Vacuum cleaner fill tube with valve

• US 20030200620A1
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dodson, Diane L., Bearden, Phillip E., Petrosky, Robert L., Hays, Philip G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,886,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/351
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1427 Means for mounting or attaching bags or filtering receptacles in suction cleaners; Adapters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1436 Connecting plates, e.g. collars, end closures

Abstract

An apparatus for use with a vacuum cleaner filter bag comprises a vacuum cleaner fill tube. The fill tube is configured for the bag to be mounted on the fill tube. The fill tube has an outlet through which a working flow of vacuum cleaner air can exit the fill tube to enter the bag when the bag is mounted on the fill tube. Additionally, the apparatus comprises a valve shiftable into and out of a closed condition in which the valve blocks the air from exiting the fill tube through the outlet.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with a vacuum cleaner filter bag, said apparatus comprising:

a vacuum cleaner fill tube configured for the bag to be mounted on said fill tube, said fill tube having an outlet through which a working flow of vacuum cleaner air can exit said fill tube to enter the bag when the bag is mounted on said fill tube; and

a valve shiftable into and out of a closed condition in which said valve blocks the air from exiting said fill tube through said outlet.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve is configured to be retained in said closed condition by a pressure differential across said valve produced by the air being blocked by said valve from exiting said fill tube.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said valve is configured to be shifted into said closed condition by said pressure differential if said valve is not already in said closed condition.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said valve is configured to be oriented under the force of gravity to be in an initial condition from which said valve is shifted into said closed condition by said pressure differential if said valve is not already in said closed condition.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a pressure sensor operative to sense air pressure in said fill tube.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5 further comprising an indicator responsive to said sensor to emit a signal that is in response to and indicative of a rise in said air pressure produced by the air being blocked by said valve from exiting said fill tube, whereby said signal indicates that said valve is in said closed condition.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said rise in said air pressure is defined by said air pressure exceeding a predetermined threshold level.

8. An apparatus for use with a vacuum cleaner filter bag, said apparatus comprising:

a vacuum cleaner fill tube configured for the bag to be mounted on said fill tube, said fill tube having an outlet through which a working flow of vacuum cleaner air can exit said fill tube to enter the bag when the bag is mounted on said fill tube; and

a valve shiftable from a closed condition to an open condition in response to mounting of the bag on said fill tube, said valve being operative in said open condition to permit the air to exit said fill tube through said outlet, and being operative in said closed condition to block the air from exiting said fill tube through said outlet.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said open condition of said valve is a fully open condition, and said valve is configured to shift progressively toward and into said fully open condition under the influence of the bag as the bag moves progressively toward and into a fully mounted position.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said valve reaches said fully open condition as said bag reaches said fully mounted position.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said valve has an actuation structure configured to shift said valve from said closed condition to said open condition under the influence of the bag by movement of a mounting collar on the bag against said actuation structure as the bag is mounted on said fill tube.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said movement of the mounting collar against said actuation structure is through camming action by sliding contact between the collar and said actuation structure.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said actuation structure is configured to retain the bag on said fill tube when the bag is in a fully mounted position.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said valve is configured to be retained in said closed condition by a pressure differential across said valve produced by the air being blocked by said valve from exiting said fill tube.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said valve is configured to be shifted into said closed condition by said pressure differential if said valve is not already in said closed condition.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said valve is configured to be oriented under the force of gravity to be in an initial condition from which said valve is shifted into said closed condition by said pressure differential if said valve is not already in said closed condition.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said valve is configured such that, when in said open condition, said valve is urged toward said closed condition by the flow of air.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 further comprising a pressure sensor operative to sense air pressure in said fill tube.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18 further comprising an indicator responsive to said sensor to emit a signal that is in response to and indicative of a rise in said air pressure produced by the air being blocked by said valve from exiting said fill tube, whereby said signal indicates that said valve is in said closed condition.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein said rise in said air pressure is defined by said air pressure exceeding a predetermined threshold level.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a vacuum cleaner filter bag having a mounting collar, said collar having a collar opening with a notch;

a vacuum cleaner fill tube having a tubular outlet structure centered on an axis, said fill tube being configured for said bag to be mounted on said fill tube by insertion of said outlet structure through said collar opening, said fill tube also being configured for a working flow of vacuum cleaner air to exit said fill tube through said outlet structure to enter said bag when said bag is mounted on said fill tube; and

a valve shiftable from a closed condition to an open condition in response to mounting of the bag on said fill tube, said valve being operative in said open condition to permit the air to exit said fill tube through said outlet structure, and being operative in said closed condition to block the air from exiting said fill tube through said outlet;

said valve having an actuation structure configured to shift said valve from said closed condition to said open condition by movement of said collar against said actuation structure; and

said actuation structure being further configured to enable said notch to slide over said actuation structure when said notch is circumferentially aligned with said actuation structure as said outlet structure is being inserted through said collar opening, and said actuation structure being further configured to retain said collar on said fill tube after said collar is rotated circumferentially about said outlet structure to move said notch out of circumferential alignment with said actuation structure.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 21 wherein said valve is configured to be retained in said closed condition by a pressure differential across said valve produced by the air being blocked by said valve from exiting said fill tube.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 21 further comprising a pressure sensor operative to sense a rise in air pressure produced in said fill tube by the air being blocked by said valve from exiting said fill tube.