Localized Dust Containment Apparatus

Abstract

A portable, removable dust containment system is disclosed for capturing and containing the dust generated by work performed on a work surface, such as the wall or ceiling inside a room. The device includes a transparent plastic bag with a first large opening at one end, and with the bag tapering to a smaller second opening at a second end. The device is removably affixed by an adhesive onto a wall surface, with the perimeter of the first opening surrounding an area where work is to be done on the wall. The user extends his or her hand through the second opening and closes the second opening. Any dust generated by the work is captured and contained within the bag and can be discarded when the bag is removed from the wall.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/454,478, filed Mar. 18, 2011.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention pertains generally to the field of portable dust containment systems for use in construction or renovation projects. More particularly, the invention pertains to a relatively small, portable dust containment apparatus that can be removably affixed onto a wall, ceiling or other surface, covering a relatively small area where the surface is to be sanded, cut or otherwise worked upon, to capture and contain dust that is generated by the work.

2. Description of the Related Art

Drilling holes, sanding or performing other types of work on interior walls, ceilings or other surfaces can generate a great deal of dust and other particulates. This is particularly true when the walls or ceilings are constructed using drywall (also known as plasterboard, wallboard or gypsum board), which is made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper. Drywall is commonly used to make interior walls and ceilings, and the dust and other particulate that are generated from sanding or cutting through drywall can be extremely fine and difficult to contain. Drywall dust is extremely lightweight, and can easily becoming airborne and travel throughout room or the job site. Drywall dust is also a known health hazard and a huge nuisance in remodeling and new construction. It can easily be drawn into a home's ventilation system, spreading through the home and causing problems with the ventilation system.

The problem is particularly serious when repairs or work are being done on a wall or surface within an existing room that already contains furniture, equipment or other items, because the dust will settle onto and into the items. Drywall dust harms computer and audio equipment. Drywall dust can also contaminate every finish in a home or other building, including wall and trim paint, wood finishes, hardwood floors and other surfaces.

Various approaches have been used in an effort to address these problems. For example, electric sanders and saws have been developed that include integrated vacuum systems. However, the devices tend to be bulky, heavy and costly.

It has also previously been known to hang sheets of plastic or other materials around a work area, to confine the generated dust within the space defined by the hanging sheets. U.S. Pat. No. 8,074,700 (Melino et al.) discloses a dust containment system that comprises one or more poles that extend between the floor and the ceiling of a room, with flexible sheeting being held in place on the poles by one or more clamps. However, while such systems can prevent generated dust from escaping beyond the defined space, the dust will still settle inside that space and onto any items that are inside the space. The dust must eventually be swept or vacuumed up, which can take a great deal of time and effort. Further, although this approach can be well suited for large-scale construction projects, it is not well suited for situations in which small, isolated repairs or installations are to be performed on a relatively small section of a pre-existing wall within a room. Examples of such situations include cutting holes in dry wall to receive receptacles, vents or light fixtures, sanding small sections of drywall, or repairing a small area of drywall that has been broken or punctured.

In view of these deficiencies in the previously known approaches for dealing with dust generation issues, there is a need for an improved apparatus that will capture and contain dust generated when work is done on interior walls and ceilings. There is also a need for an improved apparatus that is well suited for use in connection with repairs or installations on a relatively small section of a pre-existing wall within a room. There is also a need for a device that will capture and contain the dust for disposal, to avoid the need to sweep or vacuum the dust from inside the room.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

These and a number of other objects are met by the present invention. The invention is a dust containment apparatus that is adapted to be affixed onto a wall, ceiling or other surface where dust-generating work is to be performed by a worker. Once the work has been completed, the apparatus can be easily removed from the surface and the dust or particulates can be emptied from the bag.

In a basic aspect, the apparatus comprises a bag that defines an interior volume, the bag having a first opening that is large enough to encompass the area where the work is to be done; a second opening with a perimeter that is sufficiently large to permit the worker to extend his or her hand and any necessary hand tool(s) through the second opening and into the interior volume of the bag; means for removably affixing the bag to the wall with the perimeter of the first opening surrounding the work area; and means for tightening the second opening around the worker's hand, wrist or arm where it extends through the second opening into the interior volume of the bag.

