Dust Collector

• US 6,224,471 B1
• Filed: 10/20/1997
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Porter-Cable Corporation (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schnell, John W., Clowers, Earl R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgan, Eileen P.
• Application Number:
  US08/953,811
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 451/359, 451/357, 451/344, 451/456, 451/453, 55/523, 55/527, 55/DIG. 2, 15/347, 15/349
• US Class Current: 451/359
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 23/03 the tool being driven in a combined movement
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 55/052 with rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 55/10 specially designed for portable grinding machines, e.g. hand-guided

Abstract

A pad sander skirt which flares out over the periphery of the sanding pad and which is coupled to a lower housing so that it swivels about the body of the sander. The skirt and lower housing can be selectively swivelled in a rotational manner to a position desired by the user. A further sander improvement disclosed relates to the protection of a user'"'"'s hand. Palm-grip random orbit sanders are sometimes configured so that the sanding pad may begin spinning at high speed when the sander is lifted off of the work. To this end, the present application discloses a protective skirt which flares out over the periphery of the pad in a palm-grip random orbit sander. Also disclosed is an improved dust collection system comprising a filter housing formed of a rigid porous material for entrapping dust.

Claims

1. A rigid, porous dust collector, comprising:

a non-collapsible container having an attachment end adapted for connection to a source of dust,

a closed end, and at least one sidewall between the attachment and closed ends to form a dust-collecting space, the at least one sidewall consisting essentially of a rigid, porous material configured to provide sufficient structural rigidity to the container to make the container non-collapsible, the porous material having a thickness and a pore size sufficient to substantially hinder dust from escaping through the at least one sidewall while allowing air to pass therethrough.

2. The dust collector of claim 1, wherein the closed end comprises a rigid, porous material having a thickness and a pore size sufficient to substantially hinder dust from escaping through the at least one sidewall.

3. The dust collector of claim 1, wherein the rigid, porous material comprises a rigid, plastic material.

4. The dust collector of claim 1, wherein the rigid, porous material comprises a porous polyolefin.

5. The dust collector of claim 1, wherein the attachment end is adapted for frictional attachment to the source of dust.

6. The dust collector of claim 1, wherein the attachment end is adapted for connection to an adapter member attached to the source of dust.

7. The dust collector of claim 1, wherein the dust collector comprises a single sidewall of a substantially cylindrical construction.

8. The dust collector of claim 1, wherein the rigid, porous material has an average pore size of less than about 140 microns.

9. The dust collector of claim 8, wherein the average pore size is between about 120 and about 140 microns.

10. The dust collector of claim 1, wherein the dust collector is adapted for connection to a tool.

11. The dust collector of claim 1, wherein the porous material is made of a polyolefin material having a thickness of about 0.15 inches and a pore size of 120-140 microns.

12. A dust collection system, comprising:

(a) a non-collapsible, rigid dust collector having

an attachment end,

a closed end, and

at least one sidewall between the attachment end and the closed end to form a dust-collecting space, the dust collector consisting essentially of a rigid, porous material having a thickness and pore size sufficient to substantially hinder dust from escaping through the dust collector while allowing air to pass therethrough; and

(b) an adapter member including

an attachment end for coupling the adapter member to a source of dust, and a collector attachment end for coupling the adapter member to the dust collector.

13. The dust collection system of claim 12, wherein the attachment end of the dust collector is adapted for frictional fitting with the collector attachment end of the adapter member.

14. The dust collection system of claim 12, wherein the dust collector is releasable from the adapter member by a slidable engagement at the attachment end of the dust collector.

15. The dust collection system of claim 12, wherein the adapter member further comprises a membrane covering an air flow opening in the adapter member;

the membrane having an open position to allow air-flow into the dust collector, and a closed position to prevent backflow of dust from the dust collector into the adapter member.

16. The dust collection system of claim 12, wherein the adapter member further comprises a sealing member proximate the collector attachment end for forming a seal between the dust collector and the adapter member to hinder escape of dust from between the dust collector and the adapter member.

17. The dust collector system of claim 16, wherein the sealing member comprises an O-ring.

18. The dust collector system of claim 17, wherein the adapter member defines a groove into which the O-ring is seated.

19. The dust collector system of claim 12, wherein the dust collector comprises a single, seamless molded piece.

20. The dust collector of claim 12, wherein a portion of the sidewall has an increased thickness relative to a rest of the sidewall.

21. The dust collector of claim 20, wherein the portion of the sidewall with the increased thickness is proximate the attachment end of the dust collector.

22. The dust collector of claim 21, wherein the attachment end of the dust collector is adapted to frictionally receive the collector attachment end of the adapter member.

