Dust receptacle for a vacuum cleaner

Claim 2

The combination with a dust receptacle including a collapsible and expansible air permeable bag having an open end, of an end closure for such open end comprising a. a plate having an opening defining an inlet through which a tubular member is adapted to extend for introducing air therein, b. an elastic membrane which is fixed to said plate and extends across the opening therein, said membrane being stretchable and having a centrally disposed aperture of smaller size then the opening in said plate, c. said plate having an elongated tongue which forms a unitary part thereof and extends across the opening therein and at its opposite ends is fixed thereto, said tongue overlying only a central portion of said membrane and extending across the aperture therein, the portion of said tongue overlying the aperture being at least as wide as the dimension of the aperture normal to the longitudinal axis of said tongue, d. said tongue having a diagonally extending cut intermediate its ends along a line at an acute angle to its longitudinal axis, e. said tongue at opposite sides of said cut defining tapered fingers extending inward toward one another from diametrically opposite peripheral edge portions of the opening in said plate, said fingers having pointed outer ends which overlap longitudinally of said tongue and abut one another along the cut, f. said plate having two portions which are movable about a fold line between a first position in which said portions are in the same plane and a second position in which said portions are transverse to the first position, g. the diagonally extending cut of said tongue being disposed at said fold line, h. the pointed outer ends of said tapered fingers, with the two portions of said plate in the same plane and in their first position, moving through the aperture in said membrane when forcibly swung inward from said plane of said plate by the tubular member, and i. said membrane, when the tubular member is withdrawn from the inlet of said end closure, biasing the portions of said tapered fingers at the outer surface of said membrane and overlying the latter to urge the portions of said tapered fingers at the inner surface of said membrane into said plane of said plate and render the pointed outer ends thereof operable to close the aperture in said membrane.

Claim 3

The combination with a dust receptacle including a collapsible and expansible air permeable dust bag having an open end, of an end closure for such open end comprising a. a plate including a pair of superimposed outer and inner sheets having aligned openings defining an inlet through which a tubular member is adapted to extend for introducing air therein, b. an elastic membrane which is disposed between said sheets and extends across the inlet, said membrane being stretchable and having a centrally disposed aperture of smaller size than the openings in said sheets, c. said outer sheet having an elongated tongue which extends across the opening therein and at its opposite ends is integrally joined thereto, said tongue overlying only a central portion of said membrane and extending across the aperture therein, the portion of said tongue overlying the aperture being at least as wide as the dimension of the aperture normal to the longitudinal axis of said tongue, d. said tongue having a diagonally extending cut intermediate its end along a line at an acute angle to its longitudinal axis, e. said tongue at opposite sides of said cut defining tapered fingers extending inward toward one another from diametrically opposite peripheral edge portions of the opening in said outer sheet, said fingers having pointed outer ends which overlap longitudinally of said tongue and abut one another along the cut, f. said plate having two portions which are movable about a fold line between a first position in which said portions are in the same plane and a second position in which said portions are transverse to the first position, g. the diagonally extending cut of said tongue being disposed at said fold line, h. the pointed outer ends of said tapered fingers, with the two portions of said plate in the same plane and in their first position, moving through the aperture in said membrane when forcibly swung inward from said outer sheet by the tubular member, and i. said membrane, when the tubular member is withdrawn from the inlet of said plate, biasing the portions of said tapered fingers at the outer surface of said membrane and overlying the latter to urge said fingers into said plane of said plate and render the pointed outer ends thereof operable to close the aperture in said membrane.

