CA1331871C - Portable electric blower - Google Patents
Portable electric blowerInfo
- Publication number
- CA1331871C CA1331871C CA000616637A CA616637A CA1331871C CA 1331871 C CA1331871 C CA 1331871C CA 000616637 A CA000616637 A CA 000616637A CA 616637 A CA616637 A CA 616637A CA 1331871 C CA1331871 C CA 1331871C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- housing
- blower
- support means
- support
- motor
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The invention concerns an air blower including a centrifugal fan which is driven by an electric motor. The blower has a two-part blower housing comprising an upper housing which encloses the motor beneath the motor cap and a lower housing. The centrifugal fan is disposed in the chamber between the upper and lower housings. The plenum around the fan leads to an outlet from the blower. An intake shield extends across and blocks undesired entrance of objects into the inlet opening in the bottom of the lower housing. The blower may be seated on a lid across an opening in it. An adapter in the lid receives the intake shield and has its own air inlet to the blower.
The orientation of the blower with respect to the lid is rotatable. Cooperating flanges on the blower and the adapter hold the blower to the lid at two rotative locations and a button latch arrangement latches the blower at each of the two arrangements. Between the two latched orientations, the blower may be lifted free of the lid.
The invention concerns an air blower including a centrifugal fan which is driven by an electric motor. The blower has a two-part blower housing comprising an upper housing which encloses the motor beneath the motor cap and a lower housing. The centrifugal fan is disposed in the chamber between the upper and lower housings. The plenum around the fan leads to an outlet from the blower. An intake shield extends across and blocks undesired entrance of objects into the inlet opening in the bottom of the lower housing. The blower may be seated on a lid across an opening in it. An adapter in the lid receives the intake shield and has its own air inlet to the blower.
The orientation of the blower with respect to the lid is rotatable. Cooperating flanges on the blower and the adapter hold the blower to the lid at two rotative locations and a button latch arrangement latches the blower at each of the two arrangements. Between the two latched orientations, the blower may be lifted free of the lid.
Description
This application is a divi6ional application of copending application 569,825, filed June 17, 1988 ~ `
The present invention relates to a portable air blower, particularly an electric blower, and to such a blower which ay be installed on the collecting tank o~ and also ~ay sorve as the blow ~otor of a vacuu~ cleaner, i~ desired A portable blower has a blower housing with an iDpeller or fan in it that draws air into the housing and blows it through a directed outlet fro~ the housing one ~uch blower i~ hown in U S Patent 4,325,163 Since the blower housing ha~ an inl-t, and suction nQcQssarily devolops at the inlet, th blover ay bo used to draw a vacuu~, a8 with a vacuu~
lS cl un r, and ay additionally b installed on th collecting tunk o~ a vacuun cleaner for generating the needed vacuur Portabiliti, light weight ~nd siuplicity-~re all d sirable attributes of a portable blower Furt~ r, th blower ay rest aqainst or be seat d upon a surface, and one or the other of its ends ~ay contact the surfae- or contact the body or the clothing of a person using it The intakes into the blower should not beco~e blocked or clogged through contacting the surfaces or the body or clothing of the user. Further, there ~ust be security against a user accidentally inserting hi~ fingers and against other objects entering the blower. Various grills are known for thi~ purpose. Finally, if the blower is installed on a support, such a~ the tank of a vacuu~ cleaner, or the like, ea~y attach ent and detach~ent of the blower the support is desirable and also ready ad~ustment of its orientations is desired.
The present invention provides an i~proved blower:
which protects the user against inadvertently inserting any ob~ect~ into the blower; which prevent~ any ~urface or ~atorial6 against which the blower i6 rested from blocking entrance of air into the blower; which enables easy attachnent of the blower to and re~oval of it from a support, such a8 a tank: which ~eparates the uain airflow pathway through the blower fro- another airflow pathway pa~t the uotor which operates the blower; and which enables easy reorientation of the direction of the blower with respect to the ~urface or tank on which it is po~itioned.
hore particularly, in one aspect (claimed in the parent application), the present invention provides an air blower, co prising: an external housing, an air inlet into the housing, an air outlet fro~ the housing, a motor in the housing, a centrifugal fan in the . " ~ ~,., .
~ , ,.~'' . .
',-":
., housing having a periphery and connected to be driven by the motor for drawing air into the housing inlet and for blowing air out the housing outlet; a support located in the housing for supporting the motor and the ~upport being shaped and so S disposed in the housing for providing air separation between the motor and the $an; the housing including a chamber outsido the periphery o~ the centrifugal fan and at the fan side Or the support for the motor, and the chamber com~unicating with the outlet from the blower; the inlet to the housing including an inlet opening through which air i6 drawn into the housing and the fan being disposed near the inlet op~ning; an intake shield sealingly attached to the houffing ana extending past the inlet to the housing; where the intako shi-ld extends past thQ inlet opening, the intake lS shield being spaced fro~ the housing and fro~ the housing inlet; and air pa~sage ~eans through the intake shield for enabling air to be drawn past the intake shield and into the housin~ inlet; said intake shield serving as an external surface of the housing shaped ~nd disposed so that the entire blower ~ay be sealed upon the intake shield external surface;
the air passage ~eans on the intake shield being generally off the intake shield external surface ~o as not to be blocked if the intake shield surface is against another or supporting surface; said external housing further including a blower housing having therein the air inlet and air outlet of the external housing; said blower housing comprising separate - 2a -! . :
upper and lower portions which are held together, the lower portion being attached to the intake shield, and the support for the motor being part of the upper portion of the blower housing: each said upper and lower portions of the blower 5 housing having a first cooperating section, whiGh cooperating sections constitute sidewall sections that are combined to define said air outlet: and each said upper and lower portions of the blower housing having a second cooperatlng section, which second cooperating sections define a chamber wherein said fan i8 disposed.
In one aspect of the present application there is provided an air blower assembly and ~upport means to which said assembly is removably securable:
lS said assembly including an external housing, an air inlet into the housing, an air outlet fro~ the housing, a tor in the housing and a fan in the housing driven by the tor for drawing air into the housing inlet and for blowing air out the housing outlet:
a otor support located in the housing for supporting the motor and shaped and disposed in the housing for providing air separation between the motor and the fan;
the housing including a cha~ber around the fan and at the fan side of the motor support, and the chamber co~ unicating with the outlet from the housing:
cooperating securement ~eans on the housing and on the support means for releasably holding the asse~bly to the support means when the housing is at first a rotative orientation with respect to the support means and for freeing the assembly to be removed from the support mean~ when the housing is at a second rotative orientation with respect to the support means.
- 2b -~' ' .
, . .
! ' According to the invention, the air blower has an esternal housing which i8 comprised of a blower housing and a motor cap above the blower housing. The blower housing, in turn, is divided into an upper blower housing and a lower blower housing. The blow motor for dri~ing the impeller or fan of the blower is di~posed bet~een the upper blower housing and the motor cap, and that space may define a cooling air pathway for air passing through the blower motor. The bottom of the upper housing provides an air seal between the upper housing und the lower housing. In the sealed space between the bottom of the upper and the bottom of the lower housing is disposed the f~n for moving air into an inlet in the bottc~ of the lo~er housing and out of an outlet from the blower housing. Preferably, the fan is a centrifugal fan. The inlet to the blower how ing is ~long the ~sis of the centrifugal fan ~nd the outlet from that housing is centrifugally out the periphery of the fan to a chamber around the periphery of the fan and beneath the bottom of the upper blower housing. An outlet at one side of the blower housing is defined by a respective tubular section from each of -the upper and lower blower housings which together define a tubular outlet that is encircled and completed by a ferrule.
An intake shield extends across the inlet to the blower housing and is spaced from the inlet. Air passage means through the intake shield permit air to enter the blower housin,g inlet. Those air passage means are preferably in the form of narrow width grill :~ ~
133187~
openings that prevent fingers or foreign art~cles from being inserted through the grill, and the grill blocks passage of inserted articles to the blower housing inlet which is spaced away from it. When the blower is separated from its support, the intake shield bottom surface may-serve as a base which rests on a surface or ~hich rests against the body or clothing of the operator. The air p~ssage means are preferably off thè
base or bottQm surfacc of the intake shield so as not to be blocked ~y the surface on which the blower is resting or by the body or clothing of the person using the blower.
The motor cap over the motor supports the top end of the tor. The bottom of the upper blower ho w ing supports the other end of the ~otor in the chamber.
The blower is lntended to be used either - separate from a support or may be disposed on a support, which may be the lid of a tank, with the inlet into the blower commNnicating into the open end of the tank. That surface, for example, may be the lid of the tank of an electric vacuum cleaner. The intake shield should rest around the periphery of the opening in the surface. To this end, an additional adapter may be disposed around the periphery of the opening in the surface. The adapter is cup shaped for receiving the intake shield. The adapter includes a bottom that extends past the underside of the intake shield and is spaced from it. The adapter has its own inlet opening, which communicates into the space between the intake shield and the adapter.
. - ~
.. . .
. ' : ' ' , : -'' : ~ ~
The inlet openings through the adapter, the intake shield, and the inlet to the blower housing are not aligned openings, so that insertion of fingers or foreign articles all the way from the adapter into the inlet housing is prevented and travel of large articles along such pathway is also prohibited.
The surfaces at the periphery of the opening in the lid or support surface, where the adapter and the support surface contact, at the contact between the adapter and the inta~e shield and at the contact between the inta~e shield and the blower housing all are or become qenerally air sealed which prevents air lea~age at those contacting regions when the motor is ~perating and suction force is applied through the lnlet to the aotor housing.
When the blower i5 installed on the surface or in the ~dapter in the opening in a lid, for user convenience, it ~ay ke useful to have the blower facing one or another direction, e.g. opposite directions.
Means are provid d for connecting the blower to the surface, that is, to the adapter at the surface, and for latching the blower at any of more than one rotative orientation, which permits the blower to blow in different directions. This assures that the blower 25 ~ill hold together with the adapter in the housing when - -they are at the different respective orientations. The latching means are releasable for permitting reorientation of the blower with respect to the housing and also for permitting rotation of the blower to a -position which permits the blower to be freed from the ~-.: - : - - - - - .
