Patent ID: 7951214

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner comprising: a nozzle configured to be traversed on a surface to be cleaned, the nozzle having an internal passage defined by a nozzle inlet positioned to be substantially adjacent the surface to be cleaned and a nozzle outlet remote from the nozzle inlet; a vacuum source configured to generate a working air flow, the working air flow passing through the vacuum cleaner along an air flow path; a separation system configured to separate particles from the working air flow, the separation system comprising a first filter chamber; a filter cleaning system comprising a second filter chamber having a second filter chamber inlet and a second filter chamber outlet, the second filter chamber outlet being shaped as an elongated slot; a first dirt filter configured to be alternatively placed in the first filter chamber and the second filter chamber; and wherein: the elongated slot is positioned adjacent a relatively small portion of a total surface area of the filter and extends along substantially an entire length of the first dirt filter, the first dirt filter is configured to be movable relative to the slot when the first dirt filter is placed in the second filter chamber to thereby incrementally expose substantially the total surface area of the filter to the slot, and the air flow path comprises switching means for switching between a surface cleaning mode in which the working air flow enters the nozzle inlet and passes through the first filter chamber to entrap dirt particles in the first dirt filter when the first dirt filter is located in the first filter chamber, and a filter cleaning mode in which the working air flow passes through the second filter chamber to displace dirt particles from the first dirt filter when the first dirt filter is located in the second filter chamber.