Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Description
CLEANING APPARATUS FOR DOMESTIC USE
The present patent application for industrial invention relates to a
cleaning apparatus for domestic use.
The use of water-absorbing elements is known for cleaning floors
and surfaces in general, which are passed on the surface to be washed in
such a way to hold the dirt and are successively rinsed with water.
Such water-absorbing elements can consist in pieces of cloth that
are moved with a stick in order to clean the floor, or in straps of fabric
that
are fixed to a stick, being commonly known as "mops".
The water-absorbing element is generally rinsed in a bucket that is
filled with water and possibly with a surface-active detergent.
Evidently, after rinsing the water-absorbing element in the water
contained in the bucket, the water in the bucket gets dirty and needs to be
replaced with clean water. Such a replacement operation is extremely
uncomfortable, especially if the place where the dirty water can be
discharged and the bucket can be filled with clean water is far from the
place where the cleaning operation is being made. For such a reason,
generally speaking, the user avoids changing the water in the bucket,
compressing the water-absorbing element in the dirty water contained in
the bucket, thus obtaining a very bad cleaning.
Generally speaking, the bucket with the water is provided with a
support that is suitable for supporting and wringing the water-absorbing
element. In fact, such a support consists in a basket provided with slots in
order to let the water out.
The innovative research in the field of such cleaning apparatuses
mainly considered the support used to wring the water-absorbing element.
In fact, different types of wringing systems are known, with elastic wings,
with mechanical kinematic mechanisms, with centrifugal rotation of the
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basket, and the like. However, such a research activity did not consider a
system used to rinse the water-absorbing element.
US4174977 discloses an apparatus and a method for rinsing and
disinfecting a mop used to clean floors and other surfaces.
The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks
of the prior art by disclosing a cleaning apparatus for domestic use that is
practical, versatile, easy to use, inexpensive and simple to make.
These purposes are achieved according to the invention with the
characteristics of the independent claim 1.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention appear from the
dependent claims.
The cleaning apparatus for domestic use according to the invention
comprises:
- a bucket intended to contain water;
- a support mounted in the bucket and intended to support a water
absorbing element for floor cleaning;
- a tank intended to contain water and provided with a nozzle
intended to distribute the water contained inside the tank; and
- support means fixed to said bucket to support said tank, in such a
way that the nozzle of the tank is situated above said support in order to
rinse said water absorbing element disposed on said support of the bucket
with clean water.
The advantages of the cleaning apparatus for domestic use
according to the invention are evident. In fact, the user can rinse the water-
absorbing element several times with the clean water of the tank, without
having to change the dirty water contained in the bucket.
Such a system guarantees the perfect cleaning of the water-
absorbing element and reduces the user's fatigue caused by the frequent
changes of the water in the bucket.
Additional features of the invention will appear clearer from the
detailed description below, which refers to merely illustrative, not limiting
embodiments, wherein:
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Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a cleaning apparatus for
domestic use according to a first embodiment of the invention; and
Fig. 2 is a side perspective view of a second embodiment of the
cleaning apparatus according to the invention.
With reference to Fig. 1, a cleaning apparatus according to the
invention is disclosed, which is generally indicated with reference numeral
(1).
The cleaning apparatus (1) comprises a bucket (2) intended to
contain water. A support (3) is mounted in an upper portion of the bucket
(2) to support a water absorbing element (4). Advantageously, the support
(3) is a basket provided with slots (30) in order to let the water out and
wring the water absorbing element (4).
The water absorbing element (4) can consist in strips made of
absorbing material that are attached to a stick (40). The water absorbing
element (4) may also be a cloth, a sponge or the like.
A tank (5) is supported by supporting means (7) fixed to the bucket
(2). The tank (5) is intended to contain water. For illustrative purposes, the
tank (5) can have a volume comprised between 5 and 20 liters.
The tank (5) has a water dispensing nozzle (50) that is in
communication with the interior of the tank and is disposed above said
support (3) intended to support the water absorbing element, in such a way
to rinse the water absorbing element (4) in a rapid and easy way. The
nozzle (50) is disposed in a lower portion of the tank, frontally protruding
from the tank.
