Vacuum Cleaner Filter Bag Made from Recycled Plastic

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner filter bag composed primarily of plastic recyclates.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner filter bag, comprising a wall surrounding an inner space comprising an air-permeable material and an inlet opening inserted into the wall, wherein the air-permeable material comprises at least one layer of a nonwoven fabric or one layer of a fiber web that comprises fibers or is composed thereof, said fabric or web comprising one recycled plastic or a plurality of recycled plastics or being composed of one recycled plastic or a plurality of recycled plastics.

2. The vacuum cleaner bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recycled plastic is selected from the group composed of recycled polyesters; recycled polyolefins; recycled polyvinyl chloride (rPVC), recycled polyamides as well as mixtures and combinations thereof.

3. The vacuum cleaner bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recycled plastic is present in the form of a bicomponent fiber of the core-sheath type (core-core bicomponent fiber), comprising a core of a recycled plastic, wherein the sheath is composed of a fresh plastic.

4. The vacuum cleaner bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air-permeable material has a multilayer structure, wherein at least one, a plurality, or all of the layers comprise a nonwoven fabric or a fiber web or are composed thereof, wherein the nonwoven fabric or the fiber web comprises or is composed of fibers that comprise one recycled plastic or a plurality of recycled plastics or are composed of one recycled plastic or a plurality of recycled plastics.

5. The vacuum cleaner bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air-permeable material comprises: at least one spunbonded fabric layer, at least one fine filter layer and at least one capacity layer, or at least one support layer and at least one fine filter layer, wherein at least one or all of the support layers or at least one or all of the fine filter layers are nonwovens composed of one recycled plastic or a plurality of recycled plastics, or at least one support layer and at least one capacity layer, wherein at least one or all of the support layers are nonwovens or at least one or all of the capacity layers are nonwovens or fiber webs composed of one recycled plastic or a plurality of recycled plastics, or at least one support layer, at least one fine filter layer and at least one capacity layer, wherein at least one or all of the support layers or at least one or all of the fine filter layers are nonwovens composed of one recycled plastic or a plurality of recycled plastics or at least one or all of the capacity layers are nonwovens or fiber webs composed of one recycled plastic or a plurality of recycled plastics.

6. The vacuum cleaner bag as claimed in claim 5, wherein a) each support layer is a spunbonded fabric or scrim, b) the air-permeable material comprises 1 to 3 support layers, c) if at least two support layers are present, the total basis weight of the total of all support layers is 10 to 240 g/m2, or d) all of the support layers are composed of one recycled plastic or a plurality of recycled plastics.

7. The vacuum cleaner bag as claimed in claim 5 wherein a) each fine filter layer is an extrusion nonwoven fabric, b) the air-permeable material comprises 1 to 5 fine filter layers, c) if at least two fine filter layers are present, the total basis weight of the total of all fine filter layers is 10 to 300 g/m2, d) at least one fine filter layers is composed of a recycled plastic or a plurality of recycled plastics, or e) at least one fine filter layer is electrostatically charged.

8. The vacuum cleaner bag as claimed in claim 5, wherein a) each capacity layer is a staple fiber nonwoven, a fiber web, or a nonwoven fabric that comprises fibrous or powdered recycled material from the production of textiles or cotton linters, wherein each capacity layer preferably has a basis weight of 5 to 200 g/m2, b) the air-permeable material comprises 1 to 5 capacity layers, or c) if at least two capacity layers are present, a total basis weight of a total of all capacity layers is 10 to 300 g/m2.

9. The vacuum cleaner bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air-permeable material has a multilayer configuration with the following succession of layers, from the inner space of the vacuum cleaner filter bag outward: one support layer, at least one fine filter layer, and one further support layer, or one support layer, at least one capacity laye, at least one fine filter layer, and one further support layer.

10. The vacuum cleaner bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vacuum cleaner filter bag has a holding plate enclosing the inlet opening that is composed of one or a plurality of recycled plastics or comprises one or a plurality of recycled plastics.

11. The vacuum cleaner bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one flow distributor or at least one diffusor is arranged in the inner space.

