Portable lawn and garden mulching vacuum

• US 5,794,864 A
• Filed: 10/10/1996
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Husqvarna AB (HUSQVARNA)
• Original Assignee: WCI Outdoor Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Trevino, Richard W., Hammett, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/728,770
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 241/92, 241/56, 241/169.1, 241/194, 241/55
• US Class Current: 241/56
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 20/47 Vacuum or blower devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/14 cleaning by blowing-off, also combined with suction cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 2201/066 for garden waste

Abstract

The invention provides for a portable apparatus for shredding yard and garden waste. Particularly shaped blades are used for better shredding and mulching performance.

Claims

1. Portable apparatus for shredding yard waste comprising:

a source of rotary power;

a fan housing carrying any impeller coupled to the source of rotary power, rotation of the impeller causing air to flow into the fan housing through an intake opening defined through the fan housing and out of the fan housing through an exit opening;

a handle for carrying the fan housing and source of rotary power in an elevated position above the ground;

means for shredding yard waste connected to the impeller, the means for shredding yard waste including a flailing blade pivotally coupled for rotation with the impeller, a second flailing blade pivotally coupled to the impeller, and a fixed blade coupled with the impeller and in fixed orientation between the first and second flailing blades.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the flailing blades pivots about an axis generally parallel to an axis of rotation of the impeller.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second flailing blades are longer than the fixed blade.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first flailing blade pivots about an axis generally parallel to an axis of rotation of the impeller and the second flailing blade pivots about an axis generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the impeller.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the flailing blades includes a tip portion turned toward the air intake opening.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, as the impeller rotates, a diameter of a circle circumscribed by a tip of the first flailing blade is greater than a diameter of a circle circumscribed by a tip of the fixed blade.

7. A convertible leaf blower and vacuum apparatus comprising:

a fan housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, the housing including a removable cover for overlaying the opening when used in a blower mode and a means for coupling a vacuum tube to the inlet opening when used in a vacuum mode;

a motor mounted with the fan housing;

a handle for manually carrying the motor and fan housing;

a centrifugal impeller having a hub and a plurality of vanes disposed about the hub, the impeller coupled with the motor within the fan housing for rotation about an axis aligned with the inlet opening, rotation of the impeller causing air to enter the inlet opening and to flow axially toward the hub, radially outwardly through the vanes into the fan housing and out the outlet opening; and

a plurality of flailing blades and a fixed blade coupled to the motor for rotation with the impeller.

8. The convertible leaf blower and vacuum apparatus of claim 7 wherein the fixed blade is shorter than the two of the plurality of flailing blades.

9. The convertible leaf blower and vacuum apparatus of claim 7 wherein at least one of the plurality of the flailing blades comprises a tip portion turned toward the inlet opening and pivoting about an axis generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the impeller.

10. A leaf blower and vacuum for shredding yard waste comprising:

a fan housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening;

a motor mounted to the fan housing;

a centrifugal impeller having a hub and a plurality of vanes disposed about the hub, the hub of the impeller coupled to the motor within the fan housing for rotation about an axis aligned with the inlet opening, rotation of the impeller causing air to enter the inlet opening and to flow axially toward the hub and then radially outwardly through the vanes into the fan housing; and

a flailing blade assembly pivotally coupled to the impeller, the flailing blade assembly pivoting about a second axis that is generally oriented parallel to, but displaced radially outwardly from, the first axis, the flailing blade assembly having a primary blade that extends in a first direction generally perpendicular the pivot axis, the primary blade being joined at a substantially right angle with a secondary blade that extends in a second direction generally perpendicular to the pivot axis.

11. The leaf blower and vacuum of claim 10 wherein the primary blade has an end which is bent toward the air inlet opening.