Abstract:
A spray bulb cleaner is provided for removing dust from digital camera sensors. The cleaner comprises a compressible yet resilient manually actuatable bulb body defining a deformable wall circumscribing an air enclosure. The bulb wall has an air outlet enabling air outflow from the bulb air enclosure toward ambient air when the bulb is squeezed and becomes deformed. The bulb wall also has an air intake enabling ambient air inflow into the bulb air enclosure. A releasable first one-way valve mounted at the air intake, controls air inflow from ambient air towards the bulb enclosure. A releasable second one-way valve mounted at a tubular nozzle inner end portion controls air outflow from the bulb air enclosure toward ambient air. The nozzle is mounted at to the bulb air outlet. At least a portion of the spray bulb is made from an electrostatically charged ionizing compound for neutralizing a target surface to be dusted by the spray bulb cleaner. A filter member can be mounted adjacent either the first or second one-way valves.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE DATA 
       [0001]    The present application claims Paris convention priority based upon U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/198,851 filed Nov. 10, 2008. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A spray bottle is a bottle that can squirt, spray or mist fluids. A common use for spray bottles is dispensing cool cleaners, cosmetics, and chemical specialties. Another wide use of spray bottles is mixing down concentrates such as pine oil with water. 
         [0003]    On the other hand, a spray bulb will simply spray air over a target surface to be cleaned. Spray bottles and spray bulbs can be used with a rubber bulb, which is squeezed to expel air through an air outlet. 
         [0004]    A problem with spray bulbs for use in air cleaning of delicate surface targets is that the air intake coincides with the air outlet thereof. Accordingly, if dust is removed from the surface target by the air outflow from the spray bulb, there is a risk that this dislodged airborne dust close to the spray bulb combined air outlet/air intake will be captured by the air suction of the spray bulb once air outflow from the spray bulb is completed and the rubber bulb is allowed to return under spring back action to its original un-deformed condition. In other words, the dust removed from the exterior target surface is sucked into the enclosure of the rubber bulb body, and then expelled with the next squeeze sequence of the spray bulb, thus potentially contaminating with the previously removed dust the next target surface to be cleaned. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The invention relates to a spray bulb cleaner for removing dust from a target surface comprising: a flexible manually actuatable bulb body defining a deformable yet resilient arcuate wall having spring-back capability and circumscribing a generally closed air enclosure, said bulb body wall having air outlet means, enabling air outflow from said bulb air enclosure toward ambient air, and air intake means, enabling ambient air inflow into said bulb body air enclosure; a releasable first one-way valve, mounted at said air intake means and controlling air inflow from ambient air into said bulb body air enclosure, and a releasable second one-way valve, mounted at said air outlet means and controlling air outflow from said bulb body air enclosure toward ambient air. 
         [0006]    Preferably, a tubular nozzle is provided, being fluidingly mounted at an inner end portion thereof to said bulb air outlet means and defining air outflow mouth at an outer end portion opposite said inner end portion thereof, said air outflow mouth being the diametrally smallest section of said nozzle. 
         [0007]    At least part of said spray bulb could be made from an electro-statically charged ionizing compound. 
         [0008]    The spray bulb could also be in combination with a pad for removing dust from a target surface, said pad being made from an electro-statically charged ionizing compound. 
         [0009]    The invention also relates to the use of an ionizing compound in a spray bulb as in claim  1 , for neutralizing a target surface to be dusted. 
         [0010]    Preferably, a first air filter member is mounted into said bulb air intake means adjacent said first one way valve. A second air filter member could then be mounted into said tubular nozzle inner end portion adjacent said second one way valve. 
         [0011]    Preferably, said air outlet means and said air intake means are coaxially aligned on opposite sides of said bulb body. 
