CPC A47L 5/225 (2013.01) [A47L 5/24 (2013.01); A47L 5/36 (2013.01); A47L 9/1625 (2013.01); A47L 9/1641 (2013.01); A47L 9/1666 (2013.01); A47L 9/1683 (2013.01); A47L 9/327 (2013.01)] | 21 Claims |
1. A hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
(a) a front end and a rear end;
(b) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet of the hand vacuum cleaner to a clean air outlet of the hand vacuum cleaner;
(c) a cyclone unit positioned in the air flow passage upstream from a suction motor and comprising a first cyclonic stage comprising a securing member and an openable front wall provided at the front end of the first cyclonic stage, wherein the securing member releasably secures the openable front wall in a closed position;
(d) the first cyclonic stage comprising a front end, a rear end and a cyclone, the cyclone comprising a cyclone sidewall, a cyclone air inlet, a first stage cyclone air outlet comprising a screen and a cyclone axis extending in an axial direction between the front end and the rear end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the first stage cyclone air outlet having a direction of flow;
(e) a pre-motor filter positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the first stage cyclone air outlet and rearward of the cyclone, the pre-motor filter having a diameter in a direction transverse to the cyclone axis that is larger than a diameter of the cyclone air outlet in the direction transverse to the cyclone axis;
(f) a cleaner body including the suction motor, the suction motor is positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the pre-motor filter, the suction motor having a motor axis and a downstream end, the first cyclonic stage is provided forward of the suction motor; and,
(g) a handle provided on the cleaner body,
wherein the pre-motor filter has an outer perimeter defining a volume and the cyclone axis and the motor axis each extend through a central portion of the volume, and
wherein the cyclone axis is generally parallel to the motor axis, and
wherein when the openable front wall is opened, the front end of the first cyclonic stage is opened and has an opening, the opening has a diameter in the direction transverse to the cyclone axis, and the rear end of the first cyclonic stage has a diameter that is generally equal to the diameter of the opening, and
wherein the cyclone unit has first engagement members and the cleaner body has second engagement members that are removably interengageable with the first engagement members, wherein the first cyclonic stage is removable from the cleaner body when the first and second engagement members are disengaged and
wherein a portion of the cyclone unit that has the securing member is removable from the cleaner body whereby the first cyclonic stage is removable from the cleaner body with the openable front wall in the closed position, and
wherein, when the first cyclonic stage is removed, the pre-motor filter is accessible for removal.
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