Abstract:
A duct cleaning apparatus and method for cleaning and maintaining the interior of most types of ducts, including chimneys, air conditioning and heating ducts, dryer ducts, vents, plumbing and rain gutter ducts. The apparatus is made up of a flexible rope ( 24 ) connected to a cleaning brush ( 10 ) or tool further connected to a retrieval parachute ( 30 ). The flexible rope ( 24 ) can be extended through the use of additional attached ropes ( 26 ) to create an infinitely long cleaning apparatus. The cleaning brush ( 10 ) may be configured in a variety of sizes with differing configurations of bristles ( 14 ) or appendages for specific applications. The cleaning appendages are connected to a rope ( 24 ) or line B, the length of which extends beyond the length of the duct ( 12 ) to be cleaned. One end of the rope ( 24 ) or line A is connected to the parachute ( 30 ) adapted with a wind-expanded periphery greater than that of the perimeter of the inside wall ( 22 ) of the duct ( 12 ) to be cleaned. A method is described for preparing the duct ( 12 ) for cleaning with the brush ( 10 ) by threading a rope or line A through the duct ( 12 ) using the parachute ( 30 ) and applying a vacuum from a machine ( 36 ).

Description:
PRIORITY DATE CLAIM 
   A priority date of Apr. 18, 2005 is claimed based on a filed related provisional patent application in the United States Patent Office, Ser. No. 60/671,987, on Apr. 18, 2005 disclosing the subject matter of the invention claimed herein. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates generally to the cleaning of ducting and vent pipes and more particularly to an apparatus and method for cleaning ducting that uses any specifically configured brush connected to a rope that is detachably connected to a retrieval and deployment parachute. The brush must fit snugly into the duct and the parachute must have a deployed diameter sufficient to transit the duct with a rope attached. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Devices for cleaning ducts are well known in the art. Recent catalog items include (a) a long, flat, Flexi-Hose™ designed to let one use a vacuum to clean deep down into a lint trap of a clothes dryer; and, (b) a four inch circular vent brush with a 10 foot long flexible handle to help a person clean dryer vent tubes and pipes part way to prevent dryer vent fires from lint that accumulates inside a dryer vent over time. 
   In 2002 Schaefer was issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,047 for a lint vacuum cleaner device for cleaning lint from lint traps of clothes dryers. In 1999 Wright received U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,160 for a method of removing lint from clothes dryers using a magnetically mountable hand held vacuum cleaner. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,354 Alonso et al invented an apparatus and method for cleaning and maintaining the interior dryer ducts. The apparatus is made up of a flexible shaft connected to a cleaning brush or tool. The flexible shaft is extended thru the duct using attached couplings that fit inside the duct to create a cleaning apparatus as long as needed, to extend throughout the length of the duct. 
   In July of 1996 Thompson received U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,478 for a suction wand attachment and scraping nozzle for vacuuming lint from dryers. Also in October of 1996, Berger et al received U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,069 for a uniquely configured lint cleaning brush for removing lint from an arcuate exhaust duct of a clothes dryer. 
   In 1995 Thacker et al according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,243 employed an umbrella shaped brush connected to a plunger controlled by an operator at the end of what may be a segmented suction hose. However, Groen et al in 1994 used a compressed air powered rotary driven duct cleaning brush with flexible overtly extended bristles for cleaning rectangular cross-section ducts according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,834. 
   Other prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,188 that discloses a device which fits inside the ductwork and discharges cleaning fluids under pressure onto the duct walls. This apparatus creates a considerable amount of fluid which must be evacuated by a vacuum exhaust pump. 
   The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,329 contains an outer hose, an inner hose, a turbine, and a brush. Thus, this apparatus is expensive to manufacture because of its many parts. The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,685 contains a hose, a brush, a nozzle for dispensing cleaning fluids onto the duct walls, and a sponge. Here, again, large quantities of cleaning fluids must be disposed of, making the cleaning process awkward and time-consuming. The duct cleaning device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,310 contains two jets for loosening and removing debris attached to the duct. This device is complicated in its manufacture and requires the removal of large amounts of dirty fluid in the process of cleaning the ductwork. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,566 discloses a method of cleaning ducts by dragging a cleaning element through the ductwork by means of a dragline. This method employs a plurality of cleaning elements of varying sizes. 
   Devices having a shaft connected to a body configured with cleaning elements have long been used for cleaning internal tubes, ducts and chimneys. These devices are typically rotated as they are moved inside the tube, duct, or chimney, to be cleaned. However, differing types and uses of ducts have made these devices less desirable and in some situations unusable. 
