Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
3LZ:S79S5
The present invention relates to a squeegee device for
cleaning purposes and particularly to a flexible squeegee
device suitable Lor use in cleaning flat as well as curved
surfaces.
Common squeegee type cleaning devices consist of an
elongated rubber-like strip member mounted on a frame and
a hand]e is, in turn, mounted perpendicu:Lar to the centre
of the frame to form a T-shaped structure. Such squeegee
devices are efEective for cleaning a flat surface, for
example, a window pane. Llowever, it is not su:itable for
cleaning curved surfaces such as modern automobile windows
and/or automobile body. Furthermore, such cleaning devices
can only operate in the direction along the axis of the
handle. In use, the operator grips the handle and presses
the strip member on the flat surface to be cleaned and
slides the strip member over the surface towards the end of
the handle. Thus, the cleaning operation is achieved in each
single pulling action only.
Some squeegee devices provide a pressure joint such
as a ball joint between the handle and the strip frame so
that the strip member can be rotated to a position in any
angle relative to the handle. Such squeegee devices can be
operated in the pull--in direction as described above as
well as in a side-by-side sweeping motion over the surface
to be cleaned. However, such known squeegee devices suffer
the main drawback that the joint between the strip member
mounting frame and the handle is not rugged. After using
them for a relatively short period of time, the joint would
become loosen beyond repair and become freely rotatable
or merely become broken due to the high twisting force
exerted at the joint during use.
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The principal object of the present i.nvention is to
provide a squeegee device having a strong rugged joi.nt
between the blade assembly frame and the handle and yet
provides the flexibility to vary the:ir relative position
for cleaning in a pull-in action as well as a side-by-
side sweeping action.
Another object of the present i.nvention is to provide
a squeegee device whi.ch has a flexib:Le blade assembly
operative for clean:ing :Elat as wel:L as curved sur:Eaces.
It :is another object oE the present inventioll to
provide a squeegee device in which the position of the
mounting coupling between the handle and the blade assem-
bly can be selectively adjustable to any position along
the blade assembly.
It is yet another object of the present invention to
: provi.de a squeegee device which can be disassembled readily
for parts displacement or storage.
The squeegee device comprises a handle, a coupling
member and a blade assembly slidably mounted together. The
coupling member has a coupl.ing housing having an opened
end and a square mounting head is provided at the free end
of the handle. The mounting head can be slidably engaged
with the coupling housing in any one of :Eour selective
positions to provide a rugged joint.
Other objects of the invention will appear in the
following description and appended claims, reference being
made to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure l is a perspective front elevation view of a
cleaning dev-ice showing the blade assembly mounted perpen-
dicular to the handle according to the present invention.
Fi.gure 2 is a second perspective front elevation view
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thereof showing the blade assembly mounted parallel to the
handle thereoE.
F:igure 3 is a side eleva~:ion view oE the handle of the
cleaning device according to the present invention.
Figure 4 is a sicle elevation v:iew of the coupling
member between the handle and the blade assembly thereof.
Figure 5 ia a top elevation view of the coup:L:ing member
thereof.
F:igure 6 is a bottom e:Levation view of the coupling
member thereof.
Figure 7 is an end elevation view of the coupling
member thereof.
Figure 8 is an opposite end elevation vie~ to the
coupling member in Figure 7 thereof.
Figure 9 is a side elevation view of the blade assem-
bly thereof.
Figure 10 is an end elevation view of the blade
assembly thereof.
Figure 11 is a side elevation view of an alternative
handle thereof.
Figure 12 is a,bottom elevation view of the alternative
handle thereof.
Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference
numerals designate corresponding parts in the several views,
the squeegee device according to the present invention con-
sists generally of a handle 10, a flexible blade assembly 11
and a coupling bracket 12 for mounting the handle 10 and the
blade assembly 11 together. The handle 10 includes a rear
hand grip 13 and an extension front portion 14 extending
forwardly and downwardly from the front end of the hand grip
13 to a substantially rectangular Eront free end 15. A
square mounting head 16 is provided at the front free end
15. The mounting head 16 is spaced from the front free end
15 by a neck l7 which has a smaller cross sectional dimen-
sion than the mount:ing head 16.
The handle 10 may be made of moulded plastic material
or extruded metal or metal alloy and is generally I-shaped
:in cross sect:ion and has raised edge portions 18 on both
sides to provide rigidity ancl reinforcement therein. An
opening 19 is prov:ided adjacent to the rear end of the
handle 10 for hanging the squeegee dev:ice or the handle in
storage.
