Dust Collector Bag and Filter

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent applications 63/633,841 filed Apr. 14, 2024 and 63/691,274 filed Sep. 5, 2024.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to dust collector bags with filters for floor sanders, canister-type shop vacuums, backpack-type shop vacuums and other types of vacuums.

Related Art

In an embodiment of the invention, a dust collection bag and filter is used in floor finishing. In the installation of, or renovation of, hardwood flooring, the surface of hardwood floors must be sanded. Sanding is usually carried out with a drum sander. This piece of equipment comprises a cylindrical drum, around which a strip of abrasive material is secured. A motor rotates the drum. The drum is moved around the hardwood floor surface and sands it smooth. The dust created by sanding is collected in the dust collector bag. The effectiveness of the bag is limited by the air flow from the blower, the permeability of the bag, and other dust collector bag characteristics. U.S. Pat. No. 8,721,402 discloses a dust collector bag.

In another embodiment of the invention, the dust collection bag and filter is used with shop vacuums. This invention is directed to heavy-duty vacuum cleaners of the type used in woodshops, machine shops, or for industrial applications, and commonly referred to as shop vacuums or shop vacuum cleaners. The shop vacuum can be a canister-type, a backpack-type, or other design. The invention is more particularly concerned with a shop vacuum in which the large majority of the dust being deposited into a canister-type drum or barrel, and the remaining dust that is carried in the vacuum machine air stream is filtered out in a final cartridge filter, so that the vacuum cleaner machine exhausts clean, filtered air into the ambient.

Shop vacuum cleaners are often employed for picking up dust that has accumulated on the shop floor and on surfaces of equipment, or may also be connected to a dust outlet of a dust-producing tool, i.e., wood working machines, such as sanders, joiners, and the like, or machines that process metals, plastics, or other composites such as concrete or stone. The most challenging dust to vacuum is dry wall dust. In these shop vacuum devices, a vacuum head, which sits on top of a drum or barrel, has a blower that is powered by an electric motor induces a suction to draw a stream of air into the machine. The airstream is then directed into the barrel, where dust collects. The air stream then passes through a cartridge filter, and is exhausted to the ambient air.

In most cases, the shop vacuum filter does not filter out fine dust, and there is always at least some of the dust that passes out and back into the ambient air. This airborne fine dust can present a health hazard, and in a woodshop environment is a serious quality issue as the airborne dust can contaminate varnish or other wood finish. Additionally, the dust that is collected can quickly clog and blind the cartridge filter, which limits air flow and diminishes the efficiency of the shop vacuum. Moreover, filling of the filter material requires that the vacuuming operation be interrupted frequently for cleaning and/or replacing of the filter, which can be costly.

A shop-type vacuum cleaner with a cartridge type final filter to capture fine dust particles has been proposed previously, and an example of such a shop vacuum is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,696. In that case, an externally-mounted filter is located in the exhaust air stream in a housing that is disposed outside the vacuum machine drum or canister. This arrangement exhausts significantly cleaner air back into the ambient, but because the air passes directly from the main collection drum out to the filter housing, the filter accumulates dust quickly and requires frequent cleaning for effective operation.

It has been proposed previously to employ a cyclonic separator in line in a vacuum hose in advance of a shop vacuum cleaner for pre-separating particulate matter, and then connecting the outlet pipe of the cyclonic separator to the inlet of the vacuum cleaner. This arrangement is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,282,074 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,161,597. This system can result in removal of about ninety percent, or more, of the dust from the air stream ahead of the vacuum cleaner, so that the vacuum cleaner operates longer and more efficiently in most applications. However, this arrangement requires attaching the cyclone as a separate element in between the shop vacuum cleaner and the dust producing tool or dust pick-up tool.

