Drain cleaner

A drain cleaner which is superior in portability and which makes it possible for a small number of people to perform drain cleaning operation on a broad floor. A drain cleaner (1) comprises a strip body (2), and a reel body (3) for winging or unwinding the strip body (2). The strip body (2) has a handle (4) at its front end (2a), the opposite edges (2b, 2b) thereof having attached thereto flexible members (20, 20) made of rubber having high adhesion to a floor or the like. Surrounding a puddle on a floor by the strip body (2) unwound from the reel body (3), one of two operators holds the handle (4) of the strip body (2) and the other holds the reel body (3). By pulling the strip body (2), the water in the puddle can be swept by the strip body (2).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a drain cleaner for cleaning up water pooled on the floor of a construction site, factory, etc.

BACKGROUND ART

For example, at a construction site etc., it is necessary to clean up water pooled on the floor of the building etc. so as to remove this obstacle from the construction work.

In the past, a drain cleaner called a “pusher” was used for this cleanup work (for example, Patent Document 1).

FIG. 10is a perspective view of a conventional drain cleaner, whileFIG. 11is a view of an example of its use.

As shown inFIG. 10, this drain cleaner100was comprised of a wide plate member101and a handle102attached to the center of the back of this plate member101. As shown inFIG. 11, a worker gripped the handle102and pushed the water W of a puddle by the plate member101to a predetermined drain etc. to clean up the water.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

However, the above-mentioned conventional drain cleaner had the following problem.

Since each drain cleaner100is designed to be used by a single worker, there is a limit to widen the plate member101in width. For this reason, when there are a large number of puddles or a large puddle on the floor, a large number of workers have to pick up drain cleaners100and line up in order to perform the water cleanup work. The work therefore requires manpower and time. Further, the drain cleaner100is comprised of a nondeforming plate member101and handle102, so is bulky and poor in portability. This was extremely inconvenient for storage or transport of the drain cleaner100.

The present invention was made to solve the above problem and has as its object the provision of a drain cleaner superior in portability and enabling water cleanup work of a large floor to be performed by a small number of workers.

Means for Solving the Problems

To solve this problem, the drain cleaner as set forth in the first aspect is provided with an equal width strip body having a handle at its front end and a reel body having a rotary member to which a rear end of the strip body is attached and reeling in or playing out the strip body to or from the rotary member by rotating this rotary member.

By this configuration, two workers can align themselves across a puddle, one worker can grip the handle of the front end of the strip body played out from the reel body, and the other worker can hold the reel body. If, in this state, the strip body is dropped down to the floor and the two workers pass across the puddle, the strip body on the floor will enter the puddle and will be kept standing in the state with its bottom edge brought into contact with the floor at the bottom of the water. Due to this, if pulling the strip body to a predetermined location, the strip body will convey the water of the puddle on the floor to a predetermined location.

Further, the second aspect of the invention provides a drain cleaner as set forth in the first aspect wherein at least one edge of the strip body is provided with a flexible member with a high ability to closely contact a floor etc. along a long direction of the strip body.

Due to this configuration, since the flexible member closely contacts the floor at the bottom of the water, the water will not escape from the bottom of the strip body.

Note that the flexible member needs only to have a close contacting ability and may be made of any material. Therefore, as a preferred example, the third aspect of the invention provides a drain cleaner as set forth in claim1wherein the flexible member is a rubber member.

Effects of the Invention

As explained above, the drain cleaner of the present invention is comprised of a strip body and a reel body for reeling in or playing out this strip body to and from a rotary member. At the time of non-use, the strip body can be reeled into the reel body, so the device is superior in portability. As a result, it is extremely convenient for storage or transport.

Further, since just two workers can perform the water cleanup work for puddles etc. on large floors, the time consumed for cleanup work can be shortened and the manpower can be reduced.

In particular, according to the second and third aspects of the invention, since the flexible member closely contacts the floor etc. at the bottom of the water, there is the effect that substantially complete cleanup of water from puddles is possible.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Below, the best embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1is an external view of a drain cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention,FIG. 2is a plan view of the same, andFIG. 3is a cross-sectional view along the line A-A ofFIG. 2.

As shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 2, the drain cleaner1according to this embodiment is comprised of a strip body2and a reel body3.

The strip body2is a long member of equal width for water cleanup having a handle4at its front end2a.

The length L of playout of this strip body2from the reel body3is, in this embodiment, set to about 10 m. Further, as shown inFIG. 3, the width H of the strip body2is set to about 10 cm and the thickness t is set to about 3 mm.

Further, the two edges2b,2bof this strip body2are provided with flexible members20,20with a high ability to closely contact the floor etc. Specifically, the strip body2itself is formed by glass fiber. On the other hand, the flexible members20are formed by rubber. The flexible members20are provided along the long direction of the strip body2(left-right direction ofFIG. 2).

The rear end2cof this strip body2is attached to the reel body3.

FIG. 4is a cross-sectional view of the reel body3. This reel body3is a device for reeling in or playing out the strip body2. As shown inFIG. 1toFIG. 3as well, it is comprised of a cross-shaped frame30, a shaft31serving as a rotary member rotatably attached to the frame30, and a handle32fixed to the outside of the frame30.

Specifically, as shown inFIG. 2, the two ends31a,31aof the shaft31are rotatably fit into center holes30aof the frame30. A reel-in and reel-out lever33is attached to one end31aof the shaft31. Further, as shown inFIG. 4, the rear end2cof the strip body2is fixed to the shaft31.

Due to this, by turning the lever33, the strip body2can be reeled into the reel body3. Further, by holding the handle4and pulling the strip body2, the strip body2can be played out from the reel body3.

Next, an example of use of the drain cleaner according to this embodiment will be explained.

FIG. 5is a schematic view of an example of water cleanup work using a drain cleaner1according to this embodiment, whileFIG. 6is a schematic view of the state of the strip body2of the drain cleaner1trapping water.

When using this drain cleaner1to clean water of a puddle, as shown inFIG. 5, the strip body2is played out from the reel body3to a length able to surround the puddle300. Then, the handle4is gripped by one worker, while the handle32of the reel body3is held by another worker202and, in that state, the puddle300is surrounded by the strip body2.

In this state, as shown inFIG. 6, if the workers201,202proceed in the arrow direction so as to drag the strip body2behind them, the strip body2will trap the water of the puddle300from behind and move it toward the front.

FIG. 7is a cross-sectional view of the state where the strip body2traps water W of the puddle300.

When the two workers201,202pull the strip body2, as shown inFIG. 7, the strip body2proceeds in the arrow direction while the bottom flexible member20is kept in close contact with the floor200. Therefore, the strip body2pushes the water W in the direction of progression without allowing the water W to escape from between the floor200and the flexible member20.

However, the floor200is not flat and has recessed parts and puddles300. For this reason, a clearance is liable to form between the strip body2and the floor200.

However, in the drain cleaner1according to this embodiment, the strip body2and flexible members20have flexibility and have lengths of 10 m, so, as shown inFIG. 8, the strip body2as a whole flexes in accordance with the shape of the recessed parts203and the flexible member20closely contacts the floor200, so the water W is not allowed to escape.

Further, as shown by the broken line inFIG. 7, even if the strip body2is slanted before pulling, by pulling the strip body2, the strip body2will stand up as shown by the solid line, so the water W will not escape over the top of the strip body2.

In this way, the drain cleaner1reliably traps the water W of the puddle300by the strip body2and pushes the water W in the direction of progression of the workers201,202without allowing the water W to escape from the bottom of the strip body2.