Patents Examined by Michael Jennings
  • Patent number: 10278560
    Abstract: A steam cleaning accessory for use with a steam generator comprises a flexible body comprising a base. At least one steam conduit is connectable to the steam generator and arranged to be in fluid communication therewith. The steam conduit comprises at least one steam outlet for ejecting steam and the at least one steam outlet is mounted on an underside of the base which is configured to be adjacent to a surface to be cleaned. A flexible pocket is mounted on the flexible body and arranged to receive a user's hand. The at least one steam conduit comprises at least one first open channel extending across a longitudinal axis of the flexible body and the flexible body is foldable along the at least one open channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Black & Decker, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Hussey
  • Patent number: 10271636
    Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning a substrate is provided. In one aspect, the cleaning device includes a brush engaged with a mandrel, and the brush forms an Archimedean screw thread form. The brush is formed of an absorbent material, preferably foam. In one aspect, the brush is seated within a groove in the mandrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Bradley Scott Withers, Erik Scott Nelson, Robert Allen Willis
  • Patent number: 10264876
    Abstract: An oral cleaning device, which can vibrate an oral cleaning tool such as a tooth brush, a tongue brush or an interdental brush, is provided. An oral cleaning device has a supporting part (20) which supports an oral cleaning tool; a clamping fixing part (5) which is movable close to or away from the supporting part (5) and which fixes the oral cleaning tool (100) to the supporting part (20) when being moved close to the supporting part (20); and a vibrating part (30) and (31) which vibrates the oral cleaning tool (10) fixed to the supporting part (20) by vibrating the supporting part (20) or the clamping fixing part (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: DAISAKU SHOJI LTD.
    Inventor: Ippei Daisaku
  • Patent number: 10258207
    Abstract: A portable hard surface cleaning appliance includes a suction nozzle with a suction opening on which at least one drawing-off lip is arranged, a suction unit in flow connection with the suction nozzle for sucking up a liquid-air mixture from the suction opening, a separation chamber arranged between the suction nozzle and the suction unit and having a separation device arranged within for separating liquid from the liquid-air mixture, and a tank accommodating compartment in which a dirty liquid tank for receiving the separated liquid is releasably held. The tank accommodating compartment includes at least one supporting element engaged under a lower tank section of the dirty liquid tank, and at least one holding element releasably connectable to an upper tank section of the dirty liquid tank. The portable hard surface cleaning appliance includes two holding elements which receive between them the upper tank section of the dirty liquid tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Christian Stewen, Anne Oberländer, Sandra Bartel
  • Patent number: 10259430
    Abstract: A windshield window wiping system, including a wiper blade in contact with a windshield window; a wiper motor operatively connected to the wiper blade, configured to perform a wiper blade stroke; a reservoir for a wash fluid; a first plurality of holes on a first leading edge of the wiper blade, configured to project the wash fluid toward the windshield window; a wash pump, wherein the wash pump is hydraulically connected to the first plurality of holes; and a first electronic circuit, configured to estimate a position of the wiper blade during the wiper blade stroke based on an input to the first electronic circuit and to synchronize the projection of the wash fluid toward the windshield window with the estimated position of the wiper blade. In other aspects, a method of wiping a windshield window and a non-transitory computer readable medium are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Valeo North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Tousignant, Mark Pattison, Charles Prain
  • Patent number: 10244907
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus is provided. The cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning unit including a power consumption unit and a stick unit with which the cleaning unit is coupled and which allows the cleaning unit to move in a state of being gripped by a user. The cleaning unit includes a first coupling portion, and the stick unit includes a second coupling portion separably coupled with the first coupling portion, an operation portion operable to separate the second coupling portion from the first coupling portion, and a power transfer portion for transferring an operation force of the operation portion to the second coupling portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jaewon Jang, Jeongyun Kim
