GB2364375A - Disposable drill debris collection pouch - Google Patents

Abstract

A disposable drill debris collection pouch 1 for collecting drilling debris from a hole 9 being drilled, may be supplied as a continuous strip of pouches. Individual pouches are preferably joined by perforations 10, and the continuous strip may form a roll or may be folded into a concertina (fig 3). Preferably each pouch includes an adhesive strip (8, fig 1B) to allow temporary fixing to a surface, such as a wall, prior to the hole being drilled.

Description

1 2364375 DRILL DEBRIS COLLECTION POUCH This invention relates to an

accessory to collect debris created when a hole is being drilled. More particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to a pouch to be attached to a vertical surface below the hole, into which the debris may fall, One of the most frequent activities involved in home improvement and "doit-yourself' is drilling holes in vertical surfaces, such as walls, for picture hanging, curtain rail fixing, shelving, fitting wall lights, and the like. Depending on the surface into which the hole is drilled, such as brick, stone, concrete. wood or the like, debris in the form of brick or stone dust or particles or wood shavings, will be ejected from the hole. This may scatter down the wall, dirtying and marking the surface, and contaminating any objects, electrical sockets or furniture below, eventually soiling carpets or other floor coverings. This can cause staining, particularly in damp areas. The debris is also easily spread to other furnishings in the vicinity.

There have been many attempts to address this problem. A large proportion involve provision of suction adjacent the drill, to "vacuum up" the debris at source. None of these attempted solutions have been sufficiently economical and convenient to have been widely adopted in home use.

Pockets and pouGhes have been proposed, which may be fastened to a wali either below, or covering, a point where a hole is to be drilled. These have achieved no noticeable commercial success. Their elaborate designs make them too complex and expensive to manufacture and sell at an economical price. They are also frequently elaborate to use, and many are intended to be multiply re-useable, which requires very high performance from their fastening means, which is generally adhesive in nature.

An example of this type is known from UK Patent Application No. GB 2293005, which discloses a semi-rigid wedge-shaped box, provided with reuseable adhesive on one face with which attach the box to its substrate, and with cut-outs in that face and the face opposite, to permit positioning of a drill, such that it can drill a hole while passing through the box. This box would be expensive to produce, and so would need to be used many times, on economic grounds, despite the natural tendency for adhesives to pick up dust and thereby lose their adhesive power. This box also appears to be very restrictive in use, as some care would be needed to pass the drill through the cut-outs and withdraw it again without damaging the box. The thickness of the material from which this box would be manufactured would also provide a ledge against the wall for dust to collect, preventing a totally clean collection.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a pouch, suitable for attachment to a vertical surface below a point where a hole is to be drilled, adapted to collect debris ejected from said 3 hole, which is simple and cheap to manufacture, convenient to store and to display for sale, convenient and effective in use, and easy to dispose of with contents, after use. Ideally, the edge adhered to the wall may be so thin that all debris will fall directly into the collection bag and not accumulate along the top edge.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a continuous strip of pouches, each joined selectively detachably to the next pouch, each said pouch comprising front and rear faces joined together along three edges to form a pocket open at a fourth edge, and adhesive means on a reverse surface of the rear face.

Preferably said continuous strip of pouches is formed as a roll, with each pouch extending across the width of the strip.

Alternatively said continuous strip of pouches may be folded regularly to form a concertinalike stack.

In either of the above cases, the pouches may be joined, one to the next, at a zone of weakness.

Each of the zones may comprise a line of perforations through the material of the strip and extending across the strip.

The fourth edge of each pouch may be adapted to be bowed outwardly when the respective pouch is separated or separable from the continuous strip.

A band or bar of comparatively rigid material may be inset into or may be formed integrally with the pouch.

The band or bar may be a strip of fine wire.

Alternatively, the band or bar may be a rib of more rigid plastics material, for example as used in resealable bags.

In another embodiment, the band may comprise a rim formed by rolling over an edge of the pouch.

The band or bar of comparatively rigid material may advantageously be located at a level, in use, no higher than the adhesive means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pouch comprising front and rear faces joined together along three edges to form a pocket open at a fourth edge, and adhesive means on a reverse face of the rear face.

Preferably, a more rigid band or bar, as described above, may be incorporated to cause outward bowing of the pouch's fourth edge.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a sheet of material provided on one face with a zone of first adhesive material and on the other face with two strips of second adhesive material each extending substantially parallel to and adjacent a respective opposed edge of the sheet of material.

