Patent Publication Number: US-2022218173-A1

Title: Squeegee with selectable rotation mode

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a 35 USC § 371 national stage of International Application No. PCT/IB2020/054790, which was filed May 5, 2020 and claims the benefit of Italian Patent Application No. 102019000007069, filed May 21, 2019, both of which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of surface cleaning tools. 
     In particular, the invention relates to a squeegee with a joint capable of allowing different rotation modes. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Squeegee are known which comprise different rotation mechanisms between the handle and the cleaning blade, in order to facilitate the use and adapt the position of the cleaning blade to different phases of cleaning a glass or other similar surface. 
     In addition to allow the blocking of the cleaning blade according to a certain angle of rotation with respect to the handle, these rotation mechanisms can allow the operator to use the squeegee in the “swivel” mode, i.e. with a free rotation between the cleaning blade and the handle that allows to speed up the sweeping of the glass according to variable directions. 
     An example is shown in BE1024299, which describes a squeegee comprising a handle and a cleaning body rotatable around a first rotation axis, to work in “swivel” mode. Furthermore, the cleaning body can be locked in at least two positions. 
     However, this “swivel” mode can be difficult for an inexperienced user to use, as it can cause the blade to jam when it is parallel to the handle, greatly slowing down the cleaning operation. 
     There are known mechanisms in the prior art which allow to constrain this rotation not to exceed 90°. However, these systems, unlike those mentioned above, do not allow the blade to be placed parallel to the handle, an essential position for cleaning at a great distance from the operator. 
     Furthermore, there is a need for a system that allows you to choose the blade rotation mode to adapt to the various cleaning phases. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide a cleaning device surfaces which allows to choose the mode of rotation of the blade to adapt to the various cleaning phases, even in the case of use by a non-expert user. 
     These and other objects are achieved by a cleaning device according to the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further characteristic and/or advantages of the present invention are illustrated by the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, exemplifying but not limitative, with reference to the attached drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1A  shows, in top view, an exemplary embodiment of the cleaning device according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  shows, in side view, the cleaning device  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2A  shows, in detail, a possible exemplary embodiment of the first selection mechanism when the first pivotal constraint is in the locked rotation mode; 
         FIG. 2B  shows an exemplary embodiment of the first selection mechanism of  FIG. 1A  when the first pivotal constraint is in the constrained rotation mode; 
         FIG. 2C  shows an exemplary embodiment of the first selection mechanism of  FIG. 1A  when the first pivotal constraint is in the free rotation mode; 
         FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C  schematically show a possible exemplary embodiment of the first selection mechanism with the crown and the selector, respectively, in the relative positions P 1 , P 2  and P 3 ; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  show, respectively in top and front view, a possible alternative of the first selection mechanism; 
         FIG. 5  shows an exemplary embodiment of the cleaning device of  FIGS. 1A and 1B , in the constrained rotation mode. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the cleaning device  100  comprises a handle  110 , for the grip of the cleaning device  100  by a user, and a cleaning body  120  comprising a blade arranged to wipe a surface, in particular a glass. 
     The cleaning device  100  also comprises a first pivotal constraint  130  arranged to allow a relative rotation α between the handle  110  and the cleaning body  120  about a first rotation axis x orthogonal to the cleaning plane π defined by the cleaning body  120 . 
     The cleaning device  100  comprises then a second pivotal constraint  140  arranged to allow a relative rotation β between the handle  110  and the cleaning body  120  about a second rotation axis γ parallel to the cleaning plane π. 
     With reference even at  FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C , the cleaning device  100  comprises then a first selection mechanism  150  arranged to make the first pivotal constraint  130  to switch between:
         a free rotation mode, where the handle  110  and the cleaning body  120  can rotate freely to each other with respect to the first rotation axis x [ FIG. 2C ];   a locked rotation mode, wherein said handle  110  and said cleaning body  120  cannot rotate to each other with respect to said first rotation axis x [ FIG. 2A ];   a constrained rotation mode, where the relative rotation α has a maximum value equal to a predetermined value {tilde over (α)} [ FIG. 2B ].       

