AU636734B2

AU636734B2 - Cleaning device

Info

Publication number: AU636734B2
Application number: AU74372/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Henry William Thomas
Original assignee: Evans Frankston Frederick
Current assignee: Evans Frankston Frederick
Priority date: 1990-04-19
Filing date: 1991-04-15
Publication date: 1993-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2011-04-15
Also published as: AU7437291A

Description

I

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 637 3 4 COMPLETE

SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority Related Art: Name(s) of Applicant(s): Address(es) of Applicant(s): Actual Inventor(s): APPLICANT'S REF.: CAP of PJ 9709 HENRY WILLIAM THOMAS and FRANKSTON FREDERICK EVANS 30 The Righi, Ivanhoe 3079, Victoria, Australia and 111 The Boulevard, Ivahoe 3079, Victoria, Australia, respectively Henry William Thomas Address for Service is: PHILLIPS, ORMONDE ANP FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street Melbourne, Australia, 3000 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: CLEANING DEVICE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): P19/3/84 CLEANING DEVICE This invention relates to a cleaning device for use in cleaning elevated roof gutters.

The usual method for cleaning gutters which surround a roof involves gaining access to the gutter by climbing onto the roof or up a ladder and cleaning out debris by using a brush or a tool such as a hand scraper. The ladder must be moved at regular intervals and this makes cleaning gutters a time consuming task. Some individuals suffer from a fear of heights which results in a reluctance or in some cases an inability for them to climb ladders. Also, accidents frequently occur with people falling from the roof or ladder whilst they are performing their gutter cleaning operation.

As a result of these problems and difficulties, gutters are often simply not cleaned and accordingly often become corroded as a result of rotting debris lying in the gutter for prolonged periods.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for cleaning gutters, which minimises or avoids the use of a ladder or other support structure.

According to the invention there is provided a device for cleaning elevated roof gutters comprising, a Smanually supportable elongate support member having an Soperatively upper end, water delivery means arranged to convey water under pressure to said upper end, an outlet at or near said upper end, and a cleaning means connected to said upper end, said outlet adapted to direct a water stream under pressure to a location at or adjacent said cleaning means so that, in use, said cleaning means and said water .3 stream can be used in combination to clean the gutter.

Preferably, said support member is constructed of hollow tubular members and said water delivery means comprises a passage along the interior of said support member. Said g* upper end is preferably of inverted U-shaped configuration to 3 1 permit 2 said outlet to discharge water directly into the interior of an elevated gutter in use. It is preferred that the device includes a nozzle means for directing water flow. It is also preferred that the device includes a mirror to allow a user to see a surface to be cleaned while operating the device from below the surface.

An embodiment of the invention is described in detail in the following passages of the specification with reference to the attached drawing. The drawing, however, is merely illustrative of how the invention might be put into effect so that the specific form and arrangement of the various features as shown is not to be understood as limiting on the S: invention. The drawing shows a disassembled perspective view of a cleaning device according to the invention.

of a cleaning device 1 according to the invention is A cleaning device 1 according to the invention is S• adapted to be used in a substantially upright position. The o o cleaning device 1 includes an upper end 2 which is preferably of substantially inverted U-shape configuration and has a free end 3 to which a cleaning device 4 preferably in the form of a scraper blade will in use be connected. The cleaning device depicted in the drawing is specifically adapted to clean out the interior of a gutter depicted by dotted lines 5 by a user standing on the ground and cleaning a gutter well above his head.

"The cleaning device includes an elongate handle or support member numbered 6 and it is preferred that that elongate support member is formed of a plurality of tubular sections 7 which snap fit or screw together through connection .Q means 8. The interior passage through the tubular section S forms a continuous water supply means 26 through which water is supplied along the length of the cleaning device to an outlet 9 located at the free end 3 of the upper end 2 of the cleaning device. O-ring seals 25 may be located between the interconnected ends of the tubular sections 7 to ensure the water supply means 26 is a continuous, leak free passage.

Water may be supplied to the cleaning device through a hose pipe 10 which connects to the lower end 11 of the device throu'. a snap fit connection 12.

The scraper blade 4 is provided with a blade element 13 which has a sharpened edge region 14 and an adjacent 3 upstanding flange 15 which provides support for the blade 13 and guidance for water passing over the upper surface of the blade element 13. The scraper blade 4 also includes an upstanding socket 16 which is dimensioned to fit over the end 3 of the support member 6 and may conveniently be held to the end 3 by worm drive clip 17. At least one lateral opening 18 is provided in the base of the socket 16 and aligned with the length of the blade element 13 so that water flowing through the outlet 9 is directed through the lateral opening 18 over the upper surface of the blade element 13.

