Patent ID: 7544224

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner comprising: a body portion; a nozzle portion having a nozzle opening with a first conduit leading from the nozzle opening to the body portion; a cyclone having a cyclone inlet, a cyclone outlet, and a cyclone slinger, wherein the first conduit leads to the cyclone inlet and the cyclone is configured to contain a swirling airflow traveling from the cyclone inlet through the cyclone slinger and out the cyclone outlet, and the cyclone slinger comprises a bottom platform, a peripheral wall extending upwardly from the bottom platform and having one or more side ports, and a slinger passage leading away from at least one of the one or more side ports of the peripheral wall, the slinger passage leading to a bottom port opening substantially downwardly; and a dirt cup removably retained within the body portion underneath the cyclone slinger for retaining dirt or other debris exiting from the cyclone slinger through the bottom port; and a suction source disposed in the body portion or the nozzle portion for generating the airflow within the vacuum cleaner, wherein a second conduit leads from the cyclone outlet to an inlet of the suction source.