Abstract:
A versatile, flexible scrubbing apparatus comprising a rope having a first end and a second end wherein the rope may comprise one or more twisted strands wherein one or more filaments may be captured between the one or more strands and/or twists of the rope. The one or more filaments may be positioned essentially perpendicular or at predetermined angles to the length of rope. A handle may be attached to both the first and second end of the rope, wherein user manipulation of the handles may act to pull the rope across the bottom surface of a boat to clean the hull.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/362,425, filed with the USPTO on Jul. 8, 2010, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISK 
       [0003]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    The present invention generally relates to a rope that can be strategically weighted. The rope has filaments captured between the twisted strands forming the rope or applied within its core. The filaments may be selected such that the rope may be used as a cleaning and scrubbing apparatus or brush. 
         [0006]    2. Background Art 
         [0007]    The problem of removing marine growth from the surfaces of boat hulls has been a problem that has existed for as long as boats have been plying large bodies of salt water. Marine growth on the hulls of commercial and recreational boats can seriously affect the efficiency of the boat hull in the water, and must therefore be removed periodically to use the vessel efficiently and economically. There are various types of marine growth, one form being a type of scum or slime that attaches itself to wide expanses of underwater hull surfaces, while other types of marine growth include barnacle-like creatures that attach themselves to the hull and form a protrusion from the outer surface of the boat hull that has a very detrimental effect on the speed and fuel economy that may be achieved by the boat in the water. 
         [0008]    Boats can be removed from the water to facilitate cleaning the underside. However, this is often a costly and time consuming operation. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for cleaning the underside of a boat hull which does not require the boat to be removed from the water. 
         [0009]    A person can enter the water to clean the underside of the boat. However, this can be a dangerous, time consuming, or unpleasant task for many. Therefore, it is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for cleaning the underside of a boat while the person or people doing the cleaning remain out of the water. 
         [0010]    One of the problems that is frequently encountered with scrubbing devices for scrubbing the underside of boat hulls is the strength and stamina that must be possessed by the person operating the scrubbing device. Many such devices are make-shift and require manipulation by a strong man, accustomed to doing that type work. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,344 utilizes a flexible sheet of relatively thin material on one side of which is provided a means for scrubbing while the opposite surface thereof are provided a multiplicity of floatation devices so that when the device is submerged say, for instance, below a boat hull submerged in the water, the floatation means on the strip function to provide an upward component of force on the strip, causing it to plaster itself against the surface of the boat hull. A handle connected to the elongated sheet may then be manipulated to reciprocate the sheet while in contact with the boat hull. 
         [0011]    Accordingly, a still further object of the present invention is the provision of a scrubbing device that may be manipulated by even a small person unaccustomed to manipulating a scrubbing device of any kind. When a boat hull is submerged and it is attempted to scrub the submerged surface, it is necessary that the scrubbing device be pressed forcefully against the fouled boat surface and manipulated, usually by reciprocation, to abrade the surface to remove the marine growth thereon. One method of course is to utilize a long, stiff and rigid handle on one end of which is attached the abrading means. Using the long, stiff and rigid handle as a lever, the operator can exert a certain amount of force on the boat hull with the abrading device and when the device is reciprocated, the marine growth will be removed. The difficulty with such a device is that most boat hulls are contoured to provide curved surfaces and the utilization of such a stiff and rigid device does not enable the cleaning of such contoured surfaces. Accordingly, another object of the present invention is the provision of a scrubbing device for contoured boat hulls in which the scrubbing surface is flexible, enabling the scrubbing device to follow the contoured boat hull. 
         [0012]    The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be apparent from the following description and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described since it may be embodied in various forms. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    The present invention is directed to an apparatus for cleaning a boat hull. 
         [0014]    An object of the present invention is to allow a user to clean the underside of a boat while the boat remains in the water. 
         [0015]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a boat hull cleaning apparatus that can be used by one or more people aboard the boat to be cleaned. 
         [0016]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a scrubber device comprising a rope having a first end, a second end, and an outer surface, and one or more filaments, wherein the one or more filaments extend outward from the outer surface of the rope. 
         [0017]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a scrubber device, comprising a rope having a first end, a second end, and an outer surface, the rope further comprising one or more weighted components; a core, wherein the core is disposed about the one or more weighted components; and_one or more strands, wherein the one or more strands are twisted together about the core; one or more filaments, wherein the one or more filaments extend outward from the outer surface of the rope; and_a handle attached to the first end and/or the second end of the rope. 
