Wet/dry utility vacuum cleaner with detachable blower

A wet/dry utility vacuum cleaner including:

• a vacuum cleaner drum having a bottom wall, a sidewall and an enlarged rim surrounding an open upper end;
• a lid detachably mounted to the enlarged rim and extending across the open upper end of the vacuum cleaner drum, said lid including a releasable lid latch for engaging the enlarged rim of said drum, said releasable lid latch being pivotally mounted to said lid and including a releasable locking element for engaging the enlarged rim and a finger gripping section for convenient one-handed engagement or disengagement of the releasable lid latch to the enlarged rim of the drum;
• a depression within said lid and an opening in said depression that communicates with said drum;
• a filter element mounted below said depression within said drum and surrounding the opening in the depression;
• a motor powered blower at least partially received within said depression and detachably mounted to said lid for independent operation separate from said drum, said blower including an intake port for drawing air through said filter element and an exhaust port spaced from said intake port for exhausting air from said drum;
• and
• said lid having a circumferential sealing shoulder surrounding said depression which engages a complementary shaped circumferential shoulder provided on said blower in order to seal the blower relative to said lid when the blower is detachably mounted to said lid.

A wet/dry utility vacuum cleaner, including:

• a vacuum cleaner drum having a bottom wall, a side wall and an enlarged rim surrounding an open upper end;
• a lid extending across the open upper end of said drum and including a depression for receiving a motor powered blower;
• said lid including a releasable lid latch for releasably engaging the enlarged rim of said drum;
• said releasable lid latch being constructed for convenient one-handed engagement or disengagement of said releasable lid latch for corresponding engagement or removal of said lid relative to said drum;
• said blower including a blower housing that is detachably mounted in said depression, said blower housing having an integral U-shaped handle extending from one end;
• a finger engageable/disengageable releasable blower latch attached to said lid for engaging said blower housing;
• and
• said releasable blower latch being mounted in proximity to the U-shaped handle of said blower housing in order to enable a user to both grip the U-shaped handle and with one finger engage or disengage the releasable blower latch for removal or replacement of the detachable blower relative to the depression in the lid.