AU733932B2 - Filtering accessory and device for vacuum cleaner and vacuum cleaner equipped with same - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a connection tube for vacuum cleaner, in particular for domestic use, characterised in that it consists of a tube (4) comprising a first end (21) capable of being substantially sealingly secured by a fixing means (3) to a support (1) comprising an opening (23) and designed for a substantially sealed connection with the filler pipe (14), and a second end (22) on which is fitted a connecting means (5) to co-operate removably with a linkage means (7) mounted around a filler neck (49) of a dust bag (6).

Description

wo 97/49325 PCT/FR97/01152 FILTERING ACCESSORY AND DEVICE FOR VACUUM CLEANER AND VACUUM CLEANER EQUIPPED WITH SAME TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the field of vacuum cleaners of the trailing or barrel type, or more generally to any suction device intended for cleaning.

The present invention concerns specific means permitting adaptation of a filter intended to collect the dust in a vacuum cleaner.

PRIOR ART In the state of the art, apparatus called vacuum cleaners are known which are equipped with a suction turbine and which have a hose fitted with a cleaning tool that operates on dust by suction. The hose is detachable and possesses one end of tubular form that is suited to being connected on to an opening of the vacuum cleaner itself.

The hose and the turbine are linked by a dust filter. The opening of the vacuum cleaner intended to be connected with the hose is linked to the dust filter.

The dust filter is, for example, made up from a paper bag fitted with a cardboard or paper collar and which is inserted by the user in the dust filter receptacle of the vacuum cleaner. The dust filter lets through the air aspirated by the turbine and includes an orifice fitted with a valve. This lets the dust aspirated from the cleaning tool and which has passed through the tube of the vacuum cleaner toward the dust filter enter into the paper bag.

WO 97/49325 PCT/FR97/01152 When the paper bag is full, the user must take it out and throw it away, and replace it by an identical bag. Now, depending on the brand and the model of the vacuum cleaner, the paper bags differ in shape as well as in the means of attaching to the vacuum cleaner itself.

As a result, the makers of vacuum cleaners often conceive new forms of filters adapted to their new model. There results an additional design cost.

Furthermore, the makers of vacuum cleaners must subsequently manage numerous lines of dust filters and/or paper bags, and must keep them available to their customers for considerable periods. This makes it difficult to manage and maintain these stocks.

Furthermore, retailers are faced with the difficulty of having to maintain stocks of a considerable number of dust filters for each brand and each model on the market, so as to be able to satisfy the demands of their customers. Obviously, such a situation is very rarely found. As a result, customers find it difficult to obtain what they require.

And finally, the user always runs the risk of provisioning himself with exchange filters that are not suited to his vacuum cleaner. This causes expenses and unnecessary hassles.

FR-1 071 345 describes a vacuum cleaner having a filler tube and a receptacle for a dust bag. The dust bag includes a filling orifice equipped with a detachable connection means for the filler hose, such as a threaded ring that is integral with the bag around the filling orifice.

Certain models of vacuum cleaner are designed not to operate unless they discern certain types of filter. This is the case, ppy in particular, when the dust bag is mounted on a collar. In this -3case the vacuum cleaner may include a make-and-break device or an inhibitor device which prevents its operation (prevents it from being started) while the collar fitted to the dust bag is not properly inserted. Such safety [device] prevents suction into the receptacle of the dust bag when the latter isn't installed.

It is known from EP- 0 107 785 how to implement a dust bag for a vacuum cleaner that includes a filling orifice around which are placed adhesives which allow the bag to be combined with a paper collar.

This implementation has the advantage of allowing the bag to be used with any type of vacuum cleaner since it needs only to be combined with a paper collar that is appropriate for the vacuum cleaner.

This implementation however suffers from many disadvantages. Replacement of a bag filled with dust with a new bag requires ripping off the adhesive, which contributes to a degradation of the surface of the collar if the adhesive is removed from the collar at i each change of bag, or it leaves a layer of adhesive on the collar which is irregular and S 15 thus hardly suited to yield a good seal.

