HANDHELD BLOWER DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to a handheld blower device for the manual pneumatic drying of surfaces by a user of the handheld blower device, comprising a flat nozzle device for ejecting compressed air from the handheld blower device onto the surface to be dried, a handle region, in particular a handle, for manually gripping and guiding the flat nozzle device over the surface to be dried, and a conveying device for conveying the compressed air to the flat nozzle device, wherein the flat nozzle device comprises a flat nozzle, and the conveying device is configured with a stationarily arranged, in particular fixedly arranged, high-pressure blower.

Claims

1. A handheld blower device for manual pneumatic drying of surfaces by a user of the handheld blower device, comprising a flat nozzle device for ejecting compressed air from the handheld blower device onto a surface to be dried, a handle region comprising a handle for manually gripping and guiding the flat nozzle device over the surface to be dried, and a conveying device for conveying the compressed air to the flat nozzle device, whereby the flat nozzle device comprises a flat nozzle, and the conveying device is configured with a stationarily arranged or fixedly arranged, high-pressure blower, wherein a volume flow of 200 m.sup.3/h to 1000 m.sup.3/h and a flow rate of 50 m/s to 300 m/s is provided by the high-pressure blower due to the flat nozzle device.

2. The handheld blower device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying device comprises a flexible hose connecting the high-pressure blower to the flat nozzle device.

3. The handheld blower device according to claim 1, wherein a volume flow of 300 m.sup.3/h to 850 m.sup.3/h is provided by the high-pressure blower due to the flat nozzle device.

4. The handheld blower device according to claim 1, wherein a flow rate of 100 m/s to 200 m/s, is provided by the high-pressure blower due to the flat nozzle device.

5. The handheld blower device according to claim 1, wherein a flow rate of 40 m/s to 100 m/s measured at a distance of 7 cm from a nozzle exit in a flow direction, is provided by the high-pressure blower due to the flat nozzle device.

6. The handheld blower device according to claim 2, wherein within the flexible hose a flow rate of 20 m/s to 100 m/s is provided by the high-pressure blower.

7. The handheld blower device according to claim 1, wherein the flat nozzle is formed with a flat nozzle slot having an exit surface of 500 mm.sup.2 to 1500 mm.sup.2.

8. The handheld blower device according to claim 1, wherein the flat nozzle is formed with a flat nozzle slot having an exit width of 100 mm to 300 mm.

9. The handheld blower device according to claim 1, wherein the flat nozzle is formed with a flat nozzle slot having an exit height of 0.5 mm to 20 mm.

10. The handheld blower device according to claim 1, wherein the flat nozzle is formed with a substantially rectangular flat nozzle slot whose ratio of exit width to exit height ranges from 25 to 60.

11. The handheld blower device according to claim 1, wherein the flat nozzle device is formed with a tube for supplying the compressed air to the flat nozzle, and the flat nozzle is formed with a flat nozzle slot that is oriented so as to be inclined at an angle smaller than 90 relative to a longitudinal axis of the tube.

12. The handheld blower device according to claim 11, wherein the flat nozzle slot is oriented so as to be inclined at an angle of between 45 and 75 relative to the longitudinal axis of the tube.

13. The handheld blower device according to claim 11, wherein the flat nozzle slot is oriented so as to be inclined at an angle of 60 relative to the longitudinal axis of the tube.

14. The handheld blower device according to claim 11, wherein the flat nozzle slot terminates within a projection surface of the tube by one of its two ends.

15. The handheld blower device according to claim 9, wherein the flat nozzle slot is formed on a flat nozzle fan having the form of an equilateral triangle.

16. The handheld blower device according to claim 2, wherein the flat nozzle device is formed with a tube for supplying the compressed air to the flat nozzle, and the handle is oriented so as to be inclined at an angle smaller than 90 relative to a longitudinal axis of the tube.

17. The handheld blower device according to claim 1, wherein a grip plate for holding the flat nozzle device by the user is provided on the flat nozzle.

18. The handheld blower device according to claim 1, wherein the flat nozzle comprises at least one partition dividing the flat nozzle slot into at least two slot portions in a longitudinal direction.

