This invention relates to a blower system for drying floor surfaces. In particular, this invention relates to floor blower having an upright handle design for easier maneuvering when blowing and drying surfaces such as floors in building structures. This invention further relates to a system for blowing and drying floors wherein a user can adjust the air temperature and velocity of the blower when blowing and drying surfaces.
Wet floors can be a hazard in any home or commercial building. Homeowners want their floors to remain dry, especially with children and pets running around. With hardwood floors, there is also the additional motivation of keeping floors dry to prevent potential water damage to the surfaces. People have used several methods to dry wet floors. One solution is to use towels or other cloth materials to physically wipe up moisture from a wet floor. The use of a ceiling fan can provide airflow to speed up the floor drying process. Another solution is to implement a system of one or more fans to dry wet surfaces. With this approach, the typical arrangement is to place a fan device on the floor have the fan blow air directly onto the floor to dry the floor. In commercial buildings, floor-drying products are placed on the floors to blow air onto the drying surface in a manner similar to methods used in homes.
Floor dryers are devices used to blow out air to accelerate the process of drying a floor or other surface. These devices have applications in various types of situations. Large retail stores use floor blowers and dryers to keep floors dry to prevent pedestrians from slipping on wet floors. People can also incorporate the use of floor dryers in their homes to dry floors. In addition to stationery products, portable products also exist with a similar objective of drying floor surfaces. One portable blowing device is used for blowing leaves and other yard work and landscaping functions. Another mobile blower product is called snow blowers. These snow blowers have an upright design, but the name is a misnomer. These blowers work similarly to a vacuum cleaner in that they scoop up snow and then blow it out to the sides and thereby create a clear path through the snow. Some floor dryer products use a suction process to dry the floors or use machines that actually wipe up the moisture. These products operate in a manner similar to conventional vacuum cleaners.
There have been various products to address the challenge of drying floors. Some of these solutions include U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,409 to Fujrwara et al. describes an electric vacuum cleaner comprises a main body having an electric blower and a dust collecting chamber, a triac controlling the electric blower, a floor nozzle coupled to the main body, a pressure sensor sensing the pressure in the vicinity of a suction port of the electric blower, a current sensor sensing the current in a rotary brush driving motor of the floor nozzle, and a microcomputer. The microcomputer performs a fuzzy inference on the outputs of the pressure sensor and the current sensor to determine the duty cycle of the blower control triac based on the result of the inference. By doing this, the supply of power to the electric blower in accordance with the condition of a floor surface is realized.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,615,508 to Valle describes s floor drying system that includes a housing have rollable wheels and a combination heater/blower mechanism for generating a heated airflow wherein ambient temperature airflow caused to enter the housing from the top, heated within the housing and forced to exit the housing through the four sides and bottom; the heated air exiting at angles directed toward the floor upon which the housing is supported; the top of the housing being provided with a caution strobe light which emits a strobe light action when the system is in operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,322 to Turner describes an apparatus for drying damp carpet and flooring materials in either a heated or non-heated manner is disclosed. A blower is provided, which incorporates coils located near or at the airflow entrance. A fan is included to produce the air. Designed for commercial carpet cleaning, the invention sits at floor level. The invention forces warm-to-hot air across the floor surface. A control is incorporated in the design to regulate the temperature of the forced air. A handle is designed with the housing of the blower on the top portion for carrying ease. The present invention rotates about a base to dry larger areas of flooring.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,052,141 to Andrisin, III, et al. describes a warning device of the type that is typically employed to warn pedestrians of a wet floor operates a floor dryer into its design so that, in addition to warning pedestrians of the damp floor, the device may be employed to dry the floor. An air director element produces a beneficial airflow providing increased drying efficacy.
