Autoglass cleaning system

Abstract

An autoglass cleaning system including a first tool having a resilient cleaning blade, a first holder body for the blade and a handle pivotally and removably mounted to the holder. The blade is attached to the holder body so that the blade can flex along its longitudinal axis. The handle has a proximal end attached to the holder and an internally threaded distal end. A second tool is provided that has a second holder body and a coarse scrubber blade mounted to the second holder body. The second holder body has a mounting hole into which the handle is pivotably and removably mountable.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an autoglass cleaning system and, more particularly, to a cleaning system comprising a kit of several tools that is particularly adaptable to enable a user to clean awkwardly configured surfaces or surfaces that are difficult to reach if using only conventional cleaning devices, for example, the windshield interior of a vehicle.

Various prior art devices exist which are intended for similar purposes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,361 describes a palm-supported pivoting cleaning device that enables the user to insert his fingers therein to reach and clean awkwardly configured and otherwise difficult to reach surfaces.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,507 describes a windshield cleaning tool that includes a cleaning member with an overall triangular shape and rounded corners and a pivotable handle for easier grasping and handling.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,762 describes a squeegee with an ergonomic handle and non-loosening pivotable blade that is suitable for a variety of cleaning tasks.

None of the devices described in the foregoing patents is optimized for the special requirements that are encountered in attempting to clean the interior of a windshield of vehicle, which requires the use of a windshield wiper-style device that minimizes streaking and allows the fluid used in the cleaning process to be gathered without leaving excessive drippings on the vehicle dashboard below the windshield.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a kit and a variety of cleaning tools which improve the ability to clean awkwardly configured surfaces such as the interior of a windshield of a vehicle.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention have been realized with a three-component autoglass cleaning system that includes a first tool that has a soft rubber cleaning blade for cleaning the interior of a windshield of a vehicle, a second tool with a rubber dirt remover, and a third conventional squeegee-like tool for cleaning the exterior of an automobile windshield. Of primary importance is the first tool which preferably includes a rubber cleaning blade with wiping edge which can flex to fit the curvature of the inside of a windshield. The tool is particularly adaptable to be run along the interior of the windshield to wipe off without any streaking of the cleaning liquid that is applied thereto substantially without spilling liquid onto the dashboard surface.

In one embodiment, a handle is provided that is pivotally and removably attached to the blade holder. The handle can have an internally threaded distal end into which a handle extension can be mounted.

An absorbent strip can be mounted along one of the two longitudinal sides of the blade for the purpose of absorbing excess liquid from the window surface or for applying a liquid or cleaning fluid to the surface.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the proximal end of the handle is mounted to the blade holder by a mounting configuration that permits the handle to move relative to the blade holder through a number of detented positions. This mounting can be carried out by providing the proximal end of the handle with a geometric cross-section having a plurality of flat sides, for example, six sides. This flat sided configuration then fits into a mounting hole in the blade holder which has a pattern that accepts the proximal end of the handle securely in the detented positions, but allows the handle to be rotated out of one detented position into another. This detented mounting configuration can be accomplished in a number of different ways which would be within the purview of those skilled in the art.

In still another embodiment, the handle is hollow and forms a reservoir for a nozzle provided in a portion of the handle directed toward the proximal end thereof and is in fluid communication with the reservoir. A manually operable pump is also arranged in the handle so as to pump fluid from the reservoir to the nozzle so that the fluid is sprayed to a surface being cleaned. A resealable opening is also provided in the handle to allow refilling of the reservoir.

Yet another embodiment of the invention provides any one of a number of additional tools. These additional tools include a second tool having a second holder body and a coarse scrubber blade mounted to the second holder body. A mounting hole is provided in the second holder body so that the handle is pivotably and removably mountable therein whereby a common handle can be used for both the first tool and the second tool. A third tool has a body with two oppositely directed edges and threaded holes between the edges for accepting the handle extension. The edges of the third tool body can be provided with any one of the following configurations, a foam dirt remover, a rubber squeegee, an ice scraper or a brush. These examples of edges of the third tool are only suggestive and are not limiting in that other types of configurations are also possible.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a first tool of the autoglass cleaning system of the present invention for use on the interior of a windshield.

FIG. 2 diagrammatically illustrates a second tool of the autoglass cleaning system of the present invention which comprises a rubber dirt remover.

FIG. 3 depicts an extension handle for the tools of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates a third cleaning tool.

FIG. 5 illustrates a fourth cleaning tool.

FIG. 6 is a top view of FIG. 1 showing the handle in various positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, in general, the drawings illustrate a three-component autoglass cleaning system including a first tool 10 with a soft rubber cleaning blade 20 for cleaning the interior of a windshield of a vehicle. FIG. 2 illustrates a second tool comprising a rubber dirt remover tool 11 for removing bulky dirt that may have caked on the interior windshield surface.

