Patents by Inventor Lance A. Eckard

Lance A. Eckard has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220010798
    Abstract: A blower including a housing at least partially defining a chamber, a motor including a drive shaft defining a rotational axis, and an impeller drive by the motor to generate an air flow in the chamber. The blower also includes a coupler operably connected between the drive shaft and the impeller to transmit torque therebetween, the coupler being connected to one of the drive shaft and the impeller and including a plurality of ribs configured to engage the other of the drive shaft and the impeller, each rib defining a rib axis transverse to the rotational axis, each rib axis being arranged tangent to a circle centered on the rotational axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Ronald J. Hoffman, Eric Nolin, Christopher A. Holman, Lance A. Eckard
  • Patent number: 11156224
    Abstract: A blower including a housing at least partially defining a chamber, a motor including a drive shaft defining a rotational axis, an impeller driven by the motor to generate an air flow in the chamber, and a coupler operably connected between the drive shaft and the impeller. The chamber may have an axial height which increases from a position proximate a back plate to a position spaced from the back plate. The chamber may have a non-circular cross-section proximate a chamber outlet, and a tube assembly in fluid communication with the chamber may have a tube inlet with a non-circular cross-section. The impeller may define two separate airflow paths each having an inlet and an outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: TTI (MACAO COMMERCIAL OFFSHORE) LIMITED
    Inventors: Ronald J. Hoffman, Eric Nolin, Christopher A. Holman, Lance A. Eckard
  • Patent number: 10897858
    Abstract: An air-flow generating device, such as a blower, a vacuum, a mulcher, etc. The device may include a motor, a housing that supports the motor, and a passageway coupled to the housing and defining a passageway axis between a first opening and a second opening. The device may also include a fan assembly with a first axial fan and a second axial fan, and a transmission assembly coupling the first axial fan and the second axial fan to the motor. The transmission assembly may include a transmission shaft rotatable about a transmission axis substantially orthogonal to the passageway axis. An actuator may be operable to adjust the fan assembly about the transmission axis between a first condition, in which the first axial fan is positioned proximate the first opening, and a second condition, in which the second axial fan is positioned proximate the first opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: TTI (MACAO COMMERCIAL OFFSHORE) LIMITED
    Inventors: Ronald J. Hoffman, Lance A. Eckard
  • Publication number: 20190159409
    Abstract: An air-flow generating device, such as a blower, a vacuum, a mulcher, etc. The device may include a motor, a housing that supports the motor, and a passageway coupled to the housing and defining a passageway axis between a first opening and a second opening. The device may also include a fan assembly with a first axial fan and a second axial fan, and a transmission assembly coupling the first axial fan and the second axial fan to the motor. The transmission assembly may include a transmission shaft rotatable about a transmission axis substantially orthogonal to the passageway axis. An actuator may be operable to adjust the fan assembly about the transmission axis between a first condition, in which the first axial fan is positioned proximate the first opening, and a second condition, in which the second axial fan is positioned proximate the first opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Ronald J. Hoffman, Lance A. Eckard
  • Publication number: 20190104694
    Abstract: A blower including a housing at least partially defining a chamber, a motor including a drive shaft defining a rotational axis, an impeller driven by the motor to generate an air flow in the chamber, and a coupler operably connected between the drive shaft and the impeller. The chamber may have an axial height which increases from a position proximate a back plate to a position spaced from the back plate. The chamber may have a non-circular cross-section proximate a chamber outlet, and a tube assembly in fluid communication with the chamber may have a tube inlet with a non-circular cross-section. The impeller may define two separate airflow paths each having an inlet and an outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Ronald J. Hoffman, Eric Nolin, Christopher A. Holman, Lance A. Eckard