Although several products are available to address the challenge of drying wet or damp floors, these products still lack the needed capabilities to dry wet floors efficiently. There remains a need for a floor-drying product with an upright handle design that will enable a user to maneuver the dryer over a floor surface easily. There also remains a need for capabilities for the user to adjust the airflow temperature used to provide the drying to a surface. In addition, there remains a need for a device that can function as both a dryer for a surface or a vacuum cleaner to clean a surface as needed.
This invention provides a new form of floor or surface dryer that will enhance how one attempts to dry surfaces. This invention gives the user flexibility and options when using a device to dry floors, walkways, or even smaller surfaces such as furniture or upholstery. A prominent feature of this present invention is a modular design for a system that dries surfaces. This modular design enables a user to reconfigure the dryer as needed for a particular drying application. The modular capability and the upright standing design of the present invention system allow a person to use this device and a system like an upright vertical vacuum cleaner. The blower of this device can be self-contained and detachable, which will enable a user to operate the drying function conveniently. The capability to detach a dryer module allows one to use this device for additional applications, such as using the blower function to displace objects such as leaves.
This invention comprises an upright design for a floor blower/dryer product used to dry wet and damp floors. This product contains fan for generating air and a channel and outlet directed toward the floor through which air travels and exists the product and contacts the floor to provide drying. This product can also contain a heating element positioned between the fan and product outlet. This heating element has the capability to alter the air temperature as the air passes over the heating element. The product also has controls that permit the user to adjust the heating element such that the user can vary the temperature of the air used to dry the floor surface. In operation, the present invention intakes air such that the air travels through a channel and passes the heating element, which heats the air. As the air exits the channel of the present invention
In a preferred embodiment of the invention,
The upright housing unit 114 supports operating with the hand-held blower module 102 and the floor unit nozzle 110 (also referred to as the exhaust module). The blower module can also have a power cord to connect to power source. The upright housing also has a power cord storage feature, LCD panel controls, a handle retract feature and strap hooks. An LED display 116 for the blower module control manages the operation of the blower module, the air flow speed and temperature features when the module 102 is positioned in the housing unit 114. D-ring hooks 118 are mounted in two places on the upright housing unit 114 for possible connection with a strap harness for possible shoulder carry. The hooks 120 are provided in two places on the upright housing unit for power cord storage. Button 122 locks and releases the handle from the housing unit 114 for position operation or retracted for storage positions. Handle 124 which is attached to the floor mount housing (or exhaust module) is also telescopic for different lengths.
Referring to
In an alternate embodiment, this product can have a modular design in which the user can add or remove certain components as desired to facilitate specific product applications. This modular design can enable the user to produce another alternate embodiment of the invention in which the product has the capability to function as an upright floor dryer or as a conventional vacuum cleaner device.
The capabilities of the present invention provide certain advantages over current products with similar objectives to the present invention. These advantages include a more efficient means to dry a floor surface such as a hardwood floor or a carpet. With its upright handle design, this invention also provides more flexibility in maneuvering the device when drying a surface.
In another alternate embodiment, the modular capabilities of the present invention will enable one to use the invention in a hand held capacity. This invention has a modular configuration that allows it to function as a hand held blower. In this embodiment, the heating element is positioned in the hand held module. This flexibility provides multiple uses for the device.
The modular capabilities of this invention enable it to be reconfigured to operate as a vacuum cleaner or a blower. These features also enable one to use this invention as a heater/blower in outside applications. For example, an embodiment of this invention can function to melt snow or ice during inclement weather. The blower capabilities can enable the user to blow heated air on ice and snow to more rapidly melt the ice and snow. This use of the present invention can operate more efficiently than conventional uses of salt to melt snow. Once this invention melts the snow, salt can be applied to prevent the refreezing of melted snow and ice.
Another alternate embodiment of the present invention is a small auto dryer that operates as a robot. This embodiment can incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) to move around on a surface or floor of a room or building to perform drying functions.
While the present invention as been illustrated by the description of embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in some detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the invention to such details. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicant's general inventive concept.
This patent application is related to and claims priority from provisional patent application No. 63/038,869. The contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.