Referring to FIG. 1, the tool comprises a basic frame with a main body component 12 and a metal holder 18 for a cleaning blade 20. The blade metal holder 18 comprises a channel or other means for the affixation thereto of a rubber cleaning blade 20 which has wiping edge surface 22 which is contoured to the shape of the inside of a windshield, namely a generally edge convex surface which is somewhat flatter at the center and gently curves inwardly and away from the center at its left and side peripheral edges. Generally, the blade 20 is long and very thin to optimize its ability to scrape off cleaning fluid that may be applied to the inside windshield wiper through a spray of liquid/soap or water by means of a spray vessel (not shown), a wet rag or the like. The main body 12 and the blade 20 are generally configured similar to a conventional windshield wiper blade assembly. The rubber blade 20 has two longitudinally extending sides. An absorbent material, such as felt or chamois, is provided along one side of the blade for the purpose of absorbing excess liquid from the window surface or for applying liquid to the surface.

The metal holder 18 for the blade is connected to the frame body 12 by first and second spring arms 24, 26 which may comprise metal springs for flexibility and in order to allow the precise orientation and conformance of the rubber cleaning blade 20 to the interior windshield surface without changing the orientation of a handle 30 which is suitably connected to the metal body 12. The arms 24, 26 are attached to the holder 18 at pivot points 21 and to the body 12 at pivot points 23. More specifically, the handle 30 may be made of a plastic which has a main extension that extends generally parallel and in very close conformance to the extension of the top of the metal body 12 in order to provide a minimal distance from the tip of the rubber cleaning blade to the handle to enable reaching very confined and narrow spaces below the windshield within the vehicle. The long stem of the plastic handle has a short, generally perpendicularly-oriented piece that terminates in a stem 34 that penetrates through a hole at 35. A rubber or similar gasket 36 may be provided for facilitating the turning of the angle of the handle through 360° within the opening at 35. The stem 34 is mounted in the hole 35 so that the handle 30 is movable relative to the blade 20 through a number of detented positions, as shown in FIG. 6. This detented mounting can be accomplished in a variety of different ways. One possibility as shown in FIG. 1 is to provide the stem 34 and the hole 35 of the blade with cooperating cross-sections 38 which allow the handle to snap into a number of detented positions but also allow the handle to be rotated out of one position into another.

The distal end 33 of the handle 30 is internally threaded to enable the attachment thereto of an extension handle 40 (FIG. 3), which has a distal end that is provided with male threads 42 to fit within the internal female threads at the handle 30. The extension handle 40 is generally no more than one foot in length for automotive uses. However, the handle extension can be telescoping to lengths longer than one foot so that the wiping tool can be used in larger vehicles such as buses that have considerably larger windows, and to reach to both sides of the windshield in a car.

If desired, the connection or joint between the stem 34 of the handle 30 and the tool body 12 can be provided with a mechanism to lock the handle at a particular position, if desired for certain operations of the tool. A choice of materials can be utilized for the various components. For example, the main body can be made of metal or plastic. Similarly, the blade holder 18 may also be made of metal or a hard plastic that will keep its shape. Each of the spring arms 24 and 26 may have a pivotable connection to the metal body and provided with a pair of holding arms which are laterally connected in a channel within the metal holder to allow the metal holder and the blade 20 at the edge thereto to conform to the precise internal shape and contour of the interior windshield surface.

As shown in FIG. 1, the handle can be hollow and have internal walls 84 that define a reservoir 80 for holding a liquid such as a cleaning fluid. A nozzle 81 is provided in the forward end of the handle so as to be directed toward a windshield when the tool is in use. A tube 82 connects that nozzle 81 to the reservoir 80. A manually operable pump 83 is provided in the housing whereby fluid contained in the reservoir 80 can be pumped out of the nozzle 81 by manually actuating the pump 83. Such pumping mechanisms are known in the art and a detailed description thereof is thus not believed necessary for a complete understanding of the invention. One type of pump that could be used is simply a pressurization pump which when used causes the air pressure in the reservoir to increase thereby forcing the fluid through the tube 82 to the nozzle 81. Another alternative would be to use a pump similar to that used in conventional non-aerosol spray bottles of various types. In this case, the tube that opens to the reservoir is connected to the pump and then an additional tube is connected from the pump to the nozzle. Then, as with a conventional spray bottle, when the pump is actuated, fluid is drawn up from the reservoir and forced out the nozzle. The handle also has a filling opening that can be closed by a cap 85.

FIG. 2 depicts a dirt removing tool 11 which is generally identical to the tool 10 of FIG. 1, except that attached to the blade holder is a rubber dirt remover which is similar to the shape of the cleaning blade 20, except that it is made of a material 32 having a high frictional characteristic that enables it to both abrade and remove hard dirt that may adhere to the interior of the windshield. The plastic extension handle 40 of FIG. 3 may be used with the tool 11 as well.