The dust collector bag of the present invention does not use a cyclone to remove dust.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first embodiment, the present invention relates to floor sanders. A typical floor sander is a floor sander comprising a drive motor, a horizontal rotating drum, a sander housing, a drum blower impeller, a vented impeller housing, and a fluid channel. The horizontal rotating drum is driven by the drive motor and has a top and a bottom. The sander housing covers the top of the rotating drum and has an inside proximate the rotating drum and an outside. The rotating drum supports and drives a sandpaper, and the bottom of the rotating drum is exposed for the sandpaper to sand a floor. The sander housing outlet directs air containing sawdust and other dust to the dust collector bag. The dust collector bag of the present invention has an internal sleeve and a divider which provides improved dust collection and performance.

In a second embodiment, the present invention relates to shop vacuum cleaners. For canister-type shop vacuums, the shop vacuum cleaner has a vacuum head, which sits on top of a drum, and has a blower that is powered by an electric motor to induce a suction to draw a stream of air. The airstream is then directed into the barrel through a vacuum port, where dust collects. The air stream then passes through a cartridge filter, and is exhausted to the ambient air. For a backpack-type vacuum, the vacuum head sits on top of a backpack. The air stream is directed into the backpack to collect dust and filter the exhaust air.

In the present invention, the dust collector bag is fluidly connected to the vacuum port and is located inside the barrel or the backpack. The dust collector bag of the present invention has an internal sleeve and a divider which provides improved dust collection and performance. The dust collector bag is made of a gas-permeable fabric that catches the dust, but allows the air to pass through.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art floor sander.

FIG. 2 is a cutaway perspective drawing of a prior art floor sander with arrows indicating air flow.

FIG. 3 is a raised side view of the uninflated dust collector bag of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cutaway side view of the inflated dust collector bag of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross section of the inflated dust collector bag of the present invention from FIG. 4 at 5-5.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a prior art shop vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 7 is a perspective drawing of a prior art disassembled shop vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 8 is a raised side view of the uninflated dust collector bag of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cutaway side view of the inflated dust collector bag of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross section of the inflated dust collector bag of the present invention from FIG. 9 at 5-5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

In a first embodiment, FIGS. 1 and 2 show examples of a prior art floor sander 10 having a drive motor 20, a horizontal rotating drum 30 having a top 32 and a bottom 34 driven by the drive motor and a sander housing 40 covering the top of the rotating drum, wherein the rotating drum supports and drives sandpaper 36, and the bottom 34 of the rotating drum is exposed to sand a floor. The preferred mechanism for driving the rotating drum with the drive motor is a belt 90 and pulleys.

The prior art floor sander has a motor blower impeller 24 driven by the drive motor to create an air flow directed across the drive motor for cooling. The impeller 24 is attached directly to the motor's rotating shaft 22. The impeller is covered with a vented drive motor cover 160 to allow air intake to blow across the motor to cool it. Optionally, the floor sander has a sander outlet impeller 80 driven by the drive motor, which creates a suction air flow from the sander housing air inlet 42 to the sander housing outlet 50 which removes dust from the work environment and directs it to a collector bag 150. The sander outlet impeller 80 is attached to the drive motor by means well known in the art such as belts and pulleys or gear mechanisms. The sander housing covers the moving parts and also directs the air flow up and out to the outlet 50.

As the rotating drum 30 moves the sandpaper 36 across the floor to sand it, saw dust and other dust is created. The dust is carried by air up the sander housing inlet and is moved by air blown by motor blower impeller 24 and the outlet impeller 80 through the sander housing outlet 50 to the dust collector bag 150.

The effectiveness of the dust collector bag 150 to collect and hold dust is critical. The present invention provides an improved dust collector bag 100, as shown in FIG. 3, has a top 110, a bottom 120, a side one 130 and a side two 140. Fluidly attached to top is dust and air inlet 115.

In a preferred embodiment, the length L of the dust collector bag is from about 25 to 30 inches. The width W of the dust collector bag is from about 15 to 20 inches. The height H of the air inlet 115 is from about 5 to 8 inches. The air inlet 115 is positioned approximately in the middle of the width of the dust collector bag. However, the air inlet can be positioned proximate either side one or side two.