It follows that this implementation is unsatisfactory.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION :The object of the invention therefore is to ameliorate the above-mentioned 20 disadvantages and to allow the user to provision himself with dust filters specifically designed for the vacuum cleaner he uses.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a linkage accessory for a vacuum cleaner having a support, the support having an orifice for providing a substantially airtight connection with a filling tube of the vacuum cleaner, said linkage accessory comprising: [I:\DAYLIB\LBE]2802.doc:avc a linkage tube having a first end and a second end; and a fixing means for providing a substantially airtight and permanent integration between the support and said first end of said linkage tube; wherein said second end is arranged to provide detachable engagement with a linkage means fitted around a filling orifice of a dust bag.

Thus the user can fit the linkage tube to a support, for example a paper collar, connect a dust bag to it and install the dust filter so made up in the vacuum cleaner.

When the dust bag is full, the user can dispose of the bag and replace it with a new bag.

The connection means of the linkage tube allow the same linkage tube to be employed with the bags that are used in succession. The fixing means allows the linkage tube to be integrated with the support.

The aims of the invention are equally achieved with a filter element including a linkage tube according to the invention.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of the present invention become more easily apparent by reading the following description while referring to the Figures, attached by way of examples, and in which: Fig. 1 shows a sectional view of part of a vacuum cleaner equipped with a filter o device; Fig. 2 shows a sectional view of part of another vacuum cleaner equipped with a S filter device; Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of part of another vacuum cleaner equipped with a filter device; [I:\DAYLB\LIBE]2802.doc:avc 5 Fig. 4 shows a first embodiment of a linkage tube; Fig. 5 shows a second embodiment of a linkage tube; Figs. 6, 7 show two schematic perspective views of embodiments of the dust bag of a filter device; Fig. 8 shows a schematic perspective view of a dust bag with collar according to the state of the art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The linkage tube 4 is intended to be utilised with a dust bag 6 to implement a So 10 universal filter device useable in the majority of vacuum cleaners. A vacuum cleaner includes a receptacle 13 intended to receive the dust bag 6 and a filler tube 14, as is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The receptacle 13 of the vacuum cleaner includes a filler tube 14 of the dust bag 6 with a diameter and length that vary according to the models. Sometimes it consists of Is a simple flange. It serves to transfer the stream of air, aspirated by the turbine of the vacuum cleaner and laden with dust taken up by the wand of the vacuum cleaner, toward the dust bag 6.

Most of the disposable dust filters used in vacuum cleaners are made up of a paper bag mounted on a paper collar.

In Fig. 8, a state-of-the-art vacuum cleaner is shown in exploded perspective view: it includes a bag 77 made of paper and with one end 74 is glued to a paper collar having a central hole 73. The paper collar is generally made from relatively soft cardboard that is glued to a bag made from folded paper. The latter, being glued in the area 75 around the filing orifice 76 delimited by dash-dot lines and the edge of the [R:\LIE]2802.doc:bfd -6filling orifice 76 is fitted to the back side of the collar 70 and constitutes, together with the paper collar, a traditional dust filter.

The accessory consists of a linkage tube 4 having a first end 21 capable of being integrated, in an about airtight manner, with a support 1 by a fixing means 3; and a second end 22 on which is arranged a connection means 5 intended to detachably engage with a linkage means 7 fitted around a filling orifice 49 of a dust bag 6. The first end 21 of the tube 4 advantageously possesses a flange 24.

Support 1 has an orifice 23 and is designed for an about airtight connection to the filler hose 14.

o As is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the support 1 consists of a paper collar. As has been pointed out in the preamble, several types of vacuum cleaners must detect the presence of a dust bag by the placement of a paper collar in order to operate. The collar is fitted in the receptacle 13 in such a way that an about airtight connection is achieved with the filling tube 14.

Is5 According to another manner of implementation, the vacuum cleaner does not require the paper collar for operation. As shown by way of example in Fig. 3, the support 1 consists of an interior wall of the receptacle 13 into which opens the orifice 23.

The filling tube 14 is detachable from the receptacle 13, as is shown in Fig. 2.

According to another manner of implementation, shown in Figs. 1 and 3, filling tube 14 is integral with the receptacle 13. The filling tube 14 shown in Fig. 1 protrudes into the interior of the receptacle 13. The filling tube 14 shown in Fig. 3 simply opens in the wall of receptacle 13 by way of the orifice 23.