         [0012]    The invention also relates to a. method of use of a spray bulb cleaner on a digital camera sensor, said spray bulb being of the type comprising: a flexible manually actuatable bulb body defining a deformable yet resilient arcuate wall having spring back capability and circumscribing a generally closed air enclosure, said bulb body wall having an air outlet means, enabling air outflow from said bulb air enclosure toward ambient air, and an air intake, enabling ambient air inflow into said bulb air enclosure; a releasable first one-way valve, mounted at said air intake means, controlling air inflow from ambient air towards said bulb air enclosure; and a releasable second one-way valve mounted at said tubular nozzle inner end portion controlling air outflow from said bulb air enclosure toward ambient air; wherein said method comprising the following steps: a) squeezing said bulb body wall to deform same from an original larger air volume to a reduced air volume of said bulb air enclosure; b) expelling air from said air enclosure through said air outlet means, c) directing said expelled air toward the camera sensor to be cleaned; 
         [0000]    d) releasing the bulb body wall; e) allowing ambiant air to enter into said bulb air enclosure through said air intake means until said original larger air volume inside wais bulb air enclosure is substantially reached under resilient spring back action of said bulb body wall. 
         [0013]    An additional step envisioned could include: further comprising the step of providing an elongated nozzle mounted at an inner end portion thereof at said air outlet means, and having an outer end mouth at an outer end portion thereof, said elongated nozzle enabling optimal directional air expulsion from said bulb air enclosure for cleaning a target surface. A first air filter means could be mounted into said air intake means as an additional step. A second air filter means could also be mounted into said nozzle as an additional step. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    In the annexed drawings : 
           [0015]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are a perspective view and a sectional view respectively of a spray bulb cleaner according to the prior art; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 3 and 4  are exploded views from two different perspectives of a preferred embodiment of spray bulb cleaner according to the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4   a  is a perspective view of the air intake means one way valve of  FIG. 4 , shown in its opened condition; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a view similar to fig lb but for the embodiment of  FIGS. 3-4  showing an enlarged cross-sectional side elevation of the nozzle of the spray bulb cleaner of  FIGS. 3-4 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged sectional view of the nozzle of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 7 and 8  are elevational perspective views from two different points of view of a cleaning tool for use in combination with the spray bulb cleaner of  FIGS. 3-5  according to the present invention; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the cleaning tool of  FIGS. 7-8  installed on a spinning device for removing dust collected on the spray bulb cleaner of  FIGS. 3-5 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show a prior art spray bulb wherein the spray bulb is a manually operated dust blower which may be used to blow dust away from a target surface. This spray bulb  10  comprises a compressible hand-operated bulb body  12  made from a flexible compressible yet resilient material such as a suitable plastic or rubber material that allows the bulb to be squeezed to blow air out, and then released to return to its original shape by inherent spring back action, so as to suck air in as bulb body  12  regains its initial fully expanded pear-like shape. Bulb body  12  has a peripheral wall  11  defining a single mouth  13 . A nozzle  14  is mounted at one end portion thereof into mouth  13 . A generally closed inner chamber  16  is circumscribed within bulb body  11 , with inner chamber  16  having a variable volume between an expanded full volume (shown in  FIGS. 3-4 ) and a reduced volume occurring when the wall of bulb body  12  is deformed under compression. The outer end of nozzle  14  forms mouth  15 . 
         [0023]    According to the preferred embodiment of invention illustrated in  FIGS. 3 to 6 , there is disclosed a spray bulb  110  comprising a bulb body  111  with air intake means  200  and air outlet means  202 . Each air means  200  and  202  preferably forms a bore  210 ,  212 , respectively each such bore being circumscribed by a radially outwardly extending tubular socket member  214 ,  216 , respectively. As shown in  FIG. 5 , A first one way valve  204  is mounted into the radial tubular socket  214 , while a second one way valve  206  is mounted into radial tubular socket  216 . 
         [0024]    A tubular nozzle  120  is further included, comprising a hollow pipe  122  having a threaded outer end nipple  123  and an inner end coupling portion  122   b . Nipple  123  defines a diametrally smaller mouth  123   a . A cap  125  threadingly releasably engages nipple  123  to releasably close mouth  123   a  when spray bulb  110  is not in use so as to minimize accidental contamination hazards. Coupling portion  122   b  is diametrically larger than main pipe  122 , which is in turn diametrically larger than nipple  123 . Coupling portion  122   b  is friction-fitted into and operatively engages a diametrally larger coaxial hollow tubular member  124 . A radially extending peripheral pipe shoulder  126  is provided on coupling portion  122   b  on pipe  122  and axially releasably abuts against tubular member  124  and into tubular socket  216 . Radial shoulder  126  is sized to be radially larger than socket  216 . 
