Wet/dry vacuum bag
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum cleaner bags are either inexpensive but weak when wet, or strong but expensive, and often inflate when damp, leading to premature float valve activation and potential damage from debris impact.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum cleaner bag assembly with a panel assembly made from a non-woven wood pulp and polyester blend, incorporating a shield member for impact protection and a wicking barrier to prevent liquid displacement, ensuring strength and effective filtration both wet and dry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If paper bags are used, then cost is reduced and filtering is effective, but strength when wet deteriorates and bag may rupture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining paper (for filtration and cost-effectiveness) with a hydrophobic coating layer (for water resistance and strength when wet). This composite structure allows the bag to maintain both low cost and high strength when wet, resolving the technical contradiction between these two parameters.
2Strength
If cloth bags are used, then strength when wet is improved, but cost increases and filtering characteristics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure where paper provides the filtration characteristics and low cost, while the hydrophobic coating provides the strength when wet that cloth bags offer. This resolves the contradiction by achieving cloth-like wet strength without the high cost and poor filtration of cloth bags.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains the porous structure of paper material for effective filtration while adding a hydrophobic coating that prevents water penetration. This allows the bag to retain excellent filtering characteristics while gaining the wet strength needed for wet/dry vacuum applications.
3Ease of manufacture
If hydrophilic material is used, then filtration is effective, but bag inflates when damp due to liquid absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses porous paper material for effective filtration while applying a hydrophobic coating that prevents liquid absorption. The porous structure allows air and fine particles to pass through for filtration, while the hydrophobic property prevents water from entering and causing inflation, thus resolving the contradiction between filtration effectiveness and volume stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the surface property parameter of the paper material by applying a hydrophobic coating. This parameter change transforms the material from hydrophilic (absorbs water and inflates) to hydrophobic (repels water and maintains volume stability), while preserving the filtration capabilities of the porous paper structure.
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 solution provides a cost-effective, durable, and efficient filtration system that prevents bag inflation and float valve activation, maintaining suction power and extending the bag's useful life.
Implementation Method 1
a wicking barrier adapted to prevent liquid absorbed into a second area from displacing to a first area
Implementation Method 2
The first material may be a non-woven material that is a wood pulp and polyester blend
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum cleaner bag assembly is adapted to be removably disposed within a tank of a vacuum cleaner, and the bag assembly includes a panel assembly made from a first material and forming an enclosure having an interior volume, and an aperture extends through the panel assembly. A shield member may be disposed within the interior volume and secured to one or more portions of the panel assembly, and the shield member may comprise a second material that is different than the first material. The first material may have a wicking barrier that inhibits wicking when the bag assembly becomes wet. The shield member is adapted to protect a portion of the panel assembly when the vacuum cleaner bag assembly is disposed within the tank and, together with the wicking barrier and a properly chosen first material, enhances performance of the vacuum bag assembly when wet.