The vacuum cleaner can quite obviously possess a support 1 consisting of a collar and a filling tube 14 integral with the receptacle 13, or a support 1 consisting of an interior wall of the receptacle 13 and a filling tube 14 that is detachable from receptacle [R:\LIBE]2802.doc:bfd -7- 13. According to the types of vacuum cleaners, the lengths and the diameters of the filling tube vary.

The linkage tube 4 and the dust bag 6 make up a filter element that is useable with most types of vacuum cleaners.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, receptacle 13 of the vacuum cleaner is shown partially in section, the linkage tube 4 and the dust filter 6 being viewed also in section and in part.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the receptacle has received the filter element, fixed on to the paper collar that forms support 1, the collar having been copied from a filter recommended by the maker of the vacuum cleaner. One will note that this arrangement 10 permits to keep the attached devices, such as particularly a check valve which would have been fitted to the original collar.

"Once fitted, the dust filter with collar thus consists of the collar 1 attached to a linkage tube 4 by a fixing means 2, and a universal dust bag 6 [attached] by way of a linkage means 7.

o*o9 oo o 15 According to one manner of implementation, the fixing means 3 consists of an ••co adhesive means, as is shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

9The adhesive means is advantageously arranged on the first end 21 of tube 4.

The user thus has at his disposal a linkage tube that is ready to be fitted to support 1.

[R:\LIBE]2802.doc:bfd WO 97/49325 PCT/FR97/01152 Preferably, the adhesive means consists of a two-sided adhesive ring that is well-known to the trade.

The two-sided adhesive ring possesses a first layer of glue, used to initially glue the circle to the first end 21 of the linkage tube 4. The ring then has a circular support implemented in micro-porous foam which on the one hand serves to support the layers of adhesive glue and on the other hand permits to compensate for the irregularities of the surface to which the linkage tube will be glued. Following this, the ring possesses a second layer of glue, protected by a film that can be peeled off by the user and which is intended to permanently integrate the linkage tube 4 with the appropriate face of the collar or the support 1. The two-sided adhesive ring must effectively be made up in such a way that it: 1. resists pulling forces and/or shearing forces applied during the connection of the linkage tube with the bag; 2. even out the differences in level produced when fibres are torn from the surface of the collar during the removal of the original bag; 3. resist the vacuum moment of suction.

These requirements are met by a foam substrate of 2mm to thickness.

According to an implementation variant, the adhesive means consists of a layer of glue.

According to another manner of implementation, not shown in the figures, the fixation means is constituted by at least one sucker.

According to another mode of implementation, also not shown in 7 E>the figures, the fixing means includes mechanical elements such as fasteners or rivets going through flange 24 of tube 4 as well as support I. It is advantageous to provide a joint between the end 21 of tube 4 and support 1 to ensure sealing of the assembly.

Fig. 6 shows an implementation of a dust bag used in the filter device. The dust bag is made from a soft textile material such as a non-woven textile and particularly of polypropylene. The material is laminated in sheet form shaped into a closed bag having a filling orifice.

io In one implementation, the bag consists of two joined sheets and 41 made of the above-mentioned material. The sheets have a circular form and their periphery forms edges 42 and 43. They are joined by welding, particularly by ultra-sound, glueing or sewing in the edge areas 42 and 43.

The one sheet 40 has a filling orifice 49 through which the dust-laden air aspirated by the vacuum cleaner traverses the :e dust bag.

In a preferred manner of implementation the linkage means 7 between the dust bag 6 and the linkage tube 4 is a detachable '0 linkage means. In preference, it consists of a ring 44 having a 'quarter-turn' thread which acts conjointly with an external thread of the linkage tube 4 that forms the detachable connection means As shown in Fig. the detachable linkage means 7 possesses an annular ring 44 the inner bore 45 of which carries thread sections 4-6 and 47, so as to constitute a 'quarter-turn' nut.

The ring is designed to be welded, particularly by ultrasound, or glued around the filling orifice 49 in the region 48.

Another way of implementing a dust bag of the filter device 1 lis shown in Fig. 7. The dust bag of Fig. 7 is made up from sheets in the form of polygons, with a hexagon [being] preferred. The filling orifice 50 may be eccentrically located in relation to the centre of the sheet.

