BEACH VACUUM CLEANER
A vacuum cleaner for removal of items, such as cigarette butts or other debris, from a sandy surface with a minimal amount of sand contamination includes a receptacle positioned inside the vacuum, and a hose terminating in an angled nozzle to pick up items. One hose embodiment includes a transparent member so it can be monitored for clogging by the accumulated debris. The receptacle contains a plurality of openings sized to enable sand to be passed through the receptacle while debris is retained within it. Embodiments utilize different mechanisms to empty the vacuum and remove debris. A push button switch can be wired into the vacuum allowing for improved control of the vacuum, and increase battery life.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/517,991, filed 12 Jun. 2017 by the present inventor, and whose contents are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONEmbodiments of the present invention are directed to vacuum cleaners, and primarily to a vacuum cleaner that can be used on sandy surfaces, such as beaches, to remove debris from the beach without removing large quantities of the sandy surface. Embodiments can also be used for cleaning other types of sandy areas, for example, those commonly found in playgrounds or sand traps on golf courses.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn addition to marine items such as shells, seaweed and driftwood, for example, that are commonly washed ashore and accumulate on a beach, items left by human activity, ranging from food items, lost coins or jewelry, and other items, frequently cigar and cigarette butts, accumulate on most beaches. Some larger items, such as beverage containers, plastic and/or paper bags, can be easily removed by mechanical beach cleaning equipment, such as sweepers or other types of vehicles. The smaller paper items, such as butts, present a different problem because they are often not removed by these devices, or if they are, they are accompanied by a large amount of sand that is also removed from the beach surface. Recent reports from several New Jersey beach towns have indicated that in addition to cigarette butts, other small debris, such as plastic straws, and plastic straws from boxed drinks, represent a major source of beach trash. While people may be employed to manually pick up trash from beach surfaces, it can be a tedious and repetitive job, and may be an inefficient process considering the size of many beaches. The present inventor has found a way to remove small items, such as butts, from a beach's surface and to do so with a minimal amount of sand contamination after modification of both a portable vacuum cleaner, and a portable wet/dry vacuum cleaner. The present specification describes embodiments of the vacuum, its' method of use and method of being modified.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn object of the present invention is to produce a vacuum cleaner that can be used on sandy surfaces to remove items from the sandy surface, and to do so with a minimal amount of sand contamination.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for using a vacuum to remove items from a sandy surface, and to do so with a minimal amount of sand contamination.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner with an emptying mechanism that facilitates emptying of its' contents without having to disassemble the vacuum.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of modifying a vacuum cleaner for use on sandy surfaces for removal of items from the sandy surface a minimal amount of sand contamination.
A vacuum cleaner for removal of items, such as cigarette butts or other debris, from a sandy surface with a minimal amount of sand contamination includes a receptacle positioned inside the vacuum, and a hose terminating in an angled nozzle to pick up items. One hose embodiment includes a transparent member so it can be monitored for clogging by the accumulated debris. The receptacle contains a plurality of openings sized to enable sand to be passed through the receptacle while debris is retained within it. Embodiments utilize different mechanisms to empty the vacuum and remove debris. A push button switch can be wired into the vacuum allowing for improved control of the vacuum, and increase battery life. A carrying strap can be attached to enable a user to carry the vacuum over a prolonged period.
For purposes of the present specification, while the term “beach” has its meaning referring to the coastline, such as the area adjacent an ocean or lake, it is also intended to encompass beaches that may be found along the shore of a river, stream or other body of water, as well as other types of sandy areas, such as sand traps on golf courses, children's sand boxes and the like in playgrounds, sand areas positioned beneath swings in playgrounds and the like, or other areas where sand is present or accumulates. In an extreme example the term “beach” could also encompass sand dunes or deserts.
An embodiment of the present invention (
The housing 200 has a handle 201 and may have indicia 202 on its sides, or other surfaces. The indicia 202 could be functional, such as safety warnings (top indicia), or decorative, as in the bottom indicia (
The hinged cover 212 includes a prong 220 at its sides that engages with a prong receiver 222 on the compartment wall 224 to close the first compartment 210 by a press-fit. The prong 220 and prong receiver 222 are conventional mechanisms used on many tools, containers or other devices to effect closure of a housing or like component, as known to those skilled in the art.
Second compartment 240 includes an upper chamber 250, and a bottom receptacle 270 which is attached to the upper chamber 250 by a pair of latches 280, a first latch on one side of the compartment, and a second latch on the second side of the compartment 240. The upper chamber 250 includes an upper surface 251. In the embodiment shown in
The vacuum 100 is used with the filter 242 present in the housing 200; the second compartment 240 is closed by attaching the upper chamber 250 to the bottom receptacle 270 using latches 280, the basket 290 is positioned beneath the first opening 252, and near the filter 242. First opening 252 includes a prong 253 onto which the female end 302 of the hose is attached. The male end 304 of the hose terminates in a projection 304 onto which a nozzle 350 of other attachment can be joined to the hose 300. The vacuum model purchased and modified by the inventor comes with a single hose, which is extendable, and which could be used with nozzle 350. It has been found that the hose assembly 300 in one embodiment of the present invention (
The second compartment 240 is closed when the upper chamber 250 is joined to the bottom receptacle 270, and held in place by latch 280. The upper chamber 250 and the bottom receptacle 270 are aligned with each other, and pushed together. The flaps 284 of the latch 280 engage with a ridge 276 of both the upper chamber 250 and the bottom receptacle 270, and close the second compartment 240. The latch 280 is attached to the side of the upper chamber, as has been previously described. Each latch 280 comprises a base 282 that is attached to the upper chamber, and a “wing-like” pair of flaps 284 that extend outward from the base 280. The flap ends 286 engage the ridges 276 of the upper chamber 250 and the ridge 276 of the bottom receptacle 270.