         [0025]    Tubular member  124  is friction-fitted at its inner end portion into radial socket  216  and operatively engages into bore  212 . Tubular member  124  comprises an inner shoulder  128 . 
         [0026]    Second one-way valve  206  includes a one-way backflow preventing valve gate  130  to be mounted into tubular member  124 , against inner shoulder  128  where tubular member  124  is diametrically larger than valve gate  130 . Valve gate  130  is movable between a closed position in which it rests against inner shoulder  128  and fluidingly seals the inner axial channel through tubular member  124 ; and an opened position in which valve gate  130  releases inner shoulder  128  and in which the coaxial channel through tubular member  124  and nozzle  120  becomes opened for free air flow. Valve gate  130  is continuously biased towards its closed position by means of a biasing member in the form of an elongated coil spring  132 . Coil spring  132  is seated against the annular seat  122   d  formed by the diametrally narrowing rear end portion of pipe  122 , inside pipe rear coupling portion  122 , and abuts against valve gate  130 . 
         [0027]    An optional front filter means such as filter  134  may be installed within pipe mount  124  rearwardly of inner shoulder  128 . 
         [0028]    Rear valve means  204  engages radial socket  214  in the rear of bulb body  111 . Preferably, mouths  210 ,  212  are coaxial, as illustrated. Rear one-way valve  204  allows air to be sucked into bulb body enclosure  118  but prevents air to be blown radially outwardly of bulb body  111  through rear opening  210 .  FIG. 4   a  shows gate  210  of valve  204  in opened condition. An optional rear filter means such as filter  137  could also be provided into one way valve  204 . 
         [0029]    Both the optional front and rear filters  134 ,  137 , help minimizing dust particles contamination by substantially preventing dust from being first sucked into bulb body enclosure  118  and then blown out of spray bulb  110  through nozzle  122 . 
         [0030]    In use, spray bulb body  111  is manually squeezed to blow air out of inner chamber  118  through front socket mouth  212 . The air inside inner chamber  118  will be expelled through nozzle  120  when bulb body  111  is squeezed. More particularly, the radially outwardly directed air pressure will force valve gate  130  towards its opened position against the bias of spring  132  to allow the air inside inner chamber  118  to flow around valve gate  130  and sequentially through the coextensive inner channels of tubular member  124  and pipe  122 . Rear one-way valve  204  in turn prevents air from being blown out of bulb body  111  through rear mouth  210  when bulb body  111  is squeezed. Consequently, when a target surface (not shown) is being dusted, nozzle  120  is positioned near the target surface and bulb body  111  is squeezed and deformed to blow air out through nozzle  120  against the target surface, removing the dust from the target surface under the dynamic force of the expelled airflow. 
         [0031]    Upon bulb body  111  being released, it will recover its original fully expanded shape under resilient spring back fashion; however, air will not be sucked into bulb body  11  through nozzle  120 . Indeed, backflow preventing one-way valve  130  will prevent this. Air will be sucked in through rear opening  210  only, since gate  214  of rear valve  204  will yieldingly open to allow outside air inside bulb enclosure  118 . This is desirable since the mouth  123   a  of nozzle  120  may still be located near the target surface where dust having been blown away from the target surface is now airborne. If air were to be sucked toward and into interior enclosure  118  of bulb body  111  from mouth  123   a  of nozzle  120 , it might also suck in undesirable dust particles which might thereafter be stored temporarily into spray bulb enclosure  118  to be thereafter blown out onto that or another target surface in the next sequence of bulb body squeezing. This would be counterproductive, and yet, all known prior art dust blowers work this way. Accordingly, the present invention solves a long standing problem. 
