Vacuum cleaner with cyclonic separating dirt cup and dirt cup door

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner. In one embodiment, a hand-held vacuum cleaner includes a housing having a first end and a second end, a suction nozzle located at the first end of the housing, and a suction fan and motor assembly located in the housing. A brushroll may be disposed within the suction nozzle. The hand-held vacuum cleaner further includes a dirt cup including an inlet, an outlet, a cyclonic flow chamber, a filter assembly, and a dirt cup door. The dirt cup is rotatably detachable from the housing. At least one nub cooperates with the at least one slot in the dirt cup to rotatably secure the dirt cup to the second end of the housing. In addition, the filter assembly includes at twist on filter cartridge.

1 . A hand-held vacuum cleaner comprising: 
 a housing having a first end and a second end;    a suction nozzle located adjacent the first end of the housing;    a suction fan and motor assembly located in the housing;    a dirt cup detachably mounted adjacent the second end of the housing;    wherein, the dirt cup includes an inlet in fluid communication with the suction nozzle, an outlet in fluid communication with the suction fan and motor assembly, and a dirt cup door located on one end of the dirt cup.    
   
   
       2 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the dirt cup defines a cyclonic flow chamber.  
   
   
       3 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the dirt cup includes a latch for releasably engaging the dirt cup door.  
   
   
       4 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 3  wherein the dirt cup door includes a catch for releasably engaging the latch.  
   
   
       5 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the dirt cup includes a hinge for the dirt cup door.  
   
   
       6 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  further comprising a filter assembly releasably mounted to the dirt cup, wherein the filter assembly is disposed upstream of the suction fan and motor assembly.  
   
   
       7 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 6  wherein the filter assembly includes a filter cartridge and a filter support plate.  
   
   
       8 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 7  wherein the filter support plate includes a cyclonic airflow deflector inlet, a centrally located clean air outlet, and a sealing gasket disposed about an outer circumference of the filter support plate.  
   
   
       9 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  further comprising a brushroll mounted to the housing wherein the brushroll is rotatably driven by the fan and motor assembly.  
   
   
       10 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the dirt cup door includes a sealing gasket.  
   
   
       11 . A vacuum cleaner comprising: 
 a housing including at least one nub disposed about an outer circumference of the housing;    a suction nozzle located adjacent a first end of the housing;    a suction fan and motor assembly located in the housing; and    a dirt cup including a first end and a second end, the dirt cup having an inlet in fluid communication with the suction nozzle and an outlet in fluid communication with the suction fan and motor assembly, and at least one slot disposed about an inner circumference of the first end of the dirt cup, wherein the at least one nub of the housing cooperates with the at least one slot to rotatably secure the dirt cup to the housing; and    a filter assembly mounted to at least one of the dirt cup and the housing.    
   
   
       12 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 11  further comprising a brushroll which is rotatably driven by the fan and motor assembly.  
   
   
       13 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 11  wherein the filter assembly includes a filter cartridge and a filter support plate.  
   
   
       14 . Then hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 13  wherein a cyclonic flow chamber is defined within the dirt cup between the filter support plate and the second end of the dirt cup.  
   
   
       15 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 13  wherein the filter support plate includes a cyclonic airflow deflector, a centrally located outlet, and a sealing gasket about an outer circumference of the filter support plate.  
   
   
       16 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 13  wherein the filter assembly is disposed upstream of the suction fan.  
   
   
       17 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 13  wherein the filter assembly is frictionally engaged along an inner wall surface of the dirt cup.  
   
   
       18 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 13  wherein the filter cartridge includes a filter base, a filter end cap, and a filter medium disposed between the filter base and the filter end cap.  
   
   
       19 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 18  wherein the filter base includes at least one tab that is snappingly engageable with at least one detent of the filter support plate.  
   
   
       20 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 18  wherein the filter base includes a handle portion.  
   
   
       21 . A vacuum cleaner comprising: 
 a housing having a first end and a second end;    a suction nozzle located adjacent the first end of the housing;    a suction fan and motor assembly located in the housing;    a dirt cup rotatably mounted to the housing;    a filter support including a segmented flange, the segmented flange having at least one notch and at least one detent adjacent to the at least one notch, the filter support plate being disposed upstream from said suction fan and motor assembly; and    a filter including at least one tab disposed on the filter, the at least one tab having a ridge, the at least one tab and the ridge cooperating with the at least one notch and the at least one detent to rotatably mount the filter to the filter support.    
   
   
       22 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 21  wherein the segmented flange includes at least one stop adjacent to the at least one detent, the at least one stop precluding the at least one tab from rotating past the at least one detent.  
   
   
       23 . The hand-held vacuum cleaner of  claim 21  wherein the filter further comprises a handle portion.