Blower with user presence detection

Abstract

A blower is provided. The blower includes a main body; an air duct extending between an air inlet and an air outlet opposite the air inlet, the air duct including an air duct body; a motor for driving a fan disposed in the air duct body between the air inlet and the air outlet; a handle coupled to the air duct and including a sensor. The sensor is configured to detect an engaged state in which an operator engages the handle and a disengaged state in which the operator disengages the handle. The blower also includes a controller operably coupled to the sensor and the motor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A blower, comprising:
 a main body;   an air duct extending between an air inlet and an air outlet opposite the air inlet, the air duct including an air duct body;   a motor for driving a fan disposed in the air duct body between the air inlet and the air outlet;   a handle coupled to the air duct and including a sensor, the sensor configured to detect an engaged state in which an operator engages the handle and a disengaged state in which the operator disengages the handle; and   a controller operably coupled to the sensor and the motor, the controller configured to:
 receive data indicative of operator engagement with the handle from the sensor, 
 determine, using the data indicative of operator engagement with the handle, that the blower is in the engaged state, 
 perform pre-operation actions in response to determining the blower is in the engaged state, 
 determine, based on the pre-operation actions, that the blower is in an armed state, and 
 control operation of the motor in response to determining the blower is in the armed state. 
   
     
     
         2 . The blower of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes a capacitive sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The blower of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes an inertial measurement unit. 
     
     
         4 . The blower of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-operation actions include determining that electronics of the blower are working properly, a power source of the blower is operational, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The blower of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the handle further comprises a trigger operably coupled to the motor;   the operator may selectively actuate the trigger between a depressed position and a released position; and   the motor is activated in the depressed position and deactivated in the released position.   
     
     
         6 . The blower of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to activate the motor in response to the sensor detecting the blower is in the armed state and in response to actuating the trigger to the depressed position. 
     
     
         7 . The blower of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the motor in response to the sensor detecting the blower is in the armed state and in response to actuating the trigger to the released position. 
     
     
         8 . The blower of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine, using the data indicative of operator engagement with the handle, that the blower is in a disengaged state;   determine that the blower is in a disarmed state in response to determining that the blower is in the disengaged state; and   prevent activation of the motor of the blower in the disarmed state.   
     
     
         9 . The blower of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 in response to determining the blower is in the armed state, determine that the blower is in a disengaged state for a predetermined amount of time;   determine that the blower is in a disarmed state in response to determining that the blower is in the disengaged state for the predetermined amount of time; and   prevent activation of the motor of the blower in the disarmed state.   
     
     
         10 . The blower of  claim 1 , wherein the main body comprises a backpack support configured to be worn on an operator's back. 
     
     
         11 . The blower of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the air duct includes a blower tube coupled to a downstream end of the air duct body, the air outlet being disposed at a downstream end of the blower tube; and   the handle is coupled to the blower tube.   
     
     
         12 . The blower of  claim 11 , wherein the downstream end of the air duct body is configured to nest inside an upstream end of the blower tube. 
     
     
         13 . A method of operating a blower, comprising:
 receiving data indicative of operator engagement with a handle of the blower from a sensor;   determining, using the data indicative of operator engagement with the handle, that the blower is in an engaged state;   performing pre-operation actions in response to determining the blower is in the engaged state;   determining, based on the pre-operation actions, that the blower is in an armed state; and   controlling operation of a motor of the blower in response to determining the blower is in the armed state.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein controlling operation of the motor comprises selectively activating and deactivating the motor of the blower based on actuating a trigger operably coupled to the motor. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein controlling operation of the motor comprises:
 activating the motor in response to the sensor detecting the blower is in the armed state and in response to activation of the trigger to a depressed position; and   deactivating the motor in response to the sensor detecting the blower is in the armed state and in response to actuating the trigger to a released position.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 determining, using the data indicative of operator engagement with the handle, that the blower is in a disengaged state;   determining that the blower is in a disarmed state in response to determining that the blower is in the disengaged state; and   preventing activation of the motor of the blower in the disarmed state.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 in response to determining the blower is in the armed state, determining that the blower is in a disengaged state for a predetermined amount of time;   determining that the blower is in a disarmed state in response to determining that the blower is in the disengaged state for the predetermined amount of time; and   preventing activation of the motor of the blower in the disarmed state.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the pre-operation actions include determining that electronics of the blower are working properly, a power source of the blower is operational, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the sensor includes a capacitive sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the sensor includes an inertial measurement unit.