~,.;, . . - "-,-~: . ,. , . ~ :: .
adapter and the support surface of a lid to which the adapter has been attached. The latching means comprises a spring biased button on the surface or lid to which the blower is attached and which projects into a select d one of a plurality of recesses defined in thc blower housing. When the button is received in one of those selected recesses, the means for securing the blover housing to the adapter are holding them together. ~hen the latching means is released to unlatch the blower housing and support surface, the blo~er housinq ay be rotated to a position permitting their separation.
For holding the blower housing and the adapter or the support surface, such as the lid, together, respective overhanginq flanges may be defined both in the blower housing, on the one hand, and in tbe adapter or support surface, on the other hand, ~ith the flanges being so shaped and placed that with the blower ; in one of the selected or latched orientations with respect to the support surface, the flanges overhang one another and prevent separation of the blower from the housing. The flanges are further so shaped and placed that with the blower rotated to a different .' 'r,~
orientation with respect to the support or lid other than a latched orientaticn, the flanges no longer interfere so that the blower may be lifted free of the support. The flanges may be arcuate in shape, with the arcs being of a length and so disposed as to permit the selective prohibition against separation and to permit the separation, depending upon the rotative orientation of the blower with respect to the support.
i, . .
, -, ~
. -::
There are blocking means between the blower and the support surface that permit only clockwise rotation of the blower with respect to the surface to bring the flanges into engagement and counterclockwise rotation for disengaging the S flange~. In particular, these blocking means are on the intake shield of the blower and on the flange on the adapter.
Various e~bodiment~ of the blower of the invention are illustratea. Dep nding upon tho 8iZQ of the fan, and thus of tho CFM of it~ airflow, the airflow pathway fro- the fan to the blower outlet ay be re or less tortuous. The airflow off a larger size centrifugal fan is nearly at about the height of the outl~t ana i~ not blockea against ~oving straight out to the outlet, whereas with the airflow from a all 8iZQ ran, the lower housing is shapea for bloc~ing ~o~ aent of air straight out from the centrifugal fan and in t ad rodirecke tho air upwardly ana th n outw~rdly toKard th blower outlet.
In 80Do e bodi~Qnts, the ~otor is ncased within it~ oNn hou~ing insidQ the ~otor cap and blower housing. In othor ~ b^~iments, th tor is not 80 encased. In the lattor situation, thore are additional olements within the ~otor cap which provide support to the motor and to the switch for 2S operating the motor which give ready access to the ~otor -~ ~ -parts within when the motor cap i~ removed.
The present invent$on will become more apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the present invention considered in conjunction with the acco~panying drawings, in which~
-~
~' '~
Fig. 1 is an elevational cross sectional view of a blower according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is an elevational view, partly in cross section, S of the first blower embodiment installed on a collecting tank.
Fig. 3 is an exploded, partially cross section, side elevational view of the first blower e~bodiment.
Fig. 4 is a side cros~ gectional view of an upper blower housing for the blower, viewed along the line 4-4 in Fig. 5.
Fig. 5 is a botto~ view of ths upper blower housing.
Fig. 6 is a ~ide cross sectional view of the lower blower housing of t~e blower, viewed along the line 6-6 in Fig. 7.
Fig. 7 i~ a top view of the lower blower hou~ing.
Fig. 8 is a d de cros~ sectional view of the intake ~hi ld of the blower, viewed along the path indicated by the ~rrow~ 8 in Fig. 9.
Fig. 9 i~ a top view of the intake-shield.
Fig. 10 i8 a side cro~ ~ectional view of an adapter for installation between the blower and the lid of a collecting tank, and viewed along the pathway indicated by the line~ 10 in Fig. 11.
,, -~..' , : ,, ,~ .
.' : ~' ' -- '' ' : - , -.
Fig. 11 is a top view of the adapter for the blower.
Fig. 12 is a fragmentary side cross sectional view of the blower showing a releasable latching arrange~ent for the blower.
Fig. 13 is a siae cross sectional view of the operating button for the latching arrange~ent.
Fig. 14 is a top view of th~t button.
Fig. 15 is a ~ide elevation~l view of a secona e bodi ent of a blower according to the invention.
Fig. 16 is a ~ide cross ~ectional view of a third er~odi ent of a blower according to the invention.
Fig. 17 is a top view of a ba~fle for the ~otor in the third e bodi~nt of tho invQntion.
Fig. 18 iB a side cross sectional view along the line indicated by arrows 18 in Fig. 17.
Flg. 19 iB a top view of a ~otor cap for the third e~bodivent of the i mention.
Flg. 20 1~ a side cross sectional vi w of th ~otor cap.
The portablQ blower 20 of the pres nt i mentlon i~ an l ctric ctor op~rated blower. ThQ blow r ~ay be the -suction head fro a tank type electric vacuu~ cleaner as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the suction head is ~eparated fro~
the tank and serves a~ the blower 20. However, the imention 2S is not lid ted ~`~
to a blower which may be installed on a collection tank of a tank type vacuum cleaner.
Figs. 1-3 of the first embodiment of the blower 20 shows th~t the blower generally is comprised S of sn e~ternal housing, including an upper blower housing 22 which e~tends up toward the motor cap 230 ~bove it down to the lower bearing 216 of the blower ~otor 210, ~nd a lower blower housing 24 beneath the upper housing vhich e~tends beneath the blower fan 220 and the motor cap 230 over the motor 210. The blower further includes the int~e shield 120 beneath the lower blower hou~ing 24. There is an adapter 140 beneath the inta~e shield 120 to which the blo~er 20 is -separabl~ and also sdjustabl~ attached for attaching the blower to a surface li~e the lid 180 of a ~acuu~
cleaner 21.
The electric motor 210 drives the centrifugal fan 220 to rotate. The fan dr~ws air through the inlet opening 146 of the adapter 140 when the blower is seated on a lid 180, through the air passages 126 through the intake shield 120, through the inlet 86 in the bottom 84 of the lower blower housing 24, through the centrifugal fan 220, around the chamber 244 in the lower blower housing 24, through the plenum 54 in the upper blower housing 22 and out the blower outlet 61.
These features of the blower 20 are now more specifically described.
In Fig. 1, the region of the blower at the lower right in the Figure i5 not in the plane of the cross sectional view o~ Fig. 1, but rather is rotated ,, . ~ . ~
.~. ~ .~: . -:~ :. .. - . .
. :. : '' ~ " .: ~ . ~
. . . .
--" 1331871 90 from that plane. Fig. l-appears in this way for more clearly illustrating the complete assembly of the blower.
The upper blower housing 22 and the lower S blower housing 24 sealingly meet at the seal line 26 e~tending around the entire housing into the upper blower housing 22 as well.
- The upper housing 22 is shown in Figs. 1, 3, ~ ~nd 5. It includes an annular top edge 32 that is sealingly received in the lower end of the motor C8p flange 236. an annular sidewall 34 defines the sidewall of the chamber 238 in which the blower motor 210 is disposed. Beneath the sidewall 34, the bottom -of the upper housing 22 is defined by the annular outer port~on 36 which tends in from the siaewall to the depressed cup portion 38. In the cup 38 are defined a plurality of fins ~2 with inclined top edges ~3 which together define a se~t for the bottom 214 of the housing of the motor 210.
The cup 38 has a central opening 44 surrounded by an upstanding collar 46 which receives ~- -the lower bearing 216 of the motor 210 and seals around -~
it, essentially preventing air flow past the floor 36, 38 of the upper housing 22 and into the chamber 238 in which the motor 210 is disposed.
Depending down from the annular portion 36 of the floor outward of the cup 38 are a plurality of vanes 52 which are each oriented obliquely to the circle of the array of vanes. Such vanes are conventionally used in centrifugal fan arrangements, as ,- ~., - -in vacuum cleanerc, for directing the exit air flow from the centrifugal fan to circulate around outside the vane array.
Outward of the sidewall 34 and the botto~ 36 of the chaaber 238 for the aotor, the upper housing defines an open annular plenu~ S4. The plenum is open around the entire peripheral wall 34 80 that air can circulate completely around the array 52 of vanes. Outward of the peripheral wall 34, the upper housing has an upper wall 58 which encloses and defines the upper side of the plenum 54.
At one side of the upper hous~ng 22 is defined a ~e icylinder, partial tube, outlet section 60 which cooperates with the seaicylinder outlet section 76 of the lower housing 24 to define the blower outlet 61 from the ~S plenua 54.
An arcuate wall 67 pro~ects down fro~ the upper wall 58 of the hou~ing and ~u~t inside the opening at the outlet ~ection 60 for preventing a user's hands or foreign articles fro ~oving directly into the upper housing.
At two opposite sides 63 of the upper housing 22, the housing is widened and shaped to define the hand grip openings 64 which cooperate with siailarly placed hand grip 2S openings 78 on the lower housing 24. The blower is attached to and reaovea froa a lid 180 by rotatinq the blower, for Ya ple, and the hand grips 6~ enable the operator to rotate the blower housing. They also provide ~eans for easily carrying the portable blower. Two hand grips 64 are provided for providing maximum versatility in holding the blower and in ~- ... . . -~,"~ ~ "
~,, ,, .. , , ..
.~ ~ -- - ' - .
. .
. - -': - .
~, ,, . - .
: ~ .
directing the outlet 61 from the blower in any orientation and direction.
Tbe upper housing has a pair of short height bosses 68 beneath it in ~hich are disposed the head~ of screws 69 which hold the motor 210 to the upper blower housing.
The lower blower ho w ing 24 in Figs. 6 and 7 i~ open topped to mate ~ith the open botto~ of the upper housing 22. The lo~er housing has the same esternal profile 72 as the profile 73 of the upper housing, and the upper and lower housing~ meet at the respectivc profiled engaqeoent edges 74 on the lower housing and 75 on the upper ho w ing to be secured toq-ther. In this ~ay, the upper and lower housings together define th pl-nu~ 5~, 2~
At a position correfipondin~ to the position around the upp r hou ing of the outl-t ~ect~on 60, the lo~er how ing has a respecti~e sed cylinaer, partial tube, outlet section 76 which cooperates ~ith the outlet section 60 to define a conplete cylindrical outlet 61 from the plenum 54. The wide opposite sides 77 of the lower housing are shaped to define and complete the openings 78 or the hand grips of the entire blower housing ~hen it is assembled.
