Self-aligning, self-sealing vacuum bag

In a vacuum bag for use with a vacuum device having a dirty air vacuum inlet, said bag comprising:

• (A) porous bag means for trapping dirt, dust and particles therein while allowing air to pass therethrough under the influence of a vacuum thereabout, said bag means defining a bag interior and a channel through said bag means thereinto;
• and
• (B) a substantially self-sealing collar secured to said bag means and communicating with said bag interior via said channel, said collar including:
• (i) a pair of parallel planar panels defining aligned respective apertures therethrough configured and dimensioned for receipt of a vacuum inlet therethrough,
• (ii) a first resilient membrane disposed intermediate said pair of panels, said first membrane defining a first membrane aperture aligned with but smaller than said panel apertures, and
• (iii) a pair of diametrically opposed finger means extending inwardly towards one another from diametrically opposite sides of said outer panel aperture, said finger means being disposed on the outer of said pair of panels and normally extending inwardly in the plane of said outer panel at least partially across the outer panel aperture prior to placement of said collar on a vacuum inlet, extending through said membrane first aperture and past the inner of said pair of said panels when said collar is disposed on a vacuum inlet, and extending behind and substantially parallel to said first membrane and across said first membrane aperture to collectively effectively close said first membrane aperture when said collar is removed from a vacuum inlet;
• the improvement wherein said collar is self-aligning and more efficiently self-sealing with a vacuum inlet and includes:
• (a) a third planar panel disposed parallel to and outwardly of said pair of panels, said third panel defining a respective third aperture therethrough configured and dimensioned for receipt of a vacuum inlet therethrough and aligned with said apertures of said pair of panels, said third aperture being of a thickness to facilitate blind placement of said collar on a vacuum inlet, said third aperture being configured and dimensioned to cooperate with a vacuum inlet extending therethrough to block further relative lateral movement of said collar and the vacuum inlet;
• and
• (b) a second resilient membrane disposed intermediate said third panel and said pair of panels, said second membrane defining a second membrane aperture therethrough aligned with but smaller than said panel apertures, and aligned with but larger than said first membrane aperture, said second membrane forming an uninterrupted 360.degree. seal with a vacuum inlet when said collar is disposed thereon.