MANUALLY CLOSABLE VACUUM CLEANER BAG COLLAR AND METHOD OF MAKING

A manually closable collar for a vacuum cleaner bag is adapted to be secured to an air bag. The collar is formed from a single blank of relatively rigid material folded to define three overlying and generally planar panels. Each of the panels defines an aperture therethrough, the apertures being initially aligned in the collar to enable the passage of air therethrough and into the air bag. The middle panel of the collar defines (i) a fixed raceway element adhesively secured to at least one of the outer panels of the collar, and (ii) a detachable slider element secured to the raceway element only by various nicks. The slider element has a first portion defining the aperture of the middle panel and a second portion which is unapertured. When detached from the raceway element by a user breaking the various nicks, the slider element is manually slidably movable (either longitudinally or rotatably) from a first or open position, wherein the aperture of the middle panel is aligned with the apertures of the outer panels, to a second or closed position, wherein the second portion blocks air flow between the apertures of the outer panels.