In the embodiment of Fig. two sheets are glued edge to edge along rectilinear edges such as the edge 51, in the way described for the regions 42 and 43 of the bag in Fig. 6.

In preference, the material is made up of two or three layers.

The first layer, arranged toward the interior of the bag, is implemented, as has already been described, in synthetic 3 material, for example polypropylene. The second layer is implemented in a fibrous material. One selects a material made up from micro-fibres which retain the finest dust particles. The exterior layer of synthetic material is chosen so as to lend firmness to the dust bag, [and] suppleness so as to permit it to take up the entire receptacle of the vacuum cleaner during suction. Advantageously, a third, internal, layer is added to stop the biggest dust particles and [thus] avoid rapid clogging eeoe of the inner layer.

S Other shapes or other materials can be envisaged which would satisfy the same criteria cited above. In particular, the dust bag may be implemented from a single sheet the edges of which are linked by an annular bond. Similarly, the annular ring 44 may be realised directly on the periphery of the filling orifice by implementing a local hardening of the sheet of non-woven textile, by heating it locally or by adding matter.

The hexagonal form of the sheets in Fig. 7 permits to minimise cutting waste when the sheets cut to implement dust bags are taken from one or two rolls. In fact, cutting can take place edge to edge for most of the cut from a rectangular web, except on the edges of the 'Yqejt .yd on the cut orifice.

The arrangement of the integration of the two sheets that make up the dust bag cooperates with the suppleness of the non-woven textile as well as the revolute form of the bag so that the maximum of the available volume in the receptacle is always occupied by the bag when it fills up. One avoids in this way one of the disadvantages of folded paper bags which must possess a carefully calculated geometry to adapt themselves to the form of the receptacle 13 of the vacuum cleaner for which they are intended.

Advantageously, the ring 44 that constitutes the connection means 7 is permanently integrated with the dust bag 6, as has been explained with reference to Figs. 6 and 7.

In Fig. 4, a schematic sectional view is shown of a first manner of implementation of the linkage tube 4. The tube 4 possesses ioo the form of a hollow cylinder the end 22 of which, having an S orifice 15, is intended to be coupled to the filling orifice of the dust bag. The orifice of the universal dust bag of the filterdevice is always the same.

SBecause of this, all linkage tubes of the replacement kits possess an end 22 intended to be coupled to the dust bag orifice of the same diameter. In Fig. 4 S the linkage tube is of a type intended to "shrink" the diameter of the filling orifice of the bag, so as to adapt it to a filling tube of smaller diameter. To achieve this, the end 21 having an orifice 16 is equipped with an annular shoulder in the plane that is perpendicular to the axis of cylinder 4, so that the inlet diameter of orifice 16 is smaller than the outlet diameter of orifice 15 towards the dust bag.

Connection means 5 is for example formed by a thread applied in the form of a helicoidal groove on the outer face of end 22 of linkage tube 4, intended to engage with thread 45 of ring 44.

WO 97/49325 PCT/FR97/01152 In Fig. 5, another type of linkage tube is shown in which end 21 having an orifice 17, intended to be coupled to filling tube 14, and in relationship with support 1, has a larger diameter that that of outlet orifice 15. The linkage tube 4 of Fig. 5 is called "diameter enlarger". This situation can Le necessitated, in particular, when filling tube 14 in the receptacle for the dust filter, inside the vacuum cleaner, has a larger diameter than that of orifice 49 of the dust bag.

For this reason tube 4 is advantageously made up from two cylindrical sections: the first cylindrical section linked to the inlet orifice 17 possesses a shoulder in the form of a ring that borders orifice 17 in such a way that linkage tube 4 can adapt to collars with a large-diameter orifice; the second cylindrical section linked to outlet orifice possesses always the same diameter, no matter which vacuum cleaner or collar is contemplated; and the two cylindrical sections are connected by a linkage section 18 that serves to adapt the diameters.

In the same way, the lengths of the different filling tubes 14, depending on the models of vacuum cleaners, can be adapted by linkage tubes 4 of different lengths, and in particular, although this has not been described here, by the joining of several linkage tubes.

A number of "enlarging" or "reducing" linkage tubes 4, as well as length adapters for filling tubes, make up a universal fitting kit or replacement kit for dust filters.

