CA1335427C - Electric vacuum cleaner and filter bag - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric vacuum cleaner and the corresponding filter bag (7) which can be removed from a chamber (6) after opening and separating the socket connection and, in order to achieve easier, cleaner handling upon changing the filter bag, it proposes that the chamber (6) be separable by disengagement in the region of the shaft (14) after swinging separation from the filter bag (7).

Description

This is a division of our co-pending Canadian Patent Application No. 598,130 filed April 28th, 1989.
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner filter bag for an electric vacuum cleaner.
The changing of filter bags, including the removal of the full filter bag, requires some dexterity.
It is the object of the invention to improve an electric vacuum cleaner in a manner which is simple to manufacture, with respect to the handling thereof and, in particular, in such a manner that the clean, convenient removal of a full filter bag is possible.
Accordingly the present invention provides a vacuum cleaner filter bag comprising a bag body closed at one end; an end wall engaging with said body at a second end of said body opposite said one end; and wherein said end wall has an opening for the bag to serve as an air inlet to the bag; said end wall has grip notches and three tongues arranged in angular symmetry to the bag opening; and two of the tongues are arranged on a side edge of the bag opening and extend directly into the grip notches via oblique flanks of the tongues.
The subject matter of the invention will be explained in greater detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing, in which:
Fig. 1 is a view of a further developed version of the electric vacuum cleaner, with the swung-out position of the chamber containing the filter bag shown in dash-dot line, Fig. 2 shows the region of swing of this vacuum cleaner in closed position, partially broken away, Fig. 3 is a section along the line III-III of Fig. 2, the section being broken away only in part, Fig. 4 shows, greatly enlarged, the right-hand edge portion of Fig. 3, illustrating the cam engagement, Fig. 5 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 2 but in opened condition and approximately vertically stopped position of the intermediate support, Fig. 6 shows, greatly enlarged, the region of the socket with valve flap formed by the edge extrusion, Fig. 7 is a top view of Fig. 5, Fig. 8 is a top view of the edge portion of the apparatus, on the side of the swing shaft, Fig. 9 is a section along the line IX-IX of Fig. 8, Fig. 10 is a section along the line X-X of Fig. 8, illustrating the detent attachment position, r^- 26666-33D

Fig. 11 shows the position of the swing shaft in the condition of Fig. 7, Fig. 12 shows the position of readiness for removal, in which the chamber socket must still be swung slightly outward for the lifting out of the trap heads, so that the trap head assumes a congruent position to the radial slot above it, Fig. 13 iq a front view of the region of the swing shaft, Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the corresponding filter bag, and Fig. 15 i8 a section along the line XV-XV of Fig. 7.
The electric vacuum cleaner shown is designed as a hand-held apparatus. It has a housing l with a rod 2 at the top which has a handle 3 at it~ end. An on/off switch 4 is provided in the transition region between handle 3 and rod 2.
The connection of the electric cord is not shown.
The housing l is divided into a motor housing 5 and a chamber 6 above it to receive a filter bag 7. The motor fan has also not been shown in detail in the drawing.
The qide of the filter bag 7 facing the motor housing 5 is in communication via a socket V with the fan air duct 8.
The motor housing 5 passes on its bottom into a tube coupling 9 which establishes the air flow connection to a suctlon nozzle lO.
The suction nozzle lO can be a so-called suction-brush nozzle which has a brush roller in the mouth of the nozzle, the brush roller being placed in rotation by a separate drive.
The fan motor therefore operates in upward direction and consequently force~ the dust-laden air into the filter bag 7 arranged upside down above the motor housing S.
The entire crosq-section of the housing l is a long _3_ r~ 26666-33D

133~427 rectanqle with slightly bulging broad sides and similar narrow sideQ. Figure 1 shows the vacuum cleaner, seen from it~ broad slde.
The chamber 6, which receives the filter bag 7 of corre~ponding cross-section i9 formed by a textile bag 11 which i9 stiffened by a wire~basket and which passes on the bottom, i.e. on the side of the motor housing, into a stiffened edge in the form of a chamber socket 12. The stiffened textile bag 11 can be attached to this chamber socket 12 by means of releasable clip-plug connection. The plug-on region is stepped-down for this purpose. The step can be noted from Fig. 1. It permits a well-defined inner or outer attachment oE the textile bag. An inner plug attachment is preferred.
For the removal Oe the filter bag 7, the housing 1 can be swung open with practically total freeing of its cross-section, The swung-open position can be noted from Fig. 1 (shown there in dash-dot line)`and from Figs. 5 and 7. The swing shaft 14 which makes thi~ possible is located on one narrow side of the housing 1. Its bearing lugs on the chamber-socket side bear the reference number 15. These bearing lugs are located in the transition region between the narrow side and the broad side of the chamber 6. A
continuous bearing lug of the motor housing 5 extends between the two bearing lugs 15.
In the region of the parting joint between motor housing 5 and chamber 6 there is furthermore integrated an intermediate support T on which the filter bag 7 is seated.
The filter bag intermediate support ~ has a cross-section which is adapted to the cross-section of the housing but is set back from the wall of the housing so that in the coaxial position of motor housing S and chamber 6 shown in Fig. 1 it .~ 26666-33D

