Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
  • A47L9/10—Filters; Dust separators; Dust removal; Automatic exchange of filters
  • A47L9/14—Bags or the like; Rigid filtering receptacles; Attachment of, or closures for, bags or receptacles

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates to a method for producing a dust container connector plate for a vacuum cleaner.
• the dust container produced comprises a dust bag, made of an air permeable material, and a connector plate, surrounding an opening in the dust bag, such that the connector plate can correctly position the opening within a vacuum cleaner by the connector plate being inserted in a holder of the vacuum cleaner.
• the connector plate is produced by injection molding a plastic material in a tool such that the connector plate extends in a main plane.
• the connector plate further comprises a flexible shutter formed in one piece with the connector plate, and in the tool, the shutter is formed at least partly to extend out of the main plane of the connector plate. This means that a shutter can be provided together with other features in an area of the connector plate, without interfering with such other features during production. In this way generally a greater freedom in configuring the connector plate can be achieved.
• the connector plate may comprise a central portion, surrounding the opening, and an extending portion, comprising lateral arm portions extending from the central portion and a bridge portion interconnecting the arms at their distal ends.
• the flexible shutter may be attached to the central portion in between the arm portions. This configuration allows a shutter to be folded over the central portion and to close an opening in the central portion by being slid away from the bridge portion.
• a locking feature, keeping the connector plate in a holder, may be provided in the bridge portion, and it can be made sure that the opening is fully closed when this locking feature releases the connector plate.
• Such a locking feature may be provided in the bridge portion as locking openings.
• the connector plate may comprise guide tabs at either side of the opening, and the shutter may in a subsequent step be inserted behind the guide tabs.
• the shutter may extend out of the main plane of the connector plate by being bent at a fold. This may facilitate the further processing of the connector plate, making it easier to fold the shutter correctly over the connector plate.
• the shutter may have a ribbed structure that guides the bending of the shutter, with ribs running transversal to the direction that the shutter extends from the remainder of the connector plate.
• the distal end of the shutter may comprise a handle to facilitate use, and the connector plate may be made in polypropylene, PP.
• the present disclosure also relates to producing a dust container comprising such a connector plate, and further to a connector plate or a dust container produced accordingly.
• Fig 1 shows a dust container for a vacuum cleaner.
• Fig 2 shows a connector plate for a dust container.
• Fig 3 shows a perspective view of a connector plate where a shutter is employed.
• Fig 4 shows a perspective view of a connector plate where a shutter has not yet been folded over the opening of the connector plate.
• Fig 5 shows a side view corresponding to fig 4.
• Fig 6 shows an enlarged portion of fig 5.
• the present disclosure relates to a dust container 1 for a vacuum cleaner, as illustrated with an example in fig 1 .
• the dust container has a dust bag 5, which is schematically indicated and is made of an air permeable material, as is well known per se.
• a connector plate 3 is attached to the dust bag 5, for instance by being glued thereto, and has an opening 9 coinciding with an opening in the dust bag 5, such that the opening of the connector plate also becomes the opening of the dust bag as a whole.
• the connector plate 3 is configured to position the opening 9 of the dust bag in a correct manner in relation to an air inlet in the body of a vacuum cleaner. This can be carried out by sliding the connector plate into a holder or socket in the vacuum cleaner.
• Fig 2 shows a plan view of a connector plate 3.
• the connector plate 3 comprises a central portion 1 1 , which is central with respect to the opening 9 which it surrounds, and may be substantially flat and rectangular. Further, the connector plate 3 comprises an extending portion 13, which may project from an edge of the central portion 1 1 .
• the connector plate 3 When used in a vacuum cleaner, the connector plate 3 may be slid into a holder in the vacuum cleaner with the extending portion leading in the direction of insertion and the central portion as a trailing portion.
• the width of the central portion 1 1 and the extending portion 13 may be substantially uniform width from a distal edge 29 of the extending portion, being inserted first, to the edge 31 of the central portion 1 1 opposite to the distal edge 29. This allows the holder to guide the insertion of the connector plate.
