Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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Glass Drying Device
Field of the invention
The present invention relates to the field of drying instruments and more
specifically to handheld
drying instruments for glasses, cups and other containers.
Background
Due to their shapes and sizes, some glasses (such as wine glasses) or other
types of cups are
particularly difficult to clean and dry. Various types of instruments have
been devised in order to
overcome the hassle of cleaning the hard to reach bottoms of the glasses or
cups.
Prior art example include US Patent Application Nos. 2003/0210947 (Calendrille
et al.)
2004/0064907 (Blaustein et al.), 2004/0177864 (Sega11a), 2007/0119011 (Ho et
al.) and
2008/0230246 (Dollar-Wright). All of these devices include a handheld
instrument, some
motorized and others not motorized, which contain an apparatus at one
extremity with a washing
capability. Ho, Blaustein, SegaIla and Dollar-Wright teach bristles at one
extremity of the
handheld device in order to wash glasses and cups. Some of these are motorized
and rotate along
their own axis in order to provide constant washing within the glass or cup.
Calendrille discloses
a similar handheld device but having a different type of bristle-less head
utilized to rotate and
clean the inside of glasses and cups.
Meanwhile, US Patent No. 7,356,869 (Knopow) discloses a flexible cleaning tool
with a
replaceable non-woven pad. This handheld device is used to dust various
articles and has a
flexible head in order to reach awkward and other hard-to-reach places.
Unfortunately, these devices all have similar problems. First, they are
cleaning products that are
utilized to clean cups, glasses or other similarly shaped instruments. They
are not intended to dry
the containers. Second, the shapes of their heads are designed in such a way
that they cannot be
molded to the shape of the container. Indeed, they have bristles but the
bristles cannot exert
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adequate pressure on the edges of the containers to properly clean harder to
reach areas in the
containers, such as crevasses.
As such, there is a need for a device that can overcome the drawbacks
described above. The
present device is a perfect solution to these problems. Its head is mouldable
and meant to clean
and dry the crevasses of various types of glasses. Once wet or dirty, the
present device's
absorbent cloth can be thrown out, washed or dried and re-used. The solutions
that the device
provides are outlined in greater detail below.
Summary
The present invention provides a glass drying device, comprising a handle, a
cleaning member
and an absorbent cloth wherein the absorbent cloth is fastened onto the
cleaning member.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a glass drying device,
comprising: a handle, a
cleaning member operatively connected to the handle, at least one finger at
one end of the
cleaning member; and an absorbent cloth operatively fitted on the cleaning
member, wherein the
absorbent cloth is used to dry the interior of a glass.
In a second aspect, the present invention provides a glass drying device,
comprising: a handle,
petals operatively connected to the handle and an absorbent cloth operatively
fitted over the
petals wherein the absorbent cloth can be used to dry the interior of a glass.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
It will now be convenient to describe the invention with particular reference
to one embodiment
of the present invention. It will be appreciated that the drawings relate to
one embodiment of the
present invention only and are not to be taken as limiting the invention.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a glass drying device, according to one
embodiment of the
present invention;
Figure 2a is a front view of inner and outer petals in their position at rest,
according to one
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2b is a front view of inner and outer petals in their position in
exertion, according to one
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3a is a front view of a glass drying device with an absorbent cloth
fastened onto it,
according to one embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3b is a cross-sectional front view of a glass drying device with an
absorbent cloth not
fastened onto it, according to one embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4a is a front view of a glass drying device at rest within a wine
glass, according to one
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4b is a front view of a glass drying device in exertion within a cup,
according to one
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a glass drying device, according to a second
embodiment of the
present invention;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a cleaning member of the glass drying
device, according to a
second embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 6a is a cross-sectional side view of a first finger at rest of the
glass drying device,
according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
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,
Figure 6b is a cross-sectional side view of a first finger of the glass drying
device in a first
position, according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 6c is a cross-sectional side view of a first finger of the glass drying
device in a second
position, according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 6d is a cross-sectional side view of a first finger of the glass drying
device in a third
position, according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 7a is a second perspective view of a cleaning member of the glass
drying device,
according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 7b is a perspective view of the upper portion of a handle of the glass
drying device,
according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 8 is another perspective view of a glass drying device, according to a
second embodiment
of the present invention;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a cleaning member of a glass drying device,
according to a third
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a cleaning member and handle of a glass
drying device,
according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 10a is a front view of a glass drying device in exertion within a cup,
according to a third
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 10b is a front view of a glass drying device at rest within a wine
glass, according to a
third embodiment of the present invention; and
Figure 10c is a front view of a glass drying device in exertion within a flute
glass, according to a
third embodiment of the present invention.