-~ 25 The lover housing defines a cup li~e ch~ber in which the centrifugal fan 220 is disposed. ~hat chamber has the annular wall 82 which surrounds and supports the annular floor 84 which is disposed beneath the fan. At the center of the floor 84 is an inlet ~-opening 86 for air to flow to the underside of the centrifugal fan 220. Outward of the annular wall 82, .
the lower housing has an annular slot 92 into which the periphery 122 of the intake shield 120 is spin ~elded.
~adially further outward, the underside of the lower housing at 94 is configured to cooperate with the adapter 140 on which the blower is seated.
Inward of the outlet section 76, directly beneath, projecting toward ~nd meeting the depcnding protective wall 67 is the upstanding, arcuate protective wall 98 in the lower housing. The walls 61 - and 98 define a barrier against entrance of fingers or objects through the open pathway defined by the semicylinders 60 and ~6.
Detent recesses 102 and 104 at diametrically opposite positions around the lower blo~er housing 2~
establish the orient~tion of the blower with respect to the lid 180, as is described below. Screw holes 106 around the lower housinq cooperate ~ith corresponding openings 193 in the upper housing for receiving screws for securing the housinqs together.
To complete the outlet cylinder 61, a ferrule 110 has a body 112 that extends into the semicylinders 60 and 76 and includes end clamping slot 114 which cl~mps the outer ends of the outlet sections 60, 76, thereby forming the unitary outlet 61 from the blower housing.
Beneath the lower housing 24 is disposed an intake shield 120 shown in Figs. 8 and 9. It is generally cup shaped. Its upper annular periphery 122 is installed in and spin welded into the annular groove ~ .
2~
'' `', .~
: ` ' `' ` . . ~ ' ` `
~ , 92 at the underside of the lower blo~er housing 24, so that the intake shield ls integrated with the lower housing 24 This avoias air leakage past the edge of ~ -the intake shield 120 The shiela has an inclin d peripheral wall 124 in which is defined a grill of narrow width air passage openings 126 for permitting entrance of air to the ~nlet 86 into the lower ho w ing 2~. The grill openings 126 are narro~ed to prevent the entrance of fingers or articl-s through the grill 126 ~hen the blo~er 20 is s-paratea fro~ the lid 180 When the blower is ~eparated, ~hiela 120 serves as one -e~posed side of the blower. The intake ~hield 120 has a gcnerally flat bottQ 128 The grill openings 126 are not pri arily in that surface 128 If the blower is operated whil- the flat botto~ 128 of its intake ; shield is on a surface or i8 resting against the person carrying and w ing the blower, this contact will not interfere with the inflow of air through the qrill openings 126, and the user'fi clothing, for example, ~ould not be undesirably pulled into the grill openings Two arcuate flanges 132 extend part way around the intake shield 120 The flanges 132 together underlie and define a bayonet type locking arrangement ~ith cooperating flanges 166 in the adapter 140. This enables the intake shield and the entire blower housing to be held securely to the lid 180 The ends 135 of the flanges 132 meet the bloc~ing walls 167 at the ends of the adapter flanges 166 when it is attempted to rotate the blower housing counterclockwise - 1331871 `.
. . .
An adapter 140 shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is disposed between the iLntake shiela 120 and the lid 180.
The adapter 140 includes the ~ottom cover 142 which is generally cup shaped and e~tends far enough into the lid to define a plenum 144 between the cover 142 and the intake shield 120 above it. There is an inlet opening 146 through the floor 142 of the cover for air to enter the blower when the ball float 148, which is supported in the standard ball float support cage 186 of the lid 180, is down, out of the opening 146. The ~dapter e~tends to its peripheral flange 152 which has opposite wide, rounded sections 154 and narrower s tions 156. The flange 152 e~tends up to and seats securel~ against the edqe 162 of the opening into the lid 180 in which the adapter 140 is disposed to effect a vacuum se~l.
There is a vacuu~ seal at 164 between the intake shield 120 and the adapter 140 which prevents loss of vacuum from the plenum 144 above the adapter 140 and from the space 121 above the intake shield 120.
The vacuum that develops when the motor 210 is operating draws the adapter 140 up toward the blower housing 20 which effects the two seals at 162 and 164.
The adapter 140 has at opposite sides a respective pair of arcuate inwardly directed flanges 166 for overhanging the cooperating flanges 132 on the intake shield 120. As seen in Fig. 10, the adapter peripheral flange 152 iis tall. The flanges 166 are at two arcuate positions around the narrowed width regions 156 of the flange 152. At one end of each adapter , -.
' . '-~
flange 166 is a blocking wall 167 which is abutted by the end 135 of an intake shield flange 132 if it is attempted to engage the flanges 132 and 166 by counter-clockwise rotation of the blower. They are engageable only by clockwise rotation and are disengageable only by counterclockwise rotation.
At spaced intervals beneath the flange 152, there are a plurality of hollow, open bottomed bosses 172 for receiving the shanks of respective screws 174 ~hich are screwed through respective holes 184 in the top 182 of th~ lid 180 and into the interior of the bosses 172, thereby securinq the adapter 140 to the lid, so that the blower at its intake shield 120 may be separated from the tank lid 180 while the adapter 140 remains ~ith the lid.
When the blower housing 20 is ~n one rotative position, the flanges 132 and 166 overhang one another, ~s shown in Fig. 1, and this prevents raising of the blower from the adapter. When the blower is rotated counterclockwise 90~ from the flange overlapping condition, the flanges 166 no longer overhang the flanges 132, which frees the blower for being lifted off the adapter.
The lid 180, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is for a tank type vacuum cleaner. The lid is removably secured to the tank 188 in conventional fashion. The tank has a suction inlet 191. The lid has a top surface 182 with holes 184 through it at locations aligned with the bosses 172 in the adapter. Screws 174 pass through the holes 184 in the lid and are screwed into the bosses 172 to secure the adapter to the top of the lid.
' - .t.
. , -; '~ ' :" ' -As is known from U.S. Patent 4,185,974, the lid has an integral lid cage 186 depending beneath it which encloses the above described float ball 148 and which also defines a support for a standard annular filter 189 that is placed o~er the lid cage prior to operation of the unit in order to filter air being sucked out of the tan~ 188.
The blower housing 20, together with the ~otor 210 and the inta~e shield 120 are held to the adapter 1~0 and the lid 180 by the above described cooperation of the flanges 132 and 166. A releasable spring latch arrangement 190 shown in Figs. 11-14 holds th in one of two loc~ed together rotative orientations. The adapter supports a single latching arrange~ent 190 in opening 19~.
The lower blower housinq 2~ has at its - undersiae (Fig. 7) the t~o diametrically opposite openings 102 and 10~ which cooperate ~ith the arrangement 190 so that the blower outlet ~ay face in either of two opposite directions. The recesses at 102, 104 are depressed into th bottom of the lo~er housing to define respective receptacles for the detent ~- latching button 198, described belo~. The bottoms of the recesses 102, 104 have holes through which pass screws 192 ~hich join the lower housing 24 into bosses 193 of the upper housing. Screws also pass through the other holes 106 in the lower housing into receivinq bosses in the upper housing. ~-Referring to Fig. 12, the releasable latching àrrangement 190 is hel~1 between the top 182 and the _,, . - ' ' ., -- 1 9 -- : .
Ii 1331871 :-adapter 140 There is an opening 194 in the bottom of the adapter which guides the detent button 198 for vertical movement into the recess 104 The detent button 198 i8 bi~sed upwardly into the recess 104 in the lower housing 24 by the spring 202 which is housed inside the button 198 and presses up upon the button and down against the lid 182 The button 198 includes a ~olded lateral estension 204, which engages an overhanging flange 206 on the adapter 140 to define the ax~um extent of the upward ~otion of the button 198 When the button 198 is up, it is received in the recess 10~ in the lower housing This holds the blower aga~nst rotat~on and establishes a particular rotative orientation for the blower ~ith respect to the adapter and lid T&e dia~etric~lly opposite recess 102 Day ~ alternatively be the one to receive the button 198 ~hen I ~ th~ blo~er i8 rotated 180 fro~ th t orientation with the button in recess 104 The recesses 102 and 104 are ~; placed so that with the button 198 disposed in either ` 20 recess 102 and recess 10~ in the lower housing, the ~` flanges 132, 166 are completely overlapped, for holding the blower to the lid -~
The extension 204 on the button 198 is a -~-manually operable button which ~ay be depressed by the -user to release the loc~ing connection between the adapter 140 and the lower housing 24 Once this connection is released, the lower housing and thus the ~-~
entire blower 20 can be rotated with the hand grips 64, 78 until the cooperating overhanging flanges 132, 166 have moved so that they no longer overhang, which _ables the blower to be lifted out of the adapter ~F,~` ` . . - ' : ,.
