RELATED APPLICATIONS

[00011 This application is a non-provisional application claiming priority from United States Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/496,410 filed on June 13, 201 1 , which is herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to pick-up head systems for factory, sidewalk and street sweepers, and more particularly to such pick-up head systems that fully clean the surface to be cleaned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Prior art recirculating air type surface cleaning vehicles bleed-off a portion of air from the pressure side of the main fan and filter it to atmosphere, while returning the remainder of the air to the pick-up head. In many cases, air is returned to the pick-up head in the form of a full-width air blast that assists in cleaning the surface and traversing material across the pick-up head to the internal suction port. The fundamental drawback of this arrangement is that re-circulating air is introduced full-width in the pick-up head which includes directly adjacent the point of pick-up suction port which decreases negative pressure in that area and can affect pick-up.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a full-width dustless pick-up head system.

[0005] It is another object of the present invention to provide a pick-up head system that cleans virtually all debris from a surface being cleaned.

[0006] It is another object of the present invention to provide a pick-up head system that does not introduce recirculated air adjacent the internal suction port.

[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a pick-up head system that does not allow for a decrease of air speed in the width of the housing. (0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a pick-up head system that does not allow for a decrease in negative pressure in the width of the housing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

|0009] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a novel pick-up head system for use with a surface cleaning vehicle. The pick-up head system comprises a housing extending side-to-side between a first end and a second end and extending for-aft between a front end and a back end, and having a bottom peripheral edge; wherein the bottom peripheral edge is configured for interfacing the housing in substantially sealed relation with a surface to be cleaned as the surface cleaning vehicle moves along a surface to be cleaned; a forward debris passage having a bottom opening along its length for permitting the flow of high speed air to impact a surface to be cleaned substantially along the entire length of the forward debris passage; a rearward debris passage having a bottom opening along its length, and disposed rearwardly with respect to the forward debris passage, for permitting the flow of high speed air to impact a surface to be cleaned substantially along the entire length of the rearward debris passage; a divider separating the forward debris passage and the rearward debris passage; wherein the divider has a bottom edge configured for interfacing the divider in substantially sealed relation with a surface to be cleaned as the surface cleaning vehicle moves along a surface to be cleaned; a debris outlet in a selected one of the forward debris passage and the rearward debris passage for permitting debris to egress the housing; an air supply inlet in the other one of the forward debris passage and the rearward debris passage for permitting a flow of air to enter the housing, for connection to a source of high speed air flow; and a debris passing opening between the forward debris passage and the rearward debris passage for permitting the flow of air and debris from one to the other; and wherein, in use, the air supply inlet supplies a flow of high speed air to the selected one of the forward debris passage and the rearward debris passage, and the air travels through the selected one of the forward debris passage and the rearward debris passage, through the debris passing opening to the other one of the forward debris passage and the rearward debris passage, and egresses the housing through the debris outlet.

[00010] Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, the latter of which is briefly described herein below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00011] The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the pick-up head system according to the present invention, as to its structure, organization, use and method of operation, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be illustrated by way of example. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[00012] Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the dustless pick-up head system according to the present invention mounted on a surface cleaning vehicle;

[00013] Figure 2 is a front perspective view from above of the preferred embodiment dustless pick-up head system according to the present invention;

[00014] Figure 3 is a side perspective view from underneath of the preferred embodiment dustless pick-up head system of Figure 1 ;

[00015] Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the preferred embodiment dustless pick-up head system of

Figure 1 ;

[00016] Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional rear elevational view of the preferred embodiment dustless pickup head system of Figure 1 , showing a movable dividing portion, in a lowered generally horizontal position; and

{00017] Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional rear elevational view of the preferred embodiment dustless pickup head system of Figure 1, showing the movable dividing portion of Figure 5 in the housing in a partially raised slanted position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[00018| Reference will now be made to Figures 1 through 6, which show a preferred embodiment of the pick-up head system of the present invention, as indicated by general reference numeral 100. The pick-up head system 100 is for use with a surface cleaning vehicle 102 for removing dust (including fine particulate matter) and debris (including bottles, cans, leaves, dirt, and so on) from a surface to be cleaned 104.

