CN114901115A

CN114901115A - Vacuum cleaner filter bag for a hand-held vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: CN114901115A
Application number: CN202080077558.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 拉尔夫·赛耶; 简·舒尔廷克
Original assignee: Eurofilters Holding NV
Current assignee: Eurofilters Holding NV
Priority date: 2019-11-12
Filing date: 2020-10-28
Publication date: 2022-08-12
Also published as: AU2020384249A1; EP3821776A1; WO2021094089A1; US20220386838A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner filter bag (1) comprising a bag wall (2) and a retaining plate (3), wherein the retaining plate (3) comprises an at least partially cylindrical joint (4) which extends in the direction of a through-opening (5) formed in the retaining plate (3), wherein the bag wall (2) is connected to the outer circumferential surface of the joint along the outer circumference of the joint (4).

Description

Vacuum cleaner filter bag for a hand-held vacuum cleaner

Technical Field

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner filter bag, in particular for a hand-held vacuum cleaner and/or a so-called stick-type vacuum cleaner, in particular for a cordless vacuum cleaner.

Background

Stick-suction cleaners are mostly, but not always, cordless devices (battery suction devices), in which an electric brush is connected to the actual housing of the hand-held cleaner via a suction tube without a suction hose. These devices are very portable. The pole-type appliance has a low power consumption in the range of about 150 to 600W. The achieved volume flow is correspondingly low and is in the order of 10 to 30 l/s. The filter housing is typically cylindrical and has a small volume (about 1 to 2 liters). Cyclone separators are mostly used as filters. The cyclone accelerates the suction air and the particles contained therein. This consumes a considerable part of the available power and leaves only little power for generating a sufficient volume flow. The cleaning effect (ash pick-up) is often unsatisfactory.

Filter bags made of modern nonwoven fabric laminates achieve dust separation in a significantly more energy efficient manner. However, it is difficult to produce filter bags which are optimally adapted to the very small available construction space and which provide a sufficient filter surface.

Conventional flat bags, in which two filter material blanks are welded around and the retaining plate is connected flat to one of the filter material blanks, are generally unsuitable because the available installation space is too small. Therefore, up to now, bags with a base, for example a flat base, have been used predominantly, wherein the retaining plate is arranged on the base and the bag shape thereof is adapted to the installation space (so-called "three-dimensional" bags). However, the production of such bags, in particular with the nonwoven fabric materials commonly used today, has proven difficult. Therefore, in manufacturing such a bag, a manual production step is also partially required, which reduces the manufacturing efficiency.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a vacuum cleaner filter bag which can be produced in a simple and automated manner, in particular for a hand-held vacuum cleaner and/or a pole cleaner, and which makes the best possible use of the available installation space.

This object is achieved by a vacuum cleaner filter bag according to claim 1. Particularly advantageous developments are specified in the dependent claims.

The invention therefore provides a vacuum cleaner filter bag comprising a bag wall and a retaining plate, wherein the retaining plate comprises an at least partially cylindrical joint which extends in the direction of a through-opening which is formed in the retaining plate, wherein the bag wall is connected to an outer circumferential surface of the joint along an outer circumference of the joint.

Since the bag wall is connected to the retaining plate via an at least partially cylindrical joint and along the outer circumference of the joint to the outer circumference of the joint, a complicated and otherwise often only manually realizable bottom structure is dispensed with during the production process. Therefore, the cleaner filter bag according to the present invention can be manufactured more efficiently.

The vacuum cleaner filter bag can be provided in particular for a hand-held vacuum cleaner and/or a so-called stick-suction cleaner, in particular for a cordless vacuum cleaner. Thus, in the fully deployed state, the fill volume may be between 0.5 and 3 liters, in particular between 0.5 and 2 liters.

The holding plate of the cleaner filter bag can be mountable in the cleaner housing at the holding means. The holding plate can thereby be arranged in the vacuum cleaner housing, in particular can be fixed in a predetermined position.