Preferably the second adhesive material strips extend at least half way between end edges of the sheet.

In this case, an end portion of the sheet may be folded to overlie, at least partially, the other end portion of the sheet to be so adhered thereto by said second adhesive as to form a pouch.

A bar of more rigid material may be provided adjacent an end of the sheet remote from said first adhesive zone.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a continuous strip of material comprising a plurality of sheets as described in the third aspect, each separated detachably from the next.

In this case, said continuous strip of material is formed as a roll.

Alternatively said continuous strip of material is folded regularly to form a concertina-like stack.

In either of the above cases, the individual sheets of material may be separated, one from the next, by a zone of weakness.

Each of the zones may comprise a line of perforations through the material of the strip and extending across the strip.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accoinpanying drawings, in which:

Figure IA shows a front elevation of a single pouch according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure IB shows a rear elevation of the pouch of Figure I A; Figure 2 shows an isometric view of a continuous strip of pouches formed into a roll, Figure 3 shows an isometric view of a continuous strip of pouches folded into a stack or concertina; Figure 4A shows a front elevation of a single sheet capable of being formed into a pouch, according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4B shows a rear elevation of the sheet of Figure 4A; Figure 5 shows a sheet as in Figures 4A and 4B, formed into a pouch-, Figure 6 shows a single pouch according to a further embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above and behind-, Figure 7 shows a single pouch according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, viewed ftom above and one side, and Figure 8 shows the pouch of Figure 7 in use, viewed from above.

Referring now to the drawings, and Fig re I in particular, a pouch I comprises a front face 2 D P I and a rear face 3, attached along edges 4, 5 and 6. Free edge 7 of the front face 2 is bowed outwards from the rear face 3, forming a pocket between the two faces. A strip of low-tack n adhesive 8 is provided on the rear face of the pouch at or near its upper, in use, edge such that the pouch may be releasably attached to a wall. A hole may then be drilled at or near a 7 position 9 generally above the pouch 1, and the pouch will collect debris falling from the hole.

Referring now to Figure 2, a continuous strip of pouches is formed from a plurality of individual pouches 1, each separated from the next by a line of perforations 10. The strip is rolled up to form a cylinder, which may be partially unrolled (as shown) to facilitate the sequential removal of individual pouches.

Referring now to Figure 3, the continuous strip of pouches 1, again separated by lines of perforations 10, is folded alternately left and right, with each fold I I roughly coinciding with a respective perforation line 10, to form a concertina-like stack, which may be unfolded, as shown, to facilitate the sequential detachment of individual pouches from the strip.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, a planar sheet 12 is provided with a strip of low-tack adhesive 8 on one face, and two further strips of adhesive 13A, 13B on the opposite face, along edges 14A, 14B. When the sheet 12 is folded along line 15, the adhesive strips 13A, 13B are brought into contact with the other end portion of the sheet, with edges 14A, 14B so angled inwardly towards the centre of the sheet, that edge 16 is urged to bow outwardly as shown. to form a pouch. Areas 17A, 17B where the adhesive strips 13A, 13B have stuck the end portions of the sheet together, serve both to hold edge 16 in position, such that the pocket formed thereby remains open, and to sea] the edges of the pocket against any escape of its contents. The folded sheet is used in an identical fashion to the pre-formed pouch shown in Figure 1.

8 Referring now to Figure 6, a pouch 18 is provided with a pair of thin moulded-in ribs 19, one on the inside of each face, and being capable of locking together to seal the pouch, when the C, faces are pressed together, as is employed in "grip-top" or resealable plastic bags. The pouch is also provided with a strip of low tack adhesive 8 on its rear face, at or near its upper, in use, edge such that the pouch may be releasably attached to the wall. When the pouch is in use, the thin moulded-in ribs 19 tend to remain curved, and therefore serve to keep the top of the pouch open. After the pouch has been used, the pair of ribs may be pressed together and serve to seal the pouch, simplifying disposal of the pouch and its contents.

Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, a pouch 20 is provided with a pair of thin moulded-in ribs 19 on the inside of each face, similar to that shown in Figure 6. A strip of low-tack adhesive 21 is provided at or near the upper, in use, edge of the pouch and extends from part way along one outer face of the pouch, around edge 23 to partway along the opposite outer face.

