U.S. patent application number 10/266402 was filed with the patent office on 2004-04-08 for hand-held, battery powered cleaning tool.
Invention is credited to Blaustein, Lawrence A., Brown, Patrick W., Gall, Douglas A., Nottingham, John R., Osher, John, Spirk, John W., Tapper, Jay.
Application Number | 20040064907 10/266402 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32042671 |
Filed Date | 2004-04-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040064907 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Blaustein, Lawrence A. ; et
al. |
April 8, 2004 |
Hand-held, battery powered cleaning tool
Abstract
A hand held cleaning tool is powered by commonly available
batteries. Preferably a momentary switch selectively delivers power
from the batteries to a motor. An output shaft of the tool includes
an expandable coupling, such as, for example a set of swaging cams.
Torque delivery arms radiate outward from the output shaft. For
example, the torque delivery arms are carried by a hub. The hub is
attached to the output shaft with a pin. The hub also acts to
secure a power train including the motor and output shaft to a
housing of the cleaning tool. The torque delivery arms are received
in slots or interdental spaces associated with a cleaning head.
Torque is delivered to the cleaning head with a reduced stress
concentration.
Inventors: |
Blaustein, Lawrence A.;
(Moreland Hills, OH) ; Osher, John; (Moreland
Hills, OH) ; Tapper, Jay; (Shaker Heights, OH)
; Gall, Douglas A.; (Westlake, OH) ; Nottingham,
John R.; (Bratenahl, OH) ; Spirk, John W.;
(Gates Mills, OH) ; Brown, Patrick W.; (Mantua,
OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Patrick R. Roche
Fay, Sharpe, Fagan, Minnich & McKee, LLP
7th Floor
1100 Superior Avenue
Cleveland
OH
44114-2518
US
|
Family ID: |
32042671 |
Appl. No.: |
10/266402 |
Filed: |
October 8, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/23 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 13/02 20130101;
A46B 7/04 20130101; A47L 17/04 20130101; A47K 11/10 20130101; B08B
1/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/023 |
International
Class: |
A46B 013/02 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A cleaning system comprising: a power compartment including: a
power source housed within the power compartment; a motor mounted
within the power compartment, the motor powered by the power
source; a switch for selectively connecting the motor to the power
source; and, a power output driven by the motor for delivering
power to a device connected to the power compartment; a
transmission module selectively connectable to the power
compartment; and a cleaning head selectively connectable to the
transmission module.
2. The cleaning system of claim 1 further comprising: at least one
additional transmission module, each transmission module including
a different drive mechanism and being selectively connectable to
the to the power compartment.
3. The cleaning system of claim 1 further comprising: at least one
additional cleaning head, each cleaning head being configured for a
particular cleaning task, each cleaning head being selectively
connectable to the transmission module to be selectively driven by
the drive mechanism of the transmission module, whereby the
cleaning system can be used to accomplish a particular cleaning
task.
4. The cleaning system of claim 2 further comprising: at least one
additional cleaning head, each cleaning head being configured for a
particular cleaning task, each cleaning head being selectively
connectable to at least one of the transmission modules to be
selectively driven by the drive mechanism of the at least one of
the transmission modules, whereby the cleaning system can be used
to accomplish a particular cleaning task.
5. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the power source
comprises at least one battery.
6. The cleaning system of claim 2 wherein the at least one battery
comprises a disposable battery.
7. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the power source
comprises four AA size batteries.
8. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the switch is a momentary
switch.
9. The cleaning system of claim 2 wherein the switch is a momentary
switch.
10. The cleaning system of claim 3 wherein the switch is a
momentary switch.
11. The cleaning system of claim 4 wherein the switch is a
momentary switch.
12. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the switch is included
in the transmission module and is actuated through the application
of pressure or force upon the cleaning head connected to the
transmission module.
13. The cleaning system of claim 12 wherein the switch is a
momentary switch.
14. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the power compartment
and the transmission module include respective mating threads for
selectively connecting the transmission module to the power
compartment.
15. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the cleaning head
comprises a cleaning element pretreated with a cleansing agent.
16. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the cleaning head
comprises a pot scrubber.
17. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the cleaning head
comprises a glass cleaner.
18. The cleaning system of claim 2 wherein the power compartment
and each of the transmission modules comprise elongated
housings.
19. The cleaning system of claim 18 wherein the elongated
transmission module has a length selected to give the cleaning
system an over all length optimized for a bathroom cleaning
task.
20. The cleaning system of claim 18 wherein the elongated
transmission module has a length selected to give the cleaning
system an over all length in the range of about 14 inches to about
40 inches, thereby providing a comfortable reach for a bathroom
cleaning task.
21. The cleaning system of claim 2 wherein each of the transmission
modules is configured to drive the cleaning head in a manner
directed to a particular cleaning task.
22. The cleaning system of claim 2 wherein a first transmission
module includes a drive mechanism having a first transmission ratio
and a second transmission module includes a drive mechanism having
a second transmission ratio.
23. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the power compartment
includes a gripping portion sized and shaped to fit comfortably in
the hand of a user.
24. The cleaning system of claim 23 wherein the gripping portion is
at least about 3.5 inches in length, thereby allowing the gripping
portion to be comfortably cradled in a palm of a user.
25. The cleaning system of claim 23 wherein the gripping portion is
at about one inch in width, thereby allowing the fingers of a user
to be comfortably wrapped around the gripping portion.
26. The cleaning system of claim 23 wherein the gripping portion is
at about 1.4 inches in height, thereby allowing the gripping
section to be cradled comfortably in a palm of a user and allowing
the fingers of a user to be comfortably wrapped around the gripping
portion.
27. The cleaning system of claim 23 wherein the switch is located
adjacent to the gripping portion, a center of a switch button being
spaced about 3/4 to about 1 inch from a first end of the gripping
portion along a longitudinal axis of the power compartment, along
an upper edge of the power compartment so that when a heel of a
hand of a user rests comfortably on the upper edge of the power
compartment, a thumb of the user can comfortably actuate the
switch.
28. The cleaning system of claim 1 further comprising a swaging cam
associated with an output of the transmission, the swaging cam
being operative to mate with and retain a mating portion of the
cleaning head.
29. The cleaning system of claim 1 further comprising an output hub
associated with an output of the transmission, the output hub
including a torque arm, the toque arm being operative to be
received within interdental spaces of torque teeth of the cleaning
head when the cleaning head is connected to the transmission
module, the torque arm thereby providing a moment arm for the
delivery of torque to the cleaning head.
30. The cleaning system of claim 1 further comprising: a battery
door for securing the power source inside the power compartment; a
first o-ring for forming a seal between the battery door and a
second end of the gripping portion; a gasket for forming a seal
between the first end of the power compartment and the transmission
compartment; a seal for sealing the output end of the transmission
compartment; and a sealing button for sealing a switch access via
in the power compartment.
31. A cleaning wand configured for hand-held cleaning, the cleaning
wand comprising: an elongated power compartment including: a power
source housed within the power compartment; a motor mounted within
the power compartment, the motor selectively connected to the power
source; a power output driven by the motor for delivering power to
a device connected to the power compartment; an elongated
transmission module including threads for selectively connecting
the transmission module to or disconnecting the transmission module
from the power compartment, the transmission module including a
mechanism for transforming power from the power output to a form
selected for a particular cleaning task; a cleaning head; and a
switch for selectively connecting the motor to the power
source.
32. The cleaning wand of claim 1 wherein the cleaning head is
configured for selective installation at a longitudinal axial end
of the transmission module to be selectively driven by the
mechanism of transmission module, whereby the cleaning wand can be
used to accomplish a particular cleaning task.
33. The cleaning wand of claim 31 wherein the switch is a momentary
switch.
34. The cleaning wand of claim 31 wherein the switch is included in
the transmission module and is actuated through the application of
pressure or force upon the cleaning head connected to the
transmission module.
35. The cleaning wand of claim 31 wherein the switch is a finger
switch included on the power compartment than can be actuated
through the application of pressure from a finger of a user.
36. The cleaning wand of claim 31 wherein the power compartment
further comprises a battery charger.
37. The cleaning wand of claim 31 wherein the power source
comprises at least one battery.
38. The cleaning wand of claim 31 wherein the at least one battery
comprises a disposable battery.
39. The cleaning wand of claim 31 wherein the at least one battery
comprises four AA size batteries.