,~ . -. - .. - - .. -133187~
This embodiment of a blower employs a conventional electric blower motor 210 That motor has one external fan 220 for the blower air and a second internal fan, not ~hown, for cooling the ~otor The aotor is seated on the inclined odges 43 of the plurality of fins 42 in the uppsr housing 22 Tho ~otor 210 includes its own lower housing 212 with ~
conically shaped lower wall 214 which seats on the edges 43 of tho fin~ The ~otor shaft 218 is supported in a lower boaring 216, tho oxterior of which is held in tho opening 44 at the botto~ of the upper hou~inq The ~otor shaft 218 is ~ d to and drives the conventional centrifugal fan 220 to rot~t in the cha~b~r 2~4 in th lower housing Tho ~anually operabl- electric switch 222 at the exterior of tho ~otor cap i~ op rated to turn on the ~otor to drive tho fan Atop the tor i~ a tor cov r 223 which closes th rotor and also hold~ tho otor in placo insido tho ~otor cover Bxt rnal to tho tor 210 i~ the enclo ing otor cap 230 ~hich cov r~ ov r the top end Or the tor including th upp r b-~ring 232 for th ~otor ~baft 218 Tho top 231 o~
th tor cap is sentially closod, ~o that if tho otor cap re ts on a surface or presses against the clothing of a p r on who carri the blower, air is not blockod fro~
ntering tho cap through the cooling air inflow vents 233 on the ~ide of the cap and near the top Th cap extends down along it~ side wall 234 to its poripheral flange 236 which wraps over and substantially seals to the flange 32 at ~,.~ . --- - :
.~ ' ' ' - - ' ':
. . . -- ::' the top of the upper blower housing 22. In known manner, this creates an enclosed cooling air outlet plenum 238 for the cooling air that has passed through and then exited from the motor 210. The exhausted cooling air exits through other vents from the plenum 238. ~he plenum 238 is separated by the closed bottom 36, 38 of the upper housing 22 from the main air pathway through the blower.
The main pathway of air through the blower is from the esterior of the blower, which may be the interior of tble tank 188 if the blower is on the tank, or other~ise from the ambient, through the sealable opening 1~6 in the botto~ of the adapter 140, through the plenu~ between the adapter and the intake shiela 120, through the passage openings 126 in the siae w~ll 12~ of the intake shield through the ch~ber 121 abDve thR intake shield 120, through the entrance 86 in the botto~ 8- of the lower ho w ing, axially into and then radially and centrifugally out of the centrifu~al fan 220, laterally into the plenum 2~
above and around the fan 220 and within the sidewall 82 of the lower housing, past the vanes 52 of the upper housing, beneath the bottom 36, 38 and outside the sidewall 34 of the upper housing 22, through the plenum 54, and through the cylindrical outlet 61. With the blower removed from the adapter, air enters the blower through the grill passage openings 126 in the intake shield 120 and then follows the same path.
3s .
~:~ , ,~,'.. . .
133l87l A second blower embodiment 250 is shown in Fig. 15. The modification uses a larger size centrifugal fan 252 generating a higher CFM airflow.
This, in turn, means that the fan should be raised higher with respect to the blower housing than the fan 220 of the first embodiment. The elements of this second blower are similar to and function similarly to the elements in the first embodiment of the blower and ~re not described again. The adapter 254 is the same as the adapter in the first embodiment. The intake shield 256 functions similarly to the intake shield of the first embodiment, although it is slightly flatter because the lower blower housing is higher. The lower blo~rer housing 260 is differently shaped from the lower housing 24 of the first embodi~ ent for accolamodating the differentlr shaped upper housing 270 and fan 252.
` In this embodiment, the lower housing h~s a bottaDI 262 ~-~
~rhich is less depressed than the bottam 84 of the lower housing of the first embodiment, so that there is still only a small clearance between the bottom of the fan 252 and the bottom 262 of the lower housing. In other respects, the lower how ing corresponds to the lower housing 24 of the first embodiment and is not further - described.
In this en~odiment, the air pathway out of the centrifugal fan is through the vanes 266, which, as in the first embodiment, depend beneath the upper housing 270 and then flow is into the chamber 268 which surrounds the vànes 266. The airflow from the centrifugal fan therefore does not first travel up to tÇi~``-` ~ i ~ `` `.~- ` - ` :
''~
. ~
133187~
reach the outlet from the blower, as in the first embodiment.
The upper housing 270 of this embodiment has the features of the upper housing 22 of the first S emkodiment, except that the upper housing 270 is taller to accommodate the taller motor 274. Similarly, the motor cap 276 is taller to accammodate the taller ~otor. In other respects, the second embodiment generally is similar to the first embodiment.
Figs. 16-20 shows a third embodiment of a blower 280 according to the invention. In this embodiment, as contrasted with the first two e~badiments, the tor 281 between the motor cap 300 and the upper housing 310 is not itself within its own motor casing. Therefore, ~arious elements, including the motor cap 300 and upper housing 310, cooperate to bouse and seal the motor in the blower. ~he motor 281 is a conventional electric motor which is connected ~ith the centrifugal fan 282 for dri~ing the fan to rotate. Around the top of the motor is disposed a baffle 290 shown in Figs. 17 and 18, which includes an annular ring 292 that extends around the top of the , motor and a shelf 294 around the ring, which shelf terminates in its periphery 293 which is shaped to the ` 25 interior profile of the motor cap 300. Depending from one side of the baffle 290 is a support 295, and outward from the support 295 is the electrical switch support 296 which receives a conventional electrical operating switch 297 that is conventionally wired for operating the blower motor 281.
The motor cap 300 shown in Figs. 19 and 20 is placed around the baffle 290. The cap has an upper peripheral flange 302 which seats on the top of the baffle and positions and also presses down upon it.
The cap 300 extends down to its base periphery 306 which rests on top of the peripheral flange around the upper blower housing 310. Screw connection 312 e~tends between the motor cap and the upper housing into appropriate bosses 313 defined in the upper housing.
At the side of the motor cap where the switch support 296 is found, the motor cap has an opening 314 which is partially covered over from above to provide protection for the switch 297 against water, rain and dirt.
~; The motor cap 300 has a top 316 with grill li~e openings 318 which define an air inlet for communication of air through the cooling air inlet 322 at the top of the motor 2U. As in the othor embodiments, the motor cooling air inlet grill openings 318 open mostly at the lateral sides of the cap 300, rather than at the top 316. If the motor housing side is the side of the blower that is held against the body of the user, the inlet openings 318 for cooling air are not blocked by the user. The cover 300 also has a grill of outlet openings 324 for eYhaust cooling air which has passed through the motor. Internal baffles, not shown, inside the motor cap separate the flows through grill openings 318 and 324.
In this third embodiment, two sets of grill openings are illustrated. The motor caps in the other embodiments may also have two sets of grill openings _ - ' .."` ', `~:: ;''` . ' ' ` 1331871 which are separated by appropriate internal baffles within the motor cap, not shown, as this is S conventional.
Removal of the few screws 312 between the motor cap 300 and the upper housing 310 of the blower provides access to the motor 281 and to the motor switch 297 for easy servicing, without requiring lo removal of any of the other elements. ~ollowing removal of the motor cap, the motor 281, the switch 297, the power cords to the switch and motor and the motor brushes, which are all ser~iceable parts, are esposed to easy access. Then the parts and the motor lS cap may be simply returned to position and the cap reattached, closing the blower.
Another major difference between this blower e~bodiment and that in the previous embodiments related to the separation of the main airflow past the blover fan 282 from the cooling airflow that has passed through the motor. There is here a separate lower motor housing 330 which e~tends completely around the motor and is inside and above the upper blower housing 310, because the upper blower housing lacks the supports for the motor that are found in the other e~hodiments. The upper blower housing has downwardly depending flange 336 which e~tends entirely around the interior of that housing and includes an annular bottom tab 338 which projects toward the lower motor housing 330. A resilient sealing gasket 340 is disposed .
P~
~s,, .~ .
between the bottom tab 238 and the curved periphery 342 of the lower motor housing. This provides a separating seal between the cooling air above the lower motor housing 330, which has been exhau6ted from the motor 281, on the one hand, S and the ~ain airflow pagt the centrifugal fan 282 which ig ~oving through the outlet 350 from the blower, on the other hand.
~30 . - -
The present invention relates to a portable air blower, particularly an electric blower, and to such a blower which ay be installed on the collecting tank o~ and also ~ay sorve as the blow ~otor of a vacuu~ cleaner, i~ desired A portable blower has a blower housing with an iDpeller or fan in it that draws air into the housing and blows it through a directed outlet fro~ the housing one ~uch blower i~ hown in U S Patent 4,325,163 Since the blower housing ha~ an inl-t, and suction nQcQssarily devolops at the inlet, th blover ay bo used to draw a vacuu~, a8 with a vacuu~
lS cl un r, and ay additionally b installed on th collecting tunk o~ a vacuun cleaner for generating the needed vacuur Portabiliti, light weight ~nd siuplicity-~re all d sirable attributes of a portable blower Furt~ r, th blower ay rest aqainst or be seat d upon a surface, and one or the other of its ends ~ay contact the surfae- or contact the body or the clothing of a person using it The intakes into the blower should not beco~e blocked or clogged through contacting the surfaces or the body or clothing of the user. Further, there ~ust be security against a user accidentally inserting hi~ fingers and against other objects entering the blower. Various grills are known for thi~ purpose. Finally, if the blower is installed on a support, such a~ the tank of a vacuu~ cleaner, or the like, ea~y attach ent and detach~ent of the blower the support is desirable and also ready ad~ustment of its orientations is desired.
The present invention provides an i~proved blower:
which protects the user against inadvertently inserting any ob~ect~ into the blower; which prevent~ any ~urface or ~atorial6 against which the blower i6 rested from blocking entrance of air into the blower; which enables easy attachnent of the blower to and re~oval of it from a support, such a8 a tank: which ~eparates the uain airflow pathway through the blower fro- another airflow pathway pa~t the uotor which operates the blower; and which enables easy reorientation of the direction of the blower with respect to the ~urface or tank on which it is po~itioned.
hore particularly, in one aspect (claimed in the parent application), the present invention provides an air blower, co prising: an external housing, an air inlet into the housing, an air outlet fro~ the housing, a motor in the housing, a centrifugal fan in the . " ~ ~,., .
~ , ,.~'' . .
