Organic debris collection device with curved blower conduit

• US 6,308,375 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2000
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Woodland Home Products Pty Ltd. (AB Electrolux)
• Original Assignee: Woodland Home Products Pty Ltd. (AB Electrolux)
• Inventors: Whitney, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Sr., Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Snider, Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US09/531,614
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 153/47, 154/05, 153/401, 406/41, 406/83, 406/93, 406/171, 406/173, 406/181, 406/191
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 20/47 Vacuum or blower devices
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 23/003 of radial-flow type
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/009 by bleeding, by passing or recycling fluid

Abstract

A curved blower exhaust conduit, delivering an air stream carrying pulverized or granulated entrained solids to a substantially sealed cargo chamber enclosure of fixed volume, is provided with a pressure relief vent mounted at an “inner” peripheral region of the curved conduit having a smaller radius of curvature than the outer peripheral region of the conduit, thereby connecting the interior of the curved conduit to the external atmosphere at a point where the majority of entrained solids are carried adjacent to the outer peripheral region by the air stream.

Claims

1. A curved blower conduit vented for pressure relief, having an entrance end connectable to an outlet portal of a blower and an exit end connectable to an inlet portal of a cargo container, for carrying the blower'"'"'s exhaust air stream to the cargo container, comprising in combination:

a curved sector conduit extending between and joining said entrance end and said exit end,

attachment means mounted on said sector conduit near said ends for securing said connections,

an outer peripheral portion of said sector conduit having a first radius of curvature,

an inner peripheral portion of said sector conduit having a second radius of curvature substantially smaller than said first radius of curvature, and

vent means connecting the interior of said sector conduit, at a point of said inner peripheral portion intermediate between said entrance end and said exit end, to the external atmosphere,

whereby the blower'"'"'s exhaust air stream is concentrated near the outer peripheral portion, relieving pressure in said cargo container by directing any return flow stream along the inner peripheral portion and out through said vent means.

2. The curved blower conduit defined in claim 1 wherein said vent means provides the sole connection between said cargo container and the atmosphere, said cargo container being otherwise a substantially sealed chamber.

3. The curved blower conduit defined in claim 1 wherein said vent means provides an additional connection between said cargo container and the atmosphere, supplementing an open-mesh screen incorporated in the cargo container itself.

4. The curved blower conduit defined in claim 1 wherein said cargo container is a flexible fabric bag.

5. The curved blower conduit defined in claim 1 wherein said cargo container is formed of rigid metal.

6. The curved blower conduit defined in claim 1 wherein said cargo container is formed of rigid plastic.

7. The curved blower conduit of claim 1 wherein said conduit is arched upwardly and said vent means comprises a laterally extending vent conduit anchored to the inner peripheral portion of the curved sector conduit and having open ends exposed laterally and an enlarged central opening connecting the vent conduit to the sector conduit in the region where the two conduits are anchored together.

8. The curved blower conduit of claim 7 wherein the enlarged central opening occupies substantially the entire width of the curved sector conduit in the region where the two conduits are anchored together.

9. The curved blower conduit of claim 7 wherein the vent conduit and the sector conduit have separate, non-overlapping cross-sections.

10. The curved blower conduit of claim 9 wherein a radial cross-section through the vent conduit and the sector conduit exhibits an inverted “

T”

shape.

11. The curved blower conduit of claim 1 wherein the cross-section of the curved sector conduit is substantially uniform over the majority of its length.

12. The curved blower conduit of claim 11, wherein the substantially uniform cross-section of the curved sector conduit is approximately a square cross-section over the majority of its length.

13. The curved blower conduit of claim 1 wherein the entrance end and the exit end of the curved sector conduit define a sector angle of about 75°

.