A vacuum cleaner includes a cleaner body, a suction hose mounted at a front surface of the cleaner body to suck in dust, moving wheels provided at both sides of the cleaner body, rotating to move the cleaner body and rotatably supporting the cleaner body, wheel motors connected to the moving wheels and rotating the moving wheels, a detecting unit provided in the cleaner body and sensing inclination of the cleaner body to determine whether the cleaner moves and stops, a plurality of detecting members provided at a front surface of the cleaner body and located at both sides of the suction hose to detect an obstacle, and a controller for controlling the wheel motors according to detected signals of the detecting unit and the obstacle detecting members.

A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a hand vacuum cleaner, a surface cleaning head and a rigid air flow conduit extending between the surface cleaning head and the hand vacuum cleaner. The hand vacuum cleaner comprises a main body and a removably mounted air treatment member. The air treatment member has an air inlet and the outlet end of the rigid air flow conduit is removably connectable in air flow communication with the air inlet.

A dust collector is provided, which includes a housing, a filter screen, and a spiral air director. The housing is provided with an air inlet, an air inlet channel, an air outlet channel, an air outlet, and a dust collection chamber. The dust collection chamber is in communication with the air inlet and the air outlet through the air inlet channel and the air outlet channel, respectively. The filter screen is disposed in the air outlet channel. The spiral air director is disposed in the air outlet channel and located on at least one side of an air inlet side and an air outlet side of the filter screen. Air flow flowing through the air outlet channel is directed by the spiral air director to form a swirling air flow.

Apparatus and method for receiving and holding debris in a collection chamber of a vacuum cleaner. The collection chamber has an inlet opening through which debris-entrained air enters the collection chamber. When the vacuum cleaner is off, an internal valve prevents debris from leaving the collection chamber through the inlet opening. The internal valve is movable from a first sealed position, in which the internal valve covers the chamber inlet opening, to a second unsealed position in which the internal valve does not cover the chamber inlet opening.

A cleaner includes: a main body for separating dust from air suctioned through an opening; a suction motor generating suction force; and a suction part coupled to the opening part and having a connection pipe for guiding the air to the main body. The main body includes a suction guide coupled to one side of the connection pipe including a guide duct having a rotatable flap provided thereto. The suction guide is connected to the guide duct. A suction duct includes: a first surface, where the flap is installed; and a second surface facing the first surface. A second extension line of the second surface forms a first angle with a first extension line of one surface, of the suction guide, connected to the second surface. The first extension line and a third extension line of the flap form a second angle equivalent to or smaller than the first angle.

A hand vacuum cleaner may have an air treatment member and a pre-motor filter downstream from the air treatment member. A suction motor and fan assembly may be is positioned downstream of and below the pre-motor filter, a post motor filter may be positioned downstream of the suction motor and fan assembly and in the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner. A clean air outlet may be positioned below the suction motor and fan assembly whereby air travels downwardly from the suction motor and fan assembly and through the post motor filter to the clean air outlet.

A hand vacuum cleaner may include a suction motor and fan assembly that is positioned downstream of a pre-motor filter and in an upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner. A post motor filter may be positioned downstream of the suction motor and fan assembly and may be in the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner. The clean air outlet may be positioned below the suction motor and fan assembly whereby air may travel generally downwardly from the suction motor and fan assembly and through the post motor filter to the clean air outlet.

A surface cleaning apparatus has a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection chamber. The cyclone chamber has a sidewall extending from a first end to an axially opposed second end. At least a portion of the dirt collection chamber is aligned with first end of the cyclone chamber and radially outwardly of a solid portion of the vortex finder.

A vacuum cleaner includes a dirt separating and collecting system. The dirt separating and collecting system can include an air-permeable filter material, and a helical inlet guide. Dirt entering the helical inlet guide within a working airstream is visible to the user through an at least partially transparent housing.

A wet-dry vacuum cleaner including a collecting bin and a power head removably coupled to the collecting bin. The power head includes a housing configured to support the power head on the collecting bin, an exhaust outlet, and a cyclonic separator positioned within the housing. The cyclonic separator includes a dirty air inlet, a chamber, and a clean air outlet. The power head further includes a suction motor assembly operable to create a working airflow path from the dirty air inlet to the exhaust outlet, and a filter disposed within a filter housing hanging downwardly from the suction motor assembly. The filter is positioned within the working airflow path adjacent the clean air outlet of the cyclonic separator.