Patent ID: 8640301

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner comprising: a main body having a first locking recess and a second locking recess; a dirt cup removably mounted to the main body and having an outwardly-facing side wall; and a latch mechanism for selectively fastening the dirt cup to the main body, comprising: a first latch member movably mounted to the side wall of the dirt cup and having a portion that is selectively received by the first locking recess, the first latch member comprising a first cam follower surface thereon; a second latch member positioned in vertical alignment with the first latch member, and directed in an opposite axial direction with respect thereto, the second latch member being movably mounted in the side wall of the dirt cup and having a portion that is selectively received by the second locking recess; and a latch actuator comprising at least one button having a cam surface facing the first cam follower surface; wherein, when the at least one button is pressed, the cam surface bears against the first cam follower surface to initiate vertical movement of the first latch member relative to the latch actuator and actuates the second latch member contemporaneously with the first latch member, which moves the first and second latch members from a latched position in which the portion of the first and second latch members are received within the first and second locking recesses, respectively, to an unlatched position in which the portion of the first and second latch members are removed from the locking recesses, thereby allowing the dirt cup to be removed from the vacuum cleaner.