',-":
., housing having a periphery and connected to be driven by the motor for drawing air into the housing inlet and for blowing air out the housing outlet; a support located in the housing for supporting the motor and the ~upport being shaped and so S disposed in the housing for providing air separation between the motor and the $an; the housing including a chamber outsido the periphery o~ the centrifugal fan and at the fan side Or the support for the motor, and the chamber com~unicating with the outlet from the blower; the inlet to the housing including an inlet opening through which air i6 drawn into the housing and the fan being disposed near the inlet op~ning; an intake shield sealingly attached to the houffing ana extending past the inlet to the housing; where the intako shi-ld extends past thQ inlet opening, the intake lS shield being spaced fro~ the housing and fro~ the housing inlet; and air pa~sage ~eans through the intake shield for enabling air to be drawn past the intake shield and into the housin~ inlet; said intake shield serving as an external surface of the housing shaped ~nd disposed so that the entire blower ~ay be sealed upon the intake shield external surface;
the air passage ~eans on the intake shield being generally off the intake shield external surface ~o as not to be blocked if the intake shield surface is against another or supporting surface; said external housing further including a blower housing having therein the air inlet and air outlet of the external housing; said blower housing comprising separate - 2a -! . :
upper and lower portions which are held together, the lower portion being attached to the intake shield, and the support for the motor being part of the upper portion of the blower housing: each said upper and lower portions of the blower 5 housing having a first cooperating section, whiGh cooperating sections constitute sidewall sections that are combined to define said air outlet: and each said upper and lower portions of the blower housing having a second cooperatlng section, which second cooperating sections define a chamber wherein said fan i8 disposed.
In one aspect of the present application there is provided an air blower assembly and ~upport means to which said assembly is removably securable:
lS said assembly including an external housing, an air inlet into the housing, an air outlet fro~ the housing, a tor in the housing and a fan in the housing driven by the tor for drawing air into the housing inlet and for blowing air out the housing outlet:
a otor support located in the housing for supporting the motor and shaped and disposed in the housing for providing air separation between the motor and the fan;
the housing including a cha~ber around the fan and at the fan side of the motor support, and the chamber co~ unicating with the outlet from the housing:
cooperating securement ~eans on the housing and on the support means for releasably holding the asse~bly to the support means when the housing is at first a rotative orientation with respect to the support means and for freeing the assembly to be removed from the support mean~ when the housing is at a second rotative orientation with respect to the support means.
- 2b -~' ' .
, . .
! ' According to the invention, the air blower has an esternal housing which i8 comprised of a blower housing and a motor cap above the blower housing. The blower housing, in turn, is divided into an upper blower housing and a lower blower housing. The blow motor for dri~ing the impeller or fan of the blower is di~posed bet~een the upper blower housing and the motor cap, and that space may define a cooling air pathway for air passing through the blower motor. The bottom of the upper housing provides an air seal between the upper housing und the lower housing. In the sealed space between the bottom of the upper and the bottom of the lower housing is disposed the f~n for moving air into an inlet in the bottc~ of the lo~er housing and out of an outlet from the blower housing. Preferably, the fan is a centrifugal fan. The inlet to the blower how ing is ~long the ~sis of the centrifugal fan ~nd the outlet from that housing is centrifugally out the periphery of the fan to a chamber around the periphery of the fan and beneath the bottom of the upper blower housing. An outlet at one side of the blower housing is defined by a respective tubular section from each of -the upper and lower blower housings which together define a tubular outlet that is encircled and completed by a ferrule.
An intake shield extends across the inlet to the blower housing and is spaced from the inlet. Air passage means through the intake shield permit air to enter the blower housin,g inlet. Those air passage means are preferably in the form of narrow width grill :~ ~
133187~
openings that prevent fingers or foreign art~cles from being inserted through the grill, and the grill blocks passage of inserted articles to the blower housing inlet which is spaced away from it. When the blower is separated from its support, the intake shield bottom surface may-serve as a base which rests on a surface or ~hich rests against the body or clothing of the operator. The air p~ssage means are preferably off thè
base or bottQm surfacc of the intake shield so as not to be blocked ~y the surface on which the blower is resting or by the body or clothing of the person using the blower.
The motor cap over the motor supports the top end of the tor. The bottom of the upper blower ho w ing supports the other end of the ~otor in the chamber.
The blower is lntended to be used either - separate from a support or may be disposed on a support, which may be the lid of a tank, with the inlet into the blower commNnicating into the open end of the tank. That surface, for example, may be the lid of the tank of an electric vacuum cleaner. The intake shield should rest around the periphery of the opening in the surface. To this end, an additional adapter may be disposed around the periphery of the opening in the surface. The adapter is cup shaped for receiving the intake shield. The adapter includes a bottom that extends past the underside of the intake shield and is spaced from it. The adapter has its own inlet opening, which communicates into the space between the intake shield and the adapter.
. - ~
.. . .
. ' : ' ' , : -'' : ~ ~
The inlet openings through the adapter, the intake shield, and the inlet to the blower housing are not aligned openings, so that insertion of fingers or foreign articles all the way from the adapter into the inlet housing is prevented and travel of large articles along such pathway is also prohibited.
The surfaces at the periphery of the opening in the lid or support surface, where the adapter and the support surface contact, at the contact between the adapter and the inta~e shield and at the contact between the inta~e shield and the blower housing all are or become qenerally air sealed which prevents air lea~age at those contacting regions when the motor is ~perating and suction force is applied through the lnlet to the aotor housing.
When the blower i5 installed on the surface or in the ~dapter in the opening in a lid, for user convenience, it ~ay ke useful to have the blower facing one or another direction, e.g. opposite directions.
Means are provid d for connecting the blower to the surface, that is, to the adapter at the surface, and for latching the blower at any of more than one rotative orientation, which permits the blower to blow in different directions. This assures that the blower 25 ~ill hold together with the adapter in the housing when - -they are at the different respective orientations. The latching means are releasable for permitting reorientation of the blower with respect to the housing and also for permitting rotation of the blower to a -position which permits the blower to be freed from the ~-.: - : - - - - - .
~,.;, . . - "-,-~: . ,. , . ~ :: .
adapter and the support surface of a lid to which the adapter has been attached. The latching means comprises a spring biased button on the surface or lid to which the blower is attached and which projects into a select d one of a plurality of recesses defined in thc blower housing. When the button is received in one of those selected recesses, the means for securing the blover housing to the adapter are holding them together. ~hen the latching means is released to unlatch the blower housing and support surface, the blo~er housinq ay be rotated to a position permitting their separation.
For holding the blower housing and the adapter or the support surface, such as the lid, together, respective overhanginq flanges may be defined both in the blower housing, on the one hand, and in tbe adapter or support surface, on the other hand, ~ith the flanges being so shaped and placed that with the blower ; in one of the selected or latched orientations with respect to the support surface, the flanges overhang one another and prevent separation of the blower from the housing. The flanges are further so shaped and placed that with the blower rotated to a different .' 'r,~
orientation with respect to the support or lid other than a latched orientaticn, the flanges no longer interfere so that the blower may be lifted free of the support. The flanges may be arcuate in shape, with the arcs being of a length and so disposed as to permit the selective prohibition against separation and to permit the separation, depending upon the rotative orientation of the blower with respect to the support.
i, . .
, -, ~
. -::
There are blocking means between the blower and the support surface that permit only clockwise rotation of the blower with respect to the surface to bring the flanges into engagement and counterclockwise rotation for disengaging the S flange~. In particular, these blocking means are on the intake shield of the blower and on the flange on the adapter.
Various e~bodiment~ of the blower of the invention are illustratea. Dep nding upon tho 8iZQ of the fan, and thus of tho CFM of it~ airflow, the airflow pathway fro- the fan to the blower outlet ay be re or less tortuous. The airflow off a larger size centrifugal fan is nearly at about the height of the outl~t ana i~ not blockea against ~oving straight out to the outlet, whereas with the airflow from a all 8iZQ ran, the lower housing is shapea for bloc~ing ~o~ aent of air straight out from the centrifugal fan and in t ad rodirecke tho air upwardly ana th n outw~rdly toKard th blower outlet.
In 80Do e bodi~Qnts, the ~otor is ncased within it~ oNn hou~ing insidQ the ~otor cap and blower housing. In othor ~ b^~iments, th tor is not 80 encased. In the lattor situation, thore are additional olements within the ~otor cap which provide support to the motor and to the switch for 2S operating the motor which give ready access to the ~otor -~ ~ -parts within when the motor cap i~ removed.
The present invent$on will become more apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the present invention considered in conjunction with the acco~panying drawings, in which~
-~
~' '~
Fig. 1 is an elevational cross sectional view of a blower according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is an elevational view, partly in cross section, S of the first blower embodiment installed on a collecting tank.
Fig. 3 is an exploded, partially cross section, side elevational view of the first blower e~bodiment.
Fig. 4 is a side cros~ gectional view of an upper blower housing for the blower, viewed along the line 4-4 in Fig. 5.
Fig. 5 is a botto~ view of ths upper blower housing.
Fig. 6 is a ~ide cross sectional view of the lower blower housing of t~e blower, viewed along the line 6-6 in Fig. 7.
Fig. 7 i~ a top view of the lower blower hou~ing.
Fig. 8 is a d de cros~ sectional view of the intake ~hi ld of the blower, viewed along the path indicated by the ~rrow~ 8 in Fig. 9.
Fig. 9 i~ a top view of the intake-shield.
Fig. 10 i8 a side cro~ ~ectional view of an adapter for installation between the blower and the lid of a collecting tank, and viewed along the pathway indicated by the line~ 10 in Fig. 11.
,, -~..' , : ,, ,~ .
.' : ~' ' -- '' ' : - , -.
Fig. 11 is a top view of the adapter for the blower.
Fig. 12 is a fragmentary side cross sectional view of the blower showing a releasable latching arrange~ent for the blower.
Fig. 13 is a siae cross sectional view of the operating button for the latching arrange~ent.
Fig. 14 is a top view of th~t button.
Fig. 15 is a ~ide elevation~l view of a secona e bodi ent of a blower according to the invention.
Fig. 16 is a ~ide cross ~ectional view of a third er~odi ent of a blower according to the invention.
Fig. 17 is a top view of a ba~fle for the ~otor in the third e bodi~nt of tho invQntion.
Fig. 18 iB a side cross sectional view along the line indicated by arrows 18 in Fig. 17.
Flg. 19 iB a top view of a ~otor cap for the third e~bodivent of the i mention.
Flg. 20 1~ a side cross sectional vi w of th ~otor cap.
