Vacuum cleaner bag docking assembly

An upright vacuum cleaner comprising:

• a handle assembly, at least a portion thereof comprising a dirty air conduit;
• a vacuum bag;
• a dirty air outlet nozzle mounted to the handle assembly, the nozzle communicating with the dirty air conduit and projecting from the dirty air conduit for engagement with a vacuum bag;
• an anchor member having a central opening for closely, releasably receiving the nozzle, the anchor member being sufficiently deformable to permit the central opening to be engaged with or removed from the nozzle;
• and
• a mounting member releasably connected to the anchor member and movable between a loading position in which the vacuum bag is inserted into or removed from the mounting member and a working position in which an opening in the vacuum bag engages the nozzle, the mounting member restricting deformation of the anchor member when connected thereto to restrict the anchor member from being removed from the nozzle.

A vacuum cleaner bag comprising:

• an air-permeable bag having an opening;
• and
• a collar attached to the bag surrounding the opening, the collar having an end edge, a first side edge, a second side edge opposing the first side edge, an orientation surface, and a recess adjacent the end edge,
• wherein the first and second side edges are in a generally vertical orientation during use, the end edge is in a generally horizontal orientation during use, the first and second side edges are free from the bag, the orientation surface comprises an angled surface extending from the first side edge to the end edge, and the orientation surface is adapted to orient the opening of the bag.

A bag for receipt in a mounting member having a channel and a first orientation surface, the bag comprising:

• an air-permeable bag having an opening;
• and
• a collar attached to said bag surrounding said opening, said collar having an end edge, a recess adjacent said end edge for surrounding a retainer member of the mounting member, a first side edge, a second side edge opposing said first side edge, and a second orientation surface, said second orientation surface extending from said first side edge to said end edge, said second orientation surface being complementary to the first orientation surface of the mounting member,
• wherein said second orientation surface is adapted to orient said opening of said bag upon contact with the first orientation surface of the mounting member.

A vacuum cleaner assembly comprising:

• a dirty air outlet nozzle;
• a vacuum bag having a substantially rigid collar surrounding a bag opening;
• a bag docking assembly mounted adjacent the dirty air outlet, the bag docking assembly comprising:
• an anchor member having a central opening for closely, releasably receiving the dirty air outlet, the anchor member being sufficiently deformable to permit the central opening to be engaged with or removed from the dirty air outlet, and
• a mounting member releasably connected to the anchor member and movable between a loading position in which the vacuum bag is inserted into or removed from the mounting member and a working position in which an opening in the vacuum bag engages the dirty air outlet, the mounting member restricting deformation of the anchor member when connected thereto to restrict the anchor member from being removed from the dirty air outlet.