   For example, recent advances in air conditioning and heating ducting, as well as other ducting systems, have led to the use of smaller diameter ducting as well as ducting with a thinner wall thickness. Since these ducts have smaller passageways than previous ducting, there is an increase in the chance of dirt and dust buildup, as well as an increased chance of becoming blocked. Further, since these ducts have thinner walls and are thus typically weaker, older cleaning devices may actually damage the ducts rather than clean. Thus, there is a need for a cleaning apparatus and method for cleaning and maintaining ducts that is not damaging. 
   Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use various forms of duct cleaning apparatuses, the provision of a simple and cost effective duct cleaning device and method of this invention is not contemplated. Nor does the prior art described above teach or suggest a simple, inexpensive, but effective apparatus for cleaning ductwork wherein a parachute means is used in conjunction with a safety retrieval line extended out of the exhaust outlet of the ductwork to guarantee deployment and retrieval. 
   A majority of the cleaning systems today are expensive truck mounted large capacity vacuum machines wherein a tube is partially extended into the duct from the outlet and sucked out using the vacuum until flow is achieved or improved and some debris removed. Smaller capacity vacuum systems are deployed inside a dwelling, at the dryer connection to the duct inlet, for example. A vacuuming tube is inserted part of the way into the duct at the inlet and vacuumed. With both approaches a middle section of the duct remains untouched by a cleaning brush. 
   The foregoing disadvantages are overcome by the novel duct cleaning apparatus of the present invention wherein a parachute means is added and used to guarantee cleaning of the entirety of the duct from the outlet to the inlet with an actual brush in contact with the sidewall as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. 
   Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident by the full description and specification of the preferred embodiment, to wit: 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, as briefly described, provides a duct brush with flexible bristles deployed using an inverted parachute means combined with a vacuum means for cleaning dryer ducts, air conditioning ducts, heating ducts and the like. The brush is made up of standard flexible bristles made of boar&#39;s hair or nylon, for example, connected to a flexible rope with a parachute structure attached to another end. The parachute part of the structure is constructed to open like an inverted umbrella when suction is applied for the purpose of threading a line A made of rope, chain, filament, or string, for example, through the pipe to be cleaned. Line A may also be advantageously made of a bungee-like cord to achieve an additional spring-like benefit from pulling line A in the event the brush becomes stuck after deployment. A line B is also connected to the brush and extended out of the outlet of the duct as a safety retrieval line. A vacuum is applied to the inside aperture of the pipe to be cleaned to suck the parachute open and to cause it to transit through the pipe to the inlet or inside aperture. Once this is accomplished the brush at the other end of the rope is pulled through to the inside aperture cleaning the pipe of occlusive matter inside the pipe. 
   The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. 
   In this respect, before explaining a preferred embodiment of the invention in detail in conjunction with the drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
   Further, the purpose of this patent disclosure and description of the preferred embodiment of the novel invention is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms of phraseology, to determine the nature of the novel invention quickly from a cursory inspection and the essence of the technical disclosure of the application. Accordingly, this patent disclosure is neither intended to limitingly define the invention or its application, which only is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved duct cleaning device that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved duct cleaning device, which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
   It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved duct cleaning device, which is durable and reliable and easily constructed. 
   An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved duct-cleaning device, which is susceptible to a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible to low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a duct cleaning device available to the buying public or readily deployable by a home appliance service provider such as Sears™, for example. 
   Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved duct brush retrieval structure. 
   It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved duct brush, the size of which may be easily selected or adjusted to conform to the size of the duct being cleaned wherein a novel parachute means is added for deployment. 
   Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved duct brush including means for multiple brush passes by a serial connection of brush heads so that greater cleaning of the ductwork may be achieved with only one rope through pass using a parachute to thread a rope with multiple brush heads attached in series. 
   These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in this disclosure. 
