Patent ID: 7163568

Claim:
A bagless separator system for use in a vacuum cleaner apparatus capable of separating of a mixture of dirt and air drawn into the vacuum cleaner apparatus, the bagless separator system comprising: a dust cup assembly removably secured to a housing portion of the vacuum cleaner apparatus, the dust cup assembly comprising: a dust cup chamber having an open top and a bottom wall; a inlet passage for introducing the mixture of dirt and air into the dust cup chamber; a filter assembly positioned in an upper portion of the dust cup chamber and having a top edge and a bottom edge, the filter assembly comprising a trusto-conical peripheral wall and a base connected to a bottom edge of the peripheral wall, the base comprising a first portion extending radially inwardly from the peripheral wall to cover one end of the filter assembly, and a second portion extending radially outwardly beyond the peripheral wall of the filter assembly such that the diameter of the base is greater than the diameter of the bottom edge of the peripheral wall; and an outlet passageway defining a path for air exiting the dust cup chamber; wherein the dust cup assembly is adapted to induce cyclonic air flow within the dust cup chamber; a vacuum suction source mounted in the housing portion of the vacuum cleaner apparatus and comprising a motor and a fan, the vacuum suction source fluidly connected to the outlet passageway of the dust cup assembly and selectively operable to draw the mixture of dirt and air into the vacuum cleaner apparatus; and a horizontally extending, elongated compartment receiving a rotating brush element the compartment fluidly connected to the inlet passage of the dust cup assembly.