CN115087381B

CN115087381B - Retaining plate for a vacuum cleaner filter bag

Info

Publication number: CN115087381B
Application number: CN202080087367.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 拉尔夫·赛耶; 简·舒尔廷克
Original assignee: Eurofilters Holding NV
Current assignee: Eurofilters Holding NV
Priority date: 2019-12-20
Filing date: 2020-12-15
Publication date: 2024-04-23
Anticipated expiration: 2040-12-15
Also published as: PL3838095T3; US20230025542A1; AU2020410258A1; WO2021122544A1; CN115087381A; ES2927599T3; EP3838095B1; DK3838095T3; EP3838095A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a holding plate (1) comprising a first plate (2) and a second plate (3) arranged in a first plane and a third plate (8) arranged in a second plane extending parallel to the first plane, wherein the third plate (8) has a lower bending stiffness than the first plate (2) and the second plate (3), wherein the first plate (2) and the second plate (3) are connected to each other by the third plate (8) such that a joint is formed between the first plate (2) and the second plate (3), and the first plate (2) and/or the second plate (3) together with the parts of the third plate (8) respectively connected thereto can be bent about a joint axis (A) of the joint.

Description

Retaining plate for a vacuum cleaner filter bag

Technical Field

The invention relates to a retaining plate for a dust collector filter bag and to a dust collector filter bag having such a retaining plate.

Background

Various solutions for fastening a vacuum cleaner filter bag in the installation space of a vacuum cleaner are known. Most often, so-called retaining plates are used, i.e. planar elements which are connected to the bag wall of the dust collector filter bag and have through openings which overlap the inflow openings of the bag wall. The holding plate is pushed into a corresponding receptacle in the vacuum cleaner before the vacuum cleaner is put into operation, so that the holding plate is arranged in a defined position. When the cleaner is subsequently closed, the joint of the cleaner engages into the through opening of the holding plate, so that the air to be filtered can flow into the cleaner filter bag. It is also known to insert the adapter onto a corresponding counterpart in the installation space of the vacuum cleaner, for example as disclosed in US 2,068,332, without using a retaining plate, but instead for example based on an adapter.

Due to the limitation in terms of installation space, a retaining plate with a flexible region is proposed, so that an otherwise flat component can also be pushed into the curved guide. This should allow a better adaptation to the installation space. Examples of such a retaining plate are known from WO 2017/194081 A1 and WO 2017/196211 A1. The proposed solution here uses a membrane hinge in order to flexibly construct the region of the retaining plate. Here, however, the component is prone to failure due to the membrane hinge which is not sufficiently mechanically loaded. In particular, the film hinge may be weakened even more by using recycled plastics, such as recycled polypropylene, rPP. But the use of recycled plastics is becoming increasingly popular for ecological reasons. In addition, the construction of the film hinge by injection molding is also expensive.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved retaining plate for a dust collector filter bag, which retaining plate is more reliable in particular in use and simpler in manufacture.

This object is achieved by a dust collector filter bag according to claim 1. Particularly advantageous developments are given in the dependent claims.

The invention thus provides a holding plate comprising a first plate and a second plate arranged in a first plane and a third plate arranged in a second plane extending parallel to the first plane, wherein the third plate has a smaller bending stiffness than the first plate and the second plate, wherein the first plate and the second plate are connected to each other by the third plate such that a hinge is formed between the first plate and the second plate, the first plate and/or the second plate together with the parts of the third plate respectively connected thereto being bendable about a hinge axis of the hinge.

Since the hinge is not formed by a weakening line in the material as is usual in the prior art, but by a combination of three plates, the retaining plates, in particular the hinge, can be formed more functionally reliable and more flexible in terms of the properties that can be achieved. For example, plates produced by different manufacturing methods may also be combined. Thus, one or more plates having a particularly desired geometry may be injection molded. For simpler structures, thermoforming processes are also suitable. It is thus also possible to combine different materials. Thus, the third plate, which is curved in use, may also comprise, or be made of, a material which is particularly suitable for this, such as a thermoplastic elastomer, TPE. In this case, too, a seal can be achieved in one piece around the cleaner head by the third TPE plate.

The term "plate" herein means a planar member, i.e. a member whose size in a plane (plate width and plate length) is significantly larger than its size perpendicular to the plane (plate thickness).

Flexural rigidity describes the resistance of the plate to elastic deformation caused by bending moments and is defined in a manner known to those skilled in the art.

The third plate may be integrally formed or made of a plurality of parts connected to each other. However, the third plate is in any case configured to connect the first plate with the second plate.

