DK2452603T3

DK2452603T3 - Folded vacuum cleaner filter bag

Info

Publication number: DK2452603T3
Application number: DK10190755.8T
Authority: DK
Inventors: Ralf Sauer; Jan Schultink
Original assignee: Eurofilters Holding Nv
Priority date: 2010-11-10
Filing date: 2010-11-10
Publication date: 2016-01-18
Also published as: ES2552640T3; WO2012062458A1; EP2452603A1; EP2452603B1; PL2452603T3

Description

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner filter bag comprising a bag wall which comprises a first side wall and a second side wall, a retaining plate being arranged on the first side wall.

Nowadays, vacuum cleaner filter bags are mainly produced from nonwovens. As a result of their excellent ability to store dust, vacuum cleaner filter bags made of nonwovens have practically replaced paper filter bags. The production of filter bags made of nonwovens differs fundamentally from the production of paper bags. Rectangular flat bags formed of one upper and one lower side wall which are welded together around the periphery thereof are in common use. Filter bags of this type are known, for example, from DE 201 01 466, EP 0 161 790, EP 0 639 061, EP 1 059 056 or EP 1 661 500. A vacuum cleaner bag according to the preamble of claim 1 is known, for example, from WO-A-2004 112 560.

The typical sales unit of such vacuum cleaner filter bags is a collapsible box containing three to six filter bags. To reduce packing material, the vacuum cleaner filter bags are folded multiple times for the purpose of packaging. More particularly, flat bags are typically folded such that all the folds are formed facing away from the outer side of the bag wall on which the retaining plate is arranged.

Since the installation space in the vacuum cleaner is typically smaller in at least one direction in space than the vacuum cleaner filter bag, the filter bag can often only unfold in the installation space to an insufficient extent. As a result, in some cases the filter bag cannot unfold to its full capacity. On the one hand, this can result in the flow not being uniform in all the regions of the side walls. As a result, the flow-through speed of the media can increase and the separation capability of the filter bag is reduced. On the other hand, there may not be as much surface area available for storing the dust particles. This can shorten the service life of the filter bag since the pressure loss in the bag increases rapidly and thus the volume flow rate conveyed through the vacuum cleaner drops relatively quickly. The useful volume available for holding dust is also reduced in the event of insufficient unfolding. A bag that is only partly unfolded can accordingly hold less dust, and the bag has to be changed sooner.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a vacuum cleaner filter bag which allows for an improved service life.

The invention provides a vacuum cleaner filter bag comprising a bag wall which comprises a first side wall and a second side wall, a retaining plate being arranged on the first side wall, characterised in that the bag wall has a fold in which the first side wall and the second side wall are both folded towards the upper face of the first side wall, and the bag wall has at least one additional fold in which the first side wall and the second side wall are both folded away from the upper face of the first side wall.

The inventors have surprisingly found that the unfolding of the vacuum cleaner filter bag in the installation space in the vacuum cleaner can be improved if a fold points towards the upper face of the first side wall, on which the retaining plate is arranged. As a result, it is possible to achieve a more complete flow through the filter material, and this leads to an improved ability to store dust.

In other words, the vacuum cleaner filter bag can be folded or collapsed at least in part. More particularly, the vacuum cleaner filter bag can be folded such that it can be arranged in appropriate packaging, in particular in a collapsible box. A part of the bag wall, in particular the part that has been folded over, can be placed on or over another part of the bag wall. The folding can thus mean folding over.

In other words, the first side wall and the second side wall can both be folded towards the retaining plate.

The fold can in particular be formed such that a part of the bag wall is folded down towards the upper face of the first side wall. More particularly, a side edge of the bag wall and a region of the bag wall that directly adjoins the side edge can be folded towards the upper face of the first side wall. The region adjoining the side edge can in particular have a width of at least a fifth, in particular at least a quarter, of the length of the side edge. The region adjoining the side edge can in particular have a width of at most half, in particular at most a third, of the length of the side edge.

The region adjoining the side edge can in particular have a width of at least 6 cm, in particular at least 7.5 cm. The region adjoining the side edge can in particular have a width of at most 15 cm, in particular at most 10 cm.

In this context, the width of the region can be measured perpendicularly to the side edge.

In this case, the upper face is understood to be in particular the outward facing face of the side wall, i.e. its outer face. The face of the side wall pointing towards the interior of the vacuum cleaner filter bag can, by contrast, be referred to as the lower or inner face. The retaining plate can in particular be arranged on the upper face of the first side wall.