In this embodiment the hose 300 comprises a hose element 302 attached to a transparent hose 304 by means of a connector 306 and hose clamps 310, and the transparent hose 304 attached to the vacuum opening 252 by means of a second connector 312 and hose clamps 310. The hose element 302 can be a “standard” flexible hose that is commonly sold with wet/dry vacuums, or can be an elongated extension rod for use with such hoses. In the embodiment shown in
The transparent hose 304 has a diameter greater than that of hose element 302, and the final connector 314 has a diameter larger than that of the transparent hose 304. The transparent hose 304 can be a piece of tubing, such as TYGON® Tubing (Registered trademark of Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corp, Solon, Ohio for flexible non-metallic tubing), or other similar clear tubing. The final connector 314 can be a type of tubing similar to that used for a wet/dry vac, or other tubing similar to the “standard” hose that is capable of withstanding the vacuum without collapsing or causing operational difficulties.
The use of a series of hoses, in which the diameter of the hoses that are closer to the vacuum increase in size, facilitates removal of items, and prevents the hose from being blocked. The use of hoses of decreasing diameter as one approaches the vacuum causes the system to become clogged.
Other embodiments could use the “standard” hose that is provided by the manufacturer with the vacuum. In such an embodiment, the nozzle 350 is attached to one end of the hose, and the second end of the hose attached to the prong 253 where it is locked in place by locking mechanism 255. Other embodiments could utilize a combination of the “standard” hose, or pieces of the “standard” hose, in combination with the transparent tubing and/or the other solid tubing and connectors. When using such combinations, the diameter of the tubing being used should increase as the tubing extends from the nozzle to the body of the vacuum itself.
A nozzle 350 is attached to the “free” end of the hose element 302 by a press fit and held in place by hose clamps 310. This inventor has found that the use of a nozzle 350 with a diagonal end 352 works well to pick up debris from a sandy surface without being readily clogged.
Basket 290 includes a bottom 292 and four walls 294, which may be of equal length (if the basket is square) or unequal length (if basket is rectangular). The bottom 292 and walls 294 are made from a wire mesh, and are open, with the openings sized to be large enough to retain debris 298 that enters through the open top of the basket, allowing any sand that is drawn in to escape and be retained within the second compartment 240. Suitable materials for the basket include various types of wire mesh, chicken wire and the like, and can be made from materials such as aluminum, steel, stainless steel, reeds, other plant or natural and/or man-made fibers and the like. The size of the openings within the bottom and walls of the basket is more significant to the functioning of the beach vacuum 100 than the materials used to make the basket 290.
The weight of the battery and its' position at the front of the vacuum 100, and/or its' combination with the hose assembly, may cause the vacuum to be weighted to the front, and a user could become tired while hand-holding the vacuum for a period of time. A strap 390 can be attached to the vacuum 100 to alleviate this problem, allowing the user to place the strap 390 over their shoulder and position the vacuum 100 more evenly for use. In the embodiment shown in
In alternate embodiments, one or more fasteners can be attached to the vacuum 100, and used for attachment of the strap 390. Examples of such fasteners include, but are not limited to, D-rings, loops, carabiners, turnbuckles or the like. The strap 390 can be chosen from any type of strap, such as a guitar strap, camera strap, backpack strap, or a padded or non-padded strap, a piece of rope or other material.
An alternate embodiment of the present invention 500 (
Another alternate embodiment of the present invention 600 (
For use, the user positions the basket 290 within the housing 200, connects the hose 300 to the housing, turns on the power using power switch 216 which is in electrical communication with the motor and battery.
In another embodiment (reference number 800,
As in other embodiments, vacuum cleaner 800 comprises a housing 810, a hose 880 and nozzle 900. The housing 810 has a handle 812, and a trigger 814 that functions as an on/off switch. The housing could have indicia (not shown) on its sides, or other surfaces. The indicia could be functional, such as safety warnings, or decorative, as seen in other embodiments. Housing 810 includes a compartment 820 in which the motor and electrical components are contained, and a second compartment 830 to receive collected waste. The second compartment 830 is manufactured from a plastic. Second compartment 830 includes a bottom door 832 which is attached to compartment wall 834 by hinge 836. Door is held in place by means of a locking mechanism 838 in communication with a release mechanism 839 on the housing. By pulling up on the release mechanism 839 locking mechanism 838 disengages and releases door 832, and the contents of second compartment can be removed or dumped out from the compartment 830. A gasket and a receptacle that are mounted on the bottom door 832 are which would be inside the compartment when the door 832 is closed are not shown in order to simplify the drawing.