In contrast to flat bags, in which the retaining plate is connected to a flat wall portion of the bag wall, in the case of the production of a vacuum cleaner filter bag according to the invention, the bag wall provided with the respective opening is slipped onto an at least partially cylindrical connection of the retaining plate and is connected to the outer circumferential surface of the connection. The vacuum cleaner filter bag thus extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the joint and, in turn, in the inflow direction into the bag through the through-opening of the retaining plate. The vacuum cleaner filter bag therefore also better fits the common filter housing of a hand-held vacuum cleaner and/or a pole vacuum cleaner, which is typically cylindrical in shape and has a retaining means for retaining the plate at one of the cover surfaces of the cylinder.

The at least partially cylindrical connection thus comprises a through-opening of the retaining plate, so that an inflow opening is formed, through which dirt-laden air can flow into the interior of the vacuum cleaner filter bag during operation. In this context, the longitudinal axis of the joint is defined as the direction in which the through opening extends in the joint. This direction is in particular perpendicular to the plane of the connecting plate in which the retaining plate is arranged, which can be connected to the retaining means of the vacuum cleaner.

By "at least partially cylindrical" is meant that the joint comprises at least one section configured to be cylindrical, i.e. defined by an outer circumferential surface and two interface surfaces. Here, the cylindrical shape is not limited to a cylinder. The cross section of the cylindrical section, i.e. the directrix of all customary cylinders, can be formed in any desired shape. The cross section of the cylindrical section can also be polygonal. In this case, the prismatic sections can also be referred to. The cylindrical section can in particular have the shape of a straight or vertical cylinder, wherein the generatrix runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the joint.

The joint may comprise a second section, in particular adjoining the cylindrical section, which has an increased outer circumference relative to the cylindrical section. The second section can in particular project outwardly beyond the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical section. The second section may correspond to the connection plate of the holding plate or a part thereof.

The connecting plate can in particular be a flat component, in particular a component in which the dimensions in both directions (length, width) are significantly greater, in particular at least three times greater, than in the direction perpendicular thereto (thickness). The connecting plate can in particular completely surround the through-opening of the holding plate. The through-opening of the holding plate can extend in particular through the connecting plate and the joint.

The retaining plate may comprise or consist of one or more plastics. In particular, recycled plastics such as recycled polypropylene, rPP and/or recycled polyethylene terephthalate, rPET may be used.

The holding plate may comprise a closing element for closing the inflow opening. The aspirant can thereby remain in the bag, in particular when the bag is removed.

The holding plate is constructed integrally with the joint. Thus, the holding plate and the joint are the same member.

The holding plate can be configured as an injection-molded part or as a component produced by thermoforming. The holding plate can also be produced partly by injection moulding and partly by thermoforming.

Furthermore, the holding plate may comprise a sealing lip surrounding the through opening. The sealing lip may comprise or consist of a thermoplastic elastomer, for example based on polypropylene. The sealing lip is intended to prevent or limit the escape of dust from the cleaner filter bag by sealing the area between the inner edge of the through-opening and the outside of the connection fitting of the cleaner.

The bag wall is made of a gas-permeable material and can be constructed in multiple layers. In the latter case also referred to as laminate. The layers of the laminate, in particular each layer of the laminate, may here comprise or consist of a nonwoven fabric and/or nonwoven fibers.

As material for the bag wall made of nonwoven fabric or nonwoven fibers, in particular for the layer or layers, various plastics can be used, for example polypropylene and/or polyester. The bag wall can likewise comprise or consist of plastic recyclates and/or recyclates from textile manufacture (textile excess material TLO).

For many plastic recyclates, there are relevant international standards. For PET plastic recyclates, for example DIN EN 15353: 2007 is related. PP recovery in DIN EN 15345: 2008. The present patent application adopts the definitions of these international standards for the purpose of corresponding specific plastic recyclates. The plastic recyclate can be non-metallized. An example here is plastic chips or scraps recovered from PET beverage bottles. The plastic recyclate can also be metallized, for example when the recyclate is obtained from a metallized plastic film, in particular from a metallized PET film (MPET).

Recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) can be obtained, for example, from beverage bottles, in particular from so-called bottle fragments (i.e. pieces of ground beverage bottles). Recycled plastics, in particular recycled PET and/or recycled PP in metallized and non-metallized form, can be spun into corresponding fibers from which corresponding synthetic fibers as well as meltblown or spunbond nonwoven fabrics can be produced for the purposes of the present invention.

Recycled materials (TLOs) from textile manufacture are produced in particular in the processing of textile materials, in particular textile fibers and textile filaments, and also linear, planar and three-dimensional textile structures produced therefrom, for example in the manufacture (including carding, spinning, cutting and drying) or recycling of textile materials. These powdered and/or fibrous materials are waste materials that may be deposited on machines or filter materials used to process textiles. Dust (powder) or fiber is typically removed and heat recovered.

Thus, powdery and/or fibrous recycled materials are, for example, production waste; this applies in particular to materials which are produced as waste products during carding, spinning, cutting or drying of textile materials. In this case also referred to as "pre-use waste".

In the recycling of textile materials, i.e. in the treatment (e.g. comminution) of used textile materials or textiles (e.g. old clothing), powdery and/or fibrous recycled materials are likewise produced; referred to herein as "post-consumer waste".

Thus, recycled materials from textile manufacturing (TLO) may comprise, inter alia, fibers and/or filaments obtained from waste from the textile and apparel industry, from post-consumer waste (textiles etc.) and/or from products collected for recycling.

A non-woven fabric in the sense of the present invention means a non-oriented fabric which has been subjected to a consolidation step so that it has sufficient strength to be wound into a roll or unwound, for example mechanically (i.e. on an industrial scale). The minimum required web tension for winding is 0.044N/mm. The web tension should not be higher than 10% to 25% of the minimum maximum tension of the material to be wound (according to DIN EN 29073-3: 1992-08). This results in a minimum maximum tension for the material to be wound of 8.8N per 5cm of the band width.

Nonwoven fibers or "nonwoven" for short correspond to a non-oriented fabric which, however, has not been subjected to a consolidation step, so that this non-oriented fabric does not have sufficient strength in comparison with nonwoven fabrics, for example, to be mechanically wound into rolls or unwound.

In other words, according to ISO standard ISO 9092: 1988 or definition of CEM standard EN29092 use the term Nonwoven fabric ("nowoven"). Details regarding the use of the definitions and/or methods described herein can also be extracted in the standard document "Vliesstoffe", w.

The nonwoven fabric layer of the bag wall can comprise, in particular, a staple fiber nonwoven fabric and/or an extruded nonwoven fabric. In particular, filament spunbonded nonwoven fabrics (also referred to as "spunbonded nonwoven fabrics" or "spunbonded fabrics") and/or meltblown nonwoven fabrics can be used.

One or more layers of the bag wall may comprise carded material. Here, mechanical processes (e.g. needle punching) and thermal processes (e.g. calendering) can be considered as joining steps. Bonding fibers or adhesives, such as latex adhesives, may also be used. Airlaid materials (airlad materials) are also possible.

The nonwoven fabric of one or more layers of the bag wall may comprise bicomponent fibers. Bicomponent fibers (BiCo fibers) may be formed from a core and a sheath that covers the core. In addition to core/sheath bicomponent fibers, other common variations of bicomponent fibers, such as side-by-side bicomponent fibers, may also be used.

The bicomponent fibers may be present as staple fibers or constructed as filaments in an extruded nonwoven fabric (e.g., a meltblown nonwoven fabric).

As already mentioned, correspondingly unconsolidated nonwoven fibers are also conceivable.

The nonwoven fabric of one or more layers of the bag wall may also have a microcreping (Micrex).

The walls of the bag may also include an odor absorbent.

