Patent Publication Number: US-11045056-B2

Title: Backpack blowervac collection bag

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/712,345 filed Sep. 22, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/399,868 filed on Sep. 26, 2016, entitled Backpack Blowervac Collection Bag. The entire contents of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/399,868 and U.S. application Ser. No. 15/712,345 are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to blowervacs, specifically the debris collection bags used with portable blowervacs. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Portable combination blower and vacuum devices (commonly referred to as blowervacs) are well known in the industry. These devices include a housing with a fan that operates in a first mode to blow air out of a tube to disperse debris. In a second mode, the fan direction is reversed to suck air and debris into the tube and deposit the debris into an attached debris collection bag. The collection bag is often attached to the device immediately adjacent the main housing and often gets in the way of the user as he tries maneuver the device. 
     Additionally, the weight of the collection bag is supported by the user&#39;s arms, and as the collection bag fills with debris, this becomes heavier and more uncomfortable for the user. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a blowervac with an improved collection bag. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The collection bag of the present invention improves the user&#39;s mobility and allows an increased capacity for the collection bag. The collection bag is separated from the main housing of the device and positioned on a user&#39;s back. The bag is designed to improve the ergonomics of the bag and provide a comfortable weight distribution by separating the weight of the blowervac itself from the weight of the collection bag. The bag has a dust dispersion system to direct dust away from the user. A bag closure is provided to make opening and closing the bag easier and faster, and resistant to dust and debris (which can be problematic for existing closure such as zippers). The bag is designed to make emptying the bag easier, so that a user can empty the bag with one hand, while the bag is still on the user&#39;s back. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  is a view of a blowervac and collection bag in accordance with the teachings of a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a view of a blowervac and collection bag in accordance with the teachings of a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 3A-3G  show a blowervac and collection bag in accordance with the teachings of a third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  shows a blowervac collection bag in accordance with the teachings of a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  shows a blowervac collection bag in accordance with the teachings of a fifth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  shows the collection bag of  FIG. 5  in an open position; 
         FIG. 7  shows the collection bag of  FIG. 5  in a closed position; 
         FIG. 8  shows the closure for the collection bag of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 9  shows the operation of the closure for the collection bag of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 10  is another image of the operation of the closure for the collection bag of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 11  shows the connection of the vacuum hose with the collection bag of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIGS. 12 and 13  show an example of the dimensions of another embodiment of a collection bag; 
         FIG. 14  shows a pull tab for the collection bag; and 
         FIG. 15  shows a buckle for the collection bag. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It should be noted that throughout the specification, similar elements found in the various embodiments disclosed may be provided with the same reference number for simplicity, and is not intended to limit any embodiment. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, a debris collection unit or collection bag  10  is shown. The collection bag  10  is connected to a blowervac  12  through a flexible transport hose  14 . The blowervac  12  includes an air tube  16 , that when operating in a blow mode blows air out of the air tube  16 , and when operating in a vacuum mode, sucks air in through the air tube  16 . Alternatively, some blowervacs use different air tubes for blowing and vacuuming, which must be switched out for the different modes. The blowervacs of both types are known in the art, and the present invention can be used with any device that vacuums. The collection bag  10  includes a single shoulder harness  17  that is placed over a user&#39;s should to secure the collection bag  10  to the user&#39;s back. A zipper  18  on a lower side of the collection bag  10  allows the user to empty the bag when full. 
     The collection bag  10  is used when operating the blowervac  12  in the vacuum mode. Debris  13 , such as leaves (shown in  FIG. 3A ), is sucked in through the air tube  16  and is typically mulched by a fan inside the blowervac  12  itself. The mulched debris is then travels through the transport hose  14  and carried into the collection bag  10 . The collection bag is at least partially made of air permeable material to allow air to escape (but not the mulched debris) and so that debris can continue to be blown into the collection bag  10 . When the collection bag  10  is full, the debris can be emptied through the zipper  18 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a second embodiment of the invention showing a blowervac  12  and collection bag  20 . Here the collection bag  20  uses two shoulder harnesses  22  to secure the collection bag  20  to the user. 
       FIGS. 3A-3G  show a third embodiment of the collection bag in various positions while in use. The collection bag  30  is connected to the blowervac  12  through a transport hose  14 . Here the collection bag  30  is made of an air permeable material and is secured to a backplate  32 . The backplate  32  is rigid enough to provide some support to the bag  30 , but also compliant enough to conform to the user&#39;s back and be comfortable. The backplate  32  includes two shoulder harnesses  34  that wrap around a user&#39;s shoulder. The backplate  32  is not air permeable, and so shields the user from dirt and debris. Alternatively, the collection bag  30  can be made so that only a portion is air permeable. For example, the side adjacent the user&#39;s back can be made non-air permeable, while the remainder of the bag is air permeable so that air is blown away from the user. In another embodiment, the top and bottom portions of the bag can also be made non-air permeable. In  FIG. 3C , a top portion  31  of the bag is made from a solid non-air permeable material. 
       FIG. 3A  shows an electrical cord  33  that provides power to the blowervac  12 . Although, an electrical cord is shown, it should be understood that the blowervac may be powered by batteries or any other power source and still fall within the scope of the invention. 
