Patent ID: 7377007

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner comprising: a foot assembly having a suction nozzle; an upright handle assembly pivotally mounted to the foot assembly for manipulation of the foot assembly along a surface to be cleaned; and a portable cleaning module detachably mounted to the handle assembly so that the vacuum cleaner can be operated as an upright vacuum cleaner when the portable cleaning module is mounted to the handle assembly or as a portable vacuum cleaner when the portable cleaning module is detached from the handle assembly, the portable cleaning module comprising: a module housing; a particle separator mounted to the module housing and having an inlet; a suction conduit having a first end connected to the inlet of the cyclone separator and a second end removably coupled to the suction nozzle; a motor and fan assembly supported in the module housing for creating a working air flow from the suction nozzle to the cyclone separator through the suction conduit; and a portable power source coupled to the motor and fan assembly for supplying power to the motor and fan assembly when the portable cleaning module is detached from the handle assembly for operation of the vacuum cleaner as a portable vacuum cleaner.