Abstract: A surface cleaning head with dual rotating agitators (e.g., a leading roller and a brush roll) may be used to facilitate capturing of debris in the air flow into a suction conduit on the underside of the surface cleaning head. The leading roller is generally positioned adjacent to and in advance of the opening of the suction conduit. The rotating brush roll may be located in the suction conduit with the leading roller located in front of and spaced from the brush roll, forming an inter-roller air passageway therebetween. The leading roller may provide a softer cleaning element than the brush roll and may also have an outside diameter that is less than the outside diameter of the brush roll. The surface cleaning head may also include debriding protrusions contacting the leading roller and/or a leading bumper that extends in front of the leading roller.

Abstract: A waste receptacle design is described that includes a substantially cylindrical body (or an elongated body) that is designed to slide longitudinally (e.g., along the length of the vacuum cleaner) around a filter/motor housing such that a front part of the filter/motor housing compacts any dirt or debris within the waste receptacle. The waste receptacle may include an inner chamber and a body around the inner chamber with space between the inner chamber and the body. Dirt and debris may be collected within the inner chamber while air passes into the inner chamber and out through a mesh or screen on the walls of the inner chamber to the space between the inner chamber and the body. When sliding the waste receptacle back towards the filter/motor housing, a distal wall of the filter/motor housing moves through the inner chamber of the waste receptacle to compact dirt and debris.

Abstract: An upright extractor has an upright section moveably mounted to a surface cleaning head. The upright section has a wand and hose assembly and a liquid separator. The liquid separator comprises a solid collection chamber that is separated from a liquid collection chamber by a porous divider. The upright extractor is operable in a floor cleaning mode in which the handle is a driving handle of the upright extractor. The upright extractor is also operable in an above floor cleaning mode in which the inlet end of the wand is disconnected from fluid flow communication with the surface cleaning head dirty fluid inlet and an above floor air flow path extends from the inlet end of the wand to the clean air outlet and the liquid separator and the suction motor are provided in the above floor cleaning air flow path.

Abstract: A surface cleaning head includes dual rotating agitators (e.g., a leading roller and a brush roll) and a removable cover for covering a top of the agitators and allowing access to the agitators from a top of the surface cleaning head. The dual agitators may be used to facilitate capturing of debris in the air flow into a suction conduit on the underside of the surface cleaning head. The brush roll may be located in a brush roll chamber and at least partially in an opening to the suction conduit. The leading roller may be positioned adjacent to and in advance of the suction conduit opening such that the leading roller engages debris and moves the debris toward the brush roll and the opening. The leading roller may be removable from the housing and held in place by the removable cover. The cover may be coupled using isolated latching mechanisms.

Abstract: A surface cleaning head with dual rotating agitators (e.g., a leading roller and a brush roll) may be used to facilitate capturing of debris in the air flow into a suction conduit on the underside of the surface cleaning head. The leading roller is generally positioned adjacent to and in advance of the opening of the suction conduit. The rotating brush roll may be located in the suction conduit with the leading roller located in front of and spaced from the brush roll, forming an inter-roller air passageway therebetween. The leading roller may provide a softer cleaning element than the brush roll and may also have an outside diameter that is less than the outside diameter of the brush roll. The surface cleaning head may also include debriding protrusions contacting the leading roller and/or a leading bumper that extends in front of the leading roller.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a floor nozzle, a handle, a hand nozzle that can be stored at least partially in the handle, and a backbone between the floor nozzle and the handle. The vacuum cleaner further includes a motor and dustcup on the backbone. Air flow conduits define a first air flow path between the dustcup and the floor nozzle and a second air flow path between the hand nozzle and the dustcup. A flow valve is operable between an open position and a closed position based on the position of the backbone relative to the floor nozzle. When the valve is in the open position, the first air flow path is open to the floor nozzle; when the valve is in the closed position, the first air flow path is closed to the floor nozzle, focusing suction to the hand nozzle.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a first tube and a second tube positioned within the first tube, where a first end of the first tube is connected to an outlet of the backbone and a first end of the second tube connected to an inlet of the backbone. A handle is on the first end of the first tube. When the backbone is in a retracted position the first end of the first tube surrounds the second end of the second tube, the second end of the second tube obstructs the outlet of the backbone, and the second end of the first tube surrounds the first end of the second tube. When the backbone is in an extended position the second end of the first tube aligns with the second end of the second tube, leaving the outlet of the backbone unobstructed to a dustcup. A floor nozzle is connected to the inlet of the backbone and includes a nozzle motor configured to operate a brush roll axle and a casing that provides an airpath to the inlet of the backbone.

Abstract: Vacuum cleaning devices include foldable wands to provide a storage configuration and/or facilitate use. A vacuum cleaning device includes a wand having a first end coupled to a vacuum unit and a second end coupled to a vacuum head or surface cleaning head. The wand defines an air passage allowing air to pass from the surface cleaning head to the vacuum unit and includes a flexible air passage along at least a portion of the wand. The wand also includes a plurality of segments pivotably connected together such that the wand is foldable about 180° in a forward direction until the vacuum unit is positioned proximate a top of the surface cleaning head, thereby providing a storage configuration.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a floor nozzle, a handle, a hand nozzle that can be stored at least partially in the handle, and a backbone between the floor nozzle and the handle. The vacuum cleaner further includes a motor and dustcup on the backbone. Air flow conduits define a first air flow path between the dustcup and the floor nozzle and a second air flow path between the hand nozzle and the dustcup. A flow valve is operable between an open position and a closed position based on the position of the backbone relative to the floor nozzle. When the valve is in the open position, the first air flow path is open to the floor nozzle; when the valve is in the closed position, the first air flow path is closed to the floor nozzle, focusing suction to the hand nozzle.

