U.S. patent application number 13/857856 was filed with the patent office on 2013-07-18 for lawn sweeper assembly with adjustable brush assembly and hopper assembly and method of use thereof.
This patent application is currently assigned to Agri-Fab, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is John Johnson, Miroslav Vuckovic, Evan T. Ward. Invention is credited to John Johnson, Miroslav Vuckovic, Evan T. Ward.
Application Number | 20130180060 13/857856 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40720004 |
Filed Date | 2013-07-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130180060 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Johnson; John ; et
al. |
July 18, 2013 |
LAWN SWEEPER ASSEMBLY WITH ADJUSTABLE BRUSH ASSEMBLY AND HOPPER
ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF USE THEREOF
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a lawn sweeper designed to
collect debris, such as grass clippings and leaves, from a surface
such as a lawn, and more particularly to a lawn sweeper with an
adjustable brush assembly and characteristics associated with
improved storage of such a device. A user may adjust the brush
assembly with respect to the housing without needing to move the
wheels. The hopper assembly may include a panel movable to be
placed in at least two orientations, thereby allowing a user to
change the volume within which the hopper assembly may collect
debris. Methods are also disclosed for adjusting the brush assembly
and for storing a lawn sweeper unit.
Inventors: |
Johnson; John; (Findlay,
IL) ; Ward; Evan T.; (Chicago, IL) ; Vuckovic;
Miroslav; (Skokie, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Johnson; John
Ward; Evan T.
Vuckovic; Miroslav |
Findlay
Chicago
Skokie |
IL
IL
IL |
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Agri-Fab, Inc.
Sullivan
IL
|
Family ID: |
40720004 |
Appl. No.: |
13/857856 |
Filed: |
April 5, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13751920 |
Jan 28, 2013 |
|
|
|
13857856 |
|
|
|
|
12053965 |
Mar 24, 2008 |
8359694 |
|
|
13751920 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/21.1 ;
29/428 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E01H 1/045 20130101;
A01G 20/43 20180201; Y10T 29/49826 20150115; Y10T 29/49718
20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/21.1 ;
29/428 |
International
Class: |
A01G 1/12 20060101
A01G001/12 |
Claims
1. A lawn sweeper assembly comprising: a lawn sweeper unit
including: a housing including a front panel, a first side panel,
and a second side panel; a tow bar connected to the housing
including a hitch tube slidably connected to the tow bar so as to
be selectively movable along the tow bar between the first and
second side panels, and foldable with respect to the tow bar so as
to be disposed in a storage orientation substantially parallel to
the tow bar and within the first and second side panels; a brush
assembly connected to the housing, the brush assembly including a
bracket, a locking mechanism, and a brush axle, the bracket
connected to the housing and rotatable about a wheel axle, the
locking mechanism and the brush axle connected to the bracket such
that the brush assembly is adjustable to more than one position so
as to adjust a brush with respect to the ground; and a hopper bag
assembly, connected to the lawn sweeper unit, including: a frame;
and a bag supported by the frame for collecting debris.
2. The lawn sweeper assembly of claim 1, wherein a mounting bracket
is connected to the tow bar and the hitch tube and the hitch tube
is movable through approximately 180 degrees regardless of position
of the bracket on the tow bar.
3. The lawn sweeper assembly of claim 1, wherein an operative
orientation of the hitch tube is defined when the hitch tube is
disposed normal to the tow bar regardless of position of the
bracket on the tow bar.
4. The lawn sweeper assembly of claim 1, wherein the first side
panel and the second side panel each include a slot through which a
first end and a second end of the brush axle extends
therethrough.
5. The lawn sweeper assembly of claim 1, wherein the brush assembly
further includes a brush assembly bar connected to the bracket on
an end of the bracket opposite the locking mechanism.
6. A lawn sweeper assembly comprising: a tow bar connected to a
housing and including a hitch tube slidably connected to the tow
bar so as to be selectively movable along the tow bar between a
first and a second side panel of the housing, and foldable with
respect to the tow bar so as to be disposed in a storage
orientation substantially parallel to the tow bar and within the
first and second side panels; and a brush assembly connected to the
housing, the brush assembly including a bracket, a locking
mechanism, and a brush axle, the bracket connected to the housing
and rotatable about a wheel axle, the locking mechanism and the
brush axle connected to the bracket such that the brush assembly is
adjustable to more than one position so as to adjust a brush with
respect to the ground.
