A hand vacuum cleaner having an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, with an air treatment member and a suction motor positioned in the air flow path, the dirty air inlet comprising a flow conduit having an inlet axis. A pistol grip handle is provided wherein the inlet axis intersects the pistol grip handle, and the suction motor is provided at a lower end of the pistol grip handle.

A hand vacuum cleaner has a cyclone assembly positioned in the air flow path, the cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone chamber, the cyclone chamber having a front end, a rear end, a cyclone axis of rotation extending between the front and rear ends, a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet provided at the rear end of the cyclone chamber, wherein the rear end is rotationally moveable by a rotational mount between a closed position in which the cyclone is closed and an open position wherein a rear portion of the cyclone is open.

A cleaning apparatus, including: a suction system; a separation system; a filtration system; and a garbage collection system at least comprising a first garbage collection cavity configured to collect garbage passing through a primary separation system and a second garbage collection cavity configured to collect garbage passing through a secondary separation system, wherein the first garbage collection cavity and the second garbage collection cavity have a common airtight cover, a bottom of the second garbage collection cavity and a bottom of the first garbage collection cavity are located on the airtight cover in a direction extending outward from a center of the airtight cover, and the first garbage collection cavity and the second garbage collection cavity are isolated in a sealed manner in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the airtight cover.

A hand vacuum cleaner with a finger grip area that is provided between a forward side of the handle and a rear side of the main body, and wherein the suction motor is positioned between the cyclone and the finger grip area and an axis that extends between the front of the cyclone and the handle extends through the suction motor.

A hand vacuum includes a nozzle portion at a front end of the hand vacuum having a dirty air inlet. An air flow passage extends from the dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet in a main body rearward of the nozzle portion. The main body houses a suction motor in the air flow passage. First and second laterally spaced apart opposed arm members extend generally axially between the nozzle portion and the main body, and a volume is positioned between the nozzle portion, the main body and the opposed arm members. An air treatment member assembly comprising an air treatment member is removably positionable in the volume. At least one of a nozzle portion air outlet, an air treatment member assembly air inlet, an air treatment member assembly air outlet and a main body air inlet is axially retractable.

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, the cover prevents debris from leaving the collection chamber through the inlet opening. The wall of the collection chamber moves when negative pressure is applied to the collection chamber, and the wall movement moves the cover from the inlet opening, allowing the debris-entrained air to enter the collection chamber. In some embodiments, the moving part of the wall is an air filter.

A hand vacuum cleaner has an air treatment chamber, which comprises a stationary portion and an openable portion. The openable portion is moveably mounted by a mount between a closed position in which the air treatment chamber is closed and an open position in which the air treatment chamber is open. The Air treatment chamber has an air outlet comprising a screen and the screen is moveable with the openable portion.

A surface cleaning apparatus uses an inverted cyclone. An air flow path extends from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet. A suction motor is positioned in the air flow path. The inverted cyclone is downstream from the dirty air inlet in a first cyclonic cleaning stage. The cyclone defines a cyclone chamber having a lower air inlet, a lower air outlet and an upper dirt outlet. An openable dirt collection chamber is in communication with the upper dirt outlet.

A hand vacuum cleaner has a cyclone, a suction motor and fan assembly downstream of the cyclone and a post motor filter downstream of the suction motor and fan assembly. The post-motor filter housing has an openable bottom panel provided in the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner.

A surface cleaning apparatus has a cyclone with multiple cyclone air inlets, and a header that is upstream of at least some of the cyclone air inlets.