Abstract:
A portable cleaning assembly for cleaning cylindrical elements such as paint roller covers and pool and spa cartridge filters. The portable cleaning includes a housing structure for fully enclosing the cylindrical element during cleaning so as to prevent overspray and subsequent clean-up of the surrounding area. The housing structure further includes a top accessible door for positioning the cylindrical element for cleaning as well as allowing visible access during a cleaning, rinsing and/or drying step without interfering with operation of the cleaning assembly. The portable cleaning assembly includes a manifold assembly including a plurality of water jet assemblies for spraying the cylindrical elements. In addition, the portable cleaning assembly includes a turbine assembly upon which the cylindrical element is mounted and spun, under the direction of the water jet assemblies, during the cleaning operation.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM  
       [0001]     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/666,294 filed Mar. 29, 2005, and entitled “FILTER CLEANING ASSEMBLY,” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to the field of cleaning assemblies. More specifically, the present invention relates to a portable cleaning assembly using a combination of rotational energy and water jet streams for cleaning cylindrical elements such as paint rollers and spa and pool filters within an enclosed assembly.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Removable cylindrical elements are used commonly in everyday life. For example, cylindrical elements can be configured as filters to remove contaminants from fluid streams or as paint rollers for quickly and evenly applying paint to surfaces such as walls and ceilings. In some instances, these cylindrical elements are inexpensively replaced following use. However, in other instances, these cylindrical elements have significant replacement cost. In addition, some cylindrical elements may require cleaning or rinsing during their useful life in order to function properly.  
         [0004]     Pools and hot tubs are well known and have been used for many years in a variety of settings including residential, educational and commercial. Many pool and spa designs include water recirculation assemblies for heating, sanitizing and filtering the pool and spa water. Oftentimes, these water recirculation assemblies make use of filter cartridges for filtering particulate matter and other debris that may interfere with the proper operation of other circulation components or may reduce the enjoyment of the users. Representative cartridge filters can include filters such as, for example, pleated filters and depth filters. Representative filters can include filter media such as, for example, polymeric webs, polymeric sheets, paper sheets and other commercially available and appropriate media. Examples of representative filter cartridges include those commercially available from manufacturers such as, for example, Advantage Pool, Cal Spas®, Regal Spas, Waterworks®, as well as those available on-line through websites such as, for example, www.spadepot.com.  
         [0005]     Many pool and spa suppliers recommend that these cartridge filters be periodically rinsed off and/or washed to increase the effectiveness and lifespan of the cartridge filter. This task of periodic rinsing and washing of the filter is considered by most consumers to be messy, difficult, time-consuming and generally less than desirable. In response to these issues, products to aid in the cleaning of spa and pool cartridge filters have been developed such as those available from Spin-N-Free, Inc., as well as the assembly described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,419 to Dudley et al., which is herein incorporated by reference to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure.  
         [0006]     As part of their standard design, paint rollers quickly absorb and retain paint throughout their use. If the paint roller is to be reused following application of paint, the paint rollers must be quickly cleaned or rinsed before the paint hardens and the paint roller becomes unusable. Even after cleaning, the nap can become hard when left to stand and dry such that the effectiveness of the paint roller is reduced.  
         [0007]     In order to effectively reuse the aforementioned cylindrical elements, it would be advantageous to have an easy to use cleaning device for cleaning and drying cylindrical elements that minimizes inconvenience to a user.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The present invention is directed to a cleaning assembly having improved convenience for a user cleaning cylindrical elements such as, for example, paint rollers, pool filters and spa filters. A cleaning assembly of the present invention improves convenience for the user through a design promoting ease of use, reduction of messiness and improved drying to restore effective use of the cylindrical element. A cleaning assembly of the invention can include a housing assembly, a cylindrical element mounting assembly and a water jet assembly that cooperatively eliminate the mess and hassle typically associated with cleaning cylindrical elements. The housing assembly can include a base portion and a hinged cover for providing physical and visible access to the inside of the base portion. The cylindrical element mounting assembly can comprise a roller cage configured to accept and vertically position cylindrical elements of varying sizes on a paddlewheel assembly. The water jet assembly can include a manifold structure permanently attached to a side wall of the base portion and including at least two water jets wherein at least one water jet is adjusted to spray the cylindrical element within the roller cage and wherein at least one water jet is adjusted to spray the paddlewheel assembly to impart rotational motion to the cylindrical element mounting assembly during cleaning and drying cycles.  