19. The use of a handheld blower device according to claim 1, for the manual pneumatic drying of surfaces in vehicle bodies or building glazings.

Description

[0041] In the following, an exemplary embodiment of a solution according to the invention will be explained in more detail by way of the accompanying schematic drawings. Therein:

[0042] FIG. 1 depicts a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a handheld blower device according to the invention;

[0043] FIG. 2 is a front view of the handheld blower device according to FIG. 1 with its housing;

[0044] FIG. 3 shows the front view according to FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale with the housing opened;

[0045] FIG. 4 depicts a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a flat nozzle device for the handheld blower device according to FIGS. 1 to 3;

[0046] FIG. 5 is a front view of the flat nozzle slot;

[0047] FIG. 6 is a sectional view along line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

[0048] FIG. 7 illustrates a modified configuration of a handheld blower device; and

[0049] FIG. 8 is an explosive view of the handheld blower device according to FIG. 7.

[0050] FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a handheld blower device 10 for pneumatically drying surfaces such as motor vehicles or building glazings. The handheld blower device 10 comprises a stationary part 12, which is shown on the left-hand side in FIG. 1, and a movable part 14, which is shown on the right-hand side in FIG. 1.

[0051] The stationary part 12 comprises a stationary, cubical housing 16 and an adjacently arranged, stationary holding device 18. The latter is formed with two vertical support posts 19 and carrier arms 20 horizontally cantilevering therefrom.

[0052] The movable part 14 comprises a flexible hose 21, which is connected to the housing 16 by one of its two ends. To the other end of the hose 21, a manually movable flat nozzle device 22 is attached.

[0053] The housing 16 and its content are illustrated in more detail in FIG. 3. On the upper side of the housing 16 is provided an air inlet 24 equipped with a frustoconical filter 26. The filter 26 projects upwardly from the upper side of the housing 16. The air inlet 24 reaches through the housing 16 into the interior of the latter. There is provided an inlet tube 28 leading perpendicularly downwards to a high-pressure blower 30. The high-pressure blower 30 is designed as a side channel compressor or side channel blower, producing a conveying pressure of higher than 100 mbar, in particular higher than 250 mbar, during operation. It is driven by an electromotor 31 having a current draw of 400 V and a power consumption of between 3 and 10 kW, in particular between 5 and 10 kW. The motor 31 is disposed in the center of the housing 16 with a vertically oriented axis of rotation. A substantially torus-shaped conveying channel 32 of the high-pressure blower 30 with the (internal) side channel contained therein is oriented in the horizontal plane, i.e. in parallel with an installation surface 33. The high-pressure blower 30 is stationarily attached or fastened directly to the installation surface 33, and the housing 16 all around has no housing bottom. This makes mounting particularly stable in terms of statics and particularly cushioned in terms of acoustics. Moreover, the arrangement is particularly advantageous to clean.

[0054] In the interior of the housing 16 is arranged a controller 36 for the motor 31, which is operatively coupled to the motor 31 via an electric line 38 and which is further coupled to an external power source (not illustrated) via an electric supply line 39. Outside the housing 16, a control panel 40 is provided where the controller 36 is arranged inside. The controller 36 can be operated by a user of the handheld blower device 10 at the control panel 40 via a coin slot device 42 and a kill switch 44.

[0055] To the conveying channel 32 of the high-pressure blower 30 is further connected an outlet tube 34, which leads vertically upwards to an air outlet 35. The air outlet 35 passes through the housing 16, on the upper side of the same. On the outer side, the flexible hose 21 is connected to the air outlet 35 by one of its ends. The hose 21 has a hose diameter of between 30 and 100 mm, in particular between 50 and 100 mm, in particular between 50 and 70 mm, or between 70 and 90 mm. The hose length ranges between 5 and 10 m, in particular between 7 and 9 m. In operation, the high-pressure blower 30 generates a flow rate of compressed air of 5 to 100 m/s, in particular 20 to 100 m/s, in particular 40 to 80 m/s, or 50 to 90 m/s, in the hose 21.