  • Patent number: 10239498
    Abstract: A connector for a wiper blade, the connector is configured to cooperate pivotably, by a transverse hinge pin, with an adapter designed to allow an articulation link between the blade and a driving arm, the connector includes a body provided with two opposite side flanges, defining a housing designed to receive the adapter, and a pin between the flanges for the articulation link of the blade to the arm, the flanges include, at each of the ends of the hinge pin, a shoulder configured to allow axial guiding of the articulation link between the blade and the arm, the side flanges is configured to allow lateral flexion of the adapter bearing against the shoulder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Valeo Systèmes d'Essuyage
    Inventors: Stéphane Houssat, Claude Aliberti
  • Patent number: 10238257
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a vacuum attachment comprising a body including an adaptor configured to connect to a vacuum assembly, a vacuum airflow path configured to be in fluid communication with the vacuum assembly, and a dispensing airflow path configured to be in fluid communication with a pressurized gas source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Inventor: Brad Jareczek
  • Patent number: 10238262
    Abstract: To provide a cleaning tool exhibiting excellent cleaning effectiveness. The present invention relates to a cleaning tool comprising a cleaning sheet, and a holding tool for holding said cleaning sheet. The cleaning sheet is provided with: a brush part capable of cleaning an object to be cleaned; a base part; and insertion parts for the holding tool. The brush part is provided with a first contact region and a second contact region. The second contact region is provided with a lower region formed so as to be lower than the first contact region in the thickness direction. The lower region is used as a guide region capable of guiding dust on the object to be cleaned towards the adjacent first contact region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomokazu Suda
  • Patent number: 10238264
    Abstract: In an embodiment, the present invention provides a torsion wringer including: a contraction device for receiving a mop head of a mop, the contraction device having an upper part and a lower base which are interconnected by contraction lamellae, the contraction lamellae being hinged to the upper part and to the lower base such that the upper part can rotate relative to the lower base, the contraction device being movable relative to a carrier device over a distance of travel, as a result of which the upper part rotates through an angle of rotation relative to the carrier device and relative to the lower base. A reduction unit is provided so as to reduce a force which counteracts the rotation of the upper part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: CARL FREUDENBERG KG
    Inventors: Markus Rueckheim, Christian Mast, Norbert Weis, Uwe Dingert, Reiner Wallbaum, Johannes Hohenhaus
  • Patent number: 10232826
    Abstract: Flat wiper blade for windscreen wiper modules, having a wiper blade body, which presents at least one wiping rubber (12) forming at least on e wiping lip (12.1), presents at least one spring rail (11) in addition to at least one retaining strip (10) on which the wiping rubber (12) is held and which (retaining strip (10)) possesses at least one profile section designed as a hollow profile, in which at least a partial length of the spring rail (11) is accommodated, wherein at least one heating foil (19) is arranged over at least a partial length together with the at least one spring rail (11) in the profile section (10.1) of the retaining strip (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Valeo Systèmes d'Essuyage
    Inventors: Bruno Egner-Walter, Michael Schäuble
  • Patent number: 10220816
    Abstract: In a wiper blade (100) for a windscreen wiper, having a wiper strip (112) and an adapter unit (105) for hinging the wiper blade (112) to a wiper arm, wherein the adapter unit (150) is attached at a base connection device (160) provided on the wiper strip (112) and is configured for connection to a connection member associated with the wiper arm. The adapter unit (150) includes a guide adapter (250) permanently connected to the base connection device (160) and having guide elements (352, 354, 356, 358) that are spherically curved at least in sections. The guide adapter is detachably connected to a function adapter (280) configured for connection to the connection member and including slide elements (382, 386) that are slidably displaceable on the guide elements (352, 354, 356, 358) such that the function adapter (280) is movable at least from a released position into a holding position by a combined translatory and rotary movement relative to the guide adapter (250).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Helmut Depondt
  • Patent number: 10219669
