Patent Publication Number: US-2007094830-A1

Title: Device for cleaning and drying a surface

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      This invention relates to devices for cleaning surfaces, and more particularly, to a device that simultaneously washes and removes the excess fluid from a surface such as a blackboard.  
      2. Prior Art  
      various patents have dealt with the cleaning and drying of surfaces such as windows and blackboards. An early example is the Jacobsen Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,715,745. Jacobsen teaches a cellular sponge with a rectangular shape and with a squeegee along one edge.  
      The Fahy Patent, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 352,142, teaches a combination sponge and squeegee. However, the device taught by Fahy does not permit the simultaneous washing and drying. With the device of Fahy, the sponge is used first and then is turned over to use a squeegee.  
      The Feldstein Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,986 is a comparatively complicated device with both a sponge and a squeegee but the two must be used separately.  
     OBJECTS  
      The objects of this invention are to provide a cleaning device with a sponge and a squeegee as follows:  
      1. That simultaneously in one operation cleans and removes excess fluid in one operation.  
      2. That is convenient to hold and to use.  
      3. That permits easy and rapid removal of the sponge for cleaning.  
      4. That is durable.  
      Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.  
      To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A device for cleaning a surface and removing excess fluid from the surface in one step is provided. A cleaning member that is absorbent is mounted in a holder. The holder for retaining the cleaning member includes a base means, a front wall extending from the base means and a rear wall extending from the base means. means secure the cleaning member within the holder. A handle is secured to the base means. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a pictorial view of the device showing the surface of the sponge and cover which contacts the surface to be cleaned with the cover partially broken away to show the sponge and showing the front and rear walls of the device with the squeegee on the rear wall.  
       FIG. 2  is a pictorial view similar to  FIG. 1  with the sponge outside of the holder showing the teeth in the holder and the flap within the holder.  
       FIG. 3  is a rear elevation of the holder with the squeegee in place and with the flap withdrawn from the holder and bent around the sponge and cover.  
       FIG. 4  is a pictorial view of the device showing the outside of the lower base with the handle on the outside of the lower base and also showing the rear wall with the squeegee.  
       FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the sponge and cover in the holder taken along line A-A of  FIG. 1  showing the sponge within the cover between the font wall and the rear wall with the flap, upper base and lower base beneath the sponge and cover.  
       FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view similar to  FIG. 5  but with the sponge and cover and squeegee in contact with a surface to be cleaned. 
    
    
     
       
         
           
               
            
               
                   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE NUMERALS 
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                 NUMERAL 
                 DESCRIPTION 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 11 
                 Sponge 
               