40. The cleaning wand of claim 31 further comprising an expandable
coupling for being matingly received in a socket of the cleaning
head.
41. The cleaning wand of claim 40 wherein the expandable coupling
comprises a swaging cam.
42. The cleaning wand of claim 40 further comprising a torque
transmission arm for being matingly received between two of a
plurality of moment arm teeth of the cleaning head.
43. The cleaning wand of claim 31 wherein the switch comprises a
switch support mounted to a back end of the motor; a resiliently
biased arm mounted too the switch support, the resiliently biased
arm being resiliently spaced, in an over lapping manner, from a
power terminal of the motor.
44. The cleaning wand of claim 31 wherein the switch further
comprises a flexible membrane sealingly engaging an aperture in the
power compartment.
45. The cleaning wand of claim 31 wherein the transmission module
includes a transmission sleeve, the transmission sleeve engaging a
portion of the power compartment.
46. The cleaning wand of claim 45 wherein the transmission module
includes a transmission module shell, the transmission sleeve being
received within the transmission module shell, the transmission
module shell including a threaded end for threadingly engaging a
threaded end of the power compartment.
47. A cleaning system comprising: a handle: a power source housed
within the handle; an upper housing selectively connectable to the
handle; a transmission mounted within the upper housing; a motor
mounted to a power input portion of the transmission; a contact
holder mounted to a back end of the motor; a switching element
mounted to the contact holder, the switching element being
resiliently bias away from a power contact of the motor; a hub
connected to an output of the transmission; and a cleaning head
selectively connectable at the hub.
48. The cleaning system of claim 47 further comprising: at least
one additional upper housing, each upper housing including a
different transmission and/or motor, and a hub, and each upper
housing being selectively connectable to the to the handle.
49. The cleaning system of claim 47 further comprising: at least
one additional cleaning head, each cleaning head being configured
for a particular cleaning task, each cleaning head being
selectively connectable the hub to be selectively driven by the
transmission of the upper housing, whereby the cleaning system can
be used to accomplish a particular cleaning task.
50. The cleaning system of claim 48 further comprising: at least
one additional cleaning head, each cleaning head being configured
for a particular cleaning task, each cleaning head being
selectively connectable to at least one of the upper housings to be
selectively driven by the transmission of the at least one upper
housing, whereby the cleaning system can be used to accomplish a
particular cleaning task.
51. The cleaning system of claim 47 wherein the power source
comprises at least one battery.
52. The cleaning system of claim 51 wherein the at least one
battery comprises a disposable battery.
53. The cleaning system of claim 47 wherein the power source
comprises four AA size batteries.
54. The cleaning system of claim 47 wherein the switch is a
momentary switch.
55. The cleaning system of claim 48 wherein the switch is a
momentary switch.
56. The cleaning system of claim 49 wherein the switch is a
momentary switch.
57. The cleaning system of claim 50 wherein the switch is a
momentary switch.
58. The cleaning system of claim 47 wherein the switch is actuated
through the application of pressure or force upon the cleaning head
installed in the upper housing.
59. The cleaning system of claim 58 wherein the switch is a
momentary switch.
60. The cleaning system of claim 47 wherein the handle and the
upper housing include respective mating threads for selectively
connecting the upper housing to the handle.
61. The cleaning system of claim 47 wherein the cleaning head
comprises a cleaning element pretreated with a cleansing agent.
62. The cleaning system of claim 47 wherein the cleaning head
comprises a pot scrubber.
63. The cleaning system of claim 47 wherein the cleaning head
comprises a glass cleaner.
64. The cleaning system of claim 47 wherein the handle and each of
the plurality of upper housings comprise elongated housings.
65. The cleaning system of claim 64 wherein the elongated upper
housing has a length selected to give the cleaning system an over
all length optimized for a bathroom cleaning task.
66. The cleaning system of claim 65 wherein the elongated upper
housing has a length selected to give the cleaning system an over
all length in the range of about 14 inches to about 40 inches,
thereby providing a comfortable reach for a bathroom cleaning
task.
67. The cleaning system of claim 50 wherein each of the plurality
of upper housings includes a motor and transmission configured to
drive at least one of the cleaning heads in a manner directed to a
particular cleaning task.
68. The cleaning system of claim 48 wherein a first upper housing
of the plurality of upper housings includes a drive mechanism
having a first transmission ratio and a second upper housing
includes a drive mechanism having a second transmission ratio.
69. The cleaning system of claim 47 wherein the handle includes a
gripping portion sized and shaped to fit comfortably in the hand of
a user.
70. The cleaning system of claim 69 wherein the gripping portion is
at least about 3.5 inches in length, thereby allowing the gripping
portion to be comfortably cradled in a palm of a user.
71. The cleaning system of claim 69 wherein the gripping portion is
at about one inch in width, thereby allowing the fingers of a user
to be comfortably wrapped around the gripping portion.
72. The cleaning system of claim 69 wherein the gripping portion is
at about 1.4 inches in height, thereby allowing the gripping
section to be cradled comfortably in a palm of a user and allowing
the fingers of a user to be comfortably wrapped around the gripping
portion.
73. The cleaning system of claim 69 wherein the switch is located
adjacent to the gripping portion, a center of the switch being
spaced about 3/4 to about 1 inch from a first end of the gripping
portion along a direction of a longitudinal axis of the handle,
along an upper edge of the handle so that when a heel of a hand of
a user rests on the upper edge of the handle, a thumb of a user can
comfortably actuate the switch.
74. The cleaning system of claim 47 further comprising a swaging
cam associated with an output of the transmission, the swaging cam
being operative to receive and retain a mating portion of the
cleaning head.
75. The cleaning system of claim 47 further comprising an output
hub associated with an output of the transmission, the output hub
including at least one torque transmitting arm, the toque
transmitting arm being operative to be received within interdental
spaces of torque receiving teeth of the cleaning head when the
cleaning head is connected to the upper housing, the torque
transmitting arm thereby providing a moment arm for the delivery of
torque to the cleaning head.
76. The cleaning system of claim 47 further comprising: a battery
door for securing the power source inside the handle and for
providing access for replacing the power source; a first o-ring for
forming a seal between the battery door and an end of the handle; a
gasket for forming a seal between the first end of the handle and
the transmission compartment; and, a seal for sealing an output end
of the upper housing.
77. The cleaning system of claim 47 further comprising: a sealing
button for sealing a switch access via in the cleaning system.
78. A cleaning wand configured for hand-held cleaning, the cleaning
wand comprising: an elongated handle including: a power source
housed within the handle; an elongated upper housing including
threads for selectively connecting the upper housing to or
disconnecting the upper housing from the handle; a mechanism for
transforming input power to a movement selected for a particular
cleaning task; a motor mounted to the mechanism for providing input
power to the mechanism, the motor being selectively connected to
the power source; a switch for selectively connecting the motor to
the power source; a cleaning head; and an interconnect for
selectively connecting the cleaning head to a movement output of
the mechanism.
79. The cleaning wand of claim 78 wherein the cleaning head is
configured for selective installation at a longitudinal axial end
of the upper housing to be selectively driven by the mechanism of
upper housing, whereby the cleaning wand can be used to accomplish
a particular cleaning task.
80. The cleaning wand of claim 78 wherein the switch is a momentary
switch.
81. The cleaning wand of claim 78 wherein the switch is included in
the upper housing and is actuated through the application of
pressure or force upon the cleaning head connected at the
interconnect.
82. The cleaning wand of claim 78 wherein the switch is a finger
switch included on the handle that can be actuated through the
application of pressure from a finger of a user.
83. The cleaning wand of claim 78 wherein the handle further
comprises a battery charger.
84. The cleaning wand of claim 78 wherein the power source
comprises at least one battery.
85. The cleaning wand of claim 78 wherein the at least one battery
comprises a disposable battery.
86. The cleaning wand of claim 78 wherein the at least one battery
comprises four AA size batteries.
87. The cleaning wand of claim 78 wherein the interconnect
comprises an expandable coupling for being matingly received in a
socket of the cleaning head.
88. The cleaning wand of claim 87 wherein the expandable coupling
comprises a swaging cam.
89. The cleaning wand of claim 78 further comprising an arm for
being matingly received between two moment arm teeth of the
cleaning head.