23. A dust collector comprising:

a non-collapsible, rigid collector housing defining an interior volume for collecting dust, the collector housing consisting essentially of a porous material having a pore size and thickness effective for entrapping dust within the interior volume while allowing air to pass therethrough, the porous material being constructed and arranged to provide structural rigidity to the collector housing.

24. The dust collector of claim 23, wherein the collector housing comprises a single, seamless molded piece.

25. The dust collector of claim 23, wherein the collector housing is generally cylindrical.

26. The dust collector of claim 23, wherein the porous material has a pore size less than 140 microns.

27. The dust collector of claim 23, wherein the collector housing is adapted for connection to a tool.

28. The dust collector of claim 27, wherein the tool comprises a sander.

29. The dust collector of claim 28, wherein the sander comprises a palm grip random orbit sander.

30. The dust collector of claim 23, wherein the collector housing defines a front opening configured for allowing dust to enter the interior volume of the collector housing, and the dust collector further comprises an adapter arranged and configured for connecting the collector housing to a source of dust, the adapter defining a dust channel extending therethrough, and the adapter being detachably secured to the collector housing by a non-interlocking frictional connection, wherein when the adapter is secured to the collector housing, the dust channel of the adapter allows dust to enter the collector housing through the front opening, and wherein when the adapter is detached from the collector housing, dust can be emptied from the collector housing through the front opening.

31. The dust collector of claim 23, wherein the porous material comprises a polyolefin material having a thickness of about 0.15 inches and a pore size of 120-140 microns.

32. The dust collector of claim 30, wherein an extension of the adapter fits within the front opening of the collector housing.

33. The dust collector of claim 32, wherein the collector housing includes an increased thickness portion that extends around the collector housing at a region that coincides generally to where the extension fits within the front opening of the collector housing.

34. The dust collector of claim 32, further comprising an O-ring positioned between the extension of the adapter and the collector housing for enhancing the frictional connection between the adapter and the collector housing.

35. The dust collector of claim 34, wherein the O-ring is mounted in a recess extending about an outer perimeter of the extension.

36. The dust collector of claim 30, further comprising a resilient member positioned between the adapter and the collector housing for enhancing the frictional connection between the adapter and the collector housing.

37. The dust collector of claim 36, wherein an extension of the adapter fits within the front opening of the collector housing, and the resilient member is positioned between the extension and the collector housing.

38. A power tool comprising:

a tool housing;

a drive mechanism positioned within the tool housing;

a dust generating member driven by the drive mechanism; and

a dust collector for trapping dust generated by the dust generating member, the dust collector including a non-collapsible collector housing defining an interior volume for collecting dust, the collector housing including an attachment end adapted for connection to the tool housing and a closed end positioned opposite from the attachment end, the collector housing also including at least one side wall that extends between the attachment and closed ends, the side wall consisting essentially of a rigid, porous material having a pore size and thickness effective for entrapping dust within the interior volume while allowing air to pass therethrough, the porous material being configured to provide sufficient structural rigidity to the collector housing to prevent the collector housing from being collapsed.

39. The power tool of claim 38, wherein the dust generating member comprises a sanding pad.

40. The power tool of claim 39, wherein the drive mechanism is arranged and configured to impart a random orbit motion to the sanding pad.

41. The power tool of claim 40, wherein the housing comprises a palm grip random orbit sander housing.

42. A dust collecting article comprising:

an air permeable dust collector defining an interior volume in which dust is collected, the dust collector also defining a front opening configured for allowing dust to enter the interior volume of the dust collector, the dust collector being non-collapsible and consisting essentially of a porous material having a pore size and thickness effective for entrapping dust within the interior volume while allowing air to pass therethrough;

an adapter arranged and configured for connecting the dust collector to a source of dust, the adapter defining a dust channel extending therethrough, and the adapter being detachably secured to the dust collector by a non-interlocking frictional connection, wherein when the adapter is secured to the dust collector, the adapter covers a majority of the front opening of the dust collector and the dust channel of the adapter allows dust to enter the dust collector through the front opening, and wherein when the adapter is detached from the dust collector, dust can be emptied from the dust collector through the front opening;

the adapter and the dust collector being interconnected by sliding the adapter and the dust collector axially together such that a radially inwardly facing surface of one of the dust collector and the adapter overlaps a radially outwardly facing surface of the other of the dust collector and the adapter; and

a resilient member that extends about a periphery of one of the adapter and the dust collector, the resilient member being positioned to be compressed between the radially inwardly facing surface and the radially outwardly facing surface such that friction is enhanced between the adapter and the dust collector.

43. The dust collecting article of claim 42, wherein the resilient member comprises an o-ring, and wherein the o-ring is mounted on an extension of the adapter that fits within the front opening of the dust collector.