Portable blower

Claim 2

A portable blower comprising: a casing provided with a handle and including therein an engine chamber and a fan chamber, said fan chamber being arranged under said engine chamber with a partition wall between them and having a suction mouth and a discharge mouth; an engine and a fuel tank which are arranged within said engine chamber, said engine comprising an engine cylinder, a crankcase, a cantilever-type crank shaft, a carburetor, and a muffler; and a blower fan and an air passage which are arranged within said fan chamber, said air passage connecting said suction mouth with said discharge mouth to provide communication between them, wherein said crankcase is disposed in front of said engine cylinder and connected thereto, said crank shaft extending downwardly from said crankcase into said fan chamber through said partition wall, said carburetor being disposed above said crankcase and connected thereto, said muffler being disposed above said engine cylinder and connected thereto, and said blower fan being fixed to a lower end of said crank shaft and driven by said engine to suck air from atmosphere and blow air to atmosphere.

Claim 3

A portable blower as claimed in claim 1, wherein said casing comprises a right half portion and a left half portion which are assembled and disassembled along a vertical plane including a vertical center axis of said casing.

Claim 4

A portable blower as claimed in claim 2, wherein said air passage is formed in a spiral air passage which cross-sectional areas are sequentially increased toward said discharge mouth.

Claim 5

A portable blower as claimed in claim 3, wherein said blower fan comprises a disk-like rotary plate fixed to the lower end of said crank shaft, a periphery of said rotary plate extending upwardly, and a plurality of first blades formed radially on a lower surface of said rotary plate.

Claim 6

A portable blower as claimed in claim 4, comprising further: a first suction hole and a discharge hole which are formed on a surface of said casing; a second suction hole and a supply hole which are formed on said partition wall; a plurality of second blades formed radially on an upper surface of said rotary plate; and a passage separation wall formed in said fan chamber and extending from a side wall of said fan chamber to the vicinity of the periphery of said rotary plate to separate said spiral air passage into a working air passage and a cooling air passage, in which, on one hand, air which enters into said engine chamber through said first suction hole is sucked by said second blades according to the rotation of said rotary plate into said cooling air passage through said second suction hole, supplied again into said engine chamber through said supply hole, cools said engine cylinder, and is discharged from said discharge hole, while, on the other hand, air is sucked by said first blades according to the rotation of said rotary plate into said working air passage through said suction mouth and discharged from said discharge mouth.

Claim 7

A portable blower as claimed in claim 5, comprising further: an annular side plate fixed to lower ends of said second blades; and a plurality of third blades formed on a lower surface of said annular side plate at locations between said side plate and a bottom wall of said fan chamber.

Claim 8

A portable blower as claimed in claim 6, wherein the periphery of said rotary plate is extended upwardly to the vicinity of said separation plate, and said passage separation wall is omitted such that said cooling air passage will be formed between said partition wall and said rotary plate, and said working air passage between said rotary plate and the wall of said fan chamber.

Claim 9

A portable blower as claimed in claim 7, comprising further a rigid blower pipe connected to said discharge mouth, in which, when the blower is carried by said handle, a couple of force caused around said handle by a total weight of said blower and a couple of force caused around the handle by a reaction force of air blown from a front end of said blower pipe are balanced to keep said front end of the blower pipe horizontal in parallel with the ground.

Claim 10

A portable blower as claimed in claim 8, comprising further: a cylindrical storage chamber adjoining said fan chamber, a diameter of said cylindrical storage chamber being slightly larger than said blower pipe, and said discharge mouth being formed on a wall of said cylindrical storage chamber; a cap screwed removably to a rear end of said cylindrical storage chamber; and a conical inner surface formed at a front end of said cylindrical storage chamber, wherein said blower pipe has a conical rear end corresponding to said conical inner surface and is stored in said cylindrical storage chamber, said conical rear end of said blower pipe being engaged tightly with said conical inner surface when said blower pipe is pulled out of said cylindrical storage chamber.

Claim 11

A portable blower as claimed in claim 8, comprising further a connecting member which comprises: a fixed portion having a flange and fixed to said discharge mouth; a pivotal portion having a flange and fixed to a rear end of said blower pipe; an annular member to be disposed around said flanges of said fixed and pivotal portions, wherein said fixed portion and said pivotal portion are held together by fitting said flanges to each other, and by arranging said annular member around said flanges, and, in this held state, said pivotal portion can pivot with respect to said fixed portion such that said blower pipe will move from a vertical position where a front end of said blower pipe faces upward to a horizontal position, or from the horizontal position to the vertical position.

Claim 12

A portable blower as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said fixed portion and said pivotal portion is formed in a hemispheric shape.

Claim 13

A portable blower as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said fixed portion and said pivotal portion is formed in a cylindrical shape.

Claim 14

A portable blower as claimed in claim 7, comprising further a dust collecting unit which comprises: a dust collecting case for collecting dust therein, having an open bottom and connected removably to said suction mouth; a dust suction pipe for sucking dust and for sending the sucked dust into said dust collecting case, said dust suction pipe being connected removably to said dust collecting case; a filter chamber arranged in said dust collecting case and communicating with said suction mouth, said filter chamber being provided with a filter for preventing the sucked dust from entering into said suction mouth; a dust collecting bag for receiving the dust collected in said dust collecting case, said dust collecting bag being fitted removably to cover said open bottom of the dust collecting case; and a supporting frame inserted inside said dust collecting bag and fixed to a lower part of said dust collecting case such that said dust collecting bag will not be deformed even if a negative pressure is caused inside said dust collecting case.