Abstract: A flexible flap coupled to the bottom of a cleaning tool is designed to have a distal end that contacts the floor and scrapes along the floor as the cleaning tool is moved across the floor in order to help guide debris into a catch tray. The flexible flap also has a design such that the distal end can curl inwards after interaction with an obstacle (e.g., recess or protrusion of the floor surface) and continue to move across the floor picking up debris, even after the distal end of the flexible flap has been curled.

Abstract: Vacuum cleaning devices include foldable wands to provide a storage configuration and/or facilitate use. A vacuum cleaning device includes a wand having a first end coupled to a vacuum unit and a second end coupled to a vacuum head or surface cleaning head. The wand defines an air passage allowing air to pass from the surface cleaning head to the vacuum unit and includes a flexible air passage along at least a portion of the wand. The wand also includes a plurality of segments pivotably connected together such that the wand is foldable about 180° in a forward direction until the vacuum unit is positioned proximate a top of the surface cleaning head, thereby providing a storage configuration.

Abstract: A hand vacuum cleaner has an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet. A cyclone has a cyclone axis of rotation that extends between the front and rear ends of the cyclone and the suction motor suction has a motor axis of rotation is parallel to the cyclone axis of rotation. A pistol grip handle located at the rear end of the hand vacuum cleaner, wherein a finger grip area is positioned forward of the pistol grip and rearward of the suction motor. An inlet conduit, which is provided with an electrical connector, is provided at the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner and a battery pack is located at a lower end of the pistol grip handle.

Abstract: A hand vacuum cleaner has an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet. An air treatment member and suction motor are positioned in the air flow path. The hand vacuum cleaner includes an onboard energy storage unit and has a pistol grip handle. When the hand vacuum cleaner is oriented with its upper end above its lower end, the pistol grip handle is located at the rear end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the energy storage unit is located at the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner with the suction motor located above the front end of the energy storage unit and the pistol grip handle located above the rear end of the energy storage unit. A finger grip area may be provided between the handle and the suction motor above the energy storage unit.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a first tube and a second tube positioned within the first tube, where a first end of the first tube is connected to an outlet of the backbone and a first end of the second tube connected to an inlet of the backbone. A handle is on the first end of the first tube. When the backbone is in a retracted position the first end of the first tube surrounds the second end of the second tube, the second end of the second tube obstructs the outlet of the backbone, and the second end of the first tube surrounds the first end of the second tube. When the backbone is in an extended position the second end of the first tube aligns with the second end of the second tube, leaving the outlet of the backbone unobstructed to a dustcup. A floor nozzle is connected to the inlet of the backbone and includes a nozzle motor configured to operate a brush roll axle and a casing that provides an airpath to the inlet of the backbone.

Abstract: An upright surface cleaning apparatus is has a portable surface cleaning unit removably mounted to an upper portion that is pivotally mounted to a surface cleaning head. The surface cleaning apparatus is operable in a floor cleaning mode in which the portable surface cleaning unit is mounted to the upper portion and the above floor cleaning wand is inserted in an open upper end of the upper portion. The surface cleaning apparatus is also operable in an above floor cleaning mode in which the portable surface cleaning unit is mounted to the upper portion and the above floor cleaning wand is removed from the open upper end of the upper portion. When the surface cleaning apparatus is in the floor cleaning mode, the first mounting members of the portable surface cleaning unit engage the wand mounting members.

Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus has a cyclone and a dirt collection chamber wherein the dirt collection chamber has a dirt collection chamber portion which is located axially spaced from the cyclone chamber and the dirt collection chamber portion has a transverse section in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cyclone that is annular.

Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus has a surface cleaning head and an upper portion moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position, the upper portion has upper portion laterally extending members. An above floor cleaning wand is removably receivable in air flow communication with the upper portion. The wand has wand laterally extending members, wherein, when the wand is received in air flow communication with the upper portion and the upper portion is in the storage position, the wand has a lower end and an upper end spaced from the lower end along a wand axis and the wand laterally extending members are positioned above the upper portion laterally extending members.

Abstract: An upright extractor has an upright section moveably mounted to a surface cleaning head. The upright section has a wand and hose assembly and a liquid separator. The liquid separator comprises a solid collection chamber that is separated from a liquid collection chamber by a porous divider. The upright extractor is operable in a floor cleaning mode in which the handle is a driving handle of the upright extractor. The upright extractor is also operable in an above floor cleaning mode in which the inlet end of the wand is disconnected from fluid flow communication with the surface cleaning head dirty fluid inlet and an above floor air flow path extends from the inlet end of the wand to the clean air outlet and the liquid separator and the suction motor are provided in the above floor cleaning air flow path.

Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus such as an extractor has a fluid flow path extending from a dirty fluid inlet head to a clean air outlet. The fluid flow path upstream of the separation stage comprises a removable portion.