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Detailed Description
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with
reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which preferred and other embodiments of the
invention are shown.
No embodiment described below limits any claimed invention and any claimed
invention may
cover processes or apparatuses that are not described below. The claimed
inventions are not
limited to apparatuses or processes having all the features of any one
apparatus or process
described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses
described below. It
is possible that an apparatus or process described below is not an embodiment
of any claimed
invention.
The terms "coupled" and "connected", along with their derivatives, may be used
herein. It should
be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other.
Rather, in particular
embodiments, "connected" may be used to indicate that two or more elements are
in direct
physical contact with each other. "Coupled" may be used to indicated that two
or more elements
are in either direct or indirect (with other intervening elements between
them) physical contact
with each other, or that the two or more elements co-operate or interact with
each other (e.g. as
in a cause and effect relationship).
With reference to Figure 1, a glass drying device 10 is shown. The glass
drying device is
primarily comprised of a handle 15, outer petals 20 operatively coupled to the
handle,
compressible inner shaft 25 also operatively connected to the handle and outer
petals and an
absorbent cloth 30. The absorbent cloth 30 is shaped in such a way as to fit
snugly over the inner
shaft 25 and outer petals 20. In order to clean a glass, cup, or other similar
type of container, the
absorbent cloth 30 must be fitted around the outer petals 20. Pressure is
applied from the handle
15 toward the bottom of the container, and the shaft 25 compresses onto
itself, forcing the inner
petals (not shown) and outer petals 20 outward to allow contact with the inner
recesses of the
container. This process is described in further detail below. In this
embodiment, the outer petals
20 and inner petals (not shown) are made of silicone, but a worker skilled in
the relevant art
would appreciate that the petals 20 could be made of other similar types of
material, provided
that the material can be bent or can conform to various shapes and curves.
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With reference to Figures 2a and 2b, outer petals 20, inner petals 35 and the
shaft 25 are shown
in greater detail. The arrow in Figure 2a represents force being applied onto
the shaft 25, pushing
it in a downward motion. Once the shaft 25 has been compressed; its wide
circumferential edge
27 is forced downward, forcing the inner petals 35 to flatten outwards, which
is represented by
the arrows in Figure 2b. The wide circumferential edge 27 of the shaft 25 also
changes the shape
of the outer petals 20 when it is compressed, so as to force the outer petals
20 outwards as well.
Once fully compressed, the inner petals 35 are completely flush against the
surface that the glass
drying device 10 is drying, and are thus perfectly able to reach the crevasses
of various
containers. Meanwhile, the outer petals 20 are not completely flush, but are
in an arcuate position
with respect to the position of the outer petals 20 at rest. This allows for
additional contact on
surfaces and thus facilitates the drying process. The direction of the inner
petals 35 allows for the
glass drying device 10 to properly clean the recesses and crevasses of various
containers. A
worker skilled in the art could appreciate a glass drying device 10 where
there could be more
than four outer and inner petals. Indeed, a worker skilled in the relevant art
could appreciate a
variety of sizes, shapes and number of petals in order to accommodate various
containers in such
a way that they would not depart from the scope of the present device.
With reference to Figures 3a and 3b, the glass drying device 10 is shown with
and without the
absorbent cloth 30 fitted around the outer petals 20. With specific reference
to Figure 3a, the
glass drying device 10 is shown with the absorbent cloth 30 fitted onto and
around the outer
petals 20. Once fitted, the glass drying device 10 can be utilized within a
container and the
absorbent cloth 30 can be utilized to dry the container. The absorbent cloth
is operatively fitted
over the petals. With specific reference to Figure 3b, the absorbent cloth 30
is shown removed
from the glass drying device 10. Outer and inner petals 20, 35 and shaft 25
are also shown, their
combined shape in a generally similar shape as the absorbent cloth 30.
