Duct brush and duct cleaning system

A duct cleaning apparatus and method for cleaning and maintaining the interior of most types of ducts, including chimneys, air conditioning and heating ducts, dryer ducts, vents, plumbing and rain gutter ducts. The apparatus is made up of a flexible rope (24) connected to a cleaning brush (10) or tool further connected to a retrieval parachute (30). The flexible rope (24) can be extended through the use of additional attached ropes (26) to create an infinitely long cleaning apparatus. The cleaning brush (10) may be configured in a variety of sizes with differing configurations of bristles (14) or appendages for specific applications. The cleaning appendages are connected to a rope (24) or line B, the length of which extends beyond the length of the duct (12) to be cleaned. One end of the rope (24) or line A is connected to the parachute (30) adapted with a wind-expanded periphery greater than that of the perimeter of the inside wall (22) of the duct (12) to be cleaned. A method is described for preparing the duct (12) for cleaning with the brush (10) by threading a rope or line A through the duct (12) using the parachute (30) and applying a vacuum from a machine (36).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to the cleaning of ducting and vent pipes and more particularly to an apparatus and method for cleaning ducting that uses any specifically configured brush connected to a rope that is detachably connected to a retrieval and deployment parachute. The brush must fit snugly into the duct and the parachute must have a deployed diameter sufficient to transit the duct with a rope attached.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Devices for cleaning ducts are well known in the art. Recent catalog items include (a) a long, flat, Flexi-Hose™ designed to let one use a vacuum to clean deep down into a lint trap of a clothes dryer; and, (b) a four inch circular vent brush with a 10 foot long flexible handle to help a person clean dryer vent tubes and pipes part way to prevent dryer vent fires from lint that accumulates inside a dryer vent over time.

In 2002 Schaefer was issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,047 for a lint vacuum cleaner device for cleaning lint from lint traps of clothes dryers. In 1999 Wright received U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,160 for a method of removing lint from clothes dryers using a magnetically mountable hand held vacuum cleaner. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,354 Alonso et al invented an apparatus and method for cleaning and maintaining the interior dryer ducts. The apparatus is made up of a flexible shaft connected to a cleaning brush or tool. The flexible shaft is extended thru the duct using attached couplings that fit inside the duct to create a cleaning apparatus as long as needed, to extend throughout the length of the duct.

In July of 1996 Thompson received U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,478 for a suction wand attachment and scraping nozzle for vacuuming lint from dryers. Also in October of 1996, Berger et al received U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,069 for a uniquely configured lint cleaning brush for removing lint from an arcuate exhaust duct of a clothes dryer.

In 1995 Thacker et al according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,243 employed an umbrella shaped brush connected to a plunger controlled by an operator at the end of what may be a segmented suction hose. However, Groen et al in 1994 used a compressed air powered rotary driven duct cleaning brush with flexible overtly extended bristles for cleaning rectangular cross-section ducts according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,834.

Other prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,188 that discloses a device which fits inside the ductwork and discharges cleaning fluids under pressure onto the duct walls. This apparatus creates a considerable amount of fluid which must be evacuated by a vacuum exhaust pump.

The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,329 contains an outer hose, an inner hose, a turbine, and a brush. Thus, this apparatus is expensive to manufacture because of its many parts. The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,685 contains a hose, a brush, a nozzle for dispensing cleaning fluids onto the duct walls, and a sponge. Here, again, large quantities of cleaning fluids must be disposed of, making the cleaning process awkward and time-consuming. The duct cleaning device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,310 contains two jets for loosening and removing debris attached to the duct. This device is complicated in its manufacture and requires the removal of large amounts of dirty fluid in the process of cleaning the ductwork.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,566 discloses a method of cleaning ducts by dragging a cleaning element through the ductwork by means of a dragline. This method employs a plurality of cleaning elements of varying sizes.

Devices having a shaft connected to a body configured with cleaning elements have long been used for cleaning internal tubes, ducts and chimneys. These devices are typically rotated as they are moved inside the tube, duct, or chimney, to be cleaned. However, differing types and uses of ducts have made these devices less desirable and in some situations unusable.

For example, recent advances in air conditioning and heating ducting, as well as other ducting systems, have led to the use of smaller diameter ducting as well as ducting with a thinner wall thickness. Since these ducts have smaller passageways than previous ducting, there is an increase in the chance of dirt and dust buildup, as well as an increased chance of becoming blocked. Further, since these ducts have thinner walls and are thus typically weaker, older cleaning devices may actually damage the ducts rather than clean. Thus, there is a need for a cleaning apparatus and method for cleaning and maintaining ducts that is not damaging.

Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use various forms of duct cleaning apparatuses, the provision of a simple and cost effective duct cleaning device and method of this invention is not contemplated. Nor does the prior art described above teach or suggest a simple, inexpensive, but effective apparatus for cleaning ductwork wherein a parachute means is used in conjunction with a safety retrieval line extended out of the exhaust outlet of the ductwork to guarantee deployment and retrieval.

A majority of the cleaning systems today are expensive truck mounted large capacity vacuum machines wherein a tube is partially extended into the duct from the outlet and sucked out using the vacuum until flow is achieved or improved and some debris removed. Smaller capacity vacuum systems are deployed inside a dwelling, at the dryer connection to the duct inlet, for example. A vacuuming tube is inserted part of the way into the duct at the inlet and vacuumed. With both approaches a middle section of the duct remains untouched by a cleaning brush.

The foregoing disadvantages are overcome by the novel duct cleaning apparatus of the present invention wherein a parachute means is added and used to guarantee cleaning of the entirety of the duct from the outlet to the inlet with an actual brush in contact with the sidewall as will be made apparent from the following description thereof.

Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident by the full description and specification of the preferred embodiment, to wit:

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, as briefly described, provides a duct brush with flexible bristles deployed using an inverted parachute means combined with a vacuum means for cleaning dryer ducts, air conditioning ducts, heating ducts and the like. The brush is made up of standard flexible bristles made of boar's hair or nylon, for example, connected to a flexible rope with a parachute structure attached to another end. The parachute part of the structure is constructed to open like an inverted umbrella when suction is applied for the purpose of threading a line A made of rope, chain, filament, or string, for example, through the pipe to be cleaned. Line A may also be advantageously made of a bungee-like cord to achieve an additional spring-like benefit from pulling line A in the event the brush becomes stuck after deployment. A line B is also connected to the brush and extended out of the outlet of the duct as a safety retrieval line. A vacuum is applied to the inside aperture of the pipe to be cleaned to suck the parachute open and to cause it to transit through the pipe to the inlet or inside aperture. Once this is accomplished the brush at the other end of the rope is pulled through to the inside aperture cleaning the pipe of occlusive matter inside the pipe.

The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated.

In this respect, before explaining a preferred embodiment of the invention in detail in conjunction with the drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Further, the purpose of this patent disclosure and description of the preferred embodiment of the novel invention is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms of phraseology, to determine the nature of the novel invention quickly from a cursory inspection and the essence of the technical disclosure of the application. Accordingly, this patent disclosure is neither intended to limitingly define the invention or its application, which only is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved duct cleaning device that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved duct cleaning device, which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved duct cleaning device, which is durable and reliable and easily constructed.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved duct-cleaning device, which is susceptible to a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible to low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a duct cleaning device available to the buying public or readily deployable by a home appliance service provider such as Sears™, for example.

Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved duct brush retrieval structure.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved duct brush, the size of which may be easily selected or adjusted to conform to the size of the duct being cleaned wherein a novel parachute means is added for deployment.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved duct brush including means for multiple brush passes by a serial connection of brush heads so that greater cleaning of the ductwork may be achieved with only one rope through pass using a parachute to thread a rope with multiple brush heads attached in series.

These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in this disclosure.

For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings like numerals are assigned to the same parts in the different drawings wherein a new and improved duct brush apparatus and duct cleaning method and system embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention is described.

Referring initially toFIG. 1, a brush10is portrayed as it is positioned in a pipe12having an inlet13, or vent or duct, for example. And, although the pipe12is illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 4as having a round cross-section, it may comprise round, square, flexible, rectangular or other shaped cross-sections or a combination thereof.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 4, the brush10has bristles14arranged radially, for example, around a core16that is cylindrical, for example, adapted to retain the bristles14. The pipe12extends out of the roof at an outlet15. The core16has a forward ring18or connecting means for connecting the brush10to a line A, for example, attached to one end of the core16and a rear ring20or connecting means for connecting the brush10to a line B, for example, attached to the other end of the core16. The pipe12has an inside wall22. The forward ring18and the rear ring20of the brush10are integrally connected to the core16. The core16is shown located longitudinally in the pipe12with the bristles14frictionally engaging the inside wall22for cleaning same as the brush10moves along the pipe12.

