Patent Application
20250146241
No Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
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The disclosure relates to heated blower devices and more particularly pertains to a new heated blower device for thawing a frozen surface. The device includes a backpack mounted air blower and a heating element integrated into an air nozzle of the backpack mounted air blower to facilitate the air nozzle to blow heated air onto a frozen surface to thaw the frozen surface. The device includes a solar panel for powering the heating element and a heating switch integrated into a handle for actuating and de-actuating the heating element.
The prior art relates to heated blower devices including a variety of backpack mounted air blowers for blowing air onto a surface and a variety of handheld air blowers that have a heating element for blowing heated air onto a frozen surface and a backpack mounted air blower which has a pair of heating elements integrated into an air nozzle for blowing heated air onto a frozen surface. In no instance does the prior art disclose a backpack mounted air blower which includes a pair of heating elements integrated into an air nozzle and a solar panel mounted to the air blower for powering the pair of heating elements.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising an air blower which includes a motor and an exhaust manifold each mounted on a backpack that can be worn on a user's back. The motor drives the air blower to urge air outwardly through the exhaust manifold when the motor is turned on and an air nozzle is fluidly attached to the exhaust manifold for receiving the air blown by the air blower. A heating unit is integrated into the air nozzle to heat the air when the heating unit is turned on. In this way the heating unit facilitates the heated air to be directed onto a frozen surface for thawing the frozen surface. Additionally, a solar panel is disposed on the air blower for powering the heating unit.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The exhaust manifold 16 has a pivoting joint 36 that is integrated into the exhaust manifold 16 thereby facilitating an output 37 of the exhaust manifold 16 to be pivoted upwardly and downwardly. Additionally, the air blower 12 includes an electronics housing 38 that is positioned on top of the air blower 12. The pivoting joint 36 curves around a first lateral edge 39 of the panel 23 of the backpack 18 such that the output 37 of the exhaust manifold 16 is directed forwardly from the panel 23. An air nozzle 40 is fluidly attached to the exhaust manifold 16 for receiving the air blown by the air blower 12. The air nozzle 40 has a coupled end 42 that is coupled to the output 37 of the exhaust manifold 16. In this way the air nozzle 40 can facilitate the user 22 to point the air nozzle 40 in a variety of directions for directing the air to flow in a chosen direction. The air nozzle 40 tapers between the coupled end 42 and a free end 44 of the air nozzle 40 thereby facilitating the air nozzle 40 to increase a velocity of the air flowing outwardly from the free end 44.
A heating unit 46 is integrated into the air nozzle 40 such that the heating unit 46 is in thermal communication with the air being blown through the air nozzle 40. In this way the heating unit 46 can heat the air when the heating unit 46 is turned on to facilitate the heated air to be directed onto a frozen surface 48 for thawing the frozen surface 48. The frozen surface 48 may be a sidewalk, a driveway, a roof of a building or any other surface that is exposed to freezing temperatures and which requires routine clearing of ice and snow. The heating unit 46 comprises a pair of heating elements 50 and each of the pair of heating elements 50 is positioned between the coupled end 42 and the free end 44 of the air nozzle 40. Each of the pair of heating elements 50 may comprise an electric heating element or the like which may have an operational temperature ranging between approximately 200.0 degrees Fahrenheit and 300.0 degrees Fahrenheit.
A solar panel 52 is disposed on the air blower 12 to facilitate the solar panel 52 to be exposed to sunlight and the solar panel 52 is in communication with the heating unit 46 for powering the heating unit 46. The solar panel 52 is positioned on a top side 54 of the electronics housing 38 to facilitate the solar panel 52 to be exposed to a maximum intensity of sunlight when the user 22 is wearing the backpack 18. Furthermore, the solar panel 52 is oriented at a downward angle on the top side 54 of the electronics housing 38 to facilitate the solar panel 52 to capture sunlight at an optimal angle when the user 22 is wearing the backpack 18.
A handle 56 is attached to the air nozzle 40 to facilitate the handle 56 to be gripped by the user 22 for pointing the air nozzle 40. The handle 56 is attached to and angles forwardly from an outer wall 58 of the air nozzle 40 having the handle 56 being centrally positioned between the coupled end 42 and the free end 44. Additionally, as is most clearly shown in
A power supply 64 is integrated into the air blower 12 and the power supply 64 is electrically coupled to each of the pair of heating elements 50. The power supply 64 comprises a rechargeable battery 66 that is positioned within the electronics housing 38 and the rechargeable battery 66 is electrically coupled to each of the pair of heating elements 50. The power supply 64 includes a charging processor 68 that is positioned within the electronics housing 38. The charging processor 68 is electrically coupled between the solar panel 52 and the rechargeable battery 66 thereby facilitating the charging processor 68 to actuate the solar panel 52 to charge the rechargeable battery 66.
In use, the motor 14 is started and the backpack 18 is worn on the user's back 20 to facilitate the user 22 to grip the handle 56 and point the air nozzle 40 in a desired direction. In this way the air blower 12 can be employed for blowing debris, such as leaves for example, on a surface for subsequent collection and disposal. The heater switch 62 can be engaged to turn on the pair of heating elements 50. In this way the air blower 12 can blow heated air for thawing a frozen surface 48, such as an icy sidewalk for example. Thus, the air blower 12 can serve dual function for either blowing debris or the thawing the frozen surface 48.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, device and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
