Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A FABRIC CLEANING DEVICE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cleaning devices, and more specifically to a
cleaning device for fabrics that is capable of picking up and retaining for
disposal
various debris located on a fabric surface.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
When cleaning fabric surfaces, often times mechanical vacuum cleaning
devices are utilized in order to effectively remove dirt, dust, and other
debris from the
fabric surface. However, due to the often large and cumbersome construction of
these
types of mechanical vacuum fabric cleaning devices, these devices are often
not
suitable for use in certain situations where the fabric surface to be cleaned
is relatively
small, or is positioned in a difficult to access location. In addition, for
various
instances of spot cleaning certain fabric surfaces, a large mechanical
cleaning device
is often impractical for the particular cleaning task.
Therefore, in order to provide a lightweight cleaning device that can be
utilized as an alternative to larger mechanical vacuum cleaning devices for
these types
of situations, various types of alternative cleaning devices and brushes have
been
developed. For example, Tsuruzawa U.S. Patent No. 3,747,152 discloses a
cleaning
brush with dust removing and collection means. The device includes a rotatable
or
slidable brush that is mounted to a housing that can be grasped by an
individual to
move the brush across a surface to be cleaned. The movable brush is formed
with a
number of bristles which are oriented generally oppositely to bristles on a
pair of
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brush members disposed on the housing surrounding the brush. The bristles on
the
movable brush pick up dirt from the surface by contacting the dirt as the
brush is
moved across the surface. The bristles then rotate into engagement with the
bristles
on the brush members in the housing to dislodge the dirt from the movable
brush.
The dirt and dust dislodged by the brush members is then collected within the
movable brush opposite the bristles for later removal through an opening in
the
housing to which the movable brush is mounted.
However, this device has certain shortcomings in that the ability of the brush
to effectively retain any dirt, dust or other debris picked up by the movable
brush is
determined by the contact of the bristles on the brush with the bristles of
the brush
members. Because the movable brush necessarily has to move into contact with
the
brush members from the exterior of the device, the brush can dislodge the
dirt, dust
and other debris from the movable brush before the dirt is located within the
brush
housing. Furthermore, for that component of the dirt, dust and other debris
that is
actually contained within the housing as a result of the proper operation of
the device,
the debris must be dispensed by inverting the device and shaking the housing
such
that the debris moves through an opening in the housing, which is a highly
inefficient
manner to remove the dirt from the device.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop a lightweight, manually operable fabric
surface cleaning or sweeping device that engages dirt, dust and other debris
picked up
off of a fabric surface in a manner which more effectively removes the debris
from
the surface and deposits this debris within a collection chamber positioned in
the
device. Further, it is also desirable to develop a fabric sweeper cleaning
device in
which the dust or debris collected by the device can be more easily dispensed
of using
the separate collection chamber.
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SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the present invention provides a fabric cleaning device
comprising:
a) a housing having a lower end and an upper end defining a recess
therebetween, the upper end including a central opening in connection with the
recess and at least one debris removing surface located adjacent the central
opening;
b) a first cleaning member movably secured within the recess to extend
at least partially out of the housing and engageable with the at least one
debris
removing surface, wherein the first cleaning member is semi-cylindrically
shaped;
c) a debris collection chamber located in communication with the central
opening; and
d) an outer shell connected to and disposed around the housing and the
collection chamber, wherein the outer shell includes an aperture generally
opposite
the housing within which the collection chamber is releasably positioned.
In another aspect, the invention provides a fabric cleaning device comprising:
a) a housing having a lower end and an upper end defining a recess
therebetween;
b) a first cleaning member movably secured to the housing within the
recess;
C) a second cleaning member movably secured to the housing within the
recess and selectively engageable with the first cleaning member, wherein the
first
cleaning member and the second cleaning member have a semi-cylindrical shape
defining end surfaces with an arc-shaped surface therebetween, and wherein
when
the first cleaning member and second cleaning member are disposed in a neutral
position wherein the end surfaces of the first and second cleaning members are
generally aligned and a central portion of each cleaning member between the
respective end surfaces faces downwardly;
d) a debris collection chamber connected to the housing and spaced
from the recess; and
e) at least one scraping edge disposed within the recess and
engageable with one of the first cleaning member and the second cleaning
member,
wherein the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member are unengaged
with the scraping edge when in the neutral position.
