Patent Publication Number: US-2020296893-A1

Title: Lawnmower systems and devices including a leaf blower attachment

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present disclosure relates to and claims the benefit or and priority to U.S. Prov. Pat. App. Ser. No. 62/821,552, which was filed on Mar. 21, 2019, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure generally relates to an attachment for a lawnmower, and more particularly to an attachment for a lawnmower for releasably coupling a leaf blower to the lawnmower. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1A-1B , a gardener G using a leaf blower  10  is shown. Conventionally, a leaf blower  10  includes a housing containing a motor that is configured to eject or blow air out from a tube  11  such that the air A flowing out therefrom moves leaves and other debris away and generally in the direction of the airflow, i.e., along the longitudinal axis B-B defined by the tube  11 . The leaf blower  10  may be handheld as shown in  FIG. 1A  or alternatively, the leaf blower  10  may be worn as a backpack as shown in  FIG. 1B . 
     Conventionally, the direction in which the air blown from the leaf blower  10  flows depends on how the person holds the leaf blower  10  and how the user stands as this determines the orientation of the axis B-B that is defined by the tube  11  of the leaf blower  10 . In other words, the gardener G must direct his or her body in the direction that he or she wishes to have the airflow of leaf blower  10  directed towards such that the gardener G is not free to perform other tasks besides leaf blowing while using the leaf blower  10 . 
     While attachments for leaf blowers may be known (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,065,944), attachments for lawnmowers such that conventional leaf blowers can be used are not known in the art and would be particularly advantageous so as to more efficiently blow and collect leaves and other debris from lawns and gardens. 
     Also, while riding mowers including leaf blowers are known such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,579,058 and U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2014/0157744, such systems have disadvantages. For example, there are applications in which a handheld leaf blower is desirable. It should be appreciated, however, that having a specialized tool for each particular application may be cumbersome and impractical. For example, for large lawns, a riding mower is desirable and conventionally, a gardener may periodically dismount the riding mower and use a handheld leaf blower to clean up leaves and debris (e.g., grass trimmings). 
     From a time-efficiency and convenience standpoint, it would be desirable if such a handheld leaf blower could be used while riding the mower and that the airflow from the leaf blower could be optimally directed while using the riding mower. As discussed above, conventional riding mowers, even those that have leaf blowing functionality, are unable to optimally direct or redirect airflow from leaf blowers and cannot safely be operated while using a conventional handheld leaf blower. 
     The presently disclosure addresses the above discussed disadvantages of the conventional art. 
     ASPECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An attachment for releasably coupling a handheld leaf blower to a riding lawnmower including a tube having a first end and a second end, the first end including a receptacle configured to releasably secure an airflow end of the handheld leaf blower to the tube; and an outlet member disposed at the second end of the tube and including at least one outlet to direct air from the outlet, the outlet member including at least one fastener for securing the outlet member to the riding lawnmower. 
     The at least one outlet may include at least a first outlet and a second outlet, i.e., at least two outlets. At least one nozzle may be secured to the at least one outlet of the outlet member and may direct airflow from the tube along an adjustable and repositionable orientation relative to a longitudinally extending axis of the at least one outlet. A first nozzle having a first longitudinally extending axis may be securable to the first outlet and may be radially adjustable relative to first longitudinally extending axis. A second nozzle having a second longitudinally extending axis may be securable to the second outlet and may be radially adjustable relative to the second longitudinally extending axis. The first nozzle and the second nozzle may be independently adjustable relative to one another. 
     A lawnmower system may include a lawnmower; and a tube having an inlet configured to receive an outlet end of a handheld leaf blower and at least one outlet configured to direct airflow from the handheld leaf blower in at least one of a direction in a forward direction and a lateral direction with respect to a direction of operation of the lawnmower. 
     These and other aspects of the present disclosure are more fully described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A further understanding of the present disclosure can be obtained by reference to a preferred embodiment set forth in the illustrations of the accompanying drawings. Although the illustrated preferred embodiment is merely exemplary of methods, structures and compositions for carrying out the present disclosure, both the organization and method of the disclosure, in general, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, may be more easily understood by reference to the drawings and the following description. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure, which is set forth with particularity in the claims as appended or as subsequently amended, but merely to clarify and exemplify the disclosure. 