         [0009]     In one aspect, a representative cleaning assembly of the present invention can comprise a housing assembly having a base portion and a cover portion for fully enclosing a cylindrical element during cleaning and drying cycles. The cover portion is preferably pivotally attached to the base portion to allow quick physical access for install and removing cylindrical elements. In addition, the cover portion allows visible access during either the cleaning or drying cycle so as to allow a user to visually confirm that the cylindrical element is being cleaned or dried.  
         [0010]     In another aspect, a representative cleaning assembly of the present invention can comprise a cylindrical element mounting assembly for successfully accommodating a variety of cylindrical element sizes. The cylindrical element mounting assembly can comprise a roller filter cage over which the cylindrical element is installed for cleaning and drying. The roller filter cage can permanently or releasably engage a paddlewheel assembly that interfaces with a hydraulic energy source for spinning the cylindrical mounting assembly to accelerate the cleaning and drying process.  
         [0011]     In another aspect, a representative cleaning assembly of the present invention can comprise a water jet assembly providing both a cleaning stream and a hydraulic energy source. The water jet assembly includes a manifold assembly mounted to a side wall of a base portion that includes an inlet connection, a cleaning flow circuit and a hydraulic flow circuit wherein both the cleaning flow circuit and the hydraulic flow circuit each include at least one water jet.  
         [0012]     In another aspect, a representative cleaning assembly of the present invention can comprise a portable cleaning assembly wherein the entire cleaning assembly can be hand-carried to a point-of-use and directly connected to water sources such as, for example, a garden hose or utility sink. Through the use of a body portion having a pivotally attached cover, cylindrical elements can be quickly installed and removed before and after cleaning. As the cylindrical elements are fully enclosed during cleaning and drying cycles, the cleaning assembly can be used indoors or out without concern for splashing water and contaminants such as particulate matter and paint on the surroundings.  
         [0013]     In another aspect, a representative cleaning assembly of the present invention can accommodate a variety of cylindrical element sizes including varying diameters and lengths. Representative cylindrical elements can comprise paint roller covers, pool filters and spa filters. In some embodiments, a paint roller cover can be used to adapt an element mounting assembly to accept cylindrical elements having an internal diameter that exceeds a roller cage diameter on the element mounting assembly.  
         [0014]     In another aspect, a representative cleaning assembly of the present invention can include a water jet assembly configured for use with typical residential water supplies including typical residential water flow rates and pressures. The water jet assembly can comprise at least two water jets wherein at least one jet sprays a cylindrical element while at least one jet sprays against a paddlewheel assembly. In some embodiments, each individual water jet can have its spray pattern manually configured based on the available water supply as well as the size and type of cylindrical element being cleaned.  
         [0015]     In another aspect, a representative cleaning assembly of the present invention can include a water jet assembly having an additive reservoir providing an ability to add a filter cleaning or sanitizing solution to assist with cleaning a cylindrical element.  
         [0016]     In another aspect, a representative cleaning assembly of the present invention can provide for cylindrical element cleaning and drying without direct supervision or intervention of a user once the cylindrical element has been operably positioned within an enclosure and a water source has been turned on.  
         [0017]     The above summary of the various representative features of the disclosure is not intended to describe each illustrated feature or every implementation of the invention. The figures in the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify these features. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a perspective, cut-away view of an embodiment of a cylindrical element cleaning assembly.  
         [0020]      FIG. 1   a  is a top view of an embodiment of a cylindrical element cleaning assembly including a carrying handle.  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of an embodiment of a cylindrical element mounting assembly.  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a water jet assembly.  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a water jet assembly.  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the cylindrical element cleaning assembly of  FIG. 1  including an exploded view of an inlet portion of a water jet.  