[0056] The flat nozzle device 22 provided on the other end of the hose 21 comprises an approximately 50 cm long tube 46 whose diameter corresponds to that of the hose 21. Two handles 48, or alternatively just one handle, are attached to the tube 46 so as to protrude radially. A user of the handheld blower device 10 can grip and manually guide the flat nozzle device 22 by the handles 48.

[0057] On the end of the tube 46 facing away from the hose 21, a flat nozzle 50 is provided, which is designed as a flat nozzle. The flat nozzle comprises a straight flat nozzle slot 52 with an exit width of 100 to 250 mm, currently 180 mm, and an exit height of 0.5 to 20 mm, in particular 1 to 10 mm, currently 5 mm.

[0058] FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the flat nozzle device 22, which is likewise designed with a tube 46 and a flat nozzle 50 attached to the end of the same. The flat nozzle 50 comprises a flat nozzle slot 52, which is inclined or obliquely oriented relative to a longitudinal axis 54 of the tube 46. The flat nozzle slot 52 encloses an angle 56 of 60 relative to the longitudinal axis 54. The flat nozzle slot 52 is located not symmetrically to the tube 46 but eccentrically, based on the projection surface 58 thereof. A first end region or first end 60 of the flat nozzle slot 52 extends completely within the projection surface 58, while a second end region or second end 62 protrudes beyond the projection surface 58. In this manner, the flat nozzle 50 is altogether designed as a nozzle fan 64 which, viewed from the side as illustrated in FIG. 4, substantially has the shape of an equilateral triangle.

[0059] From said nozzle fan 64 extends, towards the tube 46, a flat nozzle tube 66, whose diameter is slightly larger than that of the tube 46 so as to be slipped on the tube 46. A grip plate 68 is provided on the flat nozzle tube 66, on the downwardly oriented side thereof, i.e. the lower side of the flat nozzle device 22 based on FIG. 4. The grip plate 68 encompasses the air-conducting tube 46 and planarly contacts the outer surface area thereof, approximately about half of its circumference. At the same time, a handhold 70 is provided on that lower side of the flat nozzle device 22, on the other end of the tube 46, which handhold is also slipped on the tube 46. From said handhold 70, the handle 48 protrudes downwardly, also at an angle 56 of 60 based on the longitudinal axis 54 of the tube 46.

[0060] The handle 48 and the grip plate 68 thus provide to the user two handling areas on the flat nozzle device 22, by which the flat nozzle device 22 can be guided in a particularly advantageous and safe manner over a surface to be dried or cleaned.

[0061] In the front view of the exit opening of the flat nozzle 50 of FIG. 5, a preferred configuration of the flat nozzle 50 is shown, in which a central partition 72 connects the upper and the lower walls delimiting the flat nozzle slot 52. The central partition 72 divides the flat nozzle slot 52 into a slot portion 74 and a slot portion 76. The central partition 72 holds the upper and the lower walls at a pregiven distance relative to each other.

[0062] As illustrated in the sectional view according to FIG. 6, the central partition 72 may comprise a concavely curved inflow edge 78 to avoid acoustic excitation. The production of annoying whistling noises will thereby be counteracted.

[0063] FIG. 7 depicts a modified configuration of a handheld blower device 80, which is adapted for use by commercial providers. Unlike in the configuration according to FIGS. 1-3, the handheld blower device 80 is connected to a vertically extending, rigid tube 81 rather than directly to a flexible hose. To the rigid tube 81 is connected, via a rotating flange 82, a further tube 83 comprising an angle of 90 so as to provide a horizontal cantilever. On its end facing away from the handheld blower device 80, the tube 83 comprises a further angle of 90 to which a flexible hose 84 is connected, to whose end a flat nozzle device (not illustrated) can be attached. The rotating flange 82 allows for a rotation of the tube 83 relative to the tube 81 about a vertical axis of rotation extending in the direction of the tube axis of the tube 81 such that the flexible hose 84 is displaceable over a wide area together with the flat nozzle device, and a vehicle positioned beside the handheld blower device 80 and below the horizontal tube 83 can be easily dried from all sides.