               
                 13 
                 Cover 
               
               
                 15 
                 Holder 
               
               
                 17 
                 Upper Base 
               
               
                 19 
                 Lower Base 
               
               
                 21 
                 Long Sides 
               
               
                 23 
                 Short Sides 
               
               
                 24 
                 Flap 
               
               
                 25 
                 Guide 
               
               
                 26 
                 Front Wall 
               
               
                 27 
                 Rear Wall 
               
               
                 29 
                 Squeegee 
               
               
                 33 
                 Upper Edge 
               
               
                 35 
                 Cap 
               
               
                 37 
                 Lip 
               
               
                 39 
                 Top Edge 
               
               
                 41 
                 Rear Cap 
               
               
                 43 
                 Inner Front Wall 
               
               
                 45 
                 Inner Top Edge 
               
               
                 47 
                 Extension 
               
               
                 49 
                 Inner Rear Wall 
               
               
                 51 
                 Ridge 
               
               
                 53 
                 V-shaped Teeth 
               
               
                 55 
                 Spacer Plate 
               
               
                 57 
                 Squeegee Holder 
               
               
                 59 
                 Retainer 
               
               
                 60 
                 Bolts and Wing Nuts 
               
               
                 63 
                 Top Edge 
               
               
                 64 
                 Rear Cap 
               
               
                 65 
                 Base Ends 
               
               
                 67 
                 Handle 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a sponge  11  is shown wrapped in a cover  13  which is preferably terry cloth. The sponge  11  is preferably a firm sponge and the cover  13  is tightly fitted over the sponge  11 . The sponge  11  and the cover  13  provide a cleaning member.  
      A holder  15  for the sponge  11  ( FIG. 5 ) has a upper base  17  and a lower base  19 . The upper base  17  and the lower base  19  are both rectangular having two long sides  21  and two short sides  23 . A flap  24 , which can be pulled out, is placed over the upper base  17  and is retained in place by a guide  25  mounted on the upper base  17 . Along one long side  21  of both the upper base  17  and the lower base  19  is a front wall  26 . A rear wall  27  is substantially parallel to the front wall  26 . However, the rear wall  27  extends further from the lower base  19  and the upper base  17  than does the front wall  26 . The rear wall  27  has a squeegee  29  mounted on it which extends well above the rear wall  27 . A front wall  26 , as previously stated, extends a much shorter distance from the lower base  19  and the upper base  17  than does the rear wall  27 . The front wall  26  has an upper edge  33  which is rounded and is also bent over toward the rear wall  27 . The upper edge  33  of the front wall  26  is covered by a cap  35 . This upper edge  33  forms a lip  37 .  
      The upper base  17  slopes upwardly from the front wall  26  to the rear wall  27  and therefore the upper base  17  is further from the lower base  19  at the rear wall  27  than at the front wall  26 . The front wall  26 , the lower base  19  and the rear wall  27  are preferably produced from one sheet of material. The front wall  26  is ( FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 ) generally at a right angle to the lower base  19  and the front wall  26  and is generally parallel to the front wall  26 . The rear wall  27  also has a top edge  39  which is covered by a rear cap  41 .  
      The upper base  17  is also preferably formed from one sheet. An inner front wall  43  is located at an acute angle to the front wall  26 . The inner front wall  43  has an inner top edge  45  which bends generally at a right angle to the inner front wall  43  forming an extension  47  for a short distance which extends away from the front wall  26  and grips the cover  13  and sponge  11 . The inner front wall  43  slopes from the inner top edge  45  at an acute angle toward the front wall  26  and then bends at an angle which is smaller than a right angle to form the upper base  17 . The upper base  17  bends upwardly from the upper base  17  to form an inner real wall  49 . The inner rear wall  49  extends upwardly away from the upper base  17  and the lower base  19  for a short distance which is less than the length of the front wall  26 .  
      The inner rear wall  19  is located at generally a right angle from the upper base  17  and extends for a short distance forming a ridge  51  which extends generally toward the front wall  26  and the inner front wall  43 . The ridge  51  forms a series or rack of V-shaped teeth  53  which penetrate and secure the cover  13  and sponge  11  and are, with the extension  47 , the means for securing the sponge  11  and the cover  13  within the holder  15 . These V-shaped teeth  53  serve to hold the cover  13  and sponge  11  when the cover  13  and sponge  11  are in place in the holder  15 .  
      A spacer plate  55  is mounted against the rear wall  27 . A squeegee holder  57  is mounted on the spacer plate  55 . The squeegee holder  57  extends slightly beyond both sides of the rear wall  27  and bends generally at right angles at both ends toward the front wall  26  to form a retainer  59  to hold the squeegee  29 . Bolts and wing nuts  60  retain the spacer plate  55  and the squeegee holder  57  against the rear wall  27 .  
      The rear wall  27  also has a top edge  63  with a rear cap  64  and above the top edge  63  of the rear wall  27  is the squeegee  61  which extends the entire length of the rear wall  27 . When in place in the holder  15 , the sponge  11  and cover  13 , at the rear wall, extends just slightly above the squeegee  61 . At both ends of the holder  15  there are base ends  65  which extend from the lower base  19  between the front wall  26  and the rear wall  27  for a short distance. One base end  65  is secured to the flap  24  and serves as a pull for the flap  24 . The other base end  65  is secured to the lower base  19 . The flap  24  as previously stated is maintained in place to slide by a guide  25 .  
      The sponge  11 , when in place in the holder  15 , extends just slightly above the top end  63  of the rear wall  27  and thus slightly above the squeegee  61 . By compressing the cover  13  and the sponge  11  against the surface being cleaned, the sponge  11  and cover  13  compress and the squeegee  29  engages the surface being cleaned. As best seen in  FIG. 3 , the flap  24  can be pulled out and bent over the sponge  11  and cover  13  to press the cover  13  and sponge  11  to remove excess cleaning fluid without having to touch the sponge  11  and cover  13 . Once the sponge  11  has been properly pressed to remove excess cleaning fluid, the flap  24  can be readily slid back into the space above the upper base  17 .  
      To use the device, it is held in one hand by a handle  67  located centrally on the on the side of the lower base  19  opposite from the upper base  17  with the sponge  11  and cover  13  facing upwardly. One side of the sponge  11  and cover  13  is held by the V-shaped teeth  53 . With the other hand, the opposite side of the sponge  11  and cover  13  from the V-shaped teeth is pressed down under the lip  37  of the front wall  26  and the extension  47  of the inner front wall  43  which secures the sponge  11  and cover  13  in the holder  15 . The holder  15  with the sponge  11  and cover in place is then ready for use. When used for cleaning a blackboard, for instance, at least twelve feet of blackboard can be cleaned without either turning the sponge  11  and cover  13  or returning to the cleaning fluid. The sponge  11  and cover  13  can be turned over and are once again ready for use without returning to the cleaning fluid. When the sponge  11  and cover  13  is dipped into the cleaning fluid, the flap  24  may be readily pulled out and used to remove excess cleaning fluid without anyone contacting the sponge  11  and cover  13 . As the sponge  11  and cover  13  is pulled across the surface, the squeegee  29  removes any excess cleaning fluid without any additional effort.  
      It is to be understood that the drawings and description matter are in all cases to be interpreted as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, rather than as limiting the same in any way, since it is contemplated that various elements exist to achieve like results without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.