Corrugated tube for blower and blower

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11927282-B2
Application number	US-202017621009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2020
Priority date	Jun 26, 2019
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

An outlet tube includes a first rib, a second rib, and a channel positioned between the first rib and the second rib. The first rib extends from a surface of the tube. The first rib tapers between a first thickness and a second thickness. The second rib extends from the surface of the tube. The second rib tapers between the first thickness and the second thickness. The channel has a first width between adjacent first thicknesses and a second width between adjacent second thicknesses. The first width is greater than the second width.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A corrugated tube for a blower, comprising:
a first rib extending from a surface of the corrugated tube, the first rib extending around an entire circumference of the corrugated tube and defining a circular cross-section, the first rib tapering between a first thickness and a second thickness;
a second rib extending from the surface of the corrugated tube and being spaced apart from the first rib, the second rib extending around the entire circumference of the corrugated tube and defining a circular cross-section, the second rib tapering between the first thickness and the second thickness, the first thickness of the first and second ribs being aligned with one another and the second thickness of the first and second ribs being aligned with one another; and
a channel positioned between the first rib and the second rib and defining an elliptical cross-section about the corrugated tube, the channel having a first width between adjacent first thicknesses and a second width between adjacent second thicknesses, the first width being less than the second width.

2. The corrugated tube of claim 1 , wherein the first width is orthogonal with respect to the second width.

3. The corrugated tube of claim 1 , wherein the first rib is bendable in a first direction relative to the second rib a first distance about the first width of the channel, and is bendable a second distance about the second width of the channel in a second direction, the first distance being less than the second distance.

4. The corrugated tube of claim 1 , wherein the first rib has a first depth measured from a top of the first rib to the channel proximate the first width and a second depth measured from the top of the first rib to the channel proximate the second width, the first depth being greater than the second depth.

5. The corrugated tube of claim 1 , wherein the first rib and the second rib are two of a plurality of ribs, all of which are identical to one another.

6. The corrugated tube of claim 1 , wherein the first rib is bendable relative to the second rib about the channel in an infinite number of radial directions.

7. A blower comprising:
a main body having an inlet and an outlet; and
an outlet tube coupled to the main body proximate the outlet, the outlet tube having a circular cross section and including
a first section, and
a second section having a first rib, a second rib, and a channel positioned between the first rib and the second rib, each of the first rib and the second rib tapering between a first thickness at first diametrically opposed circumferential locations of the outlet tube and a second thickness at second diametrically opposed circumferential locations of the outlet tube, each of the first and second ribs having a varying thickness around a circumference of the outlet tube, the first and second ribs having an identical angle between a top of a respective rib and the channel along the entire circumference.

8. The blower of claim 7 , further comprising a battery removably coupled to the main body.

9. The blower of claim 7 , further comprising the channel having a first width between adjacent first thicknesses and a second width between adjacent second thicknesses, the first width being less than the second width.

10. The blower of claim 9 , wherein the first rib is bendable relative to the second rib a first distance about the first width of the channel in a first direction, and a second distance about the second width of the channel in a second direction, the first distance being less than the second distance.

11. The blower of claim 7 , wherein the first thickness of the first rib is aligned with the first thickness of the second rib, and the second thickness of the first rib is aligned with the second thickness of the second rib, and wherein the first thicknesses are spaced 90° apart from the second thicknesses.

12. The blower of claim 7 , wherein the first section is moveable relative to the main body and the second section is moveable relative to the first section.

13. The blower of claim 7 , wherein the outlet tube further comprises a third section including a tube outlet, the third section coupled between the first and second section, and the third section movable with the second section relative to the first section in order to change a direction of the tube outlet.

14. A blower comprising:
a main body; and
an outlet tube coupled to the main body, the outlet tube including
a first section movably coupled to the main body, and
a second section having a first rib and a second rib, each of the first rib and the second rib tapering circumferentially about a central longitudinal axis of the outlet tube between a first thickness and a second thickness, each of the first rib and the second rib extending a constant radial distance from the central longitudinal axis, the first rib movable relative to the second rib in order to move the second section relative to the first section, the outlet tube movable in a first pair of opposite directions, and the outlet tube movable in a second pair of opposite directions, the first pair of opposite directions being orthogonal to the second pair of opposite directions, and wherein the second section allows for less movement in the first pair of opposite directions than is allowed in the second pair of opposite directions.

15. The blower of claim 14 , further comprising a battery removably coupled to the main body.

16. The blower of claim 14 , further comprising a channel positioned between the first rib and the second rib, the channel having a first width between adjacent first thicknesses and a second width between adjacent second thicknesses, the first width being less than the second width.

17. The blower of claim 16 , wherein the first rib is bendable relative to the second rib a first distance about the first width of the channel in a first direction, and a second distance about the second width of the channel in a second direction, the first distance being less than the second distance, and the first section being movable in the first direction a third distance that is greater than the first distance.

18. The blower of claim 14 , wherein the first thickness is orthogonal with respect to the second thickness.

19. The blower of claim 14 , wherein the first rib has a first depth measured from a top of the first rib to a channel between the first and second ribs and a second depth measured from the top of the first rib to the channel, the first depth is proximate the first thickness and the second depth is proximate the second thickness, the first depth is greater than the second depth.

20. The blower of claim 14 , wherein the first rib is bendable relative to the second rib about the channel in an infinite number of radial directions.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Ni Zu Gen
• Ji Xue Fei
• Zhang Guo Xing
• Dee Sullivan
• Jensen Robert P

Classifications

• F16L11/15 Primary

  corrugated (F16L11/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01G20/47

  Vacuum or blower devices · CPC title

• F04D25/084

  hand fans · CPC title

• F04D29/441

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F04D29/545

  Ducts · CPC title