90. The cleaning wand of claim 78 wherein the switch comprises a
switch support mounted to a back end of the motor; a conductive
resiliently biased arm mounted too the switch support, the
resiliently biased arm being resiliently spaced, in an over lapping
manner, from a power terminal of the motor.
91. The cleaning wand of claim 78 wherein the switch further
comprises a flexible membrane sealingly engaging an aperture in the
handle.
92. The cleaning wand of claim 78 wherein the upper housing
includes a transmission sleeve, the transmission sleeve matingly
engaging a portion of the upper housing, thereby preventing the
transmission sleeve from rotating.
93. An ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool
comprising a detachable cleaning head; a generally cylindrical
housing; a battery located in a battery compartment in the housing;
an electric motor located in the housing; a contact holder mounted
to the motor, the contact holder including contacts for receiving
power from the batteries and a switch element in overlapping
relation to a motor contact, the switch element being resiliently
biased away from the motor contact; an output shaft; a transmission
for coupling the motor to the output shaft, the output shaft
extending outside the housing; means for attaching the detachable
cleaning head to the output shaft.
94. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 93 wherein the means for attaching the detachable cleaning
head to the output shaft comprises a swaging cam molded into the
output shaft and a socket for receiving the swaging cam, the socket
being associated with the cleaning attachment.
95. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 93 wherein the transmission comprises a first set of
planetary gears configured to receive a pinion gear mounted to an
output shaft of the motor.
96. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 95 wherein the transmission comprises a second set of
planetary gears and a gear holder with pinion for interconnecting
the first set of planetary gears with the second set of planetary
gears.
97. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 96 wherein the output shaft includes a second gear holder
molded thereto.
98. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 93 wherein the generally cylindrical housing includes a
gripping portion sized and shaped to fit comfortably in the hand of
a user.
99. The cleaning system of claim 98 wherein the gripping portion is
at least about 3.5 inches in length, thereby allowing the gripping
portion to be comfortably cradled in a palm of a user.
100. The cleaning system of claim 98 wherein the gripping portion
is at about one inch in width, thereby allowing the fingers of a
user to be comfortably wrapped around the gripping portion.
101. The cleaning system of claim 98 wherein the gripping portion
is at about 1.4 inches in height, thereby allowing the gripping
section to be cradled comfortably in a palm of a user and allowing
the fingers of a user to be comfortably wrapped around the gripping
portion.
102. The cleaning system of claim 98 wherein the switch is located
adjacent to the gripping portion, a center of the switch being
spaced about 3/4 to about 1 inch from a first end of the gripping
portion along a longitudinal axis of the housing, along an upper
edge of the housing so that when a heel of a hand of a user rests
comfortably on the upper edge of the power compartment, a thumb of
a user can comfortably actuate the switch.
103. The cleaning system of claim 98 wherein the gripping portion
is hollowed for forming a battery compartment for housing the
replaceable batteries.
104. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 94 wherein the means for attaching the detachable cleaning
head to the output shaft further comprises a hub, the hub including
torque delivery arms the torque delivery arms configured to be
received within interdental spaces of torque receiving teeth
associated with the cleaning head.
105. An ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool
comprising a detachable cleaning head; a generally cylindrical
housing including a lower housing including a gripping portion; an
upper housing connected to the lower housing and extending away
from the lower housing, an attachment point for the detachable head
being located at a distal end of the upper housing; a battery
located in a battery compartment in the housing; an electric motor
located in the housing; a switch for actuating the cleaning tool by
directing power from the battery to the electric motor, the switch
being disposed in relation to the gripping portion to allow the
switch to be comfortably operated by a finger of a hand gripping
the gripping portion, the upper housing being dimensioned to space
the detachable cleaning head from the gripping portion and the
switch to allow the cleaning tool to be gripped, actuated and the
cleaning head to be brought in contact with a work piece while
preventing the work piece from interfering with the hand gripping
the gripping portion or the finger operating the switch; an output
shaft; a transmission for coupling the motor to the output shaft,
the output shaft extending outside the upper housing at the distal
end; means for attaching the detachable cleaning head to the output
shaft.
106. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 105 wherein the switch is a momentary switch.
107. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 105 wherein the means for attaching the detachable cleaning
head to the output shaft comprises a swaging cam molded into the
output shaft and a socket for receiving the swaging cam, the socket
being associated with the cleaning attachment.
108. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 105 wherein the transmission comprises a first set of
planetary gears configured to receive a pinion gear mounted to an
output shaft of the motor.
109. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 108 wherein the transmission comprises a second set of
planetary gears and a gear holder with pinion for interconnecting
the first set of planetary gears with the second set of planetary
gears.
110. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 108 wherein the output shaft includes a second gear holder
molded thereto.
111. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 105 wherein the gripping portion sized and shaped to fit
comfortably in the hand of a user.
112. The cleaning system of claim 112 wherein the gripping portion
is at least about 3.5 inches in length, thereby allowing the
gripping portion to be comfortably cradled in a palm of a user.
113. The cleaning system of claim 111 wherein the gripping portion
is at about an inch in width, thereby allowing the fingers of a
user to be comfortably wrapped around the gripping portion.
114. The cleaning system of claim 111 wherein the gripping portion
is at about 1.4 inches in height, thereby allowing the gripping
section to be cradled comfortably in a palm of a user and allowing
the fingers of a user to be comfortably wrapped around the gripping
portion.
115. The cleaning system of claim 111 wherein a center of the
switch is spaced about 3/4 to about 1 inch from a first end of the
gripping portion along a longitudinal axis of the housing, along an
upper edge of the housing so that when a heel of a hand of a user
rests comfortably on the upper edge of the power compartment, a
thumb of a user can comfortably actuate the switch.
116. An ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool
comprising a detachable cleaning head; a generally cylindrical
housing including a lower housing including a gripping portion; an
upper housing connected to the lower housing and extending away
from the lower housing, an attachment point for the detachable head
being located at a distal end of the upper housing; a battery
located in a battery compartment in the housing; an electric motor
located in the housing; a momentary switch for actuating the
cleaning tool by directing power from the battery to the electric
motor, the momentary switch being disposed in relation to the
gripping portion to allow the switch to be comfortably operated by
a finger of a hand gripping the gripping portion, the upper housing
being dimensioned to space the detachable cleaning head from the
gripping portion and the momentary switch to allow the cleaning
tool to be gripped, actuated and the cleaning head to be brought in
contact with a work piece while preventing the work piece from
interfering with the hand gripping the gripping portion or the
finger operating the momentary switch; an output shaft; a
transmission for coupling the motor to the output shaft, the output
shaft extending outside the upper housing at the distal end; means
for attaching the detachable cleaning head to the output shaft.
117. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 116 wherein the means for attaching the detachable cleaning
head to the output shaft comprises a swaging cam molded into the
output shaft and a socket for receiving the swaging cam, the socket
being associated with the cleaning attachment.
118. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 116 wherein the transmission comprises a first set of
planetary gears configured to receive a pinion gear mounted to an
output shaft of the motor.
119. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 116 wherein the transmission comprises a second set of
planetary gears and a gear holder with pinion for interconnecting
the first set of planetary gears with the second set of planetary
gears.
120. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 119 wherein the output shaft includes a second gear holder
molded thereto.
121. The ergonomic, hand held, battery powered cleaning tool of
claim 116 wherein the gripping portion sized and shaped to fit
comfortably in the hand of a user.
122. The cleaning system of claim 121 wherein the gripping portion
is at least about 3.5 inches in length, thereby allowing the
gripping portion to be comfortably cradled in a palm of a user.
123. The cleaning system of claim 121 wherein the gripping portion
is at about one inch in width, thereby allowing the fingers of a
user to be comfortably wrapped around the gripping portion.
124. The cleaning system of claim 121 wherein the gripping portion
is at about 1.4 inches in height, thereby allowing the gripping
section to be cradled comfortably in a palm of a user and allowing
the fingers of a user to be comfortably wrapped around the gripping
portion.
125. The cleaning system of claim 121 wherein a center of the
momentary switch is spaced about 3/4 to about 1 inch from a first
end of the gripping portion along a longitudinal axis of the
housing, along an upper edge of the housing so that when a heel of
a hand of a user rests comfortably on the upper edge of the power
compartment, a thumb of a user can comfortably actuate the
switch.
