Abstract:
This invention is a station for aiding in the washing of automobiles and other similar objects. The station is a wheeled cart that contains everything needed for the job. Space is provided for storage on the station of wash or rinse water; hose for connecting the station to a local water supply and for applying water to the automobile; and any article, fluid, or tool which may be of use for the task. All such space and any article therein is protected from the weather so the station may be stored outdoors. The station is of such a configuration as to minimize or eliminate the bending, stooping, and squatting usually associated with car washing. It may be constructed of molded plastic to minimize production costs.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention is in the field of aids for the washing of automobiles and other objects.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,758 shows a system for the washing of cars in a commercial environment such as a car sales lot or parking lot. The unit is vary large and includes, among other things, various tanks, pumps and other features which are not in keeping with home use. For home use it amounts to a serious case of overkill. U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,847 B1 is related art but is not considered particularly relevant.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    This invention is a novel tool for use in washing cars or other objects or articles. It consists of a station which includes space and provision for all things necessary for complete washing of cars in the home environment. Provision is made for water supply, a wash water container, washing brushes and other necessities, towels, and detergents and other solutions needed to wash, dry, treat surfaces, and wax the family car or other object. The station is on wheels so that it can be taken to the job, hooked up to the household water supply, provide all the things necessary for the washing job, then closed up and wheeled to wherever it is kept, whether outside or inside the house or garage.  
           [0006]    While the invention is shown generally in the context of washing automobiles in a home environment, it could be used for washing virtually any object or article anywhere. It could be used, for example, to wash trailers, buses, recreational vehicles of all types, boats, aircraft, and buildings and other structures, and parts thereof such as windows. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1A is a cross section of the body of the invention showing methods of reinforcing an opening in the body.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing the tip-brace.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing the detachable cover.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0013]    Referring to FIG. 1 the portable wash station  10  of the present invention consists of a body  12 . The body  12  is generally cylindrical and upright. It may be basically in the form of the familiar toter used all over the country for trash and other things. It may be made, for example, by injection molding of plastic. The portable wash station  10  has two wheels  14  at the rear and a handle  16  for pulling the station. On the upper rear edge of the body  12  near the handle  16  is a set of hinge halves  18 . Referring to FIG. 3 a cover  20  has mating hinge halves  18  [in phantom] at the rear which may be snapped into the hinge halves  18  on the body to allow for removing and replacing the cover  20  at will. On the rear of the body  12  is a bar  22  which may serve as a rack for hanging towels and other objects. At the lower front of the body are legs  24  on each side. These serve to hold the station level and provide access to drain  27  [in phantom].  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 shows tip-brace  70  which may be deployed in cases when the station might tend to tip over. The tip-brace  70  consists of base  72  attached at one end to the station body  12 , tip-leg  74  attached at one end by a hinge to the base  72 , an L-shaped leg support  76  attached by a hinge to the upper part of the tip-leg  74 , support pocket  78  attached to the body  12 , and keeper  80  attached to the body  12  at a point above the base  72 . When not in use, the tip-leg  74  is stowed in the keeper  80  by a simple friction clamp. To deploy the tip-brace  70 , the tip-leg  74  is pulled from the keeper  80  and rotated about its hinge until the foot of the tip-leg is in a bracing position in contact with the ground. The leg support  76  is then rotated about its hinge and the end inserted into support pocket  80 . This will hold the tip-leg  74  rigidly in place and keep the station  10 , which may have most of its weight on the rear, from tipping over backwards. Stowing the tip-brace  70  is the opposite of deploying it.  
         [0015]    Referring back to FIG. 1, part of the middle of the body  12  is cut away to form a lateral opening  26 . The inside edges of the opening  26  would undoubtedly need reinforcing, which could be accomplished by rolling the edges of the opening between the front top and the front bottom of the opening  26 . This is shown in FIG. 1A which is a cross section of the body  12  through the approximate center of the opening  26 . The right side of this figure shows the edge rolled back on itself and welded by weld  25 . Alternatively the edge could be bulbed in the molding process as shown at  31  on the left side of FIG. 1A.  
         [0016]    In the opening  26  a removable tub  13  may be positioned. This tub  13  may be held in place by its handles  28 . The tub  13  holds wash water along with any desired cleaning liquid or other substance. Upon completion of the wash job the tub  13  may be lifted from its position in opening  26  and the wash water disposed of Alternatively the wash water may be drained from tub  13  by means of the drain  27  in its bottom. The drain  27  is accessed and discharged through an opening  29  [in phantom] in the body  12  under the tub  13 .  
