Impeller for use with portable blower/vacuums
AssigneeThe Toro Company
InventorSteven J. Svoboda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An impeller for generating an air flow, for use in a device such as a blower/vacuum, the impeller having a hub structure for mounting the impeller on a rotatable shaft of the blower/vac and a plurality of air-flow generating vanes coupled to the hub structure in a non-uniform manner wherein the spacing between adjacent vanes is irregular. An impeller having non-uniform spacing between adjacent vanes is provided. Additional features of the impeller may include a plurality of debris engaging structures or serrations for facilitating a finer mulch of air-entrained debris.
Claims23
An impeller for a portable blower/vac comprising:
- a hub structure for mounting the impeller on a rotatable shaft of the blower/vac;
- a base structure coupled to the hub structure;
- a plurality of air-flow generating vanes disposed upon the base structure with an irregular spacing between adjacent vanes;
- and
- a plurality of shortened members disposed upon the base structure.
An impeller for generating an air-flow, said impeller comprising:
- a hub structure for mounting the impeller on a rotatable shaft;
- a plurality of air flow generating vanes coupled to the hub structure, each vane having a trailing edge away from the hub structure, and wherein distances between the trailing edges of adjacent vanes are substantially non-uniform;
- and
- a plurality of shortened members coupled to the hub structure.
A portable blower/vac having a vacuum mode of operation comprising:
- a housing;
- a power source coupled to the housing and having an output shaft for rotation on an axis;
- an impeller coupled to the output shaft and rotatable therewith, said housing forming an air flow channel around said impeller, said impeller comprising a hub coupled to said output shaft and a plurality of vanes extending generally outwardly from said hub, said vanes provided in non-uniform spacing around the hub;
- and
- a plurality of debris engaging shortened members coupled to the hub.
A method for manufacturing an impeller for a portable blower/vacuum, comprising:
- providing an impeller hub structure for mounting the impeller on a rotatable shaft of the blower/vac;
- coupling a plurality of air-flow generating vanes to the hub structure in generally radial orientation about the hub structure, said vanes being disposed in non-uniform spacing around the hub structure;
- and
- coupling a plurality of debris engaging shortened members to the hub structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.