The present disclosure relates to liquid collection devices.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Dustpans are commonly employed by users to collect debris and/or liquid from surfaces. Users employ brooms or other user-operated devices to force debris and/or liquid into the dustpans, and then remove the debris and/or liquid from the dustpans as desired so that the dustpans may be used again.
This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a collection device for collecting liquid from a surface is disclosed. The collection device includes a bottom member defined by at least a first edge and a second edge, a sidewall extending from the bottom member adjacent to the second edge, and a ramp member extending from the bottom member adjacent to the first edge towards the sidewall at an angle relative to the bottom member. The ramp member and the bottom member at least partially define a cavity therebetween. The bottom member extends a length between the first edge and the second edge, and the ramp member extends a distance less than the length of the bottom member. The collection device further includes an absorbent material disposed at least partially in the cavity between the ramp member and the bottom member, the absorbent material configured to absorb liquid in the cavity.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of collecting liquid from a surface with a collection device is disclosed. The collection device includes a bottom member defined by at least a first edge and a second edge, a sidewall extending from the bottom member adjacent to the second edge, a ramp member extending from the bottom member adjacent to the first edge towards the sidewall at an angle relative to the bottom member, and an absorbent material. The bottom member, the sidewall, and the ramp member are cardboard. The method includes forcing liquid to flow up the ramp member and to a first cavity defined by the bottom member, the sidewall, and the ramp member. At least a portion of the liquid flows from the first cavity to a second cavity and into contact with the absorbent material disposed in the second cavity. The second cavity is defined by the bottom member and the ramp member. The method further includes disposing of the collection device after a single use.
Further aspects and areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that various aspects of this disclosure may be implemented individually or in combination with one or more other aspects. It should also be understood that the description and specific examples herein are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts and/or features throughout the several views of the drawings.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Collection devices are commonly employed by users to collect debris and/or liquid from surfaces. For example, a user may employ a broom, a squeegee, or another suitable user-operated device to force debris and/or liquid into a collection device (e.g., a dustpan), and then remove the debris and/or liquid from the collection device as desired so that the collection device may be used again. In such examples, the debris and/or liquid may move freely (e.g., unrestrained, uncontrolled, etc.) within a portion of the collection device. In some cases, the unrestrained debris and/or liquid may spill out of the collection device before the debris and/or liquid is properly discarded due to actions of the user (e.g., inadvertently tilting, bumping, etc. the collection device).
Uniquely, the collection devices disclosed herein enable users to collect liquids such as water, oil, etc. from surfaces and restrain at least a portion (and sometimes all) of the liquids with absorbing materials in the collection devices. For example, and as further explained herein, one or more types of liquid may be collected and selectively absorbed with one or more absorbing materials in a collection device. This effectively restrains the liquid within the collection device and substantially prevents the liquid from spilling out of the collection device. Subsequently, the entire collection device including absorbed liquid(s) may be discarded and/or portions (e.g., the absorbing material(s), etc.) of the collection device may be discarded as desired. As such, the collection devices herein may be one-time use devices that enable users to easily collect, restrain, and dispose of liquids as desired.
For example, a collection device for collecting liquid from a surface according to one example embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated in
As shown in
In the example of
Additionally, each of the ramp member 110 and the sidewalls 104, 106, 108 may extend an entire length of its corresponding edge of the bottom member 102. For example, the sidewall 106 may extend the entire length of the edge 118 of the bottom member 102. The other sidewall 108 and the ramp member 110 may be similarly configured with respect to the edges 120, 116.
In some embodiments, the sidewalls 104, 106, 108 may extend from the bottom member 102 at about a ninety-degree angle relative to the bottom member 102, as shown in
Additionally, and as shown in
As shown in
Additionally, the ramp member 110 may extend a defined distance from the edge 116 of the bottom member 102. In some examples, the distance may be less than the length of the bottom member 102 between the edges 116, 118. This distance may be a length between opposing edges of the inclined member 124 (e.g., the length between an edge of the inclined member 124 adjacent to the edge 116 and an opposing edge of the inclined member 124 adjacent to the optional wall 126).
The cavity 114 is defined by the ramp member 110 and the bottom member 102. More specifically, in the example of
In some embodiments, the liquid collection device 100 may include another cavity adjacent to the cavity 114. For example, and as shown in
In the example of
As shown in
The absorbent material 112 in the cavity 114 may be positioned in the cavity 114 in any suitable manner. For example, the absorbent material 112 may be free flowing (e.g., loose, etc.) and may substantially fill the entire cavity 114. In such examples, the absorbent material 112 may be positioned throughout the cavity 114 and adjacent to a top surface of the bottom member 102 and a bottom surface of the inclined member 124, as shown in
Additionally, the absorbent material 112 and other absorbent materials disclosed herein may include any suitable material or materials for absorbing liquid. In some examples, the absorbent material 112 may be selected to absorb one or more particular types of liquid (e.g., water, oil, etc.). In such examples, the absorbent material 112 may substantially absorb one type of liquid (e.g., oil, etc.) and not other types of liquid (e.g., water, etc.).