The fold points or crease points that have the lowest radius of curvature can be referred to as fold joints. Connecting the fold joints produces what is known as the folding spine. The folding spine is also referred to as the fold axis. The fold axis can correspond to a longitudinal axis of a crease. The folding spine can correspond to a fold line.

The bag wall of the vacuum cleaner filter bag can have one or more layers made of nonwoven material. The vacuum cleaner filter bag can thus comprise a bag wall made of nonwoven material. Optionally, the bag wall can additionally comprise a mesh. The bag wall can also consist of one or more layers of nonwoven material.

The vacuum cleaner filter bag can be formed as a flat bag.

The first side wall and the second side wall can be interconnected, in particular welded together. The first side wall and the second side wall can in particular be welded together around the periphery thereof. The first and second side walls can be arranged so as to be opposite one another, in particular substantially in parallel with one another, in particular above one another.

In the process, the space defined by the first side wall, the second side wall and the weld seam can form the inner space of the vacuum cleaner filter bag. The inner space of the vacuum cleaner filter bag can in particular be defined only by the first side wall, the second side wall and the weld seam. In other words, the bag wall can consist of the first side wall and the second side wall welded thereto.

The first and/or second side walls can each comprise one or more layers of nonwoven material.

The vacuum cleaner filter bag can in particular be a disposable vacuum cleaner filter bag.

The term nonwoven is used in accordance with the definition of the ISO standard ISO 9092: 1988 and CEN standard EN 29092. In particular, the terms fibrous web or web and nonwoven should be distinguished from each other in the field of nonwoven production in the following manner, and should also be understood as such within the meaning of the present application. To produce a nonwoven, fibres and/or filaments are used. The flimsy or loose fibres and/or filaments which have substantially not yet been bonded are referred to as webs or fibrous webs. A nonwoven which is strong enough to be wound up into rolls, for example, is eventually produced from a fibrous web of this type by means of a web binding step. In other words, the nonwoven is formed to be self-supporting as a result of the bonding. (Details regarding the use of the definitions and/or methods described herein can also be found in the standard reference “Nonwovens”, W. Albrecht, H. Fuchs, B. Kittelmann, Wiley VCH, 2000). The web binding step can for example include calendering the web. A dry-laid or wet-laid nonwoven or an extruded nonwoven, in particular a melt-spun microfibre spunbonded nonwoven (meltblown nonwoven) or a filament spunbonded nonwoven (spunbond) can be used as the nonwoven material. Wet-laid nonwovens and typical wet-laid paper are distinguished from each other according to the above definition, as used by the International Association Serving the Nonwovens and Related Industries (EDANA). A conventional (filter) paper is thus not a nonwoven.

For example, the bag wall can comprise a laminate made of a filament spunbonded nonwoven, a meltblown nonwoven and a filament nonwoven (SMS).

In terms of production, a plurality of layers of web can also be provided, and these are bonded to form precisely one layer of nonwoven. In other words, one layer of nonwoven can also comprise a plurality of layers of web. The nonwoven can in particular comprise staple fibres and/or continuous fibres.

The retaining plate can be connected to, in particular meshed with, a mounting device of a vacuum cleaner. More particularly, the retaining plate can be connected to, in particular meshed with, a mounting device of a vacuum cleaner in such a way that the position of the retaining plate can be substantially set or fixed relative to the mounting device. In other words, the retaining plate connected to the mounting device of the vacuum cleaner can be substantially set or fixed, in particular relative to the mounting device or relative to the installation space in the vacuum cleaner.

In this case, a retaining plate can generally be understood as being an element of the vacuum cleaner filter bag that is used to retain the vacuum cleaner filter bag inside a vacuum cleaner housing. The retaining plate can in principle be in any given form. For example, the retaining plate can be formed as a flat, planar component, as disclosed for example in EP 1 849 392. The retaining plate can, however, also have a more complex structure, as disclosed, for example, in DE 20 2008 006 904.

The retaining plate can comprise a plastics material. The retaining plate can in particular be welded to the bag wall, for example by ultrasound welding.

The retaining plate can be arranged in the region of an inflow opening in the bag wall of the vacuum cleaner filter bag. During operation of the vacuum cleaner, the air to be cleaned can be conducted into the interior of the vacuum cleaner filter bag through the inflow opening. The retaining plate can comprise a through-hole in the region of the inflow opening. The vacuum cleaner filter bag, more particularly the retaining plate, can comprise a closure cap, by which the inflow opening in the bag wall and/or the through-hole in the retaining plate can be closed.