         [0032]    This combined action of front and rear one-way valves  204 ,  206 , allows air to be blown out of bulb body  111  only through nozzle  120  and to be admitted into bulb body  111  only through rear mouth  210 . This significantly helps prevent airborne dust particles from being undesirably accidentally sucked into bulb body  111  and/or nozzle  120  and temporarily stored therein and thereafter being blown out onto a target surface to be dusted. 
         [0033]    It is understood that any other suitable conventional one-way valve allowing backflow prevention of air into bulb body  111  could be used instead of the illustrated valve gate  130  of valve means  206 , described herein. Likewise, the rear one-way tubular valve  204  could be of any suitable conventional make. 
         [0034]    According to one embodiment of the present invention, the material used to make at least some portions of spray bulb  110  is electro-statically charged. Indeed, it has been observed that dust and other indoor airborne particles often have a non-neutral electro-static charge, e.g. a positive charge. Also, many target surfaces are also electro-statically charged. This results in some target surfaces electrostatically attracting dust that will stick to the target surface. (One example of this being dust that sticks to computer or television screens.) By electro-statically charging, or ionizing, the spray bulb  110 , the latter will transfer some ions to the air that circulates through it and that is blown out of it. This will help neutralize some airborne dust particles and some target surfaces to help prevent dust from being electro-statically attracted to target surfaces. Also, providing an electro-statically charged bulb body  111  contributes to attract some dust particles so that they stick to the bulb  112  peripheral wall inner surface, consequently preventing those dust particles from being undesirably ejected through front nozzle  120  when a target surface is being dusted. 
         [0035]    According to an alternate embodiment, the material chosen to make most parts of spray bulb  110  will have a negative electro-static charge. The air that circulates through bulb body  111  and nozzle  120  will consequently carry negative ions that will at least partly neutralize positive target surfaces that it comes in contact with. Also, the negatively charged spray bulb  110  will contribute to partly neutralize positively charged airborne dust particles. The result being that dust will be less attracted to target surfaces on which spray bulb  110  has been used to blow dust away. Also, some positively charged airborne dust particles that have been accidentally sucked into bulb enclosure  118  will furthermore stick to the bulb peripheral wall inner surface, preventing those particles from being counter-productively ejected through nozzle  120  onto a target surface to be dusted. 
         [0036]    One way to integrate this particular inventive feature is to make spray bulb  110  from an ionizing compound including a supporting matrix such as silicon to which an ionizing filler is added in a suitable proportion. 
         [0037]    In one embodiment, the entire spray bulb  110  is made from an ionizing compound. According to an alternate embodiment, the ionizing compound is used to make a portion of spray bulb only, i.e. not all of it. For example, only bulb body  111  could be made from an ionizing compound. 
         [0038]    The present invention further provides for the use of an ionizing compound, in making a cleaning tool  150  according to another embodiment. More particularly,  FIGS. 7 and 8  show that cleaning tool  150  comprises an elongated handle  152  having opposite upper and lower ends  154 ,  156 . A dust-removing pad  158  made from an ionizing compound is attached to handle lower end  156 . 
         [0039]    In use, tool  150  is used to remove dust from a target surface by sliding pad  158  along that surface. By doing so, the positively charged dust particles will be attracted to the negatively charged ionizing pad  158  and be removed from the target surface. Furthermore, ionizing pad  158  will further contribute to electro-statically neutralize some target surfaces to help prevent them from attracting dust, by transferring negative ions to the target surfaces. 
         [0040]    In one embodiment, the handle upper end  154  of cleaning tool  150  can be attached to a spinning device  160  ( FIG. 9 ) that will rotate spray bulb  110  along direction  162  at high speed about the longitudinal axis of handle  152 . Under the effect of the centrifugal force, dust on pad  158  will be removed therefrom. Spinning device  160  can consequently be used to remove dust from pad  158  between uses of pad  158  on target surfaces to be dusted. 
         [0041]    Spray bulb  110  and cleaning tool  150  are particularly useful for use in dusting sensitive target surfaces such as digital camera sensors or the like where careful and thorough dust removal is very important. However, their use is in no way limited to these target surfaces.