Vacuum Sander Having a Porous Pad

Abstract

A sander with a face plate, a porous abrasive pad coupled with the face plate for sanding a surface, and a vacuum coupled with at least a portion of the pad. The pad has a thickness or storage capacity sufficient to temporarily retain at least a portion of particles removed from the surface. The vacuum is configured to suck at least a portion of the particles removed from the surface.

1 . A sander comprising:
 a face plate;   a motor coupled with said face plate and configured to move said face plate;   a porous abrasive pad coupled with said face plate for sanding joint compound applied to a surface, said pad comprising entangled fibers, wherein said pad comprises a thickness sufficient to temporarily retain at least a portion of the joint compound particles removed from the surface within said pad; and   a vacuum coupled with at least a portion of said pad, wherein said vacuum is configured to suck at least a portion of the joint compound particles removed from the surface.   
   
   
       2 . The sander of  claim 1 , further comprising an intermediate pad positioned between and coupled with said face plate and said porous abrasive pad. 
   
   
       3 . The sander of  claim 2 , wherein said intermediate pad comprises openings, and wherein said vacuum is configured to suck at least a portion of the joint compound particles removed from the surface through said openings. 
   
   
       4 . The sander of  claim 3 , wherein said intermediate pad comprises a peripheral edge and said openings extend to said peripheral edge such that said peripheral edge is discontinuous. 
   
   
       5 . The sander of  claim 2 , wherein said intermediate pad and said porous abrasive pad are joined by a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
   
   
       6 . The sander of  claim 2 , wherein said intermediate pad and said porous abrasive pad are joined by hook and loop fasteners. 
   
   
       7 . The sander of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a housing comprising a first opening; and   a shaft extending through said first opening, wherein said shaft couples said motor to said face plate and said intermediate pad.   
   
   
       8 . The sander of  claim 7 , wherein said housing comprises a second opening coupled with said vacuum. 
   
   
       9 . The sander of  claim 8 , wherein said housing further comprises a recess that receives said face plate and an inner wall surrounding said recess, wherein there is a gap between said inner wall and a peripheral edge of said face plate, and wherein said vacuum is configured to suck at least a portion of the joint compound particles removed from the surface through said gap and said second opening. 
   
   
       10 . The sander of  claim 1 , wherein said face plate comprises at least one opening, wherein said porous abrasive pad is removably affixed to said face plate over at least a portion of said opening for sanding joint compound applied to a surface, wherein said vacuum is coupled with said opening opposite said pad, and wherein said vacuum is configured to suck at least a portion of the joint compound particles removed from the surface into said pad and through said opening. 
   
   
       11 . The sander of  claim 10 , wherein said pad is affixed to said face plate with hook and loop fasteners. 
   
   
       12 . The sander of  claim 10 , wherein said pad is affixed to said face plate with pressure sensitive adhesive. 
   
   
       13 . The sander of  claim 10 , further comprising a backing affixed to said pad adjacent a peripheral edge of said pad, wherein said backing is removably affixed to said face plate and said backing comprises an opening aligned with said opening in said face plate. 
   
   
       14 . The sander of  claim 13 , wherein the surface area of said backing is approximately 25 to 75% of the surface area of said pad. 
   
   
       15 . The sander of  claim 1 , wherein said porous abrasive pad comprises a top surface, a bottom surface and a side surface defined by a core of entangled fibers, wherein said pad comprises pores located between said fibers within said core, and wherein said pores are configured to temporarily retain the joint compound particles removed from the surface. 
   
   
       16 . The sander of  claim 15 , further comprising a receptacle coupled with said vacuum, and wherein said vacuum is configured to suck at least a portion of the joint compound particles retained within said pores of said pad into said receptacle. 
   
   
       17 . The sander of  claim 1 , wherein said entangled fibers comprise nonwoven polyamide fibers coated with an abrasive material selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide and silicon carbide. 
   
   
       18 . The sander of  claim 17 , wherein a binding agent binds said abrasive to said nonwoven polyamide fibers, said binding agent selected from the group consisting of phenol, epoxy, urethane, and polyester. 
   
   
       19 . (canceled) 
   
   
       20 . A method for sanding comprising:
 providing a face plate comprising at least one opening, a vacuum coupled with said opening, and a motor coupled with said face plate and configured to move said face plate;   affixing a porous abrasive pad to said face plate over at least a portion of said opening opposite said vacuum such that the surface area of the opening underlying the pad is at least 1% of the surface area of the pad overlying the opening, said pad having a thickness of at least 1/16 inch and comprising entangled fibers;   positioning said pad against joint compound applied to a surface;   turning on said motor to move said face plate such that said pad sands said joint compound and at least a portion of joint compound particles removed from said surface are temporarily stored within said pad; and   activating said vacuum such that said vacuum sucks at least a portion of the joint compound particles removed from said surface into said pad and through said opening.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said pad comprises a core of entangled fibers with pores located between said fibers, and wherein at least a portion of the joint compound particles removed from the surface are temporarily stored within the pores of said pad. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising providing a receptacle coupled with said vacuum, and wherein said vacuum sucks at least a portion of the joint compound particles removed from the surface through said opening and into said receptacle. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said entangled fibers comprise nonwoven polyamide fibers coated with an abrasive material selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide and silicon carbide. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said pad is affixed to said face plate with hook and loop fasteners. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said pad is affixed to said face plate with adhesive. 
   
   
       26 . A sander for sanding joint compound applied to a surface, said sander comprising:
 a face plate;   a motor coupled with said face plate and configured to move said face plate;   a pad affixed to said face plate for sanding the joint compound, wherein said pad has a thickness of at least 1/16 inch and comprises entangled fibers;   a vacuum coupled with said pad, wherein said vacuum is configured to suck at least a portion of joint compound particles removed from the surface; and   a receptacle coupled with said vacuum and configured to receive the joint compound particles sucked by said vacuum.   
   
   
       27 . The sander of  claim 26 , wherein said pad comprises a core of abrasive entangled fibers for sanding the joint compound, wherein pores are located between said fibers, and wherein said pores are configured to temporarily store at least a portion of the joint compound particles removed from the surface. 
   
   
       28 . The sander of  claim 27 , wherein said pad is removably affixed to said face plate with hook and loop fasteners. 
   
   
       29 . The sander of  claim 26 , wherein said face plate comprises an opening, wherein said pad is affixed to said face plate over at least a portion of said opening, wherein said vacuum is coupled with said opening opposite said pad, and wherein said vacuum is configured to suck at least a portion of the joint compound particles removed from the surface through said pad and said opening.