7. The lawn sweeper assembly of claim 6, wherein a mounting bracket
is connected to the tow bar and the hitch tube and the hitch tube
is movable through approximately 180 degrees regardless of position
of the bracket on the tow bar.
8. The lawn sweeper assembly of claim 6, wherein an operative
orientation of the hitch tube is defined when the hitch tube is
disposed normal to the tow bar regardless of position of the
bracket on the tow bar.
9. The lawn sweeper assembly of claim 6, wherein the first side
panel and the second side panel each include a slot through which a
first end and a second end of the brush axle extends
therethrough.
10. The lawn sweeper assembly of claim 6, wherein the brush
assembly further includes a brush assembly bar connected to the
bracket on an end of the bracket opposite the locking
mechanism.
11. A method comprising: actuating a locking mechanism connected to
an outer end of a bracket of a brush assembly to disengage the
locking mechanism from a side panel of a housing of a lawn sweeper
unit; moving the outer end of the bracket with respect to the
housing about a wheel axle of the lawn sweeper unit, the wheel axle
being fixed to the side panel to which the bracket is connected
such that a brush axle connected to the bracket between the locking
mechanism and the wheel axle is likewise moved without movement of
the wheel axle with respect to the housing; and actuating the
locking mechanism to engage the side panel such that the bracket is
secured in a desired position relative to the housing.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising a ground-engaging
wheel rotatably connected to the wheel axle such that the outer end
is disposed radially outward of an outer circumference of the
wheel.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising a ground-engaging
wheel rotatably connected to the wheel axle such that the bracket
is disposed between the side panel and the wheel.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the locking mechanism is a knob
disposed adjacent a front surface of a front panel of the housing.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation application that claims
priority to and the benefit of co-pending U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 13/751,920, entitled "Lawn Sweeper Assembly with
Adjustable Brush Assembly and Hopper Assembly and Method of Use
Thereof," filed Jan. 28, 2013 that is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/053,965, entitled "Lawn Sweeper Assembly
with Adjustable Brush Assembly and Hopper Assembly and Method of
Use Thereof," which was filed on Mar. 24, 2008, issued as U.S. Pat.
No. 8,359,694 on Jan. 29, 2013, both of the disclosures of which
are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to a lawn sweeper
designed to collect debris, such as grass clippings and leaves,
from a surface such as a lawn, and more particularly to a lawn
sweeper with an adjustable brush assembly and characteristics
associated with improved storage of such a device.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Lawn sweeping is a conventional technique used by many
homeowners, gardeners, and groundskeepers to collect unwanted
debris from a lawn. Such unwanted debris may include, for example,
grass clippings, leaves (mulched or whole), and/or pine needles. A
well groom lawn gives a good first impression, whether the well
groom lawn is associated with a business or a home. Furthermore, a
well groomed lawn is part of living the "American dream." For these
reasons, among others, a need exists, for an improved lawn sweeper
for collecting debris from a lawn.
[0004] Lawn sweepers are used in various ways for maintaining a
well-groomed lawn. For example, groundskeepers will often mow a
lawn, thereby creating grass clippings and autumn-shed leaves. In
some instances, mulching the leaves is preferred, as many people
are required to compact and bag their lawn refuse for pickup. Thus,
a groundskeeper may even make multiple passes to further mulch the
leaves and other lawn debris.
[0005] In brief detail, known lawn sweepers generally have a lawn
sweeper unit for actually collecting the lawn debris and a hopper
for storing the collected lawn debris. Known lawn sweeper units
generally have a housing mounted on a set of wheels and a brush
assembly including a brush, often a rotating brush, that collects
debris and places it into the hopper. The hopper may consist of a
bag, or it may be made of any other suitable material capable of
collecting and containing debris desired to be collected. Known
lawn sweepers may be self-contained units, i.e., they may further
include an engine and be driven by a user. Other known lawn
sweepers may, for example, be towed by a device such as a tractor
or lawn mower.
