Patent Application
20160000298
The presently disclosed invention relates in general to the field of rollers for collecting debris, and in particular to a cleaning or lint roller assembly.
Roller-type cleaning devices for picking up lint, hair and dust are known in the art. Such cleaning rollers having replaceable rolls have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,887 which was filed in Sep. 3, 1963. This publication is incorporated herein by reference. Such roller-type devices, however, are problematic for providing assemblies for the easy exchange of roll holders which are durable and capable of utilizing replaceable rolls of varying sizes. The presently disclosed roller assembly addresses such limitations, inter alias, by providing an improved assembly an interchangeable roll holder to enable the support of rolls having a range of lengths.
The presently disclosed invention may be embodied in a roller assembly for collecting debris. An embodiment may comprise a roll holder that may be adapted for a cylindrical roll to be mounted on the outer-surface of the roll holder. The outer-surface of the cylindrical roll may be wound by adhesive sheets that may be adapted to collect debris. The roll holder may have a bore along the longitudinal axis of the roll holder. This bore may have a first opening on one end of the roll holder and a second opening on the opposite end of the roll holder. An embodiment may comprise a pin that may be adapted to be inserted into the bore of the roll holder. The roll holder may rotate about the pin, and the outer-surfaces of the adhesive sheets may collect debris. An embodiment may also comprise a pin holder having a cavity that may be adapted to hold a first end of the pin. An indentation adapted for securing a fastener on the outer surface of the pin may be located near the first end of the pin. The second end of the pin may have an enlarged member. The roll holder may be retained on the pin by the fastener on one end and by the enlarged member on the other end. A housing may have a first end that may be adapted to support the pin holder, and the housing may have a second end that may be adapted to connect to a connecting member. The connecting member may further be adapted to connect to a handle.
The fastener may be an U-shape washer, in accordance with some embodiments. In an embodiment, the first end of the pin and the pin holder may have corresponding threads operable for screwing the first end of the pin into the pin holder. The enlarged member may be adapted to be turned by hand so that the pin may be screwed in, and unscrewed out of, the pin holder.
In some embodiments, a replacement roll holder may be mounted on a replacement pin. Accordingly, the roll holder may be replaced with the replacement roll holder. Further, an indentation adapted for securing a fastener on the outer surface of the replacement pin may be located near the first end of the replacement pin, and the second end of the replacement pin may have an enlarged member, so that the replacement roll holder may be retained on the replacement pin by the fastener and the enlarged member. In order to replace the roll holder with the replacement roll holder, the pin may first be unscrewed from the pin holder so that the pin and the retained roll holder may be removed from the roller assembly, and then the replacement pin may be screwed into the pin retainer. In an embodiment, the replacement roll holder may have a different length than the roll holder.
In some embodiments, a roller assembly to collect debris may comprise a roll holder adapted for a cylindrical roll to be mounted on the outer-surface of the roll holder, and the outer-surface of the cylindrical roll may be wound by adhesive sheets adapted to collect debris. The roll holder may have a bore along the longitudinal axis of the roll holder, and the bore may have a first opening on one end of the roll holder and a second opening on the opposite end of the roll holder. A pin may be adapted to be inserted into the bore of the roll holder so that the roll holder may rotate about the pin and the outer-surfaces of the adhesive sheets collect debris. A pin holder may have a cavity adapted to hold a first end of the pin. In addition, a pin retainer may adapted to be mounted on a second end of the pin. The second end of the pin and the pin retainer may have corresponding threads operable for screwing the pin retainer onto the second end of the pin. A first end of a housing may be adapted to support the pin holder. A connecting member may be adapted to connect to a second end of the housing. The connecting member may further be adapted to connect to a handle.
In certain embodiments, the roller may be reusable with a replacement roll. The cylindrical roll may be removed from the roll holder and the replacement roll may be mounted on the roll holder. The outer-surface of the replacement roll may be wound by adhesive sheets that may be adapted to collect debris.
In some embodiments, the roll holder may be replaceable with a replacement roll holder. The pin retainer may be unscrewed from the second end of the pin, and the roll holder may be removed from the pin. The replacement roll holder may be mounted on the pin, and the pin retainer may be screwed onto the second end of the pin.