   For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a cross-sectional view of a part of a dwelling with a dryer, a vacuum machine, a dryer vent pipe, and the cleaning apparatus of the invention; 
       FIG. 2   a  is a side view of the novel adapter for connecting a vacuum machine and line to a dryer vent pipe; 
       FIG. 2   b  is a cross-section of the novel adapter; 
       FIG. 2   c  is a perspective view of the novel adapter; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a parachute device in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a cutaway perspective view of a vent cleaning brush with lines A and B attached inside a dryer vent pipe in accordance with the invention; and, 
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating a selection of steps of the novel method of the invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   With reference to the drawings like numerals are assigned to the same parts in the different drawings wherein a new and improved duct brush apparatus and duct cleaning method and system embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention is described. 
   Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a brush  10  is portrayed as it is positioned in a pipe  12  having an inlet  13 , or vent or duct, for example. And, although the pipe  12  is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 4  as having a round cross-section, it may comprise round, square, flexible, rectangular or other shaped cross-sections or a combination thereof. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 4 , the brush  10  has bristles  14  arranged radially, for example, around a core  16  that is cylindrical, for example, adapted to retain the bristles  14 . The pipe  12  extends out of the roof at an outlet  15 . The core  16  has a forward ring  18  or connecting means for connecting the brush  10  to a line A, for example, attached to one end of the core  16  and a rear ring  20  or connecting means for connecting the brush  10  to a line B, for example, attached to the other end of the core  16 . The pipe  12  has an inside wall  22 . The forward ring  18  and the rear ring  20  of the brush  10  are integrally connected to the core  16 . The core  16  is shown located longitudinally in the pipe  12  with the bristles  14  frictionally engaging the inside wall  22  for cleaning same as the brush  10  moves along the pipe  12 . 
   As further shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 , line A having a first end  24  and a second end  26 , is attached to the forward ring  18  via its first end  24  wherein a connecting knot is formed at the forward ring  18 . The lines A and B are made of a line selected from the group consisting of rope, string, metal chain, or plastic filament, for example. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the second end  26  of the line A is attached by a knot, for example, to a transit means or transit device  30  that is parachute-like and has a diameter (measured transverse to the pull direction of the line A) greater than that of the pipe  12 . In  FIG. 1 , the rear ring  20  is shown attached by a knot to another line B, made of rope or bungee-cord line, for example. The line B functions as a safety line for retrieval of the brush  10  in the event it becomes lodged in the pipe  12  during its descent when being pulled along and thru the pipe  12  comprised of multi-directional ductwork, for example, by line A. 
   The device  30  shown in detail in  FIG. 3  is adapted to be sucked through the pipe  12  to a juncture  32  that connects to a dryer  34 . A sucking force is applied at the juncture  32  by a commercial vacuum machine  36  applied at the juncture  32 . The sucking force pulls the device  30  to a vacuum adapter  38  shown in detail in  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B, and  2 C. 
   In practice, the device  30  usually transits the pipe  12  of most dwellings in less than 30 seconds. Transit time depends on the length of the pipe  12 , the capacity of the vacuum machine  36 , the drag between the surface of the device  30  and the inside of the pipe  12 , the degree of occlusion anywhere in the pipe  12 , the length of the pipe  12 , and certain other minor factors known in the art. Once the device  30  reaches the adapter  38  it quickly accumulates there and stops there with the line A attached. The adapter  38  is then detached from the pipe  12  and the vacuum machine  36 . Next, the device  36  is removed from the adapter  38  and detached from the line A. The line A is then threaded through a small aperture  40  transversely or obliquely oriented with respect to a central axis  42  for the adapter  38  as fully illustrated in  FIG. 1  combined with  FIGS. 2   a ,  2   b , and  2   c.    
   Again referring to  FIG. 1  there is shown a partial cut-away view of a dwelling  44  with the pipe  12  extending outside a roof  46 , for example, covering the dwelling  44 . The pipe  12  comprises a dryer venting means to the outside of the dwelling  44 . A vent cap  48  non-sealingly covers the pipe  12 . In using the novel method the line B is optionally extended from the outside end of the pipe  12  as a backup or safety means for removing the brush  10  by pulling the line B. 
   In the initial trials and testing of the method and apparatus the device  30  comprised a kind of inverted parachute. The inventor discovered that device  30  functioned perfectly when it was comprised of a durable grocery plastic bag such as customarily used for bagging groceries in supermarkets, for example. The method of the invention has been commercially sold with significant commercial success using a money-back guarantee of an absolutely true representation that the entirety of the vent pipe will be cleaned from the outlet to inlet. 
