Patent Application
20190133415
The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The present invention relates generally to the field of land vehicles and more specifically relates to closure mounted body accessories.
Many individuals drive vehicles in modern society. There is a high amount of ‘traffic’ on the inside of a vehicle that can lead to stained floor mats and soiled carpet. Occupants bring dirt and debris into the vehicle that settles on the floor until they eventually have to be vacuumed. The stains in the upholstery may never come out depending on the severity. Unwanted odors may arise due to the debris. It can be difficult for vehicle owners to maintain the cleanliness of their vehicle. A suitable solution is desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,132,848 to Samuel Knight relates to a vehicle mounted brush for footwear. The described vehicle mounted brush for footwear includes a cleaning system which is attached to a door pocket of a vehicle and allows, via a spinning brush head, to clean the outer surfaces of a person's footwear prior to stepping into the vehicle. The system uses a brush that has a handle and a rotating brush head powered by a motor within the handle. The handle is attached, via a clip or similar system, to the door pocket. The motor is powered either via a battery within the handle or via the vehicle's battery and is controlled either via a switch on the handle or via the door depression switch that detects whether the door of the vehicle is open or closed, or both.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known land vehicles art, the present disclosure provides a novel car maid. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a footwear cleaning device that attaches to the door pocket of any vehicle. This reduces the amount of debris transferred from an individual's shoes onto the floor of a vehicle. It appeals to vehicle owners, passengers, mechanics, valets, and anyone else who desires to keep a car effectively free of debris. This further prevents shoes from staining the interior carpet of a vehicle. The present invention assists users in keeping their vehicle clean on a day to day basis with minimal effort.
A footwear cleaning apparatus for attachment to a rim of a door pocket of a vehicle door is disclosed herein. The footwear cleaning apparatus includes a brush having a base; a brush supporting platform, the brush supporting platform configured to selectively retain and alternately release the brush may have the base; a brush cover, the brush cover configured to selectively cover and uncover the brush may have the base; and a door pocket rim mounting clip, the door pocket rim mounting clip configured to removably affix to the rim of the door pocket of the vehicle door.
A method of using footwear cleaning apparatus is also disclosed herein. The method of using footwear cleaning apparatus may comprise the steps of: providing a footwear cleaning apparatus for attachment to a rim of a door pocket of a vehicle door as disclosed; pushing the footwear cleaning apparatus down over the rim of the door pocket of the vehicle door; lifting the brush cover; brushing footwear against the plurality of bristles of the brush; and lowering the brush cover over the brush. The method may further comprise the steps of: raising the brush and brush cover to keep them out of the way during vehicle operation.
For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, Car Maid, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.
As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to land vehicles and more particularly to the Car Maid as used to improve the cleanliness of vehicles.
Generally, people wear footwear a majority of their lives. A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. They may also be used as an item of decoration and contain any number of design elements. This creates a combination of function and fashion accessory, as well as a means for self-expression. The present product slides onto the edge of a car door pocket via two clips. The backside of the hinge rest on the plastic wall at the base of the door. The arm of the hinge is folded strait up above the pocket and parallel to the door when not in use. The arm of the hinge is folded down toward the ground and rests at 45-degree angle for use in wiping off shoes. When the pad or scrubber collects debris, it can be slid off and rinsed or cleaned then slid back on the arm for use. It is fully universal for any car with virtually any style of door pocket. The positioning of the product in use allows all debris to fall on outside ground and not splatter onto car door or interior. The scrubber is fully removable for cleaning or replacement. The product uses a hinge to allow it to be free of interference when the car door is closed. This is a shelf product that requires no professional installation and can be sold on shelves at retail stores or car washes etc.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in
According to one embodiment, the footwear cleaning apparatus 100 may be arranged as a kit. The kit may include a set of instructions 107 and wherein the footwear cleaning apparatus is arranged as a kit. The instructions 107 may detail functional relationships in relation to the structure of the footwear cleaning apparatus 100 (such that the footwear cleaning apparatus 100 can be used, maintained, or the like, in a preferred manner).
It should be noted that step 507 is an optional step and may not be implemented in all cases. Optional steps of method of use 500 are illustrated using dotted lines in
The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/547,088 filed Aug. 17, 2017, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62547088 | Aug 2017 | US |
