Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6622341
-
Patent Number
6,622,341
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Date Filed
Monday, May 14, 200123 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, September 23, 200321 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Warden, Sr.; Robert J.
- Cole; Laura C
Agents
- Ostrolenk, Faber, Gerb & Soffen, LLP
-
CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 015 338
- 015 330
- 015 328
- 015 405
- 015 422
- 015 344
- 415 1212
- 415 1691
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International Classifications
- A47L900
- A47L500
- A47L902
- F04D2970
-
Abstract
A position shifting plate for an air blowing device includes a casing having an inlet defined in an underside of the casing and an outlet defined in an end of the casing. An annular neck extends from the underside of the casing and encloses the inlet. A gap is defined between the underside of the casing and the neck. A guide member extends from the underside of the casing. A shifting plate has a grated portion and a hole. A flange extends from the shifting plate and two rails extend inward from the flange so as to be movably inserted in the gap. The shifting plate movably contacts the guide member to shift the hole or the grated portion to cover the inlet of the casing.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a position shifting plate movably connected to an air blowing device and the plate comprises a grated portion and a hole. The two portions of the plate are movably engaged with an inlet of the blowing device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional air blower generally includes a casing in which a motor is received, an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is used as a sucking hole to suck leaves or dirt and the outlet is used to blow leaves or dirt on the ground away. In other words, the conventional air blowing device has two different functions and each of the inlet and the outlet is used to achieve a certain purpose. A grated member is engaged with the inlet to prevent from objects entering the blowing device to break the parts in the blowing device. However, the grated member is connected to the casing by screws so that the user has to use tools such as screwdrivers to connect or disconnect the grated member from the blowing device. That is to say, if the user wants to connect a tube to the inlet, he/she has to find a tool to remove the netted member from the casing. The netted member removed from the air blowing device has to be kept carefully or it may be lost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a position shifting plate for an air blowing device and includes a casing having an inlet defined in an underside of the casing and an outlet defined in an end of the casing. An annular neck extends from the underside of the casing and encloses the inlet. A gap is defined between the underside of the casing and the neck. A shifting plate has a netted portion and a hole. A flange extends from the shifting plate and two rails extend inward from the flange so as to be movably inserted in the gap. The shifting plate is shifted to let the hole or the netted portion to cover the inlet of the casing.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a shifting plate that has a hole and a grated portion. The shifting plate is easily moved to engage with the inlet of the blowing device alternatively.
These objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from a careful: reading of a detailed description: provided hereinafter with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG;
1
is a perspective view to show the air blowing device of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is an exploded view to show the position shifting plate and the air blowing device of the present invention;
FIG. 3
is a cross sectional view to show that the hole of the shifting plate communicates with the inlet of the air blowing device of the present invention;
FIG. 4
is a cross sectional view to show that the netted portion of the shifting plate communicates with the inlet of the air blowing device of the present invention;
FIG. 5
is a perspective view to show a tube is connected to the inlet and a bag is connected to the outlet of the air blowing device of the present invention, and
FIG. 6
is a perspective view to show a nozzle is connected to the outlet of the air blowing device of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the air blowing device according to this invention comprises a casing
1
having an inlet
14
defined in an underside of the casing
1
and an outlet
11
defined in an end of the casing
1
. A push-button
12
is located on a top surface of the casing
1
so as to quickly connect a long nozzle
5
as shown in FIG.
6
. An annular neck
15
extends from the underside of the casing
1
and encloses the inlet
14
. Two L-shaped slots
17
are defined in the neck
15
and open to a free edge of the neck
15
. Only a part of the neck
15
is connected to the casing
1
and a gap
151
is defined between the underside of the casing
1
and the neck
15
.
A shifting plate
2
has a grated portion
26
and a hole
28
, and a handle
25
is connected to an end of the shifting plate
2
. A flange
20
extends from the shifting plate
2
and two rails
24
extend inward from the flange
20
. The rails
24
are movably inserted in the gap
151
. A guide member
13
extends from the underside of the casing
1
and has two grooves. A stop
18
extends from the underside of the casing
1
and the inlet
14
is located between the stop
18
and the guide member
13
.
A guide plate
21
has three holes
22
and is fixedly connected to the position shifting plate
2
by screws
29
extending through holes
23
in the shifting plate
2
and engaged with the holes
22
in the guide plate
21
. Two sides of the guide plate
21
are movably received in the two grooves in the guide member
13
.
The position shifting plate
2
is easily moved relative to the neck
15
. The engagement between the guide plate
21
and the guide member
13
ensures that the movement of the position shifting plate
2
is stable. The stop
18
prevents the position shifting plate
2
from being separated from the casing
1
. Referring to
FIG. 3
, when the hole
28
is shifted to communicate with the inlet
14
, a tube
3
as shown in
FIG. 5
is connected to the neck
15
. The tube
3
has protrusions
31
to be inserted in the L-shaped slots
17
in the neck
15
so as to securely connect the tube
3
and the neck
15
. A bag
4
is mounted to the outlet
11
of the casing
1
. The leaves or dirt sucked from the tube
3
is collected in the bag
4
. When the grated portion
26
is shifted to the inlet
14
as shown in
FIG. 4
, the grated portion
26
effectively prevents objects from being entering the casing
1
via the inlet
14
.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details described thereof; Various substitutions and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. An air blowing device comprising:a casing having an inlet defined in an underside of said casing and an outlet defined in an end of said casing, an annular neck extending from said underside of said casing and enclosing said inlet, a gap defined between said underside said casing and said neck, a device blowing air out the outlet, and a shifting plate having a grated portion and hole, a flange extending from said shifting plate and two rails extending inward from said flange, said rails movably inserted in said gap.
- 2. The air blowing device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a guide member extending from said underside of said casing and said shifting plate movably contacting said guide member.
- 3. The air blowing device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a stop extending from said underside of said casing and said inlet located between said stop and said guide member.
- 4. The air blowing device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a guide plate fixedly connected to said position shifting plate and said guide member includes two grooves in which two sides of said guide plate are movably received.
- 5. The air blowing device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a handle on an end of said position shifting plate.
- 6. The air blowing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said neck has L-shaped slots opening to a free edge of said neck.
US Referenced Citations (10)