The bag wall may in particular comprise a receiving layer. The receiving layer offers a high resistance to impact loading and is capable of filtering large dirt particles, filtering a considerable proportion of small dust particles and storing or retaining a large number of particles, wherein air is allowed to flow through easily and thus the pressure drop generated in the case of high particle loading is small.

The bag wall may also include a fine filtration layer. The fine filter layer serves to increase the filtration efficiency of the multi-layer filter material by trapping, for example, particles that pass through the containment layer. In order to further increase the separation efficiency, the fine filter layer can be charged, preferably electrostatically (for example by corona discharge or Hydrocharging), in order to increase the separation of the fine dust particles in particular.

The fine filter layer can be connected to the receiving layer, in particular toward the outside of the bag wall.

A support layer may also be attached to the fine filter layer. Here, the support layer (sometimes also referred to as "reinforcing layer") is a layer that imparts the necessary mechanical strength to the multi-layer composite of filter material. The support layer can in particular be an open, porous nonwoven fabric having a low weight per unit area. The support layer may in particular be a spunbonded nonwoven fabric.

However, a single layer of filter material may also be used for the bag walls. In this case, the single-layer filter material may be, in particular, a melt-blown nonwoven fabric. Suitable materials for such single-layer bag walls are known, for example, from EP 2311360B 1.

The bag wall can in particular be connected to the outside of the joint, i.e. to the side facing away from the through-opening of the joint. This enables advantageous optical control of the fastening process during manufacture, in particular visually and/or by automated image processing.

The length of the side of the bag wall connected to the connector can correspond in particular to the outer circumference of the cylindrical section of the connector. In particular, the bag wall may be connected to the outer circumferential surface of the joint along the entire outer circumference of the joint. The bag wall and the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical section of the connector thus completely surround the through-opening of the connector.

The bag wall can be glued or welded to the outer circumferential surface and/or the bag wall can be clamped between the outer circumferential surface and the clamping element. The clamping element can be, in particular, a hollow cylinder. In this case, it may also be referred to as a clamping ring. The releasable connection and thus the reuse of the holding plate and the joint can be achieved solely by the fastening of the clamping element.

The retaining plates may be arranged at the short sides of the bag walls. In other words, the longitudinal axis of the vacuum cleaner filter bag can extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the joint.

The bag wall may comprise a surface fold having at least five folds. The surface corrugations of the filter media have significant advantages. Due to the surface folds, the surface through which the flow passes is significantly larger than conventional surfaces which can be traversed (inflow surfaces). In other words, the bag wall can be at least partially formed in a pleated manner by the surface folds.

The term "pleat" is defined in the sense of the present invention as a sequence of two or more pleats, wherein a single pleat is defined in the sense of the present invention by two pleat edges and one pleat turn, respectively.

The surface folds are a sequence of folds provided in the bag wall. Such a surface fold is in any case secured along the side edges by a portion of the hem (Saum). However, this part of the hem is neither a fold turn nor a component of a fold edge of one of the folds of the fold.

The vacuum cleaner filter bag, in particular the bag wall thereof, can also comprise at least one side fold.

The side folds are a fold sequence in the region of the side edges of the vacuum cleaner filter bag. The hem along the relevant side edge of the cleaner filter bag is here part of one of the folds forming the side fold; for example, the hem in the region of the relevant side edge is a fold turn, or the hem is almost completely in the hem.

At least five pleats of the surface pleat portion may extend along a longitudinal axis of the filter bag. Alternatively, however, the folds can also extend transversely to the longitudinal axis.

A securing device may also be provided which prevents at least one of the at least five pleats from fully unfolding.

The folds of the bag wall can be connected to one another at least partially by means of a fixing device. By means of the fixing means, the folds of the bag wall can also be held at a predetermined distance from one another.

The fastening device can comprise or consist of at least one material strip, in particular a material strip of a nonwoven fabric. The plurality of material strips can be arranged at a distance from one another or directly adjacent to one another.