The inflow opening and the retaining plate can be positioned at any point on the first side wall. For example, the inflow opening and the retaining plate can be arranged in the centre of the vacuum cleaner filter bag or so as to be offset from the centre.

The first side wall and the second side wall and/or the retaining plate and the bag wall, in particular the retaining plate and the first side wall, can be connected by ultrasound welding and/or thermal welding. The filter bag can have one or more side folds.

During folding towards the upper face of the first side wall, in particular less than half, in particular less than a third, of the bag wall can be folded over.

During folding towards the upper face of the first side wall, more than half of the bag wall can also be folded over. The fold towards the upper face of the first side wall can in particular be formed such that the retaining plate is overlapped in part or completely by the folded-over bag wall.

In the case of the at least one additional fold, the first side wall and the second side wall can both be folded towards the upper face of the second side wall.

The vacuum cleaner filter bag can in particular be formed such that the at least one additional fold is folded precisely once away from the upper face of the first side wall. In other words, the at least one additional fold can be formed such that the bag wall in the region of the at least one additional fold is folded away from the upper face of the first side wall just once. In other words, the vacuum cleaner filter bag can thus be formed such that the bag wall is not folded back onto the at least one additional fold.

In particular, it is possible to form two additional folds away from the upper face of the first side wall, the two additional folds, in particular the folding spines thereof, in particular extending substantially in parallel.

The two additional creases can in particular cover two opposite regions of the bag wall. In other words, the two additional creases can be arranged or can extend on two opposite sides of the retaining plate. The two additional folds can in particular be formed such that they do not overlap.

In particular, it is possible to form two additional folds away from the upper face of the first side wall and one fold towards the upper face of the first side wall. The two additional folds away from the upper face of the first side wall can extend substantially in parallel with one another and cannot overlap.

The vacuum cleaner filter bag can be substantially rectangular, the fold towards the upper face of the first side wall extending substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal edges.

The vacuum cleaner filter bag can thus comprise four side edges which oppose one another in pairs, each pair of opposite side edges being of the same length.

The two pairs of side edges can be of different lengths. In this case, the side edges of longer length can be referred to as the longitudinal edges, whilst the side edges of shorter length can be referred to as the transverse edges.

The two pairs of side edges can be of the same length. In this case, the vacuum cleaner filter bag is thus substantially square. In this case, two longitudinal edges and two transverse edges can be defined by the position of the retaining plate on the first side wall of the vacuum cleaner filter bag.

More particularly, the side edges of the pair of side edges that are at different distances from the retaining plate can be referred to as the transverse edges, whilst the side edges of the pair of side edges that are at the same distance from the retaining plate can be referred to as the longitudinal edges.

In particular, the longitudinal edges can extend substantially in parallel with the direction in which the retaining plate can be connected to, in particular meshed with, a mounting device of a vacuum cleaner.

The distance of one side edge from the retaining plate can in particular correspond to a normal distance. The distance can in particular be the normal distance from the geometric centre of the retaining plate or the minimum normal distance from the retaining plate.

In other words, the vacuum cleaner filter bag can thus have two longitudinal edges and two transverse edges, the fold towards the upper face of the first side wall, in particular the folding spine thereof, extending substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal edges. A fold of this type can also be referred to as a longitudinal fold. In other words, the bag wall can be folded for a longitudinal fold such that a transverse edge and the folding spine, which is substantially parallel thereto, of the longitudinal fold extend substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal edges of the vacuum cleaner filter bag.

In particular, one of the transverse edges can be folded towards the upper face of the first side wall. In particular, the transverse edge that is at the greatest normal distance from the retaining plate when the vacuum cleaner filter bag is not folded, can be folded over. The minimum normal distance can in particular be used as the normal distance of a transverse edge from the retaining plate.

The at least one additional fold away from the upper face of the first side wall, in particular the folding spine thereof, can extend in parallel with the longitudinal edges. An additional fold of this type can also be referred to as the transverse fold. In other words, the bag wall can be folded for a transverse fold such that a longitudinal edge and the folding spine, which is substantially parallel thereto, of the transverse fold extend substantially perpendicularly to the transverse edges of the vacuum cleaner filter bag.

Longitudinal folds and transverse folds can extend substantially perpendicularly to one another.

The vacuum cleaner filter bag can in particular have two transverse folds and one longitudinal fold, the longitudinal fold in particular pointing towards the upper face of the first side wall and the two transverse folds pointing away from the upper side of the first side wall.