12. The vacuum cleaner bag as claimed claim 1, wherein the percentage by weight of all recycled materials, based on a total weight of the vacuum cleaner filter bag, is at least 25%.

13. The vacuum cleaner bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vacuum cleaner filter bag comprises a flat bag, a block-bottom bag or a 3D bag.

14. (canceled)

15. A bicomponent fiber of the core-sheath type (core-core bicomponent fiber), comprising a core of a recycled plastic.

16. The bicomponent fiber as claimed in claim 15, wherein the sheath is composed of a fresh plastic.

17. The bicomponent fiber as claimed in claim 15, wherein the sheath comprises charge persistence additives.

18. The bicomponent fiber as claimed in claim 15, wherein a percentage by weight of the core, based on an entire fiber, is 50 to 95 wt %.

19. The bicomponent fiber as claimed in claim 15, wherein a diameter of the bicomponent fiber is 0.5 to 10 ?m.

20. The vacuum cleaner filter bag as claimed in claim 2, wherein the recycled polyesters are selected from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET), recycled polybutylene terephthalate (rPBT), recycled polylactic acid (rPLA), recycled polyglycolide or recycled polycaprolactone; and wherein the recycled polyolefins are selected from recycled polypropylene (rPP), recycled polyethylene or recycled polystyrene (rPS).

21. The biocomponent fiber as claimed in claim 15, wherein the recycled plastic comprises recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) or recycled polypropylene (rPP).

Description

EXAMPLE 1

[0101]

TABLE-US-00001 Basis weight Weight per Content of [g/m.sup.2] bag [g] recyclate [%] Outer support 25 4.2 100 layers Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Inner support layer 17 2.9 100 Holding plate 5.0 0 Filter bag total 17.1 41.3

[0102] The air-permeable material of the vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 1 has a four-layer structure, wherein the outermost layer (clean air side) has a support layer with a basis weight of 25 g/m.sup.2. The innermost layer is also a support layer with a basis weight of 17 g/m.sup.2. Between the two support layers, two layers of a fine filter layer (meltblown of virgin polypropylene, each electrically charged by means of corona discharge) with a respective basis weight of 15 g/m.sup.2 are arranged. The respective support layers are composed of 100% recycled PET. The third column gives the absolute weight of the respective layer in the vacuum cleaner filter bag. The vacuum cleaner filter bag has a holding plate that weighs 5.0 g and is welded to the vacuum cleaner filter bag.

[0103] With such a structure, a recycled material content of 41.3% in the vacuum cleaner filter bag as a whole can be achieved.

EXAMPLE 2

[0104]

TABLE-US-00002 Basis weight Weight per Content of [g/m.sup.2] bag [g] recyclate [%] Outer support 25 4.2 100 layers Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Inner support layer 17 2.9 100 Holding plate 5.0 100 Filter bag total 17.1 70.5

[0105] The vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 2 has the same structure as the vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 1, except that the holding plate is composed to 100% of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). By means of this measure, the recyclate content of the vacuum cleaner filter bag as a whole can be increased to 70.5%.

EXAMPLE 3

[0106]

TABLE-US-00003 Basis weight Weight per Content of [g/m.sup.2] bag [g] recyclate [%] Outer support 25 4.2 100 layers Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Meltblown 15 2.5 100 Inner support layer 17 2.9 100 Holding plate 5.0 100 Filter bag total 17.1 85.3

[0107] The vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 3 has the same structure as in example 2. In contrast to example 2 or example 1, a fine filter layer (inner meltblown layer) is in this case also composed of 100% recycled PET. The rPET used can be metallized or non-metallized. If non-metallized rPET is used, it is also possible to electrostatically charge this meltblown, for example by means of corona discharge.

EXAMPLE 4

[0108]

TABLE-US-00004 Basis weight Weight per Content of [g/m.sup.2] bag [g] recyclate [%] Outer support 25 4.2 100 layers Meltblown 15 2.5 85 Meltblown 15 2.5 85 Inner support layer 17 2.9 100 Holding plate 5.0 100 Filter bag total 17.1 95.6

[0109] The vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 4 has the same structure as the vacuum cleaner bag according to example 2, except that the two fine filter layers (meltblown) are composed of BiCo filaments. The core of these meltblown filaments is composed of recycled PET and the sheath of new (virgin) polypropylene. The core accounts for a percentage by weight of 85%.