At least a portion of the bag (and preferably the entire bag) is made of a material that is sufficiently transparent so as to permit the worker to see the area of the surface where the work is being done, by looking through the bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 of the drawing is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, showing the basic structural elements of the embodiment.

FIG. 2 of the drawing shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 positioned on a wall, with a workers hand extending into the bag to perform work on the wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning first to FIG. 1, a dust containment apparatus 10 comprises a bag 12 having a first end 14 and second end 16. At the first end 14, the bag 12 has a first opening 18 formed therein. At the second end 16, the bag 12 has a second opening 20 formed therein.

As shown in FIG. 2, the device is adapted to have the first end 14 of the bag 12 affixed to a wall, ceiling or other surface (element 22 in FIG. 2), with the perimeter of the first opening 18 surrounding the area of the surface where the work is to be performed. A person's hand (element 24 in FIG. 2) can be inserted into the bag 12 through the second opening 20 while gripping a hand tool (element 26 in FIG. 2), which can be powered or non-powered.

The first opening 18 has a perimeter that is large enough to encompass the area of the surface where work is to be performed. The second opening 20 is also preferably circular with a perimeter that is large enough to permit a person to insert his or her hand and a hand tool through the opening 12 and into the interior of the bag 12.

The bag 12 is preferably made of a flexible plastic material, such as any of the types of materials from which plastic trash bags can be made, including various biodegradable materials, provided the material is capable of containing the fine dust generated by the work. The bag is preferably made of a single relatively transparent material, to enable a person to see the area of the surface where the work is to be performed. However, the bag can also be made of a non-transparent material if it includes a separate window of a relatively transparent material, to enable a person to see the area of the surface where the work is to be performed.

The bag 12 preferably tapers down from first end 14 and the first opening 18, to a narrower shape at the second end 16 and the second opening 20. However, the bag can have any of a variety of other shapes. The first and second openings 18 and 20 are preferably at opposite ends of the bag, but may be at other locations on the bag 12. The bag can be any of a variety of different sizes and shapes, provided the bag is large enough to contain the dust and particulates from most small jobs, without being so large as to be cumbersome. The smaller sizes will be suitable for covering the area involved in cutting through a wall to install a small switch plate or wall plug, and the larger sizes can be large enough to cover an entire panel of drywall, for example, to permit plumbing repairs to be made on pipes running through the wall.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the device includes means 28 for tightening the bag 12 and the second opening 20 around the worker's hand 24 that extends into the interior of the bag 12. The means for tightening the bag can be any of a variety of different known structures, including an elastic band, a drawstring, an inelastic band that is adjustable to a desired position, a strip of adhesive tape, a strip of hook-and-loop tape, a length of string or twine, or any other material that will close the bag 12 and the opening 20 around the person's hand, wrist or arm, depending on how much of the person's arm is extended into the interior of the bag 12. The means 28 can be integrated with the bag or physically separated from the bag, for example, a rubber band that extends around the second opening when the user's hand extends through the opening.

The apparatus 10 also includes means 30 for removably affixing the first end of the bag onto a wall, ceiling or other surface (element 22 in FIG. 2), with the perimeter of the first opening 18 surrounding the area where the worked is to be performed. The attachment means is preferably a strip or band of adhesive material that extends around the perimeter of the first opening 18, to permit the bag to be affixed to the wall and then removed after the work is done. The adhesive strip is preferably continuous around the perimeter of the opening 18, to prevent dust from leaking out between the device 10 and the wall 22. The adhesive material is preferably pre-applied onto the bag or the ring, with a paper backing that can be peeled away to expose the adhesive before the device 10 is affixed to the wall 22. For example, double sided tape, with adhesive on both sides of the tape can be used to affix the bag to the wall. One side of the double-sided tape is applied onto the bag in any suitable location, on the inner our outer surface of the bag, around the perimeter of the first opening. One sticky side of the tape can be applied to the bag before the bag is affixed onto the wall, and the peel-away backing can then be removed from the tapes second surface, to permit the bag to be affixed onto the wall. Alternatively, one sticky side of the tape can be used to affix the tape to the wall, the backing can then be removed from the tape's second surface, and the bag can be affixed to the wall by pressing it against the exposed, sticky, second side of the tape that is already positioned on the wall surface around the work area. Suitable adhesive materials include any adhesive that is strong enough to hold the device 10 in position on a wall or ceiling, while also permitting the device 10 to be pulled away from the wall after the work is completed without damaging the wall surface. An example of a preferred type adhesive with a peel-away backing is the adhesive used on products sold under the trademark “Command Strips”, made by the 3M Corporation, of Maplewood, Minn. Other examples include 3M's Scotch brand Removable Mounting Squares with peel-away backing, 3M's Scotch brand Blue Painter's Tape, and a product sold under the trademark FrogTape, made by Shurtape Technologies LLC of Hickory, N.C.

