Portable hand-held blower/vacuum unit with resilient engine mounting system

Claim 2

Apparatus for rotationally driving a bladed member disposed within a base housing structure having an upper side wall portion with an opening formed therethrough, said apparatus comprising: an engine shroud having an open lower end; attachment means for removably securing said open lower end of said engine shroud to said upper side wall portion of said base housing structure over said opening therein; engine means disposed within said engine shroud and operative to rotationally drive the bladed member, said engine means having a vertical drive axis, and a shaft member extending longitudinally along said vertical drive axis and having a lower power output end portion projecting downwardly from a lower end portion of said engine means and into said base housing structure through said opening in said upper side wall portion thereof; connection means for removably connecting the bladed member to said lower power output end portion of said shaft member for rotation thereby about said vertical drive axis; and mounting means for resiliently supporting said engine means within said engine shroud in a manner preventing appreciable rigid contact between said engine means and both said engine shroud and the base housing structure to thereby substantially diminish engine means operating vibration transmitted to said engine shroud and the base housing structure, said resilient mounting means including: a first resilient support means vertically supporting a first section of said engine means on said engine shroud and relatively freely permitting pivotal movement of said engine means with respect to said engine shroud only about a second axis generally transverse to said vertical drive axis, but resiliently resisting any only movements of said first engine means section relative to said engine shroud, and a second resilient support means vertically supporting a second section of said engine means spaced vertically apart from said first section thereof, said second support means resiliently resisting pivotal movement of said engine means with respect to said engine shroud about said second axis.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said first section of said engine means is an upper portion thereof, and said second section of said engine means is a lower portion thereof.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein: said first resilient support means of said mounting means includes a pair of support post members projecting outwardly from opposite sides of said upper portion of said engine means and coaxially received in a pair of resilient cup members internally carried by said engine shroud, and said second resilient support means of said mounting means includes an annular resilient support member circumscribing said lower portion of said engine means and outwardly bearing against the upper side wall portion of the base housing structure.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein: said apparatus further comprises a depending well section formed on the upper side wall portion of the base housing structure and circumscribing the opening therein, said engine means include a fan housing having a hub section partially defining said lower portion of said engine means and being received within said depending well section, and said annular resilient support member circumscribes said hub section and bears outwardly against said depending well section.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said engine means comprise an internal combustion engine having a muffler, a fan housing enveloping said muffler and having a wall portion spaced apart from said muffler, and a carburetor spaced apart from said fan housing wall portion, and said engine shroud has an internal wall portion positioned between said carburetor and said fan housing wall portion and defining with said fan housing wall portion a double-walled thermal barrier interposed between said muffler and said carburetor.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said engine means comprise an internal combustion engine having a carburetor and a resilient air filter element interconnected between said carburetor and said engine shroud in a manner permitting said air filter element to flex in response to resilient deflection of said engine means relative to said engine shroud.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein: a lower end portion of said shaft member is rotationally supported by bearing means carried within said lower portion of said engine means for deflection therewith relative to said engine shroud.

Claim 9

A portable, hand-carried, internal combustion engine powered air moving device comprising: an engine shroud having a top end with a carrying handle secured thereto, and an open bottom end; an impeller housing having a top end with an opening therein, a bottom end with an air inlet opening therein, and a side wall having an air outlet opening positioned in a front portion thereof; attachment means for removably securing said open bottom end of said engine shroud to said top end of said impeller housing; impeller means positioned within said impeller housing and being rotationally drivable to draw air into said impeller housing through said air inlet opening, and discharge the air through said air outlet opening; an internal combustion engine disposed within said engine shroud, said engine having: a rotational drive axis which, with said air moving device in its normal operating orientation, extends generally vertically, upper and lower portions spaced apart along said rotational drive axis, a rotationally driven shaft member longitudinally extending along said rotational drive axis and having a lower power output end portion projecting downwardly from said lower engine portion into said impeller housing through said opening in said top end thereof, and bearing means, positioned within said engine, for rotatably supporting said shaft member; connection means for removably connecting said impeller means to said lower power output end portion of said shaft member for driven rotation therewith during engine operation; and mounting means for resiliently supporting said engine within said engine shroud in a manner preventing appreciable rigid contact between said engine and said engine shroud or said impeller housing to thereby substantially diminish engine operating vibration, and for permitting said engine to resiliently deflect relative to said engine shroud and said impeller housing in response to an impact between said impeller means, during driven rotation thereof, and an object ingested into said impeller housing, to lessen the possibility of resulting damage to said shaft member or said bearing means, said mounting means having: a first resilient portion interposed between opposite interior side portions of said engine shroud and opposite sides of said upper engine portion and operative to relatively freely permit pivotal movement of said engine with respect to said engine shroud about a second axis generally transverse to said rotational drive axis, but resiliently resist movement of said engine with respect to said engine shroud in directions parallel to and transverse to said second axis, and a second resilient portion interposed between said lower engine portion and said impeller housing and operative to resiliently resist pivotal movement of said engine with respect to said engine shroud about said second axis.