Claim 4

The combination with a dust receptacle including a collapsible and expansible air permeable dust bag having an open end, of an end closure for such open end comprising a. a plate including a pair of superimposed outer and inner sheets having aligned openings defining an inlet through which a tubular member is adapted to extend for introducing air therein, b. an elastic membrane which is disposed between said sheets and extends across the inlet, said membrane being stretchable and having a centrally disposed aperture of smaller size than the openings in said sheets, c. said outer sheet having an elongated tongue which extends across the opening therein and at its opposite ends is integrally joined thereto, said tongue overlying only a central portion of said membrane and extending across the aperture therein, the portion of said tongue overlying the aperture being at least as wide as the dimension of the aperture normal to the longitudinal axis of said tongue, d. said tongue having a diagonally extending cut intermediate its end along a line at an acute angle to its longitudinal axis, e. said tongue at opposite sides of said cut defining tapered fingers extending inward toward one another from diametrically opposite peripheral edge portions of the opening in said outer sheet, said fingers having pointed outer ends which overlap longitudinally of said tongue and abut one another along the cut, f. said plate having two portions which are movable about a fold line between a first position in which said portions are in the same plane and a second position in which said portions are transverse to the first position, g. the diagonally extending cut of said tongue being disposed at said fold line, h. the pointed outer ends of said tapered fingers, with the two portions of said plate in the same plane and in their first position, moving through the aperture in said membrane when forcibly swung inward from said outer sheet by the tubular member, and i. said membrane, when the tubular member is withdrawn from the inlet of said plate, biasing the portions of said tapered fingers at the outer surface of said membrane and overlying the latter to urge said fingers into said plane of said plate and render the pointed outer ends thereof operable to close the aperture in said membrane.

Claim 5

Structure as set forth in claim 2 in which said outer and inner sheets are formed from a single blank and integrally united to one another.

Claim 6

Structure as set forth in claim 2 in which the diagonally extending cut of said tongue only extends part way therethrough and breaks when the pointed outer ends of said tapered fingers, with the two portions of said plate in the same plane and in their first position, move through the aperture in said membrane when forcibly swung inward from said outer sheet by the tubular member.

Claim 7

Structure as set forth in claim 2 in which the diagonally extending cut of said tongue extends completely therethrough.

Claim 8

Structure as set forth in claim 2 in which the pointed outer ends of said tapered fingers extend completely across the aperture in said membrane and their outermost portions overlap the outer surface of said membrane at the far sides of the aperture, said membrane, when the tubular member is withdrawn from the inlet of said plate, biasing said fingers to urge the outermost portions thereof toward the inner surface of said membrane and into said plane of said plate.

Claim 9

Structure as set forth in claim 2 in which said diagonally extending cut bisects said tongue and extends longitudinally thereof to form said pointed fingers which are in alignment, each of said fingers extending inward from a first region at its outer end toward a second region which is nearer to its inner end, said first and second regions of each of said fingers extending radially from the aperture in said membrane at diametrically opposite peripheral edge portions thereof.

Claim 10

Structure as set forth in claim 2 in which each of the pointed ends of said fingers has an inner portion overlying a different part of the aperture in said membrane and a second outer portion, said outer portions of the pointed ends of said fingers respectively being disposed at regions of said membrane at diametrically opposite peripheral edges of the aperture therein.

Claim 11

Structure as set forth in claim 2 in which said diagonally extending cut of said tongue extends along a line at an acute angle to its longitudinal axis which is in a range of between 20* and 40*.

Claim 12

Structure as set forth in claim 2 in which said diagonally extending cut of said tongue extends along a line at an acute angle of approximately 30* to its longitudinal axis.

Claim 13

In combination, a dust receptacle comprising a. a collapsible and expansible air permeable bag formeD of porous sheet material, said bag being closed at one end and open at its opposite end and comprising a pair of opposing side walls and a pair of connecting end walls transverse to said side walls, b. said end walls being pleated and said opposing side walls being substantially flat and having notches at the open end of said bag, c. the pleats of said end walls having tabs at the outer ends thereof which project from the open end of said bag and are in alignment and form lugs when said pleats are bundled together, d. said opposing side walls having zones which extend from said notches at the open end of said bag, e. an end closure for said bag comprising a mounting plate having an opening defining an inlet through which a tubular member is adapted to extend for introducing air therein, f. an elastic membrane which is fixed to said plate and extends across the opening therein, said membrane being stretchable and having a centrally disposed aperture of smaller size than the opening in said plate, g. said plate having an elongated tongue which extends across the opening therein and at its opposite ends is fixed thereto, said tongue overlying only a central portion of said membrane and extending across the aperture therein, the portion of said tongue overlying the aperture being at least as wide as the dimension of the aperture normal to the longitudinal axis of said tongue, h. said tongue having a diagonally extending cut intermediate its ends along a line at an acute angle to its longitudinal axis, i. said tongue at opposite sides of said cut defining tapered fingers extending inward toward one another from diametrically opposite peripheral edge portions of the opening in said plate, said fingers having pointed outer ends which overlap longitudinally of said tongue and abut one another along the cut, j. said plate having two portions which are movable about a fold line between a first position in which said portions are in the same plane and a second position in which said portions are transverse to the first position, k. said plate having a pair of slots at said fold line which are spaced from one another at opposite sides of the opening in said plate, l. said slots receiving said lugs at the open end of said bag, m. means for respectively fixing said zones of said opposing side walls to the inner faces of the two portions of said plate, said notches defining an opening in alignment with the inlet of said plate when said two portions of said plate are in said first position in the same plane, and n. the diagonally extending cut of said tongue being disposed at said fold line.

