GARDENING EQUIPMENT FOR BLOWING AND VACUUMING AND REDUCING THE VOLUME OF THE SUCKED MATERIAL

Abstract

The gardening apparatus (100) for blowing and sucking plant material comprises an engine or motor (20) adapted to operate in a first direction of rotation and a second direction of rotation and a housing (10) in which an impeller (30) is mechanically connected to the engine or motor (20). The housing (10) comprises a first opening (41) and a second opening (51) and the impeller (30) is adapted to generate a first air flow from the first opening (41) and exiting from said second opening (51) when the engine or motor (20) is operating according to the first direction of rotation and to generate a second air flow entering from the second opening (51) and exiting from said first opening (41) when the engine or motor (20) is operating according to the second direction of rotation. In this way, it is possible, for example, to extract air from a container (80) fixed to said second opening (51) and thus reduce the volume of the container (80) with plant material inside.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A gardening apparatus for blowing and sucking plant material, comprising an engine or motor, at least one impeller mechanically connected to said engine or motor, a housing in which said impeller is arranged and a container, said housing comprising a first opening and a second opening, said engine or motor being adapted to operate in a first direction of rotation and a second direction of rotation, said impeller being adapted to generate a first air flow entering from said first opening and exiting from said second opening when said engine or motor is operating according to said first direction of rotation and to generate a second air flow entering from said second opening and exiting from said first opening when said engine or motor is operating according to said second direction of rotation, wherein said second opening is fluidly coupled to the container and wherein when said engine or motor is operating according to said second direction of rotation the first air flow drags plant material with it and the container collects the plant material dragged at the outlet from the second opening, and wherein when said engine or motor is operating according to said second direction of rotation, the second air flow reduces the volume of the container.

14. The gardening apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, when said engine or motor is operating according to said second direction of rotation, said second air flow is further adapted to generate vacuum conditions in said container.

15. The gardening apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a control unit adapted to control the operation of said engine or motor, wherein said control unit is selectively adapted to: operate said engine or motor according to said first direction of rotation, operate said engine or motor according to said second direction of rotation, keep said engine or motor stationary vary the speed of said engine or motor.

16. The gardening apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said impeller is further adapted to shred the plant material entering from said first opening, said plant material being dragged by said first air flow.

17. The gardening apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said second opening is associated with: a portion provided with a plurality of openings, and a movable closing means, said closing means being adapted to selectively and alternately switch from a closed configuration of the openings of said portion to an open configuration of said openings of said portion.

18. The gardening apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said closing means is adapted to assume said opening configuration of said portion when said engine or motor is operating according to said first direction of rotation.

19. The gardening apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said closing means comprises a tubular element fluidically connected to said second opening, said tubular element defining a passage for said first and/or second air flow.

20. The gardening apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said second opening is associated with a movable grille adapted to selectively and alternately switch from an open position to a closed position, wherein when said movable grille is in said closed position it is adapted to block the passage of a flow of plant material.

21. The gardening apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said movable grille is adapted to assume said closed position when said engine or motor is operating according to said second direction of rotation.

22. The gardening apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising fixing means, said fixing means being adapted to fix the container, directly or indirectly to said second opening.

23. The gardening apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising closing means, said closing means being adapted to close said container.

24. The gardening apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said first opening is adapted to be connected to an accessory tubular element for cleaning outdoor spaces.

Description

LIST OF FIGURES

[0011] The present invention shall become more readily apparent from the detailed description that follows to be considered together with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0012] FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of an example of a gardening apparatus for blowing and sucking an air flow associated with a first example of an outdoor cleaning accessory,

[0013] FIG. 2 shows a side sectional view of the embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 1,

[0014] FIG. 3 shows a side sectional view of the embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 1 to which a container is fixed for collecting plant material, and

[0015] FIG. 4 shows a side sectional view of the embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 1 associated with a second example of an accessory for cleaning outdoor areas.

[0016] As can be easily understood, there are various ways of practically implementing the present invention which is defined in its main advantageous aspects in the appended claims and is not limited either to the following detailed description or to the appended drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] With general reference to the various figures, a preferred, but not limiting, embodiment of a gardening apparatus according to the present invention is shown, indicated in its entirety by the numerical reference 100. It will be referred to below with the abbreviated notation apparatus 100.

