Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The invention relates generally to construction and remodeling accessories, and in particular to a hydro-filtration unit with sanding heads for drywall work. When workers are installing drywall, the paste or “mud” used to fill gaps between drywall panels must be sanded down to provide a smooth, even surface for painting. The process of sanding creates an enormous amount of airborne dust, requiring the workers to wear protective face masks and creating a huge mess. The clean-up tasks after drywall installation can be monumental, and include cleaning out the air ducts of the building's heating system. Even the clean-up process continues to release dust back into the air, and turns into a long, expensive, and labor-intensive chore. A hydro-filtration unit with sanding heads for drywall work, which draws dust out of the air as it is created and injects the dust into water, creates a mixture of dust and water, preventing the dust from being released into the air and would resolve this problem.
Accordingly, the invention is directed to a hydro-filtration unit with sanding heads for drywall work. The hydro-filtration unit with sanding heads is comprised of a reservoir, a recovery basket, a motor, injection nozzles attached to a baffle, an internal hose, an external hose, a power switch, a sanding head, an extended sanding head, and a corner sanding head. The sanding heads may be used to sand down the joints between drywall panels. The motor of the hydro-filtration unit draws the dust out of the air as it is created through apertures in the sanding heads. The reservoir is filled with water for the purpose of creating a water and dust solution. Trapping the dust in the water prevents dust from being released into the air. The recovery basket is placed within the reservoir and is removable so that the water dust solution can be collected. The injection nozzles float on the top of the water and are connected to the motor by the internal hose. The internal hose connects to the output of the vacuum motor. The external hose connects the sanding heads and the vacuum motor intake. While operating, each sanding head creates dust which is drawn into the external hose. The dust travels through the internal hose and is injected into the water to create the water and dust solution, trapping dust and preventing it from being released.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. They illustrate one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Referring now to the invention in more detail, the invention is directed to a hydro-filtration unit with sanding heads for drywall work.
The first exemplary embodiment is comprised of a motor 2, a reservoir 4, a recovery basket 18 with handle 20, injection nozzles 42 attached to a baffle 6 with floats 48, an internal hose 12 with connection point to motor 16, an external hose 40, a power switch, a sanding head, an extended sanding head, and a corner sanding head.
The reservoir 4 is preferably mounted on a plurality of caster wheels 10, preferably four caster wheels 10. The reservoir 4 is partially filled with water 46 for the purpose of creating a water and dust solution. The recovery basket 18 is placed inside the reservoir to collect the water dust solution. The motor 2 is removable and mounted to the top of the reservoir 4 and secured with one or more latches. Within the reservoir 4, the interior hose 12 stretches from the motor 2 to the floating dust injector unit which uses the floats 48 to remain on top of the water 46. The space between the floats 48 are air releases 58 which allow excess air from the injector nozzles 42 to escape from the floating dust injector. The exterior hose 40 connects to the motor on one end and the sanding heads on the other. The external hose 40 connects to an attachment point 22 on each sanding head, and draws air and dust to the motor 2.
While operating, each sanding head creates dust which is drawn through the apertures 30 and/or side intakes 28 of the sanding surface. The dust is then drawn through an opening in the surface 54 which connects into the external hose 40. The dust travels through the external hose to the motor 2 intake and is then blown into the internal hose 12. The dust then travels through the internal hose 12 and is injected into the water 46 in the reservoir 4 through the injector nozzles 42 to create the water and dust solution. This process traps dust in the water and prevents it from being released into the air.
The motor 2 is preferably powered by standard household current, and provides a power cord which may be plugged into any standard three-pronged wall outlet. The corner sanding head provides two sanding surfaces 26 at right angles to each other, and a curved handle 24. The extended sanding head provides an extended handle 34 with an extension point 56, which is preferably at least three feet in length and may be segmented for easy storage and transport. The lower end of the extended handle 34 is affixed to the sanding head 38 via a ball joint 36, while the upper end provides the attachment point 22.
The recovery basket 18 is porous, allowing water to circulate while trapping dust in the form of a sediment at the bottom of the water and dust solution. The sediment may be recycled by the user as fresh “mud.” The recovery basket 18 preferably has a handle 20 for easy removal from the reservoir 4.
To use the first exemplary embodiment, the user may remove the motor 2 from the reservoir 4 and partially fill the reservoir 4 with water 46, then replace and affix the motor 2. The user may then attach one end of the external hose 40 to the motor 2, and the other end of the external hose 40 to the attachment point 22 of the desired sanding head. The user may then activate the power switch and begin sanding.
The recovery basket 18, the motor 2, the reservoir 4, the caster wheels 10, the corner sanding head, the curved handle 24, the extended sanding head, the extended handle 34, and the ball joint 36 are preferably manufactured from rigid, durable materials which are corrosion resistant, such as stainless steel, plastic, and aluminum alloy. The external hose 40 and the internal hose 12 are preferably manufactured from flexible, durable materials, such as rubber, silicone, and plastic. The power cord and the auxiliary power cord are preferably manufactured from braided copper alloy wire sheathed in plastic. Components and methods listed above are preferable, but artisans will recognize that alternate components and methods could be selected without altering the scope of the invention.
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is presently considered to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.
This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/052,867, filed Sep. 19, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62052867 | Sep 2014 | US |