Alternatively, FIG. 2 represents the tool 10 itself, except that it is removably and easily fitted with either the rubber dirt remover 32 of FIG. 2 or the rubber cleaning blade 20 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows another tool that is part of the kit. This tool has a plastic body 60 with a first edge provided with a foam dirt remover 61 and an opposite second edge provided with bristles 62. In between the two edges, the body 60 has threaded holes 63 into which the extension handle 40 can be threaded to form a cleaning or snow brush tool.

FIG. 5 shows another tool similar to the tool of FIG. 4. This tool differs in that it has an ice scraper 64 on one edge and a rubber squeegee blade 65 on the other edge. It is understood that different combinations of configurations can be provided at the edges of the body 60 without departing from the concept of the present invention.

As described above, the present invention provides both a system, i.e., a kit, for the cleaning of both the outside and inside of autoglass. Preferably, the kit is provided in a holding assembly where each piece and component of the neatly fits, so that the tools are kept together and not lost. The holding assembly can be a soft pouch. The pieces of the kit are configured to fit together in the pouch so that the entire kit can fit into a convenient space, such as a glove compartment or a pocket in the vehicle door.

In one form of the present invention which utilizes its key features, a very low profile tool is provided when the extension from the line which defines the tip of the blade 22 to the outer periphery of the handle 30 is only on the order of about one to two inches. This allows very convenient and comfortable access to the most tight and difficult to reach spots on the interior of the windshield and enables total removal of liquid that is sprayed or applied to the interior of the window without spilling of the liquid onto the upper part of the dashboard. The ability of the handle to turn 360° relative to a line that is perpendicular to the general line that defines the tip of the blade 22 enables different orientation of the tool during handling and the changing of those orientations to scrape and gather liquid from the windshield without dripping and without creating any streaks on the interior of the windshield. Tools which have a more squarish, unbladelike construction are more difficult to use, particularly in the removal of liquid, without spilling the same. As the tool 10 is dragged vertically from the bottom of the windshield, its center will naturally curve backwards (because it is supported at its ends), which creates a small depression within which fluid is gathered and dragged to the top of the windshield, where it can be immediately scooped up with rag or the like or simply flushed off the interior of the windshield.

Although the invention is described above in connection with a vehicle, it is understood that the invention is also suitable for use with any type of glass-like surface, such as building windows.

Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An autoglass cleaning system comprising a first tool having a resilient cleaning blade, a first holder body for the blade and a handle pivotally and removably mounted to the holder, the blade being attached to the holder body so that the blade can flex along its longitudinal axis.

2. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 1, wherein the handle has a proximal end attached to the holder and an internally threaded distal end.

3. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 2, and further comprising an extension handle having an externally threaded end that engages the internally threaded end of the handle.

4. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 3, wherein the extension handle is telescoping.

5. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 1, wherein the blade has two longitudinally extending sides, an absorbent strip being mounted on one of the sides.

6. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 2, wherein the proximal end of the handle is mounted to the holder so that the handle is movable relative to the blade holder through a number of detected positions.

7. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 2, wherein a portion of the handle is hollow and defines a reservoir for a fluid, a nozzle is provided in the handle so as to be directed toward the proximal end, the nozzle being in fluid communication with the reservoir, a manually operable pump is arranged in the handle so as to pump fluid from the reservoir to the nozzle, the handle further having a resealable filling opening to permit access to the reservoir for refilling.

8. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 1, and further comprising a second tool having a second holder body and a coarse scrubber blade mounted to the second holder body, the second holder body having a mounting hole into which the handle is pivotably and removably mountable.

9. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 8, wherein the scrubber blade is foam rubber covered by a fabric mesh.

10. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 8, and further comprising a third tool having a body with two oppositely directed edges and threaded holes substantially midway between the edges, the extension handle being mountable to the threaded holes, each edge having a configuration selected from the group consisting of: an ice scraper, a scrubber blade, a squeegee blade and a brush.

11. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 8, and further comprising a pouch, the first and second tools being configured to fit together in said pouch in a compact, close relationship.

12. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 10, and further comprising a pouch, the first, second and third tools being configured to fit together in said pouch in a compact, close relationship.

13. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 6, wherein the proximal end of the handle has a hexagonal cross-section and the holder has a hole with a hexagonal cross-section sized so as to hold the handle in the detented positions and allow movement of the handle between the positions.

14. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 2, wherein the handle is substantially L-shaped with a short leg forming the proximal end and a long leg forming the distal end.

15. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 14, wherein the short leg is a metal stem.

16. An autoglass cleaning system as in claim 2, wherein the proximal end of the handle is mounted in a hole in the holder, and further comprising a rubber or plastic grommet arranged in the hole so as to surround and stabilize the handle.