Patent ID: 7210195

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner assembly comprising: a body; a motor disposed within said body and having an output shaft for rotating about an axis; a fan coupled to said output shaft for generating a vacuum airflow through an air intake port in said body; a cooling air filter surrounding said motor wherein said cooling air filter directs the cooling air around said motor and filters the cooling air prior to being exhausted; a blower mounted within said body below said motor providing for drawing air into said intake port and exhausting air outwardly through an outlet; a separator coupled to said output shaft for separating dust and dirt particulates and including a cup shaped body having a bottom and a plurality of vanes extending upwardly from said bottom about said bottom axis to an open top; said bottom having a truncated portion extending axially from a lower bottom toward said open end to an upper bottom; said upper bottom having an aperture therein on said axis; a flange extending radially from said open top to an outer periphery; an annular ridge integral with and extending axially from said flange between said periphery and said open top; a wall integral with and extending from said flange above said open top; an annular lip integral with and disposed on said wall; a hub portion surrounding said shaft and extending upwardly from said upper bottom to an upper end disposed above said wall and having a bore aligned with said aperture; a plurality of blades integral with and extending radially and outwardly in a helical configuration from said hub portion to said vanes and integral with said wall, said blades engaging said truncated portion and said upper and lower bottoms; and said helical blade including top and bottom ends wherein each bottom end of said blade defining a groove to engage said truncated portion.