Wet-dry vacuum cleaner

Claim 2

A vacuum cleaner comprising: a motor; a generally cylindrical housing having a front end and a back end, said housing enclosing said motor; a blower driven by said motor and disposed ahead of said motor within said housing, rotation of said blower producing a vacuum; a canister removably attached to the front end of said housing, said canister having an intake nozzle for receiption of dirt, liquid and air drawn into said nozzle in response to a vacuum developed by said blower; said canister including a storage chamber disposed alongside said nozzle for the storage of matter drawn in via said nozzle, said canister being closed off at a front end thereof for holding said matter when said canister is in an erect position corresponding to a vertical orientation of the longitudinal axis of said nozzle; deflection means disposed at an interface between said canister and said housing for deflecting liquid and dirt drawn in via said nozzle away from said housing and into said chamber; said nozzle comprising a posterior port by which said nozzle communicates with said chamber, and said deflection means comprising a flexible closure member fully closing off said posterior port of said nozzle, said closure member being sufficiently flexible to deflect away from said posterior port under vacuum forces to open said posterior port, said closure member being oriented for direction of fluids transversely toward a central portion of said chamber; and wherein said closure member, upon a closing of said posterior port, secures said storage chamber against a spilling of liquid therefrom during erect and inclined orientations of said canister.

Claim 3

A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 further comprising a filter disposed at said interface for trapping particulate matter being carried by an air stream from said canister toward said blower under the force of a vacuum.

Claim 4

A vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 wherein said deflection means further cmprises a hood disposed between said posterior port and said filter, said hood shielding said filter from a flow of matter drawn through said port by vacuum.

Claim 5

A vacuum cleaner according to claim 3 wherein said housing includes vents, alongside said motor, for exhausting air driven by said blower along with any dirt and liquid which, under suction of the vacuum, passes from said canister via said filter to said housing.

Claim 6

A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 further comprising: an air conduit connecting between said interface and said blower, an entry port of said conduit being configured for mating with an air filter; and wherein said deflection means further comprises: a hood extending from the portion of said entry port of said conduit next to said posterior port into said chamber to a site away from said posterior port for deflecting dirt and liquid, drawn by vacuum, away from said conduit.

Claim 7

A vacuum cleaner according to claim 5 wherein said housing includes vents, alongside said motor, for exhausting air driven by said blower along with any dirt and liquid which, under suction of the vacuum passes from said canister via said conduit to said housing.

Claim 8

A vacuum cleaner according to claim 6 wherein at least a portion of said vents are located on a side of said housing, said cleaner including a filter disposed at the entry port of said conduit for trapping particulate matter being carried by an air stream from said canister toward said blower under the force of a vacuum.

Claim 9

In a vacuum cleaner operative with a source of suction, the improvement comprising: a housing supporting the source of suction, said housing having an air intake port, and further comprising exhaust vents through which air, drawn in by the suction, is exhausted to the exterior of the housing; a canister removably securable to said air intake port of said housing, said canister including a nozzle having an anterior port through which air exits the nozzle and a posterior port through which air exits the nozzle said canister further including a storage chamber positioned alongside said posterior port and communicating with said posterior port for reception of fluids including air and liquid cleaning agents which may be drawn in by the suction, said canister being closed off at a front end thereof for holding said matter when said canister is in an erect position corresponding to a vertical orientation of the longitudinal axis of said nozzle; deflection means situated at an interface between said canister and said housing for deflecting the liquid into said storage chamber away from said intake port while permitting the flow of air under suction through said intake port into said housing, said deflection means comprising a flexible closure member fully closing off said posterior port of said nozzle, said closure member being sufficiently flexible to deflect away from said posterior port under vacuum forces to open said posterior port, said closure member being oriented for direction of fluids transversely toward a central portion of said chamber; and wherein said closure member, upon a closing of said posterior port, secures said storage chamber against a spilling of liquid therefrom during erect and inclined orientations of said canister.

Claim 10

In a vacuum cleaner operative with a source of suction, the improvement comprising: a housing supporting the source of suction, said housing having an air intake port, and further comprising exhaust vents through which air, drawn in by the suction, is exhausted to the exterior of the housing; a canister removably securable to said air intake port of said housing, said canister including a nozzle having an anterior port through which air exits the nozzle and a posterior port through which air exits the nozzle said canister further including a storage chamber positioned alongside said posterior port and communicating with said posterior port for reception of fluids including air and liquid cleaning agents which may be drawn in by the suction, said canister being closed off at a front end thereof for holding said matter when said canister is in an erect position corresponding to a vertical orientation of the longitudinal axis of said nozzle; deflection means situated at an interface between said canister and said housing for deflecting the liquid into said storage chamber away from said intake port while permitting the flow of air under suction through said intake port into said housing, said deflection means comprising a flexible closure member fully closing off said posterior port of said nozzle, said closure member being sufficiently flexible to deflect away from said posterior port under vacuum forces to open said posterior port, said closure member being oriented for direction of fluids transversely toward a central portion of said chamber; and wherein said closure member, upon a closing of said posterior port, secures said storage chamber against a spilling of liquid therefrom during erect and inclined orientations of said canister.

Claim 11

A cleaner according to claim 1 wherein said deflection means includes a hood extending from a portion of said inftake port adjacent said posterior port to a site alongside said posterior port for the deflection of the liquid.

Claim 12

A cleaner according to claim 9 wherein said intake port is formed within a partition extending from a side of said housing to an edge of said intake port to block a passage of the liquid from said storage chamber into said housing.