The plurality of material strips may extend transversely, in particular perpendicularly, or at a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the pleats. The predetermined angle may be greater than 0 ° and less than 180 °, in particular greater than 30 ° and less than 150 °.

The fixing device is preferably arranged on the inflow side relative to the bag wall. The inflow side is here taken to mean the side close to the interior of the filter bag of the vacuum cleaner. The fastening device can be connected, in particular directly connected, in particular adhesively bonded and/or welded, at least partially to the bag wall, in particular to folds of the bag wall. Furthermore, the fastening device can be glued and/or welded to the bag wall at the point where the fold edges of two different folds adjoin one another.

The fastening means can be glued and/or welded to the bag wall in one or more regions of the bag wall, which are each arranged between two folds of the bag wall. In particular, simple production of the vacuum cleaner filter bag can be achieved in the case of folds which lie without overlapping one another.

The two or more folds of the bag wall may also be connected to each other by fixing means, however the two or more folds of the bag wall may also not be connected to each other by fixing means.

Alternatively or additionally, the fastening device can be glued and/or welded to one or more folds of the bag wall, so that the connection is released during operation of the vacuum cleaner filter bag. The air flow within the vacuum cleaner filter bag can thus be influenced by the at least partially released fastening device.

In other words, parts of the fastening device can be used as an air distributor during operation of the vacuum cleaner filter bag.

The surface folds, side folds and/or fastening means may in particular be constructed as described in european patent application EP2366319 or european patent application EP 2366320.

The side of the bag wall opposite the retaining plate can be concave or convex. This makes it possible to achieve better utilization of installation space.

The invention also provides a method for producing a vacuum cleaner filter bag according to claim 10, in particular for producing a vacuum cleaner filter bag as described above. The method according to the invention therefore comprises the following steps:

a) constructing a bag of filter material in the form of a tube open on one side;

b) arranging a retaining plate comprising an at least partially cylindrical joint at the wide end of the tapered guide element such that the joint of the retaining plate abuts at the outer surface of the tapered guide element;

c) sleeving the bag over a tapered guide element;

d) connecting the bag to the outer circumferential surface of the fitting facing away from the guide element; and

e) the bag connected to the fitting is removed from the guide element.

The method enables efficient and automated manufacturing.

The construction of a hose-like bag open on one side may comprise overlapping two webs of filter material and constructing two longitudinal and one transverse weld seams. Alternatively, the construction of a tubular bag open on one side may comprise folding over a single web of filter material and constructing a longitudinal weld seam to connect two edges of the web of filter material that overlap after folding over and constructing a transverse weld seam.

The construction of the open-sided, tubular bag may also comprise the construction of the surface folds and/or side folds described above.

The surface folds may be introduced in particular along the transport direction of the web of filter material. If the folds are to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner filter bag, the open side is arranged transversely to the conveying direction of the filter material web. If the folds are to extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner filter bag, the open side is arranged in the transport direction of the filter material web.

The conical guide element can be arranged on a work table, in particular a rotary table. In particular, a plurality of conical guide elements can be provided, in particular along the outer circumference of the rotary table. The radius of the conical guide element can in particular decrease starting from the surface of the table.

The conical guide element can be configured such that its diameter at the surface of the table is variable or adjustable. For example, a conical guide element may be arranged in the through-hole of the table and may run perpendicular to the surface of the table. Alternatively, the tapered guide element may be formed by a plurality of radially displaceable elements.

Arranging the retaining plate having an at least partially cylindrical joint at the wide end of the tapered guide element may comprise sleeving the retaining plate onto the tapered guide element. The inner diameter of the at least partially cylindrical adapter, i.e. the diameter of the aforementioned through-opening thereof, may correspond to the outer diameter of the conical guide element at the surface of the table, so that the adapter rests against the outer surface of the conical guide element. For this purpose, the conical guide element can have a cylindrical section at its wide end, the shape and size of which correspond to the shape and size of the cylindrical section of the joint, while the outer radius of the cylindrical section of the conical guide element corresponds to the inner diameter of the cylindrical section of the joint.