As is shown in FIG. 4, the inflated dust collector bag has a sleeve 170 fluidly connected from the air inlet 115 through a divider 180. Preferably, the sleeve is from about 4 to 8 inches in diameter. The divider 180 is approximately round and flat, and is approximately the same diameter as the inflated interior of the dust collector bag. Both the sleeve and the divider are air permeable, but of a tight enough weave to catch most of the dust. The divider is attached to the interior sides of the dust collector bag around the entire interior perimeter.

The divider is located approximately half way along the length L of the dust collector bag. In a preferred embodiment, the divider is not horizontal, but angled inside the dust bag. In a more preferred embodiment, the divider is attached at side one 130 approximately halfway down the length L. On the opposite side at side two 140, the divider is attached about ¼ of the way down the length L. This creates a tilted divider. Along side two 140, the angle x is an acute angle. Preferably, the angle is from about 20 to 60 degrees. In a preferred embodiment, the sleeve is attached to the divider next to wall at side one. This is the lower side for attachment and creates the opening 260 at the lower side of the divider.

Any suitable means of attaching the divider to the interior sides can be used, including stitching, gluing and releaseably attaching using Velcro or zippers. Where the sleeve is attached to the divider, an opening 260 is created, and air and dust from the air inlet 115 pass through the opening 260.

The divider creates two chambers in the dust collector bag, the top chamber 300 and the bottom chamber 400. The inside walls of the dust collector bag are covered with an inner layer 210. The inner layer 210 is covered by the outer layer 200. The inner layer and the outer layer are essentially continuous in creating the dust collector bag. Both layers are air permeable, but are a tight enough weave to catch most of the dust that enters the bag.

In a preferred embodiment, the sleeve, the divider and the inner layer are made of TenCate Polyfelt® TS geotextiles which are mechanically bonded continuous-filament nonwovens manufactured from UV-stabilized polypropylene. More preferably, the Polyfelt used is PE-11-070, which is 2 mm thick, and 11 oz. per square yard. In a preferred embodiment, the outer layer 200 is a Raschel warp knitted fabric.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cross section from FIG. 4, when the dust collector bag is inflated and in use, the divider 180 separates the top chamber 300 from the bottom chamber 400. The dust-containing air travels down the sleeve, through the divider at opening 260. The air flows into the bottom chamber and deposits the dust 240 at the bottom of the dust collector bag. The air escapes through the sides one and two, the divider to the top and out of the bag.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bag, when attached to the sander, hangs down. The top of the bag is attached to the sander housing outlet 50. The positioning of the bottom chamber allows the heavier dust particles to be directed to the bottom of the dust collector bag when in use. This uses gravity to the advantage of dust removal. Additional dust removal occurs in the top chamber, but typically, it is the finer dust particles.

In a preferred embodiment, the bottom of the dust collector bag has a resealable bottom opening 220. Preferably, the opening is the entire width W of the bottom of the bag. The opening is sealed using a releaseable sealing device, such as a zipper or Velcro. In another preferred embodiment, the side of the dust collector bag has a side resealable opening 230, which can be sealed using a zipper or Velcro. The side opening is to empty the top chamber 300. The bottom opening is to empty bottom chamber 400.

The dust collection bag of the present invention is not limited to rotary floor sanders, but can be used with other sanding devices, or other dust-collection devices.

In a second embodiment, shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, dust bag and filter of the present invention are used with shop vacuums. FIGS. 6 and 7 show examples of a prior art shop vacuum cleaner.

The prior art shop vacuum cleaner 510 has a vacuum head 520, which sits on top of a drum 530, and has a blower (not shown) that is powered by an electric motor to induce a suction to draw a stream of air. The airstream is then directed into the barrel through a vacuum port 540, where dust collects. The air stream then passes through a cartridge filter 550, and is exhausted to the ambient air.

The present invention provides an improved dust collector bag 600, as shown in FIG. 8, has a top 610, a bottom 620, a side one 630 and a side two 640. Fluidly attached to top is dust and air inlet 615.

