Patent Application
20210321846
The present invention generally relates to a lid configured for adapting a container for use with a vacuum system for material pickup. For example, commercially available vacuum cleaners intended for material pickup are large and cumbersome. When full, some may contain over 125 pounds of material making it difficult for workers to lift and dispose of. Depending on the worksite, contaminated material may have to be carried up/down flights of stairs requiring transfer of the material into smaller containers. This extra handling increases the risk of worker contamination and requires the halting of work while emptying the unit. The induction of material into the vacuum may also result in the contamination of the vacuum filter system which must then be carefully cleaned.
The present invention may provide a vacuum-interface lid which may adapt commercially available, inexpensive, plastic bucket containers including, but not limited to, 5- and 6-gallon containers. Such a vacuum-interface lid has the ability to adapt these common containers to work with a vacuum system to safely intercept, collect, transport, and store materials with minimal handling. A vacuum-interface lid according to the present invention may include, but is not limited to: an output port couplable to a vacuum source; an intake port couplable to a material conduit; and a flange portion including a seal configured to engage a top rim of a container.
Reference will now be made in detail to the subject matter disclosed, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Referring generally to
Referring to
A material transfer conduit 109 may be provided which is configured to draw material 110 from a surface 111 into the container 102. The material 110 may be any liquid or particulate substance that has a weight and/or surface area profile such that it may be carried via a sufficiently powerful, high-velocity vacuum stream 112. The material transfer conduit 109 may be a flexible conduit (e.g. a ribbed plastic hose). A first end 113 of the material transfer conduit 109 may be coupled to (e.g. at least partially received within or receive a projection of) an intake port 114 of the vacuum-interface lid 101. A second end 115 of the material transfer conduit 109 may be coupled to (e.g. at least partially received within or receive a projection of) a pickup wand 116 configured to draw the material 110 into the material transfer conduit 109.
In one embodiment, the first end 105 of the vacuum conduit 104, the second end 107 of the vacuum conduit 104, first end 113 of the material transfer conduit 109, and/or the second end 115 of the material transfer conduit 109 may be received and frictionally retained in (e.g. dimensioned to frictionally engage an interior surface of) the vacuum intake port 106, the output port 108, the intake port 114 and/or the pickup wand 116, respectively. Alternately, the first end 105 of the vacuum conduit 104, the second end 107 of the vacuum conduit 104, first end 113 of the material transfer conduit 109, and/or the second end 115 of the material transfer conduit 109 may be coupled to the vacuum intake port 106, the output port 108, the intake port 114 and/or the pickup wand 116, respectively, via one or more coupling mechanisms (e.g. clips, clamps, and the like).
Referring to
As shown in
The vacuum-interface lid 101 may further include the output port 108 and the intake port 114. The output port 108 may be dimensioned to receive the second end 107 of the vacuum conduit 104. For example, the output port 108 may be configured to receive and retain a standard 1¼-inch diameter vacuum hose such as those of vacuum systems sold by ShopVac®. The intake port 114 may be dimensioned to receive the first end 113 of the material transfer conduit 109. For example, the intake port 114 may be configured to receive and retain a standard 2¼-inch vacuum hose such as those of vacuum systems sold by ShopVac®. In an alternate embodiment, as shown in
Upon application of a vacuum at the output port 108 via the vacuum pump 103, a low-pressure region is created within the container 102 which serves both to draw the vacuum-interface lid 101 against the top rim 119 and induce the vacuum stream 112 through the pickup wand 116/material transfer conduit 109 and within the container 102 between the intake port 114 and the output port 108. Upon application of the vacuum stream 112 to the material 110 via the pickup wand 116, the material 110 may become entrained within the vacuum stream 112 and be carried to the container 102. When the entrained material 110 reaches the interior of the container 102, its velocity may be substantially reduced due to the increase of cross sectional area of the vacuum stream 112 in the container 102. As the vacuum stream 112 no longer flows fast enough to maintain the entrainment of the material 110, the material 110 may drop out of the vacuum stream 112 into the bottom of the container 102 for collection.
The vacuum-interface lid 101 may further include a deflection tube 122. The deflection tube 122 may be disposed under the intake port 114 and may be configured to direct material 110 in a downward direction upon entry into the container 102 in order to prevent material 110 from migrating directly to the output port 108 of the vacuum-interface lid 101 before it drops out of suspension within the vacuum stream 112. Also, the deflection tube 122 may serve as a frictional contact point for at least a portion of the entrained material 110 to quickly slow its velocity and facilitate its collection in the container 102.
The vacuum-interface lid 101 may further include a check valve 123. For example, where the material 110 includes a liquid, the check valve 123 may be a float-type check valve including a float 124, a float retainer tube 125, and a seat 126. The float retainer tube 125 may include one or more apertures 127 which allow the vacuum stream 112 to enter the float retainer tube 125. The float 124 may be retained and able to freely move up and down within the float retainer tube 125. The check valve 123 may be disposed under the output port 108 where the vacuum conduit 104 attaches to the vacuum-interface lid 101. The check valve 123 may serve to prevent over-filling of the container 102 and a resulting contamination of the vacuum cleaner and/or the surrounding area. As the level of the collected material 110 (e.g. liquid) rises during operation, float 124 may correspondingly rise to the point that the vacuum stream 112 flowing through the float retainer tube 125 captures the float 124 pinning it against the seat 126 and substantially inhibiting the vacuum stream 112.
Following filling of a container 102 with material 110, the vacuum-interface lid 101 may be removed and a standard lid for the container 102 may be applied. As such, the material 110 will not have to be transferred to another container for transfer reducing the possibility of users or the surrounding area being contaminated by spillage.
Different features, variations, and multiple different embodiments have been shown and described with various details. What has been described in this application, at times, in terms of specific embodiments, is done for illustrative purposes only and without the intent to limit or suggest that what has been conceived is only one particular embodiment or specific embodiments. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to any single specific embodiment or enumerated variation. Many modifications, variations, and other embodiments will come to the mind of those skilled in the art, and which are intended to be and are in fact covered by this disclosure. It is indeed intended that the scope of this disclosure should be determined by a proper legal interpretation and construction of the disclosure, including equivalents, as understood by those of skill in the art, and in reliance upon the complete disclosure present at the time of filing.
The present application is related to the following listed application(s) (the “Related Applications”). All subject matter of the Related Applications and of any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Related Applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith. The present application is related to, and claims priority to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/052,796, entitled VACUUM BUCKET LID, naming Paul A. Wilson as inventor, filed Jul. 16, 2020.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63052796 | Jul 2020 | US |