         [0018]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a scrubber device, comprising a rope having a first end, a second end, and an outer surface, the rope further comprising one or more weighted components; a core, wherein the core is disposed about the one or more weighted components; and_one or more strands, wherein the one or more strands are twisted together about the core; one or more filaments, wherein the one or more filaments extend outward from the outer surface of the rope, the one or more filaments further comprising one or more flagged ends thereon; and a handle attached to the first end and/or the second end of the rope; wherein each of the one or more filaments comprise a diameter in the range of 0.006 inches to 0.100 inches; and wherein each of the one or more filaments extend from the outer surface of the rope a distance in the range of 0.5 inches to 12.0 inches 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    A better understanding of the present invention will be realized from the detailed description that follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  depicts a top view of an embodiment of a device of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  depicts a magnified perspective view of an embodiment of a device of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  depicts a cross-section of an embodiment of a device of the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  depicts a magnified side view of an embodiment of a device of the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  depicts a cross-section view of an embodiment of a device of the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  depicts a rear view of a boat while an embodiment of a device of the present invention is disposed beneath the hull of a boat. 
           [0026]      FIG. 7  depicts a perspective view of a boat while an embodiment of a device of the present invention is disposed beneath the hull of a boat. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    Although the following detailed description contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, anyone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following preferred embodiments of the invention are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimed invention. 
         [0028]      FIG. 1  depicts one embodiment of the versatile flexible scrubber device  100 , wherein one exemplary embodiment may comprise a rope  101  impregnated with one or more filaments  102  and optionally having at least one handle  103  at one or both ends of the rope  101 . The rope  101  may comprise one or more strands  107  of material that may be twisted, braided, or otherwise joined together (see  FIG. 2 ). As further shown in  FIG. 2 , the rope  101  may have a core  106  made of various materials, including but not limited to, stainless steel, plastic, polyethylene, polyethylene foam, expanded polyethylene, any combination thereof, or the like, which may be included to add, enhance, or modify buoyancy. The density of the core  106  may be varied based upon the desired application of the finished device  100 . For example, if the device  100  will be used to clean a boat with a deep draft, the core  106  may comprise less buoyant material to facilitate positioning the device  100  beneath the hull of the vessel. When the device  100  is to be used on vessels with shallower drafts, the core  106  may comprise more buoyant material to increase the upward pressure on the hull. This upward pressure caused by the buoyancy of the rope  101  acts to facilitate cleaning. 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , one or more strands  107  may surround the core  106 . Each of the one or more strands  107  may be comprised of a plurality of lengths of various materials that may be used to construct the rope  101 . Preferred embodiments of a finished rope  101  may comprise three (3) strands, eight (8) strands, any number of strands known within the art, and the like, while the scope of the present invention further includes any number of strands  107 . Each of the one or more strands  107  may comprise material such as but not limited to wire, cotton, Kevlar, manila hemp, hemp, linen, coir, jute, sisal, polypropylene, nylon, polyesters, polyethylene, polyaramids, aramids, rayon, metal, or the like.  FIG. 2  depicts how one or more strands  107  may be wrapped around a core  106  to form a rope  101 . In ropes  101  constructed as shown in  FIG. 2 , there may be one or more weighted components  105  (see  FIG. 3 ) within the core  106 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  depicts a cross-section of rope  101  further comprising one or more weighted components  105  surrounded by a core  106 , and thereafter one or more strands  107  of material surrounding the core  106 . In alternate embodiments, the one or more weighted components  105  may be surrounded by one or more strands  107  comprising the rope  101  and a core  106  may be optional. Additionally, in alternate embodiments, the one or more weighted components  105  may be optional and the rope  101  may comprise one or more strands  107  and a core  106 . In yet other embodiments, the rope  101  may comprise only the one or more strands  107 , only the core  106 , only one or more weighted components  105 , or any combinations thereof 
