Patent Publication Number: US-10781078-B2

Title: Elevator track cleaner

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     Under provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 119e, the Applicant(s) claim the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62/628,841 filed Feb. 9, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to commercial cleaning tools and accessories, and in particular to an elevator track cleaner. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In any building with an elevator, there is usually no metal surface that is exposed to more dirt and grime than an elevator track. Cleaning the elevator track is often very tiring for the worker, and requires expensive brushes manufactured from a steel alloy known as “tiger claw” steel. 
     A search of the prior art reveals various devices which have been developed to address this set of problems, or related problems. None are closely related to the present invention, but several include features which resemble those of the present invention. Each has proven to be less than satisfactory for the present purpose in its own way. 
     The U.S. Pat. No. 1,942,590 (priority Oct. 29, 1931), titled “Elevator cleaning device” provides a brush indicated in its entirety which is attached to a chain and which travels with said chain through two legs and about two sprockets. This brush includes a body constructed of wood or some other suitable material of uniform thickness. The body is rectangular in form being provided with a front edge, a rear edge and side edges, the surfaces of which extend parallel with the inner surfaces of the front, back and sides of the elevator legs proper, and which when the brush is attached to the chain are equally spaced from said surfaces. For the purpose of attaching the brush to the elevator chain, one of the buckets thereof is removed and the special link of said chain to which the bucket was previously attached utilized for this purpose. The body has attached to it a clip angle, one leg of which is bolted to the said body through bolts and the other leg of which extends outwardly from the brush body and is adapted to be bolted to the special link through bolts. 
     Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,846 (priority Sep. 10, 1976), titled “Elevator rail cleaning system” provides an apparatus for continuously cleaning rust and other corrosion from elevator guide rails and for filling pits, joints and other irregular areas in the rails. A plurality of guide brackets is mounted on the car for contact with the rail. Each guide bracket includes a bushing insert for contact with surfaces of the guide rail. In one embodiment, the insert is made from an elastomeric material with particles of bronze or brass embedded therein. In a second embodiment, the insert has lead embedded therein. Where the insert has bronze or brass embedded therein, the sliding of the insert relative to the walls of the guide rails acts as an abrasive cleaner to remove rust, corrosion and dirt particles from the surface of the rails. Where the insert has lead embedded therein, contact between the insert and the rail results in the transfer of lead to the rails to fill pits, joint areas and irregularities in the rails. The inserts are formed with a plurality of ribs in which some are inclined upwardly while others are inclined downwardly from the longitudinal axis of the rail. Corrosion and rust scoured from the rail are channeled by the ribs and intermediate troughs away from the operating surface of the rails. Brush units are attached to the elevator car on opposite sides of each rail for contact with the rails. A cleaning solution is supplied to the brush units to provide further cleaning of the rails during operation of the elevator. 
     Further, U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,452 (priority Nov. 20, 1973), titled “Elevator system with guide rail cleaning devices” provides an elevator system including an elevator car mounted for guided movement via guide rails in the hoistway of a building to serve the floors therein. The guide rails are cleaned by a mechanism detachably mounted to the elevator car which includes a plurality of cleaning devices biased against predetermined surfaces of a guide rail. Movement of the elevator car provides relative movement between the cleaning devices and the guide rail resulting in cleaning of the guide rail. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for an improved cleaning device for elevator tracks that may also overcome one or more of the abovementioned problems and/or limitations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Nor is this summary intended to be used to limit the claimed subject matter&#39;s scope. 
     Accordingly, the present disclosure provides an elevator track cleaner. The track cleaner is provided in a rectangular scrub brush configuration. The track cleaner includes a platform with a raised handle affixed to a top surface of the platform. The bottom surface of the platform includes a longitudinal band of stiff, flexible bristles along the centerline, and two longitudinal bands of small hooks on either side of the bristles for the purpose of securing a flexible white scrub pad. The scrub pad may be used to scrub the elevator track, with the bristles urging the pad into the groove where the track is located. 
     If time can be spared for more frequent, light cleaning of an elevator track, it becomes much less difficult and expensive, while maintaining a bright metal shine on a day to day basis. The disclosed track cleaner is designed to accommodate this cleaning strategy on a narrow metal surface. The elevator track cleaner may be used for light, frequent cleaning. 
