S&F Ref: 755280AUD1 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 INNOVATION PATENT SPECIFICATION Name and Address Victa Lawncare Pty Ltd., of Applicant: an Australian company, ACN 008 627 110, of 1 Moorebank Avenue, Moorebank, New South Wales, 2170, Australia Actual Inventor(s): Finlay Llewyn Watson Marc Frederick Lachere Francis Julia Prudhoe Address for Service: Spruson & Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 35 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Invention Title: A mobile blower/vacuum device The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 5843c(5755988_1) 1 A MOBILE BLOWERNACUUM DEVICE Technical Field The present invention relates to vacuum devices and more particularly but not exclusively to vacuum devices to clear outdoor surfaces. 5 Background of the Invention Mobile blower/vacuum devices are typically suspended on the user. That is, the motor and impeller and body of the device is suspended on the user with an elongated tube gripped by the user and directed at material to be drawn into the device. A bag is attached to the device downstream of the impeller so that material collected is delivered 10 to the interior of the bag. The bag is air permeable so as to act as a filter. It is known in respect of the above devices to alter the attachment of the tube so that the tube is downstream of the impeller so that the device acts as a "blower". A further modification includes the device having a first tube acting as a suction tube, and a second tube fixed thereto acting as a blower tube. A valve is then actuated to is deliver air from the impeller to the blower tube or to the bag. There is also known mobile vacuum devices that are provided with wheels. They have a base with a motor and impeller, with a duct extending from a forward edge of the device to the impeller, and a second duct extending from the impeller to a bag that stores the collected material. 20 The abovementioned devices that are suspended on the user are difficult to operate and are tiresome to use due to their weight. The abovementioned vacuum device that is provided with wheels has the disadvantage that it cannot act as a blower. Object of the Invention 25 It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages. Summary of the Invention There is disclosed herein a blower/vacuum device including: a base having a transverse width and to move over a surface over which the 30 device is to cause an airstream to pass; at least one wheel fixed to the base to engage the surface to aid a user to move the device over the surface, the wheel having an axis of rotation; 2 a handle attached to the base and extending away from the base in a direction of extension generally normal to said axis, the handle being adapted to be gripped by the user so that the user may direct the device over said surface by rotation of said wheel; a reservoir to store material collected by the device; 5 a motor and impeller assembly to cause air to pass through the device, with the motor and impeller assembly mounted on the base at a position generally central relative to said width; a first duct extending to the assembly to deliver air thereto; a second duct, the second duct extending away from said assembly so as to duct 1o air therefrom to the reservoir to deliver air thereto together with any material passing through the first duct to the assembly; a third duct, said third duct extending away from said assembly and to which the assembly can deliver air; a valve communicating with said assembly to direct air therefrom to said second is duct or said third duct; and wherein said first duct has an inlet opening at a forward portion of said base, and said third duct has an outlet opening at said forward portion. Preferably, said handle is a generally central stem, and said transverse width is generally parallel to said axis. 20 Preferably, said base is provided by two plastic moulded base halves. Preferably, the motor and impeller assembly have a rotational axis, with said rotational axis being generally upright and normal to said rotational axis. Preferably, said valve includes a movable valve member and a valve portion to be gripped by a user to cause rotation of the valve member between a first position 25 connecting the impeller with said second duct so as to direct air from the impeller to the reservoir, and a second position connecting the impeller with said third duct to deliver air to said outlet opening, with the valve portion located adjacent the assembly. Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of 30 example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic top plan view of a blower/vacuum device; Figure 2 is a schematic sectioned side elevation of the device of Figure 1 longitudinally sectioned along the line 2-2; Figure 3 is a schematic side elevation of the device of Figure 1; 3 Figure 4 is a schematic top plan view of the device as shown in Figure 3 sectioned along the line 4-4; Figure 5 is a schematic elevation of the device as shown in Figure 3 sectioned along the line 5-5; and 5 Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of a valve employed in the device of Figures I and 3. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a blower/vacuum device 10. The device 10 includes a base 11 that would be provided with two rear wheels 10 12 that are rotatable about an axis 13. Attached to and extending upwardly from the base 11 is a handle 14 that extends upwardly from the base I1 at an acute angle relative to the ground surface 16 upon which the device 10 is resting. The upper end of the handle 14 has a portion 15 to be gripped by a user and may include one or more controls. Attached to and supported by the base 11 and/or handle 14 is a reservoir (bag or is container) 17 that receives material collected by the device 10. The base 11 has a second pair of wheels 18 that are "castor" wheels that also engage the surface 16, so that in combination with the wheels 12 the device 10 may be propelled across the surface 16 by a user gripping the handle 14 and pushing the device 10 in the intended direction of travel. Typically the forward direction of travel would be 20 the direction 19. Accordingly the base 11 has a forward (leading) portion 20 having regard to the forward direction of travel 19. Mounted on the base 11 is a motor and impeller assembly 21 including an electric (or internal combustion) motor 22 that would be typically provided with electric power by means of a flexible cable. The cable would be operatively associated with the 25 controls on the handle 15 so that a user may select when the motor 22 is operative. The handle 14 is a central stem extending upwardly from a transversely central portion of the base 11, as best seen in Figure 1. The motor 22 drives an impeller 23, with the motor 22 and impeller 23 are an assembly and having a common generally upright rotational axis 24. The axis 24 is 30 generally normal to the axis 13 although displaced therefrom. The impeller 23 is located in a housing 25, the housing 25 having an inlet 26 through which air is drawn into the housing 25. The air is caused to rotate by the impeller 23 and is delivered to a valve 27.
4 The motor 22 and impeller 23 are located generally centrally of the transverse width of the base 11 as best seen in Figure 1. Extending to the opening 26 is a first duct 43 that extends to an inlet opening 28 at the forward portion 20. The opening 28 is downwardly facing so as to draw air in from s adjacent the surface 16. Accordingly material on the surface 16 is "drawn" into the opening 28 and delivered to the housing 25. The first duct 43 is provided by the base 11, the base 11 consisting of two plastic moulded halves 41 and 42. Extending from the valve 27 is a second duct 29 that extends to the reservoir 17 so as to deliver air thereto together with any material collected by the device 10. Also io extending from the valve 27 is a third duct 30 that extends to a nozzle 31. The nozzle 31 has an outlet opening 32 again adjacent the forward portion 20 so that the opening 32 is adjacent the opening 28. The nozzle 31 directs an airstream down toward the surface 16 at an acute angle relative thereto. The nozzle 31 includes an airstream direction control device 33 that controls the 15 direction at which air exits the nozzle 31. The device 33 is rotatable about an inclined axis 34, with the device 33 including a passage 35, the position of which may be altered by gripping and turning the knob 36 by moving the knob 36. By changing the position of the passage 35, air exiting the nozzle 31 is changed in direction. The valve 27 includes a portion 37 that is gripped by a user to select whether air 20 leaving the impeller 23 is directed to the duct 29 or the duct 30. As seen in Figure 1 the portion 37 is located adjacent the assembly 21. In particular the valve 27 includes a movable valve member 38 that is angularly movable about the axis 39 to determine whether air is delivered to the duct 29 or the duct 30. The valve member 38 has a passage 40 that is changed in position to direct air to the duct 29 or the duct 30. The axis 39 is 25 generally upright and generally perpendicular to the axis 13 although displaced therefrom. In operation of the above described device 10, a user may select whether air exiting the housing 25 is delivered to the reservoir 17 so that the device 10 acts as a vacuum device, or to deliver air to the nozzle 31 so the device 10 also acts as a blower. The above described device 10 has the advantage that should material be missed 30 by the airstream exiting the nozzle 31, that material is drawn into the opening 18 and again exits via the nozzle 31. A further advantage of the above described device 10 is the ability to direct the airstream leaving the nozzle 31. A still further advantage of the above described device 10 is that the device 10 can be used as a vacuum or blower that is supported on wheels and therefore alleviates 35 problems associated with such devices that are supported by the user.