Abstract:
A cleaning device having a handle, the handle having a cleaning pad assembly capable of pivoting between a cleaning position and a rinsing position. The handle of the cleaning device may further comprise a conduit for directing the flow of a liquid from a liquid input to a liquid output, the liquid output being capable of direction either though the cleaning pad to wet the cleaning pad or at a surface to rinse a surface. The cleaning device may further comprise a valve, the valve being operable to control the flow of water through the handle.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present application relates generally to cleaning devices. More particularly, it relates to an improved hand-held cleaning device for scrubbing and rinsing bathroom areas and other locations. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    What is needed is a device that is well-suited for use in cleaning and/or scrubbing the surfaces in showers and shower stalls. However, it should be appreciated that any such cleaning device must be versatile enough such that it can also be used in many other applications, such as cleaning and scrubbing kitchen or laundry areas or other household areas and surfaces or institutional locations, such as restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals, public restrooms, hotels and the like. 
         [0003]    A surface, such as a wall of a shower or other portion of a house or structure, is typically cleaned using a sponge, a rag, a cloth, a paper towel or some other cleaning medium. In general, a cleaning solution with or without water is initially applied to the medium, or directly to the is surface, and the cleaning solution is then forcibly rubbed against the surface which is to be cleaned. 
         [0004]    In many such situations, soap scum, mildew, mold and stains frequently occur in the area of a surface that cannot be reached using a conventional water source, or as in a shower, by aiming or repositioning the shower head. Additionally many harsh chemical treatments cannot be left on the wall of a shower for more than a few minutes. 
         [0005]    While the foregoing cleaning approach may produce a clean surface, it suffers from some drawbacks. That is, this conventional cleaning approach requires frequent interruption for the application of additional cleaning solution or water to the cloth, rag, or towel, thereby undesirably lengthening the overall cleaning process and requiring a relatively large amount of paper towels or cloths to effectively clean a relatively large area since these towels are frequently damaged or destroyed and since the towels must be frequently cleaned. Additionally, the foregoing conventional approach requires the individual to stoop, bend, stretch, or otherwise contort their body in order to fully clean the entire surface or assembly, thereby increasing the likelihood of injury and increasing the amount of effort or work required to effectuate the cleaning. Most significant, however, is the fact that this method requires a user to use a separate means for post-cleaning rinsing of the surface. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, it has been considered desirable to develop a new and improved hand-held cleaning and rinsing device which would overcome the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In view of the above, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for a cleaning device having a first end and a second end. The first end provides a coupling for a water input line. The second end has a nozzle for spraying water and a means for attaching a pad assembly, the pad assembly being hingedly movable about the handle portion and having several attachment points for removably attaching cleaning pads. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment, the cleaning device provides for a valve, the valve being operable to block the flow of liquid from the first end of the cleaning and rinsing device in its standard position and being operable to permit flow from the first end of the cleaning and rinsing device to the nozzle at the second end of the cleaning and rinsing device. In a particular embodiment, the valve is actuated by a pushbutton. 
         [0009]    Another embodiment may provide for a slit-type nozzle producing a broad spray path such that a large surface area can be easily and quickly rinsed. 
         [0010]    An embodiment of the cleaning device may have circular protrusions at either side of its second end and a hinged pad assembly, the hinged pad assembly providing a pair of apertures complementary to circular protrusions disposed on the handle of the cleaning device. Yet another preferred embodiment of the pad assembly may provide for a pad support having an aperture defined therewithin and a pad assembly having a plurality of apertures such that, when the hinged pad assembly is held against a surface to be cleaned, the nozzle is directed through the apertures allowing the user to direct water into the pad assembly for wetting or rewetting of the pad. 
         [0011]    In yet a further embodiment, the pad assembly is comprised of a pad holder, the pad holder having a plurality of cleaning pad attachment points. A particular embodiment of the pad assembly provides a pad holder that “toes” into a sleeve on the cleaning pad. In yet a further particular embodiment, the cleaning pad is either fabricated from a stiff material or, reinforced by a stiff backing material. In general, a button is disposed on each side of the cleaning pad. Each of the buttons provides for a slot that hooks onto a corresponding edge of the pad holder. When the user of the cleaning device is finished using a cleaning pad, the user can simply depress the buttons on either side of the pad assembly, thereby permitting the pad to drop off. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a top, front and side perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the cleaning device constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of an embodiment of cleaning device of  FIG. 1  showing the cleaning pad in the down position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a side elevational and cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  showing the cleaning pad in position to have fluid sprayed therethrough. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a side and top perspective view of the pad holder. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the pad holder shown detached from the handle. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a back elevational view of the pad holder. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a top elevational view of the pad backer and an embodiment of a cleaning pad used with the cleaning and rinsing device. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a side elevational view of the pad backer and cleaning pad shown in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a top and side elevational view of the pad backer and cleaning pad shown in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a side elevational view of the pad backer and cleaning pad. 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is an exploded view of one type of valve assembly suitable for use in the cleaning and rinsing device. 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  is a front elevational view of the valve assembly shown in  FIG. 11 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 13  is a side and top perspective view of one type of nozzle suitable for use in the cleaning and rinsing device. 
