and fan unit, the main body further including an actuator for operating the catch,
• wherein the actuator comprises a rod which is slidably mounted in a part of the main body adjacent the cyclonic separator so as to be movable between an inoperative position and an actuating position in which the rod contacts part of the catch so as to allow the collector to be opened for emptying purposes.