In a preferred embodiment, the dust collector bag is designed to nest inside the bottom of the drum 530, positioned below the cartridge filter 550. In a preferred embodiment, the height H of the dust collector bag is from about 5 to 10 inches. The width W of the dust collector bag is from about 15 to 20 inches. The length L of the air inlet 615 is from about 10 to 20 inches. In a preferred embodiment, the proximate end of the air inlet 616 is stiffened so that when vacuum is applied, the inlet does not collapse. In a more preferred embodiment, the stiffening is applied to the sleeve 670 as well. The stiffening is cylindrical, approximately the same diameter as the air inlet, and is provided by cardboard, plastic, or other suitable material. At the distal end of the air inlet 617, stiffening is not applied to facilitate attaching the dust collector bag to the vacuum port, by means such as a drawstring, Velcro or other appropriate means of fastening. The air inlet 615 is positioned to the side of the dust collector bag, about 1 to 2 inches from the side 630 or 640. However, the air inlet can be positioned proximate either side, or in the middle.

As is shown in FIG. 9, the inflated dust collector bag has a sleeve 670 fluidly connected from the air inlet 615 through a divider 680. Preferably, the sleeve terminates at the divider 680, creating an opening 760. Preferably, the sleeve is from about 4 to 8 inches in diameter. The divider 680 is approximately round and flat, and is approximately the same diameter as the inflated interior of the dust collector bag. Both the sleeve and the divider are made of air permeable fabric, but of a tight enough weave to catch most of the dust. The divider is attached to the interior sides of the dust collector bag around the entire interior perimeter.

The divider is located approximately half way along the height H of the dust collector bag. In a preferred embodiment, the divider is horizontal. In a more preferred embodiment, the divider is attached at sides one 630 and 640 approximately halfway down the height H. In a preferred embodiment, the sleeve is attached to the divider proximate a wall on side one.

Any suitable means of attaching the divider to the interior sides can be used, including stitching, gluing and releaseably attaching using Velcro or zippers. Where the sleeve is attached to the divider, an opening 760 is created, and air and dust from the air inlet 615 pass through the opening 760.

The divider creates two chambers in the dust collector bag, the top chamber 800 and the bottom chamber 900. All of the surfaces of the dust collector bag are air permeable, but are a tight enough weave to catch most of the dust that enters the bag.

In a preferred embodiment, the sleeve, the dust collector bag is made of TenCate Polyfelt® TS geotextiles which are mechanically bonded continuous-filament nonwovens manufactured from UV-stabilized polypropylene. More preferably, the Polyfelt used is PE-11-070, which is 2 mm thick, and 11 oz. per square yard.

As shown in FIG. 10, the cross section from FIG. 9, when the dust collector bag is inflated and in use, the divider 680 separates the top chamber 800 from the bottom chamber 900. The dust-containing air travels down the sleeve, through the divider at opening 760. The air flows into the bottom chamber and deposits the dust 740 at the bottom of the dust collector bag. The air escapes through the sides one and two, and the divider to the top and out of the bag.

As shown in FIG. 9, the bottom 620 of the dust bag 600 rests on the bottom of the shop vacuum cleaner drum 530. The top of the bag, the sleeve 670 is attached to the vacuum port 540. The positioning of the bottom chamber 900 allows the heavier dust particles to be directed to the bottom of the dust collector bag when in use. This uses gravity to the advantage of dust removal. Additional dust removal occurs in the top chamber, but typically, it is the finer dust particles.

In a preferred embodiment, the bottom of the dust collector bag has a resealable bottom opening 720. Preferably, the opening is the entire width W of the bottom of the bag. The opening is sealed using a releaseable sealing device, such as a zipper or Velcro. In another preferred embodiment, the side of the dust collector bag has a side resealable opening 730, which can be sealed using a zipper or Velcro. The side opening is to empty the top chamber 800. The bottom opening is to empty bottom chamber 900.

The dust collection bag of the present invention is not limited to shop vacuum cleaners, but can be used with other dust-collection devices.

The embodiments were chosen and described to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to persons who are skilled in the art. As various modifications could be made to the exemplary embodiments, as described above with reference to the corresponding illustrations, without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.