           [0025]      FIG. 14  is a side cross-sectional view of the female coupler of the internal coupling assembly. 
           [0026]      FIG. 15  is a side view of the male coupler of the internal coupling assembly. 
           [0027]      FIG. 16  is a side perspective view of the means for attaching the first handle section and the second handle section together. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0028]    Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like numbered elements refer to like elements throughout,  FIG. 1  illustrates a preferred embodiment of the cleaning and rinsing device  1  of the present invention. As will be discussed in more detail throughout the remainder of the specification, the cleaning and rinsing device  1  is comprised of a handle  3  having a first handle section  5  and a second extension section  7 . For manufacturing and packaging purposes, it is preferable to have a two-piece handle, however such is not a limitation of the invention. The handle  3  contains a button  9 , the button  9  being operable to depress a valve  11  that controls the flow of water through the handle  3  to a nozzle  13  that is disposed with a nozzle and  77  of the handle  3 . See also  FIGS. 3 ,  11  and  12 . At the nozzle end  77  are a pair of generally cylindrical fingers  79  that protrude from either side of the extension section  7 . See  FIG. 3 . These fingers  79  provide a mounting point for a pivotable pad holder  15  for use in, for example, washing the walls of a shower. The pad holder  15  is employed to retain a pad backer  23 , which in turn provides a mounting point for a cleaning pad  21 . 
         [0029]    The first handle section  5  of the cleaning and rinsing device  1  has a first water inlet end  17  and a second valve end  19 . The handle section  5  contains a central hollow area  25 . See Fig. The hollow area  25  provides a conduit for water to flow from the water inlet end  17  to the valve end  19 . 
         [0030]    Interposed between the extension section  7 , (the details of which will be discussed later in this detailed description), and the first handle section  5  is a valve  11 . See  FIGS. 3 ,  11  and  12 . The valve  11  has an inlet  27 , the inlet  27  being located within the hollow area  25  of the first handle section  5 . The valve  11  also has an outlet  31  that directs the flow of water into the second extension section  7 . The valve assembly  11  has a valve body  29  that can be secured within the handle  3  in any number of ways that are known in the art. As such, the method of securing the valve  11  is not intended to be a limitation of the invention. In greater detail, as shown in  FIG. 12 , it will be seen that the valve body  29  further contains a valve plug  33  resting on a spring  35  within the valve body  29  and a valve plunger  37 . O-rings  39  are employed to create seals between the valve plug  33  and the valve body  29 . An additional O-ring  39  is employed in the groove  41  of the valve plunger  37  to seal the valve plunger  37  against the valve body  29 . 
         [0031]    In operation, the default position of the valve plug  33  is that it always blocks the valve inlet  27 , thus preventing the flow of water through the valve body  29 . When the valve plunger  37  is manually depressed, which is accomplished when the user depresses the button  9 , the valve plug  33  in turn compresses the spring  35  and water can flow through the valve body  29  and out of the valve outlet  31 . Again, numerous types of valves may be successfully employed with the cleaning and rinsing device and the foregoing detailed description is not intended to be a limitation of the invention. 
         [0032]    The first handle section  5  of the cleaning and rinsing device  1  and the extension section  7  of the cleaning and rinsing device  1  are sealingly joined together. Referring to  FIG. 3 , it will be seen that the water supply to the nozzle  13  is connected via an internal coupler assembly  43  comprised of a male coupler  45  and a female coupler assembly  47 . See also  FIGS. 14 and 15 . The male coupler  45  has a first inlet end  53 , a generally cylindrically shaped exterior  57  and a second end  55 . The inlet end  53  of the male coupler  45  is in fluid communication with the valve outlet  31 , via a tube  59 . The male coupler  45  may have a plurality of circumferential notches  65 , in the event gaskets are required to prevent fluid leakage between the male coupler  45  and the female coupler  47 . 
         [0033]    The female coupler assembly  47  has a first end  61  having an aperture  63  therethrough, the aperture  63  accommodating the outlet end  55  of the male coupler  45 . As shown in  FIG. 16  when the first handle section  5  and the second handle section  7  snap together such that a snap retainer  111  on the second handle section  7  secures the first handle section  5  and the second handle section  7  together, the female coupler  47  and the male coupler  45  are held together in fluid communication, that is, the male coupler  45  slides into the first end  61  of the female coupler  45  until the snap retainer  111  secures the first handle section  5  to the second handle section  7 . Again, numerous means are available for connecting the first handle section  5  to the second handle section  7  and the foregoing detailed description is not intended to be a limitation of the invention. 
