Vacuum Cleaner Filter Bag with Five Folds to Maintain Suction Power

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vacuum cleaner filter bags experience a significant decrease in air volume flow as they fill with dust, leading to reduced suction power and cleaning effectiveness, particularly with high-degree separation filters.

Innovation Solution

A vacuum cleaner filter bag design featuring at least five folds on its nonwoven material walls, with a fixing device that prevents full unfolding, increasing the filtration area and reducing media passage speed, thereby maintaining suction power and improving particle separation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the filter bag is made from nonwoven material with high dust storage capacity, then the dust storage capacity is improved, but the air volume flow decreases significantly as the bag fills with dust

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedust storage capacityVSAvoidair volume flow
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dimensionality change by transforming the flat filter surface into a three-dimensional folded structure. The filter material is folded multiple times to create a volumetric configuration that increases the effective filtration area without increasing the footprint dimensions. This allows more dust storage capacity while maintaining adequate air volume flow through the expanded surface area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the continuous filter surface into multiple folded sections. By dividing the filter area into discrete folded segments, the design increases the total filtration surface area within the same external dimensions, thereby improving dust storage capacity while maintaining air flow characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If the filter material is made stiffer to maintain structure, then the structural stability is improved, but the bag cannot unfold during use and cannot provide sufficient volume

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidbag volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by designing the filter bag with foldable sections that can transition from a compact folded state to an expanded unfolded state during operation. The folds are engineered to allow controlled movement and expansion, enabling the bag to adapt its volume dynamically while maintaining structural integrity through the fold geometry and supporting elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If the media passage speed is high, then the productivity is improved, but the particle separation efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemedia passage speedVSAvoidparticle separation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

By increasing the filtration area through folding, the patent reduces the media passage speed for a given air flow rate. The expanded surface area distributes the air flow more thinly across the filter material, lowering the passage speed and improving particle separation efficiency while maintaining overall productivity through the increased area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The design extends the filter's service life, enhances suction power by converting motor power into high suction airflow efficiently, and improves particle separation due to increased residence time and electrostatic charge effects.

Implementation Method 1

the filter material of the first and second bag wall is formed from nonwoven material

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhysical filtration: Filter (physical)

Implementation Method 2

improves particle separation due to increased residence time and electrostatic charge effects

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrostatic attraction: Electrostatics

Data Source

PatentEP2366321B2Vacuum cleaner filter bag
Publication Date: 2021.12.22 EUROLIFTERS HLDG NV
  • EP2366321B2 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2366321B2 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2366321B2 patent drawingFigure 4~7

AI summary

The bag has two bag walls comprising a filter material and connected together along periphery of the bag walls such that the filter bag is completely closed. The filter material of the bag walls is made of non-woven material. Air to be filtered is passed through an intake opening (102) into the vacuum cleaner filter bag, which comprises a retaining plate (103). The bag walls comprise five folds (101). A side fold of the five folds comprises inflexion lines, which runs in a straight manner, where heights and/or breadths and/or shapes of two of the folds are different from each other.