         [0025]      FIG. 6  is a perspective, cut-away view of an embodiment of a cylindrical element cleaning assembly.  
         [0026]      FIG. 7  is an exploded, perspective view of an embodiment of a paddlewheel mounting assembly.  
         [0027]      FIG. 8  is an exploded, perspective view of an embodiment of an engagement assembly for operably positioning a cylindrical element with respect to a paddlewheel mounting assembly.  
         [0028]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an element mounting assembly adapted for use with a paint roller assembly. 
     
    
       [0029]     While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0030]     An embodiment of a cleaning assembly  100  for cleaning and drying cylindrical elements is illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 1   a  and  5 . The cleaning assembly  100  generally comprises a housing assembly  102 , an element mounting assembly  104  for mounting said cylindrical element for cleaning and a water jet assembly  106  for supplying liquid jet sprays within an interior portion  108  of the housing assembly  102 .  
         [0031]     With reference to  FIGS. 1, 1   a  and  5 , housing assembly  102  generally comprises a base portion  110  and a cover  112 . Base portion  110  generally comprises a front wall  114 , a rear wall  116 , a pair of side walls  118   a ,  118   b  and a floor  120 . Base portion  110  is preferably sized to fit within a typical residential utility sink and can have an interior volume between about 3 gallons to about 13 gallons. Housing assembly  102  can include a handle  121  allowing for easy carrying and placement of the cleaning assembly  100 . Cover  112  attaches at a top opening  122  of the base portion  110  to fully enclose the interior portion  108 . Cover  112  can attach to base portion  110  in a variety of suitable arrangements such as, for example, a removable lift-off or slide arrangement or alternatively, a hinged arrangement with respect to base portion  110 , or other suitable mounting arrangements. When cover  112  is closed over the top opening  122 , housing assembly  102  is preferably fully enclosed though cover  112  may be undersized with respect to top opening  122  to partially enclose the housing assembly  102 . Base portion  110  and cover  112  can comprise suitable liquid compatible materials such as for example, plastics, metals, wood, Styrofoam®, and other suitable materials. Housing assembly  102  can be manufactured to have any desired exterior shape such as, for example, square, circular, rectangular, and other suitable geometric shapes. Base portion  110  comprises at least one drain port  124  proximate the floor  120 . The drain port  124  may include a drain fitting such as, for example, a barbed tube fitting allowing a drain line to be connected to the base portion  110 .  
         [0032]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , element mounting assembly  104  can comprise a vertical center post  126  projecting through a mounting block  128  attached to floor  120  with brackets  130 . Vertical center post  126  can comprise a threaded rod. Vertical center post  126  is fixedly retained in positioned through the mounting block  128  with a pair of threaded securing nuts  132  attached to the vertical center post  126  positioned above and below the mounting block  128 . By tightening the threaded securing nuts  132  against the mounting block  128 , the vertical center post  126  is held in position and prevented from spinning.  
         [0033]     Mounted over the vertical center post  126  and oriented above the mounting block  128  is a paddlewheel assembly  134  having a plurality of downwardly facing turbine blades  136 , a paddlewheel hub  138  and an attachment surface  140 . The paddlewheel hub  138  has an internal bore sized to have a larger diameter than the diameter of the vertical center post  126  such that the paddlewheel assembly  134  can spin around the vertical center post  126 . A spacing nut  141  is positioned below the paddlewheel hub  138  so as to vertically position the turbine blades  136  at a desired height above the mounting block  128 .  
         [0034]     The vertical center post  126  extends through the paddlewheel hub  138  and the attachment surface  140  such that a roller cage  142  can be placed over the vertical center post  126 . In a preferred embodiment, the roller cage  142  substantially resembles a roller cage on a typical paint roller. Roller cage  142  generally comprises a unitary structure having a bottom cap  144 , a top cap  146  and a wire frame  148 . Bottom cap  144  is joined to the attachment surface  140  such that when the paddlewheel assembly  134  spins around the vertical center post  126 , the roller cage  142  spins as well.  
