Hand-Held Vacuum Lint Remover

Abstract

A vacuum lint remover for removing lint and dust from clothing and fabric objects, comprises: a housing including a head portion with an inlet opening for taking air there-through, and a handle portion extending laterally from the head portion and configured to be held with a hand; an impeller received in the head portion of the housing to provide an air flow upon rotation; an actuator (e.g., an electric motor) disposed adjacent to the impeller and adapted to rotate the impeller; a battery compartment in the handle portion of the housing, the battery compartment configured to receive a battery therein to operate the actuator; and a dust container detachably attached to a bottom portion of the handle portion of the housing, the dust container having a front opening for receiving the air flow from the impeller, and at least one window to discharge the air there-from, the dust container having a filtering or screening member disposed at the window to filter dust and foreign materials while allowing the air discharge from the window.

1 . A vacuum lint remover for removing dust, lint and foreign materials from clothing and fabric objects, comprising:
 a housing including a head portion with an inlet opening for taking air there-through, and a handle portion extending generally laterally from the head portion and configured to be held with a hand;   an impeller received in the head portion of the housing to provide an air flow upon rotation;   an actuator disposed adjacent to the impeller and adapted to rotate the impeller;   a battery compartment in the handle portion of the housing, the battery compartment configured to receive a battery therein to operate the actuator;   a dust container detachably attached to a bottom portion of the handle portion of the housing, the dust container having a front opening for receiving the air flow from the impeller, and at least one hole or window to discharge the air there-from; and   a filtering member disposed at the window to filter dust and foreign materials while allowing the air discharge from the window.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 1 , wherein the impeller is a radial flow type, and the actuator is placed above the impeller and has a rotation shaft coupled to the impeller for rotation. 
     
     
         3 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 1 , wherein the head portion has a vertically extending narrow tip portion, and the inlet opening is provided at the narrow tip portion. 
     
     
         4 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 3 , wherein the head portion includes a generally conical shaped air passage channel in fluid communication with the inlet opening. 
     
     
         5 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 1 , further including a brush disposed at the head portion at a font side of the inlet opening. 
     
     
         6 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 1 , further including a dust escape prevention member disposed at the front opening of the dust container configured to prevent a reversal flow of the dust and foreign materials from the dust container. 
     
     
         7 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 6 , wherein the dust escape prevention member is made of a resilient and elastic material and includes one or more cuts formed therein such that a re-closable opening can be formed in the dust escape prevention member due to the cuts when the pressure of the air flow from the impeller reaches at a predetermined level, which opening being re-closing when the impeller is stopped. 
     
     
         8 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 7 , wherein the cuts of the dust escape prevention member each includes a small through holes at the starting points of the cuts to reinforce the strength of the dust escape prevention member upon repetitive use. 
     
     
         9 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 7 , wherein the cuts of the dust escape prevention member has an “H” shape formed with two vertical cuts and one horizontal cut. 
     
     
         10 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 7 , wherein the cuts of the dust escape prevention member has a generally four-pointed star or cross shape formed with slanted or diagonally oriented cuts. 
     
     
         11 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 1 , wherein the handle portion of the housing includes an on-off switch electrically connected to the battery to turn on or off the operation of the actuator, the on-off switch positioned at a front side of the handle portion to facilitate the on-off operation with a thumb of the user as the user operates the vacuum lint remover while holding the handle portion of the housing with a hand. 
     
     
         12 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 1 , wherein the dust container has a generally rectangular shape with its dimension generally the same or similar to the handle portion. 
     
     
         13 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 1 , wherein an upper side of the dust container includes an opening to facilitate discharge of the dust and foreign materials stored in the dust container. 
     
     
         14 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 13 , wherein the dust container includes an engagement portion configured to releasably engage with a corresponding one at the bottom portion of the handle portion. 
     
     
         15 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 1 , wherein the battery is a rechargeable type. 
     
     
         16 . The vacuum lint remover of  claim 1 , further including a foldable plug disposed at a rear portion of the handle portion, the foldable plug configured to connect an electric source when unfolded, to recharge the battery.