Abstract:
A cooling backpack apparatus includes a frame secured to a harness with the harness configured for removable securement to an operator. A battery pack having a battery pack enclosure encases a plurality of battery cells. The battery pack is removably or permanently secured at least indirectly to the frame. A cooling fan is secured to the frame and electrically connected to the battery pack. An air input port receives air into the cooling fan, and an air output port permits exit of forced air generated by the cooling fan directly to the operator wearing the harness. An air chute is provided for guiding the flow of air from the air input port to the air output port.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/133,564 filed on Mar. 16, 2015, of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     RELATED FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to the field of outdoor power equipment, and specifically to battery backpacks for powering electric lawn and garden tools. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    In general, backpack batteries are becoming well known, especially in the commercial turf care industry. Backpack batteries are typically used as a long run time solution for electric hand held power equipment such as string trimmers, hedgers, pole saws, and metal blade edgers. Accordingly, most such backpack batteries are large, expensive, heavy, and uncomfortable for the operator to carry on their backs throughout the work day. Such backpack batteries are often very hot for the operator to wear due to excessive battery operating temperatures when under a load and the extra weight of the heavy backpack battery that the operator must burden. A typical backpack battery will consist of an enclosure to secure the energy source such as cylindrical lithium batteries, a support for mounting the enclosure, padding between the operator and enclosure support, a strap harness, a flexible power cord permanently attached to the battery enclosure at one end and a battery adapter on the other end of the cord to attached to the handheld tool. Such backpack batteries generally supply required power to the tools they are designed to operate, however, these large backpack batteries cause operator fatigue due to their size and weight of about 18-20 pounds and cause operator discomfort from the heat of the cylindrical batteries and perspiration trapped between the operator&#39;s back and the backpack harness and support. In a commercial setting, use of such backpack batteries can be all day long, operators can feel sick from the overexposure to the heat, and feel fatigue from the work of carrying the heavy backpack battery. Most operators will do anything they can to avoid using the backpack batteries, in large part because of the heat from the battery and heat from the operator&#39;s body that builds up between the user&#39;s back and the backpack battery, which leads to substantial discomfort. 
         [0004]    Such backpack batteries are also only useful for a single battery charge and then must be removed and re-charged, which likely takes several hours before the backpack battery to be used again. This frequently leaves the operator no choice except to purchase another expensive complete backpack battery to use while the first backpack battery is being charged. When using a power cord for charging, the power cords are frequently scraped, pulled, and cut from surrounding debris which can lead to the need for frequent power cord replacement. Most power cord replacement is both difficult and expensive due to need for skilled technicians for repair of the backpack battery and the added expense of replacing the tool adapter along with the power cord. 
         [0005]    An attempt at a solution to cool the battery of a backpack battery has been addressed in U.S. Pat. Publ. No. 2015/0050532 “Battery pack system”. This patent addresses the issue of the excessive heat that is generated by the battery cells mounted in the enclosure on a backpack. Details of this patent describe the method of a battery pack constructed with voids between cylindrical battery cells used for moving air around the battery cells and expelling the now heated air away from the operator. As airflow is limited to the interior of the battery pack, there remains substantial heat generated between the operator&#39;s back and the battery support regardless of the battery cell temperature, so the operator is still hot and uncomfortable. In addition, air expelled from the interior of a battery pack can be of sufficiently high temperature so as to be unsuitable for expulsion on an operator. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In at least some embodiments, a cooling backpack apparatus is disclosed that includes a frame secured to a harness, the harness configured for removable securement to an operator, a battery pack having a battery pack enclosure that encases a plurality of battery cells, wherein the battery pack is at least one of removably and permanently secured at least indirectly to the frame, a cooling fan secured to the frame and electrically connected to the battery pack, an air input port for receiving air into the cooling fan, an air output port for expelling forced air generated by the cooling fan directly to the operator wearing the harness; and an air chute for guiding the flow of air from the air input port to the air output port. Other embodiments, aspects, features, objectives, and advantages will be understood and appreciated upon a full reading of the detailed description and the claims that follow. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Embodiments of the cooling backpack apparatus are disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawings and are for illustrative purposes only. The cooling backpack apparatus is not limited in its application to the details of construction or the arrangement of the components illustrated in the drawings. The cooling backpack apparatus is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in other various ways. In the drawings: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a cooling backpack apparatus with an exemplary power tool secured thereto; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the cooling backpack apparatus; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the cooling backpack apparatus; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a rear elevation view of the cooling backpack apparatus; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is an exploded rear perspective view of the cooling backpack apparatus; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is an exploded front perspective view of the cooling backpack apparatus; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of the cooling backpack apparatus of  FIG. 1  with various components removed for illustrative purposes; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view taken along  8 - 8  of  FIG. 4  with the battery removed. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary cooling backpack apparatus  10  is illustrated that can be connected to an exemplary lawn care power tool  12  by a power cord  14  and provide cooling air to an operator. The power tool  12  can be any one of numerous types of electric commercial power equipment used for landscaping, for example, string trimmers, hedge trimmers, pruning saws, brooms, edgers, blowers, pruning shears, etc. The apparatus  10  is configured to be worn by an operator to provide mobility during the performance of landscaping activities. In this manner, an operator is not restrained by electrical cords, or bulky riding and push-type devices. In addition, the apparatus  10  is designed to allow the use of the power tool  12  for extended periods of time on a single battery charge while providing cooling air to the body of an operator that is wearing the apparatus  10 . The apparatus  10  can be used to provide cooling air to an operator even when a power tool is not attached or otherwise being operated. The expulsion of cooling air from the apparatus  10  serves to cool the operator&#39;s back by evaporating any moisture from perspiration on the operator&#39;s back. Providing cooling air to the body of an operator reduces fatigue on the operator allowing for longer periods of operation of the apparatus  10 . 