         [0035]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the water jet assembly  106  is fixedly mounted within the interior portion  108  of housing assembly  102  using mounting clips  149 . Water jet assembly  106  generally comprises a cleaning flow circuit  150  and a hydraulic energy circuit  154 . Cleaning flow circuit  150  and hydraulic energy circuit can be constructed of suitable piping materials, including piping, fittings, connectors and flow components made of PVC, carbon steel, stainless steel and combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, cleaning flow circuit  150  and hydraulic energy circuit  152  share a common inlet  154 . Inlet  154  can comprise a hose connection  156  for attachment to a utility or garden hose  158  as illustrated in  FIG. 1   a . Cleaning flow circuit  150  can include a cleaning flow valve  160  and a least one cleaning spray jet  162 . Hydraulic energy circuit  152  generally includes at least one hydraulic energy spray jet  164 . In some embodiments, cleaning spray jet  162  and hydraulic energy spray jet  164  can comprise manually adjustable spray jets wherein their individual spray patterns can be adjusted based upon inlet flow variables and/or cylindrical element size.  
         [0036]     As will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, water jet assembly  106  can comprise a variety of alternative flow arrangements including, for example, the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 4  wherein the cleaning flow circuit  150  and hydraulic energy circuit  154  share a common inlet valve  166 . Cleaning flow circuit  150  can further include a cleaning supply valve  168  as well as individual cleaning jet supply valves  170  for individually controlling flow through each adjustable cleaning spray jet  162 . Similarly, hydraulic energy circuit  154  can include a hydraulic energy supply valve  172 . Alternative, cleaning flow circuit  150  can comprise a wash additive reservoir for adding a suitable detergent or cleaner to assist in cleaning the cylindrical element.  
         [0037]     In use, cleaning assembly  100  can be utilized to clean a cylindrical element such as, for example, a roller cover  174  or a pool or spa filter  176  as illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  5 . Generally a user positions the housing assembly  102  at a suitable location, either indoors or outside, that has a nearby water source and can accommodate drain water. The user connects inlet  154  to a water source such as, for example, from garden hose  158 . Next the user opens cover  112  to provide access to the interior portion  108 .  
         [0038]     In the case of the cylindrical element comprising roller cover  174 , the user removes the roller cover  174  from their paint roller and slides the roller cover  174  over the top cap  146  such that the wire frame  148  in within the interior of the roller cover  174 . The roller cover  174  is preferably pushed down the wire frame  148  until the bottom cap  144  is within the interior of the roller cover  174 . In this way, attachment of the roller cover  174  to the roller cage  142  substantially resembles the typical installation of roller cover  174  on a paint roller and allows roller cage  142  to cleaning roller covers having a variety of different lengths including 3 inch, 4 inch, 7 inch, 9 inch and any other commercially available length. In addition, placement of the roller cover  174  over the roller cage  142  exposes the entire exterior surface of the roller cover  174  to be sprayed and cleaned and prevents clips or connectors such as, for example, those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,275 to Mullen, from covering portions of the exterior surface of the roller cover  174  wherein the roller cover  174  is not fully sprayed and paint can be retained under the clips.  
         [0039]     In the case of the cylindrical element comprising pool or spa filter  176 , the filter  176  can be similarly positioned over roller cage  142  as describe with respect to roller cover  174 . However, due to variations commonly found in pool and spa filter from different manufacturers, an inexpensive roller cover  174  can be used as a filter adapter if a hollow inner core  178  of the filter  176  exceed the diameter of the roller cage  142 . To increase the effective diameter of the roller cage  142 , the user need only install roller cover  174  having a suitable nap length to increase the effective diameter of the roller cage  142 . With the increased effective diameter, the filter  176  can be placed over the roller cover  174  such that the roller cover  174  resides within the inner core  178 . In addition, the nap length can be selected to provide an interference style fit within the inner core  178  to tightly retain the filter  176  to the roller cage  142 .  
