# US 9,518,390 B1 · Self propelled blower > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,518,390 B1 - Document ID: US9518390B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 14/988,383 - Filed: 2016-01-05 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2016-01-05 - Applicants: Albert Chao - Inventors: Albert Chao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518390B1 ## CPC - E04D 13/0765: {Cleaning tools} - B08B 5/02: Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities {(airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005)} - B08B 9/00: Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto - A47L 5/14: cleaning by blowing-off, also combined with suction cleaning - A47L 5/38: Built-in suction cleaner installations, i.e. with fixed tube system to which, at different stations, hoses can be connected - E04D: ROOF COVERINGS; SKY-LIGHTS; GUTTERS; ROOF-WORKING TOOLS (coverings of outer walls by plaster or other porous material E04F13/00) - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - 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) ## Abstract A self propelled blower cleans debris from a gutter and has a housing with rear inlet and front outlet, an electrically powered air mover for moving air into the inlet and blowing it out of the outlet, a guide track laying along a channel of the gutter, an electrically powered housing mover engaged to the track for moving the housing along the guide track and a power circuit electrically connected to the air and housing movers for powering them at the same time to blow air forwardly along the gutter as the housing moves forwardly along the gutter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A self propelled blower apparatus for cleaning debris from a gutter having a channel (100) for collecting and guiding water from a roof (110), the apparatus comprising: a housing (12) having a rear wall (14) with a rear air inlet opening (14a) and a front wall (16) with front air outlet opening (16a); an electrically powered air mover (20) in the housing (12) for moving air into the housing through the rear air inlet opening (14a) and blowing the air out of the housing through the front air outlet opening (16a) when powered; a guide track (40) adapted to lay along a channel of a gutter; an electrically powered housing mover (30) mounted in the housing and engaged to the guide track for moving the housing along the guide track when powered; and a power circuit (50) electrically connected to the air and housing movers for powering the air and housing movers at the same time to blow air forwardly along the gutter as the housing moves forwardly along the track, the power station including at least one rechargeable battery (52) for powering the movers (20, 30). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, including a remote control unit (56) for activating the air and housing movers (20, 30). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, including a power station (58) at a rear end of the track to which the power circuit (50) is automatically electrically connected when the housing mover (30) moves the housing rearwardly against the power station (58) to recharge the at least one battery (52). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, including a power station (58) at a rear end of the track to which the power circuit (50) is automatically electrically connected when the housing mover (30) moves the housing rearwardly against the power station (58), and at least one photovoltaic cell (57) connected to the power station (58) for recharging the at least one battery (52). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, including a power station (58) at a rear end of the track to which the power circuit (50) is automatically electrically connected when the housing mover (30) moves the housing rearwardly against the power station (58), and a stop section (44) connected to a forward end of the track and having a stop (45) engageable with the housing (12) for reversing operation of the housing mover (30) to return the housing toward the power station (58). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, including a power station (58) at a rear end of the track to which the power circuit (50) is automatically electrically connected when the housing mover (30) moves the housing rearwardly against the power station (58), at least one photovoltaic cell (57) connected to the power station (58) for recharging the at least one battery (52), and a stop section (44) connected to a forward end of the track and having a stop (45) engageable with the housing (12) for reversing operation of the housing mover (30) to return the housing toward the power station (58). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power circuit (52) includes a stopping micro-switch (61) at a rearward end of the housing (12) and returning micro-switch (63) at a forward end of the housing (12), the apparatus including a power station (58) at a rear end of the track to which the power circuit (50) is automatically electrically connected when the housing mover (30) moves the housing rearwardly against the power station (58) to engage the stopping micro-switch (61) to stop further rearward movement of the housing, at least one photovoltaic cell (57) connected to the power station (58) for recharging the at least one battery (52), and a stop section (44) connected to a forward end of the track and having a stop (45) engageable with the returning micro-switch (63) for reversing operation of the housing mover (30) to return the housing toward the power station (58). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide track (40) has a row of teeth (49), the housing mover (30) including a cog wheel (60) engaged with the teeth and rotatable to move the housing (12) along the track. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power circuit (52) includes a stopping micro-switch (61) at a rearward end of the housing (12) and returning micro-switch (63) at a forward end of the housing (12), the apparatus including a power station (58) at a rear end of the track to which the power circuit (50) is automatically electrically connected when the housing mover (30) moves the housing rearwardly against the power station (58) to engage the stopping micro-switch (61) to stop further rearward movement of the housing, at least one photovoltaic cell (57) connected to the power station (58) for recharging the at least one battery (52), and a stop section (44) connected to a forward end of the track and having a stop (45) engageable with the returning micro-switch (63) for reversing operation of the housing mover (30) to return the housing toward the power station (58), the guide track (40) having a row of teeth (49), the housing mover (30) including a cog wheel (60) engaged with the teeth and rotatable to move the housing (12) along the track. ### Claim 10 A self propelled blower apparatus for cleaning debris from a gutter comprising: a housing with rear inlet and a front outlet; an electrically powered air mover for moving air into the inlet and blowing air out of the outlet; a guide track laying along a channel of the gutter; an electrically powered housing mover engaged to the track for moving the housing along the guide track; and a power circuit electrically connected to the air and housing movers for powering them at the same time to blow air forwardly along the gutter as the housing moves forwardly along the gutter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, including a remote control unit for activating the air and housing movers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, including a power station at a rear end of the track to which the power circuit is automatically electrically connected when the housing mover moves the housing rearwardly against the power station, the power circuit including a rechargeable battery for powering the movers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, including a power station at a rear end of the track to which the power circuit is automatically electrically connected when the housing mover moves the housing rearwardly against the power station, the power circuit including a rechargeable battery for powering the movers and the least one photovoltaic cell connected to the power station for recharging the at least one battery. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, including a power station at a rear end of the track to which the power circuit is automatically electrically connected when the housing mover moves the housing rearwardly against the power station, and a stop section connected to a forward end of the track and having a stop engageable with the housing for reversing operation of the housing mover to return the housing toward the power station. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, including a power station at a rear end of the track to which the power circuit is automatically electrically connected when the housing mover moves the housing rearwardly against the power station, at least one photovoltaic cell connected to the power station for recharging at least one battery in the power circuit, and a stop section connected to a forward end of the track and having a stop engageable with the housing for reversing operation of the housing mover to move the housing toward the power station. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the power circuit includes at least one rechargeable battery, a stopping micro-switch at a rearward end of the housing and returning micro-switch at a forward end of the housing, the apparatus including a power station at a rear end of the track to which the power circuit is automatically electrically connected when the housing mover moves the housing rearwardly against the power station to engage the stopping micro-switch to stop further rearward movement of the housing, at least one photovoltaic cell connected to the power station for recharging the at least one battery, and a stop section connected to a forward end of the track and having a stop engageable with the returning micro-switch for reversing operation of the housing mover to return the housing toward the power station. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the guide track has a row of teeth, the housing mover including a cog wheel engaged with the teeth and rotatable to move the housing along the track. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the power circuit includes at least one rechargeable battery, a stopping micro-switch at a rearward end of the housing and returning micro-switch at a forward end of the housing, the apparatus including a power station at a rear end of the track to which the power circuit is automatically electrically connected when the housing mover moves the housing rearwardly against the power station to engage the stopping micro-switch to stop further rearward movement of the housing, at least one photovoltaic cell connected to the power station for recharging the at least one battery, and a stop section connected to a forward end of the track and having a stop engageable with the returning micro-switch for reversing operation of the housing mover to return the housing toward the power station, the guide track having a row of teeth, the housing mover including a cog wheel engaged with the teeth and rotatable to move the housing along the track.