Patent ID: 8347452

Claim:
A vehicle vacuum cleaning system comprising: a portable vacuum module comprising: a vacuum module case that defines a vacuum module case interior; a vacuum fan within the interior of the vacuum module case; a vacuum fan drive shaft coupled to the vacuum fan; a first gear on the vacuum fan drive shaft; and a second gear on a second gear drive shaft, wherein the second gear engages the first gear and the second gear drive shaft protrudes from an interior of the vacuum module case to an exterior of the vacuum module case; an HVAC module comprising: an HVAC case; an electric motor disposed within the HVAC case; an HVAC fan drive shaft coupled to the electric motor; an HVAC fan coupled to the HVAC fan drive shaft, wherein the portable vacuum module couples onto the HVAC case, and the vacuum fan drive shaft is adapted to receive rotational energy from the HVAC fan drive shaft; a first HVAC case aperture for the second gear drive shaft to pass through; an HVAC case aperture cover to cover the HVAC case aperture when the vacuum module is not attached to the HVAC case; and a plurality of springs biasing the HVAC case aperture cover against the HVAC case to cover the first HVAC case aperture.