Patent Application
20150217337
Sponges, rags, wash mitts, and other scrubbing articles for washing vehicles often collect abrasive substances and particles such as sand and dirt during the cleaning of a vehicle. These substances can subsequently scratch the surface of the vehicle when the scrubbing article comes into contact with the vehicle.
When washing vehicles or other valuable objects, a bucket full of soapy water is often used to rinse off a scrubbing article, such as a sponge, rag, brush, or wash mitt. This also generally serves to reapply washing substances, such as soap, to the scrubbing article. However, dipping a scrubbing article in such a bucket may not adequately remove damaging substances and particles like sand and grit caught in a sponge. Even if damaging substances are removed from the scrubbing article, they may remain in the bucket, allowing for them to potentially re-collect in the scrubbing article on subsequent dips of the scrubbing article in the bucket. Furthermore, because the bucket is an enclosed vessel, the concentration of contaminants within the soapy water will only continue to increase as the user washes the vehicle surface.
One method of ameliorating the buildup of damaging substance is to wring the scrubbing article out, forcing excess water and some amount of dirt out of the scrubbing article in the process. However, this technique does not adequately remove the damaging substances present on the scrubbing article and may even exacerbate scratching of the vehicle surface by removing excess water. Also, the processes of wringing the scrubbing article out removes the excess soapy water, which is useful for cleaning the vehicle surface. This technique may also waste significant amounts of water if the scrubbing article is wrung out away from the bucket of soapy water.
In one exemplary embodiment, a scrubbing article cleaning device may be provided. The scrubbing article cleaning device may include a hollow vessel capable of retaining liquid and having an open top. The scrubbing article cleaning device may also include a pumping apparatus having a handle connected to a top end of a pole portion, wherein said pole portion includes at least one segment of perforated pipe. A plunger assembly may be connected to said pole portion, wherein said plunger assembly may include one or more perforated disks, which may be ribbed, and one or more filter media. The plunger assembly may also include one or more baffles which may also be perforated. The top of the hollow vessel may also include a funnel portion that is designed to releasably hold the handle portion of the pumping apparatus for easy carrying and/or storage. The scrubbing article cleaning device may also include a means for aligning the pole portion with the one or more perforated disks including, but not limited to, corresponding notches and/or grooves, corresponding holes for fasteners, a corresponding catch and lever on either of said pole portion and/or said perforated disks, or other fastener with corresponding components on either of said pole portion and/or said perforated disks.
In some embodiments, the pumping apparatus, may have a plunger comprising one or more filter media containing one or more cutouts and one or more perforated disks having a flanged portion for receiving said cutouts of said one or more filter media. The plunger assembly may also include one or more second perforated disks having an opening for cooperating with said flanged portion of the first perforated disk. The one or more filter media may be retained between said one or more first perforated disks and said one or more second perforated disks. The first or second perforated disks may also include one or more ribs or ridges and/or one or more notches around the edge or perimeter of said first or second perforated disks. The one or more first or second perforated disks may also include one or more brackets for receiving one or more baffles. The baffles may also be perforated in some embodiments.
In another exemplary embodiment, a process for manufacturing a scrubbing article cleaning device may be performed. The process may include mounting one or more filter media on a flanged portion of a first perforated disk; mounting a second perforated disk on the flanged portion of said first perforated disk such that the one or more filter media are located between said first and second perforated disks; inserting a perforated pole through the one or more filter media, the first perforated disk, and the second perforated disk; and attaching said perforated pole to at least one of said first or said second perforated disks.
Various aspects of at least one embodiment are discussed below with reference to the accompanying figures. Where technical features in the figures or detailed description are followed by reference signs, the reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the figures and/or detailed description. Accordingly, neither the reference signs nor their absence are intended to have any limiting effect on the scope of any claim elements. In the figures, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every figure. The figures are provided for the purposes of illustration and explanation and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. The figures also are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the figures:
Aspects of the present invention are disclosed in the following description and related figures directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the claims. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention.
As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” The embodiments described herein are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood that the described embodiments are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms “embodiments of the invention,” “embodiments,” or “invention” do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.
