Surface cleaning device

Abstract: Device for manually cleaning surfaces, formed by a tubular body (1) with an elbow-like bent end (2) bearing a support flange (7) of a elastically deformable material and provided with an opening (8), onto which a paper sheet can be applied for performing the cleaning operation. The application of said paper sheet takes place automatically by pressing the device against the stud (12) of an inclined support (10) on which the paper sheet (30) rests, which remains fixed inside said opening. After being used, the sheet (30) is expelled by actuating a flexible organ (5) housed and axially movable inside the tubular body (1) and provided at its other end with an enlarged portion (6).

Description: The present invention relates to an improved device for cleaning surfaces, such as, e.g., surfaces of sanitary fittings, glass sheets, floors, and so forth. The purpose of the present invention is of providing a simple, cheap device which makes it possible the highest igienic conditions to be reached during its use, because the clening material is of a disposable type and is applied onto the device, and removed from it, with no need for any physical contacts. Many devices have been developed in the art for this purpose; for instance, documents FR-A-2 153 309 and GB-A 651 508 disclose corresponding device for manually cleaning surfaces, carpets or the like comprising substantially a tubular body and a movable element slidable within said body, these devices allowing a cleaning pad to get engaged or disengaged by simply pushing or pulling the movable element. These purposes are achieved by means of the present finding, which consists of a device for manually cleaning surfaces, which comprises: a tubular body with an axial bore, having an elbow-like bent end, and its other end provided with a portion which is at least partially mobile relatively to said tubular body; a flexible organ housed inside the interior of said tubular body and axially mobile inside it, with said flexible organ being provided at one of its ends with an enlarged portion, and at its other end being connected with said mobile portion; a support flange made of an elastically deformable material, mounted on said elbow-like bent end by means of a sleeve integral with said flange, with the latter being provided with a central opening lined-up with the hollow provided inside said sleeve, said hollow housing said enlarged portion when it is in its back position; a separated support provided with a flat surface from which a stud juts out, which stud has a shorter diameter then the transversal dimension of said opening and of said hollow provided in said flange, and having a rounded end, so that a cleaning sheet is fixed to the support flange by puting it onto the stud, superimposing the flange onto the sheet and pressing the tubular body causing the stud to penetrate the bore, the sheet being removed by pushing the portion causing the enlarged portion to move forward The present finding is disclosed now in detail, by referring to the accompanying figures, in which: Figure 1 shows the device according to the present finding; Figure 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the device according to the present finding; Figures from 3 to 5 illustrate the operating way of the device according to the present finding; and Figure 6 shows a front view of the paper sheet support surface. Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the device according to the present invention is constituted by a tubular body (1) having an elbow-like bent cleaning end (2) and its other end provided with an eyelet 22 or another suitable hooking element in order to fasten said tubular body to the hook 23 of a support 10 fastened onto a wall by means of strips of double-face adhesive tape, or the like. A roll of paper or of another cleaning material 29, housed inside a container 10, is provided in order to supply sheets 30 of a paper material, separable by pulling thanks to transversal tearing perforations and which can be applied onto the cleaning device as illustrated in the following. The structure of the device according to the present invention is illustrated in greater detail in the longitudinal sectional view of Figure 2. Such device comprises a tubular body 1 which is axially bored throughout its length, and has an elbow-like bent end 2 onto which a short cylindrical sleeve 3 is installed, which ends with a support flange 7 made of an elastically deformable material, and provided with a central opening 8 and with a hollow 9 in the bottom portion of the bore of the sleeve 3, all which are lined-up and substantially have a same diameter. The sleeve 3 and the flange 7 are preferably made of rubber or of another elastomeric, or even plastic, material, obtained as an enblock piece by moulding, or by adhesive-bonding said two parts. Onto the flange 7, which preferably is of circular shape, the paper sheet 30 for surface cleaning, possibly folded twice or more times, is applied according to modalities as disclosed in the following. The sleeve 3 forms an angle of approximately 60° with the elongated portion of the tubular body 1, so as to facilitate the cleaning operation of surfaces with a whatever inclination. Such an angle may however be comprised within the range of from 30° to approximately 70°. The sleeve 3 has its upper portion with a larger inner diameter than the hollow 9, in order to enable the elbow part 2 to be mounted. The sleeve can be forcedly slid onto the elbow end 2 or, as displayed in Figure 2, it may be provided with an internal screw-threading 15 which gets engaged with a corresponding threaded portion 14 provided on the end 2. As is better seen from Figure 6, the surface of the support flange is preferably roughened by surface knurls or thin grooves and displays a certain number of radial grooves 28 which increase the adhesion of the sheet 30. Furthermore, a certain number of short radial notches 29 are provided around the central opening 8. Inside the channel 16 defined inside the interior of the tubular body 1 a flexible organ 5 is housed, which is axially mobile along a certain stroke inside the interior of said tubular body 1. Said flexible organ 5 is preferably constituted by a spring steel wire capable of bending and following the bend of channel 16 at elbow 2. The flexible organ 5 is provided at one of its ends with an enlarged ejection portion 6, formed by a suction cup made of an elastomeric or plastomeric material, and at its other end, said flexible organ 5 is connected with a mobile portion formed by a sleeve 4 which is axially sliding along the tubular body 1, and with a closure plate 17 to which the end of said flexible metal wire 5 is fastened. A return spiral spring 20 is provided around the wire 5 and is retained by a shoulder 21 provided inside the interior of the tubular body 1. In the operational configuration displayed in Figure 1, the spring 20 is extended and the sucking-cup portion 6 which constitutes the ejection means stands in a back position inside the interior of the hollow 9. Furthermore, a support 10 constitutes an integrating part of the device according to the present finding, which support 10 is such as to display a flat surface 11 from which a stud 12 juts out with a slightly shorter diameter than the transversal dimension of the opening 8 provided in the flange 7, and with a rounded end. According to a preferred aspect shown in Figure 1, such a support 10 makes a part of a container capable of housing a roll 29 of paper material which can be extracted through a slot and of which said element 11 constitutes a hinged, inclined cover. Of course, the surface 11 can be provided as a separate surface, for example as a prismatic element equipped with said stud 12, and anyway both said prismatic support and the container are preferably provided on their back side with wall fastening means, typically strips of a double-adhesive material. After the application onto a wall, the surface 11 results to be preferably inclined to the vertical by an angle of about 45°, or more generally, comprised within the range of from 25° to 65°. The operating way of the device according to the invention is illustrated now by referring in particular to Figures 2-5. In order to clean a surface, the operator grasps the device with one of his hands, and with his other hand, he puts a paper sheet 30 (preferably folded twice or more times) onto the stud 12 of the support means, then superimposing the flange 7 onto the sheet 30, as shown in Figure 3. The operator presses then the device, in the direction indicated by the arrow F in Figure 3, until the stud 12 and the overhanging portion of sheet 30 are caused to penetrate the bore 8. Then, by pulling the device back, in the opposite direction (arrow G in Figure 4), the operator disengages the flange 7 from the stud 12, with the paper sheet remaining locked inside the bore 8 and then the operator can use the device in order to clean the desired surfaces. When the cleaning operation is ended, or in order to replace the paper sheet used, it is enough that the operator axially pushes the portion 4 against the action exerted by the spring 20, in order to cause the sucking-cup ejection element 6 to move forward inside the bore 8 (see Figure 5), thus causing the portion of paper locked inside the bore 8 to be expelled, and the device can then be stored, or the paper sheet can be replaced. The spring 20 causes the sucking cup element 6 to return back to its resting position which element 6, thanks to its shape and to its elasticity, easily enters back the bore 8 without getting entangled inside the notches 29. The length of the tubular body 1 is selected as a function of the type of application; however, of course, it is possible to provide one or more extension segments, which may be applied onto the straight end of said tubular body, in order to vary the useful length of the cleaning device. The cleaning sheets 30 are made of a biodegradable and water-soluble material, preferably of paper with good absorbing properties or other cellulose-based products.