The invention is utilised in the following manner: wo 97/49325 13 PCT/FR97/01 1 52 When the paper collar is indispensable to the operation of the vacuum cleaner, the user removes from the receptacle of the vacuum cleaner the original dust filter that needs replacing because it is full of dust. Instead of disposing of it at once, the user now takes off the collar of this dust filter which, as we recall, is simply glued to the paper bag [now] full of dust.

Then he gets himself a universal dust filter mounting kit which basically includes a number of linkage tubes.

3 Having taken off the paper collar, the user disposes of the old dust filter without its collar, and compares the latter against the set up tubes of the mounting kit, to select the one suited S by length and diameter to the filling tube 14 in the receptacle of the vacuum cleaner.

He assembles linkage tube 4 on a suitable face of the saved collar, in such a way that the orifices 16 or 17 of the linkage tube 4 and [orifice] 23 of the collar correspond to each other.

The suitable face of the collar which is to receive the lnkage tube is by necessity the one which carried the old dust bag of S the original filter, since the cutouts or asymmetries of the collar, as the case may be, determine its orientation.

All that remains for the user to do is to fit the universal dust bag .6 to the standard orifice 15 of the linkage tube 4.

The filter device can now be inserted into the receptacle of the vacuum cleaner which, receiving once again a filter having a paper collar, can operate normally.

If the collar is not indispensable to the operation of the vacuum cleaner, or if the bags usually used in the machine do 111 T 0t possess a collar, *the user fits the end 21 of the linkage WO 97/49325 PCT/FR97/01152 tube 4 directly to the support 1 around the orifice 23, using fixing means 3.

Later, when the universal dust bag 6 is full of dust, one only needs to purchase again an exchange set made up of universal dust bags 6 to be fitted to the linkage tube 4. Linkage tube 4 may remain fixed to the support i. Advantageously, linkage tube 4 is fitted permanently on to support i. The user thus in fact no longer needs to remove said tube, since it is sufficient to replace the bag 6, for example when it is full, rather than the universal filter device.

Any vacuum cleaner fitted with a linkage tube 4 from a universal dust filter kit can use a universal dust bag 6.

The present invention has been described for illustration only by the examples of embodiment in the drawings.

POSSIBLE INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION The invention finds its application in the technical field of vacuuming devices intended for cleaning.

Claims (7)

1. A linkage accessory for a vacuum cleaner having a support, the support having an orifice for providing a substantially airtight connection with a filling tube of the vacuum cleaner, said linkage accessory comprising: a linkage tube having a first end and a second end; and a fixing means for providing a substantially airtight and permanent integration between the support and said first end of said linkage tube; wherein said second end is arranged to provide detachable engagement with a 1o linkage means fitted around a filling orifice of a dust bag. A linkage accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first end of said tube possesses a flange. oooo S 15s 3. A linkage accessory as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein said fixing means consists of an adhesive means. A linkage accessory as claimed in claim 3, wherein said adhesive means :is arranged on said first end of said linkage tube. A linkage accessory as claimed in claims 3 or 4, wherein the adhesive means is a two-sided adhesive ring.

6. A linkage accessory as claimed in claim 5, wherein the adhesive ring possesses a substrate of micro-porous foam. [I:\DAYLIB\LIBE]2802.doc:avc -16-

7. A linkage accessory as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein said fixing means includes mechanical elements including staples or rivets.

8. A linkage accessory as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said linkage tube is co-operable with a collar that is specific to a given vacuum cleaner, said collar forming the support.

9. A linkage accessory as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said linkage tube comprises a diameter-reducing section or a diameter-enlarging section and/or a length-adaptation section designed so that the filling tube can be inserted into said .i linkage tube. a a oi 10. A dust filtering device for a vacuum cleaner, the dust filtering device 15 including a linkage accessory as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, and a dust bag having a linkage means fitted around a filling orifice.

11. A dust filtering device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the dust bag is implemented with at least one sheet of a supple, non-woven textile material, such as 20 polypropylene.

12. A dust filtering device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the dust bag is made up from the edge-to-edge integration of at least two sheets, of which one is equipped with the filling orifice, the integration being implemented by way of sewing, glueing or ultrasound welding. [I:\DAYLIB\LIBE]2802.doc:avc