Claims
- 1. In an upright vacuum clearer having an outer permanent filter bag and an inner disposable filter bag assembly, a rigid connector in the permanent bag having an inlet for receiving dirty air from the suction fan and an outlet for delivering dirty air to the disposable bag, the connector having an el-shaped circular tube structure including an end portion forming the outlet, the end portion having an end face, a pair of diametrically opposed projections extending radially outwardly from the tube end portion at a zone axially inward from its end, a flange extending radially outward from the periphery of the tube element at a zone axially inward of the zone of the projections, the disposable bag assembly including a relatively rigid mounting collar and a closed bag having walls of foldable porous sheet material surrounding an interior, a mouth opening in a wall of the bag, the mounting collar being permanently attached around the mouth of the bag, the collar including surfaces facing towards bag interior, an adaptor formed separately of the connector and the bag assembly for coupling the bag assembly to the connector, the adaptor having gripping means for engaging surface areas of the bag assembly and connector, the adaptor including gripping means disposed on a side of the collar away from the flange, the bag mouth being coupled to the outlet, the connector being arranged to retain the bag mouth in coupled relation to the outlet by resisting air pressure forces tending to separate the bag assembly from the outlet, the adaptor sustaining air pressure forces at surfaces of the connector and the bag assembly.
- 2. An adaptor for retaining a disposable bag on a dirty air connector of a vacuum cleaner, the connector having the general form of a tubular el with an inlet and a circular outlet nipple portion, the nipple portion having a pair of opposed projections formed on diametrically opposite sides and a flange on its periphery extending radially outward of the projections at a zone axially inward of the projections, the bag being formed of porous sheet material and being fully closed except for a mouth, a mounting collar permanently attached to the bag sheet material adjacent its mouth, the collar having opposite faces, one collar face facing towards the interior of the bag and the other face facing away from the interior of the bag, the adaptor having first gripping means originally engageable with the connector through manipulation by the user of such first gripping means, said first gripping means once engaged with said connector being self-sustaining without requiring supplemental fastening means, the adaptor having second gripping means originally engageable with the bag assembly through manipulation by the user of such second gripping means, said second gripping means being arranged to retain the bag assembly with its mouth in coupled relation to the connector outlet by sustaining air pressure forces on the bag assembly through a surface of the mounting collar facing towards the interior of the bag assembly.
- 3. A vacuum cleaner providing a connector through which dirt-laden air is discharged, said connector providing a generally cylindrical wall portion having an end, a disposable dust bag formed of air permeable material defining a dust collection chamber, an inlet in said dust bag, an outer filter bag for enclosing said dust bag and an adaptor means formed separately of said connector, said dust bag and said outer filter bag, for connecting said connector to said dust bag, said connector including engaging structure for interconnecting said connector with said adaptor means to form an assembly, said inlet having an opening therein proportioned to fit over a portion of said assembly, said adaptor means including bag engagement structure for coupling said adaptor means to said bag such that said connector is placed in fluid communication with said dust collection chamber through an inlet, and an elastomeric seal around said inlet providing a generally circular opening, said seal engaging a sealing surface defined on said assembly, said seal being in substantially airtight sealing engagement with said sealing surface of said assembly whereby said seal forms a substantially airtight seal between said dust bag and said connector when said adaptor means is coupled to said dust bag.
- 4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3 wherein said connector engaging structure comprises at least one peripheral, outwardly extending projection adjacent but axially spaced from said end.
- 5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3 wherein said connector engaging structure comprises peripherally spaced outwardly extending projections adjacent but axially spaced from said end.
- 6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5 wherein said adaptor means is rotatable relative to said connector form a mounting and removal position to an installed position in which portions of said adaptor means engage the sides of said projections remote from said end and said elastomeric seal extends over at least a portion of said projections.
- 7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5 wherein said adaptor means includes a projection engaging portion, said projection engaging portion operative to engage the sides of said projections remote from said end and said elastomeric seal extends over a sealing portion of said adaptor means.
- 8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7 wherein said projection engaging portion comprises a tubular member defining a projection gripping, inwardly directed flange, said gripping flange having an inner diameter dimensioned to be less than a diametrical spacing between a periphery of said projections such that portions of said gripping flange engage the sides of said projections, remote from said end when said connector is inserted into said tubular member.
- 9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7 wherein said projection engaging portion and said sealing portion of said adaptor means are both defined by a tubular member forming part of said adaptor means.
- 10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5 wherein said adaptor means includes slots dimensioned to loosely receive said projections of said connector such that when coupling said connector to said adaptor, said projections pass through said slots whereupon said connector is rotated relative to said adaptor to engage sides of said projections remote from said end.
- 11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 10 wherein said sealing surface is defined near said end of said connector.
- 12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3 wherein said engaging structure on said connector comprises a radially extending flange means adjacent but axially spaced from said end.
- 13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12 wherein said flange means comprises a continuous flange.
- 14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12 wherein said adaptor means includes an opening sized to receive a portion of said connector but smaller in dimension than a dimension of said flange means such that a surface of said flange means remote from said connector end abutably engages a surface on said adaptor means whereby said connector is held in its operative position with respect to said inlet.
- 15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14 wherein said opening comprises a longitudinal slot.
- 16. A vacuum cleaner providing a connector through which direct-laden air is discharged, said connector providing a generally cylindrical wall portion having an end and peripherally spaced outwardly extending projections adjacent said end, a flange means extending radially from said cylindrical wall portion, said flange means spaced axially from said end such that said projections are located intermediate said flange means and said end, said cylindrical wall portion defining a connector sealing surface, a disposable dust bag formed of permeable material defining a dust collection chamber, an inlet in said dust bag and a rigid collar means communicating with said inlet and having an opening therein proportioned to fit over said connector and said projections when in a mounting and removal position, said collar means being rotatable relative to said connector from said mounting and removal position to an installed position in which projection engaging portions of said collar means engage the sides of said projections remote from said end and a flange engaging portion of said collar means engages said flange means, and an elastomeric seal around said inlet providing a generally circular opening, said elastomeric seal engaging said sealing surface of said connector and extending over at least a portion of said projections, said seal being in substantially airtight sealing engagement with the sealing surface of said connector, whereby said seal forms a substantially airtight seal between said dust bag and said connector when said collar means is in said installed position, said seal resisting rotation of said collar means relative to said connector from said installed positions toward said mounting and removal positions.
- 17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16 wherein said collar means forms part of said dust bag.
- 18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16 wherein said collar means comprises an adaptor member removably engageable with said dust bag.
- 19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16 wherein said flange means is spaced axially inward from said projections at least a distance corresponding to a thickness of said projection engaging portions of said collar means.
- 20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19 wherein said flange means is circular.
- 21. A disposable vacuum cleaner dust bag comprising a porous sheet defining an elongated dust collection chamber adapted to be used in a vertical orientation with a larger elongated upright non-disposable cloth bag, an inlet adjacent an upper end of said chamber and remote from a lower end of said chamber, a substantially rigid collar means connected to said sheet around said inlet, said collar means providing a generally circular opening having at least one outwardly extending portion, a sealing element at said inlet, said collar means being adapted to be on a connector carried within the cloth bag, the connector having a cylindrical outlet portion including an end through which dirt ladened air is delivered by a vacuum cleaner and peripherally spaced outwardly extending projections and a flange means spaced axially inwardly from said projections, said collar means being adapted to be installed on and released from said connector when in a first position where said outwardly extending portion is aligned with one of said projections and being rotatable relative to said connector to an installed position in which said collar extends behind said projection and said outwardly extending portion is misaligned with said one projection to secure said collar on said connector, said collar means further defining a flange engaging portion which abuttably engages said flange means when said collar means is in said installed position, said sealing element being adapted to seal on the connector to prevent leakage of dirt-ladened air over the connector, the angular orientation of the outwardly extending portion of the collar opening being arranged such that when said collar is in said installed position, the elongated disposable bag chamber is adapted to be received within the elongated cloth bag in longitudinal vertical alignment therewith whereby unintended turning of the collar towards the first position on the connector and consequent release of the collar from the connector is resisted through confinement of the disposable bag chamber in its vertical orientation by the cloth bag.
