Filter assembly for a vacuum cleaner

1. A dirt filtering apparatus, comprising:

a lid member having an exit opening defined therethrough;

a sealing arrangement around the periphery of the lid member and adapted to engage a sidewall of a removable dirt cup;

a removable filter attached to the lid member in a covering relationship to the exit opening;

a removable screen support attached to the lid member and surrounding the filter member;

a horizontal opening defined through the screen support; and

a rigid screen element covering the horizontal opening and spaced apart from the filter element.

2. The dirt filtering apparatus of claim 1 , the filter further comprising:

a base plate;

sealing plate having a filter exit defined therethrough; and

vertically extending filter element having an upper edge bonded to the sealing plate and a lower edge bonded to the base plate.

3. The dirt filtering apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:

the base plate has a generally oval shape,

the sealing plate has a generally oval shape, and

the filter element follows an oval path.

4. The dirt filtering apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the filter element is pleated along the oval path.

5. The dirt filtering apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a latching member secured to the lid member; and

a catch defined in the screen support, wherein:

the screen support is attached to the lid member when the latching member engages the catch, and

the screen support may be removed from the lid member when the latching member is disengaged from the catch.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the filter

may be removed from the lid when the screen support is removed from the lid.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:

a number of support tabs positioned on the screen support proximate to the horizontal openings, wherein:

a gap is formed between the base plate of the filter and the screen support by the support tabs.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:

an airflow enters the apparatus via the horizontal opening,

the airflow travels radial outwardly through the gap,

the airflow enters the filter via the filter element, and

the airflow exits the filter exit and exit opening.

9. An upright vacuum cleaner, comprising:

carpet engaging nozzle base;

an upper housing pivotally connected to the nozzle base;

a dirt cup removably secured to the upper housing;

a lid member having an exit opening defined therethrough;

a sealing arrangement around the periphery of the lid member and adapted to engage a sidewall of the removable dirt cup;

a removable filter attached to the lid member in a covering relationship to the exit opening;

a removable screen support attached to the lid member and surrounding the filter member;

a horizontal opening defined through the screen support; and

a rigid screen element covering the horizontal opening and spaced apart from the filter element.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , the filter further comprising:

a base plate;

a sealing plate having a filter exit defined therethrough; and

a vertically extending filter element having an upper edge bonded to the sealing plate and a lower edge bonded to the base plate.

11. The dirt filtering apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:

the base plate has a generally oval shape,

the sealing plate has a generally oval shape, and

the filter element follows an oval path.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the filter element is pleated along the oval path.

13. The dirt filtering apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:

a latching member secured to the lid member; and

a catch defined in the screen support, wherein:

the screen support is attached to the lid member when the latching member engages the catch, and

the screen support may be removed from the lid member when the latching member is disengaged from the catch.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein:

the screen support may be removed from the lid when the lid is removed from the dirt cup, and

the filter may be removed from the lid when the screen support is removed from the lid.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

a number of support tabs positioned on the screen support proximate to the horizontal openings, wherein:

a gap is formed between the base plate of the filter and the screen support by the support tabs.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:

an airflow enters the apparatus via the horizontal openings,

the airflow travels radial outwardly through the gap,

the airflow enters the filter via the filter element, and

the airflow exits the filter and dirt cup through the exit opening of the lid.

17. A method of operating a filter assembly,

comprising the steps of:

attaching a filter member to a lid member having an exit opening defined therethrough;

positioning a screen support about the filter member;

securing the screen support to the lid member;

positioning a horizontal rigid screen panel across an opening defined in the screen support: and

sealing the lid member to a side wall of a dirt cup.

18. The method of claim 17 , further including the step of latching the screen support the lid member.

19. The method of claim 17 , further including the step of unlatching the screen support from the lid.

20. The method of claim 18 , further including the step of detaching the filter from the lid.

21. The method of claim 17 , further including the step of spacing the screen support from the filter.