Handheld Portable Devices for Touchless Particulate Matter Removal

• US 20090044372A1
• Filed: 07/09/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Knopow, Jeremy F., Harrington, Steven Merrill, Banka, Andrew L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,661,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/345
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/14 cleaning by blowing-off, also combined with suction cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/04 for using the exhaust air for other purposes, e.g. for distribution of chemicals in a room, for sterilisation of the air spraying or atomising in general B05
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0072 Mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/06 with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0686 Nozzles with cleaning cloths, e.g. using disposal fabrics for covering the nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/08 with means adapted for blowing
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 15/04 from a small area, e.g. a tool removing chips B23Q11/0042
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 5/02 Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005

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.

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.

2. The handheld portable device of claim 1, wherein the high pressure airflow is emitted at a supersonic velocity.

3. The handheld portable device of claim 2, wherein the high pressure airflow is emitted as a series of discrete pulses.

4. The handheld portable device of claim 3, wherein discrete pulses are emitted from multiple high pressure nozzles that are spaced from each other.

5. The handheld portable device of claim 4, wherein the multiple high pressure nozzles are spaced from each other along a length dimension of the nose segment.

6. The handheld portable device of claim 1, wherein the handheld portable device weighs less than about 2 pounds.

7. The handheld portable device of claim 1, wherein the handheld portable device includes at least one accessory for mechanically dislodging particulate matter from the surface to be cleaned.

8. The handheld portable device of claim 7, wherein the at least one accessory for mechanically dislodging particulate matter from the surface to be cleaned is a disposable cloth.

9. The handheld portable device of claim 7, wherein the at least one accessory for mechanically dislodging particulate matter from the surface to be cleaned is a dust removal cloth.

10. The handheld portable device of claim 1, wherein (i) primary vacuum inlet port defines a passage for the vacuum airflow entering the nose segment that defines the vacuum affected zone on the surface to be cleaned, and (ii) the handheld portable device includes an auxiliary vacuum inlet port that is displaced from the primary vacuum inlet port.

11. The handheld portable device of claim 10, wherein the at least a portion of the nose segment is removable for exposing the auxiliary vacuum inlet port for use.

12. The handheld portable device of claim 1, wherein the nose segment emits a low pressure airflow outwardly of and at least partially containing the vacuum airflow, influencing the vacuum affected zone on the surface to be cleaned.

13. The handheld portable device of claim 12, wherein the emitted low pressure airflow is entrained with a chemical cleaning agent.

14. The handheld portable device of claim 12, wherein the emitted low pressure airflow is entrained with a scented agent.

15. The handheld portable device of claim 1, wherein the handheld portable device includes an auxiliary high pressure nozzle that selectively emits a targeted high pressure airflow that does not penetrate through the vacuum airflow for presenting the targeted high pressure airflow to a specific desired location upon the surface to be cleaned.

20. The handheld portable device of claim 1, wherein a visual indicator shows a location of the high pressure nozzle on the nose.

21. The handheld portable device of claim 20, wherein the visual indicator is light emitted from the nose.

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.

17. The handheld portable device of claim 16, wherein the nose segment emits a low pressure airflow outwardly of and at least partially containing the low pressure vacuum airflow.

18. The handheld portable device of claim 17, wherein a flow rate of the low pressure emitted airflow is selectively variable.

19. The handheld portable device of claim 16, wherein the high pressure airflow is emitted as a series of discrete pulses.

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.

23. The method of touchless particulate matter removal of claim 22, wherein the high pressure airflow is emitted at a supersonic velocity.