126. A durable cleaning tool comprising: a housing including a
power compartment for holding a power source; a motor mounted
within the housing; a switch for selectively connecting the motor
to the power source if the power source is installed within the
compartment; an output shaft, extending from within the housing to
outside the housing, the output shaft being powered directly or
indirectly by the motor; torque transmission arms extending
radially outward from the portion of the output shaft extending
outside the housing; a cleaning head; and, torque receiving
elements associated with the cleaning head for receiving torque
from the torque transmission arms.
127. The durable cleaning tool of claim 126 wherein the torque
transmission arms extend radially outward at least about 0.5 inches
from a longitudinal axis of the output shaft.
128. The durable cleaning tool of claim 126 wherein the torque
receiving elements engage the torque transmission arms at at least
about 0.5 inches from a longitudinal axis of the output shaft.
129. The durable cleaning tool of claim 126 further comprising a
hub attached to the portion of the output shaft extending outside
the housing, the hub carrying the torque transmission arms.
130. The durable cleaning tool of claim 126 wherein the torque
receiving elements comprise teeth, the torque transmitting arms
being receivable in interdental spaces between the teeth.
131. The durable cleaning tool of claim 126 wherein the switch
further comprises a switching contact resiliently biased from a
motor terminal contact and the cleaning too further comprises: a
contact holder mounted to a back end of the motor, the contact
holder being operative to support the switching contact and the
motor terminal contact; a keying mechanism having keying elements
distributed between the housing and the contact holder, the keying
mechanism being operative to ensure the contact holder is installed
within the housing in a proper orientation and to prevent the
contact holder and therefore the motor from rotating once they are
properly installed within the housing.
132. The durable cleaning tool of claim 126 wherein the power
source comprises four AA size batteries.
133. The durable cleaning tool of claim 126 wherein the housing
comprises and upper housing and a lower housing.
134. The durable cleaning tool of claim 133 wherein the output
shaft is captured within the upper housing by a hub installed on
the portion of the output shaft extending outside the housing, the
durable cleaning tool further comprising: a peripheral gear housing
within the upper housing, captured to a wall of the upper housing
by a bearing installed on the a portion of the output shaft within
the housing and a hub installed on a the portion of the output
shaft extending outside the housing; a motor mount attached to a
front end of the motor and attached to the peripheral gear housing,
thereby associating the motor with the upper housing.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The invention is related to the art of cleaning tools. The
invention will be described in terms of a household cleaning tool,
such as, for example, a kitchen or bathroom cleaning tool. However,
the invention can be applied to other cleaning, polishing, sanding
or similar applications.
[0002] Known battery powered cleaning tools suffer from at least
one of the following three drawbacks. They require non-standard
power sources or batteries that are not readily available; they
include slide-type switches, which are not momentary in nature;
and/or they apply torque, and, therefore, stresses, to cleaning
heads or brushes at relatively narrow portions of cleaning
attachments.
[0003] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,790 to Root, et al.
discloses several battery powered scrubbing devices. Each disclosed
scrubbing device includes a single rechargeable battery. Root does
not disclose the size or type of battery. However, the relative
size and shape of the battery shown in the illustrations, as well
as a probable power requirement of a scrubbing device, indicate
that the battery contemplated by Root is of a type not readily
available to the general public.
[0004] Rechargeable batteries have a limited lifetime.
Additionally, rechargeable batteries are known to have preferred
operating and care conditions. For example, the useful lifetime of
some rechargeable batteries is diminished if the batteries are not
fully discharged before recharging. Many users of battery powered
cleaning tools are unaware of, or are unwilling to devote the
required attention to, a rechargeable battery care regime.
Therefore, the difficulty in replacing the rechargeable batteries
of Root, due to their uncommon nature, may lead to a shortened
useful lifetime of the overall device.
[0005] The scrubbing devices of Root also include switches. Root
does not disclose the type of switch. However, it appears that the
switches disclosed in Root are of the push on/push off or slide
type. For example, one switch is disposed at a back end of a
scrubbing device. In that position, the switch cannot be reasonably
held in an on position while the tool is being used. Non-momentary
switches can be problematic in cleaning tools because a distracted
user can forget to shut the tool off before placing it, for
example, on a counter top. For instance, a user may be distracted,
by a telephone or a child, and place a cleaning tool with a
spinning cleaning head on a counter top. In that case, the cleaning
tool may run across the counter top possibly knocking glasses and
dishes to the floor. If, on the other hand, a cleaning tool were to
incorporate a momentary switch, the cleaning head would stop moving
as soon as the tool was released. Furthermore, the inclusion of a
momentary actuation switch in a cleaning tool helps conserve
energy. For example, through the use of a momentary switch the tool
is de-powered during every pause in the cleaning operation, or
whenever the user is not making a conscious effort to actuate the
machine. Therefore, battery life is extended.
[0006] Lastly, Root discloses several cleaning heads. The cleaning
heads include relatively narrow hexagonally shaped jacks that are
received in a hexagonally shaped socket of the cleaning tool main
body. Therefore, when the tool is operated, torque is applied with
a very short moment arm to the edges and surfaces of the
hexagonally shaped jack. Because the torque is applied with a
relatively short moment arm, a working cleaning head, such as
disclosed by Root, undergoes undue mechanical stresses that can
lead to premature aging and, eventually, fatigue and brush
failure.
[0007] Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,681 B1 to Dolab discloses a
rotary brush cleaning device including a rechargeable battery
enclosed in a power source case, a switch of undisclosed type that
appears to be a slide switch, and a plurality of cleaning heads.
While Dolah suggests that replaceable batteries may be used, Dolah
does not suggest a replaceable battery arrangement that would be
adequate to provide the required power, nor does Dolah suggest a
brush design that could accommodate replaceable batteries while
maintaining an ergonomic form factor and pleasing design. The
brushes disclosed by Dolah include base portions that are used to
connect the brushes to the main body of the cleaning device. The
base portions include L-shaped slots for receiving pins of the
cleaning device. While no dimensions are given in either reference,
the base portions of Dolah might be of a larger diameter than the
jacks of Root. Therefore, Dolah may deliver torque to the brushes
with a slightly larger moment arm. However, the brushes of Dolah
include relatively narrow elongated intermediate shafts. The
relatively narrow elongated intermediate shafts can undergo undue
stress concentration which may lead to premature failure.
[0008] A third reference, U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,588 to Sandt, et al.
discloses a portable cleaning device. Like Root and Dolah, Sandt
discloses a cleaning device having a switch of undisclosed type.
However, the switch appears to be a non-momentary slide type. The
portable cleaning device includes a rechargeable battery of
undisclosed size and type. However, the size and shape of the
battery shown in the figures appear to be that of a battery that is
not readily available to the general public. The brushes of Sandt
appear to receive torque in a manner similar to the brushes of
Dolah. That is, while no dimensions are given in any of the
references, it appears that the brushes of Sandt receive torque at
a slightly larger moment arm than do the hexagonal jacks of Root.
However, the brushes of Sandt include relatively narrow shafts
where damaging stress due to torque can be concentrated.
[0009] Therefore, there exists a desire for a battery operated
hand-held cleaning tool powered by commonly available batteries.
There is a desire for a hand-held cleaning tool that is actuated
with a momentary switch that de-powers the tool automatically when
the tool is released. Additionally, there is a desire for a
cleaning tool that delivers lower stress to cleaning heads thereby
extending cleaning head life.
SUMMARY
[0010] A first embodiment of a cleaning system includes a power
compartment including, a power source housed within the power
compartment, a motor mounted within the power compartment, the
motor powered by the power source, a switch for selectively
connecting the motor to the power source, and, a power output
driven by the motor for delivering power to a device connected to
the power compartment, a transmission module selectively
connectable to the power compartment; and a cleaning head
selectively connectable to the transmission module
[0011] For example, the power source can include four AA size
batteries. The switch can be a momentary switch. The cleaning head
can include a cleaning element pretreated with a cleansing agent.
Preferably, the power compartment includes a gripping portion sized
and shaped to fit comfortably in the hand of a user. The cleaning
head can be selectively connected to the transmission module via a
swaging cam associated with an output of the transmission, the
swaging cam being operative to mate with and retain a mating
portion of the cleaning head. Additionally or alternatively, the
cleaning head can be selectively connected to the transmission
module via an output hub associated with an output of the
transmission, the output hub including a torque arm, the toque arm
being operative to be received within interdental spaces of torque
teeth of the cleaning head when the cleaning head is connected to
the transmission module, the torque arm thereby providing a moment
arm for the delivery of torque to the cleaning head.
