Hand carryable surface cleaning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9980616-B2
Application number	US-201615144061-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2016
Priority date	Jan 8, 2016
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A hand vacuum cleaner wherein the central longitudinal axis of the air treatment member extends generally horizontally and the suction motor axis of rotation extends generally vertically.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hand vacuum cleaner having an upper end and a lower end, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
(a) a suction motor and fan assembly having a suction motor axis of rotation, a suction motor air inlet end and an opposed end of the suction motor spaced from the suction motor air inlet end along the suction motor axis of rotation;
(b) an air treatment member having a front end and a rear end and a central longitudinal axis extending between the front and rear ends; and
(c) an inlet conduit having an inlet conduit axis;
wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the upper end above the lower end, the central longitudinal axis extends generally horizontally, the inlet conduit axis is above the central longitudinal axis, the suction motor air inlet end is below the opposed end of the suction motor, and the suction motor axis of rotation is oriented vertically ±20°.

2. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the upper end above the lower end, the suction motor axis of rotation is oriented vertically ±5°.

3. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the inlet conduit axis is generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis.

4. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 3 wherein the inlet conduit axis is positioned above the air treatment member when the central longitudinal axis extends generally horizontally.

5. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone and the central longitudinal axis is a cyclone axis.

6. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 5 wherein the inlet conduit axis is generally parallel to the cyclone axis.

7. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a handle having a hand grip portion wherein the hand grip portion extends upwardly and forwardly when the central longitudinal axis extends generally horizontally.

8. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a pre-motor filter wherein the suction motor is positioned forward of the pre-motor filter.

9. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein a lower end of the suction motor is positioned below an upper wall of the air treatment member when the central longitudinal axis extends generally horizontally.

10. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 9 further comprising a pre-motor filter wherein the suction motor is positioned above the pre-motor filter when the central longitudinal axis extends generally horizontally.

11. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a pre-motor filter wherein the suction motor is positioned above the pre-motor filter when the central longitudinal axis extends generally horizontally.

12. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 11 wherein the pre-motor filter is positioned in a pre-motor filter chamber and the suction motor axis of rotation extends through the pre-motor filter chamber.

13. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 11 further comprising a handle having a hand grip portion wherein the hand grip portion extends upwardly and forwardly when the central longitudinal axis extends generally horizontally, wherein the suction motor axis of rotation is positioned between the air treatment member and the hand grip portion.

14. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a pre-motor filter comprising a longitudinally extending filter media having an open interior, an outer wall, an inner wall and a filter longitudinal axis wherein the longitudinal axis extends upwardly when the central longitudinal axis extends generally horizontally.

15. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 14 wherein air exits the pre-motor filter in the direction of the filter longitudinal axis.

16. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 15 wherein air travels upwardly from the pre-motor filter to an inlet of the suction motor.

17. A hand vacuum cleaner having an upper end and a lower end, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
(a) a suction motor and fan assembly having a suction motor axis of rotation, a suction motor air inlet end and an opposed end of the suction motor spaced from the suction motor air inlet end along the suction motor axis of rotation;
(b) an air treatment member having a front end, a rear end, and a central longitudinal axis extending between the front and rear ends; and,
wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the upper end above the lower end and the central longitudinal axis extends generally horizontally, the suction motor axis of rotation is oriented vertically ±20°, and an upper end of the suction motor is positioned above an upper wall of the air treatment member.

18. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 17 further comprising an inlet conduit having an inlet conduit axis, and the inlet conduit axis is positioned above the central longitudinal axis when the central longitudinal axis extends generally horizontally.

19. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 17 wherein the suction motor overlies a portion of the air treatment member.

20. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 19 further comprising a handle that houses at least one energy storage member, wherein the handle is removably mounted to the hand vacuum cleaner.

21. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 20 wherein the handle houses the at least one energy storage member in a lower portion thereof.

22. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 17 further comprising a pre-motor filter wherein the suction motor is positioned forward of the pre-motor filter.

23. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 17 wherein the suction motor air inlet end is below the opposed end of the suction motor when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the upper end above the lower end and the central longitudinal axis extends generally horizontally.

24. A hand vacuum cleaner having an upper end and a lower end, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
(a) a suction motor and fan assembly having a suction motor axis of rotation, a suction motor air inlet end and an opposed end of the suction motor spaced from the suction motor air inlet end along the suction motor axis of rotation;
(b) a cyclone having a front end and a rear end and a central longitudinal axis extending between the front and rear ends; and,
(c) an inlet conduit having an inlet conduit axis,
wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the upper end above the lower end, the central longitudinal axis extends generally horizontally, the suction motor axis of rotation is oriented vertically ±20°, and the inlet conduit axis is positioned above the cyclone.

25. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 24 wherein the suction motor air inlet end is below the opposed end of the suction motor when the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with the upper end above the lower end and the central longitudinal axis extends generally horizontally.

Assignees

• Omachron Intellectual Property Inc

Inventors

• Brown Andre D
• Conrad Wayne
• Conrad Nina
• Cottrell Lee M
• Petersen Dave
• Thorne Jason B
• Udy Adam

Classifications

• A47L9/1641

  for parallel flow · CPC title

• A47L9/165

  Construction of inlets · CPC title

• A47L5/225

  Convertible suction cleaners, i.e. convertible between different types thereof, e.g. from upright suction cleaners to sledge-type suction cleaners · CPC title

• A47L9/2857

  User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays · CPC title

• B25F3/00

  Associations of tools for different working operations with one portable power-drive means; Adapters therefor · CPC title