Patent ID: 7134166

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner comprising: a first housing member defining a cyclonic airflow chamber adapted for separating entrained dirt and dust from a circulating airstream; a second housing member defining a main suction opening, said first housing member being pivotally mounted to said second housing member; a first conduit for fluidically connecting said main suction opening to an inlet of said cyclonic airflow chamber; a suction source having a suction airstream inlet and a suction airstream outlet and adapted for generating and maintaining a suction airstream flowing from said inlet downstream to said outlet; a second conduit for fluidically connecting an outlet of said cyclonic airflow chamber to said suction airstream inlet of said suction source; a dirt cup selectively mounted to said first housing member, said cyclonic airflow chamber being at least partially defined in said dirt cup; and, a filter mounted to said dirt cup so that a suction airstream moving from said main suction opening to said inlet of said suction source by way of said cyclonic airflow chamber passes through said filter after said airstream moves in a cyclonic fashion within said cyclonic airflow chamber.