is s~bstantially completely blocked from view. Except for a small place for access, it is namely gripped by the projecting lower edge Oe the chamber socket 12 of the filter bag intermediate support T which is also attached in swingable manner, and swings around the same swlng shaft 14 as the filter-bag chamber 6. On the hinge side, the intermediate support T therefore also forms, in the same manner as the chamber socket 12, two bearing lugs provided here wlth the reference number 16.
The filter bag 7 which directly adjoins the intermediate support T has a bottom 17. Its general contour also corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the chamber socket 12 which for the supporting application in the region of the narrow sides of the bottom 17 forms one edge step 18 each on the inner wall. As a result of this, the bottom 17 cannot slide into the chamber 6 in the swung-open position of the apparatus. The bridge-like application of the bottom 17, on the other hand, results in a certain ability of the bottom to bend in the central region. The common swing shaft 14 of the chamber socket 12 and the filter-bag intermediate support T extends approximately at the level of the supporting edge step 18 of the filter-bag bottom 17. In the closed housing ~Fig. 2), the edge step grips over the top side of said bottom 17 so that it is not pushed off in upward direction upon the suction blowing. As already indicated, the lower side of the bottom 17 re.sts on the top side of the filter-bag intermediate support T. There results in this connection, in the regions of the narrow side of the bottom 17, a sort of clamping-jaw fastening between the chamber socket 12 and intermediate support T.

In this position, with the stepped-down, cylindrical mouth end 8' of the blower air duct 8 extends into the lower - i 26666-33D

1335~27 region of a socket 19. The latter protrudes above the top side of the filter-bag intermediate support T. The socket 19 i9 formed from the very start on the intermediate support T
and, passing through an opening 20 of corresponding cross-section in the filter-bag bottom 17, extends into the inside of the filter bag 7, sealing t,he edge.
In order to prevent sucked-in material falling back into the reglon of the motor housing S in view of the upside down position shown, the socket 19 is provided at its free end with a valve flap 21. The latter freely rests with the predominate part of its edge region on the end of the socket 19. It is flxed in position merely at the place designated 22, ~o that it lifts off under the action of the flow of air but returns into its closed position upon a reduction in the corre9ponding load on the bottom side. The valve flap 21 can be made as a separate part and be associated with the place 22 by means of a clip attachment; as an alternative there is of course the possibility oÇ forming it thereon in the case of correspondingly flexible material of the socket 19 of the filter-bag intermediate support T.
The socket 19 tapers toward its free end so that its introduction into the opening 20 has practically a centering effect.
As can further be noted from Fig. 2, the end edge is beveled. It extends downward in the direction of the swing shaft 14. A theoretical line extended in this direct~on intersect3 the swing shaft, The connection point 22 is located in the higher region of the end edge of the socket.
The socket 19 furthermore has advisedly a radial curvature with respect to the shaft 14. The intermediate support T has window-like openings between the base region of the socket 19 and the region on the side of the swing shaft.

~ 26666-33D

The arm of the frame on the hinge side has, in this connection, a larger width than the two arms of the frame facing the broad sidewall Oe the housing.
On its free end, the intermediate support T forms at its end there a freely accessible handle 24. It is an angular extension on the bottom side. This extension come~ from a reglon which is set back with respect to the end side 25 there. ~he corresponding leg extends vertically. The ad~oining, substantially horizontal leg extends back to the outer wall of the housing and terminates in the same plane as the latter. In the region of the handle there ls a hook detent device (not shown in detail) which can be actuated by a push button and secures the closed condition of the housing. The corresponding area of the motor housing 5 has a niche-like reces~ to receive the handle 24. The reces~ bears the reference number 26.
Upward-directed projections 27 extend also from the top side ~in the position shown in Fig. 4) in the region of the longer frame arms of the intermediate support. The pro~ectlons close grip openings 28 on the longer side edges of the fllter-bag bottom 17. ~oth grip openings 28 are beveled and open toward the corresponding inner wall of the chamber socket. In the open position of the housing 1, the filter bag can be conveniently grasped by a clamping grip around the central zone of the bottom 17 of the filter bag, which zone ha-~ been constricted in the manner of a wasp's waist, and then be lifted out of the chamber 6. The filter-bag intermediate support T is furthermore so associated and developed in this connection that it moves through a limited angle of swlng, i.e. it cannot pass into the 180 angle position of the chamber socket 12~ rather it remains in the position which lies approximately in or beyond the vertical - ~ 26666-33~