         [0040]     After the cylindrical element has been installed, the user can commence a cleaning cycle wherein water flows from inlet  154  through the cleaning flow circuit  150  and the hydraulic energy circuit  152 . With respect to cleaning flow circuit  150 , either cleaning flow valve  160  or cleaning supply valve  168  and selected cleaning jet supply valve  170  can be opened such that water is directed through one or more of the cleaning spray jets  162 . If the hydraulic energy supply valve  172  is present with the hydraulic energy circuit  152 , the hydraulic energy supply valve  172  is also opened to allow water to flow through the hydraulic energy spray jet  164 . As water flows through the cleaning spray jets  162 , one or more cleaning sprays  180  can be formed to fully over spray the length of the cylindrical element. At the same time, a focused hydraulic energy spray  182  is sprayed from the hydraulic energy spray jet  164  and is directed at the turbine blades  136  causing the paddlewheel assembly  134 , the roller cage  142  and the cylindrical element to spin around the vertical center post  126  at a high rate of rotation. Through the combination of the cleaning sprays  180  rinsing the cylindrical element and the centrifugal force applied by rotation of the paddlewheel assembly  134 , paint, particulate matter and rinse water are essentially flung from the cylindrical element. Once started, the cleaning cycle can continue without user intervention until the cleaning cycle is complete. If desired, the user can open cover  112  so as to view the progress of the cleaning cycle and determine if the cleaning cycle is complete by viewing the condition of the cylindrical element.  
         [0041]     When the user determines the cleaning cycle to be complete, the user initiates a drying cycle by closing either the cleaning flow valve  160  or the cleaning supply valve  168  such that cleaning sprays  180  are terminated. At the same time, water continues to flow through the hydraulic energy circuit  152  such that the hydraulic energy spray  182  continues to cause paddlewheel assembly  134  to spin around the vertical center post  126  at a high rate of rotation. This result in any remaining water residing or within the cylindrical element to be flung away from the cylindrical element so as to spin dry the cylindrical element. When the cylindrical element is in the form of roller cover  174 , the rotating during the drying cycle promotes drying such that the roller cover  174  dries to a condition wherein the exterior is “puffy” and is substantially the same nap length as a new roller cover. As water accumulates on the floor  120  during both the cleaning and drying cycle, the water flows out of drain port  124  where it can be directed to a drain. Due to the contained nature of cleaning assembly  100 , use of cleaning assembly  100  is especially advantageous for indoor use wherein the mess and hassle associated with cleaning cylindrical elements is contained and does not effect the surrounding areas.  
         [0042]     Prior to operating the cleaning assembly  100 , the user can adjust both the cleaning spray jet  162  and the hydraulic energy spray jet  164  for optimal cleaning and drying. For instance, the user can rotatably turn the cleaning flow circuit  150  and the hydraulic energy circuit  152  within the interior portion  108  to properly align the cleaning spray  180  and the hydraulic energy spray  182 . In some embodiments, the cleaning spray jet  162  is manually adjustable allowing a user to increase or decrease the width of the cleaning spray  180  based on the length of the cylindrical element. If the cleaning flow circuit  150  comprises a plurality of cleaning spray jets  162 , the individual cleaning sprays  180  can be adjusted to overlap to ensure full spray coverage of the cylindrical element. If the cleaning flow circuit  150  includes individual cleaning jet supply valves  170 , the appropriate number of cleaning spray jets  162  can be used by selectively opening and closing the individual cleaning jet supply valves  170 . Hydraulic energy spray jet  164  can be adjusted such the hydraulic energy spray  182  is focused solely on the turbine blades  136  so as to achieve maximum rotational speed for the paddlewheel assembly  134 .  
         [0043]     An alternative embodiment of a cleaning assembly  200  is illustrated in  FIG. 6 . Generally, cleaning assembly  200  can resemble cleaning assembly  100  so as to include housing assembly  102  and water jet assembly  106  with an element mounting assembly  202  adapted to receive roller cover  174  while still attached to a paint roller  204 .  