The portablQ blower 20 of the pres nt i mentlon i~ an l ctric ctor op~rated blower. ThQ blow r ~ay be the -suction head fro a tank type electric vacuu~ cleaner as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the suction head is ~eparated fro~
the tank and serves a~ the blower 20. However, the imention 2S is not lid ted ~`~
to a blower which may be installed on a collection tank of a tank type vacuum cleaner.
Figs. 1-3 of the first embodiment of the blower 20 shows th~t the blower generally is comprised S of sn e~ternal housing, including an upper blower housing 22 which e~tends up toward the motor cap 230 ~bove it down to the lower bearing 216 of the blower ~otor 210, ~nd a lower blower housing 24 beneath the upper housing vhich e~tends beneath the blower fan 220 and the motor cap 230 over the motor 210. The blower further includes the int~e shield 120 beneath the lower blower hou~ing 24. There is an adapter 140 beneath the inta~e shield 120 to which the blo~er 20 is -separabl~ and also sdjustabl~ attached for attaching the blower to a surface li~e the lid 180 of a ~acuu~
cleaner 21.
The electric motor 210 drives the centrifugal fan 220 to rotate. The fan dr~ws air through the inlet opening 146 of the adapter 140 when the blower is seated on a lid 180, through the air passages 126 through the intake shield 120, through the inlet 86 in the bottom 84 of the lower blower housing 24, through the centrifugal fan 220, around the chamber 244 in the lower blower housing 24, through the plenum 54 in the upper blower housing 22 and out the blower outlet 61.
These features of the blower 20 are now more specifically described.
In Fig. 1, the region of the blower at the lower right in the Figure i5 not in the plane of the cross sectional view o~ Fig. 1, but rather is rotated ,, . ~ . ~
.~. ~ .~: . -:~ :. .. - . .
. :. : '' ~ " .: ~ . ~
. . . .
--" 1331871 90 from that plane. Fig. l-appears in this way for more clearly illustrating the complete assembly of the blower.
The upper blower housing 22 and the lower S blower housing 24 sealingly meet at the seal line 26 e~tending around the entire housing into the upper blower housing 22 as well.
- The upper housing 22 is shown in Figs. 1, 3, ~ ~nd 5. It includes an annular top edge 32 that is sealingly received in the lower end of the motor C8p flange 236. an annular sidewall 34 defines the sidewall of the chamber 238 in which the blower motor 210 is disposed. Beneath the sidewall 34, the bottom -of the upper housing 22 is defined by the annular outer port~on 36 which tends in from the siaewall to the depressed cup portion 38. In the cup 38 are defined a plurality of fins ~2 with inclined top edges ~3 which together define a se~t for the bottom 214 of the housing of the motor 210.
The cup 38 has a central opening 44 surrounded by an upstanding collar 46 which receives ~- -the lower bearing 216 of the motor 210 and seals around -~
it, essentially preventing air flow past the floor 36, 38 of the upper housing 22 and into the chamber 238 in which the motor 210 is disposed.
Depending down from the annular portion 36 of the floor outward of the cup 38 are a plurality of vanes 52 which are each oriented obliquely to the circle of the array of vanes. Such vanes are conventionally used in centrifugal fan arrangements, as ,- ~., - -in vacuum cleanerc, for directing the exit air flow from the centrifugal fan to circulate around outside the vane array.
Outward of the sidewall 34 and the botto~ 36 of the chaaber 238 for the aotor, the upper housing defines an open annular plenu~ S4. The plenum is open around the entire peripheral wall 34 80 that air can circulate completely around the array 52 of vanes. Outward of the peripheral wall 34, the upper housing has an upper wall 58 which encloses and defines the upper side of the plenum 54.
At one side of the upper hous~ng 22 is defined a ~e icylinder, partial tube, outlet section 60 which cooperates with the seaicylinder outlet section 76 of the lower housing 24 to define the blower outlet 61 from the ~S plenua 54.
An arcuate wall 67 pro~ects down fro~ the upper wall 58 of the hou~ing and ~u~t inside the opening at the outlet ~ection 60 for preventing a user's hands or foreign articles fro ~oving directly into the upper housing.
At two opposite sides 63 of the upper housing 22, the housing is widened and shaped to define the hand grip openings 64 which cooperate with siailarly placed hand grip 2S openings 78 on the lower housing 24. The blower is attached to and reaovea froa a lid 180 by rotatinq the blower, for Ya ple, and the hand grips 6~ enable the operator to rotate the blower housing. They also provide ~eans for easily carrying the portable blower. Two hand grips 64 are provided for providing maximum versatility in holding the blower and in ~- ... . . -~,"~ ~ "
~,, ,, .. , , ..
.~ ~ -- - ' - .
. .
. - -': - .
~, ,, . - .
: ~ .
directing the outlet 61 from the blower in any orientation and direction.
Tbe upper housing has a pair of short height bosses 68 beneath it in ~hich are disposed the head~ of screws 69 which hold the motor 210 to the upper blower housing.
The lower blower ho w ing 24 in Figs. 6 and 7 i~ open topped to mate ~ith the open botto~ of the upper housing 22. The lo~er housing has the same esternal profile 72 as the profile 73 of the upper housing, and the upper and lower housing~ meet at the respectivc profiled engaqeoent edges 74 on the lower housing and 75 on the upper ho w ing to be secured toq-ther. In this ~ay, the upper and lower housings together define th pl-nu~ 5~, 2~
At a position correfipondin~ to the position around the upp r hou ing of the outl-t ~ect~on 60, the lo~er how ing has a respecti~e sed cylinaer, partial tube, outlet section 76 which cooperates ~ith the outlet section 60 to define a conplete cylindrical outlet 61 from the plenum 54. The wide opposite sides 77 of the lower housing are shaped to define and complete the openings 78 or the hand grips of the entire blower housing ~hen it is assembled.
-~ 25 The lover housing defines a cup li~e ch~ber in which the centrifugal fan 220 is disposed. ~hat chamber has the annular wall 82 which surrounds and supports the annular floor 84 which is disposed beneath the fan. At the center of the floor 84 is an inlet ~-opening 86 for air to flow to the underside of the centrifugal fan 220. Outward of the annular wall 82, .
the lower housing has an annular slot 92 into which the periphery 122 of the intake shield 120 is spin ~elded.
~adially further outward, the underside of the lower housing at 94 is configured to cooperate with the adapter 140 on which the blower is seated.
Inward of the outlet section 76, directly beneath, projecting toward ~nd meeting the depcnding protective wall 67 is the upstanding, arcuate protective wall 98 in the lower housing. The walls 61 - and 98 define a barrier against entrance of fingers or objects through the open pathway defined by the semicylinders 60 and ~6.
Detent recesses 102 and 104 at diametrically opposite positions around the lower blo~er housing 2~
establish the orient~tion of the blower with respect to the lid 180, as is described below. Screw holes 106 around the lower housinq cooperate ~ith corresponding openings 193 in the upper housing for receiving screws for securing the housinqs together.
To complete the outlet cylinder 61, a ferrule 110 has a body 112 that extends into the semicylinders 60 and 76 and includes end clamping slot 114 which cl~mps the outer ends of the outlet sections 60, 76, thereby forming the unitary outlet 61 from the blower housing.
Beneath the lower housing 24 is disposed an intake shield 120 shown in Figs. 8 and 9. It is generally cup shaped. Its upper annular periphery 122 is installed in and spin welded into the annular groove ~ .
2~
'' `', .~
: ` ' `' ` . . ~ ' ` `
~ , 92 at the underside of the lower blo~er housing 24, so that the intake shield ls integrated with the lower housing 24 This avoias air leakage past the edge of ~ -the intake shield 120 The shiela has an inclin d peripheral wall 124 in which is defined a grill of narrow width air passage openings 126 for permitting entrance of air to the ~nlet 86 into the lower ho w ing 2~. The grill openings 126 are narro~ed to prevent the entrance of fingers or articl-s through the grill 126 ~hen the blo~er 20 is s-paratea fro~ the lid 180 When the blower is ~eparated, ~hiela 120 serves as one -e~posed side of the blower. The intake ~hield 120 has a gcnerally flat bottQ 128 The grill openings 126 are not pri arily in that surface 128 If the blower is operated whil- the flat botto~ 128 of its intake ; shield is on a surface or i8 resting against the person carrying and w ing the blower, this contact will not interfere with the inflow of air through the qrill openings 126, and the user'fi clothing, for example, ~ould not be undesirably pulled into the grill openings Two arcuate flanges 132 extend part way around the intake shield 120 The flanges 132 together underlie and define a bayonet type locking arrangement ~ith cooperating flanges 166 in the adapter 140. This enables the intake shield and the entire blower housing to be held securely to the lid 180 The ends 135 of the flanges 132 meet the bloc~ing walls 167 at the ends of the adapter flanges 166 when it is attempted to rotate the blower housing counterclockwise - 1331871 `.
. . .
An adapter 140 shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is disposed between the iLntake shiela 120 and the lid 180.
The adapter 140 includes the ~ottom cover 142 which is generally cup shaped and e~tends far enough into the lid to define a plenum 144 between the cover 142 and the intake shield 120 above it. There is an inlet opening 146 through the floor 142 of the cover for air to enter the blower when the ball float 148, which is supported in the standard ball float support cage 186 of the lid 180, is down, out of the opening 146. The ~dapter e~tends to its peripheral flange 152 which has opposite wide, rounded sections 154 and narrower s tions 156. The flange 152 e~tends up to and seats securel~ against the edqe 162 of the opening into the lid 180 in which the adapter 140 is disposed to effect a vacuum se~l.
There is a vacuu~ seal at 164 between the intake shield 120 and the adapter 140 which prevents loss of vacuum from the plenum 144 above the adapter 140 and from the space 121 above the intake shield 120.
The vacuum that develops when the motor 210 is operating draws the adapter 140 up toward the blower housing 20 which effects the two seals at 162 and 164.