posltion E-E of the cross-sectional plane of the socket connection, so that the socket connection V is already beyond the bisector of the maximum region of swing of 180. In this position, there is sufficient free space for the filter bag 7 in order to pull it off from the intermediate support. The transfer into the position opposite the upside-down posltion, i.e. with the opening 20 pointing upward, takes place without it being possible for dust or larger particles to escape.
The filter bag can therefore be grasped conveniently and lifted out in the above-described manner or after removal of the chamber. The wall of the bag is not puched in. Its wall need not be touched upon its removal; any blowing out is eliminated. ~y stretching the bag a suction effect can at most be produced. The insertion of a new filter bag is possible ln very simple manner in the same way, since the chamber is open toward the top over its entire cross-section (see Pig. 1). It is therefore merely necessary now to swing the chamber 6 back into the position shown in solid line in Fig. 1, in which position the upper structure of the housing 1 compri~ing the chamber 6 is automatically locked on the motor housing 5. Upon this swinging-back movement, the opening 20 entraps the socket 19, or vice versa. Thi~ can take place in the vertical position of the filter-bag intermediate support T which is possibly still present by frictional engagement or else only when the intermediate support rests with its back again on the top side of the motor housing S. In the closed position, the projections 27 again fill the grip openings 2a practically completely, i.e.
to suoh an extent that no outward bulges in the non-woven type paper filter wall 31 can occur upon the inflating of the filter bag or else due to the weight of the filling.
In order to enlarge the grip openings 28 which lie _~_ .
133~27 opposite each other, the wall region 12' of the inner wall of the chamber socket 12, which lies in this direction and therefore points outward, is hollowed out somewhat.
For a foolproof attachment of the filter bag 7 in proper position, the bottom 17 of the latter ha~, in the region of the two narrow sides, orient~tion feature~ 32 which engage in mating feature~ 33 in the region of the inner wall of the chamber socket 12, The orientation features consist of trapezoidal projections on the narrow side of the plate-shaped body forming the bottom 17. In this way there i9 obtained a properly aligned positioning of opening 20 and the socket 19 before an improper attachment is noticed by a comlng together of the housing parts which does not permit closure. The facing longitudinal sides 27' of the pro~ections 27 are rounded transversely, which also serves properly to position the bottom 17. They act as guide surfaces on the corre~ponding rounded base of the recess of the grip openings 28. Tongues 31a, 32b and 32c are provided in addltion at symmetrical angles to the opening 20. The side-edge tongues 32b and 32c extend obliquely into the grip openings. They are covered on their top side with a foam material Sch which forms a sealing-ring zone of the hole 20.
The fold edges K of the wall (paper) of the filter bag held against the bottom side of the bottom 17 intersect the grip openings, and the tongues 32b and 32c extend over them.
The chamber or chamber socket 12 can be disengaged from the swing ~haft 14, In this way, it is possible to carry the chamber containing the full filter bag 7 conveniently to the garbage pail or the like. Furthermore, the chamber 6 and the textile bag 11 stiffened by a wire basket can be easily cleaned from time to time without the entire apparatus being attached to them.

The connection point on the chamber-socket side is a housing-like projection 12' formed thereon and extending into the reglon of the shaft 14, the projection extending pra¢tically in coincidence with the bearing lugs 15 fastened on the houslng and the journal-pin bearing lugs 16 of the filter-bag intermediate supp,ort T. The detent means are formed by pins 50 which are under spring action with respect to each other and in outward direction. The pins extend beyond the end surface of the projection 12'. This protruding section is developed as a beveled trap head 51.
The trap bevel bears the reference number 52. The trap heads 51 have a flattened cross-section and cooperate with the journal-pln bearing lugs 16 of the intermediate support T
which lle in front of them. Each of these bearing lugs 16 forms an outwardly open radial slot 53. The radial slot 53 widens outward in funnel shape. The funnel shape favors a centering on the shaft centerline but it also forms a run-on flan~ 54 which cor~responds to the angle of inclination of the trap bevel 52. The inverse end of the run-on flank 54 then contlnues into a blocking shoulder 55 transverse thereto, the back oE the trap bevel engaging under the shoulder in locking manner. The blocking shoulder 55 is the partial wall region of a receiving recess 56 for the trap head 51 of the journal-pin bearing lugs 16. The narrawest width of the radial slot 53 corresponds to the flattened width of the trap heads 51.
The disengagement is only possible in the swung-down position of the chamber socket 12 and with the support T
swung against the housing since the trap heads are then in the ready-eor-disengagement position, as shown in Fig 12. To be sure, in this position a further slight swinging of the chamber socket must be efEected, since a partial region of the top of the trap head 51 is still in slight blocking ~ 26666-33D

