Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner comprises a suction motor for moving an incoming airflow from an air inlet to an air outlet, a dirt separator for separating dirt from the incoming airflow, and a bin assembly 100 for collecting the separated dirt. The bin assembly comprises a bin body having an open end and surrounding the dirt separator, a bin base 104 covering the open end, and a nozzle 118 through the bin base, the nozzle defining a nozzle axis (185, fig. 10). The vacuum cleaner further comprises a bin base actuator 372 for opening the bin base, a compaction plate arranged to compact the dirt within the bin body, and a compaction handle (303, fig. 53) operatively coupled to the compaction plate to cause the compaction plate to move to compact dirt within the bin body. The nozzle axis is between the compaction handle and the bin base actuator. Alternatively, or as well, the compaction handle and bin base actuators are positioned on opposite sides of the bin assembly. Preferably, the compaction handle and bin base actuator are positioned at the top and bottom respectively of the bin body, with the nozzle axis located in between. [use figures 15 & 16]