Mobile surface drying apparatus

• US 8,281,499 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jacob Friesen, John Friesen, Rob Brush
• Original Assignee: Jacob Friesen, John Friesen, Rob Brush
• Inventors: Friesen, John, Friesen, Jacob, Brush, Rob
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Jiping
• Application Number:
  US12/512,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20100024242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 344/23, 344/26, 34/92, 344/06, 344/18, 34/69, 126/271.1
• US Class Current: 34/92
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/14 for heating or drying foundation, paving, or materials thereon, e.g. paint E01C23/03 takes precedence; heating or drying devices incorporated in the paving E01C11/26; surface soil stabilisation by fusing, calcining or burning soil in situ E01C21/02; for street cleaning E01H1/08; melting snow or ice on surfacing E01H5/10
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/108 Removing liquids or semi- liquids, e.g. absorbing rain water, sucking-off mud in road washing machines E01H1/103; in snow melting E01H5/108; applying absorbing agents on oil or the like E01H1/001; constructional measures for draining roads E01C11/224
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 19/005 Self-contained mobile devices, e.g. for agricultural produce movable devices with radiation means F26B3/28; small self-contained devices for drying objects at rest F26B9/003
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 5/12 by suction

Abstract

A mobile surface drying apparatus includes a vacuum and blower assembly. The vacuum and blower assembly includes a vacuum head and a blower head. The vacuum head suctions moisture through an inlet of the vacuum and blower assembly, and the blower head communicates airflow through an outlet of the vacuum and blower assembly.

Claims

1. A mobile surface drying apparatus, comprising:

a vehicle structure positioned to traverse along a surface;

a carriage integrated with said vehicle structure;

a first vacuum and blower assembly mounted to one of said vehicle structure and said carriage, wherein said first vacuum and blower assembly includes a vacuum head powered by a vacuum fan and a blower head positioned next to said vacuum head and powered by a blower fan, wherein tubing connects said vacuum head to said vacuum fan and said blower head to said blower fan, and said vacuum head includes an inlet that suctions moisture from said surface and said blower head includes an outlet that communicates airflow onto said surface to direct moisture toward said vacuum head to enable said vacuum head to extract the moisture from said surface; and

a second vacuum and blower assembly mounted at an aft position from said first vacuum and blower assembly.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, comprising a drier assembly mounted to said carriage at an aft position from said first vacuum and blower assembly.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said drier assembly includes a blower assembly, a burner and a forced air platform.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said drier assembly includes a generator and an infrared heating platform.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said drier assembly includes an airflow system, a jet burner system and a forced air platform.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, comprising a debris management system mounted to said vehicle structure.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said debris management system is mounted to a front portion of said vehicle structure.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, comprising a traction control system that is selectively engageable relative to said surface.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, comprising an internal combustion engine and a hydraulic system.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said surface is a roadway.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein wheels of said mobile surface drying apparatus are powered by a hydrostatic drive and said first vacuum and blower assembly and said second vacuum and blower assembly are powered by an internal combustion engine.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, comprising a communication interface that selectively commands engagement of said first vacuum and blower assembly and said second vacuum and blower assembly relative to said surface to remove said moisture from said surface.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, comprising a plurality of video cameras that provide visual confirmation of a positioning of at least one of said first vacuum and blower assembly and said second vacuum and blower assembly.