The transverse folds can in particular be in the form of a gate fold or a double gate fold. In other words, two opposite side edges of the bag wall, in particular the two longitudinal edges, can each be folded away from the upper face of the first side wall. The transverse folds can in particular be folded such that they do not overlap. A part of the transverse fold can be folded, together with the longitudinal folds, away from the upper face of the first side wall. In this case, the longitudinal fold was formed first, followed by the transverse folds. In other words, the longitudinal folds and the transverse fold can be formed such that the part of the bag wall folded over with the longitudinal folds is not visible when the vacuum cleaner filter bag is viewed in the direction towards the retaining plate. A part of the longitudinal folds can be folded, together with the transverse fold, towards the upper face of the first side wall. In this case, the transverse folds were formed first, followed by the longitudinal fold. In other words, the longitudinal folds and the transverse fold can be formed such that the part of the bag wall folded over with the longitudinal folds is visible in part when the vacuum cleaner filter bag is viewed in the direction towards the retaining plate.

The folding spine of the longitudinal fold can be at a normal distance from the retaining plate, in particular a minimum normal distance, of at least 1/5, in particular at least 1/4, of the length of the longitudinal edge of the bag wall.

The folding spine of the longitudinal fold can in particular be at a normal distance from the retaining plate, in particular a minimum normal distance, of at least 2 cm, in particular at least 5 cm.

The invention also provides a container having at least one vacuum cleaner filter bag as described above. In other words, the invention thus provides a system consisting of a container and at least one vacuum cleaner filter bag as described above.

The container can in particular be a collapsible box, in particular made of cardboard.

The invention also provides a method for folding a vacuum cleaner filter bag, comprising the steps of: providing a vacuum cleaner filter bag comprising a bag wall which comprises a first side wall and a second side wall, wherein a retaining plate is arranged on the first side wall, and folding the bag wall such that the first side wall and the second side wall are both folded towards the upper face of the first side wall, and folding the bag wall such that the first side wall and the second side wall are both folded away from the upper face of the first side wall.

The vacuum cleaner filter bag and/or the obtained fold can have one or more of the aforementioned features. The method can thus be a method for producing a vacuum cleaner filter bag as described above.

The folding towards the upper face of the first side wall can in particular correspond to the formation of a longitudinal fold as described above. The longitudinal fold can be formed such that it has one or more of the aforementioned features.

The folding away from the upper face of the first side wall can in particular be carried out for two, in particular opposing regions of the bag wall.

The folding of the bag wall away from the upper face of the first side wall can in particular correspond to the formation of at least one transverse fold as described above. The transverse fold can be formed such that it has one or more of the aforementioned features.

In particular, one longitudinal fold and two transverse folds can be formed. The transverse folds can be formed following the formation of the longitudinal fold, although preferably prior thereto.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be explained below on the basis of the exemplary figures, in which:

Fig. 1 a and 1 b are plan views of a front face and a rear face, respectively, of an example vacuum cleaner filter bag; and

Fig. 2a and 2b are perspective views of an example vacuum cleaner filter bag that has been folded multiple times.

In the following examples, the front face is denoted as the upper face of the first side wall. The rear face is denoted as the upper face of the second side wall.

Fig. 1 a and 1 b are plan views of a front face and rear face respectively, of an example vacuum cleaner filter bag 1.

In this case, the example vacuum cleaner filter bag 1 is formed as a flat bag. In particular, the vacuum cleaner filter bag 1 comprises a first side wall 2 and a second side wall 6, which are welded together around the periphery thereof by means of a weld seam 3. The weld seam 3 can in this case be formed by means of thermal welding and/or ultrasound welding. A retaining plate 4 is arranged on the first side wall 2. The retaining plate 4 is arranged in the region of an inflow opening 5 in the bag wall of the vacuum cleaner filter bag 1. The retaining plate 4 also comprises a through-hole in the region of the inflow opening 5. During operation of the vacuum cleaner, the air to be cleaned can be conducted through the inflow opening 5 into the interior of the vacuum cleaner filter bag 1.

The retaining plate 4 can in particular be made of a plastics material. The retaining plate 4 can be connected, in particular welded, to the bag wall. The inflow opening 5 and the retaining plate 4 can be in any position on the first side wall 2. For example, the inflow opening 5 and the retaining plate 4 can also be arranged in the centre of the vacuum cleaner filter bag 1.

For retail purposes, flat bags of this kind are typically folded and arranged in a container, for example a collapsible box.

