Gas separation – Flexible or collapsible bag type – Seaming – reinforcing or bag structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-25
2002-04-30
Smith, Duane (Department: 1724)
Gas separation
Flexible or collapsible bag type
Seaming, reinforcing or bag structure
C055S382000, C055SDIG002, C156S510000, C156S513000, C156S514000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06379409
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to dust bags to be used primarily in vacuum cleaners. More particularly, the invention refers to dust bags provided with an intake opening for receiving a socket piece of a vacuum cleaner or the like. Further, the invention relates to methods of producing such dust bags.
Collection equipment for dust and similar materials, such as vacuum cleaners, requires the use of containers or bags for the material to be collected. These bags can consist of paper or any other filtration type material which on the one hand allows to collect the dust and dust-like material and on the other hand has a porosity sufficient for the fluid carrying the dust or dust-like material to penetrate through the walls of the filter-like material with a minimum pressure drop. The materials are well known to the artisan in the field.
Typically these dust bags are provided with a single intake opening through which the dust or dust-like material is to be transported and collected within the bag. For a number of reasons, this opening should preferably be reinforced by a suitable means. Most typically this is achieved through the use of a mounting means for mounting the dust bag at the socket piece. Such mounting means or so-called collars have an opening most typically of a circular form which practically corresponds to the opening within the bag. The collar is attached to the bag so that a sealing effect is obtained which prevents the fluid and the dust to pass through openings other than the openings of the dust bag and the collar. The collar consists of a relatively stable material, such as cardboard or plastic.
EP 0 179 950 describes a dust bag and especially methods for attaching a mounting means in a sealing manner by applying adhesive around the opening within the filter bag. The mounting means is designed to receive a socket piece from which dust is discharged and which can be passed through its opening so that the mounting means is slightly stretched and will be fastened in sealing abutment around the socket piece.
DE 28 06 305 describes a vacuum cleaner bag having a collar, and methods for manufacturing said bag. Also here a collar is sealingly attached to the bag through the use of an adhesive.
DE 24 16 079 describes a similar configuration in which dust bags are used that are folded in a special manner and are provided with an opening onto which the collar is attached, again through the use of an adhesive.
DE 23 10 160 relates to a method in which a hose consisting of the above described filter material is produced in a continuous process wherein pieces of this hose are cut off and their ends are folded and sealed in order to form a completely closed bag. On one side of this bag, an opening for sealing attachment of a collar therein is formed in one layer.
JP 8-38402 and JP 8-38403 relate to a so-called three-dimensional bag which has folded wall portions as e.g. illustrated in
FIG. 3
of JP 8-38402 which can be obtained from a four-sided bag with open ends wherein two opposing wall portions are folded inwardly. In one of the two others unfolded wall portions an opening is provided onto which a collar can be attached. The two ends are then closed and sealed. The dust bag is folded along a center line extending perpendicularly to the sealed ends through the collar and the opening therein and is formed in one of the wall portions. The collar may extend beyond one of the sealed ends.
In all of the known filter bag designs the opening is provided in one of the wall portions of the hose of the filter material established by the wall portions. This provision of the opening is rather complicated to manufacture. Filter bags of the described type are typically disposable items. Therefore, it is essential to minimize both the material consumption and the overall manufacturing cost.
It is an object of the invention to provide a dust bag and methods to produce dust bags in a simple manner requiring only few manufacturing steps. This object is solved by a dust bag according to claim
1
and by methods for manufacturing dust bags according to claims
11
and
14
.
According to the invention a dust bag for collecting dust-like material, particularly for vacuum cleaners, with at least two opposing wall portions of filter material and with an intake opening is provided, wherein the two wall portions are connected to each other and define an outer edge of the dust bag; the wall portions each have a recess which is open to the outer edge; the recesses of the wall portions are identical in shape and size and opposed to each other in the overlaying state of the wall portions, and the two recesses of the wall portions form the intake opening.
According to the invention, the dust bag comprises at least two wall portions of filter material which in an overlaying state are opposed to each other. The two opposing wall portions are connected to each other at one outer edge of the dust bag. Each wall portion has a recess that is open to the aforementioned edge. The two recesses are identical in shape and size and opposed to each other in the overlaying state. When using the dust bag, the dust bag is unfolded from its overlaying state into an unfolded state. In this state, the two recesses form the intake opening for receiving the socket piece. The remaining edges of the dust bag are also connected to each other. The edges are obtained by connecting two adjacent wall portions and/or by folding the wall portions.
The wall portions of the dust bag according to the invention can be made from a filtering material selected from the group comprising paper, synthetic material, nonwoven material, in particular of recyclable polypropylene, as known to someone skilled in the art.
Since the recesses are opposed to each other in the overlaying state, they can be cut into the wall portions within one manufacturing step. Each recess forms a half of the intake opening.
Preferably, the intake opening of the dust bag is surrounded by a mounting means for mounting the dust bag to the socket piece. By insertion of the socket piece into and through the intake opening of the dust bag, the mounting means due to its dimensions can be frictionally seated, thus fixing the dust bag sealingly to the socket piece. According to the invention, the mounting means comprises at least two mounting elements. Each element is fixed to one of the two opposing wall portions and arranged adjacent to the common edge of the two wall portions. Thus, the mounting elements are opposed to each other in -the overlaying state. In the unfolded state of the dust bag, the mounting elements are arranged in one plane and form the so-called collar. A sealing element may be arranged e.g. by adherence at the inner edge of the collar for sealing the mounting element to the socket piece.
In a preferred embodiment of the dust bag, the two mounting elements are flexibly connected to each other. The two mounting elements are connected e.g. via a thin foil. Preferably, the two mounting elements are connected via a spacer element. The spacer element has a width corresponding to the thickness of the wall portions being arranged between the mounting elements in the overlaying state. Thus, the dust bag is relatively flat in the overlaying state and can be stored easily. The spacer element is flexibly connected to each of the two mounting elements.
The mounting means can be made of one piece. To provide a mounting means having two flexibly connected mounting elements, the one-pieced mounting means can be cut along a symmetry axis wherein the depth of the cut is less than the thickness of the mounting means. Another possibility to manufacture a mounting means out of one piece having two flexibly connected mounting elements is to perforate the mounting means along the symmetry axis. This symmetry axis is in alignment with the common edge of the two wall portions. In both cases described above the one-piece mounting means is provided with a line of weakness and/or a living hinge to facilitate flexibility of the integral connection of the two mounting elements.
If the two
3M Innovative Properties Company
Bond William J.
Griswold Gary L.
Pham Minh-Chau T.
Smith Duane
LandOfFree
Dust bag does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Dust bag, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Dust bag will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2884704