PICK-UP DEVICE

Abstract

A pick-up device for picking up debris or other objects that includes a base to which an operating handle is attached by way of a swivel. A supply of sticky elements is releasably held to the base by retaining structure. The supply includes a plurality of tacky sheets arranged in a stack that are attached to a backing member. The structure for holding the supply to the base may comprise retainers and tabs, pins frictionally engaged in corresponding apertures, hook and loop elements or clips forming part of the base. The tablet-like supply includes an outermost sheet having a tacky surface to which debris or objects are held. An exhausted sheet is peeled from the stack to expose the tacky surface of an adjacent sheet.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to cleaning, and in particular, to a device for picking up debris.

BACKGROUND ART

Brooms, vacuum cleaners, mops and brushes are the tools that most often come to mind when dirt or debris must be removed from a surface. In the case of brooms and brushes, additional tools are needed, i.e., dustpans, in order to contain the dirt after it is removed. In the case of vacuum cleaners, a source of power for vacuum cleaners is needed and even for non-powered sweepers, the collected dirt must be emptied from a bag or reservoir, which, in itself, can be a dirt generating task.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The present invention provides a new and improved tool for picking up debris (and other objects) which is self-contained and does not need a source of power or another container for containing the dirt collected.

According to one preferred embodiment, the pick-up device comprises a base and a supply of sticky elements that are removably attached to the base. In the illustrated embodiment, the base is substantially rigid and may be constructed from a plastic material. The supply of sticky elements preferably includes a backing member and the sticky elements preferably comprise a stack of sheets having at least one sticky or tacky surface.

In the preferred and illustrated embodiment, an operating handle is suitably attached to the base and may include a swivel. The base preferably includes a planar surface which abuts the backing member forming part of the supply.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the backing member includes tabs that are engaged by retainers forming part of the base. In particular, the tabs are received in grooves defined by the retainers. The supply of sticky elements is installed to the base by sliding the tabs of the backing member into the groove. Additional stops may be provided for inhibiting relative sliding movement between the backing member and the base once the supply of sticky elements is installed.

According to a feature of the invention, the supply of sticky elements resembles a tablet with a plurality of stacked sheets attached to the backing member. When the outermost sheet has collected sufficient debris or loses its tackiness, the sheet is peeled from the stack in order to expose the tacky/adhesive surface of the adjacent sheet.

According to another embodiment, the supply of sticky elements is removably attached to the base by hook and loop elements.

According to still another embodiment, the supply of sticky elements is removably connected to the base by a pin/aperture arrangement. In one version. a plurality of pins, i.e., four form part of the base and are frictionally engageable with suitably sized apertures formed in the supply. The location of the pins and apertures may be reversed, i.e., the apertures may be formed in the base and the pins may be formed as part of the supply.

According to still another embodiment, resilient clips form part of the base and releasably engage the supply, preferably the backing member.

According to the invention, the supply of adhesive sheets is both effective and relatively inexpensive. The pick-up device is easily refilled with a new supply of adhesive sheets when the adhesive sheets are exhausted. Moreover, the supply includes a significant number of adhesive sheets which are peeled away as needed to expose a fresh, tacky surface for picking up debris or other objects.

Although the disclosed tool could be considered a cleaning tool, it can also be used as a general pick-up device to be used for picking up objects that are not easily reached by those in wheelchairs or the elderly.

Additional features of the invention will become apparent and a fuller understanding obtained by reading the following detailed description made in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of a pick-up device constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the underside of a base member forming part of the pick-up device;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a supply of adhesive members constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is longitudinal sectional view of the base member and supply of adhesive members;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the engagement between a retainer member of the base and a backing member of the adhesive supply;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the engagement between the base and the backing member as supplied by hook and loop material;

FIG. 7 is a perspective, exploded view of another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective, exploded view of another embodiment of the pick-up device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates the overall construction of a debris pick-up device constructed in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the pick-up device comprises a base 10 which is adapted to removably receive a supply 12 of sticky elements 14. The base 10 is manipulated by a handle 16, which is suitably connected to the base 10 by a swivel 18 which may be conventional.

Referring also to FIG. 3, the supply 12 of sticky elements 14, in the preferred embodiment, comprises a backing member 20 which may be cardboard and a plurality of sticky elements 14 stacked atop the backing member 20 in a tablet-like arrangement. The sticky elements 14 may comprise individual sheets of adhesive-backed paper or paper with a tacky surface. Adhesive backed or tacky sheet elements made from material other than paper (i.e. plastic) are also contemplated. As seen best in FIG. 3, the stack comprises aligned adhesive-backed sheets and the stack has a perimeter dimension that is smaller than a perimeter dimension of the backing member 20. As seen best in FIG. 3, when assembled, the backing member 20 defines at least one pair of laterally extending tabs 20a, which extend beyond the corresponding sides of the stack of sticky elements 14.

According to one embodiment of the invention, and as seen best in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base 10 is rectangular in shape and is preferably planar and substantially rigid. It includes an upper surface 10a to which the swivel 18 is attached or integrally formed with and a lower planar surface 10b which abuts the backing member 20 when the supply 12 is mounted. In the preferred construction, the base 10 includes two long edges 24 and two short edges 25. In the illustrated embodiment, retainers 26 are located on opposite long edges 24 of the base 10. As seen best in FIG. 2, the retainers 26 define grooves 30 which are sized and configured to receive the longitudinal tabs 20a defined by the backing member 20. To install a supply 12 of adhesive sheets on to the base 10, the longitudinal tabs 20a of the supply are slid into the grooves 30 of the retainers 26. The engagement of the supply of tacky sheets and the retainers is shown best in FIGS. 4 and 5. In order to inhibit relative sliding movement between the base 10 and the supply 12, stops 34, 35 are formed on the base 10, which engage side edges 36, 38 of the adhesive sheet supply 12. According to a feature of the invention (which is only shown in FIG. 1), the base 10 may include a notch 40, which facilitates grasping of the adhesive sheet supply 12 when it is to be replaced. With the existence of the notch 40, both a top and bottom region of the adhesive supply 12 may be grasped by the operator so that a force can be applied to the adhesive supply in order to slide the supply 12 out of the retainers 26.