[0006] The known lawn sweepers are not without their problems. For
example, one feature of some lawn sweepers is an adjustable wheel
assembly that allows the lawn sweeper's housing (and thus the
attached brush assembly) to move with respect to the wheels. As
such, the brush assembly may be positioned at various positions
with respect to the ground depending on the debris being collected
and the terrain over which a user is collecting the debris. For
example, if a user is collecting debris from a lawn that has longer
grass, it may be desirable to position the brush further above the
ground when sweeping the lawn than when sweeping a lawn with
shorter grass.
[0007] One problem with this feature, however, is that by adjusting
the wheel assembly with respect to the housing, not only does the
brush assembly's position change with respect to the ground, but
the position of the housing itself with respect to the ground also
changes, which may be less than desirable in some instances. Also,
the weight is carried by the adjusting mechanism, rather than
directly by the wheels. For example, some known lawn sweepers
include a stop plate mounted to the housing at the rear of the lawn
sweeper unit (just behind the brush). The stop plate may, among
other things, catch lawn debris that the brush misses, thereby
preventing the missed debris from remaining on the lawn. As the
housing is raised with respect to the ground to allow the brush to
be further from the ground, however, the distance between the
bottom of the stop plate and the ground also increases since the
stop plate is connected to the housing in known solutions. Thus,
larger debris may pass beneath the stop plate and remain on a swept
lawn, which is undesirable.
[0008] Other problems also exist with the currently known methods
of adjusting the brush height of a lawn sweeper. For example,
changing the height of the housing of a lawn sweeper may create
problems with towing a lawn sweeper. For example, lawn sweepers
often have a towing means, e.g., a tow bar, fixedly mounted to the
housing. By changing the height of the housing, the height of the
tow bar may also change, which may position the tow bar at an
inadequate height for a given hitch on a towing apparatus, e.g., a
tractor, lawn mower, all-terrain vehicle, etc.
[0009] Other problems are readily apparent in known lawn sweepers.
For example, storage space is often limited, especially in
homeowners' garages. Known lawn sweepers often take up highly
valued space and can create storage-related problems. One known
solution, for example, is a detachable hopper assembly, thereby
allowing a user to store two smaller components (i.e., the hopper
assembly and the lawn sweeper unit). For example, the hopper
assembly may be stored by hanging it on a wall while allowing the
lawn sweeper unit to take up less space on a ground position.
[0010] Therefore, in view of the above-noted problems with known
lawn sweepers, among others, a need exists in the art for an
improved lawn sweeper that retains all the functionality of the
prior designs yet is without the undesirable characteristics of the
known solutions. A need exists, for example, for an improved lawn
sweeper that allows for a brush adjustment without the
disadvantages of the current solutions. Further, as another
example, a need also exists for a lawn sweeper that is more easily
stored and takes up less storage space when not in use.
SUMMARY
[0011] The present disclosure generally relates to a lawn sweeper
designed to collect debris, such as grass clippings and leaves,
from a surface such as a lawn, and more particularly to a lawn
sweeper with an adjustable brush assembly and characteristics
associated with improved storage of such a device.
[0012] In one example embodiment, a lawn sweeper assembly includes
a lawn sweeper unit and a hopper bag assembly. The lawn sweeper
unit includes a housing having a front panel and two side panels, a
first and second wheel connected to the side panels, and a brush
assembly connected to the housing, either directly or indirectly,
such as being connected to a mounting bracket or the axles of the
wheels. The brush assembly is adjustable to more than one position
with respect to the housing without requiring the wheels to move in
order to make the brush assembly adjustment. For example, the brush
assembly may rotate about the axle(s) of the wheels. The hopper bag
assembly is connected to the lawn sweeper unit and includes a frame
and a bag supported by the frame for collecting debris.
[0013] In another example, a hopper assembly has a panel movably
connected to the frame and/or another panel. The panel is movable
to be placed in a first orientation or a second orientation. In the
first orientation, the volume for collecting debris within the
hopper is smaller than when the panel is in the second
orientation.