       For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, reference is now made to the following drawings in which: 
         FIGS. 1A-1B  are illustrations showing the use of a conventional leaf blower as known in the prior art. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view a leaf blower attachment for a lawnmower in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the leaf blower attachment of  FIG. 2  shown mounted and coupled to a riding/standing lawnmower and in use according to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a leaf blower attachment for a lawnmower in accordance with present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention. Wherever possible, same or similar reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts or steps. The drawings are in simplified form and are not to precise scale. 
     As discussed above, and as shown in  FIG. 1 , a gardener G using a conventional leaf blower  10  is shown. Conventionally, a leaf blower  10  includes a housing containing a motor that is configured to eject or blow air out from a tube  11  such that the air A flowing out therefrom moves leaves and other debris away and generally in the direction of the airflow, i.e., along the longitudinal axis B-B defined by the tube  11 . Therefore, conventionally, the direction in which the air flows depends on how the person holds the leaf blower  10  and how the person stands as this determines the orientation of the axis B-B that is defined by the tube  11  of the leaf blower  10 . The present disclosure addresses overcomes at least some of the limitations of the conventional leaf blower by enabling gardeners to ride on their lawnmowers while also leafblowing, thereby increasing efficiency and speed. 
     It should also be appreciated that using such a conventional leaf blower  10  while performing other tasks, e.g., riding a lawn mower may be difficult, dangerous, and/or impossible as controlling the lawnmower often involves the use of both hands (e.g., one hand to steer left/right and a second hand to control speed) and it is also important for an operator to remain alert with an eye in the direction in which the lawnmower is traveling. Conventionally, this means that once completing lawnmower operations, that the operator needs to take his handheld leaf blower to clean-up leaves and debris created from trimming the lawn. 
     Advantageously, the present disclosure provides an attachment  100  for a conventional lawnmower which is now described with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the attachment  100  includes a tube  102  which may be configured in a shape which facilitates mounting of the attachment  100  onto a conventional lawnmower at an appropriate position while facilitating releasably coupling a handheld leaf blower thereto such that operation of both the leaf blower and the lawnmower can take place contemporaneously. The tube  102  may have any suitable shape including, for example, an L-shape, which may be coupled to one or more outlets for air. 
     As will be discussed in greater detail below, the attachment  100  may be secured to the lawnmower. For example, some or all of the components (e.g., the tube  102 ) of the attachment  100  may be secured to the frame or housing of the lawnmower. 
     The attachment  100  allows a user to operate the lawnmower and the leaf blower at the same time, i.e., the leaf blower can be used while on a standing or riding lawnmower by coupling the leaf blower to the attachment  100 . In particular, the leaf blower may be coupled to the attachment  100  and may be placed in an actuated or ‘on’ mode and secured to the attachment  100  such that while controlling the lawnmower, the leaf blower also works to blow leaves and debris. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the tube  102  may be secured to a lawnmower L. Also, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a flexible member  102   a  may be disposed between an inlet end of the attachment  100  and the tube  102 . Securing of a leaf blower to the attachment  100  may be accomplished by providing a leaf blower, such as the leaf blower  10  and inserting the tube  11  into an inlet  104  of the tube  102 . The inlet  104  may be configured, e.g., shaped and sized, to snuggly receive the tube  11  of the leaf blower  10  such that the tube  11  remains secured within the inlet  104  of the tube  102  of the attachment  100  until it is removed by the operator, e.g., gardener G and the risk of inadvertent removal is minimized. For example, the inlet end  104  may be formed from or may include a compressible or semi-compressible material to facilitate forming a seal around the end of the leaf blower that is inserted into the inlet end  104 . 