The adapter 140 has at opposite sides a respective pair of arcuate inwardly directed flanges 166 for overhanging the cooperating flanges 132 on the intake shield 120. As seen in Fig. 10, the adapter peripheral flange 152 iis tall. The flanges 166 are at two arcuate positions around the narrowed width regions 156 of the flange 152. At one end of each adapter , -.
' . '-~
flange 166 is a blocking wall 167 which is abutted by the end 135 of an intake shield flange 132 if it is attempted to engage the flanges 132 and 166 by counter-clockwise rotation of the blower. They are engageable only by clockwise rotation and are disengageable only by counterclockwise rotation.
At spaced intervals beneath the flange 152, there are a plurality of hollow, open bottomed bosses 172 for receiving the shanks of respective screws 174 ~hich are screwed through respective holes 184 in the top 182 of th~ lid 180 and into the interior of the bosses 172, thereby securinq the adapter 140 to the lid, so that the blower at its intake shield 120 may be separated from the tank lid 180 while the adapter 140 remains ~ith the lid.
When the blower housing 20 is ~n one rotative position, the flanges 132 and 166 overhang one another, ~s shown in Fig. 1, and this prevents raising of the blower from the adapter. When the blower is rotated counterclockwise 90~ from the flange overlapping condition, the flanges 166 no longer overhang the flanges 132, which frees the blower for being lifted off the adapter.
The lid 180, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is for a tank type vacuum cleaner. The lid is removably secured to the tank 188 in conventional fashion. The tank has a suction inlet 191. The lid has a top surface 182 with holes 184 through it at locations aligned with the bosses 172 in the adapter. Screws 174 pass through the holes 184 in the lid and are screwed into the bosses 172 to secure the adapter to the top of the lid.
' - .t.
. , -; '~ ' :" ' -As is known from U.S. Patent 4,185,974, the lid has an integral lid cage 186 depending beneath it which encloses the above described float ball 148 and which also defines a support for a standard annular filter 189 that is placed o~er the lid cage prior to operation of the unit in order to filter air being sucked out of the tan~ 188.
The blower housing 20, together with the ~otor 210 and the inta~e shield 120 are held to the adapter 1~0 and the lid 180 by the above described cooperation of the flanges 132 and 166. A releasable spring latch arrangement 190 shown in Figs. 11-14 holds th in one of two loc~ed together rotative orientations. The adapter supports a single latching arrange~ent 190 in opening 19~.
The lower blower housinq 2~ has at its - undersiae (Fig. 7) the t~o diametrically opposite openings 102 and 10~ which cooperate ~ith the arrangement 190 so that the blower outlet ~ay face in either of two opposite directions. The recesses at 102, 104 are depressed into th bottom of the lo~er housing to define respective receptacles for the detent ~- latching button 198, described belo~. The bottoms of the recesses 102, 104 have holes through which pass screws 192 ~hich join the lower housing 24 into bosses 193 of the upper housing. Screws also pass through the other holes 106 in the lower housing into receivinq bosses in the upper housing. ~-Referring to Fig. 12, the releasable latching àrrangement 190 is hel~1 between the top 182 and the _,, . - ' ' ., -- 1 9 -- : .
Ii 1331871 :-adapter 140 There is an opening 194 in the bottom of the adapter which guides the detent button 198 for vertical movement into the recess 104 The detent button 198 i8 bi~sed upwardly into the recess 104 in the lower housing 24 by the spring 202 which is housed inside the button 198 and presses up upon the button and down against the lid 182 The button 198 includes a ~olded lateral estension 204, which engages an overhanging flange 206 on the adapter 140 to define the ax~um extent of the upward ~otion of the button 198 When the button 198 is up, it is received in the recess 10~ in the lower housing This holds the blower aga~nst rotat~on and establishes a particular rotative orientation for the blower ~ith respect to the adapter and lid T&e dia~etric~lly opposite recess 102 Day ~ alternatively be the one to receive the button 198 ~hen I ~ th~ blo~er i8 rotated 180 fro~ th t orientation with the button in recess 104 The recesses 102 and 104 are ~; placed so that with the button 198 disposed in either ` 20 recess 102 and recess 10~ in the lower housing, the ~` flanges 132, 166 are completely overlapped, for holding the blower to the lid -~
The extension 204 on the button 198 is a -~-manually operable button which ~ay be depressed by the -user to release the loc~ing connection between the adapter 140 and the lower housing 24 Once this connection is released, the lower housing and thus the ~-~
entire blower 20 can be rotated with the hand grips 64, 78 until the cooperating overhanging flanges 132, 166 have moved so that they no longer overhang, which _ables the blower to be lifted out of the adapter ~F,~` ` . . - ' : ,.
,~ . -. - .. - - .. -133187~
This embodiment of a blower employs a conventional electric blower motor 210 That motor has one external fan 220 for the blower air and a second internal fan, not ~hown, for cooling the ~otor The aotor is seated on the inclined odges 43 of the plurality of fins 42 in the uppsr housing 22 Tho ~otor 210 includes its own lower housing 212 with ~
conically shaped lower wall 214 which seats on the edges 43 of tho fin~ The ~otor shaft 218 is supported in a lower boaring 216, tho oxterior of which is held in tho opening 44 at the botto~ of the upper hou~inq The ~otor shaft 218 is ~ d to and drives the conventional centrifugal fan 220 to rot~t in the cha~b~r 2~4 in th lower housing Tho ~anually operabl- electric switch 222 at the exterior of tho ~otor cap i~ op rated to turn on the ~otor to drive tho fan Atop the tor i~ a tor cov r 223 which closes th rotor and also hold~ tho otor in placo insido tho ~otor cover Bxt rnal to tho tor 210 i~ the enclo ing otor cap 230 ~hich cov r~ ov r the top end Or the tor including th upp r b-~ring 232 for th ~otor ~baft 218 Tho top 231 o~
th tor cap is sentially closod, ~o that if tho otor cap re ts on a surface or presses against the clothing of a p r on who carri the blower, air is not blockod fro~
ntering tho cap through the cooling air inflow vents 233 on the ~ide of the cap and near the top Th cap extends down along it~ side wall 234 to its poripheral flange 236 which wraps over and substantially seals to the flange 32 at ~,.~ . --- - :
.~ ' ' ' - - ' ':
. . . -- ::' the top of the upper blower housing 22. In known manner, this creates an enclosed cooling air outlet plenum 238 for the cooling air that has passed through and then exited from the motor 210. The exhausted cooling air exits through other vents from the plenum 238. ~he plenum 238 is separated by the closed bottom 36, 38 of the upper housing 22 from the main air pathway through the blower.
The main pathway of air through the blower is from the esterior of the blower, which may be the interior of tble tank 188 if the blower is on the tank, or other~ise from the ambient, through the sealable opening 1~6 in the botto~ of the adapter 140, through the plenu~ between the adapter and the intake shiela 120, through the passage openings 126 in the siae w~ll 12~ of the intake shield through the ch~ber 121 abDve thR intake shield 120, through the entrance 86 in the botto~ 8- of the lower ho w ing, axially into and then radially and centrifugally out of the centrifu~al fan 220, laterally into the plenum 2~
above and around the fan 220 and within the sidewall 82 of the lower housing, past the vanes 52 of the upper housing, beneath the bottom 36, 38 and outside the sidewall 34 of the upper housing 22, through the plenum 54, and through the cylindrical outlet 61. With the blower removed from the adapter, air enters the blower through the grill passage openings 126 in the intake shield 120 and then follows the same path.
3s .
~:~ , ,~,'.. . .
133l87l A second blower embodiment 250 is shown in Fig. 15. The modification uses a larger size centrifugal fan 252 generating a higher CFM airflow.
This, in turn, means that the fan should be raised higher with respect to the blower housing than the fan 220 of the first embodiment. The elements of this second blower are similar to and function similarly to the elements in the first embodiment of the blower and ~re not described again. The adapter 254 is the same as the adapter in the first embodiment. The intake shield 256 functions similarly to the intake shield of the first embodiment, although it is slightly flatter because the lower blower housing is higher. The lower blo~rer housing 260 is differently shaped from the lower housing 24 of the first embodi~ ent for accolamodating the differentlr shaped upper housing 270 and fan 252.
` In this embodiment, the lower housing h~s a bottaDI 262 ~-~
~rhich is less depressed than the bottam 84 of the lower housing of the first embodiment, so that there is still only a small clearance between the bottom of the fan 252 and the bottom 262 of the lower housing. In other respects, the lower how ing corresponds to the lower housing 24 of the first embodiment and is not further - described.
In this en~odiment, the air pathway out of the centrifugal fan is through the vanes 266, which, as in the first embodiment, depend beneath the upper housing 270 and then flow is into the chamber 268 which surrounds the vànes 266. The airflow from the centrifugal fan therefore does not first travel up to tÇi~``-` ~ i ~ `` `.~- ` - ` :
''~
. ~
133187~
reach the outlet from the blower, as in the first embodiment.
The upper housing 270 of this embodiment has the features of the upper housing 22 of the first S emkodiment, except that the upper housing 270 is taller to accommodate the taller motor 274. Similarly, the motor cap 276 is taller to accammodate the taller ~otor. In other respects, the second embodiment generally is similar to the first embodiment.
Figs. 16-20 shows a third embodiment of a blower 280 according to the invention. In this embodiment, as contrasted with the first two e~badiments, the tor 281 between the motor cap 300 and the upper housing 310 is not itself within its own motor casing. Therefore, ~arious elements, including the motor cap 300 and upper housing 310, cooperate to bouse and seal the motor in the blower. ~he motor 281 is a conventional electric motor which is connected ~ith the centrifugal fan 282 for dri~ing the fan to rotate. Around the top of the motor is disposed a baffle 290 shown in Figs. 17 and 18, which includes an annular ring 292 that extends around the top of the , motor and a shelf 294 around the ring, which shelf terminates in its periphery 293 which is shaped to the ` 25 interior profile of the motor cap 300. Depending from one side of the baffle 290 is a support 295, and outward from the support 295 is the electrical switch support 296 which receives a conventional electrical operating switch 297 that is conventionally wired for operating the blower motor 281.