As further shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 4, line A having a first end24and a second end26, is attached to the forward ring18via its first end24wherein a connecting knot is formed at the forward ring18. The lines A and B are made of a line selected from the group consisting of rope, string, metal chain, or plastic filament, for example. As shown inFIG. 3, the second end26of the line A is attached by a knot, for example, to a transit means or transit device30that is parachute-like and has a diameter (measured transverse to the pull direction of the line A) greater than that of the pipe12. InFIG. 1, the rear ring20is shown attached by a knot to another line B, made of rope or bungee-cord line, for example. The line B functions as a safety line for retrieval of the brush10in the event it becomes lodged in the pipe12during its descent when being pulled along and thru the pipe12comprised of multi-directional ductwork, for example, by line A.

The device30shown in detail inFIG. 3is adapted to be sucked through the pipe12to a juncture32that connects to a dryer34. A sucking force is applied at the juncture32by a commercial vacuum machine36applied at the juncture32. The sucking force pulls the device30to a vacuum adapter38shown in detail inFIGS. 2A,2B, and2C.

In practice, the device30usually transits the pipe12of most dwellings in less than 30 seconds. Transit time depends on the length of the pipe12, the capacity of the vacuum machine36, the drag between the surface of the device30and the inside of the pipe12, the degree of occlusion anywhere in the pipe12, the length of the pipe12, and certain other minor factors known in the art. Once the device30reaches the adapter38it quickly accumulates there and stops there with the line A attached. The adapter38is then detached from the pipe12and the vacuum machine36. Next, the device36is removed from the adapter38and detached from the line A. The line A is then threaded through a small aperture40transversely or obliquely oriented with respect to a central axis42for the adapter38as fully illustrated inFIG. 1combined withFIGS. 2a,2b, and2c.

Again referring toFIG. 1there is shown a partial cut-away view of a dwelling44with the pipe12extending outside a roof46, for example, covering the dwelling44. The pipe12comprises a dryer venting means to the outside of the dwelling44. A vent cap48non-sealingly covers the pipe12. In using the novel method the line B is optionally extended from the outside end of the pipe12as a backup or safety means for removing the brush10by pulling the line B.

In the initial trials and testing of the method and apparatus the device30comprised a kind of inverted parachute. The inventor discovered that device30functioned perfectly when it was comprised of a durable grocery plastic bag such as customarily used for bagging groceries in supermarkets, for example. The method of the invention has been commercially sold with significant commercial success using a money-back guarantee of an absolutely true representation that the entirety of the vent pipe will be cleaned from the outlet to inlet.

The inventor theorizes that the suction created at the juncture32caused by the vacuum machine36connected at the juncture32in place of the dryer34, causes some of the air to fill the bag and expand the bag open like a parachute until it is limited only by the inside wall22of the pipe12. For the lines A and B a medium diameter nylon rope is used. One end of rope comprising line A is used to securely tie the two handles of the plastic grocery bag together. The suction from the vacuum machine36moves the air filled grocery bag or parachute comprising the device30quickly through the pipe12. The flexibility of the device30combined with the suction from a vacuum machine36and a restriction reduction in diameter of the adapter38causes the device30to collapse and constrain itself in the adapter38where it can be retrieved.

Hence, shown inFIG. 1is a complete cleaning apparatus made up of a duct cleaning brush10with bristles14that is attached around a central spine16. The bristles14are adapted by being shaped as the inside contour of the pipe12for cleaning inside22of the pipe12, or duct, having the inlet13and the outlet15. The apparatus has a first attachment means or ring18for attaching a first line or line A. The first attachment means or ring18is located at a forward end of the brush10. A second attachment means or ring20is for attaching a second line or line B with a knot. The second attachment means or ring20is located at a rear end of the brush. The second line or line B is attached to the second attachment means or ring20. The second line or line B has a secondary first end and a secondary second end outside the dwelling44.

The first line or line A has a primary first end or end24and a primary second end or end26. The primary first end or end24is attached to the first attachment means or ring18. The primary second end of the line B extends out of the outlet15. The secondary first end is attached to the second attachment means or ring20. The second line or line B is a safety line to insure removal of the duct cleaning brush10in the event the duct cleaning brush10lodges in the duct or pipe12.

Line A or the first line is a pulling line wherein the primary second end26is attached to a transit device30, a detachable parachute-like means for deploying and moving the pulling line A. The device30is attached to the primary second end or end24of the pulling line or line A.

The adapter means or adapter38simultaneously receives the primary second end or end26of line A and a vacuum connection at the juncture32. The adapter38interconnects the juncture32and the vacuum machine36and allows end26of line A to be pulled. The brush10with the line A attached makes up a movable duct cleaning means for cleaning the duct12by the brush10movably fitting inside the duct10. The line A makes up a manipulating means for manipulating movement of the duct cleaning means or brush10. The knot connection of the line A and ring18forms an attaching means for detachably attaching the manipulating means or line. The device30is a transport means detachably connected to the manipulating means or line A. Line A is flexible and substantially inelastic.

As illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 5, the next step in the novel method occurs by stopping the vacuum. Then, after the device30is removed the rope A may be pulled independently or threaded through a side vent or aperture40and the adapter38re-attached to the vacuum machine36and a vacuum or suction applied to the pipe12as the brush10is pulled down or along the pipe12by the line A.

As noted above and shown in detail inFIG. 4, the line B serves as a safety rope for retrieval of the brush10in the event the brush10is unable to fully navigate all of the turns of the pipe12or has to be changed to a different size diameter to fully traverse the entirety of the pipe12and/or to provide a means for administering a scrubbing action if needed to dislodge a stubborn occlusion, for example.

As evinced by the foregoing, as shown inFIG. 5, the novel method for cleaning the vent pipe12comprises the following steps: (step100) Removing the outside vent cover48(in actuality, this is an optional step since oftentimes access to the pipe12can obtained and the brush and other required items inserted without removing the cover or there is no cover48); (step102) inserting a transit means such as a parachute, parachute-like plastic bag, or device30attached to the brush10via the line A, into the vent pipe12; (step103) inserting the brush10with the line A attached into the pipe12; (step104) extending the safety line B outside of the pipe12and down a side of the dwelling44; (step105) detaching or disconnecting a dryer34from its vent pipe12connection inside the dwelling44; (step106) attaching the adapter38, a vacuum machine coupler, to the pipe12inside the dwelling44; (step107) applying a vacuum suction with a vacuum cleaner to the pipe12via the adapter38or coupler until the device30lodges inside or near enough to the adapter38to be manually retrieved; (step108) detaching the adapter38; (step109) then, removing the device30with the line A attached; (step110) then, detaching or removing the device30from the line A; (step111) threading or extending the line A through an aperture40in the adapter38; (step112) re-attaching the adapter38to the inside end of the pipe12; (step113) re-applying suction to the pipe12; (steps114aand114b) and simultaneously or concomitantly pulling line A with the brush10attached to the line A inside the pipe12; (step115) removing the brush10from the pipe12; (step116) disconnecting the line B from the brush10; (step117) re-attaching or interconnecting the pipe12to the dryer34; (step118) removing the line B from the pipe12(note: This step is optional as the line B can be pulled from the inside through the inlet13); and, (step119) re-attaching the vent cap48to the pipe12outside the dwelling44. Again, step119is optional and required if and only if step100is implemented.

Thus, the method of the invention comprises a novel improvement in the prior methods for cleaning a duct in a dwelling. In all dwellings the duct has an inlet and an outlet separated by meters of virtually airtight interconnected lengths of duct extending in multiple directions inside the walls of the dwelling. However, each duct extends in the case of a clothes dryer from its air vent on the back of the dryer through a flexible duct to an inlet onto which the flexible accordion type duct is connected with a clamp. The duct vents hot air from the dryer from inside the dwelling to outside of the dwelling and usually becomes significantly and partially clogged from time to time requiring cleaning. However, the prior art usually partly cleans the duct. This partial cleaning extends from the inlet partially up the duct by brushing and vacuuming. Some cleaning services remove the outside vent cap and insert a brush from the outside to loosen debris and then vacuum. However, the prior art does not teach routinely cleaning and scrubbing the entire length of the duct from the inlet to the outlet.

The improved method comprising the additional step of passing a brush having a forward end and a rear end into the duct, the step of moving the brush inside the duct with a line A attached to the brush that extends through the entirety of the duct to the inlet. A transit means such as the device30combined attachment to the line A and then the step of applying a vacuum to the duct moves the transit means30through the duct12to the inlet32, the improvement comprising the additional steps of: (a) attaching a safety line to an end of the brush; (b) extending the safety line out of the outlet to the outside of the dwelling; (c) attaching a pulling means to the brush for pulling the brush through the duct; (d) attaching a transit means for moving the pulling means through the duct to the inlet, the transit means being attached to the pulling means; and, (e) applying a vacuum means for generating a suction force sufficient to suck the transit means with the pulling means attached through the duct to the inlet; and, (f) extending the pulling means out of the inlet.

The invention having now been fully described, it should be understood that it may be embodied in other specific forms or variations without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Accordingly, the embodiments described above are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims and/or the doctrine of equivalents is intended to be embraced therein.