U.S. patent application number 11/699245 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-31 for broom apparatus with insert.
This patent application is currently assigned to Casabella Holdings Inc.. Invention is credited to Andre Sampaio.
Application Number | 20070119008 11/699245 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37107026 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070119008 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sampaio; Andre |
May 31, 2007 |
Broom apparatus with insert
Abstract
A broom apparatus is described that includes a handle, an insert
and a cleaning head. The proximal end portion is a tube defines an
aperture that is approximately aligned with axis of the handle. The
aperture extends a predetermined distance within the handle. The
insert is stored in the proximal end portion of the handle. The
insert includes a proximal handle and a distal cleaning head that
has a cleaning pouch. The insert is removed for dusting from the
proximal end portion of the handle and can be returned and stored
in the proximal end portion of the handle thereafter.
Inventors: |
Sampaio; Andre; (Blauvelt,
NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Stephen E. Feldman
7th FL
12 E. 41st Street
New York
NY
10017
US
|
Assignee: |
Casabella Holdings Inc.
|
Family ID: |
37107026 |
Appl. No.: |
11/699245 |
Filed: |
January 29, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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11108973 |
Apr 19, 2005 |
|
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11699245 |
Jan 29, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
15/114 ; 15/106;
15/118 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 17/08 20130101;
A46B 2200/302 20130101; A46B 5/005 20130101; A46B 15/0097 20130101;
A46B 2200/3026 20130101; A46B 5/0033 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/114 ;
015/106; 015/118 |
International
Class: |
A47L 13/12 20060101
A47L013/12 |
Claims
1. A broom apparatus that comprises: an elongate handle that
includes a proximal end portion and a distal end portion that
define a central longitudinal axis, the proximal end portion
defines an aperture aligned with the longitudinal axis; an insert
that includes a proximal handle and a distal cleaning head, the
cleaning head has a cleaning pouch positioned on a frame; a broom
head that includes a neck and a base plate, the neck connects to
the distal end portion of the handle, a plurality of bristles
extends distally from the base plate; a first position in which the
insert is positioned in the aperture; and a second position in
which the insert is removed from the aperture for use as a separate
dusting device.
2. The broom apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouch is removable
from the frame.
3. The broom apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handle has a
terminal end portion that has an annular rim that locks the insert
in the first position.
4. The broom apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouch is connected
to the frame by a locking mechanism.
5. The broom apparatus of claim 4, wherein the locking mechanism
includes a slider and a key.
6. The broom apparatus of claim 5, wherein the slider locks the key
in a proximal position on the frame to secure the pouch on the
frame and unlocks the key in distal position to allow for the
removal of the pouch from the frame.
7. The broom apparatus of claim 1, wherein the proximal end portion
of the handle includes a flange that is connected to a terminal end
of the handle, the flange being rotatable about the longitudinal
axis relative to the handle.
8. The broom apparatus of claim 7, wherein the flange defines a
second aperture transverse to the longitudinal axis.
9. The broom apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insert is returned
to the first position.
10. The broom apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame of the insert
is a wire.
11. The broom apparatus of claim 10, wherein the wire forms two
loops and the distal most loop provides structural support for the
pouch.
12. The broom apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame is
flexible.
13. The broom apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame is
resilient.
14. The broom apparatus of claim 1, wherein an insert locking
mechanism retains the insert in the first position independent of
the angular position of the broom.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending
application No. 11/108,973, hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to brooms, and in particular with
brooms that have an insert as a secondary cleaning device.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Brooms typically have an elongate handle and a cleaning head
that with a plurality of bristles that are specialized for cleaning
floor surfaces such as concrete, tile or wood. Furniture and
fixtures, however, require a different cleaning device. This
creates an awkward situation in which different cleaning implements
are used for different cleaning tasks.