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A still further aspect provides a fabric cleaning device comprising:
a) a housing having a lower end and an upper end defining a recess
therebetween;
b) a first cleaning member movably secured to the housing within the
recess;
c) a second cleaning member movably secured to the housing within the
recess; and
d) a debris collection chamber connected to the housing and spaced
from the recess;
wherein the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member have a
semi-cylindrical shape;
wherein the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member are
selectively rotatable within the recess between a first position wherein an
inner side
of the first cleaning member and an inner side of the second cleaning member
are
rotated into contact with an annular shoulder formed on an upper portion of
the
housing adjacent to the recess and a second position wherein an outer side of
the
first cleaning member and an outer side of the second cleaning member is
rotated
into contact with the upper portion adjacent a corresponding side support.
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Numerous other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will
be made apparent from the following detail description taken together with the
drawing figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The drawings illustrate the best mode currently contemplated of practicing the
present invention.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a fabric sweeper cleaning
device of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is an isometric view illustrating the cleaning members of the device of
FIG. 1;
Fig. 3 is an isometric view illustrating the removal of a collection chamber
of
the device of FIG. 1;
Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the device of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the device of Fig. 1;
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line 6-6 of Fig. 1;
Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 6 illustrating the movement
of
the cleaning members of the device of Fig. 1 when the device is moved in a
first
direction;
Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 6 illustrating the movement
of
the rotatable members of the cleaning device when the device is moved in a
second
direction opposite to FIG. 7;
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 6 illustrating the movement
of
the rotatable cleaning members when the device is moved further in the
direction of
FIG. 8;
Fig. 10 is perspective view of another embodiment of fabric sweeper device
viewed from in front of, above, and from the left side of the fabric sweeper;
Fig. 11 is a bottom plan view of the device of Fig. 10;
Fig.12 is a top plan view of the device of Fig. 10;
Fig. 13 is a side elevation view of the device of Fig. 10, with the other side
being a mirror image of the first side showing the rollers in phantom;
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Fig. 14 is a front elevation view of the device of Fig. 10, with the rear
being a
mirror image thereof and showing the rollers in phantom;
Fig. 15 is a bottom plan view of the device of Fig. 10 with the rollers in
place
in phantom;
Fig. 16 is another bottom plan view of the device of Fig. 10 with the rollers
removed;
Fig. 17 is a perspective view, viewed from below the fabric sweeper or Fig. 10
with the rollers removed;
Fig. 18 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the fabric sweeper
design, viewed from in front of, above, and from the right side of the fabric
sweeper;
Fig. 19 is a side view of the device of Fig. 18 with the other side being a
mirror image of the first side and showing the rollers;
Fig. 20 is a rear elevation view thereof, with the front being a mirror image
of
the rear and showing the rollers;
Fig. 21 is a top plan view of the device of Fig. 18;
Fig. 22 is a bottom plan view of the device of Fig. 18 showing the rollers;
Fig. 23 is a magnified perspective view, viewed from below, from the left
side, and toward the rear of the fabric sweeper and the rollers;
Fig. 24 is a magnified perspective view, viewed from above, from the right
side, and toward the front of the fabric sweeper;
Fig. 25A is a perspective view of still another embodiment of the fabric
sweeper, viewed from in front of, above, and from the left side of the fabric
sweeper;
Fig. 25B is a bottom plan view of the device of Fig. 25A;
Fig. 26 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the fabric sweeper,
viewed from in front of, above, and from the left side of the fabric sweeper;
Fig. 27 is a rear elevation view of the device of Fig. 26, with the front
being a
mirror image of the rear showing the roller in place;
Fig. 28 is a bottom plan view of the device of Fig. 26 with the roller in
place;
Fig. 29 is a cutaway type view of the device of Fig. 26 focusing on the roller
arrangement.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference now to the drawing figures in which like reference numerals
designate like parts throughout the disclosure, a fabric cleaning or sweeping
device
constructed according to the present invention is indicated generally by the
reference
number 10 in Fig. 1. The fabric sweeper or device 10 preferably includes a
housing
11 with a base portion 12 and a handle portion 14 extending upwardly from the
base
portion 12. When in use, the base portion 12 of the device 10 is positioned on
a fabric
surface 16 and moved in a direction generally perpendicularly to the long axis
18 of
the device 10 in order to pick up debris 20 disposed on the fabric surface 16.
