Power sweeper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11148176-B2
Application number	US-201815984463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2018
Priority date	May 22, 2017
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A power sweeper has a handle having a first end graspable by a user and a second end, a drive shaft extending along the handle, and a power head coupled to the handle to rotate the drive shaft. A gear box is coupled to the drive shaft adjacent the second end, and a brush is coupled to the gear box for rotation in response to rotation of the drive shaft. The power sweeper includes an axle, and first and second wheels coupled to the axle. A shield is coupled to the gear box and defines an aperture through which the handle extends. The axle is moveable with respect to the shield and the brush to adjust an angle between the handle and the ground surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power sweeper comprising:
a handle having a first end and a second end graspable by a user;
a drive shalt extending along the handle;
a power head coupled to the handle to rotate the drive shaft;
a gear box coupled to the drive shalt adjacent the first end;
a brush coupled to the gear box for rotation in response to rotation of the drive shaft;
an axle;
a first wheel coupled the axle, the first wheel configured to roll along a ground surface;
a second wheel coupled to the axle, the second wheel configured to roll along the ground surface;
a shield coupled to the gear box, the shield defining an aperture through which the handle extends; and
a bracket coupled to the axle and the bracket coupled to the shield, wherein the axle is moveable with respect to the shield and the brush to adjust an angle between the handle and the ground surface, and wherein the bracket slides along the shield to move the first wheel, the second wheel, and the axle relative to the shield to adjust the angle between the handle and the ground surface.

2. The power sweeper of claim 1 , wherein the brush defines a circumference and wherein the shield extends around a portion of the circumference of the brush.

3. The power sweeper of claim 1 , wherein the drive shaft extends along an entire length of the handle between the handle first end and the handle second end.

4. The power sweeper of claim 1 , further comprising a cap coupled to the second end of the handle, the cap being removable from the second end of the handle to uncover the drive shaft, and wherein the power head is removably coupled to the second end of the handle.

5. The power sweeper of claim 1 , further comprising a bracket coupled to the axle, wherein the shield defines a first aperture and the bracket defines a second aperture, and further comprising a fastener extending through the first aperture and the second aperture to couple the bracket to the shield.

6. The power sweeper of claim 5 , wherein the second aperture is an elongate slot such that the shield can be coupled to the bracket at a plurality of locations to permit adjustment of the angle between the handle and the ground surface.

7. A method of adjusting an angle of a handle of a power sweeper with respect to a support surface, the method comprising:
coupling a pair of wheels to an axle;
coupling a support member to the axle;
coupling a shield to the support member;
coupling a handle to the support member;
extending a drive shaft through the handle;
coupling a power head to a first end of the drive shaft;
coupling a brush to a second end of the drive shaft;
rotating the brush with the drive shaft in response to operation of the power head; and
moving the support member with respect to the shield to move the pair of wheels and the axle relative to the shield to change an angle between the handle and the support surface.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the shield is coupled to the support member by inserting a fastener through a first aperture in the shield and through a second aperture in the support member.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising fixing the support member to the axle, wherein moving the shield with respect to the axle includes moving the shield with respect to the support member.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising loosening the fastener prior to moving the shield with respect to the support member, and tightening the fastener after moving the shield with respect to the support member.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising coupling the shield to a gearbox such that the shield extends around a portion of the brush.

12. A power sweeper configured to be coupled to a power head, the power sweeper comprising:
a handle graspable by a user;
a first wheel and a second wheel coupled to the handle;
an axle extending between the first wheel and the second wheel;
a brush coupled to at least one of the handle, the first wheel and the second wheel;
a drive shaft coupled to the brush to rotate the brush, the drive shaft configured to be rotated by the power head;
a shield coupled to the wheel, the shield defining an aperture through which the handle extends; and a bracket coupled to the axle and coupled to the shield, wherein the shield is moveable with respect to the wheel to adjust an angle between the handle and a ground surface, and wherein the bracket slides along the shield to move the first wheel, the second wheel, and the axle relative to the shield to adjust the angle between the handle and the ground surface.

13. The power sweeper of claim 12 , further comprising a gear box coupled to the drive shaft and the brush, wherein the shield is coupled to the gear box and the shield extends around a portion of a circumference of the brush.

14. The power sweeper of claim 12 , wherein a first end of the handle is coupled to the wheel and a second end of the handle is spaced from the wheel, wherein the drive shaft extends along substantially an entire length of the handle between the handle first end and the handle second end.

15. The power sweeper of claim 12 , wherein the shield defines a first aperture and the bracket defines a second aperture, and further comprising a fastener extending through the first aperture and the second aperture to couple the bracket to the shield.

16. The power sweeper of claim 14 , further comprising a cap coupled to the second end of the handle, the cap being removable from the second end of the handle to uncover the drive shaft, and wherein the power head is removably coupled to the second end of the handle.

17. The power sweeper of claim 15 , wherein the second aperture is an elongate slot such that the shield can be coupled to the bracket at a plurality of locations to permit adjustment of the angle between the handle and the support surface.

Assignees

• Tti Macao Commercial Offshore Ltd

Inventors

• Nolin Eric
• Gillespie Todd A

Classifications

• B08B1/34

  rotating about an axis parallel to the surface · CPC title

• E01H1/056 Primary

  having horizontal axes · CPC title

• A47L11/4075

  Handles; levers · CPC title

• A47L11/24

  Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven · CPC title

• A47L11/4041

  Roll shaped surface treating tools · CPC title