     Both the foregoing summary and the following detailed description provide examples and are explanatory only. Accordingly, the foregoing summary and the following detailed description should not be considered to be restrictive. Further, features or variations may be provided in addition to those set forth herein. For example, embodiments may be directed to various feature combinations and sub-combinations described in the detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate various embodiments of the present disclosure. The drawings contain representations of various trademarks and copyrights owned by the Applicants. In addition, the drawings may contain other marks owned by third parties and are being used for illustrative purposes only. All rights to various trademarks and copyrights represented herein, except those belonging to their respective owners, are vested in and the property of the applicants. The applicants retain and reserve all rights in their trademarks and copyrights included herein, and grant permission to reproduce the material only in connection with reproduction of the granted patent and for no other purpose. 
       Furthermore, the drawings may contain text or captions that may explain certain embodiments of the present disclosure. This text is included for illustrative, non-limiting, explanatory purposes of certain embodiments detailed in the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  is a side view a track cleaner, in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the track cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the track cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the track cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom perspective view of the track cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of the track cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom perspective view of the track cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art that the present disclosure has broad utility and application. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the disclosure and may further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed features. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     Accordingly, while embodiments are described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present disclosure and are made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded in any claim of a patent issuing here from, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself. 
     Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders while still falling within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection is to be defined by the issued claim(s) rather than the description set forth herein. 
     Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which an ordinary artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used herein—as understood by the ordinary artisan based on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the ordinary artisan should prevail. 
     Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one of the items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and” denotes “all of the items of the list.” 
     The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While many embodiments of the disclosure may be described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosure. Instead, the proper scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims. The present disclosure contains headers. It should be understood that these headers are used as references and are not to be construed as limiting upon the subjected matter disclosed under the header. 
     The present disclosure includes many aspects and features. Moreover, while many aspects and features relate to, and are described in, the context of cleaning devices for elevator tracks, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to use only in this context. 
       FIG. 1  is a side view a track cleaner  10 , in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment. The track cleaner  10  includes a platform  11 , a handle  12 , bristles  13 , and hooks  14 .  FIG. 2  is a top view of the track cleaner  10 .  FIG. 3  is a front view of the track cleaner  10 .  FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the track cleaner  10 .  FIG. 5  is a bottom perspective view of the track cleaner  10 . 
       FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of the track cleaner  10  with a scrub pad  15  affixed.  FIG. 7  is a bottom perspective view of the track cleaner  10 . 
     According to a first exemplary embodiment, the track cleaner  10  is provided in a rectangular scrub brush configuration. In alternate embodiments, the track cleaner  10  may be provide in one of a circular configuration, an oval configuration, a square configuration. 
     Further, the track cleaner  10  includes the platform  11  with the raised handle  12  affixed to a top surface of the platform  11 . A bottom surface of the platform  11  provides a longitudinal band of stiff, flexible bristles  13  along the centerline, and two longitudinal bands of small hooks  14  on either side of the bristles  13  for the purpose of securing the flexible white scrub pad  15 . The scrub pad  15  is used to scrub the elevator track, with the bristles  13  urging the scrub pad  15  into the groove where the track is located. 
     Further, the replacement scrub pads  15  may be made available separately, and may be packaged in small packages, such as five scrub pads may be included in each package. 
     In order to use the track cleaner  10 , the user may affix the scrub pad  15  to the hooks  14  of the track cleaner  10 , as shown in  FIGS. 6-7 . Then, the user may spray an elevator track with water which may be mixed with a cleaning solvent as desired by the user. The user may then move the track cleaner  10  forward and back until the track is clean. After cleaning the track, the user may wipe off the excess water from the track with a sponge or soft cloth. 
     Further, one or more of the platform  11  and the handle  12  may be manufactured from rigid, durable materials, such as plastic or hardwood. The bristles  13  and the scrub pads  15  may be manufactured from a semi-rigid, durable material, such as nylon or plastic. The hooks  14  may be manufactured from a rigid, durable material, such as steel or aluminum alloy. Components and methods listed above are preferable, but artisans will recognize that alternate components and methods could be selected without altering the scope of the invention. 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.