Patent ID: 8117713

Claim:
A combination wet-dry vacuum cleaner comprising: a recovery tank adapted for wet and dry cleaning and comprising: a recovery chamber having an inlet opening adapted to be connected to a suction nozzle and having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion is configured to form a water bath receptacle; an air-liquid separator within the recovery chamber for separating air from liquid in an air-liquid mixture from the suction nozzle; and a conduit within the recovery chamber and having a first end connected to the inlet opening and a second end forming a discharge opening that is positioned in the lower portion of the recovery chamber; a cyclone separator having an outlet and an inlet; a first fluid path between the conduit discharge opening and the cyclone separator inlet; a second fluid path between the air-liquid separator and the cyclone separator inlet; and a diverter valve having an outlet opening and mounted within the conduit between the first and second ends thereof for movement between a first position in which the diverter valve outlet opening is in fluid communication with the second fluid path and a second position in which the diverter valve outlet opening is closed to block fluid communication with the second fluid path; and a suction source that is connected to the cyclone separator outlet, thereby creating a working air path to draw dry, dirt-laden air and liquid-laden air from the recovery chamber inlet opening selectively through either the discharge opening or through the air liquid separator, and through the cyclone separator; wherein dirt can be separated from dry, dirt-laden air in at least one of the lower portion of the recovery chamber that may contain a water bath and the cyclone separator, and liquid can be separated from liquid-laden air by at least one of the air-liquid separator and the cyclone separator.