Patent 8032983 was granted and assigned to Bissell Homecare, Inc. on October, 2011 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A latching mechanism for the dust cup assembly on a bottom exit cyclone-separator vacuum cleaner, including a non-rotating annular seal member supporting the dust cup assembly above a discharge outlet, and a U-shaped slide lock member movable in and out underneath the dust cup assembly to raise and lower the seal member, thus raising and lower the dust cup assembly into and out of engagement with a cyclone separator chamber.