# US 2014/0190522 A1 · Air gun system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190522 A1 - Document ID: US20140190522A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/737,146 - Filed: 2013-01-09 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-09 - Inventors: Paul Mark Guglielmi; Diana C. Petranek - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190522A1 ## CPC - A47L 9/08: with means adapted for blowing - A47L 5/14: cleaning by blowing-off, also combined with suction cleaning - B08B 5/02: Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities {(airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005)} - B08B 15/04: from a small area, e.g. a tool {(removing chips B23Q11/0042)} - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL ## Abstract An air gun in combination with a vacuum source is powered by pressurized gas that is received through a gas inlet. The air gun and the vacuum source are configured to be simultaneously operable using the pressurized gas, which provides a method for conveniently air cleaning various objects. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air gun system comprising: an air gun; a vacuum source; an air inlet configured to be connected to a source of pressurized air; and the air gun and the vacuum source both connected to the air inlet, wherein the air gun and the vacuum source are simultaneously operable using the pressurized air. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum source comprises a fan for generating suction, the fan connected to an air motor configured to be driven by the pressurized air. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the air gun comprises a nozzle and a trigger, the trigger for opening an air passage in the air gun for discharging the pressurized air through the nozzle when the trigger is squeezed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, further comprising: an air gun air tube for providing air traveling through the air inlet to the air gun; and an air motor air tube for providing air traveling through the air inlet to the air motor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, further comprising a valve assembly connected to the air gun air tube, the air motor air tube, and the air inlet, the valve assembly configured to allow pressurized air to travel from the air inlet to the air gun air tube and the air motor air tube when the valve assembly is in an open state and to block pressurized air from traveling from the air inlet to the air gun air tube and the air motor air tube when the valve assembly is in a closed state, the valve assembly alternating between the open and closed states in response to the trigger being squeezed and released. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the vacuum source and the air gun are simultaneously operable when the valve assembly is in the open state, and wherein the air gun further comprises a valve connected to the trigger, the valve opening the air passage when the trigger is squeezed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the valve assembly comprises a piston chamber having a moveable piston disposed therein, the piston comprising a piston top surface and a piston bottom surface, the piston dividing the piston chamber into an upper region above the piston top surface and a lower region below the piston bottom surface, the piston further comprising a bleed hole extending between the upper region and the lower region. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the air gun air tube and the pressurized air tube are both in communication with the piston chamber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the valve assembly includes a valve body and the piston includes a piston rod extending from the piston bottom surface through a piston rod guide tube in the valve body, wherein a bottom surface of the piston rod is exposed to an air pressure external to the valve assembly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the valve assembly is configured such that the piston is positioned further from the piston rod guide tube when the valve assembly is in the open state than when the valve assembly is in the closed state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the valve assembly is configured such that a force exerted by the air in the piston chamber is greater on the piston top surface than on the piston bottom surface when the valve assembly is in the closed state. ### Claim 12 A method of operating an air pressure based cleaning system comprising: connecting the air pressure based cleaning system to a tank of pressurized air; squeezing a trigger of an air gun; and automatically opening an air channel from the tank to the air gun and from the tank to a vacuum source in response to the step of squeezing the trigger. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the step of opening the air channel from the tank to the air gun comprises opening a valve in the air gun in response to squeezing the trigger. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the step of connecting the air pressure based cleaning system to a tank of pressurized air comprises connecting a valve assembly to the tank of pressurized air, to the air gun, and to the vacuum source, the valve assembly for simultaneously opening the air channel from the tank to the air gun and from the tank to the vacuum source. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the step of squeezing the trigger includes a piston assembly in the valve assembly moving in a direction to simultaneously open the air channel from the tank to the air gun and from the tank to the vacuum source. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the step of opening the air channel from the tank to the vacuum source comprises providing pressurized air from the tank to an air motor for rotating a fan in the vacuum source. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising releasing the trigger of the air gun and closing the air channel from the tank to the air gun and from the tank to the vacuum source in response to the step of releasing the trigger. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the step of releasing the trigger includes a piston assembly in the valve assembly simultaneously closing the air channel from the tank to the air gun and from the tank to the vacuum source. ### Claim 19 An air gun system comprising: an air gun; an air motor; a valve assembly connected to the air gun by an air gun air tube and to the air motor by an air motor air tube, the valve assembly configured to be connected to a source of pressurized air for diverting the pressurized air to the air gun through the air gun air tube and to the air motor through the air motor air tube for simultaneously activating the air gun and the air motor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The air gun system of claim 19, wherein the air gun comprises a trigger connected to a valve for opening and closing an air passage in the air gun, said opening the air passage in the air gun causing the valve assembly to start said diverting the pressurized air to the air gun and the air motor, and said closing the air passage causing the valve assembly to prevent said diverting the pressurized air to the air gun and the air motor.