Patent Publication Number: US-2012043232-A1

Title: Pen-type screen cleaner

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 099212862, filed Jul. 6, 2010, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a cleaner. More particularly, the present invention relates to a pen-type screen cleaner. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A portable touch reading device such as a tablet computer, a mobile phone, an iPad, an iPhone, an eBook etc. has a touch screen provided for allowing a user to perform touch control. Such the portable touch reading device is generally carried by a user in person for anytime anywhere access. 
     Since the portable touch reading device is carried by a user in person, air dusts are very likely to adhere to the touch screen of the portable touch reading device when the portable touch reading device is used outdoors or under an filthy environment. Additionally, the portable touch reading device is operated in a touch control manner by using the user&#39;s finger, and thus the user&#39;s fingerprints are very likely to adhere to the touch screen. The adherence of dusts and fingerprints will affect the clearness of the touch screen. For the sake of clearness of vision and reading, it is necessary to clear out the dusts and fingerprints adhered to the touch screen at anytime. 
     When the touch screen is being cleaned, it is not proper to use a personal coarse article such as a face tissue or handkerchief for cleaning, since such a coarse article will scratch the touch screen severely. It requires a special cleaning solution and its matched cleaning cloth for cleaning the touch screen. However, the assembly size of a conventional screen cleaner set is too large to be carried in person, and cannot be accessed at anytime anywhere for cleaning the portable touch reading device, thus resulting in inconvenience for cleaning the portable touch reading device. 
     SUMMARY 
     In view of the disadvantage of the conventional screen cleaner set with too large assembly size, an object of the present invention is to provide a pen-type screen cleaner for providing convenience for user&#39;s portable carry and use. 
     According to the aforementioned object, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a pen-type screen cleaner for cleaning a screen. The pen-type screen cleaner includes a tubular shell, a rolled cleaning member and a cleaning solution bottle. The tubular shell is formed from a first semi-tubular shell body which is opposite and pivotally connected to a second semi-tubular shell body, and the tubular shell has two opposite first end and second end on which a first receiving trough and a second receiving trough are disposed respectively. The rolled cleaning member is removablly received in the first receiving trough, and the cleaning solution bottle is removably received in the second receiving trough. Accordingly, the rolled cleaning member and the cleaning solution bottle can be received in both ends of the tubular shell and thus a pen-type form is formed for providing portable convenience. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first semi-tubular shell body has a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, and the second semi-tubular shell body has a third side and a fourth side opposite to the third side, and the third side is engaged with the first side, and the first side and the third side have a first axial hole and a third axial hole respectively, and at least one combination pin is pivotally inserted into the first axial hole and the third axial hole. Accordingly, the first semi-tubular shell body and the second semi-tubular shell body are pivotally connected as one body about the combination pin as an axis, and can be opposite to each other and assembled to form the tubular shell or disengaged as an open-shell case. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, a recessed portion is formed on the second side of the first semi-tubular shell body, and an extensive cover portion is formed on the fourth side of the second semi-tubular shell body for covering and engaging with the recessed portion, and a notch and a protrusive plate matched with each other are formed on the second side and the fourth side respectively, and there is a gap existing between the notch and the protrusive plate, so that a user&#39;s finger is allowed to be inserted into the gap to lift the protrusive plate, thereby disengaging the first semi-tubular shell body from the second semi-tubular shell body as the open-shell case. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least one fastening unit is disposed between the recessed portion and the extensive cover portion. The fastening unit includes a fastening body formed on an exterior wall of the recessed portion, and a fastening groove which is formed in an interior wall of the extensive cover portion and is corresponding to the fastening body in position. Accordingly, when the first semi-tubular shell body and the second semi-tubular shell body are positioned opposite and assembled about the combination pin as an axis, the fastening body and the fastening groove disposed at the opening-closing side of the tubular shell are engaged with each other, thereby maintaining the tubular-shell case after combining the first and second semi-tubular shell bodies. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least stop rib is formed on an interior wall of the first receiving trough and interferes with the to rolled cleaning member, thereby preventing the rolled cleaning member from falling off from the tubular shell. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, an embedded rib is formed on an interior wall of the second receiving trough, and an embedded groove is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the cleaning solution bottle corresponding to the embedded rib and is engaged with the embedded rib, thereby preventing the cleaning solution bottle from falling off from the tubular shell. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning solution bottle is a transparent bottle and has a bottle bottom portion and a bottle mouth portion opposite to the bottle bottom portion, and the bottle bottom portion protrudes outwards from the second end of the tubular shell. Accordingly, the amount of cleaning solution existing in the cleaning solution bottle can be directly observed from outside. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, the pen-type screen cleaner further includes a hanging clip attached to the tubular shell via a combining unit. Accordingly, the hanging clip can allow the pen-type screen cleaner to be clipped on any proper position of a user, thus facilitating user portability. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, the combining unit includes a combining hole formed on the second semi-tubular shell body, and a pair of wedge-shaped protrusions disposed on the hanging clip for engaging with the combining hole, thereby achieving the combination of the hang clip and the tubular shell. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are examples, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic 3-D diagram showing the appearance of a pen-type screen cleaner according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic exploded view of the pen-type screen cleaner shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of the pen-type screen cleaner shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional diagram viewed along line A-A of the pen-type screen cleaner shown in  FIG. 3 , wherein the second tubular shell body is lifted open; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional diagram viewed along line B-B of the pen-type screen cleaner shown in  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram showing the operation of a pen-type screen cleaner according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5  are a 3-D appearance diagram, an exploded diagram and cross-sectional diagrams schematically showing a pen-type screen cleaner according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figures, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the pen-type screen cleaner includes a tubular shell  100 , a rolled cleaning member  200  and a cleaning solution bottle  300 . 
     The tubular shell  100  is formed from a first semi-tubular shell body  110  pivotally connected to a second semi-tubular shell body  120 . In practice, the first semi-tubular shell body  110  has a first side  111  and a second side  112  opposite to the first side  111 , and the second semi-tubular shell body  120  has a third side  121  and a fourth side  122  opposite to the third side  121 , wherein the third side  121  of the second semi-tubular shell body  120  is engaged with the first side  111  of the first semi-tubular shell body  110 , and the first side  111  and the third side  121  have a first axial hole  113  and a third axial hole  123  respectively. Two combination pins  170  are pivotally inserted into the first axial hole  113  and the third axial hole  123  from both ends of the third side  121 . Accordingly, the first semi-tubular shell body  110  and the second semi-tubular shell body  120  are pivotally connected as one body about the combination pins  170  as an axis, and can be opposite and assembled to form the tubular shell  100  or disengaged as an open-shell case. In other words, the first side  111  and the third  121  form a pivotal-connection side, and the second side  112  and the fourth side  122  form an opening-closing side. 
     A recessed portion  114  is formed on the second side  112  of the first semi-tubular shell body  110 , and an extensive cover portion  124  is formed on the fourth side  122  of the second semi-tubular shell body  120 . When the first semi-tubular shell body  110  and the second semi-tubular shell body  120  are positioned opposite and assembled about the combination pin  170  as an axis, the extensive cover portion  124  of the second semi-tubular shell body  120  covers and engages with the recessed portion  114 , thereby forming the tubular is shell  100 . 
     A notch  115  and a protrusive plate  125  matched with each other are formed on the second side  112  of the first semi-tubular shell body  110  and the fourth side  122  of the second semi-tubular shell body  120  respectively, and there is a gap  180  existing between the notch  115  and the protrusive plate  125 . Therefore, when the tubular shell  100  is desired to be lifted open, a user&#39;s finger may be advantageously inserted into the gap  180  to lift the protrusive plate  125 , thereby disengaging the first semi-tubular shell body  110  from the second semi-tubular shell body  120  as the open-shell case. 