[0014] In another example embodiment, the hopper assembly may
further include a filtering panel that allows smaller debris, such
as grass, to exit the hopper assembly while retaining larger
debris, such as leaves, within the hopper assembly. In one example,
the filtering panel is removable, which may allow a user to replace
the filtering panel with a different filtering panel, perhaps
having a different filtering threshold (which may, for example,
include a solid filtering panel that does not allow any debris to
pass).
[0015] A method for adjusting a brush assembly connected to a lawn
sweeper unit is also disclosed that includes disengaging a locking
mechanism associated with the brush assembly, moving the brush
assembly with respect to the housing without requiring the wheels
to move to make the adjustment, and then engaging the locking
mechanism.
[0016] Another example method for storing a lawn sweeper unit is
also disclosed and includes removing an attached hopper assembly
from a lawn sweeper unit, folding a hitch tube on the lawn sweeper
unit, and storing the lawn sweeper unit in a storage position. The
method may also include folding at least one assembly support
bar.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Certain embodiments are shown in the drawings. However, it
is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the
arrangements and instrumentality shown in the attached drawings,
wherein:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a lawn sweeper
assembly including a lawn sweeper unit and a hopper assembly;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a half perspective side view of an example of a
lawn sweeper unit without a wheel removed to illustrate, among
other things, the brush assembly;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a side view of a portion of the example lawn
sweeper unit of FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrating, among other things, an
example of the brush assembly;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a portion of a bottom-side view showing an example
of the lawn sweeper unit of FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of the example lawn
sweeper assembly of FIG. 1 without a bag attached to the hopper
assembly;
[0023] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one example of a hopper
assembly with a second bottom surface panel in a first
orientation;
[0024] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one example of the hopper
assembly of FIG. 6 with the second bottom surface panel in a second
orientation;
[0025] FIG. 8 is a side view of another example of a hopper
assembly including a bag;
[0026] FIG. 9 is a top view of the example lawn sweeper unit of
FIG. 1, without a hopper assembly, illustrating an example of a
folding hitch tube;
[0027] FIG. 10 is a top view of the example lawn sweeper unit of
FIG. 1, without a hopper assembly, illustrating an example of a
folding hitch tube in a centered position along a tow bar;
[0028] FIG. 11 is a top view of the example lawn sweeper unit of
FIG. 1, without a hopper assembly, illustrating an example of a
folding hitch tube in an offset position along a tow bar; and
[0029] FIG. 12 is a top view of the example lawn sweeper unit of
FIG. 1, without a hopper assembly, illustrating an example of
folding hopper assembly support bars.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] For the purposes of promoting and understanding the
principles disclosed herein, references are now made to the
preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific
language is used to describe the same. It is nevertheless
understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is
thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications in the
illustrated device and such further applications of the principles
disclosed as illustrated herein are contemplated as would normally
occur to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure
relates.
[0031] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lawn sweeper assembly 100.
Lawn sweeper assembly 100 includes lawn sweeper unit 102 and hopper
assembly 104, which in one example may be a hopper bag assembly
(i.e., the hopper assembly 104 may include a bag, although in other
examples, the hopper assembly 104 may include any suitable means
for retaining collected debris, such as a more rigid plastic hopper
or other suitable container).
[0032] The lawn sweeper unit 102 contains a housing 106, which
includes a front panel 108, a first side panel 110, and a second
side panel 112. In the particular example shown in FIG. 1, front
panel 108 forms a convex surface such that the front panel 108
forms a front and top surface. The housing 106 may also include
separate top panel and front panel, if desired. Furthermore, the
housing may be formed from a common mold defining the panels 108,
110, and 112. One having ordinary skill in the art will recognize
other alternatives for forming housing 106.
[0033] The lawn sweeper unit 102 also includes a first wheel 114
connected to the first side panel 110. A second wheel (not shown)
is also connected to the second side panel 112 of housing 106. The
wheels 114 may be connected to the side panels 110, 112 by any
suitable means. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, for example, wheel
114 is connected to side panel 110 by a single axle 116. Axle 116
is connected to only the first wheel 114 such that the second wheel
is on a second, separate axle and may therefore rotate
independently of the first wheel 114, although it is understood
that the first wheel 114 and second wheel could share a common
axle. It is further understood that the wheels may be connected to
the housing 106 by any suitable means and in any suitable location.