engagement with respect to the receiving recess 56. Once the proper position for disengagement has been assumed, the chamber socket need only be lifted upward. The trap bevel 52 which points upward in this position then runs over the blocking shoulder 55. For the engagement, the run-on flank 54 of the radlal slot 53 proyes useful. It guides the trap heads back against the force of the compression spring 57 acting on the pins 55.
The compression sprlng 57 is a helical compression sprlng .
The pins 50 are secured against rotation. For this purpose they are provided with longitudinal ribs 58 which en~age in longitudinal grooves 59 of corresponding contour in the recesse~ of the projections 12'. The inward directed ends of the pins 50 have stops so that the pins SO do not jump out of their housing despite the spring pressure.
In all other possible angular positions, the trap heads 51 assume a blocking position relative to the corresponding journal-pin bearing lugs 16.
A different development o~ the swing-limiting stop for the intermediate support T can be noted from Figs. 10 to 12, to the extent that the journal-pin bearing lugs 16 come against a shoulder 61 on the housing side by a radial stop projection 60.
The shaft 14 proper is formed by stub shafts 14' of the journal-pin bearing lugs 16, the stubs being formed in the back of the receiving recess 56 for the trap head 51. They extend into corresponding cavities in the bearing lugs 15 of the housing.
The receiving recess 56 is enlarged in the manner of a slot in the direction of the plane of extenslon of the intermediate support T.

.r ' ~ 1335427 A further feature of the intermediate support T
consists, in accordance with the version starting from Fig.
17, in providing the intermediate support T with an extrusion U. Thi~ extrusion consists of somewhat softer material than the intermediate support T. The extrusion extends at least on the edge side, so that not only is the narrow end edge of the plate-shaped intermediate support T covered but also the top and bottom sides oE the intermediate support. The flexlble material provides in this way an edge seal not only between the bottom 17 of the filter bag 7 but also with respect to the cover of the motor housing 5. Furthermore, the material of the extrusion U is also extended into the region oE the socket 19 of the intermediate support T, surrounding thi~ socket 19 in jacket-like manner. The corresponding change in the sides toward the top side of the intermediate support is provided by an edge perforation in the reglon of the base of the socket 19. The perforations are designated 63 and can be noted from Fig. 22. In the reglon of the base of the socket 19, facing the blower air duct 8 located there, the extrusion forms a sealing lip 64 which extends into the stepped-down blower air duct. The sealing llp 64 tapers in funnel-shape on the duct side.
The extrusion furthermore forms the above-described projection~ 27 which extend into the grip opening~ 28 of the bottom 17 of the filter bag. The relatively soft material has at the same time sufficient flexibility so that no forced coupling occurs. The projections 27 are formed of upwardly bent off wall section~ of the extrusion material ~rubber or plastic~, which wall sections have a curvature extending in longitudinal direction or else terminate only at their ends in curved sections, so that the desired standing ability is present despite the softness.

~ 26666-33D

133~427 In order to increase the seal, the edge of the chamber socket 12 on the filter-bottom side i~ pointed in the manner of a cutting edge tsee Fig 4).
Furthermore the filter-bag bottom 17 is gripped over by at least two projections 65 located on both sides Oe the opening 20 in the bottom 17., As can be noted from Fig. 15, the gripping width is rather small, so that the filter bag can be lifted out by a deliberate pull on the bottom 17.
Zones free of extrusion are only taken into account in the reqion of the emergence of the journal-pin bearing lugs 16 and in the region of the handle 25.
The oriflce edge of the opening 20 of the bottom 17 is lined with an elastic layer 66 on the support side. This layer extends around the opening 20 up to the periphery of the bottom. It may be a foam material.
The extrusion U is utilized to form the valve flap 21.
It is a cover which extends over the mouth of the socket and which is cut all around except at the hinge place 22.
The reference numbers have otherwise been applied by analogy, without repeating the description.
All new features mentioned in the specification and shown in the drawing are essential to the invention even if they have not been especially set forth in the Claims.

Claims (3)

1. A vacuum cleaner filter bag comprising a bag body closed at one end;
an end wall engaging with said body at a second end of said body opposite said one end; and wherein said end wall has an opening for the bag to serve as an air inlet to the bag;
said end wall has grip notches and three tongues arranged in angular symmetry to the bag opening; and two of the tongues are arranged on a side edge of the bag opening and extend directly into the grip notches via oblique flanks of the tongues.

2. A vacuum cleaner filter bag according to claim 1, further comprising a foam covering having a freely protruding annular zone; and wherein outer sides of at least the tongues, facing away from said bag body, are covered with said foam covering, the freely protruding annular zone of the foam covering being a part of the bag opening.

3. A vacuum cleaner filter bag according to claim 2, wherein said bag body comprises a filter bag wall; and the side edge tongues protrude up to outer fold edges of the filter bag wall located alongside of and intersecting with the grip notches.