[0012] A second embodiment takes the form of a cleaning wand
configured for hand-held cleaning. The cleaning wand includes an
elongated power compartment. A power source is housed within the
power compartment. A motor is mounted within the power compartment.
The motor can be selectively connected to the power source. The
power compartment also houses a power output driven by the motor
for delivering power to a device connected to the power
compartment. The cleaning wand also includes an elongated
transmission module having threads for selectively connecting the
transmission module to or disconnecting the transmission module
from the power compartment. The transmission module includes a
mechanism for transforming power from the power output to a form
selected for a particular cleaning task. The cleaning wand can
drive a cleaning head. A switch for selectively connects the motor
to the power source.
[0013] For example, the cleaning head can be connected to the
cleaning wand via an expandable coupling received in a socket of
the cleaning head. For instance, the expandable coupling can be a
swaging cam. The switch can include a switch support mounted to a
back end of the motor and a resiliently biased arm mounted too the
switch support. For instance, the resiliently biased arm can be
resiliently spaced, in an over lapping manner, from a power
terminal of the motor. The switch can further include a flexible
membrane sealingly engaging an aperture in the power compartment.
The membrane is positioned in overlapping relation with the
resiliently biased arm. Deflecting the membrane caused the
resiliently biased arm to deflect and come into contact with the
power terminal of the motor.
[0014] A third embodiment includes a cleaning system comprising a
handle, a power source housed within the handle, an upper housing
selectively connectable to the handle, a transmission mounted
within the upper housing, a motor mounted to a power input portion
of the transmission, a contact holder mounted to a back end of the
motor, a switching element mounted to the contact holder, the
switching element being resiliently bias away from a power contact
of the motor, a hub connected to an output of the transmission, and
a cleaning head selectively connectable at the hub.
[0015] For example, the power source can include four AA size
batteries. The switch can be a momentary switch. The cleaning head
can include a cleaning element pretreated with a cleansing agent.
Preferably, the handle includes a gripping portion sized and shaped
to fit comfortably in the hand of a user. The cleaning head can be
selectively connected to the transmission via a swaging cam
associated with an output of the transmission, the swaging cam
being operative to mate with and retain a mating portion of the
cleaning head. Additionally or alternatively, the cleaning head can
be selectively connected to the transmission via an output hub
associated with an output of the transmission, the output hub can
include a torque arm, the toque arm being operative to be received
within interdental spaces of torque teeth of the cleaning head when
the cleaning head is connected to the transmission module, the
torque arm thereby providing a moment arm for the delivery of
torque to the cleaning head.
[0016] A fourth embodiment takes the form of cleaning wand
configured for hand-held cleaning. The cleaning wand includes an
elongated handle. The wand includes a power source housed within
the handle, an elongated upper housing including threads for
selectively connecting the upper housing to or disconnecting the
upper housing from the handle, a mechanism for transforming input
power to a movement selected for a particular cleaning task, a
motor mounted to the mechanism for providing input power to the
mechanism. A switch selectively connects the motor to the power
source. The wand also includes a cleaning head and an interconnect
for selectively connecting the cleaning head to a movement output
of the mechanism.
[0017] The wand can include a battery charging circuit. The
interconnect can include an expandable coupling for being matingly
received in a socket of the cleaning head. For example, the
expandable coupling can include a swaging cam. The switch can
include a switch support mounted to a back end of the motor a
conductive resiliently biased arm mounted too the switch support,
the resiliently biased arm being resiliently spaced, in an over
lapping manner, from a power terminal of the motor.
[0018] A fifth embodiment is considered to be an ergonomic, hand
held, battery powered cleaning tool. The cleaning tool includes a
detachable cleaning head, a generally cylindrical housing, a
battery located in a battery compartment in the housing, an
electric motor located in the housing, a contact holder mounted to
the motor, the contact holder including contacts for receiving
power from the batteries and a switch element in overlapping
relation to a motor contact. The switch element is resiliently
biased away from the motor contact. The cleaning tool further
includes an output shaft, and a transmission for coupling the motor
to the output shaft. The output shaft extends outside the housing.
The cleaning tool also includes means for attaching the detachable
cleaning head to the output shaft.
[0019] The means for attaching the detachable cleaning head to the
output shaft can include a swaging cam molded into the output shaft
and a socket for receiving the swaging cam, the socket being
associated with the cleaning attachment. The generally cylindrical
housing can include a gripping portion sized and shaped to fit
comfortably in the hand of a user. For example, the gripping
portion is at least about 3.5 inches in length, thereby allowing
the gripping portion to be comfortably cradled in a palm of a user.
The gripping portion can be about one inch in width, thereby
allowing the fingers of a user to be comfortably wrapped around the
gripping portion. The gripping portion is at about 1.4 inches in
height, thereby allowing the gripping section to be cradled
comfortably in a palm of a user and allowing the fingers of a user
to be comfortably wrapped around the gripping portion. A center of
the switch can be spaced about {fraction (3/4)} to about 1 inch
from a first end of the gripping portion along a longitudinal axis
of the housing, along an upper edge of the housing, so that when a
heel of a hand of a user rests comfortably on the upper edge of the
power compartment, a thumb of a user can comfortably actuate the
switch. The gripping portion can be hollowed for forming a battery
compartment for housing the replaceable batteries.
[0020] A sixth embodiment is considered to be an ergonomic, hand
held, battery powered cleaning tool. The cleaning tool includes a
detachable cleaning head, a generally cylindrical housing including
a lower housing including a gripping portion, and an upper housing
connected to the lower housing and extending away from the lower
housing. An attachment point for the detachable head is located at
a distal end of the upper housing. A battery is located in a
battery compartment in the housing. An electric motor is also
located in the housing. The cleaning tool includes a switch for
actuating the cleaning tool by directing power from the battery to
the electric motor. The switch is disposed in relation to the
gripping portion to allow the switch to be comfortably operated by
a finger of a hand gripping the gripping portion. The upper housing
being dimensioned to space the detachable cleaning head from the
gripping portion and the switch to allow the cleaning tool to be
gripped, actuated and the cleaning head to be brought in contact
with a work piece while preventing the work piece from interfering
with the hand gripping the gripping portion or the finger operating
the switch. Additionally the cleaning tool includes an output
shaft, a transmission for coupling the motor to the output shaft,
the output shaft extending outside the upper housing at the distal
end, and a means for attaching the detachable cleaning head to the
output shaft.
[0021] For example, the switch can be a momentary switch. The
output shaft can include a swaging cam molded into the output shaft
and the cleaning attachment can include a socket for receiving the
swaging cam. The gripping portion can be sized and shaped to fit
comfortably in the hand of a user. For example, the gripping
portion is at least about 3.5 inches in length, thereby allowing
the gripping portion to be comfortably cradled in a palm of a user.
The gripping portion is at about one inch in width, thereby
allowing the fingers of a user to be comfortably wrapped around the
gripping portion. The gripping portion is at about 1.4 inches in
height, thereby allowing the gripping section to be cradled
comfortably in a palm of a user and allowing the fingers of a user
to be comfortably wrapped around the gripping portion. The switch
can be spaced about {fraction (3/4)} to about 1 inch from a first
end of the gripping portion along a longitudinal axis of the
housing, along an upper edge of the housing so that when a heel of
a hand of a user rests comfortably on the upper edge of the power
compartment, a thumb of a user can comfortably actuate the
switch.
[0022] A seventh embodiment is considered to be an ergonomic, hand
held, battery powered cleaning tool. The cleaning tool includes a
detachable cleaning head, a generally cylindrical housing including
a lower housing including a gripping portion, and an upper housing
connected to the lower housing and extending away from the lower
housing. An attachment point for the detachable head is located at
a distal end of the upper housing. A battery is located in a
battery compartment in the housing. An electric motor is also
located in the housing. The cleaning tool includes a momentary
switch for actuating the cleaning tool by directing power from the
battery to the electric motor. The momentary switch is disposed in
relation to the gripping portion to allow the momentary switch to
be comfortably operated by a finger of a hand gripping the gripping
portion. The upper housing being dimensioned to space the
detachable cleaning head from the gripping portion and the
momentary switch to allow the cleaning tool to be gripped, actuated
and the cleaning head to be brought in contact with a work piece
while preventing the work piece from interfering with the hand
gripping the gripping portion or the finger operating the switch.
