Patent Application
20210094516
The present invention relates generally to a device for clearing or stripping debris and other matter from a flexible tube. In particular the invention relates to a device that is easily usable to clear a sunroof/moonroof (“Sunroof”) drain in a vehicle through the use of a directed solvent and directed pressure.
In general, a sunroof in the roof panel of a vehicle is provided for ventilation of the inside of the vehicle by opening a portion of the roof panel. That is, a sunroof is provided to allow more external air to flow into a vehicle when the inside of the vehicle is ventilated. A sunroof is composed of a frame disposed at the edge of an opening formed through a roof panel, a glass being movable inside the frame, and a sunshade slidably disposed under the glass.
A drain structure is used for discharging rainwater that flows into a gap between a roof panel and a sunroof when it rains That is, in order to prevent rainwater from flowing into a sunroof, in the related art, there is a configuration that guides rainwater into the outer rail of a guide rail and discharges the rainwater outside a vehicle through a drain channel. However, when rainwater over the capacity of the outer rail flows into the outer rail of the guide rail, the rainwater may flow into the inner rail or into the vehicle. Accordingly, the head lining in the vehicle may be contaminated or other parts may be corroded.
Sunroof/Moonroof drains are an aspect of your car that one probably rarely, if ever, think about. Though the sunroof is sealed to keep most moisture out, some moisture and water does come in through the gap between the sunroof and the car itself. The moisture is then drained out of the vehicle through the sunroof drains, which run from inside the roof area and exit somewhere else. If the drains become clogged, it can make your interior smell musty and eventually create major problems with the sunroof and other electrical components that come in contact with the moisture. Your car's sunroof drains should be cleaned regularly.
The Prior art drain cleaning systems and methods are well known and are related to snakes and other similar ways to physically remove a clog from a drain. However, none of these techniques address the problem of dissolving debris from clogged drains using a solvent and pressure that are not harmful to a vehicle's paint and the vehicle's delicate drain tubing that are aspects that must be considered with attempting to clean the drains of a sunroof.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatus and methods that may be used to clean a clogged drain from a sunroof.
In one aspect, a sunroof drain cleaning apparatus may include an injector for providing pressurized cleaning solvent to a tube; a tube for providing localized and pressurized cleaning solvent to a drain; and a means for pressurizing the cleaning solvent.
In another embodiment, a method for cleaning a sunroof drain may include locating one or more sunroof drains; removing any large debris from the drain opening; filling a sunroof drain injector with solvent to unclog the drain; pressurizing the solvent within the injector; applying the pressurized solvent into the sunroof drain; and optionally pouring water into the drain to test that the clog has been removed. The cycle may be repeated.
In yet another embodiment, sunroof drain cleaning apparatus comprising means for injecting a cleaning fluid into said sunroof drain.
In still yet another embodiment, a method for cleaning a sunroof drain comprising the steps of: utilizing a cleaning fluid for cleaning said sunroof drain; and injecting said cleaning fluid into said sunroof drain; wherein said cleaning fluid is a solvent; wherein the step of injecting further comprises the step of utilizing a tube for delivering said cleaning fluid into said drain.
In yet another embodiment, a method for cleaning a sunroof drain comprising the steps of removing any large debris from the drain opening; applying the pressurized cleaning fluid into said sunroof drain; and pouring water into the drain to test that any clog has been removed.
Additional aspects of this disclosure are directed to methods for manufacturing and methods for employing any of the herein depicted or described vehicle sunroof drain cleaning apparatuses. The representative apparatuses and methods include, in any order and in any combination with any of the disclosed features and options.
The above summary is not intended to represent every embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing summary merely provides an exemplification of some of the novel concepts and features set forth herein.
As previously stated drain cleaner or injector assembly 400 may include cleaning fluid holder 410, plunger 430, plunger handle 440, injector rod 450, reducer 460. Cleaning fluid holder may be any container to allow for the containment of fluid of various viscosities. For example, cleaning fluid holder 410 as shown may be a clear plastic or glass container but may be any size or shaped container that will hold fluid in a pressurized state.
Additionally, injector assembly 400 may include plunger 430, plunger handle 440, and injector rod 450. Plunger 430, plunger handle 440, injector rod 450 may work in conjunction with each other to create pressurization within the cleaning fluid contained within cleaning fluid holder 410. In the present embodiment, the injector assembly is much like a needle that creates pressure when plunger 430 is in a retracted position.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Aspects of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments; those skilled in the art will recognize, however, that many modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the precise construction and compositions disclosed herein; any and all modifications, changes, and recognizable variations apparent from the foregoing descriptions are within the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the present concepts expressly include any and all combinations and subcombinations of the preceding elements and features.