     On one side of the bag is a closure  36  that opens and closes to empty the collection bag  30 . The closure  36  is adjacent the left arm and can be easily accessed by the user&#39;s left arm to open the collection bag  30  while still on the user&#39;s back.  FIGS. 3E-3G  show the user opening the collection bag  30  and emptying its contents. The closure  36  will be described later, but can be access and opened by a single hand of the user. Once opened, the bag  30  is designed to allow its contents  15 , for example mulched up leaves, to be easily emptied, and if needed the user can simply grab an opposing end of the bag to lift it up and empty its contents. This is best shown in  FIG. 3G . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 14 and 15 , methods for making the collection bag easier to empty will be shown. The methods will be described in reference to collection bag  50 , but can be incorporated into any collection bag within the scope of the present invention. In  FIG. 14 , a pull tab  100  is secured to a closed end of the bag  50 , opposite a closure  56 . The pull tab  100  includes a handle portion  102  that can be grasped by the user. The handle portion is attached to, or is part of a strap  104  that extends to the collection bag  50  and is secured thereto. Here the strap  104  is sewn onto a side portion of the collection bag  56 . The strap  104  is secured to the shoulder harness  52  using elastic loops  106  to retain the strap  104  in place. When emptying the collection bag  50 , a user can pull on the handle portion  102  of the pull tab  100 , which will lift up the closed end of the collection bag  50 , and consequently, tilts the open end (eg. closure end  56 ) downward to help empty its contents out. Referring to  FIG. 3G , the user is lifting the end of the collection bag by reaching backwards with her right arm to help empty the bag. The pull tab  100  makes this process easier. 
     Referring to  FIG. 15 , a buckle  120  is shown on a shoulder harness of a collection bag. This buckle  120  is placed on the shoulder adjacent the opening of the bag. The buckle  120  when locked (as shown in the two left images) keeps a strap  122  in a shorten position. This is the position when the bowervac and collection bag are normally in use. When the user wishes to empty the collection bag, the user can unlock the buckle  120 , allowing the additional length of the strap  122  to be utilized, and dropping the open end of the bag (shown in the rightmost image). 
       FIG. 4  shows a fourth embodiment of a collection bag  40 . It is again attached to a blowervac  12  through a transport hose  14 . The collection bag  40  includes two harnesses  42  that secure it to a user. The user side of the collection bag  40  is made of a non-air permeable rigid or semi-rigid material to provide support to the bag and shield the user from debris. Otherwise, the bag is made of a non-air permeable material except for a small air permeable grill  44  that allows air to pass out of the collection bag  40 . This directs the dust laden air that is being expelled away from the user. 
       FIG. 5  shows a fifth embodiment of a collection bag  50 . The collection bag  50  is similar to the collection bag  40 , except that the ends of the shoulder straps  52  are positioned closer together, and the air grill  54  is larger. 
       FIGS. 6-10  show the closure  56  for the collection bag  50 . It is noted that this closure  56  can be used with any collection bag though. The closure  56  includes a pair of rigid latching bars  58   a  and  58   b  (shown in  FIG. 8 ) located along the end of a flexible sleeve  60 . The latching bars preferably made from a hardened plastic material, but can be any material that provides rigidity to the opening and are also flexible enough to be closed as will be described later. Referring to  FIG. 8 , the latching bars  58   a  and  58   b  form an opening  61  on the sleeve  60  allowing for opening and closing of the collection bag  50 . One of the latching bar  58   a  includes a buckle  62  with corresponding parts  62   a  and  62  on the ends that are adapted to lock with each other.  FIG. 6  shows the closure  56  with the sleeve  60  in an unfurled position, and the buckle  62  unlocked. In this way, the latching bars  58   a  and  58   b  can be separated to create the opening  61 , and any debris inside can be emptied out. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , the closing of the closure  56  is shown. First, the latching bars  58   a  and  58   b  are placed together and aligned with each other, as shown in step  1 . Then the bars  58   a  and  58   b  are rolled up the sleeve  60  until it&#39;s adjacent the collection bag  50  and can&#39;t be rolled any further, as shown in steps  2  and  3 . The bars  58   a  and  58   b  are then folded so that the ends of the buckle  62   a  and  62   b  are brought together and locked, as shown in step  4 . This prevents the sleeve  60  from unfurling and keeps the closure  56  closed while the blowervac is in use.  FIG. 10  shows another example of the same process. 
       FIG. 11  shows the attachment of the transport hose  14  to the collection bag  50  using a connector  63 . The connector is made of a pliant stitch bonded fabric with acrylic foam coating, a woven fabric, or other similar material. This provides more easier maneuverability of the hose  14 . 
       FIGS. 12 and 13  show the dimensions of a collection bag of an embodiment of the present invention. The width of the bag W is approximately 800 millimeters, a height H is approximately 500 millimeters and a depth D is approximately 301 millimeters. Additionally, the sleeve has a width S W  of approximately 130 millimeters and height S H  of approximately 430 millimeters. Of course it should be understood that the collection bag can have any dimensions and be of any shape and still fall within the scope of the present invention. 
     The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.