Sleeving the bag over the tapered guide element may comprise grasping and opening a bag in the form of a hose open on one side. The insertion of the bag onto the conical guide element can be carried out in particular automatically by means of a robotic gripper.

In the case of a pleat arranged transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner filter bag, the open side of the bag is arranged in the transport direction of the filter material web. In this case, the robotic gripper rotates the bag before it sleeves it over the tapered guide element.

In the case of a pleat arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum cleaner filter bag, the open side of the bag is arranged transversely to the conveying direction of the filter material web. In this case, the robot gripper may receive the bag in the transport direction of the web of filter material and sleeve the bag onto the conical guide element.

The connection of the bag to the outer circumferential surface of the connection remote from the guide element can be carried out in particular by ultrasonic welding. The conical guide element forms an anvil for the sonotrode. Welding may be performed in multiple steps. For example, a rotary table may be used to advance the tapered guide element of the jacketed bag to different welding stations arranged and configured to weld different sections of the outer circumference of the joint with the bag wall. Alternatively, a welding sonotrode that is movable in the circumferential direction may also be used.

Alternatively or additionally, the connection of the bag to the outer circumferential surface of the fitting facing away from the guide element may comprise the arrangement of a clamping element on the bag wall, such that the bag wall is clamped between the outer circumferential surface of the fitting and the clamping element in the region of the outer circumferential surface of the fitting.

The removal of the bag connected to the connector from the guide element can in turn be carried out automatically by means of a robotic gripper. Removing the bag connected with the fitting from the guide element may further comprise reducing the diameter of the tapered guide element at the surface of the table, for example by lowering the tapered guide element in the through hole of the table.

The method may further comprise optical control of the connection between the bag wall and the outer circumferential surface according to step d). In particular, at least one digital image of the region of connection of the bag wall to the outer circumferential surface can be generated. The digital image may be subjected to automated image processing to identify defects at the joint, such as an insufficiently formed weld. Based on the identification of an insufficient connection, a warning signal may be output and/or the relevant bag extracted.

Drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention are described below with the aid of exemplary drawings. Wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section of an exemplary cleaner filter bag;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary retention plate having an at least partially cylindrical joint;

FIG. 3 shows a top view of an exemplary bag in the form of a hose open on one side for making a vacuum cleaner filter bag;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary tapered guide element for making a vacuum cleaner filter bag; and

fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of the production steps in the production of an exemplary vacuum cleaner filter bag.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a cross section of an exemplary vacuum cleaner filter bag 1 with a bag wall 2 and a retaining plate 3. The retaining plate 3, in particular its flat connecting plate, serves to fix the vacuum cleaner filter bag 1 in a corresponding retaining portion in the housing of the vacuum cleaner.

The bag wall is not connected directly to the flat part of the retaining plate 3 (i.e. the web), as is common in the prior art, but to an at least partially cylindrical joint 4 of the retaining plate 3. In particular, the joint extends in the direction of the through-opening 5 formed in the holding plate 3, i.e. perpendicular to the plane in which the connecting plate lies. The bag wall 2 is connected along the outer periphery of the joint 4 to the outer peripheral surface of the joint, which likewise extends in a direction perpendicular to the connecting plates.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of an exemplary holding plate with an at least partially cylindrical joint 4. The joint 4 comprises a cylindrical section. The shape of the cylindrical section can be freely selected and is not limited to the shape of a cylinder. The axis of the cylindrical section defines the longitudinal axis of the joint 4. The through-opening of the holding plate is arranged along this longitudinal axis of the cylindrical section. The through-opening forms an inflow opening for the suction into the filter bag, as can be seen in fig. 1.

The exemplary retaining plate 3 of fig. 2 comprises a second section 8 adjoining the cylindrical section, which has an increased outer circumference relative to the cylindrical section. The second section 8 projects in particular radially outward beyond the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical section. The second section 8 may correspond to a connection plate, as shown in fig. 1.