For example, instead of having an axle 116 directly connected to
side panel 116, a mounting bracket may be used to, for example,
extend the wheel a distance from the housing 106. As another
example, the wheels may be connected to the front panel or any
other suitable component of the lawn sweeper assembly 100. In this
example, however, the wheels 114 are in a fixed position with
respect to the housing 106, i.e., since the axle 116 is fixedly
mounted to the side panel 110, the wheel 114 attached to axle 116
may not move vertically with respect to the housing; it may only
move rotationally. As a result, the weight of the housing 106 is
carried directly by the wheels, further from the adjustable brush
assembly as is commonly found in the prior art.
[0034] Lawn sweeper unit 102 further includes a brush assembly 118
connected to housing 106. As is further described below, the brush
assembly 118 is adjustable to more than one position with respect
to the housing without requiring the first wheel 114 or the second
wheel to move with respect to the housing 106 for the brush
assembly 118 to adjust to more than one position. As best shown in
FIG. 2, brush assembly 118 includes a brush axle 120 upon which a
brush 122 (best shown in FIG. 3) may be mounted for sweeping a
lawn. Brush assembly 118 also includes a brush assembly bracket
124, connected to the brush axle 120, and having a
rotational-connecting mechanism 126 for mounting the brush assembly
118 to the lawn sweeper unit 102. As best shown in FIG. 2, the
rotational-connecting mechanism 126 is an inner-circumferential
surface forming an aperture in the brush assembly bracket 124,
wherein the aperture is adapted to receive a rod 116 such that the
brush assembly bracket 124 may rotate about the rod. As shown in
FIG. 2, the rod 116 is axle 116, as described above. The brush
assembly 118 may also include a brush assembly bar 128 connected to
the brush assembly bracket 124, which may, among other things, give
added stability to the brush assembly 118 when mounted to a lawn
sweeper unit 102.
[0035] In an embodiment where the brush assembly 118 includes a
brush assembly bar 128, the side panel 110 may include a slit 130
through which the brush assembly bar 128 may pass as the brush
assembly 118 rotates about the rod/axle 116. As one skilled in the
art will recognize from the figures, particularly FIGS. 2 and 3,
the side panel 110 may also include a slot 132 through which the
brush axle 120 may pass as the brush assembly 118 rotates.
[0036] One skilled in the art will appreciate, although not shown,
that the second side panel 112 will include the necessary
corresponding components similar to those included in the first
side panel 110. At a minimum, this includes a rod, similar to rod
116, upon which a second, corresponding brush assembly bracket (not
shown) may rotate. It is contemplated that the brush assembly
bracket may also be within the housing, not external to it.
[0037] FIG. 3 shows a close-up side view of a lawn sweeper unit
102. As shown, brush 122 may include several brush arms 302, 304,
306, 308. Any suitable brush 122 known in the art may be used,
however. Brush arms 302-308 are connected to brush axle 120 (either
directly or indirectly) and rotate about in the orientation shown
in FIG. 3, rotate in a clockwise direction. Double-dotted line 310
represents the path that the outer ends 312, 314, 316, 318 of the
brush arms 302-308 follow while rotating.
[0038] In this particular example shown in FIG. 3, gear 320 is
connected to axle 116, which is in turn connected to wheel 114.
Thus, as the lawn sweeper unit 102 moves across the ground, the
wheels rotate in a counterclockwise direction, thereby causing gear
320 to also rotate in a counterclockwise direction. Gear 320
engages with gear 322, which is connected to the brush axle 120. As
such, the counterclockwise rotation of gear 320 causes gear 322,
and thus the brush, to rotate in a clockwise direction. It should
be understood, however, that any suitable mechanism now known or
later developed may be used for rotating the brush 122. For
example, gear 322 may be a geared surface of brush axle 120.
