US 12,457,919 B2Granted

Motorized material dispensing gardening apparatus

OwnerUzi Talitinventor

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Abstract

A motorized gardening apparatus with a container assembly configured to contain a variable supply of material, an air-blowing assembly powered by a battery, an activation controller, a dispensing conduit forming flow communication between an exit valve of the container assembly, the air-blowing assembly and at least one dispensing outlet in a distal end of the dispensing conduit. The dispensing apparatus may be activated in at least two modes of operation: a first mode of operation wherein the exit valve is closed, such that air stream from air blowing assembly is pushed out from the dispensing conduit through the dispensing outlet and a second mode of operation wherein the exit valve in the container assembly is open, such that material from the container assembly is released into the dispensing conduit and pushed by air stream out from the dispensing conduit through the dispensing outlet.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A portable hand-held gardening apparatus (FIG 1a), comprising:

a container assembly (108) configured to contain a variable supply of material;
an air blowing assembly (104) powered by a battery (105) configured to generate an adjustable air flow;
an activation controller (102) with settings to adjust an air flow intensity;
a dispensing conduit (107) forming flow communication between an exit valve (110) of said container assembly (108), said air blowing assembly and at least one dispensing outlet (106) in a distal end of said dispensing conduit (107);
wherein said air blowing assembly is fixed on a proximal end of said dispensing conduit and configured to blow air into said dispensing conduit;
wherein an air inlet opening of said air blowing assembly is aligned with rotation axis of said air blowing assembly and said dispensing conduit on an airflow axis;
wherein said container assembly comprising a flat bottom parallel to said airflow axis and in contact with external side of said dispensing conduit;
wherein said exit valve is connected into said dispensing conduit at a location between said proximal end and said distal end of said dispensing conduit;
wherein said activation controller is configured to activate the gardening apparatus in at least two modes of operation and switch between them:
a first mode of operation wherein said exit valve is closed, such that air stream from air blowing assembly is pushed out from said dispensing conduit through said at least one dispensing outlet;
and
a second mode of operation wherein said exit valve is open, such that material contained in said container assembly is released into said dispensing conduit and pushed by air stream out from said dispensing conduit through said at least one dispensing outlet;
and
an additional mode of operation configured to alternately switch between said first mode of operation and said second mode of operation in at least one preset automated cycle duration, such that said at least one dispensing outlet alternately releases air stream and material with air stream;
wherein said first mode of operation is used for removing plant litter from an area on the ground and said second mode of operation is used to spread material on said area on the ground.

12 more elements

A method for dispensing air stream or material with air stream onto a surface, the method comprising:

using a gardening apparatus comprising:
a container assembly (108) configured to contain a variable supply of material;
an air blowing assembly (104) powered by a battery (105) configured to generate an adjustable air flow;
an activation controller (102) with settings to adjust an air flow intensity;
a dispensing conduit (107) forming flow communication between an exit valve (120) of said container assembly (108), said air blowing assembly and at least one dispensing outlet (106) in a distal end of said dispensing conduit (107);
wherein said air blowing assembly is fixed on a proximal end of said dispensing conduit (107) and configured to blow air into said dispensing conduit;
wherein said exit valve (120) is connected into said dispensing conduit (107) at a location between said proximal end and said distal end of said dispensing conduit (107);
wherein an air inlet opening of said air blowing assembly is aligned with rotation axis of said air blowing assembly and said dispensing conduit on an airflow axis;
wherein said container assembly comprising a flat bottom parallel to said airflow axis and in contact with external side of said dispensing conduit;
wherein said activation controller (102) is configured to activate the gardening apparatus in at least two modes of operation and switch between them:
a first mode of operation wherein said exit valve (120) is closed, such that air stream from air blowing assembly (104) is pushed out from said dispensing conduit (107) through said at least one dispensing outlet (106);
and
a second mode of operation wherein said exit valve (120) is open, such that material contained in said container assembly (108) is released into said dispensing conduit (107) and pushed by air stream out from said dispensing conduit (107) through said at least one dispensing outlet (106);
and
an additional mode of operation configured to alternately switch between said first mode of operation and said second mode of operation in at least one preset automated cycle duration, such that said at least one dispensing outlet alternately releases air stream and material with air stream;
wherein said first mode of operation is used for removing plant litter from an area on the ground and said second mode of operation is used to spread material on said area on the ground;
activating said gardening apparatus in at least one of said three modes of operation over a designated surface.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.