Position shifting plate for an air blowing device

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6622341
  • Patent Number
    6,622,341
  • Date Filed
    Monday, May 14, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, September 23, 2003
    21 years ago
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)
Number Name Date Kind
3353338 Nilsson Nov 1967 A
4118826 Kaeser Oct 1978 A
D299571 Kiyooka et al. Jan 1989 S
5222275 Baker et al. Jun 1993 A
D358912 Baker et al. May 1995 S
D386841 DeMore et al. Nov 1997 S
D400322 Webster et al. Oct 1998 S
D405566 Webster et al. Feb 1999 S
5926910 Nishimura et al. Jul 1999 A
6442790 Svoboda et al. Sep 2002 B1