Additionally the cleaning tool includes an output shaft, a
transmission for coupling the motor to the output shaft, the output
shaft extending outside the upper housing at the distal end, and a
means for attaching the detachable cleaning head to the output
shaft.
[0023] For example, the output shaft can include a swaging cam
molded into the output shaft and the cleaning attachment can
include a socket for receiving the swaging cam. The gripping
portion can be sized and shaped to fit comfortably in the hand of a
user. For example, the gripping portion is at least about 3.5
inches in length, thereby allowing the gripping portion to be
comfortably cradled in a palm of a user. The gripping portion is at
about one inch in width, thereby allowing the fingers of a user to
be comfortably wrapped around the gripping portion. The gripping
portion is at about 1.4 inches in height, thereby allowing the
gripping section to be cradled comfortably in a palm of a user and
allowing the fingers of a user to be comfortably wrapped around the
gripping portion. The momentary switch can be spaced about
{fraction (3/4)} to about 1 inch from a first end of the gripping
portion along a longitudinal axis of the housing, along an upper
edge of the housing so that when a heel of a hand of a user rests
comfortably on the upper edge of the power compartment, a thumb of
a user can comfortably actuate the momentary switch.
[0024] An eighth embodiment takes the form of a durable cleaning
tool. The durable cleaning tool includes a housing having a power
compartment for holding a power source, a motor mounted within the
housing, a switch for selectively connecting the motor to the power
source if the power source is installed within the compartment, an
output shaft, extending from within the housing to outside the
housing, the output shaft being powered directly or indirectly by
the motor, torque transmission arms extending radially outward from
the portion of the output shaft extending outside the housing, a
cleaning head, and, torque receiving elements associated with the
cleaning head for receiving torque from the torque transmission
arms.
[0025] For example, the cleaning tool further includes a hub
attached to the portion of the output shaft extending outside the
housing, the hub can carry the torque transmission arms. The torque
receiving elements can comprise teeth. The torque transmitting arms
can be receivable in interdental spaces between the teeth.
[0026] Advantages and benefits of the present invention will become
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and
understanding the following detailed description of the preferred
embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0027] The invention may take form in various components and
arrangements of components, and/or in various procedures and
arrangements of procedures. The drawings are only for purposes of
illustrating preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as
limiting the invention.
[0028] FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation view of a battery powered
cleaning tool.
[0029] FIG. 2 is a sectional plan view of the battery powered
cleaning tool of FIG. 1.
[0030] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the battery powered cleaning
tool of FIG. 1.
[0031] FIGS. 4A-4B are sectional views of working or cleaning heads
that can be included in battery powered cleaning tools similar to
the cleaning tool of FIG. 1.
[0032] FIGS. 5A-5B perspective views of working or cleaning heads
that can be included in battery powered cleaning tools similar to
the cleaning tool of FIG. 1.
[0033] FIG. 6 is a diagram depicting elements of a means for
connecting a working or cleaning head to an output shaft of battery
powered cleaning tool of FIG. 1
[0034] FIG. 7 is an elevation view of a battery powered cleaning
tool in the hand of a user.
[0035] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the battery powered cleaning tool
of FIG. 7 in the hand of the user.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0036] Referring to FIG. 1-FIG. 3, an ergonomic battery operated
cleaning tool 100 includes a housing 102 and a cleaning head 104.
The housing can be divided into sections. For example, the housing
102 includes a lower housing or power compartment 106 and an upper
housing or transmission module 108. The lower housing 106 and the
upper housing 108 include threads 110, 112, respectively. The
threads 110, 112 are used to connect the upper housing or
transmission module 108 to the lower housing or power compartment
106. The lower housing or power compartment 106 is sized to
accommodate at least one readily available battery. For example,
the power compartment can be sized to accommodate AAA, AA, C, D or
9V batteries. Both disposable and rechargeable batteries are
available in these sizes. Additionally, chargers for these size
rechargeable batteries are also readily available.
[0037] The exemplary lower housing or power compartment 106 is
sized to accommodate four AA size batteries. Sizing the power
compartment to accommodate four AA size batteries 114 allows the
lower housing or power compartment to include an ergonomic gripping
portion 116 while providing a six-volt power source with a 3,000
milliamp-hour (mA-hr) capacity (assuming commonly available
alkaline-manganese dioxide cells are used).
[0038] Other power sources may be selected. However, selecting
other power sources may require a reduction in the ergonomic
features of the cleaning tool 100 in general and the gripping
portion 116 in particular. For example, accommodating C-type or
D-type batteries may require the gripping portion 116 to be wider.
Additionally, accommodating the larger cells (C type, D type) might
require a more complicated construction. If, for example, the power
source included two C-type batteries, it might be necessary to run
a wire from a contact at a bottom end 118 to a first motor terminal
120.
[0039] In an embodiment sized to accommodate four AA batteries, a
spring contact plate 122 located at the bottom end 118 of the
housing 102 is held in place by a spring contact cover 123. For
example, the spring contact cover snaps into a groove inside the
bottom end 118 of the housing. The spring contact cover may include
markings to indicate proper battery orientation. Alternatively, the
spring contact plate 122 and/or cover 123 may be glued into place.
The sprint contact 122 completes a series connection of the four AA
batteries 114. Therefore, four properly installed batteries 114
provide positive and negative power delivery terminals 124, 126
from the batteries themselves at a convenient location within the
housing 102.
[0040] Power is taken from the power delivery terminals 124, 126
and delivered to a motor 128 via contacts 130, 132. The contacts
130, 132 are supported by a contact holder 134. The contact holder
134 can be secured to the housing 102. For example, the contact
holder 134 can be mounted to the lower housing or power compartment
106 with an adhesive or fastener.
[0041] In the exemplary embodiment, the contact holder 134 is
mounted to the motor 128. For example, fasteners, such as screws
136 are used to secure the contact holder 134 to a back end 138 of
the motor 128. As will be explained in greater detail below, in the
illustrated embodiment, the motor is associated with the upper
housing 108. Therefore, the contact holder 134 is not mounted to
the lower housing. Instead, the contact holder 134 (along with a
portion of the motor 128) is simple slide into position within the
lower housing 106. A keying arrangement (not shown), such as, for
example, a tongue molded into the lower housing 102 and a groove
included in the contact holder 134, ensures that the contact holder
134 is installed in a proper orientation and prevents the contact
holder 134, as well as the motor 128 from rotating within the
housing 102 during operation. For example, the keying arrangement
ensures that the contacts 130, 132 line up with and engage the
power terminals 126, 124 respectively.
[0042] However, the contact holder 134 is mounted, it is sandwiched
between the motor 128 and the positive and negative power delivery
terminals 124, 126 of the set of batteries 114. The first contact
130 is positioned on the contact holder so as to provide a
connection between, for example, the negative power delivery
terminal 126 and the first motor terminal 120. The switch contact
132 is positioned and supported by the contact holder 134 to be in
contact with, for example, the positive power delivery terminal
124. The switch contact 132 overlaps either a second motor terminal
140 or a contact plate 142, which is, for example, pressed in
contact with the second motor terminal 140 by the contact holder
134. The switch contact 132 is resiliently biased away from the
second motor contact 140 and/or the contact plate 142. The contact
holder 134 is positioned and oriented, for example by the keying
arrangement (not shown) so the switch contact 132 is adjacent a
switch aperture 144 in the housing 102. For example, the aperture
144 is in the lower housing or power compartment 106. A button 146
is mounted adjacent the spring contact 132. For example, the button
is made of a resilient material such as rubber, plastic or spring
metal. Preferably, the button 146 seals the aperture 144. Pressing
the button 146 brings the button 146 into contact with the spring
contact 132 and presses it against the second motor contact and/or
the contact plate 142, thereby completing the power circuit and
delivering power to the motor 128.
[0043] The motor 128 is mounted to the housing 102. For example,
where the contact holder 134 is secured to the lower housing or
power compartment 106, the attachment of the motor 128 to the
contact holder 134 by the screws 136 may be sufficient to secure
the motor 128 to the lower housing or power compartment 106.
Alternatively, additional bracketing, fasteners or adhesives may be
used to secure the motor 128 to some part of the housing 102.