     The tube  102  may include or may be coupled to an outlet member  106  through which airflow from the leaf blower is directed. The tube  102  and the outlet member  106  may be integrally formed or may be discrete components that are secured to one another. The outlet member  106  may include one or more outlets  106 A and  106 B. When used, air flowing out from the tube  11  of the leaf blower  10  may pass through the tube  102  and through the outlet member, exiting from and through the outlets  106 A and  106 B. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , nozzles  108  may be coupled or secured to each of the outlets  106 A and  106 B. The nozzles  108  may have a tapered shape that narrows from where it is secured to the outlets  106 A and  106 B toward its distal or outlet end such that the air is directed toward a narrowed end, thereby increasing the rate of the airflow and the intensity with which the air exists from the nozzles  108 . In addition, the nozzles  108  may be configured to swivel or rotate, e.g., in any direction along or against directional arrows R and S such that airflow along the longitudinally extending axis T of the nozzle  108 . While the longitudinally extending axis of the nozzle  108  may be co-axial with the longitudinally extending axis of the outlet  106 A or  106 B to which it is attached, the axis T of the nozzle  108  may be angled in any direction relative to the longitudinally extending axis of the outlet  106 A or  106 B. The nozzles  108  may be adjustable to adjust the rate of airflow through the nozzles  108 , e.g., by adjusting an aperture of the nozzles  108  through which air is directed. As shown in  FIG. 3 , nozzles  108  may include a tapered head  108   h , which may have an elongated shape, and/or may be rotated relative to longitudinally extending axis T, which may facilitate directed air to a surface beneath the lawnmower L. 
     As shown best in  FIG. 3 , the outlet member  106  may include fasteners F, e.g., nuts or bolts ( FIG. 2 ), which may be used to secure the outlet member  106  to the housing of a lawnmower L, which may be a conventional standing riding mower. During use, the leaf blower  10  may be coupled to the tube  102  at its inlet end  104 , thereby enabling the operator or gardener G to operate both the lawnmower L and the leaf blower  10 . As the nozzles  108  are selectably directable, the nozzles  108  may be oriented such that airflow from the leaf blower  10  blows air in the direction of travel of the lawnmower L or in directions orthogonal thereto; additionally, the nozzles  108  may direct air in different directions from one another. It should be appreciated that while two nozzles  108  are shown coupled to an equal number of outlets  106 A-B that a greater or lesser number of such nozzles  108  and outlets  106 A and  106 B may be utilized. 
     In a further embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4 , an attachment  200  that is substantially similar to the attachment  100  may be coupled to the lawnmower L. The attachment  200  may include an inlet end  202  into which the leaf blower  10  may be inserted and coupled. The first outlet member  204 A may be secured at a front end of the lawnmower frame Lf to direct airflow toward the front of the lawnmower L. A second outlet member  206  having at least one outlet end  204 B that may be secured to an opposing surface of the lawnmower frame Lf. 
     The attachment  200  may include at least a first outlet member  204 A and may be secured to the lawnmower L with one or more rings  205  that are disposed at or near the inlet end  202  that are secured to the lawnmower L. The second outlet member  206  may be in fluidic communication with the inlet end  202  may be configured to direct airflow from the leaf blower  10 , when it is coupled to the attachment  200  at its inlet end  202 , to a lateral side of the lawnmower L. The inlet end  202  may include a gasket or the like to form a fluidic seal with the leaf blower when it is inserted into the inlet end  202 . Thus, the outlet  204 A may direct airflow toward the front of the lawnmower L and the outlet  204 B may direct airflow to the side of the lawnmower L at the same time. The outlet  204 A may include a narrowed, elongated opening such that a relatively strong stream of airflow is directed toward the front of the lawnmower L. 
     GLOSSARY OF TERMS 
     
         
         G: Gardener 
         L: Lawnmower 
         Lf: Lawnmower frame 
           10 : Leaf blower 
           11 : Tube 
         B-B: Longitudinal axis defined by the tube  11   
           100 : Attachment 
           102 : Tube 
           102   a : Flexible member 
           104 : Inlet 
           106 : Outlet member 
           106 A: Outlet 
           106 B: Outlet 
           108 : Nozzle 
           108   h : Nozzle head 
         F: Fastener 
           200 : Attachment 
           202 : Inlet 
           204 A: First outlet member 
           204 B: Second outlet member 
           206 : Attachment means 
       
    
     Having described at least one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent to those skills that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various modifications and variations can be made in the presently disclosed system without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure cover modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.