Patent Publication Number: US-11026554-B2

Title: Convenient spot remover for dirty carpet spots

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to carpet cleaning systems and, more particularly, to a leg-driven cleaning system. 
     Cleaning carpets and floors typically requires bending or stooping over in order to scrub or brush, even when using a device with an extended handle. Moreover, to get out tough-to-remove stains, users have to typically get on your hands and knees. Either way, users of current carpet cleaning devices are at least stooping and using a lot of arm motion. And so, if the user has bad shoulders or back, the current approaches to cleaning carpets and floors can be prohibitively painful. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for a leg-driven device for cleaning floors and carpets and a method for using the same that does not require stooping over, arm motion, or even using upper body strength. It is important to note that the legs are stronger than the arms of a person, and thus a leg-driven cleaning device enabling the power of a user&#39;s lower body to do the work, through leg and foot motion, would be a boon for a user with upper body, shoulder or back weakness or pains. 
     The leg-driven floor and carpet cleaning device is embodied in a systemic footwear allowing a wearer to stand and scrub with foot action like wiping one&#39;s feet. A source of cleaning solution may be fluidly connected to the underside of the footwear providing a spray nozzle for dispensing the cleaning solution from said underside, further eliminating the need for the wearer to stoop or bend over during the cleaning process. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a leg-driven cleaning system includes the following components: a cleaning footwear device dimensioned and adapted to be worn on a foot of a human user; a plurality of bristles extending from an underside of the cleaning footwear device; and a spray nozzle connected to or adjacent to said underside. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, the leg-driven cleaning system includes the following components: a cleaning footwear device dimensioned and adapted to be worn on a foot of a human user; a plurality of bristles extending from an underside of the cleaning footwear device; a spray nozzle connected to or adjacent to said underside; a fluid connection fluidly connecting the spray nozzle and a cleaning solution source; and a leg connector for securing the fluid connection to the human user&#39;s leg. 
     In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of cleaning a carpet in situ on a floor completely or substantially by way of leg-driven power, includes the following steps: wearing at least one cleaning footwear device of claim  2  on one foot; moving said one foot in a foot-wiping motion along an upper surface of the carpet so that the plurality of cleaning bristles engage said upper surface, wherein the user selectively urges the cleaning solution source through the spray nozzle before the foot-wiping motion. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use; 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 , illustrating leg-driven scrubbing-wiping action; 
         FIG. 4  is a detailed section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the agitated interactive condition  30  resulting from the scrubbing-wiping action; and 
         FIG. 5  is a detail perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a leg-driven cleaning system embodying cleaning footwear device fluidly connected to cleaning solution. The cleaning footwear provides cleaning bristles along an underside thereof, as well as a nozzle adjacent to the underside for selectively applying the cleaning solution while a wearer of the cleaning footwear device utilizes their leg strength to wipe their feet to scrub their carpet and/or floors clean. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the present invention may include a leg-driven cleaning system  100  embodying carpet-cleaning footwear  22  dimensioned and adapted to be worn on the foot of a human user. Along an underside  34  of the footwear cleaning  22  may be a plurality of cleaning bristles  24 . The cleaning bristles  24  are integrated with the underside  34 , in certain embodiments via a base  20 , making the plurality of bristles  24  and the carpet-cleaning footwear  22  a unitary piece. 
     A spray nozzle  32  may be disposed along or adjacent to the underside  34 . A fluid connection  14  may fluidly connect the spray nozzle  32  to a cleaning solution source  16 . A portion of the fluid connection  14  may be connected along a periphery of the underside  34 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The fluid connection  14  may extend up the leg of the user  10 , and may even be secured thereto by way of a leg connector  12 , keeping the fluid connection  14  out of the way during use. The connectors  12  and  18  may be straps or other methods of removably connecting one object to another. The connectors  12  and  18  may incorporate a detachable fastener, such as hook and loop fasteners or the like for this purpose. 
     The cleaning solution source  16  may be a conventional spray bottle, thereby enabling the user  10  to utilize the present invention with such ubiquitous cleaning products, including their favorite carpet cleaning solution squirt bottle. The fluid connection  14  may provide an object to be able to snap on another squirt bottle of solution when needed. 
     The fluid connection  14  may be clear flexible tubing being 3/16 th  of an inch in diameter and approximately 50 inches in length. A plug (not shown) may be dimensioned to fit into the fluid connection/tubing  14  to keep from leaking when not in use. There may be a white arrow an arrow  33  at or adjacent to the tip of the footwear  22  that shows where the liquid cleaner comes out of the nozzle  32 , so that the user may point their toe at the spot on the carpet  26  and squirt. 
     The footwear  22  may be a surgical boot; typically, having a poly-cotton blend upper portion allowing the foot to breathe and provides added comfort. The footwear  22  may have a semi-rigid sole provides superior protection and control, and adapted to fit either foot. The footwear  22  may include a reinforced heel  35  and heel counter and padded heel collar providing more stability overall to the rear of the foot. 
     A method of using the present invention may include the following. The leg-driven cleaning system  100  disclosed above may be provided. The cleaning footwear provides a convenient method for removing spots by using one&#39;s lower body strength while scrubbing your foot back and forth like wiping one&#39;s feet. This scrubbing-wiping motion would cause the cleaning solution into an agitated interactive condition  30  within the fibers of the carpeting  26  thoroughly cleaning it. 
     So easy a young child can use it. No electricity needed. And so, people with a bad back and/or shoulders, such as older people who cannot bend down, can utilize the leg-driven cleaning system  100  to clean up a few spots without having to pull out the bulky and heavy steam cleaner. The user&#39;s own weight could provide sufficient force, sandwiching the carpet  26  to the supporting floor  28  during the cleaning process. 
     Such individuals could sit in a chair, slip on the cleaning footwear  22  and go to work on those stubborn spots, applying “knee grease” as opposed to elbow grease. No batteries, no plugging into the wall, no electricity, one only needs lower body strength. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.