In the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1, the bag wall 2 is welded to the outer circumference of the cylindrical section of the connector 4. In particular, an ultrasonic weld 6 can be seen. In addition, in this exemplary embodiment, a clamping ring 7 is shown, which clamps the bag wall 2 to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical section of the connector 4. Such a clamping ring 7 can also establish the connection of the bag wall to the outer circumferential surface separately.

Not shown here, it is also possible to provide a sealing lip at the through-opening 5.

Fig. 3 shows a top view of an exemplary bag in the form of a hose open on one side, which can be used, for example, for producing the vacuum cleaner filter bag shown in fig. 1. The bag wall 2 of the exemplary bag of fig. 3 comprises two longitudinal weld seams 12, 13 and one transverse weld seam 14. At the lateral sides 15, the bag is open, i.e. without a weld seam, so that a connection to a joint can be realized there, as is exemplarily shown in fig. 2.

For better utilization of the installation space, the transverse weld seam 14 can also be designed to be concavely or convexly curved. Bottom or side folds, for example of the flat-bottomed type, are also conceivable in the region of the transverse weld seam 14.

The bag wall 2 in fig. 3 further comprises a plurality of surface folds 16 extending along the

longitudinal welds

12, 13. At the open end 15 the pleats are fixed in place by fixing means 17.

As mentioned above, the term "pleat" is defined in the sense of the present invention as a sequence of two or more pleats, wherein a single pleat is defined in the sense of the present invention by two pleat edges and one pleat turn, respectively.

A fold break is understood as the point of the fold with the smallest radius of curvature. The so-called fold axis is obtained by an imaginary connection of the fold turns. The fold axis is also referred to as the fold ridge. The fold axis may correspond to the longitudinal axis of the fold. The region of the fold having a radius of curvature greater than the minimum radius of curvature of the fold is referred to as the fold edge. The area between the pleat edges of the pleat is called the pleat core. Therefore, the fold edge of the fold may also have a bend, in particular.

The folds may also have inflection points (wendpunkt). An inflection point is any point of the fold, in particular of the fold edge, where the fold curve changes from concave to convex. A connecting line connecting a plurality of inflection points of the pleats is called a fold line (inflection line).

Two adjacent pleats may also share a pleat edge. If a plurality of pleats is provided in this way, a pleat pack or row of pleats may be realized.

The plurality of folds may also be arranged zigzag.

The folds can also have edges extending parallel to the bag wall. Such edge portions may be located between the folds, which protrude out of the plane of the bag wall and thus have an opening on the inflow side with respect to the bag wall. In this case, in particular, the width of the parallel side portions may be smaller than the width of the opening of the fold projecting from the bag wall, preferably smaller than half the width of the opening of the fold projecting from the bag wall or most preferably smaller than a quarter of the width of the opening of the fold projecting from the bag wall.

The fold edges of the folds may in particular be smooth. By "smooth" is understood here that the fold edges do not have an embossed portion and/or a structuring, in particular an embossed portion and/or a structuring intended to stabilize the shape of the fold.

One or more pleat edges of the one or more pleats may include one or more coined structures, particularly wherein the coined structures are not used to stabilize the shape of the pleats. The surface available for filtration can thereby be further increased.

The bag wall 2 can in particular have more than 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 folds, in particular folds of these folds.

The folds of the bag wall may have a substantially regular spacing from each other. In other words, the spacing between the corrugation ridges of each two adjacent corrugations may be substantially constant.

The fold can be configured flat or upright. A flat fold is to be understood as a fold whose fold edge is arranged substantially parallel to the bag wall 2. An upstanding fold is to be understood as a fold whose fold edge encloses an angle of more than 0 ° and less than 180 °, in particular more than 20 ° or more than 45 °, with the bag wall 2.

