Patent ID: 8141202

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner comprising: a dirt receptacle; an exhaust chamber; a vacuum fan adapted to create a flow of air from the dirt receptacle, through the vacuum fan, and into the exhaust chamber; a grate covering the exhaust chamber and having an inner surface defining a first side of the grate, an outer surface facing opposite the inner surface and defining a second side of the grate, one or more air passages extending from the inner surface to the outer surface, and an outer perimeter wall defining the peripheral edge of the grate; and a flexible cover wrapped around the grate from the outer surface to the inner surface, the flexible cover having: a first portion located on the second side of the grate, extending over at least one of the one or more air passages and positioned over at least a portion of the outer surface, a second portion extending from the first portion, the second portion extending from the outer surface to the inner surface to wrap, in a direction extending from the outer surface to the inner surface, entirely around at least a portion of the outer perimeter wall, and a third portion located on the first side of the grate and extending from the second portion to be positioned over at least a portion of the inner surface to thereby lie in a space that is perpendicular to the inner surface.