In the example of
In other examples, the absorbent material disclosed herein may include an absorbent pad attached to, for example, the bottom member. For example,
In some embodiments, any one of the liquid collection devices disclosed herein may include an interface to form a transition region between a ramp member and a surface where liquid may be present. For example,
As shown in
In the example of
Additionally, in some embodiments, any one of the liquid collection devices disclosed herein may include openings (e.g., hand holes) for receiving a user's hands. For example, and as shown in
In the particular example of
Additionally, in some examples, one or both openings 544A, 544B may be positioned in (e.g., defined by) another one of the sidewalls. For example, the opening 544A may be positioned in the sidewall 104 and the opening 544B may be positioned in the sidewall 108. In other examples, both openings 544A, 544B may be positioned in the sidewall 104 or the sidewall 108. In still other examples, one of the openings 544A, 544B may be positioned in the sidewall 106 and the other opening 544A, 544B may be positioned in the sidewall 104 or the sidewall 108.
In some embodiments, any one of the liquid collection devices disclosed herein may include one or more skid pads to inhibit movement of the liquid collection device. For example,
In the example of
Although the example of
Additionally, the skid pads 650A, 650B may include any suitable material. For example, the pads 650A, 650B may include a rubber material, a plastic material, etc. In some examples, the pads 650A, 650B may be flexible due to, for example, the selected material.
In the example of
It should be appreciated that any one of the liquid collection devices disclosed herein may be used to collect liquid from a surface (e.g., a floor, etc.). For example,
After the liquid 890 or a portion thereof is absorbed by the absorbent material 112, the user 870 may dispose of the liquid collection device 100 after a single use. For example, the user 870 may dispose of the liquid collection device 100 after collecting liquid in one location (e.g., in an aisle of a grocery store, on a floor in a warehouse, etc.). In some examples, the user 870 may dispose of the liquid collection device 100 by throwing the liquid collection device 100 with the absorbed liquid in a trash container, a recycling container, etc. depending on, for example, the type of liquid collected. For example, the user 870 may dispose of the liquid collection device 100 according to approved governmental (e.g., federal, state, local, etc.) procedures and/or approved governmental disposal facilities. In such examples, the used liquid collection device 100 with the absorbed liquid is not restocked, returned to its previous storage location, etc.
In some examples, the user 870 may urge a portion of the liquid 890 to flow from the cavity 128 to the cavity 114 (e.g., via openings in the ramp member 110). For example, the user 870 may tilt the liquid collection device 100 to encourage the liquid 890 to flow in a direction towards the cavity 114. In other examples, the liquid collection device 100 may include one or more skid pads as disclosed herein to create an angled bottom member relative to the surface. This may allow the liquid 890 to flow (via gravity) in a direction towards the cavity 114. In such examples, the user 870 may wait a period of time (e.g., 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 20 minutes, etc.) to allow the liquid 890 to flow from the cavity 128 to the cavity 114 before disposing of the liquid collection device 100.
The user 870 may force the liquid 890 or a portion thereof to flow up the ramp member 110 and to the cavity 128 with a device such as a user-operated device. For instance, in the example of
In some embodiments, the liquid 890 may flow in different directions on the liquid collection device 100. For example, the liquid 890 may move in one direction when the user 870 forces the liquid 890 or a portion thereof up the ramp member 110. The liquid 890 may move in an opposite direction when it flows from the cavity 128 to the cavity 114 under the ramp member 110.
Although
The liquid collection devices disclosed herein may be formed of one or more materials. For example, any one of the liquid collection devices may be formed at least partially of cardboard (e.g., corrugated cardboard, etc.). For instance, the bottom member, the sidewalls, and the ramp member of the liquid collection device 100 of
Additionally, in some examples, portions of the liquid collection devices may be formed from a single piece of cardboard. For example, a single piece of cardboard may be cut, punched/pressed out, etc. and folded at defined locations (e.g., indicated by perforations, etc.) to form the bottom member, the sidewalls, and the ramp member of one of the liquid collection devices disclosed herein. In such examples, an adhesive (e.g., glue, etc.) may be used at a single seam between, for example, one sidewall and the ramp member to secure the liquid collection device. In other examples, the bottom member, the sidewalls, and the ramp member of the liquid collection device may be formed from multiple pieces of cardboard (or another material) and adhered together.
Further, the liquid collection devices disclosed herein may be any suitable size. For example, and with reference to the liquid collection device 100 of
Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
652125 | Lillis | Jun 1900 | A |
678906 | Rogers | Jul 1901 | A |
1748336 | Finnell | Feb 1930 | A |
2396645 | Dolce | Mar 1946 | A |
3121248 | Ferguson | Feb 1964 | A |
4548351 | Gusic | Oct 1985 | A |
5353982 | Perkins et al. | Oct 1994 | A |
5402915 | Hogan | Apr 1995 | A |
5457844 | Hanna et al. | Oct 1995 | A |
6029839 | Mansouri | Feb 2000 | A |
6477733 | Kuhns | Nov 2002 | B1 |
11213183 | Nadeau | Jan 2022 | B2 |
20100065448 | Vargas | Mar 2010 | A1 |
20190343364 | Nadeau | Nov 2019 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
201139535 | Oct 2008 | CN |
204246083 | Apr 2015 | CN |
105310620 | Feb 2016 | CN |
215211934 | Dec 2021 | CN |
1918331 | Jun 1965 | DE |
1736419 | Dec 2006 | EP |
20150003042 | Aug 2015 | KR |
WO-2001079072 | Oct 2001 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20230380652 A1 | Nov 2023 | US |