Abstract:
The portable washer for beverage containers is a hand-carried device for providing clean coffee cups or other beverage containers to a social group where facilities with a large supply of clean containers may not be available. The portable washer includes a self-contained water supply and catch basin for used water, and internal electrical power to drive a plurality of rotary brushes for the mechanical scrubbing of containers. An electrically powered water heating element and water pump are also provided. The brushes are actuated by a pushrod switch extending up from the central rotary brush, the water pump and heater being powered by a separate master switch. Water is pumped through the tubular rotary brush supports to spray hot water from the brushes during washing operations. A removable splash guard and cover are provided. The cover has a carrying handle and external racks for the carriage of beverage containers.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to dishwashing machines, and particularly to a portable washer for beverage containers providing for the storage of used containers, the washing of those containers with hot water, and the storage of the washed containers. The washer is particularly adapted for use with small coffee cups and the like. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The custom of social or casual drinking of various beverages is nearly universal throughout the world. In many countries and cultures, social gatherings will generally include the consumption of coffee or tea, or perhaps other beverages. Indeed, the custom is so pervasive in many countries that specific words have developed to describe such gatherings, e.g., coffee klatsch, coffee break, tea time, high tea, etc. 
     Of course, a reasonable amount of coffee, tea, or other beverage is normally provided at such gatherings, along with a number of cups or other beverage containers. However, in certain circumstances it may be difficult to provide a sufficient number of containers or cups for all those present. The cups or containers must be shared, if all are to have some of the beverage. In fact, in many cultures and situations, it is customary for two or more individuals to drink from the same cup or container, as a gesture of friendship or camaraderie. 
     It will be seen that this is not conducive to the best hygiene practices, in that one or more individuals may be carrying some viral or bacterial infection that may be spread by contamination of one or more of the cups or containers. While no considerate person who has such an illness would knowingly share common containers, utensils or the like with others before washing them thoroughly, such contamination can still occur accidentally or inadvertently. And while minor illnesses such as the common cold or the like are of some concern, an even greater threat is the possibility of the transmittal of more serious diseases or illnesses from one person to another. 
     Accordingly, a number of machines and devices for the cleaning and washing of containers, utensils, and the like have been developed in the past. Most such machines are configured for permanent installation in a household or restaurant kitchen to relieve the manual labor associated with such washing tasks, and to speed the washing process. 
     Thus, a portable washer for beverage containers solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The portable washer for beverage containers is a small, hand-carried device having a self-contained water supply and electrical power for a water heater element. The electrical power also serves to operate an electric motor for rotating inner and outer brushes to mechanically scrub a beverage container placed in the device. The brush actuation is operated automatically by a pushrod actuated switch extending from the central brush. Other electrical components (water heater and pump) are actuated by a separate master switch. A catch basin for used water is also provided. Thus, the portable washer is free of any need for connection to external plumbing, drainage, or water supply. 
     The carrying case comprises a cover removably installed over the water tank and base of the device. The removable cover also includes an external rack for the carriage of used and cleaned beverage containers. A removable splash guard or shield is also provided for installation around the brushes when the device is in operation. This configuration of the portable washer allows it to be carried easily by hand to any practicable location where the social drinking of coffee, tea, or other beverage may take place in order to provide clean cups or other beverage containers to all participants. 
     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a portable washer for beverage containers according to the present invention as seen from the left side, shown with the covers removed to show various features thereof. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the portable washer of  FIG. 1  as seen from the right side, showing additional features thereof. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the portable washer of  FIG. 1  as seen from the left side, shown with the covers installed. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the portable washer of  FIG. 1  as seen from the right side, shown with the covers installed. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial left side elevation view in section of the forward portion of the portable washer of  FIG. 1 , showing details of the device. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic drawing of the portable washer of  FIG. 1 , showing various electrical components of the device schematically. 
     
    
    
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The portable washer for beverage containers enables a person to provide clean cups or other containers for the consumption of coffee, tea, or other beverage when no facilities for washing such cups or for providing additional cups are available. The device includes a self-contained supply of water and a catch basin for wastewater, as well as a heating element for the water and brushes for scrubbing the beverage container. Self-contained electrical power is also provided, or the device may alternatively be powered from an external electrical power source. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings illustrate left and right side perspective views of the portable washer  10 . The portable washer  10  includes a base  12  and a water supply tank  14  disposed atop the base. The base  12  may also contain an electrical battery pack  16  (shown in hidden lines in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , and schematically in  FIG. 5 ) and a receptacle  18  for receiving electrical power from an external source of electrical power through an appropriate power cord. The battery pack  16  may be recharged by means of external electrical power received through the receptacle  18  and conventional charging circuitry (not shown). 