Referring to the figures generally, a scrubbing article cleaning device may include a substantially hollow vessel 110 and a pumping apparatus 150 that may be inserted into the substantially hollow vessel 110. In an exemplary embodiment, substantially hollow vessel 110 may be a cylindrical tube. In an alternative embodiment, substantially hollow vessel 110 may be a rectangular tube. In yet other exemplary embodiments, hollow vessel 110 may be any shape as would reasonably be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to work in accordance with the following description. Hollow vessel 110 may have an open top end 112, a closed bottom end 114, and may be substantially elongated in a vertical direction. Hollow vessel 110 may also be able to retain water. In some embodiments, this may entail that hollow vessel 110 is made of water-tight material and that the seal of closed bottom end 114 is watertight.
In some embodiments, water filtering may be performed by filter media located at the base of hollow vessel 110, as shown, for example, in
In other embodiments, no filtering is performed at the base of hollow vessel 110, as shown, for example, in
In some exemplary embodiments, hollow vessel 110 may have a fill line 122 disposed on its surface to designate a fill level for water or a washing solution. The fill line 122 may be added by marker, paint or dye. In some embodiments, the fill line 122 is added using a resilient and adhesive black paint. Alternatively, the fill line 122 may be a strip of vinyl material attached to the interior of vessel 110. To secure the vinyl material, it may be attached with waterproof glue and further sealed with waterproof edge sealant. In yet other exemplary embodiments, fill line 122 may be created by any comparable method as would be reasonably understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art.
Hollow vessel 110 may be shaped to stand upright on its own or it may be designed with an integrated base portion or feet 116, or it may have a separate base or support 118 that may interact with it to hold it in a desired location and orientation. In one exemplary embodiment, integrated base portion or feet 116 may be foldable feet members. The foldable feet members may not only provide wider points of contact to prevent tipping, but in some embodiments, they may allow a user to stand on the feet members creating yet more stability. Alternatively, the integrated base portion or feet 116 may be rigidly mounted feet members. Rigidly deployed feet members may function similarly to the various embodiments of foldable feet members. There may be at least two feet members in embodiments with rigidly deployed or foldable feet members.
In yet other exemplary embodiments, the integrated base portion or feet 116 may be a section of material, such as a flange, disposed around the bottom of vessel 110 to create a larger contact area with the surface on which the device is located. The base portion or feet 116 may also add weight to the bottom of vessel 110 in some embodiments to increase the stability of the device. The weight may also prevent the vessel 110 from being lifted during operation.
An exemplary embodiment having a separate base or support 118, could have a circular, square, or rectangular flange attached to bottom end 114 of hollow vessel 110, and covering plug 121, as shown, for example, in
Another exemplary embodiment having a separate base or support 118 could have a cone or similar shaped object adapted to receive hollow vessel 110, as shown in
An exemplary embodiment of hollow vessel 110 may be assembled of a clear, cast acrylic tube, as shown in
In another exemplary embodiment, hollow vessel 110 may be assembled of a four inch PVC coupling attached to one end of a four inch (diameter) PVC pipe, as shown in
In some embodiments, a funnel or flute 125 is connected at open top end 112 of hollow vessel 110, as shown, for example, in
Funnel or flute 125 may be connected to hollow vessel 110 using any suitable means of attachment known to those of skill in the art. In some embodiments, funnel or flute 125 may be attached by screwing it into open top 112 of hollow vessel 110 or it may be fastened using adhesives, soldering, welding, using a fastener such as a bolt, or by using a locking mechanism. In some embodiments, funnel or flute 125 may be connected to hollow vessel 110 by inserting open top 112 into proximal end 126, the internal diameter of which may be sized to match the outside diameter of hollow vessel 110 so as to form a close fit. In some embodiments, proximal end 126 is specifically formed to matingly couple with open top 112, as shown, for example, in
Open top 112 and proximal end 126 may also be formed with a keying feature in order to ensure that the funnel or flute 125 and hollow vessel 110 align properly during coupling. The keying feature may employ any suitable means for forcing hollow vessel 110 and funnel or flute 125 to properly align. In some embodiments, the proximal end 126 may be formed with one or more protrusions 119 on the interior of the funnel or flute 125, which corresponds to one or more notches 117 that may be formed at the top of open top 112. During coupling, the one or more protrusions 119 may fit within the one or more notches 117, ensuring that the hollow vessel 110 is properly aligned with the funnel or flute 125.
