Air inlet cover and portable blower/vacuum incorporating same

• US 7,735,188 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Original Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Inventors: Shaffer, Chadwick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, III; Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDONALD, SHANTESE L
• Application Number:
  US11/645,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20080148513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 153/44, 153/39, 154/05
• US Class Current: 15/405
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 20/47 Vacuum or blower devices
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/0809 Loosening or dislodging by blowing combined with suction E01H1/0863; with steam E01H1/10; removing snow by blowing E01H5/106; cleaning rails by blowing E01H8/105, E01H8/125; removing fog by blowing E01H13/00; cleaning joints in road construction by blowing E01C23/0906; Drying by means of gas streams by heat only E01H1/08; combined with snow or ice melting E01H5/10, E01H5/106, E01H5/108
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/0836 Apparatus dislodging all of the dirt by suction liquids or semi-liquids E01H1/108; combined with loosening by blowing E01H1/0863; for cleaning rails E01H8/105, E01H8/125; removing snow by suction E01H5/106, E01H8/08; Suction nozzles independent suction nozzles in mechanical dislodging-cleaning devices E01H1/0827; suction and blowing nozzles E01H1/0863

Abstract

A blower/vacuum having an air inlet cover and a blower tube, both of which attach to a blower housing for operation of the blower/vacuum in a blower mode. The air inlet cover may removably attach to both the blower housing and to the blower tube. In some embodiments, operation of the blower/vacuum may generally be restricted unless both the blower tube and the air inlet cover are first installed. The blower/vacuum may further be adapted to operate in a vacuum mode by removing the air inlet cover and blower tube and replacing the same with a vacuum tube assembly and a vacuum collection container, respectively.

Claims

1. A portable blower/vacuum comprising:

a housing defining an air inlet and an air outlet;

a blower tube to removably couple to the air outlet; and

an air inlet cover to removably cover the air inlet, the air inlet cover comprising;

a first attachment member attachable to the blower tube;

a second attachment member attachable to the housing; and

at least one retaining surface proximate the second attachment member, wherein the at least one retaining surface is configured to abut one or more outwardly facing stop surfaces formed on the housing and wherein the at least one retaining surface is located immediately outboard of the one or more outwardly facing stop surfaces, the at least one retaining surface comprising two parallel and spaced-apart vertical retaining surfaces each configured to contact one of the one or more outwardly facing stop surfaces of the housing.

2. The blower/vacuum of claim 1, wherein the at least one retaining surface is lateral to the second attachment member.

3. The blower/vacuum of claim 1, wherein the at least one retaining surface is contained within a plane.

4. The blower/vacuum of claim 1, wherein the first attachment member comprises a cylindrical member.

5. The blower/vacuum of claim 1, wherein the air inlet cover further comprises an interlock protrusion to extend into the housing.

6. The blower/vacuum of claim 1, wherein the blower tube further comprises a first attachment receiver to receive the first attachment member.

7. A portable blower/vacuum comprising:

a housing defining an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the housing comprises a first vacuum attachment receiver;

a blower tube to removably couple to the air outlet; and

an air inlet cover to removably cover the air inlet, the air inlet cover comprising;

a first attachment member attachable to the blower tube, the blower tube comprising a first attachment receiver to receive the first attachment member, wherein the first attachment receiver of the blower tube nests within the first vacuum attachment receiver of the housing when the blower tube is coupled to the air outlet;

a second attachment member attachable to the housing; and

at least one retaining surface proximate the second attachment member, the at least one retaining surface configured to abut one or more stop surfaces formed on the housing.

8. The blower/vacuum of claim 7, wherein the housing further comprises a second attachment receiver to receive the second attachment member of the air inlet cover.

9. The blower/vacuum of claim 8, wherein the second attachment receiver comprises one or more flexible, resilient tabs configured to engage the second attachment member of the air inlet cover.

10. The blower/vacuum of claim 8, further comprising a vacuum tube assembly also operable to removably cover the air inlet of the housing in place of the air inlet cover, wherein the vacuum tube assembly comprises:

a first vacuum attachment member for attachment of the vacuum tube assembly to the first vacuum attachment receiver; and

a second vacuum attachment member for attachment of the vacuum tube assembly to the second attachment receiver.

11. The blower/vacuum of claim 10, further comprising a collection bag attachable to the air outlet of the housing in place of the blower tube.

12. The blower/vacuum of claim 7, wherein the air inlet cover is bound by an aft surface that is flush with a proximal aft surface of the housing.

13. A portable blower/vacuum comprising:

a housing defining an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the housing comprises a resilient flexible tab proximate a rear portion of the housing;

a blower tube to removably couple to the air outlet, the blower tube comprising a first attachment receiver; and

an air inlet cover to removably cover the air inlet, the air inlet cover comprising;

a transverse cylindrical member for connecting the air inlet cover to the first attachment receiver of the blower tube;

a transverse lip for snap-fit coupling of the air inlet cover to the resilient flexible tab of the housing; and

two spaced-apart retaining surfaces located at opposite ends of the transverse lip and facing one another, the spaced-apart retaining surfaces operable to bear against corresponding stop surfaces on an outer surface of the housing.

14. The blower/vacuum of claim 13, further comprising a vacuum tube assembly to removably cover the air inlet in place of the air inlet cover, wherein the vacuum tube assembly comprises:

a first vacuum attachment member for connecting the vacuum tube assembly to a first vacuum attachment receiver located on a forward portion of the housing; and

a second transverse lip for attachment of the vacuum tube assembly to the resilient flexible tab of the housing.

15. The blower/vacuum of claim 14, further comprising a collection bag attachable to the air outlet of the housing in place of the blower tube.

16. A portable blower/vacuum comprising:

a housing defining an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the housing comprises;

an attachment receiver; and

vertical first and second stop surfaces on first and second laterally opposing sides of the housing, respectively;

a blower tube to removably couple to the air outlet; and

an air inlet cover to attach to the housing and removably cover the air inlet, the air inlet cover comprising;

an attachment member for coupling the air inlet cover to the attachment receiver of the housing; and

vertical and spaced-apart first and second retaining surfaces located proximate the attachment member, wherein the first and second retaining surfaces are positionable in contact or close proximity to the first and second stop surfaces of the housing, respectively, when the air inlet cover is attached to the housing.

17. The blower/vacuum of claim 16, wherein the air inlet cover comprises an aft surface that is flush with an aft surface of the housing when the air inlet cover is attached to the housing to yield a smooth transition between the housing and the air inlet cover in the vicinity of the attachment receiver.

18. The blower/vacuum of claim 16, wherein the air inlet cover further comprises an interlock protrusion engageable with an interlock switch located within the housing when the air inlet cover is attached to the housing.

19. The blower/vacuum of claim 16, wherein the air inlet cover is contained within a plan envelope of the housing when the air inlet cover is attached to the housing.

20. The blower/vacuum of claim 16, further comprising a vacuum tube assembly to removably cover the air inlet in place of the air inlet cover, wherein the vacuum tube assembly comprises:

a vacuum attachment member for receipt by the attachment receiver of the housing; and

two parallel and spaced-apart retaining surfaces proximate an aft end of the vacuum tube assembly.

21. The blower/vacuum of claim 20, further comprising a collection bag attachable to the air outlet of the housing in place of the blower tube.