In order to use the debris pick-up device, the operator must install a supply of adhesive sheets into the base 10 by sliding the backing member 20 into the retainers 26. A new supply of adhesive sheets would normally have a covering which must be removed to expose the adhesive surface of the first adhesive sheet. The pick-up device is then brought in contact with a debris-covered surface. The debris attaches itself to the adhesive surface of the adhesive sheet and is thereby removed. Once the adhesive sheet is filled with debris, it is peeled from the stack and discarded, thus exposing a new adhesive surface. After all adhesive sheets are used, the backing member 20 is removed from the base member and is replaced with a refill or a fresh supply 12 of adhesive sheets 14.

It should be apparent that the pick-up device disclosed herein provides a very effective means for picking up debris, dust, etc. and reduces the necessity for spot vacuuming.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate embodiment. In this embodiment, the supply 12 of adhesive sheets is held to the base 10 by hook and loop material which is known by the trade name “Velcro”. As seen in FIG. 6, one portion 50 of the hook and loop material is fixed to the lower surface 10b of the base 10 and the other portion 52 of the hook and loop material is fixed to the upper surface of the backing member 20. The invention contemplates multiple strips of hook and loop material and, in particular, enough hook and loop material is used to provide a secure engagement between the backing member 20 and the base 10.

FIG. 7 illustrates still another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, a base 10′ includes a plurality of downwardly depending pins 60 which frictionally engage suitably sized holes 62 formed in a backing member 20′. In this embodiment, the supply of adhesive sheets is held to the base 10′ by the frictional engagement between the pins 60 in the base 10 and the apertures 62 in the backing member 12′. It should be understood that the position of the pins and holes may be reversed.

FIG. 8 illustrates still another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the base 10″ includes at least one pair of clips 64 which may be integrally formed with the base. The clips 64 are resilient in nature and adapted to resiliently grasp side edges 36, 38 of the backing member 20.

The present invention has been described as a device for picking up debris. However, the present invention should not be limited to this application. The device may also be used as a device for picking up objects by those such as wheelchair-bound patients who have difficulty reaching high and low places. The elderly can also use this device for picking up objects from the floor, thereby eliminating the need for stooping or bending.

Although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it should be understood that those skilled in the art can make changes to it without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A pick-up device comprising:

a) a base;

b) a supply of sticky elements removably connected to said base;

c) said supply including a backing member releasably engaged by said base and said sticky elements comprising a stack of sheets, each sheet having at least one sticky surface.

2. The pick-up device of claim 1 wherein said base is substantially rigid and includes a planar surface that abuts said backing member of said supply.

3. The pick-up device of claim 2 wherein said base and backing member are rectangular in shape.

4. The pick-up device of claim 1 further comprising an operating handle operatively connected to said base.

5. The pick-up device of claim 1 wherein said supplies arranged as a tablet wherein an exhausted outermost sheet is peeled from the stack to expose the sticky surface of an adjacent sheet.

6. The pick-up device of claim 1 further including retainers forming part of said base that are engageable with tabs defined by said supply.

7. The pick-up device of claim 1 wherein said supply is removably attached to said base by hook and loop elements.

8. The pick-up device of claim 1 wherein said backing member is removably attached to said base by pins forming part of said hook or said supply that are frictionally received in apertures in the other of said base and supply.

9. The pick-up device of claim 1 wherein said supply is removably connected to said base by clips forming part of said base.

10. A supply of sticky elements for use with a pick-up device that includes a base, the supply comprising:

a) backing member that is removably engageable with said base;

b) a plurality of stacked sheet-like sticky elements, each of said elements including at least one sticky surface, each of said sticky elements removable from said stack to expose a fresh adhesive surface of an adjacent sticky element.

11. The pick-up device of claim 10 wherein said adhesive surface of said sticky element is planar and is co-planar with a surface defined by said base against which said backing member abuts.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said supply of sheet-like sticky element is rectangular in shape.

13. A pick-up device comprising:

a) a base having at least one substantially planar surface;

b) an operating handle attached to said base by which said pick-up device is manipulated;

c) a tablet-like supply of tacky sheets releasably connected to said base, said supply including a plurality of sheets having at least one tacky surface that are arranged in a stack such that a tacky surface of an outermost sheet is exposed by which objects are held to the sheet, said outermost sheet being peelable from said stack to expose a tacky surface of an adjacent sheet.

14. The pick-up device of claim 13 wherein said supply includes a backing member to which said stack of adhesive sheets are attached, said backing member including a structure releasably engageable by said base.

15. The pick-up device of claim 14 wherein said structure comprises retainers on said base and tabs on said backing member.

16. The pick-up device of claim 14 wherein said structure comprises hook and loop elements.

17. The pick-up device of claim 14 wherein said structure comprises pins frictionally received in associated apertures.

18. The pick-up device of claim 14 wherein said structure comprises clips formed on said base for gripping said backing member.