The retaining plate may in particular comprise or be made of one or more plastics. In particular, recycled plastics, such as recycled polypropylene, rPP and/or recycled polyethylene terephthalate, rPET, can also be used. Recycled plastic materials may be used in particular for the first and second plates. In this case, the third plate may also comprise or be made of new plastic material (virgin material).

The retaining plate may consist of a combination of injection molded parts or of a combination of parts produced by thermoforming. The retaining plate may also comprise elements made partly by injection moulding and partly by thermoforming.

The first plate may in particular be connected to the second plate only by the third plate. In other words, the first plate and the second plate may be completely separate members. However, this does not exclude that physical contact may exist between the first plate and the second plate or in a determined positioning. The contact surface can also be formed in a targeted manner, for example, raised at the edges, in order to achieve a larger contact surface and/or in order to allow a movement in only one direction and/or in order to limit the possible bending angle.

The hinge axis may in particular extend parallel to a dividing line between the first plate and the second plate. The hinge axis in this case also lies in a plane parallel to the first plane and the second plane, in particular in the second plane.

The third plate may in particular be thinner than the first plate and/or the second plate. Here, the thickness is determined perpendicular to the first plane and the second plane. In the case where the thickness is not constant, the average thickness may be considered as the dimension. By means of a smaller thickness, a higher flexibility can be achieved in a simple manner, i.e. a smaller bending stiffness, in particular also with the same material for all plates. For example, the third plate may have a thickness of 0.05mm to 1.0mm, while the first and second plates have a thickness of 1.0mm to 3.0mm, respectively.

Alternatively or additionally, the third plate may be composed of a different material than the first plate and/or the second plate, wherein the material of the third plate has a smaller modulus of elasticity than the material of the first plate and/or the second plate.

The first and second plates may be bonded, welded or form-fit to the third plate. The connection may be configured to be detachable without destruction or not detachable without destruction. As a form-fitting connection, in particular riveting is possible.

In the first plate, a through opening may be arranged, which through opening in particular overlaps with a through opening in the third plate. The one or more through-openings form a filling aperture when the holding plate is connected to the vacuum cleaner filter bag.

Furthermore, the retaining plate may comprise a sealing lip surrounding the through opening. The sealing lip may comprise or be made of a thermoplastic elastomer, such as a polypropylene-based thermoplastic elastomer. The sealing lip is intended to prevent or limit the escape of dust from the cleaner filter bag by sealing the area between the inner edge of the through opening and the outside of the connection joint of the cleaner. When the sealing lip comprises or is made of a thermoplastic elastomer, TPE, wherein the through opening in the third plate has a smaller diameter than the through opening in the first plate, it is particularly possible to construct the sealing lip from parts of the third plate.

One or more positioning openings for positioning and/or fastening in the holding plate receptacle may be provided in the second plate. Corresponding overlapping positioning openings may be provided in the third plate, such that the positioning openings are present in the retaining plate in the form of through openings. However, the positioning opening can also be configured as a blind hole. In operation, the locating element of the retaining plate holder of the cleaner can engage into the locating opening and thereby locate and/or fix the retaining plate.

The invention also provides a dust collector filter bag comprising a bag wall and the above-mentioned retaining plate connected thereto.

The bag walls are made of a breathable material and may be constructed in multiple layers. In the latter case also called laminate. The layers of the laminate, in particular each layer of the laminate, may here comprise or be made of nonwoven fabrics and/or nonwoven fibers.

As materials for the bag wall made of nonwoven fabric or nonwoven fibers, in particular for one or more layers, various plastics, such as polypropylene and/or polyester, can be used. The bag wall may likewise comprise or be made of plastic recyclates and/or recycled material from textile manufacture (textile residue-TLO).

For many plastic recyclates, there are relevant international standards. What is relevant for PET plastic recyclates is, for example, DIN EN 15353:2007.PP recovery in DIN EN 15345:2008 are described. The present patent application takes the definition of these international standards for the purpose of the corresponding special plastic recyclates. The plastic recyclates may be non-metallized in this case. An example of this is plastic chips or flakes recovered from PET beverage bottles. The plastic recyclate may also be metallized, for example when the recyclate is obtained from a metal plastic film, especially from a metallized PET film (MPET).

The recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) can be obtained, for example, from beverage bottles, in particular from so-called bottle fragments (i.e. crushed pieces of beverage bottles).

Recycled plastics, in particular recycled PET and/or recycled PP, in metallized and non-metallized form can be spun into corresponding fibers from which corresponding staple fibers as well as melt blown or spun bonded nonwoven fabrics can be produced for the purposes of the present invention.

