Patent ID: 7430781

Claim:
A window blind cleaning system, comprising: first and second backing plates, each of the backing plates having an inner surface and an outer surface; the inner surfaces being sized and shaped to conform to a shape of a window blind; first and second cleaning pads, the cleaning pads being sized and shaped to cover the inner surfaces; means for attaching the cleaning pads to the inner surfaces; first and second support arms, each of the support arms having an upper end, a lower end, being formed of resilient material, pivotally mounted to one of the outer surfaces at the upper end and fixedly attached adjacent a first end of a handle at the lower end; first and second toggle links, the toggle links having inner and outer ends, being pivotally attached at the outer ends to the first and second support arms, respectively, between the upper and lower ends and pivotally attached at the inner ends to a first end of an actuating link; the actuating link being disposed substantially parallel to the handle and connecting at a second end to a trigger, the trigger being pivotally attached adjacent a second end of the handle; the trigger moving the actuating link from an extended position, allowing the support arms to separate the backing plates, to a retracted position, closing the backing plates with attached cleaning pads about the window blind against outward urging of the support arms; and whereby, when the trigger moves the actuating link to the retracted position the first and second cleaning pads will be clamped on either side of the window blind and are movable along a length of the blind for cleaning, and when the trigger moves the actuating link to the extended position, the support arms will separate the backing plates and the cleaning pads from the blind for removal therefrom.