         [0031]    As depicted in  FIG. 4 , preferred embodiments may comprise a rope  101  having one or more strands  107  twisted together and one or more filaments  102  may be captured between or through the one or more strands  107  or inserted within the inner core  106  of the rope  101 . The one or more filaments  102  may be oriented either perpendicular or at any other angle (e.g. ranging from zero degrees to ninety degrees) relative to the length of rope  101  and placed either between the one or more strands  107 , within the inner core  106 , or even within the one or more weighted components  105 .  FIG. 5  depicts a cross-section of one embodiment of rope  101  having one or more filaments  102  retained between strands wherein each end of the one or more filaments  102  protrudes past the outer surface or diameter of the rope  101 . The length, thickness, rigidity, and other similar features of the one or more filaments  102  may be selected based upon the intended use of the particular versatile flexible scrubber device  100 . The one or more filaments  102  may be constructed from material(s) including but not limited to polybutylene terephthalate polyester, polypropylene, polystyrene, nylon, polyester, or the like. In preferred embodiments, the one or more filaments  102  may absorb little water and hold their stiffness when exposed to moisture. The one or more filament  102  material and dimensions may be selected to match the abrasive characteristics of the filaments to the particular application for which the device  100  is to be used. The one or more filaments  102  may have a cross section shape including but not limited to round, oval, crosshairs, square, and the like or as known in the art. The one or more filaments  102  may preferably range in diameter from 0.006 inches to  0.100 inch  and may preferably range in length from as small as the diameter of the rope  101  to as long as twelve (1 2 ) inches from the center point of the cross-section of the rope  101 . Different filaments  102  captured by the same rope  101  may have different properties. The one or more filaments  102  may be secured to the rope  101  by compression between the one or more strands  107 . The one or more filaments  102  may also, or in the alternative, be secured to the rope  101  with an adhesive or fused to the rope  101 . These techniques may be used in any combination or used separately. 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIGS. 4-5 , the one or more filaments  102  may further comprise one or more flagged ends  108  in order to enhance the abrasive or cleaning efficiencies and qualities of the one or more filament  202  and thereby the device  100  itself  FIG. 4  depicts a rope  101  through which one or more filaments  102  have been inserted. The one or more filaments  102  depicted therein further comprise one or more flagged ends  608 . 
         [0033]    One or more handles  103  may be added to the rope  101 , preferably having one handle  103  disposed on each end of the length of rope  101  as depicted in  FIGS. 1 ,  6 , and  7 . The handle  103  may be formed by any manner known within the art including but not limited to looping a piece of rope  101  back on itself and securing it thereto. This may be done at either end or both ends of the rope  101 . Alternatively, the one or more handles  103  may also be formed by providing a protuberance in/on the rope  101  that may prevents the rope  101  from slipping through a user&#39;s hand, connecting a separate device to the rope  101 , attaching a rigid bar attached to the rope  101  at either or both ends, and the like. The bar may be long enough to facilitate grasping the handle  103  with both hands. In one embodiment, such a handle  103  may be similar to handles commonly found on ski ropes. The handle  103  may also extend the length of the device and allow for adjustment of handle length or location of grasping surface. Such handles  103  are well known in the art. 
         [0034]    Lead pellets, other negatively buoyant material, or the like may be disposed between the one or more strands  107  of the rope  101  and/or in the core  106  of the rope  101  either throughout the length of the rope  101  or in strategic and preferred locations of the rope  101  depending on the desired buoyancy characteristics. It may be beneficial to place the one or more weighted components  105  more densely toward the middle of the length of rope  101  and less densely toward the ends of the length of the rope  101 . This may allow the middle section of the rope  101  to more easily sink so that it may facilitate positioning the device  100  beneath a boat B hull while the boat B is in the water (see  FIGS. 6-7 ), while still allowing the ends of the device  100  to float so that it is not lost if accidentally dropped into the water. The buoyancy of the rope  101  may also assist in placing upward pressure of the filaments  102  against the bottom of the boat B. This increased upward pressure may further aid in cleaning the submerged hull. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 6-7  depict the section of the rope  101  that contain the one or more filaments  102  placed in the water beneath a boat B. One or more users may pull the handles  103  alternately such that the one or more filaments  102  scrub the bottom of the boat B. In one embodiment of use, a single user may hold both of the handles  103  located on either end of the rope  101 . In an alternate embodiment of use, two different users may manipulate the device  100 . In such an embodiment, each user would hold a different handle  103 . The plurality of users may move the one or more filaments  102  across the bottom surface of the boat B either laterally from port to starboard or from starboard to port. The plurality of users may also move the one or more filaments  102  across the bottom surface of the boat B longitudinally from bow to stern or from stern to bow. 
         [0036]    While the above description contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any embodiment, but as exemplifications of the presently preferred embodiments thereof. Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the various embodiments including non-aquatic applications of the present inventive versatile flexible scrubber device both with and without weights.