Vacuum cleaner

A vacuum cleaner construction comprising an upper housing and a lower housing,

• said upper housing including a side wall and a top dome, a bypass type blower motor having a fan chamber for generating working air, a working air inlet port and a working air outlet port, a lower motor support assembly and an upper motor support assembly, said lower motor support assembly including a lower mounting plate facing said lower housing;
• said upper housing further including a baffle ring extending between said upper and lower motor support assemblies and about said fan chamber and having a working air exhaust port;
• said side wall including a working air outlet aperture spaced 180.degree. from said baffle ring exhaust port,
• said fan chamber including a main bearing supporting a fan shaft, a sealing air fan mounted to said shaft, a sealing baffle ring about said fan shaft being spaced slightly from said fan shaft for air passage therebetween and further being spaced from said main bearing, said sealing baffle ring being generally contiguous to said sealing air fan, and a sealing air inlet port disposed apart from said working air inlet and outlet ports whereby upon operation of said sealing air fan said main bearing is air pressure sealed against the working air;
• said lower housing including a separator element and a bottom pan assembly mounted to a lower housing dolly assembly, said bottom pan assembly including a working air inlet aperture and an associated deflector, said separator element being generally interposed between said bottom pan assembly and said fan chamber;
• said upper housing and said lower housing including mating rim portions for sealing clamped engagements therebetween,
• whereby upon operation of said vacuum cleaner, noise from said motor, fan and separator is reduced, and said main bearing is protected against working air contaminants.