Vacuum cleaner and disposable vacuum cleaner bag

• US 8,087,124 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Great Star Tools USA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shop-Vac Corporation (Hangzhou Great Star Industrial Company Limited)
• Inventors: Wolfe, Melvin E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US11/726,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20070251049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 153/47, 15D/IG.8, 553/68, 553/81, 553/82, 55D/IG.2, 435/295.1
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/14 Bags or the like; Rigid filtering receptacles; Attachment of, or closures for, bags or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1436 Connecting plates, e.g. collars, end closures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 15/02 Car cleaning plants

Abstract

The disclosed disposable vacuum cleaner has a disposable bag with a collar at the bottom, rather than on the sides. Dirty air enters the bag vertically, rather than horizontally, through a duct that is positioned near the floor, separate from the handle on the vacuum cleaner. An elongated, light-weight tube is disposed within the bag, and has a lower end that is connected to the collar. The tube is made of a thin, lightweight, lay-flat tubing with opposed creases, and is flexible and collapsible. It has a length that is greater than half the height of the sides of the bag. The collar has a seal that is trapped between two pieces of mounting material and extends around the periphery of the duct, providing an elastic seal. The bag has a top that is reinforced with a cardboard support. Extending flanges on the support can be used to suspend the bag from arms in the vacuum cleaner.

Claims

1. A disposable bag that is for use with a vacuum cleaner and has:

one or more relatively large sides with a bottom edge;

a relatively small base that adjoins the bottom edge of the sides;

a collar on the base; and

an elongated, light-weight, fully-collapsible tube that is disposed within the sides, and has a lower end that is permanently connected to the collar; and

a reinforcing support that extends parallel to the base and covers no more than half the top of the bag.

2. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaning head;

an upward-opening duct on the head through which airflow from the head passes; and

a disposable bag that has one or more relatively large sides with a bottom edge, a relatively small base that adjoins the bottom edge of the sides, a collar on the base that detachably engages the duct on the cleaning head, and an elongated, light-weight, fully-collapsible tube that is made of lay-flat tubing, is disposed within the sides of the disposable bag, and has a lower end that is permanently connected to the collar of the disposable bag.

3. A vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 2, in which the base is generally planar.

4. A vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 2, in which the bag has a reinforced top that extends parallel to the base.

5. A vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 2, in which the bag is reinforced with a support that extends parallel to the base and covers no more than half the top of the bag.

6. A disposable bag that is arranged for use with a vacuum cleaner and has:

one or more relatively large sides with a bottom edge;

a relatively small base that adjoins the bottom edge of the sides;

a collar on the base;

an elongated, light-weight, fully-flexible tube that is made of polyethylene, is permanently connected to the collar, and is permanently disposed within the bag; and

a reinforced top that extends parallel to the base when the bag is used.

7. A disposable bag as recited in claim 6, in which the base is generally planar.

8. A disposable bag as recited in claim 6, in which the tube is made of lay-flat tubing.

9. A disposable bag as recited in claim 6, in which the bag is reinforced with a support that covers no more than half the top of the bag.