In another embodiment, attachment means 30 can also be a ring, strip or strips of cardboard, card stock, heavy paper or any other thin, flat material that is attached to the bag 12 around the perimeter of the first opening 18, with an adhesive material applied to the exposed outer surface of the ring or strip(s).

Although less preferable, the attachment means can also comprise one or more fasteners (e.g., nails, screws, tacks, staples or the like) that can be driven through the bag 12 and into the wall 22 to hold the apparatus 10 in place. When such fasteners are used, they can be driven directly through the bag material, or through the bag material and a ring as described above (with or without adhesive), or through a strip or strips of cardboard, card stock, heavy paper or other thin material positioned at the perimeter of the opening, to prevent the bag from tearing away from the fasteners when the fasteners are driven into the wall 22. Adhesive tape, alone or in combination with the various means described above, can also be used to attach the device 10 onto the wall 22.

In one embodiment, a tie string (or a pair of tie strings) 32 is attached to the bag adjacent each of the first and second openings 18 and 20, so the bag can be tied shut and disposed of after the device has been used, with the dust and particulates inside the bag. Alternatively, the dust can be emptied from the bag after each use so the bag can be reused.

The invention is not limited to the specific examples or embodiments describe or shown herein, but encompasses the devices described in the claims below.

Claims

1. A dust containment apparatus that is adapted to be affixed onto a wall, ceiling or other surface where dust-generating work is to be performed by a person, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a flexible bag having an interior volume within the bag;

(b) a first opening in the bag with a perimeter that is sufficiently large to surround the area of the surface where the work is to be performed;

(c) a second opening that is sufficiently large to permit the person to extend his or her hand through the second opening and into the bag's interior volume;

(d) means for removably affixing the bag onto the wall surface with the perimeter of the first opening surrounding the work area; and

(e) means for constricting the second opening about the person's arm as they extend their hand through the second opening into the interior of the bag;

(f) wherein at least a portion of the bag is sufficiently transparent to permit the person to view the work area through the bag while the dust-generating work is being performed.

2. The dust containment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bag comprises a polymeric material.

3. The dust containment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for affixing the bag onto the wall surface comprises an adhesive that is applied around the perimeter of the first opening.

4. The dust containment apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a removable backing that covers the adhesive and that can be peeled away to expose the adhesive before the bag is affixed onto the work surface.

5. The dust containment apparatus of claim 2, wherein the adhesive is applied directly onto the bag.

6. The dust containment apparatus of claim 2, wherein the adhesive is applied onto a thin, flat ring that is attached to the bag and that extends around the perimeter of the first opening.

7. The dust containment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for affixing the bag onto the wall surface comprises a thin, flat ring that is attached to the bag and that extends around the perimeter of the first opening and at least one fastener that extends through the ring and into the surface on which work is to be performed.

8. The dust containment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for affixing the first end of the bag onto the wall surface comprises a plurality of fasteners that extends through the bag, near the perimeter of the first opening, and into the surface on which work is to be performed.

9. The dust containment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for tightening the second opening around the worker's hand comprises an elastic band that surrounds the perimeter of the second opening.

10. The dust containment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for tightening the second opening around the worker's hand comprises a drawstring that surrounds the perimeter of the second opening.

11. The dust containment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for tightening the second opening around the worker's hand comprises an adjustable strap.