[0039] A locking mechanism 324 is also attached to the brush
assembly bracket. The locking mechanism 324 may be, for example,
include a knob 326 with a pin 402 designed to pass through one of
the plurality of holes 322-344, which are formed by an inner
surface of the first side panel 110. The locking mechanism 324,
when in an engaged position, may lock the brush assembly 118 into
place such that the brush assembly may not rotate about the axle of
the first wheel or other mechanism allowing rotation attached to
the housing 106. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, locking
mechanism 324 may be any suitable locking mechanism, such as a
spring-biased locking mechanism, a threaded locking mechanism, or a
clip locking mechanism.
[0040] FIG. 4 shows an angled perspective view from the bottom of
the lawn sweeper assembly 102. One aspect of the present example
embodiment not visible in other views includes pin 402 of locking
mechanism 324. Note, however, that the brush 122 is removed from
this view but would be attached to the brush axle 120 (also not
shown in this view) attached to the brush assembly bracket 124 and
passing through slot 132.
[0041] As initially shown in FIG. 2, the lawn sweeper unit 102 may
also include a hopper support bar 202 connected to the housing 106.
The hopper support bar 202 operates to support a hopper assembly
104, which is further discussed below. The hopper support bar 202,
which may also include a corresponding hopper support bar 502, may
be connected to the housing at any suitable location, such as the
top, inner portion of a side panel 110, 112, the top, outer portion
of side panel 110, 112, or the bottom, inner surface of the front
panel 108. As best shown in FIG. 12, the hopper assembly support
bars 202, 502, in one example embodiment, are foldable in a
direction as indicated by dotted lines 1202, 1204. The hopper
assembly support bars 202, 502 may be foldable by any suitable
mechanism known in the art. For example, at pivot points 1206,
1208, a bracket may be mounted to side panels 110, 112 that allows
the hopper assembly support arms 202, 502 to rotate. Furthermore,
the hopper assembly support arms 202, 502 may fold themselves,
i.e., they may not only fold about a bracket. In yet another
variation, one end of the hopper assembly support arm 202, 502 may
be fixedly attached to the housing 106, and the hopper assembly
support arms 202, 502 may themselves fold. Among other things,
foldable hopper assembly support arms 202, 502 allow the lawn
sweeper unit 102 to take up less space when not in use.
[0042] The figures further show other features of the lawn sweeper
unit 102. For example, an example embodiment that is to be towed
behind a vehicle may include a tow bar 134, which may be directly
connected to housing 106 or may be connected via tow bar mounting
brackets 136, 138, which extend the tow bar 134 a distance away
from the housing 106. In the example shown in FIG. 1, tow bar 106
is about the same width as the housing and does not extend beyond
the side panels 110, 112 of the housing 106. However, tow bar 106
may be shorter or longer, if desired.
[0043] Hitch tube 140 may also be connected to the tow bar 134, and
may be any suitable hitch tube (such as a pin hitch or a ball
hitch). As shown in FIGS. 1, 10, and 11, the hitch tube 140 may be
connected to tow bar 134 in such a way that it is movable. For
example, the hitch tube 140 may be slidably connected to the tow
bar 134 so that the lawn sweeper unit 102 may, for example, be
towed towards the side of a vehicle.
[0044] In one example and as best shown in FIG. 11, the hitch tube
140 may be slidably connected to tow bar 134 by a mounting bracket
142, which includes a top bracket 144, a corresponding bottom
bracket 146 (not shown in FIG. 11 but shown in FIG. 1), and a first
bolt 148 and second bolt 150 for pulling the top bracket 144 and
the bottom bracket 146 towards each other to clamp the mounting
bracket 142 to the tow bar 134 such that it is not easily movable
when the bolts 148, 150 are tightened. One skilled in the art,
however, will recognize any number of ways to slidably connect the
hitch tube 140 to the tow bar 134. The hitch tube 140 may also be
directly mounted to the housing 106. Because the width of tow bar
134 is less than the width of housing 106 in the example embodiment
of FIG. 1, the hitch tube 140 cannot function as an offset towing
arm that extends beyond the outer edges of the housing 106. As
shown in FIG. 10, among other figures, the hitch tube 140 may still
be placed in a location that is centered in respect to housing
106.