Fig. 2a and 2b are perspective views of an example folded vacuum cleaner filter bag 1. The bag wall of the example vacuum cleaner filter bag 1 in Fig. 2a and 2b has one fold towards the upper face of the first side wall 2 and two additional folds, in which the first side wall 2 and the second side wall 6 are folded away from the upper face of the first side wall 2. In other words, the example vacuum cleaner filter bag 1 in Fig. 2a and 2b has two transverse folds and one longitudinal fold, the longitudinal fold being formed towards the upper face of the first side wall 2. In this example, the two transverse folds are formed away from the upper face of the first side wall 2.

In particular, a part of the longitudinal folds is folded, together with the transverse fold, towards the upper face of the first side wall. In other words, the longitudinal folds were formed first, followed by the transverse fold.

Fig. 2b shows the rear face of the example vacuum cleaner filter bag 1 shown in Fig. 2a.

The example vacuum cleaner filter bag 1 in Fig. 2a and 2b prevents the longitudinal fold from folding back onto the two transverse folds, by contrast with the vacuum cleaner filter bags known in the prior art. As a result, the vacuum cleaner filter bag can unfold more effectively in the available installation space inside a vacuum cleaner; the transverse folds in particular can unfold more effectively. Furthermore, the region of the bag wall that is bent by the longitudinal fold has less of a tendency to settle in front of an intake opening of the vacuum cleaner.

In this example, the folding spine of the longitudinal fold extends substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal edge of the vacuum cleaner bag 1 and in parallel with the transverse edge.

In this case, the vacuum cleaner filter bag 1 is formed as a rectangle, and thus has two longitudinal edges and two transverse edges, the longitudinal edges being longer than the transverse edges.

In the case of a square vacuum cleaner filter bag, in which four side edges of the peripheral weld seam are all of the same length, a longitudinal direction or transverse direction can be defined by the position of the retaining plate on the first side wall. The direction in which the retaining plate is at different distances from two opposite side edges can be defined as the longitudinal direction. The transverse direction can then be defined as being substantially perpendicular thereto. Side edges which extend in the longitudinal direction can then be referred to as the longitudinal edges and side edges which extend in the transverse direction can be referred to as the transverse edges.

In this example, the longitudinal fold is formed such that the folded-over part of the bag wall does not cover or overlap the retaining plate 4. It is, however, also conceivable for the longitudinal fold to be formed such that the folded-over part of the bag wall covers or overlaps the retaining plate 4 either completely or in part.

It goes without saying that the features mentioned in the above-described embodiments are not limited to these specific combinations and are also possible in any other combinations. In particular, the vacuum cleaner filter bag can be formed with different geometries and/or in different sizes. In the event of non-rectangular geometries, longitudinal edges or transverse edges can be defined by the position of the retaining plate on the first side wall.

Claims

A vacuum cleaner filter bag (1) having a bag wall comprising a first sidewall (2) and a second sidewall (6) having a holding plate (4) on the first sidewall, characterized in that the bag wall exhibits a folding, by wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall are jointly folded in a direction towards the upper side of the first sidewall; and the bag wall exhibits at least one additional fold, wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall are jointly folded in a direction away from the upper side of the first sidewall.

The vacuum cleaner filter bag according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum cleaner filter bag is rectangular in shape and the folding towards the upper side of the first side wall extends substantially perpendicular to the side edges.

The vacuum cleaner filter bag according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one additional fold extends away from the upper side of the first side wall parallel to the side edges.

Vacuum cleaner filter bag according to one of claims 1-3, comprising two additional folds in a direction away from the upper side of the first side wall and a folding in a direction towards the upper side of the first side wall.

The vacuum cleaner filter bag according to claim 4, wherein the two additional folds extend substantially parallel to each other and do not overlap.

The vacuum cleaner filter bag according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the two further folds in a direction away from the upper side of the first side wall are longitudinal folds and the folding in a direction towards the upper side of the first side wall is a transverse fold, a part of the longitudinal folds together with the transverse fold is folded in a direction towards the upper side of the first sidewall.

Container with at least one vacuum cleaner filter bag according to one of the preceding claims.

The container of claim 7, wherein the container is a folding box.

A method of folding a vacuum filter bag comprising the steps of: providing a vacuum filter bag (1) with a bag wall comprising a first side wall (2) and a second side wall (6), having a holding plate (4) ) on the first sidewall, and folding the bag wall such that the first sidewall and second sidewall jointly fold in a direction towards the upper side of the first sidewall; and folding the bag wall such that the first sidewall and the second sidewall jointly fold in a direction away from the upper side of the first sidewall.