In use, the adhesive strips 21 adhere to a wall 24, flattening the edge 23 of the pouch 20, while edge 22 remains free. The pouch naturally adopts the configuration shown in Figure 8 while attached to the wall. After use, the pouch may be sealed and disposed of with its contents, as described for the pouch in Figure 6.

The pouches and sheets may be made of any cheap, thin, relatively flexible material, such as paper, plastics material, foil or perhaps a latex material. For economy and ease of manufacture, the pouches are preferably made from a plastics material, advantageously one such as polyethylene, which may be slightly stretched manually, to keep edge 7 bowed out and thereby keep open the pocket for debris.

9 As a slight variant on what is described with respect to Figures 6, 7 and 8, the pouches may be provided with a moulded-in rib or thickening in the form of a bar on just the front face, or when on front and rear faces, as a band encircling the upper, in use, edge of the pocket. The presence of this rib is adapted to keep the front face curved and thereby to keep open the pocket for debris.

In alternative embodiments (not shown), a fine wire or plastics bar may be attached to the front face of the pouch, or to the portion of the sheet which will become, in use, the front face, to perform the same function.

In a further embodiment (not shown), the pouch may be adapted such that a portion of the upper, in use, edge may be rolled over to form a thicker rim which is more rigid than a single thickness of the material of the pouch. The front face of the pouch is thereby maintained open for debris.

The pouches and sheets may be supplied in a range of sizes, dimensioned to be suitable for collecting the debris from a range of sizes of drill hole and of types of substrate, extending from fine holes in wood to large boreholes in brick, stone or breeze block. One preferred size is 50mm x 40mm.

Optionally, pre-formed pouches as shown in Figure I may be provided with a further strip of adhesive, positioned such that it can fasten the front and rear faces of the pouch together, when the open end of the pocket is closed. This serves to hold the pouch flat before use, easing forming of the strip of pouches into a roll or a concertina stack, and also permits resealing of the pouch after use, thereby makin1c, disposal of the pouch and contents more straightforward.

In each of the embodiments described above, it is preferred that the adhesive strip on the rear face of the pouch or sheet comprises what is generally referred to as a low-tack or "repositionable" adhesive, such that the position of the pouch on the wall may be adjusted, and the pouch may ultimately be removed, without causing damage to the surface of the wall.

The adhesive strips in each of the above embodiments may be provided with suitable covering strips, preferably ones coated with a release agent such as silicone, which serve to protect the adhesive until the covering strip is removed, immediately prior to use. Alternatively, particularly when the adhesive strip comprises a repositionable adhesive, the covering strip may be omitted. In this case, the repositionable adhesive may additionally serve to hold the continuous strip of pouches or sheets in the required form of a roll or a concertina stack, until removal of a pouch or sheet is required.

In a preferred embodiment, the continuous strip of pouches or sheets is provided with lines of perforations, lying substantially from edge to edge of the strip and substantially perpendicular to the edges of the strip, and separating each pouch or sheet from the next, thereby providing a line of weakness such that one pouch may be torn from the strip without risk of damage to the remainder.

Optionally, in another embodiment (not shown) in which the pouches or sheets are formed into a larger sheet, lines of perforations extending parallel to the length of the strip are 0 I I provided, disposed to permit easy separation of one strip of pouches or sheets from the remainder of the larger sheet.

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D, DRILL DEBRIS COLLECTION POUCH

Claims (8)

1. The DRILL DEBRIS COLLECTION POUCH is a single use disposable bag for collecting drilling debris from a hole boring process.

2. The DRILL DEBRIS COLLECTION POUCH as in claim I will be supplied as a continuous strip of multiple pouches.

3. The strip of DRILL DEBRIS COLLECTION POUCHES as in claim 1 & 2 will be perforated to provide a point of weakness to separate each pouch for individual use.

4. Each DRILL DEBRIS COLLECTION POUCH as in claim 1 to 3 will be provided with a low tack adhesive strip to allow temporary fixing to a surface prior to boring a hole.

5. The DRILL DEBRIS COLLECTION POUCH as in claim 1 to 4 will adhered to any vertical surface directly below the proposed drilling position

6. The DRILL DEBRIS COLLECTION POUCH as in claim I to 5 will be provided as a roll of multiple pouches for dispensing,

7. The DRILL DEBRIS COLLECTION POUCH as in claim 1 to 5 will be provided folded and packed concertina style for dispensing,

8. The DRILL DEBRIS COLLECTION POUCH as in claim 1 to 6 and I to 7 will be of a very thin material to avoid restrictive edges or ledges allowing all debis to enter