[0110] By means of such measures, a recyclate content of 95.6 wt % based on the vacuum cleaner filter bag as a whole is achieved.

EXAMPLE 5

[0111]

TABLE-US-00005 Basis weight Weight per Content of [g/m.sup.2] bag [g] recyclate [%] Outer support 25 4.2 100 layers Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Support layer 17 2.9 100 middle Capacity layer A 35 5.9 50 Capacity layer B 35 5.9 50 Inner support layer 15 2.5 100 Holding plate 5.0 0 Filter bag total 31.4 49.3

[0112] The wall material of the vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 5 has a 7-layer structure. Two fine filter layers (both meltblown layers as in example 1) are adjacent to the outer support layer on the clean air side. A support layer disposed in the middle separates these fine filter layers from two capacity layers A and B, each of which is a carded nonwoven fabric composed of bicomponent staple fibers. These staple fibers are composed e.g. to 50% of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET), which forms the core of these fibers. The core is surrounded by a sheath of virgin PP. This is followed by a support layer disposed on the dirty air side.

[0113] In the structure according to example 5, all of the support layers of the air-permeable material are composed of recycled PET (rPET). The capacity layers are composed to 50% of recycled PET. With such a structure, a recyclate content of 49.3 wt % based on the vacuum cleaner filter bag as a whole is achieved.

EXAMPLE 6

[0114]

TABLE-US-00006 Basis weight Weight per Content of [g/m.sup.2] bag [g] recyclate [%] Outer support 25 4.2 100 layers Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Support layer 17 2.9 100 middle Capacity layer A 35 5.9 100 Capacity layer B 35 5.9 100 Inner support layer 15 2.5 100 Holding plate 5.0 0 Filter bag total 31.4 68.0

[0115] The vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 6 has the same structure as in example 5. In this case, in contrast to the embodiment according to example 5, the capacity layers A and B are also composed to 100% of a carded staple fiber nonwoven fabric of rPET staple fibers.

[0116] With such an embodiment, a recyclate content of 68.0 wt % based on the vacuum cleaner filter bag as a whole is achieved.

EXAMPLE 7

[0117]

TABLE-US-00007 Basis weight Weight per Content of [g/m.sup.2] bag [g] recyclate [%] Outer support 25 4.2 100 layers Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Support layer 17 2.9 100 middle Capacity layer A 35 5.9 100 Capacity layer B 35 5.9 100 Inner support layer 15 2.5 100 Holding plate 5.0 100 Filter bag total 31.4 83.9

[0118] In the vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 7, the holding plate is also composed to 100% of recycled PET. The vacuum cleaner filter bag otherwise has the same structure as in example 6.

[0119] With this structure, a total recyclate content of 83.9 wt % based on the vacuum cleaner filter bag as a whole can be achieved.

EXAMPLE 8

[0120]

TABLE-US-00008 Volume web 70 Basis weight Weight per Content of 300 mm ? 280 mm [g/m.sup.2] bag [g] recyclate [%] Outer support 25 4.2 100 layers Meltblown 15 2.5 80 Meltblown 15 2.5 80 Support layer 17 2.9 100 middle Capacity layer A 35 5.9 100 Capacity layer B 35 5.9 100 Inner support layer 15 2.5 100 Holding plate 5.0 100 Filter bag total 31.4 96.8

[0121] The vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 8 has the same structure as that of example 7, except that the two fine filter layers (meltblown layers) are also composed to a high degree of PET. The meltblown is composed of a bicomponent meltblown with a core of rPET surrounded by new polypropylene. The content of rPET is 80 wt % based on the total weight of the meltblown forming the respective fine filter layer.

[0122] With such an embodiment, a total recycled material content of 96.8 wt % based on the filter bag as a whole can be achieved.