   The inventor theorizes that the suction created at the juncture  32  caused by the vacuum machine  36  connected at the juncture  32  in place of the dryer  34 , causes some of the air to fill the bag and expand the bag open like a parachute until it is limited only by the inside wall  22  of the pipe  12 . For the lines A and B a medium diameter nylon rope is used. One end of rope comprising line A is used to securely tie the two handles of the plastic grocery bag together. The suction from the vacuum machine  36  moves the air filled grocery bag or parachute comprising the device  30  quickly through the pipe  12 . The flexibility of the device  30  combined with the suction from a vacuum machine  36  and a restriction reduction in diameter of the adapter  38  causes the device  30  to collapse and constrain itself in the adapter  38  where it can be retrieved. 
   Hence, shown in  FIG. 1  is a complete cleaning apparatus made up of a duct cleaning brush  10  with bristles  14  that is attached around a central spine  16 . The bristles  14  are adapted by being shaped as the inside contour of the pipe  12  for cleaning inside  22  of the pipe  12 , or duct, having the inlet  13  and the outlet  15 . The apparatus has a first attachment means or ring  18  for attaching a first line or line A. The first attachment means or ring  18  is located at a forward end of the brush  10 . A second attachment means or ring  20  is for attaching a second line or line B with a knot. The second attachment means or ring  20  is located at a rear end of the brush. The second line or line B is attached to the second attachment means or ring  20 . The second line or line B has a secondary first end and a secondary second end outside the dwelling  44 . 
   The first line or line A has a primary first end or end  24  and a primary second end or end  26 . The primary first end or end  24  is attached to the first attachment means or ring  18 . The primary second end of the line B extends out of the outlet  15 . The secondary first end is attached to the second attachment means or ring  20 . The second line or line B is a safety line to insure removal of the duct cleaning brush  10  in the event the duct cleaning brush  10  lodges in the duct or pipe  12 . 
   Line A or the first line is a pulling line wherein the primary second end  26  is attached to a transit device  30 , a detachable parachute-like means for deploying and moving the pulling line A. The device  30  is attached to the primary second end or end  24  of the pulling line or line A. 
   The adapter means or adapter  38  simultaneously receives the primary second end or end  26  of line A and a vacuum connection at the juncture  32 . The adapter  38  interconnects the juncture  32  and the vacuum machine  36  and allows end  26  of line A to be pulled. The brush  10  with the line A attached makes up a movable duct cleaning means for cleaning the duct  12  by the brush  10  movably fitting inside the duct  10 . The line A makes up a manipulating means for manipulating movement of the duct cleaning means or brush  10 . The knot connection of the line A and ring  18  forms an attaching means for detachably attaching the manipulating means or line. The device  30  is a transport means detachably connected to the manipulating means or line A. Line A is flexible and substantially inelastic. 
   As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the next step in the novel method occurs by stopping the vacuum. Then, after the device  30  is removed the rope A may be pulled independently or threaded through a side vent or aperture  40  and the adapter  38  re-attached to the vacuum machine  36  and a vacuum or suction applied to the pipe  12  as the brush  10  is pulled down or along the pipe  12  by the line A. 
   As noted above and shown in detail in  FIG. 4 , the line B serves as a safety rope for retrieval of the brush  10  in the event the brush  10  is unable to fully navigate all of the turns of the pipe  12  or has to be changed to a different size diameter to fully traverse the entirety of the pipe  12  and/or to provide a means for administering a scrubbing action if needed to dislodge a stubborn occlusion, for example. 
   As evinced by the foregoing, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the novel method for cleaning the vent pipe  12  comprises the following steps: (step  100 ) Removing the outside vent cover  48  (in actuality, this is an optional step since oftentimes access to the pipe  12  can obtained and the brush and other required items inserted without removing the cover or there is no cover  48 ); (step  102 ) inserting a transit means such as a parachute, parachute-like plastic bag, or device  30  attached to the brush  10  via the line A, into the vent pipe  12 ; (step  103 ) inserting the brush  10  with the line A attached into the pipe  12 ; (step  104 ) extending the safety line B outside of the pipe  12  and down a side of the dwelling  44 ; (step  105 ) detaching or disconnecting a dryer  34  from its vent pipe  12  connection inside the dwelling  44 ; (step  106 ) attaching the adapter  38 , a vacuum machine coupler, to the pipe  12  inside the dwelling  44 ; (step  107 ) applying a vacuum suction with a vacuum cleaner to the pipe  12  via the adapter  38  or coupler until the device  30  lodges inside or near enough to the adapter  38  to be manually retrieved; (step  108 ) detaching the adapter  38 ; (step  109 ) then, removing the device  30  with the line A attached; (step  110 ) then, detaching or removing the device  30  from the line A; (step  111 ) threading or extending the line A through an aperture  40  in the adapter  38 ; (step  112 ) re-attaching the adapter  38  to the inside end of the pipe  12 ; (step  113 ) re-applying suction to the pipe  12 ; (steps  114   a  and  114   b ) and simultaneously or concomitantly pulling line A with the brush  10  attached to the line A inside the pipe  12 ; (step  115 ) removing the brush  10  from the pipe  12 ; (step  116 ) disconnecting the line B from the brush  10 ; (step  117 ) re-attaching or interconnecting the pipe  12  to the dryer  34 ; (step  118 ) removing the line B from the pipe  12  (note: This step is optional as the line B can be pulled from the inside through the inlet  13 ); and, (step  119 ) re-attaching the vent cap  48  to the pipe  12  outside the dwelling  44 . Again, step  119  is optional and required if and only if step  100  is implemented. 
   Thus, the method of the invention comprises a novel improvement in the prior methods for cleaning a duct in a dwelling. In all dwellings the duct has an inlet and an outlet separated by meters of virtually airtight interconnected lengths of duct extending in multiple directions inside the walls of the dwelling. However, each duct extends in the case of a clothes dryer from its air vent on the back of the dryer through a flexible duct to an inlet onto which the flexible accordion type duct is connected with a clamp. The duct vents hot air from the dryer from inside the dwelling to outside of the dwelling and usually becomes significantly and partially clogged from time to time requiring cleaning. However, the prior art usually partly cleans the duct. This partial cleaning extends from the inlet partially up the duct by brushing and vacuuming. Some cleaning services remove the outside vent cap and insert a brush from the outside to loosen debris and then vacuum. However, the prior art does not teach routinely cleaning and scrubbing the entire length of the duct from the inlet to the outlet. 
   The improved method comprising the additional step of passing a brush having a forward end and a rear end into the duct, the step of moving the brush inside the duct with a line A attached to the brush that extends through the entirety of the duct to the inlet. A transit means such as the device  30  combined attachment to the line A and then the step of applying a vacuum to the duct moves the transit means  30  through the duct  12  to the inlet  32 , the improvement comprising the additional steps of: (a) attaching a safety line to an end of the brush; (b) extending the safety line out of the outlet to the outside of the dwelling; (c) attaching a pulling means to the brush for pulling the brush through the duct; (d) attaching a transit means for moving the pulling means through the duct to the inlet, the transit means being attached to the pulling means; and, (e) applying a vacuum means for generating a suction force sufficient to suck the transit means with the pulling means attached through the duct to the inlet; and, (f) extending the pulling means out of the inlet. 
   The invention having now been fully described, it should be understood that it may be embodied in other specific forms or variations without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Accordingly, the embodiments described above are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims and/or the doctrine of equivalents is intended to be embraced therein. 
   
     
       
             
           
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
             
               PARTS LIST 
             
             
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
             
           
        
         
             
                 
               brush 
               10 
             
             
                 
               pipe 
               12 
             
             
                 
               inlet 
               13 
             
             
                 
               bristles 
               14 
             
             
                 
               outlet 
               15 
             
             
                 
               core 
               16 
             
             
                 
               forward ring 
               18 
             
             
                 
               rear ring 
               20 
             
             
                 
               inside wall 
               22 
             
             
                 
               line 
               A 
             
             
                 
               first end 
               24 
             
             
                 
               second end 
               26 
             
             
                 
               device 
               30 
             
             
                 
               line 
               B 
             
             
                 
               juncture 
               32 
             
             
                 
               dryer 
               34 
             
             
                 
               vacuum machine 
               36 
             
             
                 
               adapter 
               38 
             
             
                 
               aperture 
               40 
             
             
                 
               axis 
               42 
             
             
                 
               dwelling 
               44 
             
             
                 
               roof 
               46 
             
             
                 
               vent cap 
               48