- 22. The disposable vacuum cleaner dust bag of claim 21 wherein said collar means includes projection engaging portions having a thickness selected to correspond to spacing between said flange means and said projections.
- 23. The disposable vacuum cleaner dust bag of claim 21 wherein said collar means includes two outwardly extending portions.
- 24. A vacuum cleaner providing a connector through which dirt-laden air is discharged, said connector providing a generally cylindrical wall portion having an end, a disposable dust bag formed of air permeable material defining a dust collection chamber, an inlet in said dust bag and an adaptor means for connecting said connector to said dust bag, said connector including engaging structure for interconnecting said connector with said adaptor means to form an assembly, said connector engaging structure comprising peripherally spaced outwardly extending projections adjacent but axially spaced from said end, said inlet having an opening therein proportioned to fit over a portion of said assembly, said adaptor means including bag engagement structure for coupling said adaptor means to said bag such that said connector is placed in fluid communication with said dust collection chamber through said inlet, and an elastomeric seal around said inlet providing a generally circular opening, said seal engaging a sealing surface define don said assembly, said adaptor means being rotatable relative to said connector from a mounting and removal position to an installed position in which portions of said adaptor means engage the sides of said projections remote from said end and said elastomeric seal extends over at least a portion of said projections, said seal being in substantially airtight sealing engagement with said sealing surface of said assembly whereby said seal forms a substantially airtight seal between said dust bag and said connector when said adaptor means is coupled to said dust bag.
- 25. A vacuum cleaner providing a connector through which dirt-laden air is discharged, said connector providing a generally cylindrical wall portion having an end, a disposable dust bag formed of air permeable material defining a dust collection chamber, an inlet in said dust bag and an adaptor means for connecting said connector to said dust bag, said connector including engaging structure for interconnecting said connector with said adaptor means to form an assembly, said connector engaging structure comprising peripherally spaced outwardly extending projections adjacent but axially spaced from said end, said inlet having an opening therein proportioned to fit over a portion of said assembly, said adaptor means including bag engagement structure for coupling said adaptor means to said bag such that said connector is placed in fluid communication with said dust collection chamber through said inlet, and an elastomeric seal around said inlet providing a generally circular opening, said seal engaging a sealing surface defined on said assembly, said seal being in substantially airtight sealing engagement with said sealing surface of said assembly, said adaptor means including a projection engaging portion, said projection engaging portion operative to engage the sides of said projections remote from said end and said elastomeric seal extending over a sealing portion of said adaptor means whereby said seal forms a substantially airtight seal between said dust bag and said connector when said adaptor means is coupled to said dust bag.
- 26. The vacuum cleaner of claim 25 wherein said sealing portion of said adaptor means comprises a tubular member that defines a sealing surface by said elastomeric seal.
Parent Case Info
The application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/378,264, filed on July 11, 1989, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 208,735, filed on June 17, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,432.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Foreign Referenced Citations (6)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2649239 |
May 1978 |
DEX |
2840628 |
Mar 1979 |
DEX |
3403135 |
Aug 1985 |
DEX |
3407658 |
Sep 1985 |
DEX |
2407731 |
Jul 1979 |
FRX |
2119046 |
Nov 1983 |
GBX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (3)
Entry |
International Search Report for International Application No. PCT/US89/02650. |
Page 7 of a "Legend II", Use and Care Guide including front & back covers showing a publication date of 1984. |
Sample of prior Disposable Dust Bag. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
378264 |
Jul 1989 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
208735 |
Jun 1988 |
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