[0006] The process of cleaning furniture, fixtures and floors of a
home or business is frequently done in a routine sequence. Dusting,
for example, is often done initially and the sweeping of the floor
is one of the last steps. Flexibility is needed in this cleaning
routine, however, because problems commonly occur during the
cleaning process. For example, if a dusty spot is noticed during
sweeping that was omitted during dusting, the broom has to be set
aside and the duster retrieved for dusting. This break in the
cleaning routine is inconvenient, interrupts the sweeping process
and increases the time and effort for cleaning as different dust
spots are observed that require additional cleaning attention.
[0007] A broom apparatus is needed that includes a secondary
cleaning implement that can advantageously clean alternate surfaces
in addition to normal sweeping operations of the broom
apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] A broom apparatus is disclosed that comprises an elongate
handle, an insert and a broom head. The elongate handle includes a
proximal end portion and a distal end portion that define a central
longitudinal axis. The proximal end portion defines an aperture
aligned with the longitudinal axis. The insert includes a proximal
handle and a distal cleaning head that has a cleaning pouch
positioned on a frame. The broom head includes a neck and a base
plate. The neck connects to the distal end portion of the handle. A
plurality of bristles extend distally from the base plate. The
broom apparatus has a first position in which the insert is
positioned in the aperture and a second position in which the
insert is removed from the aperture.
[0009] The pouch is removable from and positionable on the frame.
The handle has a terminal end portion that has an annular rim that
locks the insert in the first position. The pouch is connected to
the frame by a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a
slider and a key. The slider locks the key in a proximal position
on the frame to secure the pouch for operational use and unlocks
the key in distal position to allow for the removal of the pouch
from the frame. The proximal end portion of the handle includes a
flange that is connected to a terminal end of the handle and the
flange is rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the
handle. The flange defines a second aperture transverse to the
longitudinal axis.
[0010] The insert is returnable to the first position. The frame of
the insert is a wire. The wire forms two loops and the distal most
loop provides structural support for the pouch. The frame is
flexible. The frame is resilient. The insert is retained in the
first position by an insert locking mechanism independent of the
angular position of the broom.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a broom apparatus with
insert, the broom apparatus constructed in accordance with the
present disclosure;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a front view of the broom apparatus of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a proximal end portion
of the broom apparatus of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a front view of a head of the broom apparatus of
FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a front view of the insert of the broom apparatus
of FIG. 1 that includes a frame and a cleaning pouch;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a side view of the insert of FIG. 5;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a front view of the insert of the broom apparatus
of FIG. 1 in a second position with the cleaning pouch separated
from the frame;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a side view of a proximal end portion of the
insert of FIG. 5 that shows steps involved in locking a key with a
slider;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a front view of the proximal end portion of the
insert of the broom apparatus of FIG. 1 that shows the key in a
locked position;
[0020] FIG. 10 is a front view of the insert of the broom apparatus
of FIG. 1 that shows one method of removing the frame from and
inserting the frame into the cleaning pouch of the insert of FIG.
5;
[0021] FIG. 11 is a right side view of the proximal end portion of
the broom apparatus of FIG. 1 that show the insert aligned with an
axis for storing in the handle; and
[0022] FIG. 12 shows one method for positioning the insert of FIG.
11 into the proximal end portion of the handle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Although specific terms are used in the following
description for the sake of clarity, these terms are intended to
refer only to a particular structure of the invention selected for
illustration in the drawings, and are not intended to define or
limit the scope of the invention.
[0024] A broom apparatus 10 in accordance with the present
disclosure is described herein below with reference to the drawings
and initially in particular to FIG. 1. The preferred embodiment of
the broom apparatus 10 includes a handle 12, an insert 14 and a
cleaning head 16. Apparatus 10 is shown in a first position with
insert 14 stored in a proximal end portion 18 of handle 12.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 2, the handle 12 in this one preferred
embodiment, is made of a steel alloy and has an elongate
cylindrical shape that is approximately 1400 mm long. It is
understood, however, that length, shape and materials of
construction of handle 12 can vary with the intended application.
Broom handle 12 defines an axis 22. When broom 10 is in a plane XY,
handle 12 is preferably inclined at an angle of approximately
10.degree. from a vertical axis YY. Distal end portion 20 of handle
12 is preferably coupled with broom head 16 by a threaded
arrangement.
[0026] Referring to FIG. 3, proximal end portion 18 includes a
terminal end 24 and a flange 26. Proximal end portion 18 of handle
12 is a tube that defines an aperture 28 that is approximately
aligned with axis 22 of the handle 12. Aperture 28 extends a
predetermined distance distally from terminal end 24 within handle
12.
[0027] Flange 26 extends in the distal direction beyond the
terminal end 24 of handle 12 and defines a through hole 30. The
terminal end 24 of handle 12 has an annular rim or projection 32
that is preferably approximately normal to axis 22. Terminal end 24
also defines an opposed pair of grooves 34 that are approximately
aligned with axis 22.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 4, the broom head 16 includes a neck 36
that defines an aperture. Interior wall of the tubular neck 36 is
removably coupled with distal end portion 20 of the broom handle 12
by standard threads 38. Head 16 is preferably constructed such that
attachment of the distal end portion 20 with the head 16 is offset
from the centre of the head 16. The head 16 can be made of moldable
thermoplastic such as polystyrene, polythene, polypropylene,
polycarbonate or other suitable material. A plurality of bristles
40 are retained by a base plate 42 of the head 16. Bristles 40
extend distally and preferably flare out at their ends.
[0029] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, insert 14 is in a second position
separated from handle 12. Insert 14 includes a proximal handle 44
and a distal cleaning head 46. The proximal handle 44 preferably
includes a circular indentation or channel 48. The proximal handle
44 of insert 14 also has a through hole 50. Insert 14 can be
grasped by curling fingers around handle 44 in a traditional manner
or by grasping the terminal end of handle 44 through hole 50. The
cleaning head has a cleaning pouch 52 positioned on an elongate
frame 54. The pouch 52 is preferably made of smooth and dense
micro-fibers having approximately 5 mm length. Frame 54 can be
constructed for repeated washing and reuse or as a consumable
component of insert 14.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 7, frame 54 is separable from pouch 52.
Frame 54 is a structure that provides a desired shape for pouch 52.
In this one preferred embodiment, frame 54 is a flexible wire that
includes a first loop 56 and a second loop 58 in a single plane.
Frame 54 is preferably resilient and biased to the first position
as shown. Frame 54 can be made of metal, polymer, composite,
cellulose or other materials depending upon the desired
characteristics for cleaning. Cleaning pouch 52 is preferably
removed from frame 54 by the sliding of pouch 52 relative to loop
58.
[0031] A connector securely attaches pouch 52 to frame 54. In this
one preferred embodiment the connector includes a thread 60, a key
62 and a slider 64. It is understood that this is just one example
of a mechanical connector that can include for example a snap
fitting, clasp, cotter pin as well as hook and eye. The connector
retains the pouch 52 on the frame 54 against cleaning forces and
other possible forces from all sides. The slider 64 is moved
proximally and distally along the loop 58 to lock key 62 in a
proximal position and unlock key 62 in a distal position.
[0032] Now referring to FIG. 8, in this preferred embodiment, one
end of the thread 60 is connected to opening of the pouch 52 and
the opposing end of the thread 60 is connected to the key 62.