Claim 10

A portable, hand-carried, internal combustion engine powered air moving device comprising: an engine shroud having a top end with a carrying handle secured thereto, and an open bottom end; an impeller housing having a top end with an opening therein, a bottom end with an air inlet opening therein, and a side wall having an air outlet opening positioned in a front portion thereof; attachment means for removably securing said open bottom end of said engine shroud to said top end of said impeller housing; impeller means positioned within said impeller housing and being rotationally drivable to draw air into said impeller housing through said air inlet opening, and discharge the air through said air outlet opening; an internal combustion engine disposed within said engine shroud, said engine having: a rotational drive axis which, with said air moving device in its normal operating orientation, extends generally vertically, upper and lower portions spaced apart along said rotational drive axis, a rotationally driven shaft member longitudinally extending along said rotational drive axis and having a lower power output end portion projecting downwardly from said lower engine portion into said impeller housing through said opening in said top end thereof, and bearing means, positioned within said engine, for rotatably supporting said shaft member; connection means for removably connecting said impeller means to said lower power output end portion of said shaft member for driven rotation therewith during engine operation; and mounting means for resiliently supporting said engine within said engine shroud in a manner preventing appreciable rigid contact between said engine and said engine shroud or said impeller housing to thereby substantially diminish engine operating vibration, and for permitting said engine to resiliently deflect relative to said engine shroud and said impeller housing in response to an impact between said impeller means, during driven rotation thereof, and an object ingested into said impeller housing, to lessen the possibility of resulting damage to said shaft member or said bearing means, said mounting means having: a first resilient portion interposed between opposite interior side portions of said engine shroud and opposite sides of said upper engine portion and operative to relatively freely permit pivotal movement of said engine with respect to said engine shroud about a second axis generally transverse to said rotational drive axis, but resiliently resist movement of said engine with respect to said engine shroud in directions parallel to and transverse to said second axis, and a second resilient portion interposed between said lower engine portion and said impeller housing and operative to resiliently resist pivotal movement of said engine with respect to said engine shroud about said second axis.

Claim 11

The air moving device of claim 8 wherein: said engine shroud has a pair of facing interior wall portions formed on opposite upper side portions thereof, said internal combustion engine has a pair of support post members projecting outwardly from opposite sides of said upper portion thereof, said first resilient portion of said mounting means comprises a pair of resilient cup members carried within said interior well portions and coaxially receiving said support post members, said top end of said impeller housing has a generally annular section circumscribing said opening therein and receiving said lower portion of said engine, and said second resilient portion of said mounting means comprise an annular resilient support member circumscribing said lower portion of said engine and radially outwardly bearing against said generally annular section of said top end of said impeller housing.

Claim 12

The air moving device of claim 9 wherein: said engine includes a fan housing which defines said lower portion of said engine.

Claim 13

The air moving device of claim 8 wherein: said internal combustion engine has a carburetor, a muffler spaced apart from said carburetor and enveloped by a fan housing having a wall portion interposed between said muffler and said carburetor, and said engine shroud has an interior wall portion interposed between said carburetor and said fan housing wall portion and defining with said fan housing wall portion a double-walled structure thermally isolating said muffler from said carburetor.

Claim 14

The air moving device of claim 8 wherein: said internal combustion engine has a carburetor, and a resilient air filter element held between said carburetor and an interior portion of said engine shroud in a manner permitting flexure of said air filter element in response to deflection of said internal combustion engine relative to said engine shroud.

Claim 15

The air moving device of claim 8 wherein: said lower portion of said internal combustion engine is defined by a fan housing portion thereof, and said bearing means include a lower bearing structure carried within said fan housing portion for movement therewith relative to said engine shroud and rotatably supporting a lower end portion of said shaft member.

Claim 16

A portable, hand-carried air moving device comprising: a housing structure having a carrying handle secured thereto, an air inlet opening, an an air outlet opening; an internal combustion engine disposed within said housing structure and resiliently supported therein in a manner preventing appreciable rigid contact between said engine and said housing structure and permitting said engine to be resiliently deflected relative to said housing structure, said engine having a carburetor and a rotationally drivable output shaft; a fan impeller disposed within said housing structure and secured to said output shaft for rotation thereby to flow air through said housing structure from said air inlet opening to said air outlet opening; and a resilient air filter element connected between the inlet of said carburetor and an interior portion of said housing structure in a manner causing flexure of said air filter element in response to deflection of said engine relative to said housing structure.

Claim 17

A portable, hand-carried air moving device comprising: a housing structure having a carrying handle secured thereto, an air inlet opening, an an air outlet opening; an internal combustion engine disposed within said housing structure and resiliently supported therein in a manner preventing appreciable rigid contact between said engine and said housing structure and permitting said engine to be resiliently deflected relative to said housing structure, said engine having a carburetor and a rotationally drivable output shaft; a fan impeller disposed within said housing structure and secured to said output shaft for rotation thereby to flow air through said housing structure from said air inlet opening to said air outlet opening; and a resilient air filter element connected between the inlet of said carburetor and an interior portion of said housing structure in a manner causing flexure of said air filter element in response to deflection of said engine relative to said housing structure.

Claim 18

The air moving device of claim 14 wherein: said carburetor has a manually operable choke plate structure positioned over its air inlet, said housing structure has an access opening therein, and a well section extending inwardly from around said access opening and receiving said carburetor, said resilient air filter element is positioned against said choke plate structure and has a plurality of openings formed therein, and said resilient filter element is removably held in place against said choke plate structure by an access plate releasably latched within said access opening and having inwardly projecting retainer portions received in said plurality of openings in said resilient air filter element.

Claim 19

The air moving device of claim 15 wherein: said well section has an open inner end bordered by an inturned lip portion which outwardly circumscribes a base portion of said carburetor, and said air moving device further comprises a resilient dirt and thermal barrier element circumscribing said carburetor base portion and sealingly engaged around its outer periphery by said inturned lip portion of said well section.