Recycled materials (TLOs) from textile manufacture are produced in particular in the treatment of textile materials, in particular textile fibers and textile filaments, and also thread-like, planar and three-dimensional textile structures produced therefrom, for example in the manufacture of textile materials, including carding, spinning, cutting and drying, or recycling. These powdery and/or fibrous materials are waste materials which may be deposited on the machines or filter materials used for processing textiles. Dust (powder) or fibers are typically cleaned and heat recovered.

Thus, the powdery and/or fibrous recycled material is, for example, production waste; this applies in particular to materials which are produced as waste during carding, spinning, cutting or drying of textile materials. In this case also referred to as "pre-use waste".

When recovering textile material, i.e. when processing (e.g. comminuting) used textile material or textile (e.g. old clothing), a powdery and/or fibrous recovery material is likewise produced; herein referred to as "post-consumer waste".

Thus, recycled materials (TLOs) from textile manufacture may include, inter alia, fibers and/or filaments obtained from waste from the textile and apparel industry, from post-consumer waste (textiles, etc.), and/or from products collected for recycling.

Nonwoven fabric in the sense of the present invention means a non-oriented fabric which has been subjected to a consolidation step to give it sufficient strength to be wound into rolls or unwound, for example mechanically (i.e. on an industrial scale). The minimum required web tension for winding is 0.044N/mm. The web tension should not be higher than 10% to 25% of the minimum maximum tension of the material to be wound (according to DIN EN 29073-3:1992-08). This results in a minimum maximum tension for the material to be wound of 8.8N per 5cm of bandwidth.

Non-woven fibers or simply "non-woven" correspond to non-oriented fabrics, which however have not been subjected to a consolidation step, such that such non-oriented fabrics do not have sufficient strength compared to non-woven fabrics, for example, to be mechanically wound into rolls or unwound.

In other words, according to ISO standard ISO9092: the term Nonwoven fabric ("Nonwoven") is used in the definition of 1988 or CEM standard EN 29092. Details concerning the use of the definitions and/or methods described herein may also be gleaned from the 2000 standard document, "Vliesstoffe", W.Albrecht, H.Fuchs, W.Kittelmann, wiley-VCH.

The nonwoven fabric layer of the pocket wall may in particular comprise a staple fiber nonwoven fabric and/or an extruded nonwoven fabric. In particular, filament spunbond nonwoven fabrics (also referred to simply as "spunbond nonwoven fabrics" or "spunbond cloths") and/or meltblown nonwoven fabrics may be used.

One or more layers of the bag wall may comprise carded material. Here, mechanical processes (e.g., needling) and thermal processes (e.g., calendaring) may be considered for the joining step. Bonding fibers or adhesives, such as latex adhesives, may also be used. Airlaid material (AIRLAID MATERIALIEN) is also possible.

The nonwoven fabric of one or more layers of the bag wall may comprise bicomponent fibers. Bicomponent fibers (BiCo fibers) may be formed from a core and a sheath surrounding the core. In addition to core/sheath bicomponent fibers, other common variations of bicomponent fibers may be used, such as side-by-side bicomponent fibers.

The bicomponent fibers may be present as staple fibers or as filaments in an extruded nonwoven fabric (e.g., a meltblown nonwoven fabric).

As mentioned above, correspondingly unconsolidated nonwoven fibers are also contemplated.

The nonwoven fabric of one or more layers of the bag wall may also have microcrepes (Micrex).

The bag wall may also include an odor absorbent.

The bag wall may in particular comprise a receiving layer. The receiving layer provides a high resistance to impact loads and is capable of filtering large dirt particles, filtering a substantial proportion of small dust particles and storing or retaining a large amount of particles, wherein air is allowed to flow through easily and thus the pressure drop created with high particle loads is small.

The bag wall may also include a fine filter layer. The fine filter layer serves to improve the filtration efficiency of the multi-layer filter material by capturing particles, for example, passing through the receiving layer. In order to further increase the separation efficiency, the fine filter layer can be charged, preferably electrostatically, for example by corona discharge or water charging (Hydrocharging), in order to increase the separation of fine dust particles in particular.

The fine filter layer may be connected with the receiving layer, in particular towards the outside of the bag wall.

A supporting layer can be connected with the fine filtering layer. Here, the support layer (sometimes referred to as a "reinforcing layer") is a layer that imparts necessary mechanical strength to the multi-layer composite of the filter material. The support layer may in particular be an open, porous nonwoven fabric with a low weight per unit area. The support layer may in particular be a spunbond nonwoven fabric.

However, a single layer of filter material may also be used for the bag wall. In this case, the single layer of filter material may in particular be a meltblown nonwoven fabric. Suitable materials for such a single-layer bag wall are known, for example, from EP2 311 360 B1.