     Such value a can be for example of 90°. 
     The selection mechanism  150  can be operated by the user by the button  150 ′, visible in  FIG. 1A . 
     In particular, the selection mechanism  150  comprises a crown  159  that has at least two distant teeth  151  and two close teeth  152 , and a selector  155 . The selector  155  is adapted to carry out a relative translation, in particular in a radial direction with respect to the crown  159 , to switch between 3 mode of rotation, due to the translation of the button  150 ′. 
     In particular, in  FIG. 2A  the selector  155  is in the position P 2  where the selector  155  is at a minimum distance d min  with respect to the center c of the crown  159  and is blocked between two close teeth  152 . This way, the first pivotal constraint  130  is in the locked rotation mode. Such mode can be used for blocking the relative rotation α at different relative angles between the handle  110  and the cleaning body  120 , from the angle wherein handle  110  and cleaning body  120  are orthogonal to the angle wherein they are parallel to each other. 
     In  FIG. 2B  the selector  155  is in the position P 3  where the selector  155  is at an intermediate distance d med  with respect to the center c of the crown  159  and, during the relative rotation α, can meet only the two distant teeth  151 . This way, the first pivotal constraint  130  is in the constrained rotation mode. 
     In this mode it is possible to use the cleaning device  100  in the “swivel” mode preventing the jamming of the blade of the cleaning body  120  even by an inexperienced operator. 
     In  FIG. 2C  the selector  155  is in the position P 1  where the selector  155  is at a maximum distance d max  with respect to the center c of the crown  159  and, during the relative rotation α, cannot meet neither a distant tooth  151  nor a close tooth  152 . This way, the first pivotal constraint  130  is in the free rotation mode. 
     This mode, in addition to allow use the cleaning device  100  in the “swivel” mode, allows the user to switch between the constrained mode and the blocked mode, or to block the rotation at different angles between the handle  110  and the cleaning body  120 ;  FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C  schematically show the operation of a possible exemplary embodiment of the selection mechanism  150  similar to that of  FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C . 
     In particular, in  FIG. 3A  the first pivotal constraint  130  is in the locked rotation mode with the selector  155  blocked between the internal close teeth  152  and, therefore, with the handle  110  and the cleaning body orthogonal to each other. 
     In  FIG. 3B  the first pivotal constraint  130  is in the constrained rotation mode with the selector  155  free to slide between the distant teeth  151  during the relative rotation α. 
     In  FIG. 3C  the first pivotal constraint  130  is in the locked rotation mode with the selector  155  blocked between the external close teeth  152 ′ and, therefore, with the handle  110  and the cleaning body parallel to each other. 
     In the  FIGS. 4A and 4B  it is shown a possible alternative of the first selection mechanism  150 , wherein the crown  159  may have 3 planes  159   a ,  159   b  and  159   c  on which the teeth  151 ,  152  and  152 ′ can be arranged in different possible combinations. 
     For example, the distant teeth  151  and the external close teeth  152 ′ can be arranged in the plane  159   a , whereas the close teeth inner  152  can be arranged in the plane  159   b . This way, by making the selector  155  move axially, it is possible to move it between one plane and another, allowing the first pivotal constraint  130  to pass between the aforementioned rotation modes. 
     The plane  159   c , not including teeth, can be used both for free rotation, and for making the selector  155  to pass between the position blocked between the internal close teeth  152  and that one blocked between the external close teeth  152 ′. Such plane  159   c  may also not be present. 
     Although not shown in the figure for simplicity, all the various embodiments which make use of teeth arranged on at least two planes of the crown  159  are covered by  FIGS. 4A and 4B , allowing the selector  155  to move both in the axial and radial position with respect to the crown itself. 
     The foregoing description some exemplary specific embodiments will so fully reveal the invention according to the conceptual point of view, so that others, by applying current knowledge, will be able to modify and/or adapt in various applications the specific exemplary embodiments without further research and without parting from the invention, and, accordingly, it is meant that such adaptations and modifications will have to be considered as equivalent to the specific embodiments. The means and the materials to realize the different functions described herein could have a different nature without, for this reason, departing from the field of the invention, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology that is employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.