[0045] In an interest to promote easy storage of the lawn sweeper
unit 102, the hitch tube 140 may also be foldable, as illustrated,
for example, in FIG. 9. For example, bolt 902 may be loosened to
allow the hitch tube 140 to rotate to a position towards the
housing 106, as shown. It is understood, however, that any suitable
means may be used to allow hitch tube 140 to fold.
[0046] Turning now to FIGS. 5-8, a hopper assembly 104 is shown. As
discussed above, hopper assembly 104 may be connected to the lawn
sweeper unit 102 to collect debris that the brush 122 of the lawn
sweeper 102 sweeps into the hopper assembly 104. The hopper
assembly 104 may sit close to, if not against, the lawn sweeper
assembly 102, as shown in FIG. 5. The hopper assembly 104 may be
attached directly to housing 106 or may be connected and supported
by hopper assembly support arms 202, 502. In a preferred
embodiment, the hopper assembly 104 is detachable (i.e., removable)
from the lawn sweeper unit.
[0047] The hopper assembly 104 includes a frame 504 forming a
volume 506 for collecting debris having a first bottom side edge
508, a second bottom side edge 510, a bottom back edge 512, a first
top side edge 514, a second top side edge 516, and a top back edge
518. The frame may take any suitable form as recognized by one
skilled in the art, and may be made of multiple pieces or a
continuous piece of material. For example, as shown in FIGS. 6 and
7, a continuous piece of material forms the top side edge 516, top
back edge 518, and top side edge 514 while a continuous piece of
material forms the bottom side edge 508, the bottom back edge 512,
and the second bottom side edge 510. Each portion of the frame,
however, could be a separate piece of material connected together.
Frame 504 may include any other suitable components, such as
support vertical support members 520, 522 or horizontal support
member 524.
[0048] The hopper assembly 104 also includes a bottom surface 602
having a first bottom surface panel 604 fixedly connected to the
frame 504. Although the first bottom surface panel 604 is fixedly
connected, it does not mean that the first bottom surface panel 604
is not removable. Instead, "fixedly" is meant to suggest that when
put in place and connected to the frame, the bottom surface panel
604 is not designed to be movable with respect to the frame in
order to add functionality to the hopper assembly 104.
[0049] The bottom surface 602 also includes a second bottom surface
panel 606 movably connected to at least one of: the first bottom
surface panel 604 and/or the frame 504. As such, the second bottom
surface panel 606 can be placed in at least a first orientation
(shown in FIG. 6) or a second orientation (such as that shown in
FIG. 7 with the second bottom surface panel 606 being folded about
hinge 608 and abutting first bottom surface panel 604). When in the
first orientation, the volume for collecting debris 506 is smaller
than when in the second orientation. It is noted however, that a
second orientation may include completely removing the second
bottom surface panel 604.
[0050] The bottom surface 602 may also include a filtering panel
610 that allows smaller debris, such as grass clippings, to exit
the volume 506 of the hopper assembly 104 while allowing the hopper
assembly 104 to retain larger debris, such as leaves. The filtering
panel 610 may take any suitable form that discriminates, to some
extent, between debris elements of different sizes. Thus, for
example, filtering panel 610 could be a grate, a grid, a series of
holes in a panel, a net, or any other suitable structure made of
any suitable material. Furthermore, the filtering panel 610 may be
removable so that other filtering panels with different filtering
thresholds may be used in its place. For example, one filtering
panel may have mesh openings 15/8'' wide while another filtering
panel may have mesh openings measuring 13/8''.
[0051] The filtering panel 610 may be attached to the hopper
assembly 104 and the second bottom surface panel 606 may be
retained in the first or second orientation by any suitable means,
such as a hook and loop material, snaps, buttons, ties, or straps.
For example, hook and loop material 612 and 614 is used to hold the
second bottom surface panel 606 in the first orientation shown in
FIG. 6 by connecting to the frame 504, while the hook and loop
material 612, 614 holds the second bottom surface panel 606 against
the first bottom surface panel 604 in the second orientation shown
in FIG. 7.