         [0044]     As depicted in  FIGS. 6 and 9 , paint roller  204  generally comprises a roller handle  206 , a roller arm  208 , a roller cage  210  and roller cover  174 . Roller cage  210  can substantially resemble the construction of roller cage  142  with the exception being that roller cage  210  is not a component of the cleaning assembly  200  such that removal of the paint roller  204  causes removal of the roller cage  210 . Roller cage  210  includes a top cap  212 , a bottom cap  214  and a wire frame  216 . As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , bottom cap  214  can include a non-circular receiving aperture  218  such as, for example, a triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal, oval or star-shaped aperture.  
         [0045]     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , element mounting assembly  202  can comprise a vertical member  220  projecting through a pressed sleeve  222  in the mounting block  128 . Vertical member  220  can comprise a threaded rod. Vertical member  220  is positioned through the pressed sleeve  222  and is stabilized using a bottom nut  224 , a bottom washer  226  and a bottom flange bearing  228  below the mounting block  128  and a top flange bearing  230 , a top washer  232  and a top nut  234  above the mounting block  128 . The vertical member  220  is directed through the paddlewheel hub  138  on paddlewheel assembly  134  and extends through the attachment surface  140  wherein a coupling nut  236  operably joins the vertical member  220  and the paddlewheel assembly  134  such that when the paddlewheel assembly  134  rotates, the vertical member  220  rotates as well. Coupling nut  236  is configured so as to define a projecting perimeter  238  that inserts into and interfaces with the non-circular receiving aperture  218  as illustrated in  FIG. 8 . Alternatively, the paddlewheel assembly  134  can include a mounting cap  239  fixed to the attachment surface  140  as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . The mounting cap  239  can substantially resemble the size and shape of the bottom  214  such that a user could partially slide the roller cover  174  off the paint roller  174  and position and place a removed portion of the roller cover  174  over the mounting cap  239  to engage the paint roller  174  with the paddlewheel assembly  134 .  
         [0046]     In use, cleaning assembly  200  allows roller cover  174  to be cleaned and dried without removing the roller cover  174  from the paint roller  204 . A dirty paint roller  204  is generally positioned as shown in  FIGS. 6, 8  and  10 . The roller arm  208  is positioned to fit within a receiving groove  240  and arm bracket  242  in the base portion  110  as the bottom cap  214  is positioned proximate the attachment surface  140 . The bottom cap  214  is oriented such that the coupling nut  236  inserts into the non-circular receiving aperture  218  such that the paddlewheel assembly  134  and the roller cage  210  are operably, rotatably interconnected.  
         [0047]     After positioning the paint roller  204 , the user can initiate the cleaning and drying cycles as previously described with reference to cleaning assembly  100  such that the cleaning sprays  180  spray the roller cover  174  during the cleaning cycle and the hydraulic energy spray  182  is focused on the turbine blades  136  so as to achieve maximum rotational speed for the paddlewheel assembly  134 . As the paddlewheel assembly  134  rotates, the vertical member  220  and coupling nut  236  rotate such that the roller cage  210  and roller cover  174  spin as well. After the cleaning cycle, the cleaning spray  180  can be terminated such that the drying cycle is commenced. Following the drying cycle, the paint roller  204  can be lifted from the receiving groove  240  and the arm bracket  242  wherein the paint roller  204  is ready for immediate use. In some instances, coupling nut  236  and non-circular receiving aperture  218  can be configured in a proprietary manner such that the cleaning assembly  200  can be branded for use with paint roller  204  of a specific brand allowing the cleaning assembly  200  and paint roller  204  to be sold as a branded kit.  
         [0048]     When not in use for cleaning cylindrical elements, cleaning assembly  100  and cleaning assembly  200  can be utilized for convenient storage of painting and pool or spa supplies. For instance, a user can place paint rollers, roll covers, brushes, rags, paint trays and liners or pool and spa chemicals or test kits within the interior portion  108  so as to eliminate the mess and clutter associated with said items.  
         [0049]     The present disclosure describes aspects of one presently preferred embodiment of a filter cleaning assembly for cleaning and rinsing pool and spa cartridge filters. It will be understood by one of skill in the art that additional, alternative embodiments are contemplated and would not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.