Patent ID: 8166607

Claim:
An upright surface cleaning apparatus having a cyclonic cleaning stage and comprising: (a) a surface cleaning head having a dirty fluid inlet; (b) a fluid flow path extending from the dirty fluid inlet to a clean air outlet of the upright surface cleaning apparatus; (c) an upright section comprising a support member, the upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head; (d) a cleaning and suction unit removable and useable as a portable surface cleaning apparatus, the cleaning and suction unit comprising a suction motor, an above floor cleaning wand having an air inlet and an air outlet and at least one cyclone having a cyclone inlet and a cyclone chamber; (e) a mounting assembly removably mounting the cleaning and suction unit to the upright section of the upright surface cleaning apparatus, the mounting assembly having an upper section having an opening for removably receiving an end of the above floor cleaning wand and a lower section having an opening for removably receiving an end of the support member with the opening of the upper section and the opening of the lower section being substantially aligned with one another; and, (f) at least two operating components of the upright surface cleaning apparatus including the cyclonic cleaning stage mounted directly or indirectly to the mounting assembly and wherein an airflow passage from the at least one cyclone chamber to the suction motor is spaced apart from the opening in the upper section of the mounting assembly.