A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end and a rear end positioned in a rearward direction rearward of the front end is described herein. The hand vacuum cleaner includes a dirty fluid inlet, an air treatment member downstream of the dirty fluid inlet, a pre-motor filter positioned in a pre-motor filter housing downstream from the air treatment member, a suction motor downstream of the pre-motor filter, an air flow path extending from the pre-motor filter to the suction motor, a clean air outlet downstream of the suction motor, and a handle. The pre-motor filter has a longitudinal length in the rearward direction that is longer than a transverse length in a direction transverse to the rearward direction. The pre-motor filter housing has first and second rearwardly extending pre-motor filter housing sidewalls and the pre-motor filter has first and second rearwardly extending pre-motor filter sidewalls that are positioned transversely inwardly of the pre-motor filter housing sidewalls. The pre-motor filter sidewalls are an upstream face of the pre-motor filter and the pre-motor filter has an inner cavity that is downstream of the upstream face.

A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a cyclone positioned in an air flow path having a tangential air inlet with an inlet end, an outlet end, a cross-sectional flow area in a direction of flow through the tangential air inlet, a height in a direction of the cyclone axis of rotation and a width in a direction transverse to the height of the tangential air inlet. The air flow path comprises an air flow conduit at the inlet end of the tangential inlet having a cross-sectional flow area in a direction transverse to a direction of flow through the air flow conduit. The cross-sectional flow area of the tangential air inlet is greater than the cross-sectional flow area of the air flow conduit and one of the width and height of the tangential air inlet is greater than the other of the width and height of the tangential air inlet.

A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a cyclone positioned in an air flow path having a tangential air inlet with an inlet end, an outlet end, a cross-sectional flow area in a direction of flow through the tangential air inlet, a height in a direction of the cyclone axis of rotation and a width in a direction transverse to the height of the tangential air inlet. The air flow path comprises an air flow conduit at the inlet end of the tangential inlet having a cross-sectional flow area in a direction transverse to a direction of flow through the air flow conduit. The cross-sectional flow area of the tangential air inlet is greater than the cross-sectional flow area of the air flow conduit and one of the width and height of the tangential air inlet is greater than the other of the width and height of the tangential air inlet.

A handheld vacuum cleaner includes a fluid flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, a main body, and a motor assembly positioned in the main body and along the fluid flow path. The motor defines a motor rotational axis. The handheld vacuum cleaner also includes a cyclonic chamber positioned in the fluid flow path. The cyclonic chamber defines a separator axis. The separator axis and the motor rotational axis form an obtuse angle extending between the cyclonic chamber and the motor assembly. The handheld vacuum cleaner further includes a pre-motor filter in the fluid flow path downstream from the cyclonic chamber and upstream from the motor assembly, a plenum in the fluid flow path immediately upstream from the motor assembly, and a sensor positioned on the plenum. The sensor is operable to measure a characteristic of the fluid flow path.

A handheld vacuum cleaner includes a fluid flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, a main body, and a motor assembly positioned in the main body and along the fluid flow path. The motor defines a motor rotational axis. The handheld vacuum cleaner also includes a cyclonic chamber positioned in the fluid flow path. The cyclonic chamber defines a separator axis. The separator axis and the motor rotational axis form an obtuse angle extending between the cyclonic chamber and the motor assembly. The handheld vacuum cleaner further includes a pre-motor filter in the fluid flow path downstream from the cyclonic chamber and upstream from the motor assembly, a plenum in the fluid flow path immediately upstream from the motor assembly, and a sensor positioned on the plenum. The sensor is operable to measure a characteristic of the fluid flow path.

A hand vacuum cleaner has an air treatment stage positioned below an inlet conduit. A pistol grip handle is provided at the rear end of the hand vacuum cleaner. An arm member extends from the inlet conduit linearly rearwardly to the upper end of the pistol grip handle. A housing is provided at a lower end of the pistol grip handle. All operating components of the hand vacuum cleaner are located between a lower end of the housing and the inlet conduit.

A vacuum cleaner includes a suction pipe; a waste separation device; a main housing wherein a suction device including a motor fan is housed; and a gripping handle, the main housing including a first housing portion having a first branch in which the suction pipe is housed, a second branch forming a front part of the gripping handle and a third branch partially defining a reception chamber in which the suction device is housed, and a second housing portion placed in a rear portion of the vacuum cleaner, the second housing portion having a primary branch forming a rear portion of the gripping handle and a secondary branch partially defining the receiving chamber.

A surface cleaning apparatus is described including a housing supporting a suction source, a dirt collection container, and a cyclonic separation device for separating dirt from the airflow passing through the apparatus. The apparatus further includes a ducting member having an inlet in communication with an outlet from the cyclonic separation device and an outlet in communication with a passage leading to the suction source. The ducting member is removably connected to the housing or the dirt collection container and is rotatably moveable between locked and unlocked positions, and rotational movement of the ducting member from its unlocked position to its locked position aligns the outlet of the ducting member with the passage leading to the suction source.

An earplug (10, 80) for selective attenuation of sound has a body with at least one sound path. An insert (34) is housed in the body (13), which has at least one sound passage with an acoustic filter. The acoustic filter is configured to provide a specific frequency response and thus a determined attenuation of sound passing through the earplug. Means (14) is arranged at a top surface adapted to activate or deactivate the sound path. Each acoustic filter comprises an upper acoustic port (36, 37), at least one acoustic mesh (35) and/or acoustic membrane (37, 39), an acoustic chamber (41, 44) and a lower acoustic port (42, 43). An insert (34) with an acoustic filter for selective attenuation of sound is provided for use in an earplug.

A docking station for a robotic surface cleaning apparatus has a momentum separator. The momentum separator has an upper wall, a lower wall and a first sidewall extending between the upper and lower walls. The first sidewall comprises a side screen and an end wall is spaced from and faces the side screen whereby an up flow chamber is positioned between the end wall and the side screen. The upper wall also comprises an upper screen and an upper end wall is spaced from and faces the upper screen wherein an upper air flow chamber is positioned between the upper end wall and the upper screen.