Patent Publication Number: US-2004055104-A1

Title: Apparatus and method for cleaning a vacuum system

Description:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE  
       [0001] Applicant(s) hereby incorporate herein by reference, any and all U.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, and other documents and printed matter cited or referred to in this application.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0003] This invention relates generally to the cleaning of wall mounted vacuum suction devices used for industrial, commercial and consumer applications (central vacuum systems) and more particularly to a specialty debris bag and method of use of such bag for thoroughly cleaning such a vacuum producing device.  
       [0004] 2. Description of Related Art  
       [0005] The following art defines the present state of this field:  
       [0006] Miller et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,983 teaches a storage bag with a sealable top edge and glove shaped side walls for insertion of the hands to manipulate an object within the bag. Browning, U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,252 teaches a glove box having an arm insertion aperture and an open end with surface seal and hole for vacuum hose.  
       [0007] Hoerl, U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,726 teaches a glove bag similar to that of Miller et al and which is sealable using a draw string.  
       [0008] Rittmueller et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,797 teaches a central vacuum system of the type that typically mounts to a wall and provides a dust bin positioned on the bottom.  
       [0009] Surplus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,670 teaches a glove bag with an enlarged cuff with sealing means.  
       [0010] Bain, U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,191 teaches a sealing apparatus having dual gloves, a sealing perimeter, vacuum takeoff and pressurized dispenser. A jacking device is used to support the apparatus against a cealing.  
       [0011] Lerner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,733 teaches a disposable glove useful as a sealable bag using a draw string when the bag is drawn inside-out to enclose an object to be disposed.  
       [0012] As disclosed above the prior art teaches lockable storage bags (zip-lock types), glove bags and boxes, central vacuum systems with debris catching bags, debris catching apparatus and methods for protection of workers, especially in asbestos related work, and a cleaning glove with drawstring with capacity for catching debris, but does not teach a debris bag and method of use with a suction apparatus for cleaning such apparatus. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013] The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.  
       [0014] Central vacuum systems use a suction producing machine that draws dust from various points within a building and deposits the dust into a debris canister. Such a canister must be removed and emptied occasionally. However, this may cause dust clouds to billow up from the canister if it is not handled properly. The present invention provides a superior manner of handling such a debris removal with a sanitary result. The present inventive method of cleaning a central vacuum apparatus comprises the steps of removing a debris canister from a suction producing portion of a central vacuum system, placing an empty debris bag over the debris canister, tightening a draw string of the debris bag to secure a dust-tight joint between the debris bag on the debris canister, and inverting and then agitating the debris canister to cause debris within it to fall from the debris canister into the debris bag. The debris bag is then placed over the suction producing portion of the central vacuum system, the draw string of the debris bag is tightened to secure a dust-tight joint between the debris bag and the suction producing portion, the debris bag is manually pushed into the interior of the suction producing portion and the interior of the suction producing portion is wiped with the debris bag to dislodge further debris. After this, the debris bag is released to allow dislodged debris to fall into it. Finally, the debris bag is released and replaced by the debris canister on the suction producing portion of the central vacuum system. The drawstring is then used to seal the debris bag prior to disposal. The use of a debris bag  40  held by a drawstring around a vacuum machine and its dust receptacle, the inverting and shaking the debris canister to empty its contents into the secured debris bag, and especially, the reaching up inside the suction device to wipe fan blades, walls and other surfaces therein with the same debris bag, appear to constitute a highly novel and very efficient manner for cleaning this sort of machine. In practice the inventor has found that the application of the present method results in inexpensive and superior cleaning as well as very fast results, important to those with many such tasks to accomplish in limited time. It should be noted that prior to reaching into the interior of the suction machine, the possibility of electrical power being turned on should be fully defeated.  
       [0015] A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such apparatus that provides advantages not taught by the prior art.  
       [0016] Another objective is to provide such an invention capable of cleaning a central vacuum system without raising a dust.  
       [0017] A further objective is to provide such an invention capable of simple application and low cost.  
       [0018] A still further objective is to provide such an invention capable of sanitary disposal of dust and other debris received when cleaning a central vacuum system.  
       [0019] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0020] The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:  
     [0021]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a suction machine of the present invention prior to being cleaned;  
     [0022]FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof illustrating the manner of emptying a debris canister of the invention method into a debris bag of the invention; and  
     [0023]FIG. 3 is a perspective view thereof illustrating the manner in which a suction portion of the suction machine is engaged with the debris bag and cleaned. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0024] The above described drawing figures illustrate the invention in at least one of its preferred embodiments, which is further defined in detail in the following description.  
     [0025] The present invention apparatus comprises in combination, a suction producing portion  10  of a central vacuum system  20  mounted on a vertical wall. A debris canister  30  mounted below the suction producing portion  10 , provides a mouth  32  for receiving debris  5  from the suction producing portion  10 , the mouth  32  releasably engaged upwardly in a dust-tight relationship with the suction producing portion  10 , i.e., dust moves easily between the suction portion  10  and the debris canister  30 , but cannot escape to the environment, and such technique is very well known in the art, as taught in the Rittmueller et al reference incorporated by reference. A debris bag  40  preferably of flexible plastic sheet material provides an entrance  42  with a peripheral hem  44 , the hem providing a draw string  46  enabled for adjusting the size of the entrance  42  as is well known in the art, and for fully closing the entrance  42 , as desired. The entrance  42  is therefore enabled for tight-fitting relationships around the debris canister  30  when the debris canister  30  is released from the suction producing portion  10  by latches  12 , See FIG. 2, and also around the suction producing portion  10  of the central vacuum system  20 , as shown in FIG. 3. The debris bag  40  is enabled by the draw string  46  for being fully closed for disposal of the debris bag  40  with dust and debris  5  inside.  
     [0026] The method of use of the present invention includes securing dust and debris  5  from the debris canister  30  by removing the debris canister  30  from the suction producing portion  10  of the central vacuum system  20 ; placing an empty debris bag  40  over the debris canister  30 ; tightening the draw string  46  of the debris bag  40  to secure the dust-tight joint between the debris bag  40  and the debris canister  30 ; and, inverting and agitating the debris canister  30  to cause debris  5  to fall from the debris canister  30  into the debris bag  40 .  
     [0027] The present method also includes steps for securing dust and debris  5  from the suction producing portion  10 , including, as shown in FIG. 3, placing the debris bag  40  over the lower opening (due to removal of the debris canister  30 ) of suction producing portion  10  of the central vacuum system  20 ; tightening the draw string  46  to secure a dust-tight joint between the debris bag  40  and the suction producing portion  10 ; pushing the debris bag  10  manually up and into the interior  14  of the suction producing portion  10 ; wiping the interior of the suction producing portion with the debris bag  40  to dislodge further debris  5  (FIG. 3); releasing the debris bag  40  to allow dislodged debris  5  to fall into the debris bag  40 ; and finally, removing the debris bag  40  and replacing the debris canister  30  onto the suction producing portion  10  of the central vacuum system  20 .  
     [0028] The drawstring  42  may be tightened to seal the debris bag  40  prior to disposal thereof.  
     [0029] While the invention has been described with reference to at least one preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims.