Patent ID: 12202098

DESCRIPTIVE KEY

100dust wing adapter200tubular body202distal end204proximal end210slot220tab900sander904dustbag mount908sanding head910sander vacuum nozzle attachment914vacuum system coupler916pair of wings918sander coupler932hose clamp942guide pin944set screw aperture946coupling aperture

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a dust wing adapter (herein described as the “invention”)100. The invention100may comprise a tubular body200having a proximal end204and a distal end202, a slot210, and a tab220. The invention100may be operable to adapt the fit of a sander vacuum nozzle attachment910to a sander900. The distal end202of the tubular body200may couple to a dustbag mount904of the sander900. The proximal end204of the tubular body200may couple to a sander coupler918of the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910.

The sander vacuum nozzle attachment910may be a device that directs dust produced by the operation of the sander900into a vacuum system. The sander vacuum nozzle attachment910may ordinarily couple directly to the dustbag mount904of the sander900. A suction hose of the vacuum system may further couple to a vacuum system coupler914of the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910. The sander vacuum nozzle attachment910may draw the dust through the dustbag mount904and through a pair of wings916positioned proximal to a sanding head908of the sander900. When a mismatch exists between the size or shape of the dustbag mount904and the size or shape of the sander coupler918, one (1) of a family of adapters may be inserted between the dustbag mount904and the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910to adapt the fit. A preferred embodiment of the invention100selected from the family of adapters is presented herein.

As a non-limiting example, the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910that is the subject matter of co-pending application U.S. Ser. No. 17/532,022, filed Nov. 22, 2021, and titled “Dustless sander vacuum nozzle attachment” may be an embodiment of the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910recited herein. The sander vacuum nozzle attachment910may also be referred to as a dust wing.

The tubular body200may be a hollow cylindrical tube. The distal end202of the tubular body200may couple with the dustbag mount904of the sander900by sliding over the dustbag mount904. The proximal end204of the tubular body200may couple with the sander coupler918of the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910by sliding into the sander coupler918.

The distal end202of the tubular body200may comprise the slot210. The slot210may be operable to facilitate the coupling of the invention100to the sander900. As a non-limiting example, the slot210may enable compression of the distal end202of the tubular body200by a hose clamp932tightened around the tubular body200. The compression of the tubular body200may hold the tubular body200onto the dustbag mount904. As a further non-limiting example, the dustbag mount904may comprise a guide pin942that may engage the slot210in order to prevent rotation of the invention100relative to the dustbag mount904. As a further non-limiting example, the dustbag mount904may comprise a set screw aperture944. A set screw may be coupled to the dustbag mount904after passing through the slot210in order to retain the invention100to the dustbag mount904, prevent rotation of the invention100relative to the dustbag mount904, or both.

The tubular body200may comprise the tab220located on the proximal half of the tubular body200. The tab220may be operable to engage a coupling aperture946located on the sander coupler918of the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910. Engaging the tab220with the coupling aperture946may retain the invention100to the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910, may prevent rotation of the invention100relative to the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910, or both.

The outside diameter of the tubular body200may be smaller than the inside diameter of the sander coupler918on the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910such that the tubular body200may slide into the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910. The inside diameter of the tubular body200may be larger than the outside diameter of the dustbag mount904on the sander900such that the tubular body200may slide over the dustbag mount904.

The tab220on the tubular body200may be smaller than the coupling aperture946on the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910such that the tab220may engage the coupling aperture946. Specifically, a tab length measured in a longitudinal direction may be smaller than the longitudinal length of the coupling aperture946on the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910and a tab width measured tangentially may be smaller than the tangential width of the coupling aperture946on the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910.

In some embodiments, a slot length measured in a longitudinal direction may be up to one-half (½) of the longitudinal length of the tubular body200. In some embodiments, a slot width measured tangentially may be wider than the guide pin942or the set screw aperture944of the dustbag mount904on the sander900.

In use as illustrated inFIG.7, the invention100may be coupled to the sander900and to the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910to adapt the fit of the sander900to the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910. The invention100may be coupled to the sander900by sliding the distal end202of the tubular body200over the dustbag mount904of the sander900. The invention100may be retained to the sander900and/or prevented from rotating by using the hose clamp932, the guide pin942, or the set screw. The invention100may couple with the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910by sliding the proximal end204of the tubular body200into the sander coupler918of the sander vacuum nozzle attachment910until the tab220engages the coupling aperture946.

The exact specifications, materials used, and method of use of the invention100may vary upon manufacturing. The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.