         [0034]    The outlet end  63  of the female coupler  47  feeds into a tube or hose  73  between the outlet end  63  and the nozzle inlet  75 . The nozzle  13  is then anchored or attached into the extension section  7 . As the nozzle  13  is primarily used for rinsing and spraying surfaces in relatively close proximity to itself, a slit-type water outlet  69  is provided. In general, such a water outlet  69  provides for a water spray that is directed over a relatively wide, regular area. The nozzle  13  can be attached to the extension section  7  in any number of ways that are known in the art. 
         [0035]    As discussed briefly above, the cylindrical fingers  79  disposed on either side of the nozzle end  77  of the extension section  7  provide a mounting point for a pad holder  15  capable of pivoting for use in washing the walls of a shower, for example. The pad holder  15  is generally comprised of a pair of raised arch sections  85 , and a base section  87 . The arch sections  85  contain centrally located cavities  81 , the cavities  81  accommodating the fingers  79  at the nozzle end  77  of the extension section  7  such that the pad holder  15  is permitted to rotate about the axis created by fingers  79 . The range of rotation of the pad holder  15  is limited by interference of the base section  87  with the pad holder  15 . 
         [0036]    The base  87  of the pad holder  15 , in this embodiment, is generally triangle-shaped, although any shape that permits cleaning would be acceptable and the foregoing detailed description is not intended to be a limitation of the invention. However, a triangular shape is preferred for cleaning areas such as the corners of a shower. The base  87  of the pad holder  15  has a narrow triangular tip  89 , the purpose of which will be explained later. Additionally, the base  87  of the pad holder  15  has a pair of arched openings  91  on each side of the triangular tip  89  of the pad holder, each of the arched openings  91  having mounting edge  93  the purpose of which will also be explained later in this detailed description. 
         [0037]    The cleaning and rinsing device  1  offers disposable cleaning pads  21 . The cleaning pads  21  are, in general, attached to a pad backer  23 . In one embodiment the cleaning pads  21  are glued to the pad backer  23  and the cleaning pad  21  and pad backer  23  are disposable. The pad backer  23  provides stiffness to the cleaning pad  21  as well as a means for attachment to the pad holder  15 . Although other means of attachment are possible, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for a triangular sleeve  95  on the pad backer  23 , the triangular sleeve  95  being sized slightly larger than the tip  89  of the pad holder  15  such that the pad holder  15  slides, or “toes” into the triangular sleeve  95 . 
         [0038]    The pad backer  15  also comprises a pair of raised resiliently deformable buttons  97 . The buttons  97  are, in general, disposed one on each side of the triangular sleeve  95  and closely match the shape of the arched openings  91  in the base  87  of the pad holder  15 . The buttons  97  also contain horizontal slots  99 , the slots  99  being the slightly larger than the thickness of the mounting edge  93  of the base  87  of the pad holder  15 . 
         [0039]    The buttons  97  are resilient so that when a user places the tip  89  of the base  15  in the triangular sleeve  95 , the user can push the handle  3  downwardly such that the mounting surface  93  in the arched openings  91  in the base  87  of the pad holder  15  snap into the slots  99  in the buttons  97 . Similarly, to release the pad backer  23  and the pad  21 , such as when a user has completed a cleaning process, the user need only press the buttons  97  hard enough to overcome the resilience of the buttons  97  thereby pushing the slots  99  off of the mounting surfaces  93  in the pad holder  15 . 
         [0040]    The pad backer  23  also contains a central aperture  101 , the central aperture  101  being generally aligned such that when the handle  3  is pivoted upwardly relative to the pad holder  15 , the nozzle  13  is generally aligned with a plurality of apertures  83  in the pad holder  15  and the central aperture  101  such that a user of the cleaning and rinsing device  1  can wet the cleaning pad  21 , if desired, before or during use of the cleaning pad  21 . 
         [0041]    The cleaning and rinsing device  1  has a coupling assembly  103  that directs the flow of water from an external hose  109 , to an internal coupling assembly  105 , the internal coupling assembly  105  being designed to direct the flow of water via a tube or hose  107  from the internal coupling assembly, via the tube  107  to the valve inlet  27 . The type of coupling  103  employed is not essential to any particular embodiment of the cleaning and rinsing device  1 . However, a quick-release type coupling  103  may be beneficial for applications such as hotel/motel cleaning in which the housekeeping staff may clean many rooms over the course of a day. A quick-release type coupling  103  may also be beneficial in residential usage to facilitate easy take down and storage of the cleaning and rinsing device  1 . 
         [0042]    The external hose  109  would normally be connected to the shower head or a diverter slightly upstream from a shower head. The diverter may be one such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,548 or 5,624,073, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
         [0043]    The individual components of cleaning and rinsing device may be fabricated out of any standard material, but are preferably a plastic material for durability and lightweight construction. 
         [0044]    Although the invention has been described in considerable detail through the figures and above discussion, many variations and modifications can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims.