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EP-3957164-B1 - AXIAL-FAN BLOWER

EP3957164B1EP 3957164 B1EP3957164 B1EP 3957164B1EP-3957164-B1

Inventors

  • TIRONE, JAMES C.
  • Dyer, Kelly E.
  • SERGYEYENKO, OLEKSIY P.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20160311

Claims (10)

  1. A blower comprising: a housing (12) having a handle (14); an airflow tube (18) extending from the front of the housing; a fan (25) positioned within the housing; and a motor (24) driving the fan to blow air out of the airflow tube (18), the motor and fan positioned generally below the handle, characterised in that : the airflow tube (18) has a longitudinal axis (X), and when the blower is placed on the ground (32), the longitudinal axis forms an angle between 3 degrees and 10 degrees with the ground; the handle forms a longitudinal axis (h), wherein the longitudinal axis of the handle relative to the longitudinal axis of the airflow tube is between 15-25 degrees and a centre of gravity of the blower is directly under the handle (14), so that when a user lifts the blower from the ground, the handle is arranged such that the airflow tube (18) maintains the angle of the longitudinal tube with the ground.
  2. The blower of claim 1, wherein the motor is positioned within the housing.
  3. The blower of claim 1, wherein the blower is an in-line blower, wherein the airflow tube includes a first end where air enters the blower, a second end where air exits the blower, and the airflow tube is linear so that the airflow path is substantially straight.
  4. The blower of claim 3, wherein the first end is at the rear of the housing and defines an inlet plane that is perpendicular to the airflow path.
  5. The blower of any preceding claim, and further comprising a battery (22) to provide power to the motor, the battery positioned generally below the motor so that the handle, motor and battery are substantially vertically aligned.
  6. The blower of claim 5, wherein the blower includes a battery housing (20) attached to a lower portion of the housing, the battery housing protecting the battery and supports the blower when placed on the ground.
  7. A blower of any preceding claim, wherein the motor and fan are substantially vertically aligned.
  8. A blower of any preceding claim, wherein the motor is positioned outside the airflow tube.
  9. The blower of claim 8, where the motor is connected to the fan using a belt drive system.
  10. The blower of claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the blower is an in-line blower, wherein the airflow tube includes a first end where air enters the blower, a second end where air exits the blower, and the airflow tube is linear so that the airflow path is substantially straight.

Description

FIELD The present disclosure relates to blowers, specifically axial-fan or in-line type blower designs. BACKGROUND Axial-fan or in-line type blowers are known in the prior art, and typically include a fan whose axis is aligned with the air outlet so that the airflow is not forced to undergo any significant turn or bend, thereby increasing airflow efficiencies. An example of such a design is shows in U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0076672, which shows a blower having an air inlet opening 13, an axial blower or fan 6 and an outlet opening 15 that are, for the most part, linearly aligned so as to reduce any curves which may impede airflow. For cordless or battery powered blowers, the battery is often located at the rear of the blower where the air intake exists (e.g., as shown in WO 2014/030755 A1), and so this presents an issue since the battery must be moved so as not to obstruct the air intake. Another example of an in-line blower is shown in US Pub. No. 2013/0239361, where the battery is not attached to the blower, but rather placed on a user's back. This design requires a harness to secure the battery to the user's back and requires an electrical cable which between the battery and blower, which can get tangled or otherwise impede the user's movement. Yet another example is US Pat. No. 4,884,314 where the batteries are integrally secured in the handle of the blower. This design has the disadvantage of not having a removable battery, which is desirable for charging and continuous use with multiple batteries. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an in-line blower that is comfortable and easy to use. SUMMARY This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. The invention concerns a blower according to claim 1. According to the invention, there is provided a blower comprising: a housing having a handle;an airflow tube extending from the front of the housing;a fan positioned within the housing; anda motor driving the fan to blow air out of the airflow tube, the motor positioned generally below the handle. The fan is positioned generally below the handle and the motor may be positioned within the housing. Preferably the blower is an in-line blower. The airflow tube may include a first end where air enters the blower, a second end where air exits the blower, and the airflow tube may be linear so that the airflow path is substantially straight. In one embodiment, the first end is at the rear of the housing and may define an inlet plane that is perpendicular to the airflow path. The blower may further comprise a battery to provide power to the motor, the battery may be positioned generally below the motor so that the handle, motor and battery are substantially vertically aligned. Furthermore, the blower may include a battery housing attached to a lower portion of the housing, and the battery housing may protect the battery and support the blower when placed on the ground. The airflow tube has a longitudinal axis, and when the blower is placed on the ground, the longitudinal axis forms an angle between 3 degrees and 10 degrees with the ground. The airflow tube has a longitudinal axis, and the handle forms a longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal axis of the handle relative to the longitudinal axis of the airflow tube is between 15-25 degrees. The airflow tube forms a longitudinal axis, and when the blower is placed on the ground, the longitudinal axis forms an angle with the ground. When a user lifts the blower from the ground, the handle is arranged so that the airflow tube maintains the angle of the longitudinal tube. In one arrangement the motor and fan are substantially vertically aligned. Furthermore, the motor may be positioned outside the airflow tube. The motor may be connected to the fan using a belt drive system. The blower may be an in-line blower. The airflow tube may include a first end where air enters the blower, a second end where air exits the blower, and the airflow tube may be linear so that the airflow path is substantially straight. DRAWINGS The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary blower constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;Figure 2 is a side elevation view in partial section of the blower of Figure 1;Figure 2A is another side sectional view of the blower of Figure 1;Figure 3 is a top view of the blower of Fig. 1;Figure 4 is a rear view of the blower of Fig. 1;Figure 5 is a schematic view of components of a blower;Figure 6 is a side view of the blower of Fig. 1 placed on a surface;Figures 7A shows the position of the blower of the present invention, while on the ground and held by a user;Figures 7B-7D show the position of prior art blower while on the ground and held be a