A surface cleaning apparatus includes a surface cleaning head having a dirty air inlet and an upper section mount moveably coupled to the surface cleaning head. An upper portion is mounted to the upper section mount. The upper section comprises a wand. A portable surface cleaning unit is removably mounted to the upper portion. An air flow path extends from the dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and includes an upstream portion comprising the wand and a flexible air flow conduit downstream of the wand. Each of the wand and the portable cleaning unit can be separately removable from the upper section mount.

A surface cleaning apparatus comprising a surface cleaning head, a rigid air flow conduit and a hand vacuum cleaner removably mountable to an outlet end of the rigid wand. The hand vacuum cleaner comprises a main body, a cyclone provided at the front end of the hand vacuum cleaner, an inlet passage positioned at an upper end of the cyclone and a hand vacuum cleaner electrical connector provided on the front end of the hand vacuum cleaner adjacent the inlet passage. The hand vacuum cleaner electrical connector is releasably connectable with the outlet end electrical connector of the rigid wand. When the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to the outlet end of the rigid wand, the longitudinally extending passage axis extends in a same direction as the cyclone axis of rotation and the suction motor axis of rotation extends in the same direction as the cyclone axis of rotation.

A surface cleaning apparatus including an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, a main body comprising a handle, a suction motor and fan assembly that is positioned in the air flow path, and an air treatment member removably mounted to the main body. The air treatment member has an air treatment chamber that is positioned in the air flow path when the air treatment member is mounted to the main body and a cleaning tool electrical connector. When a cleaning tool is connected to the air treatment member, the cleaning tool is connected in air flow communication with the air treatment member and the cleaning tool is electrically connected to the air treatment member.

A vacuum cleaner comprising a fan driven by a motor, wherein the fan is configured to accomplish a suction flow from a vacuum cleaner nozzle via a hand-held tube having a direction of elongation, to a permeable dust collecting container. A sensing device is provided, sensing strain in the tube along its elongate direction, and a control arrangement controls the output of the motor in response to the sensed strain. This allows the vacuum cleaner to adapt to different floor surfaces.

The present invention provides unique portable or stationary hose retraction systems in a single compact unit having an elongated hose, a chamber or plenum for storing the hose, a primary vacuum source for creating suction in the hose, and a secondary vacuum source for retracting the hose into the chamber. Embodiments may include one or more switches located at a distal end of the hose for controlling the primary and secondary vacuum sources. Other embodiments include a movable robotic unit with a proximity generating signal at the distal end of the hose, whereby the robotic unit may withdraw the hose as needed during use, and the secondary vacuum source may retract slack in the hose during use, or may retract the entire hose and the robotic unit after use.

A tool for a surface cleaning apparatus, including a floor head including a floor facing surface which defines an inlet for receiving dirt-laden air, which inlet is generally positioned in a first plane P; a passage for carrying dirt-laden air from the floor head to the apparatus; a connecting member for connecting the tool to a surface cleaning apparatus, wherein the floor head and connecting member are pivotally connected about an axis A; and a blocking device for inhibiting pivotal movement of the connecting member about axis A. The blocking device is moveable to a blocking condition in which pivotal movement of the connecting member downwardly outside of a pre-determined use condition is inhibited.

Vacuums including a water pan mount coupled to a housing and configured to receive a water pan are provided herein. The housing is operably rotatable around a fulcrum, relative to the water pan mount, to secure the water pan within the housing. At least one latch is coupled to the housing and is operably positionable in an engaged position and in a disengaged position, wherein, in the engaged position, the at least one latch prevents rotation of the housing around the fulcrum.

A hand vacuum cleaner has an information display device provided on a rear wall of the rear end of the hand vacuum cleaner.

A surface cleaning apparatus includes a floor cleaning unit and a portable surface cleaning unit. The floor cleaning unit includes a surface cleaning head, an upper section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between an upright storage position and a rearwardly inclined floor cleaning position, a charger having an energy storage member, and an air flow path extending from the dirty air inlet to a floor cleaning unit air outlet. The portable surface cleaning unit is connectable to the floor cleaning unit, and includes a portable surface cleaning unit air inlet connectable in air flow communication with the floor cleaning unit air outlet, a main body, an air treatment member, a suction motor, a handle and a capacitor. When fully charged, the energy storage member stores sufficient stored power to recharge the capacitor at least twice.

A reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus comprises a surface cleaning head and a support structure moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head. The support structure comprises a lower portion having a lower longitudinal axis and an upper portion having an upper longitudinal axis, the lower portion having a lower end moveably coupled to the surface cleaning head and an upper end that is rotatably coupled to the upper portion about a rotational axis that is generally transverse to the forward direction, wherein, the support structure is reconfigurable between a first configuration in which the lower portion and the upper portion are generally aligned with each other and an operating position in which the lower portion is rotated rearward with respect to the surface cleaning head and the upper portion is rotated in the forward direction with respect to the lower portion. A hand vacuum cleaner comprising a suction motor and an air treatment member is removably mounted to the support structure. An air flow path comprises a flexible hose.