Patent Application
20210353120
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to cleaning devices and more particularly pertains to a new cleaning device for cleaning fan blades.
The prior art relates to cleaning devices for cleaning fan blades. Prior art fan blade cleaning devices may comprise a vacuum attachable brush head having a slot positioned therein that is complementary to a cross-sectional profile of a fan blade.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a funnel, which has a top that is rectangularly shaped and circumferentially larger than a bottom thereof. A conduit, which is engaged to and extends from the bottom of the funnel, is configured to be engageable to a hose extending from a vacuum cleaner.
A frame is engaged to and extends circumferentially around the top of the funnel. Opposed ends of the frame are dimensionally taller than opposed sides of the frame, defining a recess that is configured for insertion of a cross-sectional portion of a blade of a fan. The opposed ends are positioned proximate to opposed edges of the blade so that the blade is prevented from rotating.
A brush element is engaged to the frame and extends into the recess. The brush element is configured to dislodge debris from the blade as the frame is motivated longitudinally along the blade. The funnel is configured to direct the debris to the conduit for collection in the vacuum cleaner.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A frame 24 is engaged to and extends circumferentially around the top 14 of the funnel 12. Opposed ends 26 of the frame 24 are dimensionally taller than opposed sides 28 of the frame 24, defining a recess 30, as shown in
A brush element 36 is engaged to the frame 24 and extends into the recess 30. The brush element 36 is configured to dislodge debris from the blade as the frame 24 is motivated longitudinally along the blade. The funnel 12 is configured to direct the debris to the conduit 18 for collection in the vacuum cleaner 22.
The brush element 36 comprises a first element 38 and a second element 40. The first element 38 is engaged to the outer sections 34 and an associated opposed end 26 of the frame 24, as shown in
The first element 38 comprises a plurality of bristles 42. The present invention anticipates the bristles 42 of the plurality of bristles 42 being either one or both of flocked and unflocked. Each bristle 42 may comprise a horsehair 44, or other material, such as, but not limited to, nylon, feathers, and the like. The second element 40 comprises fabric, such as velour, as shown in
A hood 46 is engaged to and extends transversely and upwardly from the top 14 of the funnel 12. The funnel 12 is configured to direct the debris dislodged from the blade to the funnel 12. The hood 46 extends along the outer sections 34 and the associated opposed end 26 of the frame 24, as shown in
The device 10 also may comprise a sleeve 48, which is configured to be positionable over, and removably engageable to, the funnel 12. The sleeve 48 comprises fabric so that the sleeve 48 is configured to clean and to polish the blade as the frame 24 is motivated longitudinally along the blade. The sleeve 48 may comprise microfiber fabric, or other types of fabric, such as, but not limited to, cotton, polyester, and the like.
A plurality of fasteners 50 is engaged to the funnel 12 proximate to the top 14 and is configured to engage the sleeve 48 to engage the sleeve 48 to the funnel 12. Each fastener 50 may comprise a hook 52, which is positioned proximate a corner 54 of the top 14 and which extends toward the bottom 16. Each of a plurality of cords 56 has opposed termini 58 that are coupled to the sleeve 48 to define a loop 60. Each loop 60 is positioned for insertion of a respective hook 52 to engage the sleeve 48 to the funnel 12. The present invention anticipates other fastening means for engaging the sleeve 48 to the funnel 12, such as, but not limited to, pressure sensitive adhesives, hook and loop connectors, and the like.
In use, the device 10 is engaged to the hose 20 of the vacuum cleaner 22 using the conduit 18. The blade of the fan is inserted into the recess 30 and the frame 24 is motivated longitudinally along the blade to dislodge the debris, which is suctioned through the funnel 12 into the vacuum cleaner 22. If required, the inner sections 32 of the opposed sides 28 of the frame 24 can be extended from the outer sections 34 to fit the frame 24 to the width of the blade. Should a user wish to clean or polish the blade, the sleeve 48 can be positioned over the funnel 12 and secured thereto by hooking the cords 56 onto the hooks 52.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