The blade assembly 11 consists of an elongated flexible
channel frame member 20 having a U-shaped cross section as
; best shown in Figure 10. It includes two flanges 21 and 22
extending outwards along the upper edges of the upstanding
lateral sides 23 and 24 respectively. A cross brace 25
extends between the upstanding sides 23 and 24 and along
the full length of the channel frame member 20 to provide
reinforcement for the sides 23 and 24. A slot 26 is formed
in the base 27 of the channel frame member 20 for sliding
engagement with a rubber blade 28 similar to that in common
automobile windshield wiper blades. Such blade is more
flexible than the stiff wide rubber blade used in common
non-flexible squeegee devices and it can readily conform to
the curvature of the surface to be cleaned by pressing it
over such surface. The flexible blade has an I-shaped cross
section at its upper portion as best shown in Figure 10
having an upper cross web portion 29 and a middle flange 30
both extending the full length of the blade 28. The blade
is secured to the channel frame member 20 by slidingly
engaging the neck portion between the upper cross web
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portion 29 and the middle flange 30 with the slot 27 in the
channel frame member 20. The middle flange 29 also serves to
transmit to the blade 28 the force exerted on the channel
frame member 20 during use. The frame 20 may be also made of
moulded plasti.c material or extruded metal or metal alloy
having a slight :ElexibLe characteristic, and the frame
20 :is normal:Ly curved downwards towards the two entls therein
so that it can conform to curved surfaces for cLeaning.
Slots 31 may be formed at regular intervals along the
flanges 21 and 22 and the upper edges of the sides 23 and 24
to provide more flexibility to the blade assembly.
The coupling bracket 12 is generally inverted U-shaped;
it has two skirting sides 32 and 33 and a top platform 34.
The distance between the inside surface of the skirting
sides 32 and 33 is slightly less than the distance between
the lateral outside edges oE the flanges 21 and 22 of the
flexible channel frame member 20. Four horizontal ridges 35,
36, 37 and 38 are formed in the inside edge portions of the
: skirti.ng sides 32 and 33 as best shown in Figures 7 and 8.
Also, four downwardly extending spaced vertical ridges 39,
40, 41 and 42 are farmed in the underside of the platform 34.
For reason which will become apparent in the following descrip-
tion the horizon-tal ridges 35, 36 and 37, 38 may be formed
in a pair of ridges extending the full length of the
skirting sides 32 and 33. Similarly, the vertical ridges 39,
: 40 and 41, 42 may be in the form of a pair of spaced ridges
extending the entire length of the platform 34. A rectangu-
lar housing 43 is formed on the top platform 34. The housing
43 has an opened side 44 and its interior length 45 is sli-
gtly longer than the square mounting head 16 of the handle
10 while its interior width is equal to that of the mounting
head 16. A slot 46 -is provided in the top panel 47 of the
housing 43. The slot 46 :is opened at the opened side 44 of
the housing 43 and its width is equal to the width of the
neck 17 on the handle 10. Two small rounded project;,ons 48
and 49 are provided on the inside surface of the two side
portlons of the housing 43 adjacent to the opened side 44
such that the remai.ning interior s~pace inside the housing
43 forms a square compartment equal in si~e to the sguare
head 16 on the handle 10.
The coupling bracket 12 can be slidably rrlounted to the
blade assembly 11 by sliding the bracket 12 through the end
of the blade assembly 11 such that the flanges 21 and 22
engage snugly with the ridges 35, 36 and 37, 38 respecively
while thee vertical ridges 39, 40 and 41, 42 slidably engage
wi,th the inside surface of the sides 23 and 24 of the flex-
ible frame 20. The bracket 12 may be thus selectively fixed
at any position along the length of the flexible frame 20.
The handle may then be mounted to the coupling bracket 12 by
slidably engage the mounting head 16 of the handle through
the opened side 44 and slot 46 of the housing 43 until it
passes -the projecti,ons 48 and 49 which provide a locking
action to fixedly secure the mounting head in place in the
housing. It can be appreciated that due to the positive
engagement between the mounting head 16 and the housing 43,
a rugged and rigid joint is thus formed which is not subject
to distortion or rotational movement even under the strong
pressure exerted at the joint during use.
The handle 10 may be mounted to the coupling bracket
12 in one of four selected positions namely, two pOSitiOIIS
with the two parts parallel to each other such that the
handle 10 points -to either end of the blade assembly, and
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the other two positions with the two parts perpendicular to
each other such that the handle 10 extends on either side of
the blade assembly 11~ ~urthermore, the coupling bracket 12
may be located in any position a]ong the flexible Erame 20
to provide various selected configurations between the handle
10 and the blade assembly 11 to accommodate various situations
encountered in use. ~'or example, as best shown :in Figure
2, the hand:Le 10 can be mounted parallel to the blade
assembly Ll and the coup:Lirlg bracket 12 may be pos:itioned
adjacent to the end oE the flexible frame 20 pointing to
the end of the handle; in such a configuration, the maximum
length of the squeegee device according to the present in-
vention can be obtained.
Since all component parts of the squeegee device ac-
cording to the present invention are slidably engaged to-
gether, it can be easily disassembled for storage or re-
placement of parts. Moreover, due to the flexibility of the
cleaning blade assembly 11 it can be used effectively for
for cleaning flat surfaces as well as curved surfaces.
It can further be appreciated that the coupling bracket
12 may be integra]ly and fixedly formed on the flexible
frame 20. In such construction, the position of the coupling
bracket 12 can not be cha~nged along the flexible frame 20.
The handle 10 may also have an alternative shape as
shown in ~igures 11 and 12. The handle has a larger curva-
; ture and the hand grip portion 13' has a more rounded shape
for more cornfortable fitting to the user's palm. Also,
curved depressions 50 may additionally be provided along the
lower edge therein for firmer fitting to the user's fingers.
While the invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof,
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it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes in form and detail may be made therein
without departing form the spirit and scope of the
invention.