In some embodiments, funnel or flute 125 also contains a means for locking the pumping apparatus 150 in place in the downward (plunged) position during periods of non-use. In some arrangements, the means for locking the pumping apparatus 150 may comprise a locking mechanism such as one or more slots or a partial ring 129 that is integrally formed within the interior of funnel or flute 125 near the distal end 127, as shown in
Pumping apparatus 150 is designed to retain a scrubbing apparatus and be plunged into hollow vessel 110 during use. Pumping apparatus 150 may include a pole portion 152 and a handle portion 160, as shown, for example, in
Embodiments of pumping apparatus 150 may be assembled out of ABS bar material or rigid PVC piping. The size of pumping apparatus 150 may vary to correspond with the size of vessel 110. In some exemplary embodiments, the diameter of the bar or piping may range from approximately 0.5 inches to approximately 12 inches. The handle portion 160 may have a cross member 162 and a joint 164 for connecting handle portion 160 to pole portion 152, as shown, for example, in
Handle portion 160 may also have a joint 164 for connecting handle portion 160 to pole portion 152 as shown, for example, in
In other embodiments, joint 164 may be a ¾ inch PVC tee with a ½ inch connector, as shown in
In some embodiments, the handle portion 160 connects to pole portion 152 at the top end of segment 170. In one exemplary embodiment, the segment 170 may be approximately 13 inches long and may have an outside diameter of ½ inch to 4 inches. In some embodiments, the outside diameter of segment 170 is about 1 inch. Segment 170 may be formed of a rigid PVC pipe or other suitable material. In some embodiments, segment 170 may have a threaded hole near the top end for fastening segment 170 to joint 164, as shown in
Collar 175 may be a flanged ABS tube that couples with the lower end of segment 170, as shown in
Perforated top disk 171 may be a flanged ABS disk with a circular opening at the center of the disk and several smaller circular openings around the periphery of the disk, as shown in
Perforated top disk 171 may also be formed with a keying feature in order to ensure that it aligns properly with perforated tube 178 during coupling. The keying feature may employ any suitable means for forcing perforated tube 178 and perforated top disk 171 to properly align. In some embodiments, internal surface of the circular opening at the center of perforated top disk 171 may be formed with one or more protrusions 173 that correspond to one or more grooves or notches 179 that may be formed along the length of perforated tube 178, as shown in
Perforated tube 178 may be a rigid PVC pipe between approximately 6 and approximately 12 inches long. More particularly, perforated tube 178 may be approximately 8 inches long. The outside diameter of perforated tube 178 may be between ½ to 2½ inches and may be about 1½ inches. The inside diameter of perforated tub 178 may be between 1 to 3 inches and, in some embodiments, may be about 2 inches. The internal diameter should be sized to match the outside diameter of collar 175, to allow collar 175 to be inserted into perforated tube 178, as shown in
In some embodiments, collar 175 and perforated top disk 171 allow for the mounting of filter housing 140 on pole portion 152. In a simplified embodiment, filter housing 140 may not be used and collar 175 and perforated top disk 171 may not be necessary. In such alternate embodiments, a half inch PVC coupler 172 may be joined to the open end of segment 170 instead of a collar 175, as shown in
In some embodiments, pole portion 152 may include a cap assembly 157, as shown, for example, in
In some embodiments, a plug 190 may be disposed within pipe portion 152 in order to prevent water flow through pipe portion 152 beyond a certain point, as shown in
In some embodiments, a filter housing 140 may be used to mount filter media 130 on pole portion 152, as shown
Perforated ribbed disk top 142 may also be formed with a keying feature in order to ensure that it aligns properly with perforated tube 178 during insertion. The keying feature may employ any suitable means for forcing perforated tube 178 and perforated top disk 171 to properly align. In some embodiments, the internal surface of the circular opening at the center of perforated ribbed disk top 142 may be formed with one or more protrusions 143 that correspond to one or more grooves 179 that may be formed along perforated tube 178. When perforated tube 178 is inserted into filter housing 140 the one or more protrusions 143 may fit into the one or more grooves 179, ensuring that the filter housing 140 is properly aligned with the perforated tube 178.
