WO2003078100A1

WO2003078100A1 - Cleaning apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2003078100A1
Application number: PCT/US2003/008070
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marvin I. Weinberger; Tucker J. Marion
Original assignee: Innovation Factory Inc
Current assignee: Innovation Factory Inc
Priority date: 2002-03-15
Filing date: 2003-03-17
Publication date: 2003-09-25
Anticipated expiration: 2004-09-15

Abstract

Hand-operable cleaning apparatus (3D) includes a body, a handle on the top side of the body; and a supply of towel material secured to the body so as to provide an area of the towel material secured to the body on the bottom side and exposed so as to contact a surface to be cleaned. The supply of towel material may be contained in a cartridge that is detachably securable to the body. The cartridge may include a stack of elements, each element including a sheet of moistened towel material secured to a sheet of moisture-impervious backing material.

Description

CLEANING APPARATUS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to hand-operable cleaning apparatus, and in particular, to such apparatus that is suitable for cleaning surfaces in an automobile and other environments. Removal of dirt and 'grime' on the inside of a vehicle windshield can be important.

This glare-causing filth can make driving quite hazardous, particularly at night, and is generally difficult to remove particularly by cleaning towel held in a user's hand. Other automotive surfaces may need cleaning including exterior glass and interior non-glass surfaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problems of the prior art are addressed by hand-operable cleaning apparatus that includes a body, a handle on the top side of the body; and a supply of towel material secured to the body so as to provide an area of the towel material secured to the body on the bottom side and exposed so as to contact a surface to be cleaned. The supply of towel material may be contained in a cartridge that is detachably securable to the body. The cartridge may include a stack of elements, each element including a sheet of moistened towel material secured to a sheet of moisture-impervious backing material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1, comprising Figs. 1A - IE, shows a first embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2, comprising Figs. 2A - 2B, shows a second embodiment of the invention. Fig. 3, comprising Figs. 3 A - 3D, shows a third embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Fig. 1, comprising Figs. 1A - IE, shows a first embodiment of the invention. Fig. IB shows a side view of the apparatus in a closed configuration. When the cap, shown face on in Fig. IB, is removed from the body, the towel material is exposed and available for use. As shown in Fig. IE, the cap may be stored in the space between the handle and the body during use. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the supply of towel material and a supply of fluid are provided in the form of a replaceable cartridge containing extra strength paper towels and having a bladder on the bottom of the cartridge that contains the cleaning fluid. The bladder is connected to two specially designed bleed valves that release an appropriate amount of cleaning fluid when actuated. The valves are preferably actuated when the apparatus is pressed against a surface to be cleaned, such as a windshield surface, but may also be arranged to be actuated in other ways. The cleaning fluid is preferably dispensed onto one of the paper towels from the supply that is disposed externally on the apparatus so that it may be brought into contact with a surface to be cleaned and is maintained by the apparatus in such position when the apparatus is moved with respect to the surface in a wiping or scrubbing motion. Once the surface is clean, the soiled paper towel can then be peeled off, allowing a clean, fresh towel from the supply to be made available for use. The cleaning solution itself is desirably clear, odorless, and non-toxic. While the apparatus may be made with a replaceable towel cartridge, it may also be made with an integral supply of paper towels, with the expectation that the apparatus will be thrown away when the supply of towels is exhausted.

The apparatus shown in Fig 2 A differs from that of Fig. 1 in that instead of a rigid handle, it includes a strap, for example, an elastic band ,which holds the apparatus against a user's hand, as shown in Fig. 2B. The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 may also be used in this way; alternatively, its rigid handle may be gripped. The apparatus shown in Fig 2A may use the towel supply described for Fig. 1. Alternatively, the apparatus shown in Fig 2A may use a towel supply in a fixed cartridge. This fixed cartridge may have one cloth, made of advanced micro fibre, small pore material. The cloth may be removed and cleaned for multiple uses. Such a cartridge could also be used in the Fig. 1 apparatus.

Fig. 3, comprising Figs. 3A - 3D, shows a third embodiment of the invention. It includes an ergonomic palm-sized body, with comfortable rubber-like handles and gripping surfaces adjacent the periphery of the top side of the body. Fig. 3 A shows the apparatus in a closed configuration; Fig. 3B shows an extendable handle extended for use. When the cap is removed from the body, as shown in Fig. 3C, the towel material is exposed and available for use. Clipped into the body is a cartridge containing a stack of cleaning elements, each element comprising a sheet of moistened towel material secured to a backing sheet of non-permeable material such as foil. When a towel is used, the user pulls it off, exposing the foil. The foil not only keeps the towel underneath moist, it protects it from the grime that accumulates on the active towel. The overall size can fit into an average glovebox, and includes two special features: an extending handle to reach to the base of even the deepest windshields, and a visor clip. The cleaning solution may be offered in a variety of different types, such as dash and vinyl cleaner, leather care, anti-bacterial wipes, and normal - dry tissue

The disclosed apparatus, while suitable for cleaning surfaces in a variety of environments, particularly lends itself to many duties in a vehicle. Its primary use in a vehicle may be the removal of dirt and 'grime' on the inside of the windshield. Other uses for the apparatus are exterior glass cleaning, cleaning spills and other dirt from a vehicle interior, removing dust and grime from television sets and computer monitors, and dispensing clean towels for personal use (napkins, sneezing, etc.) Reference herein to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments.

It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

Claims

1. Hand-operable cleaning apparatus comprising: a body having a top side and a bottom side; a handle on the top side of the body; and a supply of towel material secured to the body, the towel material supply being adapted to provide an area of the towel material secured to the body on the bottom side and exposed so as to contact a surface to be cleaned.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the supply of towel material is contained in a cartridge that is detachably securable to the body.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein the cartridge includes microfibre towel material.

4. The invention of claim 2, wherein the cartridge includes a stack of elements, each element including a sheet of moistened towel material secured to a sheet of backing material.

5. The invention of claim 4, wherein the towel material is moistened with a cleaning fluid, and the backing material is impervious to the cleaning fluid.

6. The invention of claim 2, wherein the cartridge includes paper towel material.

7. The invention of claim 1, further including a supply of cleaning fluid secured to the body, the cleaning fluid supply being adapted to moisten an area of the towel material secured to the body on the bottom side.

8. The invention of claim 7, wherein cleaning fluid is conveyed from the supply of cleaning fluid to the towel material secured to the body on the bottom side when the towel material is brought into contact with and pressed against a surface to be cleaned.

9. The invention of claim 1, wherein the handle is adapted to be grasped by a user encircling the handle with the user's hand.

10. The invention of claim 1, wherein the handle is adapted to be grasped by a user placing the user's palm adjacent the surface of the top side of the body and engaging gripping areas adjacent the periphery of the top side of the body with the user's fingers.

11. The invention of claim 10, further including a strap secured to the body so as to secure the apparatus to the user's hand when grasped as described in claim 10.

12. The invention of claim 1, wherein the handle includes an extensible handle portion.

13. The invention of claim 1, further including a cap that is detachably securable to the body in a position covering the towel material secured to the body on the bottom side when the apparatus is not in use and detachably securable to the top side of the body when the apparatus is in use.