[0064] In the explosion view according to FIG. 8, the handheld blower device 80 is shown disassembled. The following components are visible: [0065] 80 handheld blower device [0066] 81 tube [0067] 82 rotating flange [0068] 83 tube [0069] 84 hose [0070] 85 high-pressure blower [0071] 86 noise protection net [0072] 87 glass wool [0073] 88 lateral acoustic insulation [0074] 89 front acoustic insulation [0075] 90 front housing part [0076] 91 upper housing part [0077] 92 inlet tube [0078] 93 lower left-hand housing part [0079] 94 outlet tube [0080] 95 base plate [0081] 96 connection holder [0082] 97 rotating flange [0083] 98 control box [0084] 99 hinge [0085] 100 tube holder [0086] 101 front plate [0087] 102 locking elements [0088] 103 air filter [0089] 104 LED panel [0090] 105 actuation of background illumination

[0091] During operation of the handheld blower device, a volume flow of 50 to 500 m.sup.3/h, or 200 to 1000 m.sup.3/h, in particular 350 to 500 m.sup.3/h, or 300 to 850 m.sup.3/h, is conveyed through the flat nozzle device by means of the high-pressure blower. In doing so, a flow rate of 50 to 300 m/s, in particular 100 to 200 m/s, is generated by the high-pressure blower through the flat nozzle device.

[0092] The handheld blower device according to the invention is suitable not only for drying surfaces but also for cleaning or cleansing surfaces by blowing off. In particular, the handheld blower device is advantageously suitable for clearing surfaces from dust and sand deposits. This function is of particular advantage in countries of the Earth where surfaces are quickly covered by dust due to environmental influences, such as countries of desert and steppe zones.

[0093] In addition, the handheld blower device according to the invention is advantageously provided with a heating means for the ejected compressed air. Such a heating means will advantageously heat the air to be ejected, downstream of the high-pressure blower viewed in the flow direction. It is preferably disposed in the region of the outlet tube and designed as an electric heating system. In an advantageous manner, the waste heat of the motor can also be used for heating air to be ejected. By the waste heat, the ejected air can be heated to a temperature between 30 and 50 C.

[0094] Finally, it should be noted that any characteristic features cited in the application document and, in particular, in the dependent claims shall be assigned substantive protection despite the formal references to one or several specific claims, either individually or in any combination.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0095] 10 handheld blower device [0096] 12 stationary part [0097] 14 movable part [0098] 16 housing [0099] 18 holding device [0100] 19 support post [0101] 20 carrier arm [0102] 21 hose [0103] 22 flat nozzle device [0104] 24 air inlet [0105] 15 filter [0106] 28 inlet tube [0107] 30 high-pressure blower [0108] 31 motor [0109] 32 conveying channel [0110] 33 installation surface [0111] 34 outlet tube [0112] 35 air outlet [0113] 36 controller [0114] 38 line [0115] 39 supply line [0116] 40 control panel [0117] 42 coin slot device [0118] 44 kill switch [0119] 46 tube [0120] 48 handle [0121] 50 flat nozzle [0122] 52 flat nozzle slot [0123] 54 longitudinal axis of the tube [0124] 56 angle [0125] 58 projection surface [0126] 60 first end of flat nozzle slot [0127] 62 second end of flat nozzle slot [0128] 64 nozzle fan [0129] 66 flat nozzle tube [0130] 68 grip plate [0131] 70 handhold [0132] 72 central partition [0133] 74 flat nozzle portion [0134] 76 flat nozzle portion [0135] 78 inflow edge [0136] 80 handheld blower device [0137] 81 tube [0138] 82 rotating flange [0139] 83 tube [0140] 84 hose [0141] 85 high-pressure blower [0142] 86 noise protection net [0143] 87 glass wool [0144] 88 lateral acoustic insulation [0145] 89 front acoustic insulation [0146] 90 front housing part [0147] 91 upper housing part [0148] 92 inlet tube [0149] 93 lower left-hand housing part [0150] 94 outlet tube [0151] 95 base plate [0152] 96 connection holder [0153] 97 rotating flange [0154] 98 control box [0155] 99 hinge [0156] 100 tube holder [0157] 101 front plate [0158] 102 locking elements [0159] 103 air filter [0160] 104 LED panel [0161] 105 actuation of background illumination