The retention plate may have one or more of the features described above.

In particular, the bag wall may be welded with a third panel, wherein the third panel comprises a plastic compatible with the plastic material of the outermost layer of the bag wall to which the third panel is welded. In other words, the material of the third plate may be chosen such that it can be welded to the bag wall as firmly as possible.

For good welding results, it is necessary to coordinate the materials to be joined as far as possible with respect to melting point and chemical properties (non-crystalline/partially crystalline). This can be achieved if compatible materials are used. It is also contemplated that the same material is used for the outermost layer of the bag wall and the third plate welded to the third plate.

However, the bag wall may also be connected to the first plate or the second plate. In this case, the respective panel may comprise a plastic compatible with the plastic material of the outermost layer of the bag wall to which the respective panel is welded.

The invention also provides a system comprising a dust collector filter bag as described above and a holder in a dust collector housing for holding the plates, wherein the holder is configured such that the first plate and/or the second plate and the part of the third plate respectively connected thereto are bent about the hinge axis in the operating position relative to the first plane and the second plane. The position in which the retaining plate is arranged when the cleaner is in operation is referred to herein as the operating position.

The cleaner filter bag may have one or more of the above-described features.

The holder may in particular have a guide along which the holding plate can be introduced into the holder. The guide may comprise a straight section and a curved section. Bending about the hinge axis may be caused by the bent section.

The holder can be constructed in particular as described in WO 2018/095519 A1.

Drawings

Other features and advantages of the invention are described below with the aid of exemplary drawings. Wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary retention plate;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-section of an exemplary retention plate;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of an exemplary retention plate in a first position;

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of an exemplary retention plate in a second position; and

Fig. 5 shows a top view of an exemplary dust collector filter bag.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a top view of an exemplary holding plate 1, which comprises a first plate 2 and a second plate 3, which are formed as completely separate components from one another. In this example, the first plate 2 and the second plate 3 are spaced apart from each other by a gap 7. It is also conceivable that the first plate 2 and the second plate 3 are in contact in this arrangement, as long as they remain as separate components. The first plate 2 and the second plate 3 are connected only by a third plate, which is not visible in fig. 1, which is arranged in a plane parallel to the plane of the first plate 2 and the second plate 3 and in particular also in the region below the gap 7.

Fig. 2 shows a cross section of an exemplary holding plate 1. The third plate 8 is arranged below the first plate 2, the second plate 3 and in particular below the gap 7, such that the third plate 8 connects the first plate 2 and the second plate 3. The third plate 8 is arranged on the side of the holding plate 1 which is provided for connection with the bag wall of the dust collector filter bag.

Furthermore, the third plate 8 has a smaller bending stiffness than the first plate 2 and/or the second plate 3. In this example, this is achieved by the third plate 8 being formed thinner than the first and second plates 3. Alternatively or additionally, the third plate 8 may be composed of a different material than the first plate 2 and/or the second plate 3, wherein the material of the third plate has a smaller modulus of elasticity than the material of the first plate 2 and/or the second plate 3.

The hinge is constituted by a higher flexibility of the third plate and a reduced thickness of the retaining plate 1 in the region of the gap 7 between the first plate 2 and the second plate 3. The hinge axis a is indicated in fig. 1 by a dashed line. The second plate 3 can be bent or pivoted about the hinge axis a with respect to the first plate 2 together with the part of the third plate 8 connected thereto. This is shown in fig. 3 and 4. In fig. 3, the first plate 2, the second plate 3 and the third plate 8 lie entirely in two parallel planes, whereas in fig. 4, the portions of the second plate 3 and the third plate 8 connected thereto are bent around the hinge axis a perpendicular to the plane of fig. 3. Thereby, the holding plate 1 can also be introduced into a receiving portion having a curved guide portion and thus a holding plate with a flexible region is required.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, a through opening 4 is formed in the first plate 2, which through opening also extends through the third plate 8 as shown in fig. 2. The inflow opening is thus formed together with the through opening of the bag wall of the dust collector filter bag. However, it is also conceivable that the third plate 8 does not extend over the entire underside of the first plate 2 and therefore does not overlap the through opening 4 in the first plate 2. In this case, the inflow opening is formed only by the through-opening 4 in the first plate 2 together with the through-opening of the bag wall.

The holding plate 1 has in a manner known per se a sealing lip 10 made of thermoplastic elastomer, TPE, which in this example is injection molded onto the edge of the through opening 4 of the first plate 2. However, it is also possible to form the sealing lip 10 from the third plate 8 by the through-opening in the third plate 8 having a smaller diameter than the through-opening 4 in the first plate 2 when the sealing lip comprises or is made of a thermoplastic elastomer, TPE. According to a further alternative, the sealing lip 10 can also be glued or welded to the first plate 2 from above or from below. Here, "above" means the side facing away from the third plate 8, and "below" means the side facing toward the third plate 8.