The underside of perforated ribbed disk top 142 may include one or more projections or ribs 144, which may be arranged around the center opening and project outward to the edge of perforated ribbed disk top 142, as shown in
The underside of perforated ribbed disk top 142 may also include one or more brackets 145 for holding one or more baffles 146 in place between perforated ribbed disk top 142 and perforated ribbed disk bottom 148, as shown in
One or more baffles 146 may also extend between perforated ribbed disk bottom 148 and perforated ribbed disk top 142. Baffles 146 may help retain a scrubbing article in a generally upright manner and restrict the lateral movement of the scrubbing article when pumping apparatus 150 is in use. Baffles 146 may comprise a T-bar formed of ABS material. The T-bar shape may allow the baffle 146 to fit into the slot formed by brackets 145 at its lower portion, while abutting brackets 145 at its upper portion, as shown in
Filter housing 140 may hold one or more filter media 130 in place when pumping apparatus 150 is in operation. One or more filter media 130 may be arranged on the cylindrical projection on the top of perforated ribbed disk top 142 and/or on the cylindrical projection on the bottom of perforated ribbed disk bottom 148, as shown, for example, in
Filter media 130 may be generally circular with an external diameter that matches the internal diameter of hollow vessel 110. The center of filter media 130 may also include a circular hole so that filter media 130 may be mounted on the cylindrical portion of perforated top disk 171 and/or perforated bottom disk 177. The internal diameter of the circular hole at the center of filter media 130 may match the external dimension of the cylindrical portions of perforated top disk 171 and perforated bottom disk 177 to allow for mounting filter media 130 thereon. Alternatively, the internal diameter of the circular hole at the center of filter media 130 may match the outside diameter of perforated tube 178 so that they may be directly mounted thereon. The size and shape of filter media 130 may correspond to the size and shape of hollow vessel 110, perforated top disk 171, perforated bottom disk 177, or perforated tube 178, for different embodiments.
Filter media 130 may be formed of any filter media suitable for filtering dirt and other contaminants from soapy water. In some embodiments, filter media 130 may be formed of filter foam or filter pads, as shown, for example, in
In some embodiments filter media 130 may be mounted directly onto pumping apparatus 150 without the use of filter housing 140, as shown, for example, in
The layers of micron felt filter material may vary in coarseness. The layers may be arranged so the coarsest layer is proximate a scrubbing article disposed between the first and second filter modules. This may allow for a wider size range of particles to become trapped in the filter. The coarse particles are trapped in the early layers and finer particles that are able to travel through the coarse filters are trapped by the deeper, fine filter layers. In an exemplary embodiment, the filter sheets may be ordered so that from the sheet closest to the scrubbing article wash area 124 to the furthest, the individual sheet micron ratings go 100, 50, 25, 10, 5, 1. Therefore in filter module 132 the sheets' ratings may go from top to bottom: 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100. In filter module 134 the sheets' ratings may go from top to bottom: 100, 50, 25, 10, 5, 1. In addition to the micron rated felt filter sheets, a layer of coarse filter material may be disposed closest to the scrubbing article wash area 124. In an exemplary embodiment, the coarse filter material may be approximately 1 inch thick. If the filter material were layered with the finest layers adjacent the scrubbing article wash area 124, the coarse particles may remain loose in the wash solution because the coarse particles may be too large to become entangled in or pass through the finer filter layers to reach the coarse layers.
The micron rated felt filter layers and the layer of coarse filter material may be bound together so that the material does not bend with the movement and pressure created by the churning water. The filter materials may be bound by monofilament line sewn throughout the filter module or the materials may be bound with an ultrasonic weld. The rigidity of the filter module may allow it to more effectively filter the water. The plastic grid layer on the top and bottom of each filter may also add rigidity to the filter modules. The third and fourth filter modules 136, 138 may include similar plastic grids enclosing layers of filter material. In an exemplary embodiment, the third filter module may have six sheets of micron rated felt filter material ordered from largest micron ratings on top to smallest on bottom. The fourth filter module, which may be disposed immediately below the third, may have six sheets of micron rated felt filter material ordered from smallest micron ratings on top to largest on bottom. This setup may allow for trapping various size particles. Since the third and fourth filter modules do not have a wash area or water between them, the outer layers are the coarsest and the inner layers are the finest filter layers. If the filter material were layered with the outer layers being the finest, the coarse particles may remain loose in the wash solution because the coarse particles may be too large to become entangled in or pass through the finer filter layers to reach the coarse layers. In an exemplary embodiment, the third and fourth modules may not have an additional layer of coarse filter material, though this may not be true for all embodiments. Similar to the first and second filter modules, the filter material of the third and fourth filter modules may be sewn together. They may be sewn together by monofilament line or similar material as would be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art. They may also be bonded together by ultrasonic welding. The third and fourth filter modules may trap particles that escaped the first and second modules or that had settled in the bottom of hollow vessel 110.
