Patent Application
20170086382
The disclosure relates to mulching devices and more particularly pertains to a new mulching device for mulching debris collected from a support surface.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a vacuum that may be positioned to facilitate the vacuum to suck debris from a support surface. A handle is coupled to the vacuum such that the handle may be gripped. A mulcher is coupled to the vacuum and the mulcher mulches the debris. A canister is provided that may be positioned on the support surface. The canister is fluidly coupled to the vacuum such that the canister may receive the mulched debris from the vacuum.
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 peripheral wall 24 is substantially cylindrical between the first end 20 and the second end 22 and the peripheral wall 24 has an intake section 26 and an exhaust section 28. The peripheral wall 24 corresponding to the intake section 26 has a top portion 30 and a bottom portion 32. The bottom portion 32 has a diameter that is less than a diameter of the top portion 30 such that the intake section 26 has a pear shaped cross section taken perpendicular to a line extending between the first end 20 and the exhaust section 28.
A handle 34 is coupled to the vacuum 12 such that the handle 34 may be gripped. The handle 34 is positioned on the peripheral wall 24 corresponding to the intake section 26. The handle 34 extends upwardly and rearwardly from the intake section 34. A grip 36 is provided and the grip 36 is movably coupled to the vacuum 12 such that the grip 36 may be gripped. The grip 36 is positioned on the peripheral wall 24 corresponding to the intake section 34. The grip 36 is oriented to be transverse to the handle 34 thereby enhancing manipulation of the vacuum 12.
The vacuum 12 further includes a vacuum motor 38 that is positioned within the intake section 26. The vacuum motor 38 may comprise an electrical motor or the like and the vacuum motor 38 is actuatable to rotate in a sucking direction and a blowing direction. A fan 40 is coupled to the vacuum motor 38 and the fan 40 is rotated when the vacuum motor 38 is turned on. Thus, the fan 40 urges air inwardly through the first end 20 and outwardly from the second end 22 when the vacuum motor 38 is actuated to rotate in the sucking direction. The fan 40 urges air inwardly through the second end 22 and outwardly through the first end 20 when the vacuum motor 38 is actuated to rotate in the blowing direction.
A mulcher 42 is coupled to the vacuum 12 and the mulcher 42 mulches the debris 14. The mulcher 38 comprises a first motor 44 that is positioned within top portion 30 of the intake section 26 and a second motor 46 that is positioned within the bottom portion 32 of the intake section 26. Each of the second 44 and third 46 motors may comprise an electrical motor or the like. A plurality of blades 48 is provided and each of the blades 48 has a peripheral edge 50 and a center 52. Each of the blades 48 has a plurality of openings 54 extending therethrough such that each of the blades 48 may allow air to pass therethrough. The openings 54 in each of the blades 48 extend between the center 52 and the peripheral edge 50 of an associated one of the blades 48. The openings 54 in each of the blades 48 are radially distributed around the center 52 of the associated blade 48.
Each of the openings 54 in each of the blades 48 has a cutting edge 56. The cutting edge 56 of each of the openings 54 in each of the blades 48 comprises a plurality of teeth 57. Thus, each of the blades 48 may mulch the debris 14. The plurality of blades 48 comprises a first set of blades 58 and a second set of blades 60. Each of the first set of blades 58 is rotatably positioned within the top portion 30 of the intake section 26 and each of the first set of blades 58 is spaced apart from each other. Each of the first set of blades 58 is rotatably coupled to the first motor 44 such that the first motor 44 rotates each of the first set of blades 58 when the first motor 44 is turned on.
Each of the second set of blades 60 is rotatably positioned within the bottom portion 32 of the intake section 26. Each of the second set of blades 60 is rotatably coupled to the second motor 46 such that the second motor 46 rotates each of the set of second blades 60 when the second motor 46 is turned on. Each of the first set of blades 58 is positioned a distance from the first end 20 that is less than a distance between the first end 20 each of the second set of blades 60. The peripheral wall 24 has an inside surface 62. The peripheral edge 50 of each of the blades 48 is positioned proximate the inside surface 62 thereby preventing the debris 14 from passing between the peripheral edge 50 of each of the blades 48 and the inside surface 62 of the peripheral wall 24.
A switch 64 is coupled to the housing 18 and the switch 64 is positioned on the peripheral wall 24 corresponding to the intake section 26. The switch 64 is electrically coupled to each of the vacuum motor 38, the first motor 44 and the second motor 46. The switch 64 is manipulated to actuate the vacuum motor 38 in either the sucking direction or the blowing direction. A power cord 66 is coupled to and extends away from the housing 18. The power cord 66 is electrically coupled to the switch 64 and the power cord 66 has a distal end 68 with respect to the housing 18. The distal end 68 has a plug 70 that is electrically coupled thereto and the plug 70 may be electrically coupled to a power source 72. The power source may comprise an electrical outlet or the like.
A hose 74 is provided that has a primary end 76 and a secondary end 78. The primary end 76 is removably coupled to the second end 22 of the housing 18 such that the hose 74 is in fluid communication with the fan 40. A canister 80 is provided that may be positioned on the support surface 16. The canister 80 is fluidly coupled to the vacuum 12 such that the canister 80 receives the mulched debris 14 from the vacuum 12.
The canister 80 has a base portion 82 and a container portion 84 and the base portion 82 has a bottom surface 86 and a top surface 88. The bottom surface 86 may abut the support surface 16 and the container portion 84 is coupled to and extends upwardly from the top surface 88. The container portion 84 has a distal end 90 with respect to the base portion 82. The distal end 90 of the container portion 84 is open and the container portion 84 is substantially hollow. The container portion 84 has an outer wall 92 and the outer wall 92 has an inlet 94 that is coupled thereto. The inlet 94 is in fluid communication with an interior of the container portion 84. The inlet 94 has the secondary end 78 of the hose 74 being fluidly coupled thereto such that the container portion 84 receives the mulched debris 14.
A lid 96 is removably coupled to the canister 80 and the lid 96 is positioned on the distal end 90 of the container portion 84. The lid 96 has a vent 98 and the vent 98 allows air to escape the canister 80. A filter 100 is positioned within the vent 98 such that the filter 100 prevents the mulched debris 14 from exiting the vent 98. A plurality of wheels 102 is rotatably coupled to the bottom surface 86 of the base portion 82. Each of the wheels 102 abuts the support surface 16 thereby facilitating the canister 80 to be rolled along the support surface 16. The container portion 84 is removable from the base portion 82 thereby facilitating the container portion 84 to be emptied when the container portion 84 becomes filled with the mulched debris 14. A pair of restraints 104 extends upwardly from the top surface 88 of the base portion 84. The restraints 104 are spaced apart from each other thereby facilitating the container portion 84 to be positioned between the restraints 104. Thus, each of the restraints 104 removably retains the container portion 84 on the base portion 84.
In use, each of the handle 34 and the grip 36 is gripped and the switch 64 is manipulated to actuate the vacuum motor 38 in the blowing direction or the sucking direction. Additionally, the switch 64 is manipulated to actuate the first motor 44 and the second motor 46. The first end 20 of the housing 18 is positioned to suctionally engage the debris 14 on the support surface 16 or the blow the debris on the support surface 16. The debris 14 is urged into the first end 20 of the housing 18 and the mulcher 42 mulches the debris. The mulched debris 14 is deposited into the container portion 84 of the canister 80. The container portion 84 is removed from the base portion 82 when the container portion 84 becomes filled with the mulched debris 14. The lid 96 is removed from the container portion 84 and the mulched debris 14 is emptied from the container portion 84.
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, assembly 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.