[0044] In the exemplary embodiment, the motor 128 is indirectly
mounted to the upper housing or transmission module 108. For
example, a motor mount 148 is secured to the motor 128 with
fasteners, such as screws 149. Alternatively, adhesive can be used
to secure the motor mount 148 to the motor 128. The motor mount 148
includes tabs or swaging cams 150. The tabs 150 are received or
snap fit into slots 152 in a peripheral gear housing 154. The
peripheral gear housing 154 includes gear teeth (not shown) on an
inner wall (not shown) thereof. An outer bushing 156 is secured
within the peripheral gear housing 154. For example, the outer
bushing 156 is made of metal. For example, the outer bushing is
friction fit or glued into the peripheral gear housing 154. An
inner bushing 157 is friction fit, glued or otherwise fastened to a
portion of a transmission output shaft 158. The transmission output
shaft 158 and inner bushing 157 are installed within the outer
bushing 156 and peripheral gear housing 154. An outer surface of
the inner bushing 157 engages the inner surface of the outer
bushing 156. A lubricant such as grease or petroleum jelly may be
included therebetween. The periperal gear housing 154 and
associated components are inserted into the upper housing or
transmission module 108. When so installed, an output portion 160
of the output shaft 158 extends through the peripheral gear housing
154 and an output aperture 162 at a distal end 164 of the upper
housing or transmission module 108. A seal 166 installed around the
output portion, between the output portion 160 and the output
aperture 162 prevents liquids and debris from entering the housing
102. A pin 168 secures a hub 170 to the output portion 160 of the
transmission output shaft 158. The pin 168 extends through a first
mounting aperture 172 in a shaft collar 174 of the hub 170. The pin
178 also extends through a second mounting aperture 176 in the
output portion 160 of the transmission output shaft 158. The pin
168 is held in place by friction fit or adhesive. Alternatively,
the pin 168 is a cotter pin, screw, or other fastening means.
[0045] The transmission output shaft is connected to an output 178
of the motor 128 by a mechanism or transmission 180. For example, a
pinion gear 182 is mounted to an output shaft 184 of the motor 128.
The pinion gear 182 mates with the first set of planetary gears
186. The first set of planetary gears 186 are supported by a first
gear holder 188 and held in place by a gear retainer plate 187. The
first gear holder 188 includes a second pinion gear 190. The second
pinion gear 190 mates with the second set of planetary gears 192.
The second set of planetary gears 192 are supported by a second
gear holder 194 and held in place by a flange portion of the first
gear holder 188. The second gear holder 194 is attached to the
transmission output shaft 158. For example, the second gear holder
194 is molded to in unitary width a proximal end 196 of the
transmission output shaft 158. An alignment bushing 197 is
installed in or molded into the second gear holder 194 or proximal
end 196 of the transmission output shaft 158. The alignment bushing
197 is coaxial with the transmission output shaft 158. An alignment
pin 198 is received in alignment apertures 200, 201 in the first
pinion gear 182 and the alignment bushing 197. The alignment pin
198 is coaxial with and aligns the motor 128, first pinion gear
182, first gear holder 188, and second gear holder 194.
[0046] Alternatively, the alignment pin may be an additional molded
and unitary component of the transmission output shaft 158. For
example, when the motor 128 is mounted in the lower housing 106,
modular assembly of the cleaning tool 100 is facilitated by
including the alignment pin 198 as a molded-in component of the
transmission output shaft 158.
[0047] In operation, when the button 146 is depressed, the
resilient biasing of the switch contact 132 is overcome and the
switch contact 132 engages the second motor terminal 140 or the
contact plate 142 thereby completing the power circuit and
delivering electrical energy from the batteries 114 to the motor
128. The motor output shaft rotates at a motor output speed. The
first set of planetary gears 186 is engaged with the first pinion
gear 182 and the gear teeth (not shown) of the peripheral gear
housing 154. The rotation of the motor output shaft 184 causes the
first pinion gear 182 to rotate. The rotation of the first pinion
gear 182 causes the first set of planetary gears 186 to revolve
around the first pinion gear 182 and drive the first gear holder
188 at a reduced speed and with an increased torque according to a
first gear ratio between the first pinion gear 182 and the first
planetary gears 186. Similarly, the second pinion gear 190 is
driven by the rotation of the first gear holder 188. The rotation
of the second pinion gear 190 causes the second set of planetary
gears 192 to revolve around the second pinion gear 190 and drive
the second gear holder 194 to rotate at a further reduced speed and
a further increased torque according to a second gear ratio between
the second pinion gear 190 and the second planetary gears 1192. The
rotation of the second gear holder 194 causes the attached
transmission output shaft 158 to rotate. The rotation of the
transmission output shaft 158 causes the hub 170 to rotate as well
as any attached cleaning head 104.
[0048] Cleaning heads, such as, for example, cleaning head 104 are
held in place by swaging cams 202. The swaging cams are attached to
the transmission output shaft 158. For example, the swaging cams
are molded to and unitary with a distal end 204 of the transmission
output shaft 158.
[0049] It can be important to prevent water and other contaminants
from entering the housing 102 of the cleaning tool 100. Therefore,
as mentioned above, the cleaning tool includes the seal 166 for
preventing water and contaminants from entering the housing 102
near the point where the transmission output shaft 158 extends out
of the housing 102. An o-ring 203 seals the peripheral gear housing
154 against an inner wall of the upper housing or transmission
module 108. Additionally, as explained above, the button 146
performs a sealing function. Alternatively, the button 146 may have
additional sealing components associated therewith. If the housing
102 includes a plurality of sections, such as, for example, lower
housing or power compartment 106 and upper housing or transmission
module 108, a scaling component, such as a gasket 206, should be
included therebetween. Where the housing 102 includes a removable
battery door 208 for gaining access to a power source or batteries
114, a sealing element, such as an o-ring 210, should be included
thereon.
[0050] Referring to FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, a wide
variety of work heads, such as cleaning head 104, can be detachably
connected to the hub 170 to complete the cleaning system 100. For
example, the cleaning head 104 can be a pot scrubber 404, a glass
washer 410, a bottle washer 420, or a general-purpose brush 430.
Each work head includes elements directed toward a particular task.
For example, pot scrubber 404 includes relatively short, stiff and
abrasive bristles 440. It is anticipated that pot scrubbing may be
a most demanding application of the cleaning system 100. For
example, pot scrubbing may require that the pot scrubbing head 404
be pressed firmly against the work piece such as, for example, a
cooking pot having food particles tenaciously adhered thereto, with
a relatively high level of force. Therefore, in order to minimize
cleaning head deflection, the pot scrubbing head 404 includes a
relatively short stout body 444. Other work pieces, such as, for
example, drinking glasses, are less likely to require the high
level of cleaning effort associated with pots. Nevertheless,
glassware provides its own set of cleaning challenges. For example,
cleaning glasses can include long throats which make the recessed
portions difficult to reach. Therefore, the glass washer 410
includes a long, narrow body 448 and somewhat softer bristles 452
as compared to the relatively stiff bristles 440 of the pot
scrubber. The long body 448 and relatively soft, bendable bristles
452 allow the glass washer 410 to reach and clean portions of a
work piece that may be inaccessible to other work heads.
[0051] The bottle washer 420 includes features that make it
preferable for cleaning bottles, such as, for example, baby
bottles. Cleaning an individual baby bottle is not likely to be a
particularly difficult task. However, where there is one baby
bottle, there is likely to be a large number of other baby bottles.
Therefore, a useful bottle washer quickly makes contact with all
portions of the inner surface of a baby bottle in order to wipe
away any residual, dried on milk or baby formula. Therefore, the
bottle washer 420 includes a large number of individual brush
filaments 464 distributed along a flexible wire shaft 468 and at a
distal end 470 of the shaft. The wire shaft 468 is longer than a
typical baby bottle. The brush filaments 464 are distributed along
a portion of the shaft that is about at least as long as the depth
of a typical baby bottle. The brush filaments 464 can be relatively
soft and be directed more toward wiping than scraping. The bottle
washer 420 includes short, stout connector portion 472 for
connecting the wire shaft 468 to the hub 170.
[0052] The general purpose cleaning head 430 is of an intermediate
length and may combine features of the pot scrubber 404 and, for
example, the glass cleaner 410. For example, it can include the
relatively stiff bristles of the pot scrubber 404 and the somewhat
softer bristles 452 of the glass cleaner 410. A body portion 484 of
the general purpose cleaning head 430 can be somewhat longer than
the short, stout body 444 of the pot scrubber 404.