EXAMPLE 9

[0123]

TABLE-US-00009 Basis weight Weight per Content of [g/m.sup.2] bag [g] recyclate [%] Outer support 25 4.2 100 layers Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Support layer 17 2.9 100 middle Capacity layer C 35 5.9 80 Capacity layer D 35 5.9 80 Inner support layer 15 2.5 100 Holding plate 5.0 0 Filter bag total 31.4 60.5

[0124] The vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 9 is also composed of a 7-layer air-permeable material. The vacuum cleaner filter bag has a structure similar to that of the vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 5. The support layers and the fine filter layers (meltblown layers) are configured in the same manner as in example 5. The capacity layer C and D consists of a nonwoven material that is composed of 80 wt % of cotton powder and 20% BiCo binder fibers. This nonwoven material is described in detail in WO 2011/057641 A1. In this case, the content of the cotton powder in the capacity layers is counted toward the entire recyclate content.

[0125] With such an embodiment, a content of recycled material, i.e. total recycled plastics, and cotton powder of 60.5 wt % based on the vacuum cleaner filter bag as a whole can be achieved.

EXAMPLE 10

[0126]

TABLE-US-00010 Basis weight Weight per Content of [g/m.sup.2] bag [g] recyclate [%] Outer support 25 4.2 100 layers Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Support layer 17 2.9 100 middle Capacity layer A 35 5.9 100 Capacity layer D 35 5.9 80 Inner support layer 15 2.5 100 Holding plate 5.0 0 Filter bag total 31.4 64.3

[0127] The vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 10 has a structure analogous to the vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 9. In this case, the outer capacity layer corresponds to a capacity layer according to examples 6 to 8, i.e. a carded staple fiber nonwoven composed to 100% of fibers of recycled PET. The recyclate content of the finished vacuum cleaner filter bag is equivalent to 64.3 wt %.

EXAMPLE 11

[0128]

TABLE-US-00011 Basis weight Weight per Content of [g/m.sup.2] bag [g] recyclate [%] Outer support 25 4.2 100 layers Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Meltblown 15 2.5 0 Support layer 17 2.9 100 middle Capacity layer C 35 5.9 80 Capacity layer D 35 5.9 80 Inner support layer 15 2.5 100 Holding plate 5.0 100 Filter bag total 31.4 76.4

[0129] The vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 11 corresponds to a vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 9, except that the holding plate is composed to 100% of rPET. The total content of recycled materials in this vacuum cleaner filter bag is 76.4 wt %.

EXAMPLE 12

[0130]

TABLE-US-00012 Basis weight Weight per Content of [g/m.sup.2] bag [g] recyclate [%] Outer support 25 4.2 100 layers Meltblown 15 2.5 80 Meltblown 15 2.5 80 Support layer 17 2.9 100 middle Capacity layer C 35 5.9 80 Capacity layer D 35 5.9 80 Inner support layer 15 2.5 100 Holding plate 5.0 100 Filter bag total 31.4 89.3

[0131] The vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 12 corresponds to the vacuum cleaner filter bag according to example 11, except that the two fine filter layers are configured according to the fine filter layers of example 8 and are thus composed of a bicomponent meltblown with a core of rPET and a sheath of polypropylene. The total content of recyclate in such a vacuum cleaner filter bag is 89.3 wt %.

[0132] The present invention also relates to a special bicomponent fiber, which in particular is suitable for the production of a nonwoven containing a fibrous and/or powdered recycled material from the production of textiles. Here, this bicomponent fiber is used for binding of the fibrous and/or powdered recycled material. This bicomponent fiber is of the core-sheath type (core-core bicomponent fiber) and comprises a core of a recycled plastic, particularly recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) or recycled polypropylene (rPP).

[0133] A preferred embodiment provides that the sheath is composed of a fresh plastic (virgin plastic), in particular polypropylene.

[0134] In this case, the sheath can comprise the persistence additives, in particular magnesium stearate.

[0135] The percentage by weight of the core, based on the entire fiber, is preferably 50 to 95 wt %.

[0136] More particularly, the bicomponent fiber has a diameter of 0.5 to 10 ?m. In particular, the bicomponent fiber has a circular section.