Claim 15

A portable blower as claimed in claim 13, wherein said supporting frame is arranged outside said dust collecting bag and fixed to a lower part of said dust collecting case.

Claim 16

A portable blower as claimed in claim 14, wherein said supporting frame is formed in a cylindrical shape having an open top and a closed bottom, said open top being fixed to a lower part of said dust collecting case.

Claim 17

A portable blower as claimed in claim 15, comprising further an additional filter disposed between said dust collecting case and said dust collecting bag, wherein said dust suction pipe is connected to and communicates with said dust collecting bag instead of said dust collecting case.

Claim 18

A portable blower as claimed in claim 16, comprising further a cart on which said dust collecting unit is loaded.

Claim 19

A portable blower as claimed in claim 14, wherein said supporting frame comprises a plurality of annular members having different diameters respectively such that said supporting frame will telescopically be extended and contracted.

Claim 20

A portable blower as claimed in claim 14, wherein said supporting frame comprises a bellows and supporting bars, said bellows being expanded if said supporting bars are inserted into said bellows, and contracted if said supporting bars are removed.

Claim 21

A portable blower as claimed in claim 7, comprising further: a blower pipe for blowing dust, said blower pipe being connected to said discharge mouth through a flexible pipe; and a dust collecting unit which comprises: a dust collecting case for collecting dust therein, having an open bottom; a bottom plate removably fitted to said open bottom of the dust collecting case; a dust suction pipe for sucking dust and for sending the sucked dust into said dust collecting case, said dust suction pipe being fixed to said bottom plate and extending through said bottom plate such that an upper end of said dust suction pipe is located within said dust collecting case and a lower end of said dust suction pipe is located outside said dust collecting case; and a filter chamber arranged in said dust collecting case and communicating with said suction mouth, said filter chamber being provided with a filter for preventing the sucked dust from entering into said suction mouth.

Claim 22

A portable blower as claimed in claim 20, comprising further a check valve which is provided to said upper end of the dust suction pipe.

Claim 23

A portable blower as claimed in claim 13, comprising further: a blower pipe for blowing dust; a cylindrical portion formed integrally at a rear end of said blower pipe; a semicylindrical portion formed integrally at a front end of said discharge mouth of the blower, said semicylindrical portion receiving said cylindrical portion; a pair of projections formed on said cylindrical portion; and a plurality of pairs of recesses for receiving removably said pair of projections, wherein said cylindrical portion is pivotal in said semicylindrical portion such that said blower pipe will take a vertical position where a front end of said blower pipe faces upward, a horizontal position, and other optional positions according to the engagement between said pair of projections and said plurality of pairs of recesses, wherein said blower pipe does not communicate with said discharge mouth when said blower pipe is in the vertical position and communicates with said discharge mouth when said blower pipe is not in the vertical position.

Claim 24

A portable blower as claimed in claim 7, comprising further; a dust collecting portion disposed under said fan chamber and communicating with said fan chamber through said suction mouth; a suction circuit communicating with said dust collecting portion and having a first opening which communicates with atmosphere as well as having a second opening; a discharge circuit communicating with said suction circuit through said second opening as well as communicating with said discharge mouth of the blower through a third opening; a blower pipe connected to said discharge circuit; a selector valve disposed in said discharge circuit to open and close selectively said second and third openings; a shutoff valve disposed at said first opening to open and close said first opening; a lever disposed on an outer surface of said blower; and a linkage connected to said lever and said selector and shutoff valves, for operating interlockingly said selector and shutoff valves by said lever, wherein said linkage is constituted such that, when said lever is operated for the blowing operation, said first opening is opened by said shutoff valve, and said second opening closed and said third opening opened both by said selector valve simultaneously, and, when said lever is operated for the sucking operation, said first opening is closed by said shutoff valve, and said second opening opened and said third opening closed both by said selector valve simultaneously.

Claim 25

A portable blower as claimed in claim 7, comprising further an air filter for said carburetor, said air filter being fitted to and removed from a suction port of said carburetor in a direction perpendicular to an airflow passage which passes through said suction port of the carburetor.

Claim 26

A portable blower as claimed in claim 7, comprising further: a pair of hook hollows formed at upper front and upper rear portions of said casing respectively, said hook hollows being slanted upwardly starting from said upper front and upper rear portions respectively, and provided with engaging portions therein respectively; a shoulder band; and a pair of hooks attached to both ends of said shoulder band respectively and removably inserted into a pair of said hook hollows respectively, each of said hooks comprising: a hook body member; a hooking shaft disposed at one end of said hook body member for fixing one end of said shoulder band; and nails disposed on both sides at the other end of said hook body member and projecting outwardly to be engaged removably with said engaging portion of said hook hollow.

Claim 27

A portable blower as claimed in claim 25, wherein said hook body members are bent upwardly, and said hooking shafts being disposed at upper ends of said bent hook body members respectively.

Claim 28

A portable blower as claimed in claim 26, comprising further a pair of operation pieces provided on both sides of each hook body member, said operation pieces being operated by fingers to engage and release said nails with respect to said engaging portion of said hook hollow.

Claim 29

A portable blower as claimed in claim 27, wherein said nails can recede in and emerge from said hook body member, and said operation pieces are operated by fingers to cause the recede and the emerge of said nails.