Claims: Device for manually cleaning surfaces, comprising: a tubular body (1) with an axial bore, having an elbow-like bent end (2), and its other end provided with a portion (4) which is at least partially mobile relatively to said tubular body; a flexible organ (5) housed inside the interior of said tubular body and axially mobile inside it, with said flexible organ being provided at one of its ends with an enlarged portion (6), and at its other end being connected with said mobile portion (4); a support flange (7) made of an elastically deformable material, mounted on said elbow-like bent end (2) by means of a sleeve (3) integral with said flange, with the latter being provided with a central opening (8) lined-up with a hollow (9) of said sleeve (3), said hollow (9)) housing said enlarged portion (6) when it is in its back position; and a separated support (10) provided with a flat surface (11) from which a stud (12) juts out, which stud (12) has a shorter diameter then the transversal dimension of said opening (8) and of said hollow (9) provided in said flange (7), and having a rounded end, so that a cleaning sheet (30) is fixed to the support flange (7) by puting it onto the stud (12), superimposing the flange (7) onto the sheet (30) and pressing the tubular body causing the stud to penetrate the bore (8), the sheet (30) being removed by pushing the portion (4) causing the enlarged portion (6) to move forward. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said flexible organ (5) is constituted by a spring steel wire provided at one of its ends with an ejection portion with sucking-cup shape (6), made of an elastomeric or plastomeric material. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said mobile portion (4) comprises a sleeve which is axially sliding along said tubular body (1), additionally provided with a closure plate with which the end of said flexible organ (5) is connected, with a return spring (20) being provided between said sleeve (4) and said tubular body (1). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface of said flange (7) which is directed far away from the tubular body is provided with thin grooves (28) and roughenings and, in the nearby of the opening, with radial notches (29). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said flange (7) is formed by coupling two discs of elastomeric material. Device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that said sleeve (3) additionally comprises a tubular portion which is provided with an internal screw threading (15) which gets engaged with a corresponding threaded portion provided on the end 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said support (10) is in the form of a container with an inclined and hinged cover (11) which constitutes said flat surface, and said container is provided with adhesive fastening means, and with a roll (29) of paper material being housed inside said container (10). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said support (10) is constituted by a prismatic body provided with adhesive fastening means. Device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that said surface (11) is inclined at approximately 45°. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that said support (10) is provided with a hanger hook (23) for hanging said tubular body. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said flange is substantially circular.

Inventors: TOSATO ALBANO, TOSATO, ALBERTO, TOSATO, ALBANO
Applicants: TOSATO ALBANO, TOSATO, ALBANO
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A47L13
IPC codes: A47L13