[0018] The apparatus 100 is suitable for use in outdoor spaces, particularly gardens, courtyards, verandas or porches, for blowing and sucking plant material, reducing the volume of the sucked material, as will be better described below. In other words, the apparatus 100 is suitable for cleaning outdoor spaces, in particular for collecting material from outdoor spaces. The apparatus 100 is useful for blowing and sucking plant material present in particular on the ground of the outdoor space, such as leaves, needles, twigs, grass clippings, but also pollen and seeds, and advantageously accumulating it in a suitable portion of the outdoor space or in a suitable container that allows the volume to be reduced and thus disposed of more easily, as will be better explained below.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the apparatus 100, FIG. 2 shows a side sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 shows a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

[0020] With non-limiting reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus 100 comprises at least one impeller 30, typically made of metal, mechanically connected to a device adapted to rotate the impeller 30, for example an engine or motor 20, in particular an internal combustion engine or an electric motor. In particular, the impeller 30 is connected via a rotating shaft to the motor 20; advantageously, engine or motor 20 can be connected to a storage battery. With particular reference to FIG. 1, the impeller 30 is arranged in a housing 10 comprising a first opening 41 and a second opening 51; preferably, the housing 10 defines a closed cavity fluidically connected to an external environment via the first opening 41 and the second opening 51.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the engine or motor 20 is arranged in an enclosure 11 mechanically connected to the housing 10 (note that in FIG. 1 two portions 11-1 and 11-2 of the enclosure 11 are shown which, when paired, form the same enclosure 11). Advantageously, the housing 10 or enclosure 11 comprises a wall 12 capable of fluidically separating the housing 10 and the enclosure 11. Even more advantageously, the enclosure 11 can provide openings 13 such as holes or slots, to aid the cooling of the engine or motor 20. According to an embodiment of a portable apparatus 100, the enclosure 11 may further provide suitable means for moving and transporting the apparatus 100, for example handles and/or straps.

[0022] According to the present invention, the engine or motor 20 is adapted to operate in a first direction of rotation and a second direction of rotation. In particular, the apparatus 100 may include a control unit adapted to control the operation of the engine or motor 20. For example, the control unit can operate the engine or motor 20 according to the first direction of rotation or the second direction of rotation or keep the engine or motor 20 stationary or vary the speed of rotation of the engine or motor 20. In particular, the control unit can receive input from a user, e.g. via a keypad, to select one of the operating modes of the engine or motor 20. Advantageously, the control unit can also vary the power of the engine or motor 20 when the engine or motor 20 rotates according to the first direction of rotation or the second direction of rotation; for example, the user can generate an input to the control unit by adjusting a knob or selecting a key to adjust the suction/blowing power of the apparatus 100.

[0023] When the engine or motor 20 operates according to the first direction of rotation, the impeller 30 is adapted to generate a first air flow entering from the first opening 41 and exiting from the second opening 51, and when the engine or motor 20 is operating according to the second direction of rotation, the impeller 30 is adapted to generate a second air flow entering from the second opening 51 and exiting from the first opening 41. In other words, when the engine or motor 20 operates according to the first direction of rotation, the apparatus 100 operates as a blower that sucks a first air flow into the first opening 41 and discharges it from the second opening 51, crossing the impeller 30, and when the engine or motor 20 operates according to the second direction of rotation, the apparatus 100 operates as a blower that sucks a second air flow into the second opening 51 and discharges it from the first opening 41, crossing the impeller 30. With non-limiting reference to FIG. 3, the second opening 51 is suitable to be coupled to a container 80 for collecting the sucked material, in particular a gas-tight container 80; advantageously, the container 80 is made of compostable and/or biodegradable material, e.g. a compostable and/or biodegradable bag. It should be noted that when the engine or motor 20 operates according to the second direction of rotation, i.e. when the apparatus 100 operates as a blower, the air flow sucked in by the second opening 51 is capable of reducing the volume of the container 80. Specifically, the impeller 30 comprises blades designed so that the direction of the first/second incoming air flow and the direction of the first/second outgoing air flow define an angle comprised in a range between 45 and 135. Preferably, the direction of the first/second incoming air flow and the direction of the first/second outgoing air flow are essentially perpendicular to each other. Advantageously, the impeller blades can vary their pitch (i.e., the impeller blades can be rotated about their own longitudinal axis so as to change their pitch angle) according to the direction of rotation of the engine or motor 20 (and thus of the impeller 30); advantageously, the control unit is further configured to adjust the pitch of the impeller blades according to the direction of rotation of the engine or motor.