An upstanding fold is also understood to be a fold in which the plane in which both the fold axis and the fold line of the fold lie encloses an angle of more than 45 °, in particular more than 30 °, in particular more than 10 °, with the flat horizontal surface on which the first and/or second bag wall is arranged. A flat fold is understood in this case to mean a fold in which the plane encloses an angle of less than 45 °, in particular less than 30 °, in particular less than 10 °, with the surface.

In order to measure or determine the angle, a vacuum cleaner filter bag, in particular a folded nonwoven material, is arranged on a flat horizontal surface. For this purpose, the vacuum cleaner filter bag can also be cut open and arranged in particular on a surface in such a way that the inflow side or the inner side of the original vacuum cleaner filter bag is placed on the surface.

The fold portions lying flat can be configured so as to overlap, not overlap and/or partially overlap one another.

In order to produce the exemplary vacuum cleaner filter bag shown in fig. 1, the bag wall 2 is connected to the connector 4. Although the joint 4 made of plastic has a certain strength, in the case of a connection by welding it is advantageous to provide an anvil forming a base station. Fig. 4 shows such an anvil in the form of a conical guide element 18.

As shown in fig. 5, the conical guide element 18 may be arranged vertically on the table. The conical guide element 18 is designed such that its outer diameter at the wide end corresponds to the inner diameter of the cylindrical section of the connection 4. The holding plate 3 with the tab 4 is then slipped onto the conical guide element 18 as shown in fig. 5. The robot gripper can then grip a hose-like bag which is open on one side, for example as shown in fig. 3, and likewise sleeve it over the conical guide element 18. Here too, the conical shape of the guide element 18 is advantageous. Subsequently, the bag wall 2 can be welded, to be precise from the outside, to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion of the connection 4. The advantage of welding from the outside is that the welding result can be controlled, for example, by image processing.

Finally, the holding plate 3 and the bag wall 2 connected thereto are pulled off the conical guide element 18.

It should be understood that the features mentioned in the above embodiments are not limited to these particular combinations but can be combined in any other way. It should also be understood that the geometries shown in the figures are merely exemplary and can be of any other design.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner filter bag (1) comprising a bag wall (2) and a retaining plate (3), wherein the retaining plate (3) comprises an at least partially cylindrical joint (4) which extends in the direction of a through-opening (5) which is constructed in the retaining plate (3), wherein the bag wall (2) is connected to the outer circumferential surface of the joint along the outer circumference of the joint (4).

2. Vacuum cleaner filter bag according to claim 1, characterised in that the bag wall (2) is glued or welded to the outer circumferential surface and/or the bag wall (2) is clamped between the outer circumferential surface and the clamping element (7).

3. Vacuum cleaner filter bag according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the joint (4) and the retaining plate (3) are constructed in one piece.

4. Vacuum cleaner filter bag according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the retaining plate (3) and the joint (4) are arranged at the short sides of the bag wall (2).

5. Vacuum cleaner filter bag according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bag wall (2) comprises a surface fold (16) with at least five folds.

6. Vacuum cleaner filter bag according to claim 5, wherein the at least five pleats extend along the longitudinal axis of the filter bag (1) or transversely to the longitudinal axis of the filter bag (1).

7. Vacuum cleaner filter bag according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a fixing means (17) is provided, said fixing means (17) preventing at least one of said at least five folds from fully unfolding.

8. Vacuum cleaner filter bag according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one side fold is provided.

9. Vacuum cleaner filter bag according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side of the bag wall (2) opposite the retaining plate is constructed concave or convex.

10. A method for manufacturing a vacuum cleaner filter bag according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of:

b) arranging a holding plate comprising an at least partially cylindrical joint (4) at a wide end of a conical guide element (18) such that the joint (4) of the holding plate (3) abuts at an outer surface of the conical guide element (18);

c) -sleeving the bag onto the conical guide element (18);

d) -connecting the bag to the outer circumferential surface of the fitting (4) facing away from the guide element (18); and

e) -removing the bag connected to the fitting (4) from the guide element (18).