Patent ID: 8029584

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner comprising: (1) a back-washing system comprising: at least one back-washable filter disposed in the back-washing system; wherein the back-washing system in operation back-washes the at least one back-washable filter, and the back-washing system is configured to be operable without cessation of a primary vacuum cleaning operation; (2) a capture system that captures waste cleaned from the filter; and, (3) a self-cleaning valve assembly that comprises: an X-structure, a first vane including a rounded pivot end and a second vane including a rounded pivot end; wherein the rounded pivot end of the first vane is fixed into a first angle of the X-structure and the rounded pivot end of the second vane is fixed into a second angle of the X-structure, the second angle being opposite the first angle, and the first angle and the second angle being equal; wherein each vane comprises a first flat port-closing edge for closing a port in the X-structure that opens into a space in a vicinity of a vacuum port; and a second flat port-closing edge for closing a port in the X-structure that opens into a space in a vicinity of an inlet through which dusty air enters; the first vane disposed for servicing a pair of such ports in the first angle; the second vane disposed for servicing a pair of such ports in the second angle.