Patent Application
20090061750
The present invention relates to an apparatus for the deep cleaning of surfaces.
In order to restore surfaces damaged by dirt, oxides (such as rust), caking of various types, etc., to the original state, abrasive products are used such as sandpapers or abrasive disks, which eliminate the outermost layer of the surface to be regenerated, evening it out.
Such abrasive products are moved tangentially on the surface to be regenerated and the movement may be either manual (a simple manual movement of the sandpaper) or automated (such as in the case of disc or plate polishing machines).
Such polishing system may be essentially used on all surfaces but presents the problem of being particularly invasive with respect to the surfaces, because, as mentioned, the surface layers on which it acts are entirely removed. This may be a problem in all those applications, in which the cleaning of the surface must only concern portions of surfaces, for example in the case of the elimination of rust from metallic surfaces such as car bodies, ship hulls, etc. or in the case of deep cleaning of wall surfaces from dirt caked by time and by weather elements. In this case, the use of polishing machines is not recommended because it tends to remove the layers of paint, plaster and all the important external parts of the surfaces to be cleaned, which are instead not desired to be eliminated.
In all cases when operating on surfaces of these types, alternative dedicated cleaning techniques must be used, such as abrasive pastes on metal surfaces which do not damage the existing paints, or particular solvents for the deep surface cleaning of walls, etc.
The use of dedicated products implies various disadvantages, for example high cost (also considering the use on large surfaces, which commonly occurs) and the problems deriving from possible toxicity and environmental pollution. It is the main task of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the deep cleaning of surfaces, which solves the highlighted problems of the known art.
It is an important object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for the deep cleaning of surfaces, which allows either avoiding or limiting the removal of the original surface layer of the surface intended to be cleaned in depth.
A further important object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for the deep cleaning of surfaces, which is not polluting.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for the deep cleaning of surfaces, which is easy to use.
These and other objects, which will be more apparent below, are achieved by an apparatus for the deep cleaning of surfaces that includes a support for at least two reservoirs disposed side-by-side, provided with deformable walls, which present corresponding uniformly and thoroughly perforated faces essentially facing the direction of the surface to be cleaned. At least one first reservoir is adapted to contain a surface cleaning granular material such as sand, and at least one second reservoir is adapted to contain a non-solid, fluid substance for facilitating the flowing of the sand on the surface, by means of the pressure exerted by a user on said support in the direction of the surface to be cleaned Said sand and said substance are issued from corresponding reservoirs and are mixed together on said surface to be cleaned, the tangential movement on the surface to be cleaned of said faces of said reservoirs conveying onto the surface the compound of the granular material with the fluid material, thereby providing an asperity and surface concavity cleaning effect.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the description of two preferred but not exclusive embodiments, shown by way of indicative and non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, in which:
With reference to the aforementioned
Such apparatus 10 comprises a support 11 for three reservoirs 12 disposed side-by-side and provided with deformable walls, which present corresponding uniformly perforated faces 13 essentially facing the direction of the surface to be cleaned, herein identified by numeral 14. Specifically, support 11 consists of a plate 15, onto which reservoirs 12 are fixed on one side.
A gripping handle 16 for the hand of a user is arranged on such plate 15, on the side opposite to that onto which reservoirs 12 are fixed.
As mentioned, each reservoir 12 is perforated on corresponding face 13 facing surface 14 to be cleaned.
In this embodiment, the walls of each reservoir are entirely perforated (except for the part facing support 11).
The walls of such reservoirs 12 are deformable and formed, for example, by a fabric, in which spaces between warp and fill constitute through holes. It is apparent that all sorts of materials may be used for forming said reservoirs, such as, for example: perforated non-woven fabrics, perforated elastomeric material or other plastic material films, natural fabrics coated with plastic materials and then perforated, elasticized fabrics, etc.
Each reservoir 12 includes a closable filling opening 17 for the insertion of substances useful for the deep cleaning operation, which is described below. Specifically, a first reservoir 12a is tillable with sand 18, preferably of fine grain size, while a second reservoir 12b is tillable with a non-solid substance 19, which has the function of facilitating the flowing of the sand (which has a cleaning function) on surface 14, as better described below.
Such non-solid substance 19 may be, for example, a liquid detergent, an oily liquid substance, a cream product, a wax-based substance, glycerin, etc.
Therefore, substance 19, in addition to having the main function of facilitating the flowing of the sand on the surface, may also have a secondary function, e.g. of chemically cleaning (detergent), protecting (wax), etc.
In this first embodiment, third reservoir 12c is filled with the same sand 18 as first reservoir 12a.
It is apparent that, according to needs, a third reservoir 12c may be filled with sand of different type or also with substance of the same type as that of second reservoir 12b or also of different types.