         [0017]    In the top of the body  12  is an upper lateral opening  17  in which a caddy  30  may be positioned held in place by handles  32 . The caddy  30  may be used for storing detergent, wash cloths, towels, wax or any other thing used in the task of washing and detailing cars. The caddy  30  is easily removable from the body  12  either by handles  32  or center handle  34 . The caddy may be divided into one or more compartments  36  for convenience. The cover  20  protects the contents of the caddy from the weather at all times when it is closed.  
         [0018]    Behind the caddy  30  is a compartment  38 . This compartment is adapted to hold a spray hose  40 . In the compartment  38  is a hose fitting  41  which may be of the quick-connect type, or may be an ordinary hose fitting. The hose fitting  41  is on the end of a tube  45  which may be molded into the body  12  and which extends to a relatively low position on the body  12 . This tube bends and exits the body  12  through another hose fitting  42 . A hose [not shown] from the local water supply may be fastened in the usual fashion to the outside end of the hose fitting  42  which again may be of the quick-connect or ordinary type. Locating the hose fitting  42  low on the body  12  helps to prevent tipping of the station  10  in the event excess tension is put on the local water supply hose. Spray hose  40  is attached to the hose fitting  41  and when extended from its place in the compartment  38  serves to provide rinse water for any part of the washing operation. The spray hose  40  may be of the lightweight, collapsible type to save space and weight on the station  10 .  
         [0019]    Mounted on the station body  12  anywhere—for example on one end of the compartment  38 —is a fixture in the form of a tube  44 . The tube  44  provides storage means for any appliance with a long handle, such as a scrub brush  36 . The storage tube  44  may be configured so that the cover  20  can be closed while a brush is in the storage tube. While only one storage tube  44  is shown in the figures it would be possible to provide two or more.  
         [0020]    One feature of station  10  as shown in FIG. 1 is that it is relatively free of protuberances on its exterior. This makes the station  10  much more convenient for moving around in a storage area—garage, for example—without hindrance from catching on other objects.  
         [0021]    Another embodiment of car wash station  10  is shown in FIG. 4. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1 but instead of having a removable wash water tub  13  and caddy  30 , these features are built into the body. A wash water tub  15  is located at the same place in opening  26  in the body  12  as was the removable tub  13  in FIG. 1. In this case however the tub  15  may have a drain  60  in its side or bottom [shown in phantom] for disposing of used wash water. As was the case with the embodiment of FIG. 1 the drain  60  is accessed by virtue of space provided under body  12  by the legs  24 . In the upper lateral opening  17  of the body  12  are located storage compartments  31 ,  32  and  34  for storing detergents, brushes, rags, sponges, etc. Three compartments are shown but any number may be provided. The compartments may be molded in, or provision may be made to adjust the arrangement of the compartments to suit the operator. When the cover  20  is closed the compartments and their contents are protected from the weather. Provision is made at the side of the body  12  for storage of long-handled appliances, such as the brush  36 . This may be effected by any means known in the art such as the clamps  41  shown in phantom.  
         [0022]    Bracket  39  and clamps  43  are shown on the side of the body  12 . Spray hose  40  may be stored on the side of the body by means of the bracket  39  and clamps  43 . Preferably the spray hose  40  has a coupling  50  for removable attachment to the local water supply. As in the embodiment of FIG. 1 the spray hose  40  may be of the lightweight, collapsible type to save space and weight.  
         [0023]    The advantage of the embodiment of FIG. 4 lies in manufacturing. Presumably the station could e molded in two pieces—the body  12  and the cover  20 —rather than four as with the embodiment of FIG. 1. This would lower manufacturing costs appreciably.  
         [0024]    Still another variation of the invention is shown in FIG. 5. In this case the wash water tub  1  and the caddy  30  are separate and removable but the spray hose  40  and the wash brush  36  are mounted to the exterior of body  12  by the same means as shown in FIG. 4. This feature provides the potential user with the alternative of having a station with more interior space for storage and for wash water.  
         [0025]    The chief advantage of this invention is that it puts all the implements and facilities for washing a car or other similar object at the operator&#39;s fingertips. Everything needed for the operation is contained in the station. The station itself is readily movable and storable. It may be stored outdoors and still protect its components and contents from the weather. By keeping implements within easy reach the device saves the user a good deal of bending, squatting, and lifting. It is expected that the cost of manufacturing the station will put it within easy reach of the average household, where it will prove a boon for what heretofore has often been a disagreeable task.  
         [0026]    While the invention is shown and described in particular arrangements, it should be obvious that other arrangements of the parts could be used. For example, the compartment for the spray hose  40  could be located in the front of the body  12 . Or the wash water tub could be arranged so it is accessible from the rear of the body rather than the front.