[0024] It should be noted that the first air flow can drag in plant material with it entering from the first opening 41. Advantageously, impeller 30 can be further adapted to shred incoming plant material entering from the first opening 41. For example, the blades of the impeller 30 could be appropriately designed to shred the incoming plant material; alternatively, the impeller 30 could have two sections, a first section designed to generate the first/second air flow and a second section designed to shred the incoming plant material. It cannot be ruled out that the apparatus 100 additionally includes a shredding means upstream of the impeller 30 (not shown in any of the figures), for example a rotary blade keyed to the shaft of the impeller 30, in particular adapted to pre-shred incoming plant material.

[0025] Advantageously, the first opening 41 may be connected to an accessory, in particular an accessory tubular element 70, for example to facilitate the inlet of the first air flow (and plant material) or the outlet of the second air flow, or other types of accessories for cleaning outdoor spaces. For example, the accessory tubular element 70 may comprise a first end 71 adapted to be connected to the first opening 41 and a second end 72, the first end 71 having a first section and the second end 72 having a second section of substantially the same size or smaller than the first section. For example, the first section may be a circular section and the second section may be a circular or elliptical section smaller than the first circular section. According to a further embodiment, the accessory tubular element 70 may be configured to optimise the collection of plant material; in particular, the second end 72 of the accessory tubular element 70 may comprise a portion configured like a rake (see, for example, FIG. 4) or it may include a portion configured like a brush, in particular a rotating brush, or a hose to which lances or other accessories for blowing, inflating and/or deflating can be attached. Advantageously, the apparatus 100 further comprises a sensor associated with the first opening 41 and able to signal to the control unit the coupling of the accessory tubular element 70 to the housing 10, in particular to the first opening 41. Advantageously, the control unit is further configured to operate the engine or motor 20 only in the case of a correct coupling between the accessory tubular element 70 and the first opening 41.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1-3, the second opening 51 is associated with a portion 65 having a plurality of openings, for example a plurality of holes or slots, and a movable closing means 60. In particular, the closing means 60 is adapted to selectively and alternately switch from a closing configuration of the openings of the portion 65 (see for example FIG. 2 and FIG. 3) to an opening configuration of the openings of the portion 65. With non-limiting reference to FIG. 1, the portion 65 is, for example, a cylindrical portion that at least partially defines the second opening 51. Advantageously, the closing means 60 comprises a tubular element 64 fluidically connected to the second opening 51, in particular to the portion 65, and defining a passage for the first and/or second air flow. According to the embodiment shown in the figures, the tubular element 64 is mechanically connected to the portion 65, i.e. it is axially sliding on the portion 65, in particular by means of a system of grooves and protuberances, in such a way as to assume at least two configurations: a first configuration in which the tubular element 64 is superimposed on the portion 65 and closes the openings of the portion 65, preventing the outlet/inlet of the first/second air flow, and a second configuration in which the tubular element 64 is not superimposed on the portion allowing the outlet/inlet of the first/second air flow from the openings of the portion 65. Alternatively, the tubular element 65 could be a ring nut that rotates on the portion 65 and, depending on the angle of rotation, closes or opens the openings of the portion 65. In particular, the closing means 60 is adapted to assume the opening configuration of the openings of the portion 65 when the engine or motor 20 is operating according to the first direction of rotation, i.e. when it generates the first air flow (and plant material) entering at the first opening 41, so that at least part of the first air flow, once it has passed through the impeller 30, can exit from the openings of the portion 65.

[0027] It should be noted that the movement of the tubular element 65 in the opening or closing configuration of the openings of the portion 65 can be performed manually by the user or be automatic, e.g. it can be adjusted by the control unit after receiving an input from the user. Advantageously, the second opening 51 is further associated with a device adapted to allow the passage of air and prevent the passage of shredded material, in particular a movable grille 66 (see, for example, FIG. 1-3) adapted to switch selectively and alternately from an open position, in which the passage of plant material is allowed through the second opening 51, to a closed position, in which the passage of plant material through the second opening 51 is blocked; advantageously, the grille 66 is adapted to allow the passage of an air flow, as will be further explained below. Advantageously, the grille 66 is adapted to assume the closed position when the engine or motor 20 is operating according to the second direction of rotation, i.e. when the second inlet air flow from the second opening 51 is generated, thereby blocking the passage of the plant material from the second opening 51 to the impeller 30; in other words, when the grille 66 is in the closed position, the plant material is blocked, so that it remains inside the container 80, while the air can pass through the grille 66, exiting from the container 80. Even more advantageously, the grille 66 is adapted to assume at least one open position when the engine or motor 20 is operating according to the first direction of rotation, i.e. when it generates the first air flow entering from the first opening 41, allowing the passage of plant material from the first opening 41 to the impeller 30. It should be noted that the grille 66 may open due to the weight of the plant material which is dragged by the first air flow in the vicinity of the grille 66; alternatively, the grille 66 may open by mechanical actuation, for example by means of elements susceptible to mechanical or non-permanent elastic displacement, in particular by means of springs, which, when subjected to a force (in particular due to the weight of the plant material or generated by a user or controlled by a control unit via an actuator, for example a trigger or a lever), open the grille 66, in particular a first door 66-1 and a second door 66-2 of the grille 66. With non-limiting reference to FIG. 3, the second opening 51 is fluidically connected to the container 80, preferably a compostable container, e.g. a compostable bag. Specifically, the container 80 is adapted to collect plant material at the outlet from the second opening 51 when the engine or motor 20 is operating in the first direction of rotation. Advantageously, the apparatus 100 further comprises fixing means for fixing the container 80 directly or indirectly to the second opening 51. According to a first example of use of the apparatus 100, when the engine or motor 20 is operating according to the first direction of rotation, the tubular element 65 is in the opening configuration of the openings of the portion 65 and a first air flow is generated and plant material dragged into the first opening 41 and out from the second opening 51. In particular, the first air flow can exit from the openings of the portion 65 while the plant material can generate the opening of the grille 66 and be discharged into the container 80 connected to the second opening 51. Once the plant material has been collected in the container 80, preferably up to a predetermined maximum capacity of the container 80, advantageously monitored by means of an appropriate sensor, the tubular element 65 is moved into a closed configuration of the openings of the portion 65 and the engine or motor 20 is subsequently operated according to the second direction of rotation (while the grille 66 is in the closed position, i.e. preventing the entry of plant material from the second opening 51) so that the apparatus 100 generates a second air flow entering from the second opening 51 and exiting from the first opening 41. In other words, the equipment 100, in particular the impeller 30 sucks in a second air flow from the container 80 and discharges it from the first opening 41, thus reducing the volume of the container 80 (the container 80 can be said to be in a vacuum condition). Advantageously, the step of reducing the volume of the container 80, i.e. the step in which the engine or motor 20 operates according to the second direction of rotation, can be of a predetermined duration. Even more advantageously, the apparatus 100 further comprises closing means for closing, in particular sealing, the container 80; for example, once the volume of the container 80 has been reduced, the container 80 can be sealed using heat-sealing means, so that the container 80 remains in a vacuum condition even after the suction of air from the container has ceased, i.e. even when the apparatus 100, in particular the engine or motor 20, is no longer operating.

[0028] According to a further example of use of the apparatus 100, when the engine or motor 20 is operating according to the second direction of rotation, the container 80 is not connected to the second opening 51 and a second air flow is generated entering from the second opening 51 and exiting from the first opening 41, for example to blow leaves placed on the ground of the outdoor space where the apparatus 100 is used. According to this last example of use, the user can indifferently decide whether to keep the openings of the portion 65 in an open or closed configuration.