In fig. 1, two positioning openings 5, 6 for positioning and/or fastening in the holding-plate receptacle can likewise be seen in the second plate 3. The positioning openings 5, 6 may also be provided as through holes in the third plate 8. In operation, the locating elements of the retaining plate holder of the cleaner can engage into the locating openings 5, 6 and thereby locate and/or fix the retaining plate 1.

In fig. 5, the holding plate 1 is connected to the bag wall 9 of the vacuum cleaner filter bag. The bag wall 9 may in particular be welded with the third plate 8, wherein the third plate 8 comprises a plastic compatible with the plastic material of the outermost layer of the bag wall 9 welded with the third plate 8. The strength of the welded connection between the holding plate 1 and the bag wall 9 can thereby be improved.

The bag wall 9 comprises a plurality of nonwoven fabric layers or a plurality of nonwoven fabrics and fibrous nonwoven fabric layers overlapping each other from the inside of the bag to the outside of the bag. The nonwoven fabric or fibrous nonwoven layers may be loosely stacked on top of each other or connected to each other. The connection can be effected in a planar manner (for example by means of a spray adhesive) or in a punctiform manner (for example by means of a calender model).

The individual layers may in particular comprise different plastic materials, to be precise, different plastic materials with respect to one another and/or within the respective layer.

The exemplary dust collector filter bag of fig. 5 is a so-called flat bag, wherein the bag wall 9 comprises an upper side and a lower side, which are connected to each other by means of a circumferential weld seam. As mentioned above, both the upper side and the lower side of the flat bag comprise a plurality of layers of filter material, in particular a plurality of layers of nonwoven fabric or nonwoven fabric and fibrous nonwoven fabric. Both the upper side and the lower side may in particular be formed by a laminate of a plurality of nonwoven fabric layers. However, the invention is not limited to flat bags, but may also be used for side-folded bags or flat bottom bags, for example.

Advantageously, in this example, the holding plate 1 comprises a recycled plastic material, such as recycled polypropylene (rPP) or recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET).

It goes without saying that the features mentioned in the above embodiments are not limited to these specific combinations but can be combined in any other way. It should also be understood that the geometries shown in the figures are merely exemplary and can be of any other design.

Claims

1. A holding plate (1) comprising a first plate (2) and a second plate (3) arranged in a first plane and a third plate (8) arranged in a second plane extending parallel to the first plane, wherein the third plate (8) has a smaller bending stiffness than the first plate (2) and the second plate (3), wherein the first plate (2) and the second plate (3) are connected to each other by the third plate (8) such that a hinge is formed between the first plate (2) and the second plate (3), the first plate (2) and/or the second plate (3) together with the part of the third plate (8) connected to the first plate (2) and/or the second plate (3), respectively, being bendable about a hinge axis (a) of the hinge.

2. The holding plate according to claim 1, characterized in that the third plate (8) is formed thinner than the first plate (2) and/or the second plate (3).

3. The holding plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the third plate (8) is composed of a different material than the first plate (2) and/or the second plate (3), wherein the material of the third plate (8) has a smaller modulus of elasticity than the material of the first plate (2) and/or the second plate (3).

4. The holding plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first plate (2) and the second plate (3) are connected to the third plate (8) in an adhesive, welded or form-fitting manner.

5. The holding plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a through opening (4) is arranged in the first plate (2).

6. The holding plate according to claim 5, characterized in that the through-openings (4) in the first plate (2) overlap with the through-openings (4) in the third plate (8).

7. The holding plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that one or more positioning openings (5, 6) for positioning and/or fastening in a holding plate receiver are provided in the second plate (3).

8. A vacuum cleaner filter bag comprising a bag wall (9) and a retaining plate (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 connected to the bag wall.

9. A vacuum cleaner filter bag according to claim 8, characterized in that the bag wall (9) is welded to the third plate (8), and in that the third plate (8) comprises a plastic compatible with the plastic material of the outermost layer of the bag wall (9) to which the third plate (8) is welded.

10. A system comprising a dust collector filter bag according to claim 8 or 9 and a holder for the holding plate (1) in a dust collector housing, characterized in that the holder is configured such that the parts of the first plate (2) and/or the second plate (3) and the third plate (8) connected with the first plate (2) and/or the second plate (3), respectively, are bent about the hinge axis (a) in an operating position with respect to the first plane and the second plane.