Referring now to Figs. 1-6, the device 10 is formed with an outer housing 22
and an inner housing 24. Both the outer housing 22 and inner housing 24 are
formed
of a generally rigid material, that is also preferably lightweight, in order
to enable the
device 10 to be easily manipulated by an individual's hand 26, as best shown
in FIG.
1. Most preferably, each housing 22 and 24 is constructed of a plastic
material, such
that the shape of the respective housings 22 and 24 can be easily modified as
desired,
and formed in a conventional plastic molding process, e.g., injection molding.
The outer housing 22 includes a lower opening 28 within which the inner
housing 24 is located, and an upper opening 30 positioned generally opposite
the
lower opening 28. The upper opening 30 can have any desired shape, but is
preferably rectangular in shape in order to accommodate a collection chamber
or bin
32 therein. The bin 32 includes a handle 34 at one end to facilitate the
removal of the
bin 32 from within the upper opening 30 in the outer housing 22. The bin 32 is
also
formed of a generally lightweight material, such as a plastic material, and
includes a
wide, closed end 36 at the top of the bin 32, and a narrow open end 38 at the
bottom
of the bin 32. Inwardly tapering end walls 40 extend between the closed end 36
and
open end 38 at each end of the bin 32, and are joined by sidewalls 42. The
side walls
42 are integrally formed with the end walls 40 and include a number of open
sections
44 spaced therealong. The open sections 44 allow an individual to view the
interior of
the bin 32 in order to determine how much debris 20 has been collected
therein. The
open sections 44 are preferably enclosed by a transparent material 46 that can
extend
from one side of the open end 38 over the adjacent side wall 42, over the top
of the
bin 32 to form the closed end 36, and down over the opposed side wall 42. In
this
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embodiment, the transparent material 46 allows an individual to view the
interior of
the bin 32 regardless of whether the bin 32 is positioned within or removed at
least
partially from the upper opening 30 in the device 10. Additionally, to provide
a more
aesthetically pleasing appearance to the device 10, the closed end 36 of the
bin 32 can
be formed of material similar to the material forming the housing 22 to
provide a
more seamless appearance between the closed end 36 of the bin 32 and the
handle
portion 14 of the device 10.
Referring now to Figs. 4-6, the inner housing 24 includes a lower portion 48
and an upper portion 50. The lower portion 48 extends outwardly to conform to
the
shape of the lower opening 28 in the outer housing 22, and is fixedly secured
to the
outer housing 22 by suitable fasteners 52. The upper portion 50 is spaced
above the
lower portion 48 by a pair of opposed supports 54 and end walls 55, preferably
integrally formed between the lower portion 48 and the upper portion 50, in
order to
define a recess 56 between the side supports 54 and end walls 55. The upper
portion
50 also includes a central opening 58 having lower edges 80 that extends
completely
through the upper portion 50 and allows communication between the recess 56
and
the narrow open end 38 of the bin 32. To keep the device 10 relatively
lightweight,
the inner housing 24 is formed of a suitable lightweight material, such as a
plastic
material.
The recess 56 also houses a pair of cleaning members 60 and 61. The
members 60, 61 are generally semi-cylindrical in shape, such that each member
60, 61
includes a curved surface 62, and a pair of arcuate end walls 64. Each end
wall 64
includes a protrusion 66 extending outwardly therefrom in which is defined a
bore 68
that receives a fastener 70 in order to rotatably secure each end wall 64 to
the adjacent
end wall 55 of the recess 56. While the preferred embodiment discloses
cleaning
members 60, 61 that are generally semi-cylindrical in shape, other suitable
shapes for
the members 60, 61 are also contemplated. Further, the materials utilized to
form the
cleaning members 60, 61 are selected to maintain the overall light weight for
the
device 10, such that preferred materials for the cleaning members 60, 61 can
include
various lightweight metals and plastics.
Each cleaning member 60, 61 also includes a layer of cleaning material 72
secured to the member 60, 61 on the curved surface 62 opposite the end wall
64. The
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material 72 can be selected from any suitable material capable of picking up
and
retaining various dirt, dust, pet hair, crumbs, lint and other allergens from
a fabric
surface 16 such as a number of teeth disposed, and possibly integrally formed
on each
member or a material secured to the members 60, 61. Preferably, the material
is
formed of a cloth-like material, with a particularly preferred material being
an
unidirectional, fabric, such as velour. The layer of cleaning material 72 is
secured to
the curved surface 62 of the cleaning members 60, 61 in any suitable manner,
but is
preferably fixedly secured to the curved surface 62 by an adhesive.