     A fastening unit  190  is disposed between the recessed portion  114  of the first semi-tubular shell body  110  and the extensive cover portion  124  of the second semi-tubular shell body  120 . The fastening unit  190  includes a fastening body  191  formed on an exterior wall of the recessed portion  114 , and a fastening groove  192  which is formed in an interior wall of the extensive cover portion  124  and is corresponding to the fastening body  191  in position. When the first semi-tubular shell body  110  and the second semi-tubular shell body  120  are positioned opposite and assembled about the combination pin  170  as an axis, the fastening body  191  and the fastening groove  1902  disposed at the opening-closing side are engaged with each other, thereby maintaining the tubular-shell case after combining the first and second semi-tubular shell bodies  110  and  120 . 
     The tubular shell  100  has a first end  130  and second end  140  opposite to the first end  130 , and a first receiving trough  150  and a second receiving trough  160  are disposed on the first end  130  and the second end  140  respectively. 
     The rolled cleaning member  200  is formed by rolling up a flat-type cleaning member such as a flat piece of cloth. The rolled cleaning member  200  is removablly received in the first receiving trough  150 . Two stop ribs  151  are formed on an interior wall of the first receiving trough  150  and interfere with the rolled cleaning member, thereby preventing the rolled cleaning member  200  from falling off from the tubular shell  100 . 
     The cleaning solution bottle  300  is removably received in the second receiving trough  160  of the tubular shell  100 . When the cleaning solution bottle  300  is received in the second receiving trough  160 , for maintaining its positioning stability, an embedded rib  161  is formed on an interior wall of the second receiving trough  160 , and an embedded groove  310  is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the cleaning solution bottle  300  corresponding to the embedded rib  161  and is engaged with the embedded rib  161 , thereby preventing the cleaning solution bottle  300  from falling off from the tubular shell  100 . 
     The cleaning solution bottle  300  is a transparent bottle and has a bottle bottom portion  320  and a bottle mouth portion  330  opposite to the bottle bottom portion  320 , wherein the bottle bottom portion  320  protrudes outwards from the second end  140  of the tubular shell  100 , and thus the amount of cleaning solution existing in the cleaning solution bottle  300  can be directly observed from outside. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, the pen-type screen cleaner further includes a hanging clip  400  attached to the tubular shell  100  via a combining unit  410 . In practice, the combining unit  400  includes a combining hole  411  formed on the second semi-tubular shell body  120 , and a pair of wedge-shaped protrusions  412  are disposed on the hanging clip  400  for engaging with the combining hole  411 , and thus the hanging clip  400  can be used to clip the tubular shell  100  on any proper position of a user, thus facilitating user portability. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5  together with  FIG. 6 , when the pen-type screen cleaner of the present invention is desired to be used, as long as the second semi-tubular shell body  120  is lifted outwards at its protrusive plate  125  to release the engagement relationship between the fastening groove  192  and the fastening body  191 , i.e. the first semi-tubular shell body  110  and the second semi-tubular shell body  120  are lifted outwards to be in the open-shell case about the combination pin  170  as an axis. Thereafter, the rolled cleaning member  200  and the cleaning solution bottle  300  can be taken out of the first receiving trough  150  and the second receiving trough  160  of the tubular shell  100  respectively, and the rolled cleaning member  200  can be flattened as a flat-type cleaning member, and then the cleaning solution bottle  300  and the flat-type cleaning member can be applied to clean a portable touch reading device  500 . 
     After the portable touch reading device  500  is cleaned, the flat-type cleaning member is rolled up as the rolled cleaning member  200 , and then the rolled cleaning member  200  and the cleaning solution bottle  300  are stored in the first receiving trough  150  and the second receiving trough  160  of the tubular shell  100  respectively. Thereafter, the first semi-tubular shell body  110  and the second semi-tubular shell body  120  are positioned opposite and assembled about the combination pin  170  as an axis, and meanwhile are fastened by engaging the fastening body  191  with the fastening groove  192 , thus returning to the original pen-type receiving case. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, a pen-type screen cleaner is formed by rolling up the a flat-type cleaning member and then storing the rolled cleaning member and a cleaning solution bottle in both ends of a tubular shell, thus providing portable convenience; and the tubular shell has equipped with a hanging clip for being clipped on any proper position of a user for anytime anywhere access, thus facilitating user portability. Accordingly, the object of the present invention can be achieved. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.