The filter modules 132 may be placed on pole portion 152 by cutting an incision through the filter modules and sliding them onto the desired segment of pole portion 152. In an exemplary embodiment, the incisions may be approximately ¾0 inches in length and may be located approximately 1.5 cm offset from the center of the filter module. In an exemplary embodiment, the incisions may result in a crown effect on the felt material. The crowns may be used to ensure the filter modules are loaded in the appropriate orientation. The crowns may bunch together preventing the module from cleaning loading on the pole portion 152. In an exemplary embodiment, the crowns may be aligned so they are pointing to the top of the pumping apparatus 150. Alternatively, filter module 138 may have a circular hole at the center that allows filter module 138 to be mounted on pole portion 152 by temporarily disconnecting segments of pole portion 152, mounting one or more filter modules 138, and reconnecting the necessary segments of pole portion 152.
In some exemplary embodiments, various segments of pumping apparatus 150 may be added, modified, or removed to produce desired effects. For example, segments with propellers or other water flow enhancers may be included along pole portion 152. In one alternative embodiment, perforated tube 178 may have a different spray design from what was described above. For example, a replacement perforated tube 178 may have slices for producing a different desired stream of water. A replacement perforated tube 178 may alternatively have holes disposed in a helical pattern. Even further, a replacement segment may have a device that is moveable by the force of the water and that may change the orientation of a scrubbing article disposed in the scrubbing article wash area 124 so as to expose all surfaces of the article to water flow and the filter modules. It should be appreciated that various segments of pumping apparatus 150 may be added, modified, or removed.
While exemplary embodiments described above may have utilized specific materials and dimensions, such as four inch PVC pipe, they should not be read as limiting. Embodiments referenced throughout the detailed description may be made from a variety of materials including other plastics, polymers, rubbers, or composites. More specifically, materials may include Acetal, Polypropylene, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Polycarbonate, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Polycarbonate/ABS Alloy, Polybutylene Terephthalate, Polybutylene, and Polyethylene Terephthalate, glass-filled Acrylic. Metals may also be used, though the use of metals may cause undesired chemical reactions with water and cleaning solutions. The various parts may also be sized appropriately to wash a desired article within the washing area.
In operation, an exemplary embodiment of a scrubbing article cleaning device may function substantially as follows. A user may fill a hollow vessel 110 with water, soap and water, or a desired cleaning solution. The user may fill the hollow vessel to a designated fill line 122 or to a desired level. The user may then insert a pumping apparatus 150 into the hollow vessel such that the filter media 130 disposed on the pumping apparatus are submerged in the liquid filling the hollow vessel. Alternatively, the user may fill the hollow vessel when the pumping apparatus 150 has already been inserted. If the liquid needs to be disturbed for any reason including to mix the solution or to create suds, the user may pump the pumping apparatus 150 up and down to do so. A user may then lift the pumping device out of the hollow vessel far enough so that the user may insert a scrubbing article inside the hollow vessel. In some embodiments, the scrubbing article will be placed within the filter housing 140 and, more particularly, may be placed between baffles 146 and between perforated ribbed disk top 142 and perforated ribbed disk bottom 148. In other embodiments, the scrubbing article may be placed between at least two of the filter media 130 disposed on the pumping device. This placement may keep the scrubbing article within a space defined by the sidewall of the hollow vessel 110, and by a filter media 130 of the pumping device on the top and bottom. Baffles 146, perforated ribbed disk top 142, and perforated ribbed disk bottom 148, may also serve to confine the movement of the scrubbing article, maintaining it in a more vertical position. Once a scrubbing article has been inserted, the user may pump the pumping device in a manner allowing the scrubbing article to move through the liquid and interact with the filter media, cleaning the scrubbing article of dirt and grit. Pressure may be generated by the downward force of the filter modules against the sides of the vessel. This pressure may force water through the perforations in perforated pipe 178 and the scrubbing article, freeing abrasive particles and grit from the scrubbing articles and forcing them into the surrounding filter media, which may trap them. As the device is pumped, bubbles and suds may be generated from the washing solution. The scrubbing article may be removed from the vessel after a desired period and used to wash a surface, such as a vehicle. If bubbles and suds are generated during the pumping process, they may transfer on the scrubbing article and eventually to the surface to be cleaned by the scrubbing article. The bubbles and suds may aid in lifting dirt from the surface to be cleaned, improving the effectiveness of the scrubbing article and washing process. The process for cleaning the scrubbing article and preparing it for further use may be repeated as desired.
The foregoing description and accompanying figures illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments, and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/172,176, filed Feb. 4, 2014, titled VESSEL AND PUMPING APPARATUS CLEANING SYSTEM, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14172176 | Feb 2014 | US |
| Child | 14610601 | US |