The cleaning members 60, 61 are secured within the recess 56 such that the
layer of cleaning material 72 on each member 60, 61 extends below the lower
portion
48 of the inner housing 24 and into contact with a fabric surface 16 over
which the
device 10 is moved. Each member 60, 61 is rotatable within the recess 56
between a
first position where an inner side 74 (e.g., Fig. 8) is rotated into contact
with an
annular shoulder 76 (e.g., Fig. 8) formed on the upper portion 50 of the inner
housing
24 adjacent the opening 58, and a second position where an outer side 78
(e.g., Fig. 8)
of each member 60, 61 is rotated into contact with the upper portion 50
adjacent the
corresponding side support 54. Additionally, the thickness of the layer of
cleaning
material 72 on each member 60, 61 is selected to enable the material 72 on
each
member 60, 61 to contact the material 72 on the opposed cleaning members 60,
61 for
a purpose to be described.
In operation, referring now to Figs. 7-9, the device 10 is placed against and
moved across a fabric surface 16, and the cleaning members 60, 61 each rotate
in a
clockwise direction when the device 10 is moved in a direction indicated by
arrow A
in Fig. 7. As the members 60, 61 rotate in the clockwise direction, the layer
of
cleaning material 72 on each member 60, 61 contacts the debris 20 on the
fabric
surface 16 and picks up the debris 20 such that the debris 20 remains on the
cleaning
material layer 72. The device 10 is continually moved in the direction
indicated by
arrow A until the cleaning members 60, 61 are moved into the position shown in
Fig.
7.
At this point, the device 10 is moved in the opposite direction indicated by
arrow B in Fig. 8, such that members 60, 61 rotate in a counterclockwise
direction. In
doing so, the cleaning material layer 72 on the inner side 74 of member 60
contacts
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the cleaning material layer 72 adjacent the inner side 74 of cleaning member
61. As
the respective layers 72 move past and contact one another, the debris 20 on
the
member 61 is removed and pushed through the central opening 58 in the upper
portion 50 into the open end 38 of the bin 32. The debris 20 engaged between
the
members 60, 61 is continually urged upwardly into the opening 58, and cannot
fall
back on the surface 16 due to the close spacing of the members 60, 61. At the
same
time, the cleaning material layer 72 spaced from the inner side 74 of member
61
comes into contact with the fabric surface 16 in order to pick up additional
debris 20
from the surface 16. Movement in the direction indicated by arrow B is
continued in
this manner until, as best shown in Fig. 9, the position of the cleaning
members 60, 61
are essentially reversed from Fig. 7. From the position shown in Fig. 9, the
device 10
is again moved in a direction indicated by arrow A in Fig. 7 such that the
inner side
74 of cleaning member 61 comes into contact with and cleans the debris 20 off
of the
cleaning material 72 of cleaning member 60, which picks up debris 20 from the
surface 16 as it is moved. This process can be repeated as many times as
necessary in
order for the cleaning members 60, 61 to remove all of the debris 20 off of
the fabric
surface 16.
The removal of the debris 20 from the cleaning material layer 72 on each
cleaning member 60, 61 is further facilitated by the presence of the debris
diverting
edge 80 formed on the upper portion 50 of the inner housing 24 on each side of
the
central opening 58. The edges 80 on each side of the opening 58 contact the
cleaning
material layer 72 on the respective cleaning members 60, 61 when the members
60,
61 move into the positions shown in FIGS. 7 and 9 to assist in diverting and
removing
the debris 20 from the cleaning material 72. The edges 80 contact the layers
72 on the
members 60, 61 to compress the layers 72 and scrape or otherwise direct the
debris 20
from the layers 72 into the opening 58. Continued motion of the members 60, 61
moves the layers 72 along the edges 80 to remove additional debris 20 from the
members 60, 61.
After the debris 20 has been removed from the fabric surface 16, an individual
can remove and replace the bin 32, if necessary, or can utilize the device in
order to
remove debris 20 from an additional fabric surface or surfaces 16. In
addition, as
opposed to the bin 32 being designed for removal and disposal separately from
the
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device 10, the entire device 10 can be designed to be disposed once the bin 32
has
been filled with debris 20 removed from one or more fabric surfaces 16.
