BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a cleaning apparatus in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective assembly view of the cleaning apparatus according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing the use of the cleaning apparatus according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing showing another status of use of the cleaning apparatus according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a perspective assembly view of a cleaning apparatus in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a perspective assembly view of a cleaning apparatus in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, and
FIG. 7 is a side view of a conventional cleaning apparatus according to the prior art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a cleaning apparatus 10 in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a carrying handle 20 and a collector 30.
The carrying handle 20 has a grip 22 for carrying by hand, and two extension arms 24 at two sides of the grip 22. The extension arms 24 are angled arms, each having one end integrally connected to the grip 22 and the other end provided with a lug 242.
The collector 30 comprises a hollow shell 32 and a spade 34. The spade 34 is peripherally connected to the hollow shell 32, defining with the hollow shell 32 a dust collecting open chamber 36. The hollow shell 32 has two pivot pins 322 symmetrically outwardly extended from two opposite lateral sides thereof and respectively coupled to the lugs 242 of the extension arms 24 of the carrying handle 20 so that the collector 30 can be biased relative to the carrying handle 20. The spade 34 has the leading edge thereof protruding over the leading edge of the hollow shell 32. The spade 34 has a V-shaped cut 38 inwardly extending from a middle of the leading edge, defining a front open end 382, a rear closing end 384, and two beveled lateral sides 386 defining two first bevel edges 342 each having one end terminating at the closing end 384. The spade 34 further has two second bevel edges 344 formed on the leading edge at two sides of the V-shaped cut 38. The two second bevel edges 344 each have one end respectively connected to the respective front end of the first bevel edges 342. The spade 34 further has a plurality of reinforcing ribs 346 protruded from the top side wall thereof at two sides of the V-shaped cut 38. The ribs 346 extend to the second bevel edges 344 and are arranged in parallel at an equal pitch at two sides of the V-shaped cut 38 to reinforce the structural strength of the spade 34 and to facilitate collection of waste matters from the ground by the spade 34. Further, an elongated stop block 348 is formed integral with the top side wall of the spade 34 behind the V-shaped cut 38.
Referring to FIG. 3, when using the cleaning apparatus to pick up waste matter, for example, a pet's stool 40 from the ground, carry the carrying handle 20 with one single hand to have the bottom side of the collector 30 be stopped at the ground and then to bias the collector 30 so as to attach the spade 34 closely to the ground with the open end 382 of the V-shaped cut 38 aimed at the stool 40, and then drag the carrying handle 20 to move the open end 382 of the V-shaped cut 38 over the bottom side of the stool 40 for enabling the stool 40 to be moved away from the ground by the first bevel edges 342, second bevel edges 344 and ribs 346 of the spade 34. When the stool 40 is moved to about one half position in spade 34, as shown in FIG. 3, lift the carrying handle 20. At this time, the collector 30 is turned downwards by its gravity weight, as shown in FIG. 4, and the stool immediately falls from the spade 34 to the inside of the dust collecting open chamber 36, and therefore the cleaning action is completed. When wishing to pour the stool 40 out of the cleaning apparatus, aim the open side of the cleaning apparatus at the garbage-can and then bias the collector 30 for enabling the stool 40 to fall out of the collector 30 to the garbage-can. Further, in case non-solid waste matter or fluid waste matter is collected in the cleaning apparatus, the elongated stop block 348 stops waste fluid from flowing out of the dust collecting open chamber 36.
FIG. 5 illustrates a cleaning apparatus in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. According to this second embodiment, the cleaning apparatus 50 has a stick 52 connected to the carrying handle 54 thereof. Thus, the user can directly hold the stick 52 with the hand to have the spade 56 be closely attached to the ground when picking up waste matters from the ground.
A cleaning apparatus according to either of the aforesaid two embodiments uses the design of two pivoted members and a V-shaped cut on one of the pivoted members to pick up waste matters from the ground conveniently and rapidly, enabling collected waste matters to be conveniently poured to a garbage-can. Because of simple structural design, the cleaning apparatus is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
FIG. 6 illustrates a cleaning apparatus in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the cleaning apparatus 60 is made in the form of a dustpan, having a spade (or pan) 64, a wall 62 perpendicularly extending around the border of the spade 64 and defining with the spade 64 a dust collecting open chamber 68, and a handle 66 fixedly connected to the wall 62.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
Patent Application
20080092321
