Black Decker Inc.

Clare Tate

Mark James Baxter

John Sadler

Mark Stratford

Nigel Robson

Matt Tollini

An attachment for a blower vacuum device comprising a collection bag; a coupler for removeably coupling the attachment to an air outlet of the blower vacuum device and for directing air from the air outlet into the collection bag; and a rotatable cuff fixed to the collection bag and rotatably mounted to the coupler such that the collection bag is rotatable with respect to the air outlet.

Blower vacuum device and attachment thereof

String trimmer

Rotatable cuff for a blower vac

A hedgetrimmer having a housing, a motor located within the housing for driving a reciprocating blade for cutting vegetation. A front handle located at a front end of the housing and a rear handle located at a rear end of the housing. The rear handle having a trigger to actuate the motor, the rear handle being rotatable around a longitudinal axis of the housing. The rear handle is lockable at one of several positions so that a user can grip the two handles in the most comfortable position for the desired cutting operation.

Hedgetrimmer with rotatable rear handle

Hedgetrimmer with rotating handle

The present invention provides a blower-vacuum device having means for collecting garden waste, the garden waste collecting means comprising: an attachment part () for receiving a garden waste receptacle; and a garden waste receptacle () for removable engagement with the attachment part; wherein the attachment part () comprises an arcuate groove (); and the garden waste receptacle () comprises a band () defining a mouth () of the receptacle for sliding engagement with the groove. Thus the receptacle may be easily removed from the attachment part of the blower-vacuum device merely by sliding the band () of the receptacle out of the groove (), whereupon the receptacle may then be emptied of garden waste by tipping it upside-down. In a preferred embodiment, the band () is made of a resilient material, whereby when the band is inserted into the groove (), the band is constrained by the groove and the mouth () of the receptacle defined by the band is made narrower than when the band is withdrawn from the groove. Thus when the band is withdrawn from the groove (), the mouth () of the receptacle opens out (arrows R and S), making it easier to empty.

Means for collecting garden waste

The present invention provides a blower-vacuum device with both a blowing mode of operation and a vacuuming mode of operation and having dirty fan operation in the vacuuming mode thereof, which comprises: a hand-holdable unit () comprising a motor having an output shaft extending outwardly of said hand-holdable unit; an impeller connected to said output shaft; a first attachment () for removable engagement with the hand-holdable unit () in the vacuuming mode of operation and comprising both a first volute () for enclosing said impeller and a vacuum tube () in fluid communication with an inlet of said first volute; a second attachment () for removable engagement with the hand-holdable unit () in the blowing mode of operation and comprising both a second volute () for enclosing said impeller and a blower tube () in fluid communication with an outlet of said second volute; wherein the first attachment further comprises a handle () on or proximal to said first volute; and the blower tube () of the second attachment is coplanar with the second volute (). Thus the impeller is always easily accessible for cleaning if it becomes clogged with garden waste, the blower-vacuum device may be operated with only one hand in blowing mode and two hands in vacuuming mode and air from the second volute () can pass freely down the blower tube () without encountering any sharp turns.

Blower-vacuum devices

The present invention provides an interlock mechanism suitable for use with a blower-vacuum device, which comprises: a user-operable switch () having a first condition for activating a motor of said blower-vacuum device and a second condition for deactivating said motor; a latch () for engagement with a removable attachment of said blower-vacuum device; and a user-operable release button () for disengaging said attachment from said latch (); wherein said switch () is operable to activate said motor only when an attachment is engaged with said latch (), and said release button () is operable to disengage an attachment from said latch () only when said motor is deactivated; and wherein the first condition of said switch () comprises a first position of said switch for activating said motor at a first speed of operation and a second position of said switch for activating said motor at a second speed of operation. Thus the fan of the blowervac can be driven by the motor at two different speeds of operation suitable for different usage conditions, even though the fan cannot be driven by the motor when the fan is exposed.

Growing community of inventors

Newton Aycliffe, United Kingdom

Clare Tate