Patent ID: 7291192

Claim:
A motor-driven blower for moving air and separating moisture therefrom, the motor-driven blower comprising: a motor bracket; an outboard bearing supported by the motor bracket; a housing defining an inlet opening; an inboard bearing supported by the housing; a stator interposed between the motor bracket and the housing; a rotor shaft having an outboard end and an inboard end, wherein the outboard end is supported by the outboard bearing and the inboard end is supported by the inboard bearing; an impeller attached to the inboard end of the rotor shaft and being able to rotate within the housing for drawing air into the housing via the inlet opening; a spider bracket including a hub and an outer perimeter and defining a plurality of spider bracket openings therebetween, wherein the hub is connected to the inboard end of the rotor shaft so that the spider bracket is adjacent to the inlet opening and rotates with the rotor shaft, and a separator cup that includes an end cap, a rim and a sidewall extending therebetween, wherein the rim is attached to the outer perimeter of the spider bracket, and the sidewall defines a plurality of separator openings so that the motor-driven blower can move the air in series through the separator openings, through the spider bracket openings, and through the inlet opening but not necessarily in that order, wherein the separator cup rotates with the rotor shaft due to the spider bracket being connected to the rotor shaft; however, the separator cup is spaced apart from the rotor shaft.