In this embodiment, the second compartment 830 has been modified, with a retaining mechanism 840 being attached to the compartment wall 834, and the retaining mechanism having a base 842 and retaining piece 844 that receives the ring 850 between them, and the retaining mechanism is closed by a fastener 846 (
The filter 860 used in this embodiment is a mesh filter through which ring 850 is inserted and retains the filter 860 within the second compartment. The filter top end 862 is generally open, and could be secured to the portal component where the vacuum enters the compartment by a hose clamp (not shown), elastic band, or similar attachment device. An example of a suitable filter is a mesh bag that is commonly used to package fruits and vegetables, such as onions or citrus fruit. The openings are sufficiently wide to retain debris such as cigarette butts, and allow smaller items, such as sand particles, to pass through.
In use, the vacuum's motor is activated, the nozzle directed at the desired surface to be cleaned, a quantity of debris removed from that surface, and the motor turned off. In this embodiment, the user pulls up on the release mechanism 839, the locking mechanism 838 disengages and releases door 832, and the contents of second compartment can be removed or dumped out from the compartment 830. Any sand that has been drawn into the container has been separated from debris within the filter, and the accumulated sand is discarded. If necessary, the top of the filter is opened, and the debris accumulated therein removed and discarded. In general, the quantity of sand taken up by the vacuum is minimal in comparison to the quantity of debris removed by the vacuum.
Another vacuum embodiment 1000 employs a push-button switch 1050 (
Without being bound by any theory, items like cigarette butts, paper and other debris have a density that is less than the density of sand; these lighter items are picked up first by the vacuum, such that by manipulating the position of the nozzle with respect to the item and the surface surrounding the item, the item can be picked up with a minimal pickup of sand from the surface.
The embodiments of the present specification are not intended to be limited for use solely on beaches. These embodiments could be used in other types of sandy areas, for example, to clean sand traps on golf courses, children's sand boxes and the like in playgrounds, sand areas positioned beneath swings in playgrounds and the like, or other areas where sand is present or accumulates. In addition, embodiments of the present invention could also be suitable to remove other small debris, such as plastic straws, and plastic straws from boxed drinks, from a surface.
Components such as the basket, mesh filter, the ring, and the associated mounting hardware could also be packaged and sold independently of the vacuum, enabling someone who already owns a particular vacuum unit to retrofit it for use as a beach vacuum.
Although embodiments of this invention have been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by the way of illustration, and that numerous changes in construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a housing including a motor, a power source, a collection container;
- the housing further including a means for activating the motor;
- a debris collector contained within the collection container, the debris collector being attached to the collection container,
- a hose in communication with the housing and the collection container, the hose terminating in a nozzle.
2. The vacuum as described in claim 1, wherein the collection container further comprises an emptying mechanism, the emptying mechanism including an opening, a neck extending through the collection container, the neck including threads, a threaded closure attached to the neck, and a separation device covering the opening, the threaded closure being removable, enabling small debris to be removed from the collection container.
3. The vacuum as described in claim 2, wherein the nozzle is angled at an angle ranging from about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees.
4. The vacuum as described in claim 2, further comprising a normally-open switch in electrical communication with the on/off switch and the motor, whereby when a user depresses the switch, a circuit is completed and the motor is turned on or off.
5. The vacuum as described in claim 4, wherein the switch is positioned a distance from the vacuum housing, such that when a user depresses the switch, a circuit is completed and the motor is turned on or off.
6. The vacuum as described in claim 3, wherein the hose is transparent, enabling debris accumulation within the hose to be seen.
7. The vacuum as described in claim 3, further comprising a filter contained with the collection receptacle to separate debris.
8. The vacuum as described in claim 7, wherein the filter is a mesh filter.
9. The vacuum as described in claim 7, wherein the filter is disposed around a ring that is attached to the container.
10. The vacuum as described in claim 4, wherein the normally-open switch is mounted on the nozzle whereby contact with a surface will depress the switch and activate the motor.
11. A method to modify a vacuum cleaner to facilitate the separation of collected debris, the method comprising the steps of:
- installing a means for receiving a debris container within the collection container;
- mounting the debris container within the means for receiving;
12. The method as described in claim 11, further comprising the step of installing
- a normally-open switch into the vacuum housing, the switch in electrical communication with the on/off switch and the motor, whereby when a user depresses the switch, a circuit is completed and the motor is turned on or off, thereby conserving battery life.
13. The method as described in claim 12, wherein the debris container is chosen from the group consisting of a mesh basket, a wire basket, a mesh net and a mesh filter.
14. The method as described in claim 13, further comprising the step of securing the debris container to the member where the vacuum port enters the collection container.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 12, 2018
Publication Date: Feb 14, 2019
Inventor: LAWRENCE L. CASTALDI, III (BOCA RATON, FL)
Application Number: 16/006,492