     An electrically powered water pump  20  is provided, e.g., installed atop a portion of the water tank  14 . The pump  20  draws water from the tank  14  and delivers the water through a supply tube  22  to a central rotary brush  24  for scrubbing the interior of the beverage container, and to two diametrically opposed external rotary brushes  26   a  and  26   b  disposed laterally from the central brush  24  for scrubbing the exterior of the container. Each of the brushes  24 ,  26   a , and  26   b  has a generally frustoconical configuration and a rounded tip. The central brush  24  has its rounded tip oriented upward, and the two external brushes  26   a  and  26   b  are inverted relative to the central brush  24 . Details of the support structures and mechanisms for rotating the brushes  24 ,  26   a , and  26   b  are illustrated in  FIG. 5  of the drawings and explained further below. 
     Water is sprayed from the tubes supporting the three brushes  24 ,  26   a , and  26   b . The used wastewater falls into a basin  28  below the brushes. The basin  28  drains through passages  30  into a wastewater capture or catch tank  32  immediately therebelow. A drain outlet  34  provides for drainage of the wastewater from the catch tank  32  after washing operations. 
       FIG. 5  of the drawings is a left side elevation view in section illustrating the various internal components and mechanisms for the operation of the portable washer  10 . The three brushes  24 ,  26   a , and  26   b  are driven by a sealed electric motor  36  secured within a waterproof housing  38 . The motor  36  receives its electrical power from a wire  40  from the battery  16 , or from appropriate conventional transformer and rectifier circuitry from the external power receptacle  18 . The motor&#39;s power wiring  40  is sealed in its passage through the bottom and top of the wastewater capture tank  32  by elastomer grommets or other suitable sealing means. The motor  36  may be grounded by a conventional ground wire (not shown in  FIG. 5 , but shown schematically in  FIG. 6 ) or grounded through conductive paths back to the battery  16  or receptacle  18 . 
     The motor  36  has a hollow rotary driveshaft  42  extending therethrough. A tubular central rotary brush shaft  44  extends upward therefrom. The central brush  24  is affixed to the upper portion of the central brush shaft  44 , and rotates therewith as driven by the motor  36 . The central brush shaft  44  includes a plurality of water perforations or passages  46  therethrough, allowing the shaft  44  to serve as a water spray tube when water is pumped therethrough. The water emerges from the passages  46  and generally radially out through the central brush  24  to wash a cup or container C placed over the central brush  24 . An exemplary cup or container C is shown in broken lines in  FIGS. 3 and 5 . 
     A central actuator rod  48  extends from beyond the upper end of the hollow brush shaft  44 , down through the shaft  44  and into the hollow motor driveshaft  42 . The actuator rod  48  communicates with an electrical switch  50  (shown schematically in  FIG. 6  of the drawings, inside the motor  36 ) to actuate the motor  36 . Pushing a cup or container down upon the central brush  24  pushes the actuator rod  48  downward, thereby causing it to close the switch  50  to actuate the motor  36  to rotate the central brush  24  within the cup or container C. Lifting the cup or container C from the central brush  24  allows the rod  48  to rise, thereby opening the switch  50  to shut off the motor  36 . 
     Each of the two external brushes  26   a ,  26   b  is supported by a hollow non-rotating support tube, respectively  52   a  and  52   b , extending from the housing  38 . Each of these tubes communicates internally with the housing  38  to receive water therefrom as pumped into the housing  38  by the pump  20 . The upper ends of each tube  52   a ,  52   b  is bulbed with an inwardly extending lip. This captures a mating flange disposed upon the lower end of each of the first and second external brush shafts  54   a  and  54   b , allowing the shafts  54   a  and  54   b  to rotate relative to their stationary support tubes  52   a ,  52   b . Each of the external brush shafts  54   a ,  54   b  is hollow and has a plurality of water spray passages or perforations  46  through the wall thereof. The upper ends of these two shafts or tubes  54   a ,  54   b  may be closed to force the water to flow through the passages  46 . Water under pressure flows up through the two hollow support shafts or tubes  52   a ,  52   b  and into the two hollow brush shafts  54   a ,  54   b  to flow radially outwardly therefrom and through the respective external brushes  26   a ,  26   b  to wash the exterior surface of the cup or container C. 
