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The disclosure and prior art relates to tool assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new tool assembly for cleaning difficult to clean articles.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing that defines an interior space. A power module and a motor are coupled to the housing and are positioned in the interior space. The motor is operationally coupled to the power module. Each of a plurality of cleaning heads is selectively couplable to the housing so that the cleaning head is operationally coupled to the motor. The motor is positioned to rotate the cleaning head to clean an article.
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
The assembly 10 comprises a base unit 20, as shown in
A motor 30 is coupled to the housing 12 and is positioned in the interior space 14. The motor 30 is operationally coupled to the power module 16. Each of a plurality of cleaning heads 32 is selectively couplable to the housing 12 so that the cleaning head 32 is operationally coupled to the motor 30. The motor 30 is positioned to rotate the cleaning head 32 to clean an article.
The plurality of cleaning heads 32 comprises a plurality of brushes 34, as shown in
A connector 38 is coupled to a first terminus 40 of the rod 36. The connector 38 comprises a cone 42 that has an apex 44. The apex 44 is coupled to the first terminus 40 of the rod 36. A tab 46 is coupled to and extends from a base 48 of the cone 42.
A plurality of scrubbing bristles 50 is coupled to and extends radially from the rod 36. The plurality of scrubbing bristles 50 extends from a second terminus 52 of the rod 36 toward the first terminus 40. The scrubbing bristles 50 are flexible. Each brush 34 comprises scrubbing bristles 50 that have a respective length so that the plurality of brushes 34 comprises brushes 34 that have scrubbing bristles 50 of a variety of lengths. Each brush 34 is configured to clean a tubular object that has an inner diameter that is complementary to the plurality of scrubbing bristles 50 of the brush.
The plurality of brushes 34 comprises a long-length bristled brush 54, a medium-length bristled brush 56, a short-length bristled brush 58, as shown in
The plurality of cleaning heads 32 also comprises a plurality of utensils 66. Each utensil 66 comprises a pole 68. Each pole 68 has a respective length so that the plurality of utensils 66 comprises utensils 66 that have poles 68 of a variety of lengths. A fastener 70 is coupled to a first endpoint 72 of the pole 68. The fastener 70 comprises a conoid 74 that has a vertex 76. The vertex 76 is coupled to the first endpoint 72 of the pole 68. An extrusion 78 is coupled to and extends from a foot 144 of the conoid 74.
A tool 80 is coupled proximate to a second endpoint 82 of the pole 68 so that the plurality of utensils 66 comprises a plurality of tools 84. Each tool 80 serves a respective cleaning function. The plurality of tools 84 comprises:
A coupler 104 is rotationally and sealably coupled to a second end 106 of the housing 12. The coupler 104 is operationally coupled to the motor 30. The coupler 104 is complementary to the connectors 38. The coupler 104 is positioned to selectively couple to a respective connector 38 to operationally couple an associated cleaning head 32 to the motor 30. The motor 30 positioned to rotate the respective cleaning head 32 to clean the article.
The coupler 104 also is complementary to the fasteners 70. The coupler 104 is positioned to selectively couple to a respective fastener 70 to operationally couple an associated cleaning head 32 to the motor 30. The motor 30 is positioned to rotate the respective cleaning head 32 to clean the article.
The coupler 104 comprises a bar 108 that is rotationally and sealably coupled to the second end 106 of the housing 12, as shown in
A first channel 114 extends from the second limit 112 into the bar 108. The first channel 114 is complementary to the cones 42 and the conoids 74. The first channel 114 is positioned to selectively insert the cone 42 of a respective connector 38. The first channel 114 also is positioned to selectively insert the conoid 74 of a respective fastener 70.
An indentation 116 extends from the first channel 114 into the bar 108 toward the first limit 110 of the bar 108. The indentation 116 is complementary to the tab 46 and the extrusion 78. The indentation 116 is positioned to insert a respective tab 46 to couple an associated brush 34 to the bar 108. The indentation 116 also is positioned to insert a respective extrusion 78 to couple an associated utensil 66 to the bar 108.
A second channel 118 extends into the first limit 110 of the bar 108. The second channel 118 is complementary to a shaft 120 of the motor 30. The shaft 120 is positioned in the second channel 118 so that the motor 30 is positioned to rotate the bar 108 concurrent with the shaft 120.
A switch 122 is coupled to the housing 12, as shown in
A selector 148 is coupled to the housing 12, as shown in
The assembly 10 comprises a plurality of covers 124, as shown in
In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in
In yet another embodiment of the invention, as shown in
A first connector 138 is coupled to the cap 136. The first connector 138 is operationally coupled to the power module 16 when the cap 136 is coupled to the housing 12. A second connector 140 is coupled to the base unit 20. The second connector 140 is complementary to the first connector 138. The second connector 140 is positioned to couple to the first connector 138 as the first end 28 of the housing 12 is inserted into the recess 24. A third connector 142 is coupled to the base unit 20. The third connector 142 is operationally coupled to the second connector 140. The third connector 142 is configured to couple to a source of direct current so that direct current is supplied through the second connector 140 and the first connector 138 to the battery 134 to recharge the battery 134.
In use, a cleaning head 32 from the plurality of cleaning heads 32 is selected and coupled to the housing 12 so that the cleaning head 32 is operationally coupled to the motor 30. The motor 30 is positioned to rotate the cleaning head 32 to clean the article.
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 element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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3661018 | Keefer | May 1972 | A |
D334287 | Ingles | Mar 1993 | S |
5488747 | Woodhouse | Feb 1996 | A |
5636400 | Young | Jun 1997 | A |
5781955 | Hendricks | Jul 1998 | A |
5809601 | Rivera | Sep 1998 | A |
6170107 | George | Jan 2001 | B1 |
6295681 | Dolah | Oct 2001 | B1 |
7260862 | DeFilippis | Aug 2007 | B1 |
7356867 | Beiermann | Apr 2008 | B1 |
20040074025 | Blaustein | Apr 2004 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20190351458 A1 | Nov 2019 | US |