Claim 14

In combination, a dust receptacle comprising a. a collapsible and expansible air permeable bag formeD of porous sheet material, said bag being closed at one end and open at its opposite end and comprising a pair of opposing side walls and a pair of connecting end walls transverse to said side walls, b. said end walls being pleated and said opposing side walls being substantially flat and having notches at the open end of said bag, c. the pleats of said end walls having tabs at the outer ends thereof which project from the open end of said bag and are in alignment and form lugs when said pleats are bundled together, d. said opposing side walls having zones which extend from said notches at the open end of said bag, e. an end closure for said bag comprising a mounting plate having an opening defining an inlet through which a tubular member is adapted to extend for introducing air therein, f. an elastic membrane which is fixed to said plate and extends across the opening therein, said membrane being stretchable and having a centrally disposed aperture of smaller size than the opening in said plate, g. said plate having an elongated tongue which extends across the opening therein and at its opposite ends is fixed thereto, said tongue overlying only a central portion of said membrane and extending across the aperture therein, the portion of said tongue overlying the aperture being at least as wide as the dimension of the aperture normal to the longitudinal axis of said tongue, h. said tongue having a diagonally extending cut intermediate its ends along a line at an acute angle to its longitudinal axis, i. said tongue at opposite sides of said cut defining tapered fingers extending inward toward one another from diametrically opposite peripheral edge portions of the opening in said plate, said fingers having pointed outer ends which overlap longitudinally of said tongue and abut one another along the cut, j. said plate having two portions which are movable about a fold line between a first position in which said portions are in the same plane and a second position in which said portions are transverse to the first position, k. said plate having a pair of slots at said fold line which are spaced from one another at opposite sides of the opening in said plate, l. said slots receiving said lugs at the open end of said bag, m. means for respectively fixing said zones of said opposing side walls to the inner faces of the two portions of said plate, said notches defining an opening in alignment with the inlet of said plate when said two portions of said plate are in said first position in the same plane, and n. the diagonally extending cut of said tongue being disposed at said fold line.

Claim 15

Structure as set forth in claim 11 in which said means for fixing said zones of said side walls at the open end of said bag to the inner faces of the two portions of said plate comprises an adhesive-like material which is rendered operable when the two portions of said plate are in their second position with said zones clamped therebetween.

Claim 16

Structure as set forth in claim 11 in which the pointed outer ends of said tapered fingers at the fold line of said plate, with the two portions thereof in the same plane and in their first position, move through the aperture in said membrane when forcibly swung inward from said plane of said plate by the tubular member, and said membrane being operable, when the tubular member is withdrawn from the inlet of said plate, to bias the portions of said tapered fingers at the outer surface of said membrane and overlying the latter to urge the portions of said fingers at the inner surface of said membrane into said plane of said plate and render the pointed outer ends thereof operable to close the aperture in said membrane.

Claim 17

Structure as set forth in claim 13 in which said plate comprises a pair of superimposed outer and inner sheets and said apertured elastic membrane is disposed between said sheets, said inner sheet being scored to define said fold line and said outer sheet being cut aT the fold line to facilitate moving the two portions of said plate between their first and second positions.