Filter bag mounting assembly

• US 7,794,516 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2008
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kirby OPCO LLC
• Original Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: McAllise, Gregg A., Rennecker, David B., Seamon, Michael R., Winkelmann, Laura L., Steele, Daniel L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, MINH CHAU THI
• Application Number:
  US12/100,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20090255224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 553/69, 553/61, 553/74, 553/75, 553/77, 553/78, 55D/IG.2, 553/67, 553/62, 553/73, 153/47, 153/50, 153/51, 153/52, 153/53
• US Class Current: 55/373
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• 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

A filter bag includes a bag structure of filter material. A panel is adhered to the bag structure and has a fill opening. A securing tab is attached by a hinge to the panel. The panel is configured to have a mounted position in which a fill tube projects through the fill opening into the bag structure to exhaust air into the bag structure. The panel can be secured in the mounted position by the attachment tab being manually pivoted about the hinge into attachment with an attachment structure coupled to the fill tube.

Claims

1. A filter bag comprising:

a bag structure of filter material;

a panel adhered to the bag structure and having a fill opening; and

an elastically stretchable securing tab attached by a hinge to the panel;

the panel being configured to have a mounted position in which a fill tube projects through the fill opening into the bag structure to exhaust air into the bag structure, and to be secured to the fill tube in the mounted position by manually pivoting the securing tab about the hinge to bring the tab into attachment with a securing structure coupled to the fill tube.

2. The bag of claim 1 further comprising a second securing tab attached to the panel by a second hinge, and configured to be manually pivoted about the second hinge to bring the second tab into attachment with a securing structure coupled to the fill tube.

3. The bag of claim 2 wherein the two hinges are at laterally opposite sides of a top edge of the panel from each other.

4. The bag of claim 3 wherein the panel has laterally opposite side edges that are inclined downward toward each other, such that the top edge and the side edges define a trapezoid.

5. The bag of claim 4 wherein the trapezoid is further defined by a laterally-extending bottom edge of the panel, the bottom edge being narrower than the width of the fill opening.

6. The bag of claim 1 wherein said pivoting pivots the tab to be perpendicular to the panel.

7. The bag of claim 1 wherein the securing structure is a hook, and the tab has a hole configured to receive the hook.

8. The bag of claim 1 wherein the panel is further configured to be released from the fill tube by manually pivoting the securing tab about the hinge to remove the tab from the securing structure.

9. A filter bag comprising:

a bag structure of filter material; and

a panel adhered to the bag structure and extending along a lateral axis and having a fill opening configured to receive a fill tube, the panel having an external periphery that follows a trapezoid defined by a laterally-extending top edge and a narrower laterally-extending bottom edge and two laterally-opposite sides that are inclined downwardly laterally-inward, the width of the bottom edge being narrower than the width of the fill opening.

10. The bag of claim 9 further comprising two securing tabs extending upward from two laterally-opposite ends of the top edge.

11. A filter bag comprising:

a bag structure of filter material;

a panel adhered to the bag structure and having a fill opening; and

a securing tab attached to the panel, the tab having;

a securing hole;

two slits cut into the tab and projecting from the hole; and

a tongue formed by and between the two slits and having a distal edge bordering the hole;

configured for a fill tube to project through the fill opening into the bag structure while a hook coupled to the fill tube projects through the securing hole and presses against the tongue'"'"'s distal edge to secure the panel to the fill tube.

12. The bag of claim 11 wherein the tab is hingedly attached to the panel.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a bag structure of filter material;

a panel adhered to the bag structure and located on a lateral axis, the panel having a fill opening and two laterally-opposite sides, each side having upper and lower side edges and a side tab projecting laterally outward from between the upper and lower side edges;

a fill tube projecting forward along a fill tube axis; and

a bracket attached to the fill tube and having laterally-opposite sides, each side having upper and lower side rails that project forward parallel with the fill tube axis and a gap between the upper and lower side rails;

the panel being configured for a user'"'"'s fingers to grasp the side tabs to move the panel rearwardly all the way into a mounted position in which the fill tube projects forward through the fill opening into the bag structure and the panel is laterally captured between the two upper rails and between the two lower rails and the two side tabs project through the two gaps.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the upper and lower side edges of each side of the panel are collinear.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein, in the panel'"'"'s mounted position, the panel is laterally captured by abutment of the panel'"'"'s upper side edges against the bracket'"'"'s upper rails and by abutment of the panel'"'"'s lower side edges against the bracket'"'"'s lower rails.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the upper and lower side edges of each side are inclined toward each other.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a mounting bracket including an abutment plate, a fill tube and a hook;

a bag structure of filter material;

a panel adhered to the filter bag and located on a lateral axis and having a fill opening, the panel having a periphery that follows a trapezoid defined by a wider laterally-extending top edge, a narrower laterally-extending bottom edge and two laterally-opposite inclined sides, the panel having a seating edge adjacent the bottom edge;

the panel being configured to be mounted on the bracket by seating the panel'"'"'s seating edge on the hook and then pivoting the panel about the seating edge into abutment with the abutment plate, with the fill tube projecting through the fill opening into the bag structure.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the panel has a notch extending upward from the bottom edge, and said seating edge is the top edge of the notch.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the panel has two securing structures at the two laterally-opposite ends of the panel'"'"'s top edge for securing the panel to the fill tube.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the panel'"'"'s bottom edge is narrower than the width of the panel'"'"'s fill opening.

21. A fill tube apparatus comprising:

an abutment plate with a front face and a top end;

a fill tube projecting forward through the front face;

a forward-projecting ledge coupled to and located below the fill tube; and

an upward projection adjoining the ledge, the projection having a front surface that is inclined upwardly rearward so as to urge a mounting collar of a filter bag, being pressed rearwardly against the projection'"'"'s front surface, to slide upward and over the projection;

the apparatus being configured for a filter bag mounting collar to be seated on the ledge and abut the front face and prevented by the upward projection from slipping forwardly off the ledge, as the fill tube projects through the mounting collar into the bag;

and wherein the projection has a rear surface inclined upwardly forward.