Filling opening 17 consists, for example, of a pipe 20 thoroughly arranged through plate 15 and closed by a cap 21.
Such filling opening 17, in other embodiments, may be located in other parts of the reservoirs 12, such as, for example, the head portions 22.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows.
Reservoirs 12 are filled with sand 18 and non-solid substance 19, e.g. liquid soap.
In virtue of the density and surface tension of liquid soap 19, this tends not to be issued from the holes defined on the walls of reservoirs 12.
Similarly, also sand 18, in virtue of the aggregating effect of the close particles as well as the possible adhesive power due to the humidity in the sand, tends not to be issued from the holes of reservoirs 12.
It is possible that the sand or the soap are issued, but this occurs limitedly and certainly very slowly.
By arranging reservoirs 12 with corresponding faces 13 in contact with surface to be cleaned 14 and by exerting with the hand a pressure on support 11 in direction of surface 14, the sand and the liquid soap are issued from the holes of reservoirs 12, mixing together on surface 14.
The liquid soap-sand compound is thus moved on surface 14 by the movement tangential to the surface imposed onto faces 13 by means of the handle and the plate, by the user's hand; in practice, faces 13 drag the compound on surface 14.
The sand performs an abrasion only on that which protrudes with respect to the main level of surface 14 (such as, for example, rust on a metallic surface) or of those particles of dirt which are nested in small recesses, niches, indentations defined on surface 14 (such as, for example, in the case of wall surfaces).
The soap or other non-solid substance allows the sand to flow on the main level of the surface without being excessively ‘aggressive’ with respect to this surface.
It is apparent that the sand may be of different types: it must be sufficiently hard for the type of application and must not dissolve in the dense non-solid substance.
It is apparent that two is the minimum number of reservoirs, one for the sand and one for the non-solid substance, and that a number of reservoirs according to needs may be added to these in other embodiments (such as in the present case).
It has been experimentally verified that the use of a sand and non-solid substance compound previously mixed inside a reservoir does not allow an issuance of the product from the holes of the reservoir.
A second embodiment of apparatus according to the invention is shown in
In this embodiment, the support, now identified by numeral 111, consists of a glove 115 wearable by a user. On such glove 115, on the side of the palm of the hand, there are fixed three reservoirs 112, the walls of which are deformable and are formed by materials similar to those of the previous example.
Faces 113 of such reservoirs 112, throughly perforated, are those related to the side opposite to the palm of the hand.
Such reservoirs are developed, for example, along the main directions of the glove 115 related to the fingers; the first reservoir 112a, for example, relates to a first portion of the palm of the hand and to the thumb, the second reservoir 112b relates to a second portion of the palm next to the first portion and to the index and middle fingers and finally the third reservoir 12c relates to the last portion of the palm and to the ring and little fingers.
Reservoirs 112 are filled with sand 118 and non-solid substance 119 of the same type as in the previous example.
Three filling openings 117, closed by caps 121, are present at the zone of glove 115 corresponding to the wrist.
The operation is similar to the previous example; with the pressure of the hand inside the glove against the surface to be cleaned, the sand and the non-solid substance are issued from the corresponding reservoirs and mixed; the tangential movement of the hand brings the compound thus formed to the surface, so that the sand eliminates the asperities and the dirt.
In variant embodiments with respect to the embodiment just set forth (not shown in the figures), reservoirs 12-112 may be provided with reversible fastening means to support 11-111 (plate or glove), so as to be able to replace them with new reservoirs once they are worn out due to the inevitable wear to which they are subjected during the sliding on the surfaces to be cleaned.
It has been in practice observed that the invention thus described solves the highlighted problems of the known art; specifically, the present invention provides an apparatus for the deep cleaning of surfaces which allows obtaining extremely smooth and clean surfaces without damaging the original surface layer.
This is obtained by using sand as a cleaning means with the non-solid substance; the sand indeed eliminates all of the surface impurities while the non-solid substance allows a flowing of the sand onto the surface without damaging the original layer and possibly exerting other effects, such as for example a deterging effect.
The use of perforated reservoirs side-by-side containing such products provides for an easy, continuous distribution of the products on the surface to be cleaned.
The invention thus devised is susceptible to a number of changes and variants all within the scope of the inventive concept; furthermore, all details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, any materials, if compatible with the specific use and dimensions, may be used according to the needs and the state of the art. Where the features and techniques mentioned in any claim are followed by references signs, such reference signs are included for the sole purpose of increasing intelligibility of the claims and consequently such reference signs have no limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PD2006A000076 | Mar 2006 | IT | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2007/000519 | 3/6/2007 | WO | 00 | 9/5/2008 |
