Blower apparatus and vacuum cleaner

A blower apparatus comprising:

• a motor including a shaft that extends along a central axis extending in a vertical direction, and a bearing that rotatably supports the shaft;
• an impeller coupled to the shaft on an upper end side of the shaft;
• an impeller housing that houses the impeller, and includes an air inlet on an upper side;
• a plurality of stationary vanes on a lower side of the impeller housing;
• a cylindrical first ring radially inside of the stationary vanes;
• and
• a cylindrical second ring radially outside of the stationary vanes, and fixed to the impeller housing;
• wherein
• the stationary vanes, the first ring, and the second ring are defined by a single monolithic member, and together define at least a portion of a stationary vane support portion;
• the first ring and the second ring include a tubular space defined therebetween, the tubular space being cylindrical;
• the tubular space includes an upper region and a lower region below the upper region;
• and
• a radial distance between an outer circumferential surface of the first ring and an inner circumferential surface of the second ring continuously decreases with decreasing height in the upper region, and continuously increases with decreasing height in the lower region.