With reference to Figures 4a and 4b, the glass drying device 10 is shown
within a wine glass 40
and a cup 45, respectively. When fitted within the wine glass 40, little to no
pressure is exerted
upon the glass drying device 10 such that the outer and inner petals 20, 35
are at rest and in their
original positions. When fitted in the cup 45, the glass drying device 10 is
shown, pressure being
exerted in a downward motion, which is represented by the arrow pointing in a
downward
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motion. As such, the outer and inner petals 20, 35 have collapsed in such a
way that the bottom
of the cup 45 can easily be dried and stored.
With reference to Figure 5 and according to a second embodiment of the present
invention, a
glass drying device 110 is comprised of a handle 115 and a removable cleaning
member 120.
The cleaning member 120 is principally comprised of first and second fingers
125, 127, which
are utilized to clean the inside edges of a glass and are generally arcuate in
shape. The handle
115 of the glass drying device 110 also has a loop 122 located at the edge of
the handle 115 in
order for the glass drying device 110 to be hung where appropriate and
convenient. The glass
drying device 110 is also comprised of an absorbent cloth (not shown) which,
as was the case in
the first embodiment, is fitted over the cleaning member 120. The absorbent
cloth (not shown) is
shaped in such a way so as to fit snugly over the cleaning member 120 and can
be easily
removed for cleaning and/or drying purposes. The absorbent cloth is also
operatively fitted to the
cleaning member allowing to dry a glass of various shapes.
With reference to Figures 6, 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d and according to a second
embodiment of the
present invention, the cleaning member 120 and first and second fingers 125,
127 are shown in
greater detail. Specifically, the first and second fingers 125, 127 are each
comprised of ribs 130,
132, 134 and recesses 140, 142, 144 in such a way that rib 130 corresponds to
recess 140, while
rib 132 corresponds to recess 142 and rib 134 corresponds to recess 144. The
ribs 130, 132, 134
and recesses 140, 142, 144 on the second finger 127 are identical and mirrored
on the first finger
125. Ribs 130, 132, 134 are made of an elastic material in order to bend and
pivot at any of the
recesses 140, 142, 144.
With particular reference to Figure 6a, the finger 125 is shown separately
with ribs 130, 132, 134
and recesses 140, 142, 144 for clarity.
With particular reference to Figures 6b, when pressure is exerted onto the
cleaning member (not
shown), the pressure forces ribs 130, 132, 134 of first finger 125 to pivot
around the recess 144
until a maximal point when the exterior 145 of the ribs 130, 132, 134 is
nearly flat and creates a
first corner 147 on the outside of the recess 140. The same applies to wider
glasses having
narrow angles, such as the case in Figure 6b.
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With particular reference to Figures 6c and 6d, when pressure is exerted onto
the cleaning
member (not shown) into a narrower-type glass, the pivot points of the
recesses 140, 142, 144
will be generally affected. In Figure 6c, the exterior 145 of the rib 130 and
corner 147 is created
by a pivot at recess 140, while in Figure 6d, the exterior 145 is created by
pivots at both recesses
140 and 144, resulting in two corners 147, 148. A worker skilled in the
relevant art would
appreciate that the various pivots points, flat surfaces and corners will
depend on the size, width
and general shape of the glass to dry, as well as on the level of pressure
exerted onto the cleaning
member (not shown). A worker skilled in the relevant art would also appreciate
that when
cleaning types of glasses with curved bottoms (such as flute glasses or most
types of wine
glasses), the natural bent curvature of first and second fingers 125, 127 will
suffice to properly
clean the glasses without any need of additional pressure being exerted upon
the glass drying
device as described above. In one embodiment of the present invention, the
cleaning member is
comprised of a single finger with or without ribs and with or without
recesses. In another
embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning member is comprised of at
least one or more
fingers with or without ribs and recesses.