Additionally, separate from the previously described embodiments, other
modifications to the device 10 are also contemplated as within the scope of
the
invention. For example, the chamber or bin 32 can be integrally formed with
the
outer housing 22, such that the entire device is disposable. Also, the chamber
32 can
include or be formed of a hair or lint attracting material, such as a strip of
a tacky
material or a hook and loop material to trap any lint, hair or other debris
contacting it.
Also, the opening 58 in the lower housing 24 could be moved to one side or the
other
of the lower housing 24, along with a corresponding shift in the location of
the
chamber 32.
Fig. 10 shows an alternative device 110. The device 110 has a housing 110a
with base portion 112 and a handle portion 114 preferably connected by an
adhesive
or heat staking. The device cleans the surface along axis 118. The handle
portion 114
preferably has a top 111, a first side 113a, an opposing second side 113b, a
front side
113c, and back side 113d. The first side and the second side have grooves
115a, 115b
for receiving the user's hand and fingers. The grooves allow the user to
comfortably
grip a handle portion. Fig. 11 shows the underside of the device 110. As seen
in Fig.
11 the base portion 112 is configured to receive cleaning members 160, 161.
The
cleaning members are preferably covered with cleaning material 172a, 172b such
as
an unidirectional velour. The cleaning members 160, 161 are preferably semi-
circular
rollers such as those described above. In this embodiment, the rollers 160,
161 are
attached to the base portion 112 with fasteners 170a, 170b and 170c, 170d
located at
each end of the roller. In between the rollers is a central opening 158. In
this
embodiment, fasteners 170a, 170b are preferably constructed of two main
elements-
for example, protrusions 166a and 166b that are respectively received in the
cavities
168a and 168b for roller 161. Similarly, roller 160 has fasteners 170c, 170d
that
include protrusions 166c and 166d that are respectively received in the
cavities 168c
and 168d.
As shown in Figs. 12-15, handle portion 114 has a top 121 that is preferably
smooth and rounded. The sides 113a, 113b, 113c, 113d preferably have rounded
corners as shown.
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Figs. 16 and 17 show the base portion 112 of the device 110 with the rollers
removed. When the rollers are on place, they fit into fastening clip cavities
150a-
150d. Handle portion 114 and base portion 112 are connected and/or aligned at
points
151 as shown. In one embodiment, ribs may be present (on either portion) to
help
align the handle and base portions 114, 122 respectively and also keep the
handle
portion stable and firm. Stops 155a-155d help to restrict the movement of the
rollers.
Protrusions 157a-157d are preferably next to the stops 155a-155d. A rib may be
between these to add stability. As handle portion 114 and base portion 112 are
essentially hollow, they define a recess 156 into which debris that is picked
up by the
rollers is stored. In one embodiment, the handle 114 and base portion 112 are
transparent so that the user can easily determined when the recess 156 is full
of debris.
In this embodiment, since the top and bottom portions are permanently
connected at,
for example, points 151 and/or points 171 a,b and the rollers are locked into
place, the
device is then discarded along with the debris. A new device then must be
purchased
and used for further cleaning.
Another embodiment is shown in Figs.18-24. The device 210 is somewhat
similar to device 110 but it contains additional features. The device 210 has
a handle
portion 214 and a bottom portion 212 connected preferably by heat formed
connector
stakes 271 a-f that fit into holes. On the top 221 of the handle portion 214
are indicia
223. The indicia 223 preferably indicate the device's type or brand and may
also
consist of a logo as well as the trademark registration symbol 223a.
Additional indicia
225a,b may be located at the front 227 and-back 229 of the device 210. The
indicia
may include an arrow that indicates to the user that preferred direction of
movement
for the device.
In this embodiment, the grooves 215a,b, preferably having textured surface
217 consisting of small protrusions or indentations, grip points 219 that
assist in the
gripping of the device 210. This embodiment may also include ridge 231 around
bottom portion 212. The ridge 231 may have a rounded lip to prevent snags. As
best
shown in Figs. 19-21, this embodiment is more rounded and almost appears to be
a
semi circle. As shown, two rollers 260, 261 are located partially within the
outer shell
of the device 210. The grip points 219 and indicia 223 may be embossed out or
in.
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Figs. 22 and 23 show rollers 260, 261 covered with a cleaning fabric 272,
272b. A somewhat different fastening mechanism for the rollers 260, 261 is
also
shown. For example, here spring snaps receive a protrusion on the rollers 260,
261 for
easier assembly. As best shown in Fig. 23, the bottom of the base portion 212
has
ramps or leads 250 to help assemble the rollers 260, 261 into the base 212.