The motor cap 300 shown in Figs. 19 and 20 is placed around the baffle 290. The cap has an upper peripheral flange 302 which seats on the top of the baffle and positions and also presses down upon it.
The cap 300 extends down to its base periphery 306 which rests on top of the peripheral flange around the upper blower housing 310. Screw connection 312 e~tends between the motor cap and the upper housing into appropriate bosses 313 defined in the upper housing.
At the side of the motor cap where the switch support 296 is found, the motor cap has an opening 314 which is partially covered over from above to provide protection for the switch 297 against water, rain and dirt.
~; The motor cap 300 has a top 316 with grill li~e openings 318 which define an air inlet for communication of air through the cooling air inlet 322 at the top of the motor 2U. As in the othor embodiments, the motor cooling air inlet grill openings 318 open mostly at the lateral sides of the cap 300, rather than at the top 316. If the motor housing side is the side of the blower that is held against the body of the user, the inlet openings 318 for cooling air are not blocked by the user. The cover 300 also has a grill of outlet openings 324 for eYhaust cooling air which has passed through the motor. Internal baffles, not shown, inside the motor cap separate the flows through grill openings 318 and 324.
In this third embodiment, two sets of grill openings are illustrated. The motor caps in the other embodiments may also have two sets of grill openings _ - ' .."` ', `~:: ;''` . ' ' ` 1331871 which are separated by appropriate internal baffles within the motor cap, not shown, as this is S conventional.
Removal of the few screws 312 between the motor cap 300 and the upper housing 310 of the blower provides access to the motor 281 and to the motor switch 297 for easy servicing, without requiring lo removal of any of the other elements. ~ollowing removal of the motor cap, the motor 281, the switch 297, the power cords to the switch and motor and the motor brushes, which are all ser~iceable parts, are esposed to easy access. Then the parts and the motor lS cap may be simply returned to position and the cap reattached, closing the blower.
Another major difference between this blower e~bodiment and that in the previous embodiments related to the separation of the main airflow past the blover fan 282 from the cooling airflow that has passed through the motor. There is here a separate lower motor housing 330 which e~tends completely around the motor and is inside and above the upper blower housing 310, because the upper blower housing lacks the supports for the motor that are found in the other e~hodiments. The upper blower housing has downwardly depending flange 336 which e~tends entirely around the interior of that housing and includes an annular bottom tab 338 which projects toward the lower motor housing 330. A resilient sealing gasket 340 is disposed .
P~
~s,, .~ .
between the bottom tab 238 and the curved periphery 342 of the lower motor housing. This provides a separating seal between the cooling air above the lower motor housing 330, which has been exhau6ted from the motor 281, on the one hand, S and the ~ain airflow pagt the centrifugal fan 282 which ig ~oving through the outlet 350 from the blower, on the other hand.
~30 . - -
Claims (10)
1. An air blower assembly and support means to which said assembly is removably securable:
said assembly including an external housing, an air inlet into the housing, an air outlet from the housing, a motor in the housing and a fan in the housing driven by the motor for drawing air into the housing inlet and for blowing air out the housing outlet:
a motor support located in the housing for supporting the motor and shaped and disposed in the housing for providing air separation between the motor and the fan:
the housing including a chamber around the fan and at the fan side of the motor support, and the chamber communicating with the outlet from the housing:
cooperating securement means on the housing and on the support means for releasably holding the assembly to the support means when the housing is at first a rotative orientation with respect to the support means and for freeing the assembly to be removed from the support means when the housing is at a second rotative orientation with respect to the support means.
said assembly including an external housing, an air inlet into the housing, an air outlet from the housing, a motor in the housing and a fan in the housing driven by the motor for drawing air into the housing inlet and for blowing air out the housing outlet:
a motor support located in the housing for supporting the motor and shaped and disposed in the housing for providing air separation between the motor and the fan:
the housing including a chamber around the fan and at the fan side of the motor support, and the chamber communicating with the outlet from the housing:
cooperating securement means on the housing and on the support means for releasably holding the assembly to the support means when the housing is at first a rotative orientation with respect to the support means and for freeing the assembly to be removed from the support means when the housing is at a second rotative orientation with respect to the support means.
2. The blower assembly and support means of claim 1, further comprising releasable latching means between the external housing and the support means for latching the housing at the first rotative orientation with respect to the support means.
3. The blower assembly and support means of claim 2, wherein the releasable latching means includes a first part on the external housing and a cooperating second part on the support means; with the first and second parts in engagement, the releasable latching means secures the blower housing at the first rotative orientation; the latching means comprising two each of one of the first and second parts of the latching means, with the two parts being at different locations around the housing, whereby the housing may be latched by the latching means at two specific first rotative orientations with respect to the support means.
4. The blower assembly and support means of claim 2, wherein the releasable latching means comprises two first parts at different locations around the external housing and a cooperating second part on the support means: with the second part in engagement with one of the first parts, the releasable latching means latches the housing at a respective one of two specific rotative orientations with respect to the support means.
5. The blower assembly and support means of claim 3, wherein the second part of the releasable latching means on the support means comprises a button and a spring urging the button toward the housing, and each first part of the latching means on the housing comprises a respective recess in the housing for receiving the spring urged button when the first and second parts are arranged one over the other, and manually engageable means on the button operable for moving the button out of the respective housing recess for releasing the latching means and permitting rotation of the assembly with respect to the support means.
6. The blower assembly and support means of claim 3, wherein the cooperating securement means on the housing and the support means comprises a first flange on the housing and a second flange on the support means, wherein the first and second flanges are so shaped and placed that at a first rotative orientation with the latching means latching the housing against rotation, the second flange of the second support is in position to block moving the first flange of the housing past the second flange for blocking separation of the housing from the second support, and that with the housing rotated with respect to the support means so that the first and second part of the latching means are apart, the first and second flanges are free from blocking each other for permitting separation of the housing from the support means without interference between the first and second flanges.
7. The blower assembly and support means of claim 6, wherein each of the first and second flanges is arcuate in shape, extending around an arc small enough that the first and second flanges may be moved past one another as the housing is removed from the support means yet large enough that the flanges interfere with each other when the latching means is latched.
8. The blower assembly and support means of claim 1, wherein the cooperating securement means on the housing and the second support comprises a first flange on the housing and a second flange on the support means, wherein the first and second flanges are so shaped and placed that at the first rotative orientation of the housing and the support means, the second flange of the support means is in position to block moving the first flange of the housing past the second flange for blocking separation of the housing from the second support, and that with the housing rotated with respect to the support means to the second rotative orientation, the first and second flanges are free from blocking each other for permitting separation of the housing from the support means without interference between the first and second flanges.
9. The blower assembly and support means of claim 8, further comprising means on the first and second flanges placed for permitting rotation of the housing with respect to the support means in only one direction for bringing the housing to the first rotative orientation and for blocking rotation in the reverse direction for the purpose of bringing the housing to the first rotative orientation.
10. The blower assembly and support means of claim 1, further comprising means for permitting rotation of the housing with respect to the support means in only one direction for bringing the housing to the first rotative orientation and for blocking rotation in the reverse direction for the purpose of bringing the housing to the first rotative orientation.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US064,768 | 1987-06-19 | ||
| US07/064,768 US4797072A (en) | 1987-06-19 | 1987-06-19 | Portable electric blower |
| CA000569825A CA1320184C (en) | 1987-06-19 | 1988-06-17 | Portable electric blower with intake shield |
Related Parent Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000569825A Division CA1320184C (en) | 1987-06-19 | 1988-06-17 | Portable electric blower with intake shield |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1331871C true CA1331871C (en) | 1994-09-06 |
Family
ID=25671947
Family Applications (2)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000616636A Expired - Lifetime CA1332730C (en) | 1987-06-19 | 1993-03-31 | Portable electric blower |
| CA000616637A Expired - Lifetime CA1331871C (en) | 1987-06-19 | 1993-03-31 | Portable electric blower |
Family Applications Before (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000616636A Expired - Lifetime CA1332730C (en) | 1987-06-19 | 1993-03-31 | Portable electric blower |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (2) | CA1332730C (en) |
-
1993
- 1993-03-31 CA CA000616636A patent/CA1332730C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1993-03-31 CA CA000616637A patent/CA1331871C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CA1332730C (en) | 1994-10-25 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US4797072A (en) | Portable electric blower | |
| US4880364A (en) | Portable electric blower | |
| US4836753A (en) | Portable electric blower | |
| US4640697A (en) | Vacuum cleaner construction | |
| US4213224A (en) | By-pass type portable vacuum cleaner | |
| JP4156798B2 (en) | Vacuum cleaner | |
| US4693734A (en) | Vacuum cleaner construction | |
| CA2731525C (en) | Motor, fan and filter arrangement for a vacuum cleaner | |
| US4538971A (en) | Assembly of tank lid and fan means of a wet/dry vacuum | |
| AU2011211368B2 (en) | Vacuum cleaner comprising a motor, fan and filter arrangement | |
| US20020189048A1 (en) | Vacuum cleaner | |
| KR20030008569A (en) | Grille assembly for a cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner | |
| KR20020012383A (en) | Cyclone dust-collecting apparatus for Vacuum Cleaner | |
| GB2380956A (en) | Cyclone dust collecting apparatus for vacuum cleaner | |
| US20040040270A1 (en) | Cyclonic vacuum cleaner | |
| JPH03121080A (en) | Handy respiration-protecting device | |
| CA1268009A (en) | Hand held vacuum cleaner | |
| CA1331871C (en) | Portable electric blower | |
| US5412837A (en) | Vacuum cleaner | |
| EP0215165A1 (en) | Wet-dry vacuum cleaner | |
| CA1300829C (en) | Motor cap and housing for wet/dry vacuum | |
| JPH0484919A (en) | Vacuum cleaner | |
| WO2019031749A1 (en) | Cyclone dust collection device, and vacuum cleaner and handy-stick type vacuum cleaner which include same | |
| JP2567666B2 (en) | Electric vacuum cleaner | |
| JP2001112677A (en) | Motor brush powder filtration device of vacuum cleaner |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |