Patent Application
20210282609
The embodiments described herein relate to attachments for a vacuum hose in general, and more specifically to a vacuum attachment in a welding and manufacturing environment.
In a manufacturing environment, the process of welding leaves welding debris on work pieces that may in turn affect the quality of further processes, such as painting or the application of specialized coatings. Welding debris may include weld spatter, weld balls, debark granules, polyphenylene (PPE) fibers, metallic and non-metallic dust and chips, and other types of debris ranging in size from 35 micrometers to 5 mm in size. The welding debris must be removed, and there is established a need to remove the welding debris in a controlled manner that prevents these small particles from being transferred to other parts of the work piece in the cleaning cycle.
In addition to welding debris, there is also established a need to remove particulate matter and other types of debris from work pieces in other locations of the manufacturing environment.
The features and advantages described in the specification are not all inclusive and, in particular, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter.
According to one aspect, a vacuum cleaning apparatus for removing debris from a work piece includes a vacuum source, a vacuum hose attached to the vacuum source, a vacuum receptacle for receiving debris through the vacuum hose, and a vacuum attachment attached to a distal end of the vacuum hose for engaging the work piece. The vacuum attachment includes a deck that extends radially outward from a central opening, the deck having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a neck extending from the top surface about the central opening, the distal end of the vacuum hose being attached to the neck, and the bottom surface engaging with the work piece from which debris is to be removed, and a stopper disposed in the central opening and neck of the deck.
According to another aspect, a vacuum attachment attached to a distal end of a vacuum hose of a vacuum cleaning apparatus includes a deck that extends radially outward from a central opening, the deck having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a neck extending from the top surface about the central opening, the distal end of the vacuum hose being attached to the neck, and the bottom surface engaging with a work piece from which debris is to be removed, and a stopper disposed in the central opening and neck of the deck.
According to yet another aspect, a vacuum attachment attached to a distal end of a vacuum hose of a vacuum cleaning apparatus includes a deck that extends radially outward from a central opening, the deck having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a neck extending from the top surface about the central opening, the distal end of the vacuum hose being attached to the neck, and the bottom surface engaging with a work piece from which debris is to be removed, a plurality of spacing elements extending from the bottom surface of the deck, and a stopper disposed in the central opening and neck of the deck. The stopper include a base portion received in the central opening of the deck, and an opening through which debris is capable of being received into the vacuum hose.
The figures depict various embodiments for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the embodiments described herein.
The work piece 14 may be any welded part produced or assembled in a manufacturing environment including, but not limited to, an automotive body or part, a replacement part, or any other welded part.
A neck 34 extends from the top surface 30 of the deck 26 about the central opening 28, and the distal end 24 of the vacuum hose 18 is received in the neck 34 and is the point of attachment to the vacuum cleaning apparatus 10. The neck 34 may be a solid cylindrical piece as illustrated, or alternatively, may be constructed of a flexible bellows or rotatable about a plurality of bearings.
The bottom surface 32 engages with the work piece 14 from which debris 12 is to be removed. The deck 26 is constructed from a flexible material, such as plastic, fabric, fiberglass, rubber, or a composite made of a plurality of materials. The flexibility of the deck 26 allows for a consistent gap to be maintained over contoured surfaces of the work piece 14. The flexible material of the deck 26 may be selected based upon a number of factors including, but not limited to, maximum bend angle, minimum bend radius, bending fatigue durability, chemical resistance, impact resistance, tear resistance, laceration resistance, abrasion resistance, temperature indifference, elasticity, manufacturability and cost, and service considerations.
The vacuum attachment 22 at the end of a vacuum hose 18, which includes the central opening 28 in which a stopper 40 is disposed at the center of a flexible deck 26, is suspended over debris 12 and dirty surfaces by a plurality of spacing elements 38. These spacing elements 38 serve to maintain a minimally small air gap between the deck 26 and the work piece 14 in order to maximize the air flow velocity around the target particles of debris 12. The spacing elements 38 extend from the bottom surface 32 of the deck 26, and may be approximately 5.0 mm in height, although they may extend up to 20 mm in certain applications related to capturing light debris. The height of the spacers may also be adjustable according to the need of the specific application. The spacing elements 38 may be generally rounded spacing elements 38a, essentially in the shape of a semi-circular sphere as illustrated in
In alternate embodiments, the spacing elements 38 may be constructed of assembled materials. For example, as illustrated in
The vacuum attachment 22 further includes a stopper 40 located in the central opening 28, illustrated in
The stopper 40 may be constructed as a separate part from the deck 26 and neck 34 and attached permanently or removably by adhesives, fasteners, and the like. Alternatively, the stopper 40 may be integrally formed or co-molded with the deck 26 and neck 34 of the vacuum attachment 22.
The stopper 40 may be configured according to a plurality of embodiments. The first primary embodiment of the stopper 40a is illustrated in
The second primary embodiment of the stopper 40b is illustrated in
The third primary embodiment of the stopper 40c is illustrated in
Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or to “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “an embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
In addition, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the embodiments, which is set forth in the claims.
While particular embodiments and applications have been illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein and that various modifications, changes, and variations may be made in the arrangement, operation, and details of the methods and apparatuses of the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments as defined in the appended claims.