[0052] As best shown in FIG. 8, a hopper bag assembly 800 may
include a frame 802 and a bag 804 supported by the frame 802 for
collecting debris. The hopper bag assembly 800 is similar to hopper
assembly 104, except it includes a bag 804, and the frame 802 takes
a different form. This illustrates, among other things, that a
hopper assembly may take any suitable shape or form. Furthermore,
the bag may be made of any suitable material and may even be
plastic panels (i.e., a hard cover "bag") that fit within the
frame. Furthermore, the frame 802 may not even be a separate
component from the bag, i.e., the bag 804 could be a container made
of a rigid material and the "frame" 802 could be the edges of the
container for collecting debris.
[0053] Furthermore, one or more methods associated with a lawn
sweeper assembly 100 are readily apparent based on this disclosure.
For example, a method for adjusting a brush assembly 118 connected
to a lawn sweeper unit 102 may include disengaging a locking
mechanism 324 that is associated with the brush assembly 118;
moving the brush assembly with respect to the housing 106 without
moving the wheels with respect to the housing 106; and engaging
(i.e., reengaging) the locking mechanism 324 such that the brush
assembly 118 is in a different position with respect to the housing
106, thereby causing the brush 122 to be further from or closer to
when the lawn sweeper unit 102 is in operation. The moving of the
brush assembly 118 may involve rotating a brush assembly bracket
124, associated with the brush assembly 118, about an axle 116 of a
first wheel 114 connected to the housing 106.
[0054] It is understood, however, that the method may include any
intervening steps and/or steps prior to or after the steps
disclosed herein. It is further understood that in view of the
described example embodiments of a lawn sweeper unit 102 and a
hopper assembly 104, other methods are apparent to one skilled in
the art. For example, a method may include sliding a hitch tube 140
along a tow bar 134 from a first position to a second position,
folding a hitch tube 140, folding a hopper assembly support bar
202, 502, or removing or connecting a hopper assembly 104 from/to a
lawn sweeper unit 102 by, for example, using one or more hopper
assembly support bars. Furthermore, the method may include storing
the lawn sweeper unit in a storage position. A storage position may
include any position allows the lawn sweeper assembly 100 to occupy
less space or in a preferable manner than when the lawn sweeper
assembly 100 is set up for operation. Thus, for example, removing
the hopper assembly 104 may allow a user to hang the hopper
assembly 104 out of the way while allowing the lawn sweeper unit to
occupy less space on a storage surface, such as the floor of a
garage or shed. Another storage position may include having the
hitch tube 140 folded in towards the tow bar 134. When in this
position, the hitch tube does not protrude as far, thereby allowing
more convenient storage, as one skilled in the art will appreciate.
Another storage position may include, for example, having the
hopper assembly support bars 202, 502 folded (or even removed) to
create a more compact unit for storage. One having ordinary skill
in the art will recognize other storage positions (e.g., standing a
lawn sweeper 102 on an end or in a non-operating orientation so
that the footprint of the lawn sweeper unit 102 is smaller).
[0055] In view of this disclosure, one skilled in the art will
recognize several advantages of the disclosed lawn sweeper assembly
and methods associated therewith. For example, one skilled in the
art will recognize that a brush assembly 118 that is adjustable
with respect to the housing 106 without requiring wheels 114 to
move allow the brush to operate closer or more distant from the
ground to sweep a lawn or other desired surface without changing
the distance the housing 106 is from the ground. Thus, for example,
stopper plate 152 may be longer (since the housing is never lowered
towards the ground), thereby allowing stopper plate 152 to catch
more debris that is not swept up by the brush 122. As another
advantage, one skilled in the art will recognize that features such
as a foldable hitch and foldable hopper assembly support bars,
among other things, will allow a user to store a lawn sweeper
assembly 100 in a preferred storage position which may, among other
things, be more compact and/or occupy a smaller overall footprint
when in such a storage position.
[0056] Furthermore, while the particular preferred embodiments have
been shown and described, it is obvious to those skilled in the art
that changes and modifications may be made without departing from
the teaching of the disclosure. The matter set forth in the
foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way
of illustration only and not as limitation. The actual scope of the
disclosure is intended to be defined in the following claims when
viewed in their proper perspective based on the related art.
* * * * *