Patent ID: 8650707

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner comprising: a base adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned; a rear housing pivotally mounted to the base at a first end thereof, and having a motor housing therein; a dirt receptacle chamber located in the rear housing, the dirt receptacle chamber having an outlet; a motor mounted in the motor housing for driving a vacuum fan, the motor having an inlet; a motor inlet conduit fluidly connected between the outlet of the dirt receptacle chamber and the inlet of the motor, the motor inlet conduit having interior wall surfaces comprising one or more expanded regions; and one or more sound deadening blocks, each sound deadening block being disposed within one of the one or more expanded regions, the interior wall surfaces and the one or more sound deadening blocks collectively defining a passage through the motor inlet conduit fluidly connecting the dirt receptacle chamber outlet and the motor inlet, the sound deadening blocks being formed from a material selected to reduce a noise level of the vacuum cleaner.