In an embodiment, the roll holder may be interchangeable with a replacement roll holder having a different length than the roll holder. The replacement roll holder may be adapted for a replacement roll having a length corresponding to the length of the replacement roll holder. A replacement pin may also have a length corresponding to the length of the replacement roll holder. Accordingly, the first end of the replacement pin may be adapted to be mounted in the cavity of the pin holder, and the second end of the replacement pin may have threads operable for screwing the pin retainer onto the second end of the replacement pin, such that the outer-surface of the replacement roll may be wound by adhesive sheets that may be adapted to collect debris.
In certain embodiments, the replacement roll holder may be ten inches long and the roll holder may be six inches long. In some embodiments, the first end of the housing may comprise the pin holder. In alternative embodiments, the pin holder may be a nut securely supported by the housing. The housing may comprise an upper housing member and a lower housing member, in accordance with certain embodiments. The upper housing member and the lower housing member may be fused together or secured together by screws, nails, adhesives or any other means. In certain embodiments, the housing may be a solid piece.
In an embodiment, the roller assembly may further comprise a means for connecting the upper housing member and the lower housing member. In some embodiments, the handle may comprise a telescopic handle. The handle may be made of aluminum.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the various views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating principles of the invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the presently disclosed invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
One of the objects for embodiments may be a roller assembly or kit that includes a roll holder, such as a roller head, supported by a pin that allows for the easy exchange of roll holders without compromising the durability of the assembly. One end of the pin may be adapted to be mounted to a pin holder. The pin holder may be supported by a housing, or one end of the housing may comprise the pin holder. In certain embodiments, the opposite end of the pin may be adapted for a screw-on retainer. The roll holder may be retained on the pin in between the screw-on retainer at one end and the pin holder at the other end. Alternatively, some embodiments may comprise a pin having one enlarged or tapering end and a indentation, slot or groove near the other end adapted for a fastener. The indentation, slot or groove may form a ring along the outer circumference of the pin, and may be adapted for an U-shape washer or fastener. In such embodiments, the roll holder may be retained on the pin in between the enlarged end and the fastener near the other end. The end of the pin having the fastener may be adapted to be mounted to a pin holder.
The object for certain embodiments may concern such an application which enables the interchange of roll holders having varying lengths to support different sized rolls. Embodiments may not be limited, however, to any one application, purpose, example or object. The embodiments may be applicable in virtually any application in which debris may be collected by an adhesive tape wound around a roll mounted on a roll holder assembly. The embodiments of the present devices are well suited for implementation on a telescopic stick for cleaning ceilings and walls.
Existing roller-type solutions for picking up lint fail to provide durable roll holders which may be repeatedly exchanged over an extensive period of time. Prior approaches rely on clip-on roll holders, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,695 which was filed on Jun. 24, 1998. This may work well while the clips continue to retain their structural integrity; however, when applied to repeated use and replacing of rolls, the durability of such roll holders is compromised. In contrast, an embodiment of the present invention may provide the integrity necessary for extended use. Further, an object of an embodiment of the present invention may include the interchangeability of roll holders having varying lengths. An advantage of an embodiment for the presently disclosed invention which does not require same-sized replacement rolls may be appreciated when cleaning locations of limited space and accessibility.
A prospective-view of an embodiment of a roller assembly is shown in
In a certain embodiment, a roller assembly to collect debris may include a roll holder 4 which is adapted for a cylindrical roll 11 (not shown) that may be mounted on the outer-surface of the roll holder 4. The outer-surface of the cylindrical roll 11 may be wound by a plurality of adhesive sheets 12 (not shown) that are adapted to collect debris. The roll holder 4 may have a bore along the longitudinal axis of the roll holder 4. The bore may have a first opening on one end of the roll holder 4 and a second opening on the opposite end of the roll holder 4. A pin 6 may be adapted to be inserted into the bore of the roll holder 4. The roll holder 4 may be adapted to be rotate about the pin 6. The outer-surfaces of the adhesive sheets 12 that are wound around the cylindrical roll 11 may be adapted to collect debris such as lint, hair, cobwebs and dust. A pin holder 3 may have a cavity that is adapted to hold one end of the pin 6. A pin retainer 5 may be adapted to be mounted on the opposite end of the pin 6. The opposite end of the pin 6 and the pin retainer 5 may have corresponding threads that are operable for screwing the pin retainer 5 onto the opposite end of the pin 6. The pin holder 3 may be adapted to be supported by a housing 1′. The housing 1′ may comprise an upper housing member 1 and a lower housing member 2. A means for connecting the upper housing member 1 and the lower housing member 2 may include fasteners, clips, screws or adhesives. A connecting member 7 may be adapted to connect the housing 1′ to a handle 8. In certain embodiments, the housing 1′ may comprise a single member, a first end of the housing 1′ may comprise the pin holder 3 that is adapted to hold one end of the pin 6, and the second end of the housing 1′ may be adapted to be secured to the connecting member 7. In some embodiments, the upper housing member 1 may comprise a portion of the pin holder 3 and the lower housing member 2 may comprise the remaining portion of the pin holder 3, and the pin holder 3 may be adapted to hold one end of the pin 6 when the upper housing member 1 and the lower housing member 2 are connected to form the housing 1′.
