Patent ID: 7140068
Filing Date: 2006-11-28
Classification: A47L

Abstract:
1. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a housing; a module having a suction nozzle opening for cleaning a surface; a filter removably mounted to the housing; a working air conduit between the suction nozzle and the filter; and a suction source mounted to the housing and in communication with the suction nozzle and the filter for moving dust-laden air between the suction nozzle and through the filter; a cyclonic dust separator mounted in the working air conduit upstream of the filter for separating larger particles from the dust-laden air before the dust-laden air passes through the filter, the cyclonic separator comprising a cyclone housing that forms a cyclonic chamber with an inlet opening and an outlet opening both of which are connected to the working air conduit, a dirt collecting tub removably mounted to the cyclone housing; and the cyclonic dust separator further includes an exhaust conduit in communication with the outlet opening and that extends into the dirt collecting tub, the exhaust conduit forming with the dirt collecting tub an annular region for cyclonic airflow around the exhaust conduit; the improvement which comprises: the exhaust conduit is formed by an imperforate tube that has an open bottom end through which air passes from the cyclonic chamber to the outlet opening; and an dirt blocking plate mounted to a bottom portion of the exhaust conduit and positioned axially below the open bottom end of the imperforate tube.