Initially slider 64 is in a distal position and key 62 is free
along with thread 60. To lock the pouch 52 on the frame 54, key 62
is passed through the gap between two parallel wires of the first
loop 56 from a first side to an opposite side of the loop 56 as
indicated by the steps numbered 1 to 4. Steps 1 and 4 are the
initial and final positions, respectively, of the connector. The
arrows show one preferred path of motion of the key 62 from the
first side to the other side. The upward arrows show a direction of
movement of slider 64 to the proximal position to lock the key
62.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 9, slider 64 is pushed up to the proximal
position to lock the key 62 in position. Key 62 retains pouch 52 in
position on loop 56. Pouch 52 is removed from loop 56 pushing the
slider 64 to the distal position. The key 62 can then pass through
the wires of the first loop 56. Key 62 is made of a material such
as a polymer, metal, ceramic or composite that has sufficient
strength to securely retain its position when connected to loop
56.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 10, one preferred method for the removal
and insertion of frame 54 with pouch 52 is shown. In order to
separate the pouch 52 from the frame 54, slider 64 on loop 56 is
pushed to the distal position. The key 62 on other side of the loop
56 is taken out through the two approximately parallel wires of the
loop 56. Then the key 62 is detached from loop 56 to make the pouch
52 free to slide distally. Now the frame 54 is movable relative to
cleaning pouch 52. An upward arrow shows direction of removal of
the frame 54 from the pouch 52 and a downward arrow shows the
direction of insertion of the frame 54 inside the pouch 52.
[0035] As shown in FIG. 11, proximal end portion 18 of handle 12
and insert 14 are approximately aligned with axis 22 for
positioning insert 14 inside proximal end portion 18. In this one
preferred embodiment, insert 14 is about one-third the length of
handle 12. Aperture 28 has a diameter and depth for receiving
insert 14. Arrow shows the direction of insertion of insert 14 into
handle 12.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 12, one method for positioning insert
14 into proximal end portion 18 of handle 12 is shown. The insert
14 is pushed into the aperture 28 of proximal end portion 18
through flange 26 along axis 22 in a direction as shown by a
downward arrow. In this one preferred embodiment, as insert 14 is
inserted into proximal end portion 18, indentation 48 slidingly
crosses the annular projection 32 of the terminal end 24 with a
locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is preferably a snap fit
arrangement that retains insert 14 in position in handle 12
independent of the position of broom apparatus 10.
[0037] The flange 26 can be used to advantageously guide insert 14
inside the proximal end portion 18. When insert 14 is securely
positioned in aperture 28 along the axis 22 of handle 12, hole 30
in the flange 26 is approximately aligned with the through hole 50
in the insert 14. The insert 14 can be removed from the handle 12
by reversing the above method.
[0038] As shown in FIGS. 1-12, the broom apparatus 10 in operation
is advantageously used for cleaning floors and for specialized
cleaning, such as dusting, using the insert 14. The aperture 28 in
the handle 12 conveniently stores the insert 14. Flange 26 acts as
a guide while storing the insert 14 in the proximal end portion 18
of the handle 12. Annular projection 32 locks insert 14 in the
first position and retains insert 14 in position independent of the
angular position of broom 10. Grooves 32 advantageously allow the
expansion and contraction of the terminal end 24 to position and
remove insert 14 in the proximal end portion 18 of the handle 12.
The provision of insert 14 in the broom apparatus 10, offers a user
two separate but integrated devices for cleaning floor surfaces as
well as dusting and/or cleaning items such as blinds and
furniture.
[0039] The novel advantage of the broom apparatus 10 is that a user
may employ the broom head 16 for cleaning and selectively use
insert 14 for dusting. For example, a user who is involved in
sweeping floor comes to a window of an adjoining wall. Instead of
bringing another cleaning device to clean the window blinds the
user can remove the duster insert 14 and clean up the blinds during
the sweeping of the floor without retrieving another cleaning
implement. After dusting window blinds, the insert 14 is returned
to aperture 28 of handle 12 and the user can continue with cleaning
of the floor without any significant interruption.
[0040] Although the present invention has been described in terms
of the preferred embodiment above, numerous modifications and/or
additions to the above-described preferred embodiments would be
readily apparent to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the
scope of present invention extends to all such modifications and/or
additions and that the scope of present invention is limited by the
claims set forth below.
* * * * *