In some embodiments, the roller assembly may be reusable with a replacement roll 11′ (not shown). The cylindrical roll 11 may be removed from the roll holder 4 and a replacement roll 11′ may be mounted on the roll holder 4. The outer-surface of the replacement roll 11′ may be wound by a plurality of adhesive sheets 12 adapted to collect debris.
In an embodiment of the disclosed roller assembly, the roll holder 4 may be replaceable with a replacement roll holder 4′. The pin retainer 5 may be unscrewed from the opposite end of the pin 6 and the roll holder 4 may be removed from the pin 6. The replacement roll holder 4′ may be mounted on the pin 6 and the pin retainer 5 may be screwed onto the opposite end of the pin 6.
In some embodiments, the roll holder 4 is interchangeable with a replacement roll holder 4′ having a different length than the original roll holder 4. The replacement roll holder 4′ may be adapted for a replacement roll 11′ having a length corresponding to the length of the replacement roll holder 4′. A replacement pin 6′ may have a length corresponding to the length of the replacement roll holder 4′. One end of the replacement pin 6′ may be adapted to be mounted in the cavity of the pin holder 3. The opposite end of the replacement pin 6′ may have threads that are operable for screwing the pin retainer 5 onto the opposite end of the replacement pin 6′. The outer-surface of the replacement roll 11′ may be wound by a plurality of adhesive sheets 12 that are adapted to collect debris.
In certain embodiments, the replacement roll holder 4′ may be ten inches long and the roll holder 4 may be six inches long, or vice versa. The roll holder 4 may be made of pure polystyrene or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The handle 8 may comprise a telescopic handle, in accordance with some embodiments. In certain embodiments, the handle 8 may be made of aluminum. In some embodiments, the handle 8 may be powder coated.
In accordance with certain embodiments, one end of the pin 6 may be adapted to retain the roll holder 4 even when the pin 6 is not mounted on the housing 1′. The pin 6 may be adapted for mounting a washer or fastener 13 near the end of the pin 6 that is adapted for the pin holder 3. The fastener 13 may prevent the roll holder 4 from sliding off of that end of the pin 6. The opposite end of the pin 6 may be enlarged or tapered in order to prevent the roll holder 4 from sliding off of that end of the pin 6. In such embodiments, a pin retainer 5 would not be necessary for retaining the roll holder 4 onto the pin 6. While the roll holder 4 already mounted on the pin 6, the pin 6 along with the roll holder 4 may be secured onto the housing 1′. In certain embodiments, the roller assembly may include two sets of a roll holder 4 and a pin 6. One set may comprise a ten-inch roll holder 4 along with a corresponding pin 6. The other set may comprise a six-inch roll holder 4 along with a corresponding pin 6. A person using the roller assembly may swap between the two sets by unscrewing one set out of the pin holder 3 and then screwing the other set into the pin holder 3. The enlarged end of the pin 6 may have a flattened shape in order to be adapted for screwing and unscrewing the pin 6 by hand.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to an embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The most obvious variations to the present invention include variation in: the length of pins 6, roll holders 4 and rolls 11; the screw-on pin retainer 5; and, the fastener 13 and enlarged end of the pin 6. It is neither necessary, nor intended for this patent to outline or define every possible combination or embodiment. It is understood that the above description and drawings are merely illustrative of the present invention and that changes in components, composition, structure and procedure are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.
This non-provisional patent application claims priority to, and incorporates herein by reference, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/020,497 filed on Jul. 3, 2014 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/129,314 filed on Mar. 6, 2015. This application includes material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62020497 | Jul 2014 | US | |
| 62129314 | Mar 2015 | US |