The
rollers 260,261 may have protruding axles 251 a-25 1 d of differing sizes
which interact
with the leads 250a-250d.
Fig. 24 shows a hanger 261 as an integral part of the handle portion 214. In
this embodiment, a hanger 261 is preferably constructed of plastic and is used
to hang
the device 210 from a hook on store display.
Fig. 25A shows still another embodiment. In this embodiment, device 310 has
a very small ridge 331 and also has a more aggressively sloping front 337 and
rear
339.
Fig. 25B shows the bottom of the device 310 shows scallop cuts 381 in the
fabric 372 and the mating bosses 383 on the rollers 360, 361. In other
embodiments,
these scallops 384 are not necessary as the fabric would just be cut into
rectangles and
folded over both edges of the roller, not just the one.
Figs. 26-29 show yet another embodiment. This embodiment of device 410
has a single main roller 460 mounted in a semi circular housing 420. The main
roller
460 attracts and picks up hair, while internally two small sections of
directional
material 473 attached to the housing 420 shed the hair from the main roller
460. This
leaves the hair trapped inside the housing. The main roller 460 only rotates
about 90
degrees in both directions. A stop locks the main roller 460 at a specific
point to pick
up hair, then when rolled in the reverse direction the roller 460 will almost
roll 180
degrees which brings the hair up into the housing 420. The roller 460 locks
again.
The motion is repeated until the housing 420 is full. The process picks up
hair
because the directional material is opposing one another. The velour 473
attached to
the housing 420 "lays" down while the velour 472 on the large roller 460
brings in
hair. When the device 410 reverses direction, the hair on the large roller 460
will pass
the same small strip of velour 473 but now the velour 473 on the large roller
460 will
"lay" down and the smaller strip of velour 473 traps the hair inside the
housing 420.
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As mentioned, various components of the device can be attached by sonic heat
staking or hot melt glue. The heat staking process may have a feature that
shows
orientation for future troubleshooting
The velour cleaning material may be applied to the rollers as a sort of label,
that is, with one side having an adhesive and one side having a unidirectional
fabric.
Alternatively, the cleaning fabric may include a properly cut and sized piece
of
material hot glued to the roller. The fabric may have semi circular tabs cut
out to align
with corresponding structures on the rollers. This makes it easier to fit the
fabric to the
roller during assembly. While the cleaning material is typically red velour,
blue and
other, lighter colors such as white and yellow may be used. For example, the
lighter
colors may be beneficial as they will better show dirt and debris.
The cleaning fabric preferably has some cushion. The cushion density makes a
difference in exerted force. The velour wears out after time, for example, 6
hours to 8
hours of use.
In one embodiment, the roller fasteners may consist of de-nest lugs embedded
in the top housing. In such an embodiment, the roller removal force is about
16
pounds.
The device is preferably made of transparent 100% recyclable R-PET or some
other suitable plastic resin.
In another embodiment, the inside of the device is sprayed with glue or some
other adhesive. This feature attracts and holds the debris to the inner walls
of the
device. This feature will promote the fact that the device is disposable.
The invention may further includes a process for manufacturing a device
assembly that requires a rigid part (e.g., a roller) to have a dissimilar, in
this case a
cleaning fabric, material bonded to it. This process is preferably as follows:
1. The cleaning fabric is provided in manufactured rolls;
2. A width of fabric is coated on the backside with a heat activated adhesive
(e.g.,, "hot melt" glue);
3. The now adhesive coated fabric is allowed to cool (e.g., a few seconds);
4. The cooled adhesive coated fabric is cut to final shape;
5. The cut adhesive coated fabric is reheated to activate glue immediately
prior to assembly to the rigid roller part (note that the heat is preferably
provided in
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the form of radiant, convection, microwave, etc. and/or provided by fabric
carrier, or
the rigid part is heated); and
6. The rigid part is then presented to the heated, cut, adhesive coated fabric
to produce the roller assembly.
