Portable vacuum or blower/vacuum unit

Abstract

A portable vacuum or blower/vacuum unit ( 10 ) having a motor ( 11 ), a fan ( 12 ), at least one air conduit ( 15 ) with a first portion ( 16 ) to receive the air flow generated by the fan and a second portion ( 17 ) remote from the fan ( 12 ), a mesh screen ( 18 ) within the air conduit ( 15 ) closely adjacent to the fan ( 12 ) to protect the fan ( 12 ) from the flow of debris along the air conduit, ( 15 ) and a stirrer ( 21 ) for deflecting debris away from the mesh screen ( 18 ), wherein the fan ( 12 ) is located to one side of the first portion ( 16 ) of the air conduit ( 15 ); and the second portion ( 17 ) of the air conduit ( 15 ) is able to be located in a position where the angle alpha between a longitudinal axis of the second portion ( 17 ) of the air conduit ( 15 ) and a radial plane defined by the fan impeller (which is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the (fan 12 )) is obtuse, so as to permit sufficient air conduit to at least substantially bypass, or to otherwise be deflected from the mesh screen ( 18 ).

1 . A portable vacuum unit having:
 a motor;   a fan;   at least one air conduit with a first portion to receive the air flow generated by the fan and a second portion remote from the fan;   a mesh screen within the air conduit closely adjacent to the fan to protect the fan from the flow of debris along the air conduit;   a stirrer for deflecting debris away from the mesh screen;   wherein the fan is located to one side of the first portion of the air conduit; and   the second portion of the air conduit is able to be located in a position where the angle α between a longitudinal axis of the second portion of the air conduit and a radial plane defined by the fan impeller (which is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the fan) is obtuse, so as to permit sufficient air flow along the air conduit but which allows the suction of debris along the air conduit to at least substantially bypass, or to otherwise be deflected from the mesh screen.   
     
     
         2 . A portable vacuum unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the angle α is in the range 155° to 165° (inclusive). 
     
     
         3 . A portable vacuum unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the angle α is 160°. 
     
     
         4 . A portable vacuum unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second portions of the air conduit are separate pieces, and the second portion of the air conduit may be selectively connected with either a suction circuit so as to operate as a vacuum unit or alternatively to a discharge circuit communicating with the discharge outlet of the first portion of the air conduit so as to operate as an air blower. 
     
     
         5 . A portable vacuum unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the unit may be converted from vacuum mode to blower mode, by disconnecting the second portion of the air conduit from the first portion and by connecting the second portion to the discharge outlet of the first portion. 
     
     
         6 . A portable vacuum unit according to  claim 1  wherein the stirrer has one or more raised flanges to assist in deflecting debris from the mesh screen. 
     
     
         7 . A portable vacuum unit according to  claim 6  wherein the stirrer has a raised flange at each end to deflect debris from the mesh screen. 
     
     
         8 . A portable vacuum unit according to  claim 1  wherein the mesh screen is provided with an opening. 
     
     
         9 . A portable vacuum unit according to  claim 8  wherein the opening in the mesh screen is in the form of a slot. 
     
     
         10 . A portable vacuum unit according to  claim 1  wherein the second portion includes a cleaning pipe attachable relative to the first portion, the cleaning pipe having a tapered nozzle at a free end to concentrate air flow. 
     
     
         11 . A portable vacuum unit according to  claim 1  wherein the blower/vacuum unit may be provided with connection means for removably or permanently securing additional parts, fittings and accessories to the unit. 
     
     
         12 . A portable vacuum unit according to  claim 1  further including a removable debris collector for collecting dust or debris. 
     
     
         13 . A portable vacuum unit according to  claim 1  wherein the vacuum unit is hand-held and may have one or more handles. 
     
     
         14 . A portable vacuum unit according to  claim 1  wherein the vacuum unit is provided with a shoulder strap. 
     
     
         15 . A portable vacuum unit according to  claim 10  wherein the vacuum unit has an extension pipe or tube for extending the length of the cleaning pipe.