Actuation means (6) can be actuated manually to open/close the
nozzle (50) of the tank.
Advantageously, the actuation means (6) comprise a rod (60)
provided with a lower end in communication with a shutter of a valve of the
nozzle (50). A handle (61) is disposed at the upper end of the rod (60) in
order to be manually actuated by the user without bending. The actuation
of the handle (61) determines a rotation of the rod (60), thus opening or
closing the nozzle (50).
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The support means (7) of the tank comprise rods (70, 71) fixed to a
back portion of the bucket and protruding in upper position from the bucket
in such a way as to support the tank above the bucket.
Advantageously, the rods of the support means (7) comprise a
telescopic system comprising two lower rods (70) fixed to the bucket (2)
and two upper rods (71) that telescopically slide inside the lower rods (70)
in such a way as to adjust the height of the support means.
The upper rods (71) are connected in upper position by a handle
(76) intended to be hold by the user in order to transport the cleaning
apparatus (1). Swiveling wheels are advantageously disposed under the
bottom of the bucket (2) to transport the cleaning apparatus (1).
A strap (73) or bracket is used to fix the tank (5) to the rods of the
support means (7). The strap (73) surrounds the tank (5). The strap (73)
also supports a bracket (74) to support the rod (60) of the actuation means
and a hook (75) to fasten the stick (40) of the water absorbing element (4).
In the following description the parts that are identical or correspond
to the parts described above are identified with the same numerals,
omitting their detailed description.
Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of the cleaning apparatus
according to the invention, which is indicated with reference numeral (100).
The apparatus (100) comprises a lid (20) disposed on the bucket
(2). The support (3) is mounted in the lid (20). The support (3) is a basket
with concave shape, which comprises a plurality of strips (31) that
converge into a bottom wall (32), being mutually spaced in order to form
slots (30) to let the water out. The strips (31) are elastically mounted in
such a way that the strips are bent when the water absorbing element (4)
is pressed on the strips (31), compressing the water absorbing element in
such a way as to wring the water from the water absorbing element.
A wall (21) of the bucket (2) extends above the lid (20) behind said
lid (20).
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In such a case, the support means (7) of the tank comprise a base
(22) that projects from the wall (21) of the bucket above the lid (20) of the
bucket.
The support (5) is mounted on the base (22). The tank (5) comprises
5 pins (53) that are engaged into slots (23) of the base (22) of the
bucket, for
example in bayonet or click-in coupling mode.
The base (22) has a circular shape and the tank (5) has a cylindrical
shape.
Brackets (74) are fixed to the tank (5) to support the rod (60) of the
actuation means of the nozzle (50).
A hook (75) is fixed to the tank to support the rod (40) of the water
absorbing element.
A handle (25) shaped as an overturned "U" is fixed to the wall (21)
of the bucket to transport the cleaning apparatus (100). A hook (75') is fixed
to the handle (25) to support the rod (40) of the water absorbing element.
Handles (56) are obtained in the tank (5) in order to lift the tank.
The bucket (2) has a hole on the base (22) to drain the water
contained in the bucket (2).
A broom-cleaning device (8) is mounted in a back portion of the
bucket (2), protruding outwards. The broom-cleaning device comprises a
box (80) wherein a wheel (81) with a plurality of radial blades or brushes is
revolvingly mounted. The wheel (81) is connected to a shaft (82) connected
to a crank (83) that can be manually actuated by the user in such a way as
to rotate the wheel (81). A plate (84) is mounted above the wheel (81). The
plate (84) has an opening (85) in correspondence of the wheel (81).
In view of the above, if the bristles of the broom are disposed on the
opening (85) of the plate and the wheel (81) is rotated, the blades or
brushes of the wheel will pass through the bristles of the broom, removing
the dirt, such as hair, fluff and the like, that is accumulated on the
bristles
of the broom.
Numerous equivalent variations and modifications can be made to
the present embodiments of the invention, which are within the reach of an
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expert of the field and fall in any case within the scope of the invention as
disclosed by the attached claims.