One advantage of this process is that a machine for manufacturing and
assembling the roller and fabric allows for ease of placement of the fabric
onto and
over the edges of the rigid part
This machine that allows for fabric to be assembled onto a rigid part's
surface
and. allows for the fabric to be rolled over the edges of the rigid part, all
in a single
operation. The machine is well suited to either manual hand assembly or high-
speed
automation and has the following attributes:
1. Ability to apply adhesive to full roll at high speed, vs. individual pieces
2. Ability to apply adhesive at any time, vs. immediately before assembly
onto rollers
3. Prevents the edges of the fabric from fraying
The basic operation of the machine is as follows:
1. Placing of fabric onto fabric carrier.
a. The fabric is located on the carrier with the assistance of the "Fabric
Stops."
b. The fabric is supported initially by the "Fabric Springs," although
these may be unnecessary if the fabric is otherwise adequately located
directly into
the "Part Cradle."
c. The fabric has some type of adhesive already applied to it, or else the
adhesive is applied after the fabric is located into the carrier. If a non-
adhesive
attachment method is used (i.e. ultrasonic), then the fabric does not have any
adhesive
on it.
d. If the fabric is coated with a heat activated adhesive, the heat to
activate the adhesive is applied after the adhesive-coated fabric is placed
into this
carrier (easier to handle cold), but directly before the next step. The
carrier passes
through a conveyor type heat source, or else the carrier, or roller parts
itself is heated.
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2. Rigid Part (e.g., the roller) is placed onto part holder
a. This could either be a hand operation or an automated feeder system
b. Retention of the rigid part in the holder could be accomplished through
a number of means, such as vacuum, sprung retention clips, friction, suction
cups,
adhesive, etc.
3. The fabric carrier, with the loaded fabric, moves into position under the
part holder
a. It could also be possible that the fabric carrier is fixed under the part
holder and the fabric is sequentially fed onto it.
4. Downward pressure is applied to the "Pusher," compressing the "Holder
Springs"
a. This causes the Part loaded in the Part Holder to press against the
fabric, depressing the Fabric Springs,
and ultimately seating the part against the fabric, formed by the Part
Cradle.
b. Sandwiching the fabric between the part and the Part Cradle causes the
ends of the fabric to raise up from their resting position, key to allowing
the Roll-Over
roller to get underneath it.
c. The Fabric Springs eventually compress below the surface of the Part
Cradle, due to their location in recessed holes.
d. The pressure could either be provided manually or through automated
methods.
5. Continued downward pressure on the Pusher compresses the "Pusher
Springs"
a. It is key here that the Pusher springs are harder to compress (higher K
value) than the Holder Springs, so that the Part Holder loaded with the Part
is
compressed fully into the fabric and Cradle, and then the Pusher springs begin
to
compress. This produces in effect a two-stage action, first compressing the
Pusher
Springs and then compressing the Holder Springs.
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6. As the Pusher springs continue to be compressed, the Roll-Over Roller
begins to contact the Roll-Over Ramp
a. As the Roll-Over Roller is forced onto the Roll-Over Ramp, the Roll-
Over Springs begin to bend sideways, providing constant pressure between the
Roll-
Over Roller and the Roll-Over Ramp.
b. The constant pressure is important to allow the Roll-Over Roller to get
underneath the fabric to initiate the rollover process
c. The constant pressure could be provided by any number of means
besides the springs, such as spring wire, spring metal sheet stock, rotational
springs,
polymer springs, etc
d. The Roll-Over Roller may not necessarily need to be a roller. It could
perhaps be a thin fixed part, such as a rigid wire, a wedge shape, etc,
anything that
could get underneath the fabric, travel down the ramp, and transfer adequate
pressure
across its width
e. The roll over operation could be on both sides, not just one, by mirroring
the Roll-Over Rollers, Roll-Over Springs, Roll-Over Ramp, and Part Holder
Cutout
7. The Roll-Over Roller forces the fabric to roll over the edge of the part
and
seat against the inside of the part
a. The cut out in the part holder allows room for the Roll-Over Roller to
travel inside the part
b. The roll-over action provides the desirable benefit of applying pressure
across the entire application surface of the fabric, including on the edge of
the rigid
part.
8. The pressure on the pusher is now released and the holder springs force the
machine back to its original state.
a. The part is released from the Part Holder.
9. The now combined rigid part with its fabric surface and rolled edges is
complete
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a. The Fabric Springs force the assembly back up, out of the Cradle for
transport or removal
In the preferred embodiment described herein, the rollers fit into the device
only one way. Further, although a two roller and single roller version are
shown, 3 or
more smaller rollers may used. The device may also have dust pan feature for
catching and hold the debris within the housing.
Various other features, embodiments and advantages of the present invention
are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims
particularly
pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the
invention.
