Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WINDOW WASHER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to window washers
and more particularly to a portable, manual window
washer.
BACKGROUND
It is frequently desirable to wash windows, for
example on farm and road construction equipment, when
there is no ready access to a supply of water or other
washing liquid. While washing liquid or water can be
carried in a vehicle, it is difficult to apply from a
conventional screw top container onto a window in
sufficient quantities to wash off accumulated road dirt.
Conventional spray ~ottles are incapable of flooding a
window sufficiently with water so that effective washing
can be carried out.
A squeegee and sponge combination mounted on a
handle in a T-configuration is known to provide a good
window washing action, but it requires a bucket or other
wide mouth container of water in order to be effective.
Such containers are difficult to seal and to transport
without spilling.
The present invention is concerned with a
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novel vvindow washin~ implement and also with the combination of sueh a
washer with a transportable container.
$UMMARY
Accordin~ to the present invention there is provided a washer
for windows comprisin~:
a container with an open neck and a cap for closing the necl~,
the container and cap having a predetermined internal height;
a washer implement includin~ an elon~ate washer head having
an absorbent material alon~ one side thereof and a handle pivotally mounted
on the head for movement be~ween a closed condition Iyin~ alon~side the
head and an open condition projectin~ la~eraliy from the head, the washer
implement being sized to pass endwise throu0h the neck in the closed
condition and the overall ien~th of the washer in ~he closed condition being
less than the predetermined internal hei0ht of the container and cap.
The washer will thus collapse to an elon~ate closed
configuration that can be inserted throu~h the neck of a washin~ liquid
container and extracted for use. The container then serves as both a
washing liquid reservoir and a washer carrier.
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BRIEP DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate
exemplary embodiments of the present invention:
Figure 1 is an isometric elevation illustrating
a washer implement, a container and a cap;
Figure 2 is a detail of the container neck;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional elevation of the
washer, taken along llne III-III of Figure 4;
Figure 4 ls a sectlon along line IV-IV of
Fi~ure 3; and
Figure 5 is a view like Figure 3 showing an
altexnatiYe washer embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the accompanylng drawings, Pigure
1 illustrates a washer assembly consisting of a container
with a neck 14 and a cap 16 for closing the neck in a
leak proof manner. The illustrated container has a
handle 18 on one side, which is intended to be easy to
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grip under most conditions. The handle is preferably
deep enough to be held when wearing mitts or gloves. As
shown in Figure 2, there is a bead 19 around the inside
of the neck 14 which serves as a wiper as described in
the following.
A washer implement 20 is associated with the
container and includes a washing head 22 and a handle 24
that, in the open position illustrated in Fi~ure 1, pro-
jects laterally from the side of the washing head. The
washing head consists of an elongate body 26 with a slot
28 along one edge into which an elongate sponge 30 is
secured as seen most readily in Figure 4. An undercut
groove 32 of circular profile along the opposite edge
receives a bead 33 along the edge of wiper. Both the
sponge and the wiper blade extend beyond the end of the
blade 34.
Two flanges 36 are secured to one side face of
the washing head body 26. A pin 38 extends between these
flanges and through the handle 24 to provide a pivotal
connection between the handle and the washer head body.
The handle is arranged to pivot in either direction from
the open position illustrated in solid line in Figure l
to the closed poæition illustrated in broken line in that
Figure, where it lies alongside the washer head 22.
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In the closed condition, the washer implement
is of an overall cross-sectional size less than the siize
of the container neck 14, so that the washer implement as
a whole can be inserted into the container through the
container neck. The cap can then be installed on the
container so that the container serves as a washing
liquid reservoir and a carrier for the washer implement.
To facilitate removal of the washer implement
from the c~ntainer, the handle 24 projects beyond the
adjacent end of the washer head in the closed condition.
The handle has a grip 25 on the free end, closing the end
and preventing cleaning fluid from flowing out of the
handle end. When the implement 20 is taken from the
container 12, the sponge 30 may be wiped over the bead 19
to remove excess liquid.
As illustrated most particularly in Figures 3
and 4, the handle 24 is slotted to receive the pin 38. A
coil spring 42 is engaged between the pin and a retainer
pin 44 extending across the end of the handle. The end
of the handle engages as a latch in a mating socket 50 in
the washer body 26, between the flanges 36. The bias of
spring 42 maintains the handle end in engagement in the
socket and thus maintains the handle in the open position
illustrated. To release the handle for movement to the
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closed position, the handle is pulled away from the
washer head, thus compressing the sprlng 42 and releasing
the handle from the socket 50. The handle may then be
pivoted as desired.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention,
illustrated in Figure 5, ~he slot 40 is replaced with an
elongate slot 52 extending a significant distance along
the washer handle. In addition, the handle itself is
considerably longer than the handle of the previously
described version. This arrangement provides a sliding
pivot between the handle and the washer head, so that
when the handle is released from the socket 50, it may be
pivoted to a position alongside the washer head 22 and
then slid along the washer head to the fully closed
position. This allows the use of a much longer washer
handle. As with the embodiment of Figures 1, 2 and 3,
the end of the handle pro;ects beyond the end of the
washer head in the fully closed position.
While specific embodiments of the present in-
vention have been described in the foregoing, it is to be
understood that other embodiments are possible within the
scope of the ~nvention. Thus, while the end of the
handle is seated in the socket 50 as a latch, other latch
arrangements are possible. In the described embodiments,
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the handle pivots to both ends of the washing head. In
other embodiments, this need not be so. The use of a
sponge and wiper blade on the washing head is preferred,
but other arrangements are possible.
The invention is therefore to be considered
limited only by the scope of the appended Claims.
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