Handheld Portable Devices for Touchless Particulate Matter Removal
First Claim
1. A handheld portable device for dislodging and capturing particulate matter from a surface to be cleaned, the handheld portable device comprising:
- a handle;
a nose segment extending away from the handle;
a vacuum airflow entering the nose segment and defining a vacuum affected zone on and adjacent the surface to be cleaned; and
a high pressure airflow exiting the nose segment and contacting the surface to be cleaned,wherein the high pressure airflow dislodges at least some of the particulate matter from the surface to be cleaned for capture by the vacuum airflow and correspondingly allows non-contact particulate matter removal from the surface to be cleaned.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Handheld portable devices for dislodging and capturing particulate matter that has accumulated on various surfaces or structures are provided. The devices create opposing airflows that can intimately interface with each other during use. A vacuum airflow is drawn into the device, defining a vacuum affected zone upon the surface being cleaned. A high pressure airflow is emitted that penetrates through or passes adjacent to the opposing vacuum airflow and contacts the surface being cleaned, dislodging particulate matter therefrom. The high pressure airflow can be emitted from multiple nozzles as a series of airflow bursts that discretely contact the surface being cleaned. The configuration of each nozzle, as well as the overall arrangement and positions of all the nozzles together, are selected to impart the desired particulate matter dislodging characteristics to the device.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A handheld portable device for dislodging and capturing particulate matter from a surface to be cleaned, the handheld portable device comprising:
-
a handle; a nose segment extending away from the handle; a vacuum airflow entering the nose segment and defining a vacuum affected zone on and adjacent the surface to be cleaned; and a high pressure airflow exiting the nose segment and contacting the surface to be cleaned, wherein the high pressure airflow dislodges at least some of the particulate matter from the surface to be cleaned for capture by the vacuum airflow and correspondingly allows non-contact particulate matter removal from the surface to be cleaned. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21)
-
-
16. A handheld portable device for dislodging and capturing particulate matter from a surface to be cleaned, the handheld portable device comprising:
-
a handle; a nose segment extending away from the handle; a primary vacuum inlet port provided in the nose segment; and a high pressure nozzle provided in the nose segment, wherein the high pressure nozzle and the primary vacuum inlet port respectively emit and draw in opposing (i) high pressure emitted, and (ii) low pressure vacuum airflows such that the high pressure emitted airflow dislodges at least some of the particulate matter from the surface to be cleaned and the low pressure vacuum airflow captures at least some of the dislodged particulate matter, correspondingly allowing non-contact particulate matter removal from the surface to be cleaned. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
-
22. A method of touchless particulate matter removal with a handheld portable device, the method comprising:
-
directing a vacuum airflow, drawing air into the handheld portable device, toward a surface to be cleaned having particulate matter accumulated thereon; directing a high pressure airflow, exiting the handheld portable device, through the vacuum airflow; dislodging at least some of the particulate matter from the surface to be cleaned with the high pressure airflow; and entraining at least some of the dislodged particulate matter into the vacuum airflow, wherein at least some of the particulate matter is removed from the surface to be cleaned and collected by the handheld portable device without contact therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (23)
-
Specification