     The two external brushes  26   a ,  26   b  are rotated mechanically. The lower end of the hollow central shaft  42  of the motor  36  has a bevel drive gear  56  affixed thereto and rotating therewith when the motor  36  is operating. First and second driven bevel gears  58   a  and  58   b  are driven by the bevel drive gear  56 . Each of the driven bevel gears  58   a ,  58   b  has a flexible cable  60   a ,  60   b  extending therefrom and passing through the hollow external brush support tubes  52   a ,  52   b  to connect to their respective rotary external brush shafts  54   a ,  54   b  to rotate those shafts and their respective brushes  26   a  and  26   b  as the two driven bevel gears  58   a ,  58   b  are rotated. Guides may be provided to prevent lateral movement of the two cables  60   a  and  60   b . In the arrangement depicted in  FIG. 5 , the two external brushes  26   a ,  26   b  will rotate in the same direction as the central brush  24  at some higher rotational speed due to the smaller diameter of the driven bevel gears  58   a  and  58   b  relative to the bevel drive gear  56 . However, this arrangement is exemplary, and the two external brushes  26   a ,  26   b  may be made to rotate opposite the central brush  24  by reversing the bevel drive gear  56  to drive the upper edges of the two driven gears  58   a ,  58   b . The relative rotational speeds may be adjusted by adjusting the diameters and pitches of the three gears  56 ,  58   a ,  58   b  relative to one another, as desired. 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  provide views of the portable washer  10  in the same orientations as shown respectively in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , but showing a cover  62  installed over the water tank  14  and pump  20  areas of the device and a splash shield  64  installed over the water spray tubes and their brushes  24 ,  26   a , and  26   b . The splash shield  64  and/or the cover  62  may be transparent. A cup insertion opening  66  is provided through the top of the splash shield  64  to allow the insertion of a cup or container C therethrough to engage the brushes  24 ,  26   a , and  26   b  beneath the splash shield  64 . The cover  62  includes a carry handle  68  extending therefrom. The entire portable washer apparatus  10  is supported and carried by the carry handle  68  when the cover  62  is installed atop the device  10 . A plurality of latches  70 , e.g., conventional over-center latches or other mechanisms, is provided to secure the cover  62  to the base  12  to allow the cover to lift the entire assembly when the cover  62  is lifted by its carry handle  68 . 
     The cover  62  and splash shield  64  are normally installed during operation of the portable washer  10 , generally as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Operation is initiated by turning on a master switch  72  (shown schematically in  FIG. 6 ) to provide electrical power to the water pump  20 , water heater  74  ( FIGS. 1 and 6 ), and the motor activation switch  50 . The power may be provided either by a self-contained electrical battery  16  or by an external power source  76 . 
     Water is drawn from the water storage tank  14  and through the water supply tube  78  extending from the bottom of the water tank  14  to the pump  20 , actuated by closing the master switch  72 , as described above. The water passes through an in-line water heater element  74 , shown in broken lines in  FIG. 1  and schematically in  FIG. 6 . The pump  20  then sends the heated water through the water delivery tube  22  and into the housing  38 . Water under pressure then flows into the hollow motor driveshaft  42  and the two external brush support tubes  52   a  and  52   b , and thence into the tubular central rotary shaft  44  and the two tubular external rotary brush shafts  54   a  and  52   b  to flow from their perforations or passages  46  and out through the brushes  24 ,  26   a , and  26   b.    
     The cover  62  is preferably provided with at least one external cup rack, and more preferably two external cup racks  78   a ,  78   b , as shown in  FIG. 4 . Unwashed cups may be stored in one of the racks, e.g., the first rack  78   a , and removed from that rack for washing by inverting the cup C and pushing it down over the central brush  24 , generally as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . This depresses the motor switch actuation rod  48  ( FIG. 5 ) to close the motor switch  50  ( FIG. 6 ), thereby actuating the three brushes  24 ,  26   a , and  26   b , as described further above, to clean the interior and exterior of the cup C. The cleaned cup C is then placed in the other cup rack, e.g., the second rack  78   b , for further use. Wastewater from the cleaning operation falls into the catch basin  28  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  5 ) to drain through the drain passages  30  therein and into the wastewater catch tank  32 . Wastewater may be drained from the catch tank  32  by means of the wastewater drain  34  when use of the portable washer  10  has been completed. The water supply tank  14  is provided with a filler opening and cap  80  (visible in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , with the cover  62  removed) to replenish the water supply. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.