With reference to Figures 7a and 7b and according to a second embodiment of
the present
invention, the cleaning member 120 is comprised of a square aperture 150 and
flat surface 155 in
order to secure the handle 115. Indeed, the handle 115 is comprised of two
latches 160, 162 that
are inserted within the aperture 150 of the cleaning member 120. The latches
160, 162 are further
comprised of respective hooks 164, 166 which hook onto the flat surface 155 of
the cleaning
member 120.
With reference to Figure 8 and according to a second embodiment of the present
invention, the
glass drying device 110 is shown with its handle 115 fastened onto the
cleaning member 120.
The hooks 164, 166 are shown secured into the aperture (not shown) and the
handle 115 cannot
be removed from the cleaning member 120 as the hooks 164, 166 are restrained
in place by
means of the flat surface 155. A worker skilled in the relevant art would
appreciate that the
handle 115 could also be molded directly onto the cleaning member 120 and thus
be one piece as
opposed to two separate pieces.
With reference to Figure 9 and according to a third embodiment of the present
invention, an
alternative type of cleaning member 220 is shown. In this third embodiment,
the cleaning
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member 220 is comprised of four fingers 225, 227, 229, 231. The fingers 225,
227, 229, 231 are
shaped identically to fingers 125, 127 (not shown in Figure 9), with identical
ribs and recesses.
Further, a flat surface and aperture (not shown) are present in order to
facilitate the removal of
the cleaning member 220 from the handle (not shown). A worker skilled in the
relevant art
would be familiar with a multitude of fingers that would be utilized in order
to clean glasses of
various shapes and sizes. An absorbent cloth (not shown) is also utilised in
this third embodiment
in order to fit snugly over the cleaning member 220 and is utilized to dry
various types of
glasses. A worker skilled in the relevant art would appreciate that the
absorbent cloth could be
made of various materials, provided that they can fit properly over any type
of cleaning member
and provided that it can properly dry various types of glasses.
With reference to Figures 10, 10a, 10b and 10c, and according to a third
embodiment of the
present invention, the cleaning member 220 and handle 115 are shown by
themselves or within
various types of glasses. Indeed, the various arrows 250, 251, 252, 253, 254,
255, 256 represent
force applied to the fingers 225, 227 for various types of glasses.
With specific reference to Figures 10 and 10a, a force is first applied as
shown via arrow 250 to
represent the flat bottom of a cup 45. In turn, this causes the upper section
of fingers 225, 227 to
flex inward at arrows 251, 252. As the upper section of the fingers 225, 227
flexes inwards, the
middle section of the fingers 225, 227 is forced outwards at the arrows 253,
254 to conform to
the flat surface of the side of the cup 45 for easy drying.
With specific reference to Figures 10 and 10b, force is applied via the arrow
250 to represent the
curved shape of a wine glass 40. This causes the upper section of the fingers
225, 227 to flex
inwards at arrows 251, 252 and conform to the curved shape of the cup 45 for
easy drying.
With specific reference to Figures 10 and 10c, force is only applied at arrows
255, 256 given the
narrow width of the flute glass 47, which will in turn force the tip of the
fingers 225, 227 towards
the same point, or tip, for easy cleaning of both the base of the flute glass
47 and the sides.
With particular reference to Figures 10a, 10b and 10c, the glass drying device
210 is shown in a
wine glass 40, a cup 45 and a flute glass 47. As was the case for the first
embodiment, little to no
pressure is exerted upon the glass drying device 210 when it is utilized to
clean the wine glass
40. Meanwhile, the narrow width of the flute glass 47 causes the fingers (not
shown) of the glass
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drying device 210 to compress and thus better clean the sides and bottom of
the flute glass 47.
Finally, when pressure is exerted upon the glass drying device for the cup 45,
the fingers (not
shown) bend inward and create corners (not shown) as was explained previously
in order to
properly clean the cup 45 and its narrow angle edges.
Although the invention has been described above by reference to certain
embodiments of the
invention, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.
Modifications and
variations of the embodiments described above will occur to those skilled in
the art in light of the
above teachings. Moreover, with respect to the above description, it should be
noted that the
optimal dimensional relationships for the component members of the present
invention may
include variations in size, material, shape, form, funding and manner of
operation.