         [0017]    While traditional gasoline power equipment is noisy, uses fuel, oil, filters, belts, and emits toxic fumes and pollutants, the apparatus  10  can be powered by clean, zero/low emission battery power and requires minimal maintenance. The apparatus  10  is easy to use since it requires only the attachment of a plug  15  ( FIG. 3 ) on the power cord  14  of the power tool  12  to begin operations, in contrast to a gasoline powered power tool that requires priming, choking, and warming up before it is functional for operation. 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  provides a front perspective view of the apparatus  10 , which includes a harness  16  secured to a frame  18 . The harness  16  includes a plurality of straps secured to a backplate  17 . The straps can include shoulder straps  20 , waist straps  22 , etc., each suitable to assist with removably securing the apparatus  10  to an operator. The harness  16  can be manufactured from a variety of durable natural or synthetic materials. The frame  18  is secured to the harness  16  using a plurality of fasteners, which can include frame straps  26  tethered to the shoulder straps  20 , rivets  28  fastened to the backplate  17  and the frame  18 , or other types of suitable fasteners. The frame  18  can be a rigid or semi-rigid structure that supports various other components, as described below. In addition, the frame  18  can include an ergonomic design to follow the contour of an operator&#39;s back. The frame can include a handle  19  ( FIG. 6 ) for convenient transportation of the apparatus  10 . 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , a rear perspective view of the apparatus  10  is provided that illustrates a shroud  30  secured to the frame  18  and a power source, namely, a battery pack  32  utilized to provide power to a cooling fan  34  and the power tool  12 . Power from the battery pack  32  to the fan  34  can be controlled by an ON/OFF fan switch  36  ( FIG. 2 ), and power to the power tool  12  can be accessed by plugging the power cord  14  into a power port  40 . The fan switch  36  can be any style of toggle, rocker, or proximity switch (used to sense an operator when the apparatus  10  is worn), including a variable speed switch to control the velocity of the cooling air provided by the fan  34 . The fan switch  36  can be mounted in numerous locations on the apparatus  10 . 
         [0020]    The battery pack  32  further includes a battery pack enclosure  33  ( FIG. 5 ) for encasing any one of various battery cell (not shown) configurations to provide a desired voltage and current level. The battery pack enclosure  33  further includes an exterior surface  37  ( FIG. 5 ). The battery pack  32  can be rechargeable and include any one of various battery types, such as lead acid, lithium polymer, etc. In at least some embodiments, the battery pack  32  is capable of maintaining a near constant voltage for the duration of its state of charge. In at least some embodiments, other types of power sources can be used in place of or in addition to the battery pack  32 . The battery pack  32  can be permanently secured or removably attached to the frame  18 , as discussed in detail below.  FIG. 4  illustrates a rear elevation view of the apparatus  10 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , exploded rear and front perspective views of the apparatus  10  are provided. As shown, the frame  18  includes a frame lower portion  42  and a frame upper portion  44 . The fan  34  is secured to a fan plate  46 , which along with a fan plate bar  48  and a fan blade guard  49 , is secured to the frame lower portion  42 . The fan plate  46  provides an air input port  50  for receiving air that is exterior to the apparatus  10  into the fan  34 . A mounting plate  52  is also provided to serve as a mounting point for the battery pack  32 . The mounting plate  52  is secured to the frame upper portion  44  and in at least some embodiments, can include slide rails  54  configured to matingly interface with the battery pack enclosure  33 . The battery pack  32  can include mating battery rails  55  that engage the slide rails  54  during a sliding engagement to secure the battery pack  32  to the frame  18  when a removable battery pack  32  is utilized. A battery pack handle  53  can be integrally formed with or secured to the battery pack  32  for convenient transportation. A fixed internal battery pack can also be utilized. 