• Tabs 14 extending laterally from the central portion 1 1 at the corners most distant from the extending portion 13 may be provided to rest on the exterior of the holder at its entry point.
• the central and the extending portions 1 1 , 13, may extend in a common plane, and may be made in one piece, for instance by injection molding polypropylene, PP.
• the central and extending portions 1 1 , 13 provide a reliable fixation of the dust bag opening 9 in the vacuum cleaner. Additionally, the extending portion 13 may provide a locking function that retains the connector plate in the holder, and an indicating function, triggering a sensor or switch in the holder, that makes the vacuum cleaner aware of a dust bag being correctly inserted, thereby allowing the vacuum cleaner to disable use of a suction function unless a dust bag is correctly fitted.
• the extending portion 13 may comprise lateral arm portions 17, extending from the central portion 1 1 and a bridge portion 15, interconnecting the arms at their distal ends. This serves to leave a free space in between the arm portions 17, which may be used by a shutter arrangement, as will be shown.
• the bridge portion 15 may comprise locking openings 19, which interact with a locking arrangement of the holder, snapping into the openings when the connector plate is fitted, thereby requiring a predetermined pulling force, in the direction opposite to the insertion direction, in order to remove the dust bag. Thereby, the dust bag is not removed inadvertently.
• the present disclosure relates to a shutter 21 that can be used to close the opening 9, once the dust bag 5 is full and the dust container 1 is to be replaced. As the shutter 21 substantially seals the opening 9, it can be prevented to a great extent that collected dust leaks out of the dust bag when handled to be disposed.
• the shutter is connected to the central portion 1 1 in betwe- en the lateral arm portions 17, and is made in one piece with the remainder of the connector plate.
• the shutter 21 has an opening 33, and is folded on top of the central portion 1 1 such that the shutter opening 33 coincides with the opening 9 of the dust bag 5, which is the state illustrated in fig 2.
• the shutter is tucked in under guide tabs 25 provided at both sides of the opening and remains slidable, guided by the guide tabs 25 and the rear surface 27 behind the guide tabs.
• the shutter can thus be slid upwards in fig 2, such that the shutter opening 33 moves away from the dust bag opening 9, thereby effectively closing this opening.
• This state is shown in a perspective view in fig 3.
• the distal end of the shutter may comprise a handle 23 to facilitate this operation.
• Fig 4 shows a perspective view of a connector plate 3 where a shutter has not yet been folded over the opening of the connector plate. This is the state in which the connector plate is produced, i.e. reflects the shape of the used injection molding tool.
• the connector plate 3 extends in a main plane, and the flexible shutter 21 is formed in one piece with the remainder of the connector plate 3.
• the shutter 21 when produced extends out of the main plane of the connector plate. In the illustrated case, the shutter is produced with a fold 55 about 90 degrees out of the main plane close to the location where it would otherwise interfere with the bridge.
• One advantage with this method is, with reference to fig 2, that there can for instance be obtained a connector plate where the shutter 21 is activated, closing the opening 9, by pulling the shutter 21 away from the extending portion 13 with the bridge portion 15 that locks the connector plate 3 in the holder.
• Fig 5 shows a side view corresponding to fig 4. As shown, the fold 55 is provided close to the bridge portion 15.
• a fold can be provided also closer to the central portion 1 1 , even if this may require a bigger tool as the shutter extends more from said main plane, and may require that the shutter is folded also at another location when finishing production of the connector plate 3.
• the fold 55 is provided to be about 90° from the main plane of the connector plate 3.
• the shutter may be inclined at a different angle from the main plane, for instance at 60°.
• Fig 6 shows an enlarged portion of fig 5.
• the shutter may have a ribbed structure that guides the bending of the shutter in the direction it is deformed when the shutter is slid over the central portion.
• the ribs run transversal to the direction that the shutter 21 extends from the remainder of the connector plate 3.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Filters For Electric Vacuum Cleaners (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=55948840

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2016
  • 2016-05-09 RU RU2018140877A patent/RU2709912C1/ru active
  • 2016-05-09 CN CN201680084627.7A patent/CN109068912B/zh active Active
  • 2016-05-09 EP EP16721173.9A patent/EP3454713A1/de active Pending
  • 2016-05-09 WO PCT/EP2016/060313 patent/WO2017194083A1/en unknown

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