ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 12 -- United States Patent no. 12,220,099, issued on Feb. 11, was assigned to Omachron Intellectual Property Inc. (Hampton, Canada).

"Surface cleaning apparatus" was invented by Wayne Ernest Conrad (Hampton, Canada).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A hand vacuum cleaner has an airflow path from an air inlet to a clean air outlet with an air treatment member and a fan and motor assembly in the air flow path. The hand vacuum cleaner has a cyclone chamber with a plate positioned at the front end of the cyclone chamber. A dirt collection chamber is external to and connected in flow communication with a cyclone chamber by a gap located between the plate and the sidewall of the c...