[0053] Referring to FIG. 6, with continued reference to FIG. 4A,
FIG. 4B, FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, work heads, such as, for example, the
cleaning heads 104, 404, 410, 420 and 430 share certain features in
common. For example, all the work heads include a connector section
610. The connector section 610 includes a socket element 164
centered on a longitudinal axis 168 of the cleaning head. The
socket includes a beveled leading edge 622 and a beveled trailing
edge 624. Additionally, the connector section 610 includes a ring
of torque-receiving teeth 630. The ring of torque-receiving teeth
is concentric with the socket 614 about the longitudinal axis 618
of the cleaning head. In the exemplary embodiment, the socket
element 614 is recessed into the cleaning head relative to the ring
of torque-receiving teeth 630. There are, for example, eight
torque-receiving teeth in the ring. In some embodiments there are
only 4 torque receiving teeth. Between adjacent torque-receiving
teeth is an interdental space 634. In the exemplary embodiment,
there are eight interdental spaces 634. In some embodiments there
are 4 interdental spaces. The torque-receiving teeth 630 extend
from a ring base 638.
[0054] As explained above, the connecting hub 170 includes a collar
174 that is fitted over an output portion 160 of transmission
output shaft 158. Pin 168 secures the collar 174 and, therefore,
the hub 170, to the transmission output shaft 158. The hub 170 also
includes, for example, four torque transmission arms 644.
[0055] During an installation or connection process, the swaging
cams 202 of the distal end of the transmission output shaft 204
contact the leading beveled edge 622 of the socket 614. As mating
pressure is increased, the swaging cams 202 are deflected inwardly
toward the longitudinal axis 618 of the working head. Eventually,
the swaging cams slide over the beveled trailing edge 624 of the
socket expanding outward away from the longitudinal axis 618,
firmly engaging an interior shoulder 650 of the socket 614, thereby
pulling the working head toward the hub 170 and securing the head
as part of the cleaning system 100.
[0056] During this connection or mating process, the torque
delivery arms 644 are received within at least some of the
interdental spaces 634. If an initial misalignment does not permit
the torque-delivering arms 644 to be received within interdental
spaces 634, then the working head can be twisted slightly until the
torque transmission arms 644 and the interdental spaces 638 are
properly aligned.
[0057] As explained above, when the transmission output shaft 158
is driven into rotation by the motor 128 and the transmission or
drive mechanism 180, the hub 170 is also driven into rotation by
the pin 168 connecting the hub 170 to the transmission output shaft
158. Therefore, the torque delivering arms 644 are also driven to
rotate. By the time a work head is pressed against a work piece,
the torque-delivering arms 644 are driven against respective teeth
of the torque-receiving ring 630, and the working head is driven to
rotate. The ring of torque-receiving teeth 630 is spaced radially
away from the longitudinal axis 618 of the working head. For
example, an outer diameter of the ring of torque-receiving teeth
630 can be about 1 inch. The torque transmitting arms 644 extend
away from the longitudinal axis 648 of the cleaning system 100. For
example, the torque transmitting arms 644 extend from the hub 174
to an inner wall 652 of the hub 170. For example, the inner wall
652 and, therefore, a distal end 656 of the torque-delivering arms
is at a radius of about .+-.2 inch from a longitudinal axis 648 of
the cleaning system 100. Torque-receiving teeth of the ring 630 are
engaged by the torque transmission or delivery arms 644 at the
distal end 656 of the arms 644. The resulting moment arms provide
for the delivery of torque to the work head at a reduced level of
stress on the torque-receiving elements of the work head as
compared to the level of stress delivered in prior art devices.
Additionally, an increased radius of connecting elements such as
the hub 170 and the connector section 610 of the work head allow
additional material to be used in their manufacture, thereby
increasing an overall ruggedness of the cleaning system 100 while
maintaining an ergonomic design.
[0058] Referring to FIG. 7, the housing 102 has a generally
cylindrical shape. However, portions are tapered away from the
cylindrical to provide an ergonomically comfortable design. For
example, a portion of the housing 102 is tapered to provide the
ergonomic gripping portion 116. For example, the gripping portion
116 can have a rounded rectangular cross section. Gripping portion
116 has a length 710 at least long enough to allow it to fit
comfortably in a hand 714 of an intended user. For instance, the
length 710 is between about 3 inches and about 5 inches. In one
embodiment, the length 710 is about 3.5 inches. This length
provides enough room for four gripping fingers 718 of the hand 714
of the intended user to fit comfortably within the gripping portion
116 while allowing a compact and comfortable overall length for the
housing 102. Similarly, a width 722 and a height 726 of the
gripping portion are selected to allow the gripping portion 616 to
fit comfortably within a palm 730 of the hand 714 of the intended
user and allow the four gripping fingers 718 to wrap comfortably
and securely around the gripping portion. Additionally, in the
exemplary embodiment, the length 710, width 722 and height 726 of
the gripping portion 116 are selected to allow an internal portion
or chamber within the gripping portion 116 to accommodate a power
source, such as, for example, four commonly available AA size
batteries 114.
[0059] In the exemplary embodiment, the width 722 of the gripping
portion is about one inch in width. For example, in one embodiment
the width of the gripping portion 116 is tapered. The width of that
gripping portion 116 varies from about 0.98 inches to about 1.1
inches. The height 726 of the gripping portion is about 1.4 inches.
For example, in one embodiment the height of the gripping portion
116 is tapered. The height of that gripping portion 116 varies from
about 1.34 inches to about 1.525 inches.
[0060] The actuating button 146 is adjacent to a first or proximal
end 731 of the gripping portion 116. The button 146 is positioned
so that a thumb 734 of the hand 714 gripping the gripping portion
116 can comfortably actuate the cleaning system 100 by pressing the
button 146. For example, a center 738 of the button 146 is spaced
742 from the first end of the gripping portions 116 by about 3/4 of
an inch to about 1 inch. It should be noted that the designation of
the location of the first end of the gripping portion is somewhat
arbitrary. Some observers consider the button 146 to be within a
differently defined gripping portion of the cleaning system 100.
The description above is intended to be exemplary only and is not
intended to limit the invention.
[0061] When the housing 102 includes a plurality of sections, such
as the lower housing or power compartment 106 and the upper housing
or transmission module 108, the cleaning system 100 can be readily
adapted to particular cleaning tasks. For example, the upper
housing or transmission module 108 can have a length 750 that is
relatively short when the cleaning system 100 is directed toward
kitchen cleaning tasks such as the washing of dishes, glasses and
pots and pans. One embodiment directed toward these tasks includes
an upper housing having a length 750 of about 21/2 inches.
[0062] When the cleaning system 100 is directed toward other tasks,
the upper housing 108 can include features directed toward those
tasks. For example, when the cleaning system 100 is directed toward
cleaning a shower or bathtub area, the length 750 of the upper
housing 108 can be longer. For instance, the length 750 of the
upper housing 108 can be selected to give the overall cleaning
system 100 a longer reach. For example, overall cleaning system
lengths of about 14 inches to about 40 inches can be directed
toward using the cleaning system to reach across a tub to clean
walls adjacent thereto or to clean the tub itself without stooping
or kneeling. Other sizes can accommodate the cleaning of a sink or
other bathroom fixtures.
[0063] When the housing 102 includes, for example, a lower housing
106 and an upper housing 108, the cleaning system can be further
adapted to particular cleaning tasks. For example, pot scrubbing
may benefit from high torque being delivered to the cleaning head.
On the other hand, bottle washing may benefit from high-speed brush
rotation. Bathroom bowl cleaning may benefit from a slow brush
rotation speed. Accordingly, an upper housing with a higher torque
motor or a transmission that provides high torque at reduced speed
can be installed when the cleaning system is to be directed toward
cleaning pots and other items with baked and burned on food. In
contrast, an upper housing with a high-speed motor or a lower gear
ratio may be used in conjunction with a bottle-washing cleaning
head such as bottle washer 420 so that all surfaces of the bottle
can be quickly wiped clean and a next bottle can quickly be
washed.
[0064] The invention has been described with reference to
particular embodiments. Modifications and alterations will occur to
others upon reading and understanding the specification. It is
intended that all such modifications and alterations are included
insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the
equivalents thereof.
* * * * *