The device 1 is preferably provided with a water shut off valve 20 which includes a manually operable lever 21 movable between on and off positions and positions intermediate those two positions so that the flow of water through the device can be varied between a fully off flow S" position and a fully on flow position and a range of flow rates therebetween. Clearly, other types of flow control devices are possible. It is preferable that the shut off valve 20 is located near the lower end 11 of the device in order that a user can operate the lever 21 whilst the device is in use.

The device preferably also carries a mirror 22 which is connected to the device near the curved central region 23 of the U-shaped upper end 2. This mirror 22 is preferably of convex form when viewed from below such that a user of the device will be able to observe a relatively large work area with the aid of the mirror. This will facilitateuse of the device particularly when clearing gutters.

It is preferred that the device is made of a plastics material such as an unplasticized PVC in order that the device is lightweight and easily manipulable when in use. The mirror 22 and the scraper blade 4 may, if desired, be formed from a material other than plastics although quite clearly it will be possible for those two components to also be formed of a plastics material. Quite clearly the whole device could, if necessary, be formed from other materials such as a lightweight metal for example or a plastic coated metal.

It is preferred that the scraper blade 4 is rotatable on the axis of the socket 16 about the. end 3 so that the device can be operated in different directions. However, this il- :'~ixra is not essential and in practice it has been found that a fixed blade operates effectively for most situations.

In use the device will be operated by a user standing below the gutter to be cleaned and the upper end 2 hooked over the front edge of the gutter with the scraper blade 4 seated on the base of the gutter. At this stage the user will be able to observe how much debris is in the gutter by observing the concave mirror 22. Thereafter the water supply will be switched on by moving the lever 21 and water under pressure will flow through the opening 9 and out of opening 18 into the gutter. It is preferred that this water emits with some substantial force and the configuration of the opening 18 will be selected to ensure that a high force jet or spray is directed across the upper surface of the blade towards the edge 14 and effectively down the length of the gutter Thus, water under pressure will cause debris in the gutter to be forced along the gutter and towards the downpipe from the gutter. The scraper blade 4 and particularly the sharpened edge 14 thereof will then be scraped along the base of the gutter 5 to thereby easily dislodge any material not dislodged by the water spray. Clearly the user will be able to observe any remaining material by viewing the interior of the gutter through the mirror 22.

If at any time the downpipe from the gutter becomes clogged with debris it will be possible to remove the scraper blade 4 from the end 3 and thereafter direct a jet of water through outlet 9 directly into the downpipe and thereby dislodge any material or debris trapped within the downpipe.

Clearly there may be many variations to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, it is not essential that the scraper blade be rotatable relative to the end 3. It will be possible to replace the scraper blade with another type of cleaning means such as a brush which may be of the rotatable type driven by the water under pressure. i'his brush type of cleaning means may be preferred for cleaning other configurations or types of inaccessable surfaces. It is also not essential that the water '!apply means comprises the interior of the tubular support member although this is the preferred arrangement.

5 -i j I II I It is also to be understood that various other modifications and/or alterations may be made to the parts and components previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

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Claims

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said upper end is of inverted U-shaped configuration, said support member being connected to or integral with one leg of the U-shape and the cleaning means being connected to the other leg of the U-shape.
3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said cleaning means comprises a scraper blade.
4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said scraper blade is substantially perpendicular to said other leg. A device according to claim 3 or 4 wherein said scraper blade comprises a blade portion and a socket portion and said socket portion is connected over the free end of said one leg, said socket portion having at least one lateral 23 opening therein on the side thereof adjacent said blade portion, said water stream in use being directed through said lateral opening onto said blade portion.
6. A device according to any preceding claim wherein said support member is of tubular form having an internal passage and said water delivery means comprises the internal e passage.
7. A device according to claim 6 wherein said support member comprises a plurality of releasably interconnectable sections.
8. A device according to claim 7 wherein the ends of said releasably interconnectable sections are connectable through a releasable connection.
9. A device according to any precedino claim wherein said water delivery means has a manually operable shut off 'valve operable to prevent water flow to sa outlet. 7 A device according to any preceding claim including a mirror connected to said support member at or near said upper end, said mirror being in or adjustable to an orientation such that a user operating said device from below said upper end can observe said cleaning means and within said gutter with the aid of said mirror.
11. 'A device according to claim 10 wherein said mirror clips onto said support member at or near said upper end.
12. A device according to claim 10 or 11 wherein said mirror is of convex form when viewed from below.
13. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings. DATED: 25 January 1993 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK. Attorneys for: UM^^t HENRY WILLIAM THOMAS and FRANKSTON FREDERICK EVANS o* e* 8