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US 6,886,215 B2Granted
Vacuum cleaner fill tube with valve
AssigneeThe Scott Fetzer Company
InventorsDiane L. Dodson, Philip G. Hays, Robert L. Petrosky, Phillip E. Bearden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims55
An apparatus for use with a vacuum cleaner filter bag, 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;
- 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.
1 more element
An apparatus for use with a vacuum cleaner filter bag, 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;
- 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;
- and
- a pressure sensor operative to sense air pressure in said fill tube.
1 more element
An apparatus for use with a vacuum cleaner filter bag, 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;
- 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.
1 more element
An apparatus for use with a vacuum cleaner filter bag, 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 torn 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 trough said outlet, and being operative in said closed condition to block the air from exiting said fill tube trough said outlet;
- 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.
1 more element
An apparatus for use with a vacuum cleaner filter bag, 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;
- 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.
1 more element
An apparatus for use with a vacuum cleaner filter bag, 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;
- and
- a pressure sensor operative to sense air pressure in said fill tube.
2 more elements
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 structure;
- 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 thither configured to retain said collar on said fill tube after said collar is rotated circumferentially about said outlet structure to move said notch our of circumferential alignment with said actuation structure.
4 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a fill tube configured for a filter bag to be mounted on said fill tube, said fill tube having an outlet through which a working air flow can exit said fill tube to enter the bag when the bag is mounted on said fill tube;
- and
- a valve plate having a closed position in which said plate blocks the air from exiting said outlet, and being pivotable from said closed position, in a direction opposite the direction of the air flow, into an open position in which the air can exit said outlet.
An apparatus comprising:
- a fill tube configured for a filter bag to be mounted on said fill tube, said fill tube having an outlet through which a working air flow can exit said fill tube to enter the bag when the bag is mounted on said fill tube;
- and
- a valve plate having a closed position in which said plate blocks the air from exiting said outlet by extending across said outlet, and being, from said closed position, pivorable into said fill tube into an open position in which the air can exit said outlet.
An apparatus comprising:
- a fill tube configured for a filter be to be mounted on said fill tube said fill tube having an outlet through which a working air flow 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 respose 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;
- 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.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a fill tube configured for a filter bag to be mounted on said fill tube, said fill tube having an outlet through which a working air flow 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;
- wherein said valve is configured such that, when in said open condition, said valve is urged toward said closed condition by the air flow.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a fill tube configured for a filter bag to be mounted on said fill tube, said fill tube having an outlet through which a working air flow can exit said fill tube to enter the bag when the bag is mounted on said fill tube;
- a valve shiftable from a closed condition to an oven condition in response to mounting of the bag on said fill tube, said valve being operative in said oven 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;
- and
- a pressure sensor operative to sense air pressure in said fill tube.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a fill tube configured for a filter bag to be mounted on said fill tube, said fill tube having an outlet through which a working air flow 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;
- said valve being 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.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a fill tube configured for a filter bag to be mounted on said fill tube, said fill tube having an outlet through which a working air flow can exit said fill tube to enter the bag when the bag is mounted on said fill tube;
- 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;
- and
- a pressure sensor operative to sense air pressure in said fill tube.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a fill tube configured for a filter bag to be mounted on said fill tube, said fill tube having an outlet through which 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 in which said valve blocks the air from exiting said fill tube through said outlet to an open condition in which said valve permits the air to exit said fill tube through said outlet;
- said valve having an actuation structure configured to shift said valve from said closed condition into said open condition by movement of a mounting collar or the bag against said actuation structure as the bag is mounted on said fill tube.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a fill tube configured for a filter bag to be mounted on said fill tube, said fill tube having an outlet through which 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 in which said valve blocks the air from exiting said fill tube through said outlet to an open condition in which said valve permits the air to exit said fill tube through said outlet;
- said valve having an actuator an configured to shift said valve from said closed condition into said open condition by movement of a fixture of the bag against said actuator an as the bag is mounted on said flit tube, and further configured to retain the bag on said fill tube when the bag is in a fully mounted position.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a fill tube configured for a filter bag to be mounted on said fill tube, said fill tube having an outlet through which an air flow 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 in which said valve blocks the air from exiting said fill tube through said outlet into an open condition in which said valve permits the air to exit said fill tube through said outlet, and configured to be urged toward said closed condition by the air flow.
An apparatus comprising:
- a fill tube configured for a filter bag to be mounted on said fill tube, said fill tube having an outlet through which air can exit said fill tube to enter the bag when the bag is mounted on said fill tube;
- a valve shiftable from a closed condition in which said valve blocks the air from exiting said fill tube through said outlet to an open condition in which said valve permits the air to exit said fill tube through said outlet;
- and
- a pressure sensor operative to sense air pressure in said fill tube.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.