[00019] The preferred embodiment pick-up head system 100 and comprises a substantially "V"-shaped housing 1 10 extending side-to-side between a first end 1 1 1 and a second end 1 12 and extending for-aft between a front end 1 15 and a back end 1 16. The housing 1 10 has bottom peripheral edge 109 configured for interfacing the housing 1 10 in substantially sealed relation with a surface to be cleaned 104 as the surface cleaning vehicle 102 moves along a surface to be cleaned 104. A forward debris passage 130 extends from the first end 1 1 1 to the second end 1 12 of the housing 1 10 and has a bottom opening 1 14 along its length for permitting the flow of high speed air to impact a surface to be cleaned 104 substantially along the entire length of the forward debris passage 130, from the first end 1 1 1 to the second end 1 12. A rearward debris passage 180 has a bottom opening along its length, and is disposed rearwardly with respect to the forward debris passage 130, for permitting the flow of high speed air to impact a surface to be cleaned 104 substantially along the entire length of the rearward debris passage 180.

[00020] A divider HOd separates the forward debris passage 130 and the rearward debris passage 180.

The divider 1 lOd has a bottom edge 1 10b configured for interfacing the divider 1 lOd in substantially sealed relation with a surface to be cleaned 104 as the surface cleaning vehicle 102 moves along a surface to be cleaned 104. Furthermore, the divider 1 lOd is selectively movable between a plurality of vertical positions to thereby permit the selection of the gap between the bottom edge 1 10b of the dividing portion 1 10b and the surface to be cleaned 104. The pick-up head system 100 further comprises an actuator (not specifically shown) for moving the divider 1 lOd between the plurality of vertical positions.

[00021] A debris outlet 120 is disposed in a selected one of the forward debris passage 130 and the rearward debris passage 180 for permitting debris to egress the housing 1 10. In the preferred embodiment, as illustrated, the debris outlet 120 is disposed in the forward debris passage 130 of the housing 1 10. Further, the debris outlet 120 is generally centrally disposed in the housing 1 10 between the first end 1 1 1 and the second end 1 12.

[00022] An air supply inlet 181 is disposed in the other one of the forward debris passage 130 and the rearward debris passage 180 for permitting a flow of air to enter the housing 1 10, for connection to a source of high speed air flow, specifically the main fan 40 of the surface cleaning vehicle 102. In the preferred embodiment, as illustrated, the air supply inlet 181 is disposed in the forward debris passage 130.

[00023] There is also a debris passing opening between the forward debris passage 130 and the rearward debris passage 180 for permitting the flow of air and debris from one to the other. The debris passing opening is preferably disposed right at one, or both, of the first end 1 1 1 and the second end 1 12 of the housing 1 10. In the preferred embodiment, as illustrated, there is a first debris passing opening 182a disposed at the first end 1 11 of the housing 1 10 and a second debris passing 182b opening disposed at the second end 1 12 of the housing 1 10.

[00024] In use, the air supply inlet 181 supplies a flow of high speed air to the selected one of the forward debris passage 130 and the rearward debris passage 180. The air travels through the selected one of the forward debris passage 130 and the rearward debris passage 180, through the debris passing openings 182a, 182b to the forward debris passage 130 and the rearward debris passage 180, and egresses the housing 1 10 through the debris outlet 120.

[00025] As can be understood from the above description and from the accompanying drawings, the present invention provides a full-width dustless pick-up head system, that cleans virtually all debris from a surface being cleaned, that does not introduce air at the internal suction port, that does not allow for a decrease of air speed in the vacuum chamber, and wherein the on-going overall air blast in the pick-up head has more than one overall opportunity to impact the surface to be cleaned, all of which features are unknown in the prior art.

[00026] Other variations of the above principles will be apparent to those who are knowledgeable in the field of the invention, and such variations are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, other modifications and alterations may be used in the design and manufacture of the pick-up head system of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims.