A dirt collection region of the vacuum cleaner is removably positionable in air flow communication with an inlet port of an apparatus in which the openable door of the dirt collection region of the vacuum cleaner is positioned interior the apparatus. The apparatus has an air treatment member. When the apparatus is standing on the floor, the apparatus has an upper end which has the inlet port. When the dirt collection region of the vacuum cleaner positioned in flow communication with the inlet port of the apparatus and when the system is in the emptying mode of operation, a motor and fan assembly of the vacuum cleaner moves air from the dirt collection region of the vacuum cleaner as dirt, which has been accumulated in the dirt collection region of the vacuum cleaner, travels to the air treatment member of the apparatus.

A system comprising a vacuum cleaner and a dock for receiving debris from a debris collection region of the vacuum cleaner. The debris collection region of the vacuum cleaner is removably positionable in a docked configuration in which the debris collection region is in air flow communication with the inlet port wherein, in the docked configuration, an openable door of the debris collection region of the vacuum cleaner is sealed in flow communication with the dock. In the docked configuration with the system in an emptying mode of operation, debris that has been accumulated in the debris collection region of the vacuum cleaner travels to the dock debris collection region. In the docked configuration with the system is in the emptying mode of operation, the debris collection region of the vacuum cleaner is exposed to sub-atmospheric pressure that is produced by a motor and fan assembly of the vacuum cleaner.

A dock for receiving dirt from a dirt collection region of a vacuum cleaner. The dock has an air flow passage from an inlet port to a clean air outlet; an air treatment member positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the inlet port, the air treatment member comprising a dock dirt collection region; and, a release actuator which engages a portion of the vacuum cleaner whereby the lock is moved to an unlocked position in which the lock is disengaged from an openable door of a dirt collection region of the vacuum cleaner and the openable door is moveable to the open position. In a docked configuration and in an emptying mode of operation, a motor and fan assembly produces a flow of air that conveys dirt from the dirt collection region of the vacuum cleaner through the inlet port to the air treatment member of the dock.

A system comprising a vacuum cleaner and an apparatus for receiving dirt from a dirt collection region of the vacuum cleaner. The apparatus has an air flow passage from an inlet port to a clean air outlet, wherein the dirt collection region of the vacuum cleaner is positionable in air flow communication with the inlet port. In an emptying mode of operation, a motor and fan assembly of the system produces a flow of air that conveys dirt from the dirt collection region of the vacuum cleaner to the air treatment member of the apparatus. The vacuum cleaner is docked with the apparatus by a user moving the dirt collection region in a downward direction to a position in which, during the emptying mode of operation, the flow of air conveys the dirt from the dirt collection region of the vacuum cleaner downwardly to the air treatment member of the apparatus.

A free standing apparatus for emptying a dirt collection chamber of a surface cleaning apparatus comprises an air flow passage from an inlet port to a clean air outlet wherein the dirt collection chamber of the surface cleaning apparatus is removably positionable in air flow communication with the inlet port. An air treatment member is positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the inlet port, the air treatment member comprising a cyclone and an additional cyclonic cleaning stage. A suction motor is positioned in the air flow passage upstream from the clean air outlet of the air flow passage.

A surface cleaner and floor standing unit. The surface cleaner comprising an air treatment chamber and a dirt collection region, the air treatment chamber comprising a closure flap associated with an air treatment chamber air inlet. The dirt collection region collects dirt during a cleaning mode of operation of the surface cleaner. The floor standing unit comprises a dirt collection region which, in a surface cleaner emptying mode of operation when the surface cleaning apparatus is docked with the floor standing unit, receives dirt that has been collected by the surface cleaner. The surface cleaner having an openable door which, in the surface cleaner emptying mode of operation, is open whereby the dirt collected in the dirt collection region of the surface cleaner is transferrable to the dirt collection region of the floor standing unit, wherein an electromechanical actuator is drivingly connected to the closure flap.