         [0022]    In at least some embodiments, the mounting plate  52  can be secured to a mounting plate bar  56 , which in turn is secured to the frame upper portion  44 . The mounting plate bar  56  provides an offset gap  51  ( FIG. 8 ) for the mounting plate  52 , such that when the mounting plate  52  is secured to the frame upper portion  44 , at least a portion of the mounting plate back surface  57  does not sit flush with or does not contact a frame back surface  58  of the frame upper portion  44 , thereby allowing a flow of air around the mounting plate  52  and through a plurality of air output ports  60  in the frame upper portion  44 . The air output ports  60  can be formed in various sizes and shapes, as well as have different locations and quantities. To assist with directing air flow, a plurality of deflecting portions  62  are provided that at least partially direct the flow of air towards the frame back surface  58 . In at least some embodiments, the deflecting portions  62  include a pair of planar wings, while in other embodiments, an extended single substantially planar piece can be utilized to achieve the same purpose. 
         [0023]    An air chute  64  permits air to pass through the apparatus  10  and is formed by various components situated between the air input port  50  and the air output ports  60 . More particularly, and in at least some embodiments, the air chute  64  is formed by the combination of the shroud  30 , the fan plate  46 , the deflecting portions  62 , the exterior surface  37  of the battery pack enclosure  33 , the mounting plate  52 , and the frame back surface  58 . In at least some other embodiments, one or more of the aforementioned components can be omitted and/or other components or portions of components can be added to achieve the function of directing air between the air input port  50  and the air output ports  60 . Air that passes through the air chute  64  and exits the air output ports  60  is passed through a backplate opening  66  in the harness  16  to provide cooling air to the operator. Since the air chute  64  can include exterior surface  37  of the battery pack enclosure  33 , the battery can also be cooled via the passage of air around the battery pack  32 , thereby increasing the life of the battery pack  32 . Although the air output ports  60  are shown positioned to pass air through the frame upper portion  44 , the air output ports  60  can be positioned in various other locations on the apparatus  10 . In addition, the air chute  64  can include one or more additional ducts (not shown) to route the flow of air to other portions of an operator&#39;s body. Likewise, the air input port  50  can be positioned in various other locations on the apparatus  10  and can include one or more additional ducts (not shown). Further, additional air input ports can be provided on the apparatus  10 , as well as additional fans. 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , a rear perspective view of the apparatus  10  with the shroud  30  and the battery pack  32  removed is provided. Various electrical components can be included to facilitate operation of the apparatus  10 , such as the aforementioned fan switch  36  and the power port  40 . In at least some embodiments, power is received from the battery pack  32  via an input power connector  70  positioned adjacent a mounting plate front surface  72 . The input power connector  70  can be rigidly affixed to the mounting plate front surface  72  so as to matingly engage a complimentary battery pack output connector  74  when the battery pack  32  is inserted, thereby eliminating the need for an operator to secure the connection separately from inserting the battery. This provides the operator a quick and easy method for exchanging a depleted battery pack for a charged battery pack, and allows the operator to continue utilizing the apparatus  10  without requiring extended downtime to recharge a fixed internal battery. In at least some embodiments, the input power connector  70  can be mounted in a flexible configuration allowing the operator to manually connect the battery pack  32  prior to or after installation. 
         [0025]    The input power connector  70  is wired to both the power port  40  and the fan switch  36 . The fan switch  36  in turn is wired to the fan  34 . A fan resistor  76  can be wired in series between the fan switch  36  and the fan  34 . Other electrical connectors, wires, and components can be utilized as necessary to achieve various other functions of the apparatus  10 , including battery pack management and monitoring, temperature control components, variable speed fan operation, etc. 
         [0026]    The aforementioned components of the apparatus  10  can be comprised of various types of materials, including but limited to metal, plastics, cloth, etc. Fasteners for securing components can include but are not limited to screws, rivets, thread, snaps, adhesives, zippers, etc. In addition, numerous components of the apparatus  10  can be comprised of various shapes, including tubular, curved, planar, angled, square, circular, rectangular, etc. It is specifically intended that the aforementioned apparatus not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein, but include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims. Further, the use of the term “plurality” shall be understood to include one or more of a specified component.