Wet-dry vacuum cleaner baffle strainer system

Claim 1

A vacuum cleaner for vacuum cleaning wet or damp surfaces comprising a containment vessel for receiving soil material being removed from a surface undergoing cleaning, a motor-air pump assembly being housed in a housing, the lower surface of which forms a lid for said containment vessel, said lower surface having an exit aperture in communication with said air pump for passage of air from said containment vessel into said air pump and said housing, said containment vessel having an inlet aperture in a sidewall near the top thereof, to permit the ingress of air and soil material into said containment vessel, said inlet aperture being fitted with an elbow member to deflect the wet air soil mixture upwardly through an orifice against said lid, said orifice being located a predetermined distance below said lid, said exit aperture being surrounded by a cylindrical cage extending downwardly from and mounted integrally with said lid, said elbow member and said cage being spaced apart a predetermined distance in said containment vessel, said cage having a solid semicircular front portion facing said elbow member, and a solid circular lower face remote from said lid, and a foraminous semicircular rear surface remote from said elbow member, said foraminous semicircular rear surface extending from said circular lower surface to a shallow solid semicircular abutment mounted integrally with said lid, a "Vee" shaped abutment of substantially less depth than said cage surrounding said cage, mounted integrally on the lower surface of said lid and pointing toward said elbow member, and a tube and wand pickup for connection to said inlet aperture, for conveying the air soil mixture to said containment vessel, said elbow member, said cylindrical cage, and said "Vee" shaped abutment combining in the operation of said vacuum cleaner to minimize the flow of wet soil mixture into said air pump.