    Abstract: A wiper unit includes a retaining ring, which is arranged in a rotationally symmetric fashion about a longitudinal axis and which includes a contact portion for being received at a housing part, a primary wiper and a secondary wiper, which is axially spaced away from the primary wiper towards the secondary side. A primary lip is formed at the primary wiper and a secondary lip is formed at the secondary wiper. The primary lip and the secondary lip, in a mounted state, contact a sliding surface of a guided slide partner part in a sealing fashion, wherein the primary lip protrudes towards the primary side in a collar-like fashion and wherein the primary lip, at the side thereof facing away from the guided slide partner part, is at least sectionally conically tapered towards the primary side, wherein the primary lip comprises a contact surface arranged for abutting the sliding surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Dr. Walter Hunger Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. Besitz KG
    Inventor: Ingrid Hunger
  • Patent number: 10219672
    Abstract: The present invention teaches multilayer cleaning articles that include a substantially dry surface contact layer and a gripping layer. The contact layer may represent one exposed major face of the cleaning article (e.g., a cleaning pad), while the gripping layer may represent the opposite exposed major face of the cleaning article. The contact layer may include abrasive synthetic fibers, so as to be effective in scrubbing soils and spills from a surface. The contact layer includes a cleaning composition pre-loaded therein. The cleaning composition is such that the contact layer feels dry to the touch prior to use, before wetting with water. The cleaning composition may include about 1% to about 40% by weight water. The gripping layer includes at least 40% by weight of pulp fibers (e.g., natural cellulose pulp fiber), and exhibits a mean hand grip value that is at least 0.015 1/in2 (reciprocal inches squared).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: The Clorox Company
    Inventors: Elisa Calimano, Daniela Fritter, Kristina Perlas, Jason White, Chosu Khin, Janiece Hope, Bernard Hill, Stephen Fisher, Kelly Dickson, William Ouellette
  • Patent number: 10213014
    Abstract: A transfer station for bristle filaments that are fed to the transfer station in bristle bundles is provided. The bristle filaments are assembled in bundle form by at least one band and are transferred to a magazine in which the bristle filaments are stored. The transfer station has at least two pairs of gripping fingers spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the bundles, with the gripping fingers of the gripping-finger pairs being movable relative to one another in order to grip a bristle bundle by a distance between said gripping fingers being reduced. The gripping-finger pairs grip the bristle bundle such that the band of the bristle bundle is arranged between adjacent gripping-finger pairs. This makes it possible for the bristle filaments fed in bundle form to be transferred in an automated manner to the magazine arranged upstream of a stuffing tool of a brush-production machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Zahoransky AG
    Inventors: Ingo Kumpf, Florian Kiefer, Bernhard Rees, Christoph Albrecht
  • Patent number: 10201262
    Abstract: A lobby dustpan is self-standing, self-closing and comprises a lid-handle coupling feature for receiving a broom head for retaining the broom head in the bucket of the lobby dustpan. The lid of the lobby dustpan substantially covers the opening of the bucket when in a closed position. A lobby dustpan is self-standing, wherein the center of gravity is between the outer contact points of the base. In addition, when the lobby dustpan is standing in an upright position on a horizontal surface, the center of gravity of the handle keeps the lid in a closed position. Furthermore, the center of gravity of the bucket is offset from the pivot assembly which causes the bucket to close when the lobby dustpan is lifted up from an open position. The specific geometry of the lobby dustpan enables a combination of features that heretofore are not available with existing lobby dustpans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: R.S. Quality Products Inc
    Inventors: Adam H. Serfas, Robert L. Serfas, David D. McClanahan
  • Patent number: 10201222
    Abstract: A brush includes a brush head which comprises a brush support, and a plurality of brushing members integrally provided on the brush support, wherein the brushing members and the brush support are integrally formed together by heat treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Inventors: Hoipo Yu, Jianxin Zhou
  • Patent number: 10194739
    Abstract: A head for an oral care implement comprises a mounting surface having a maximum longitudinal extension and a longitudinal axis extending along the maximum longitudinal extension. At least one tuft extends from the mounting surface. The tuft has a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area extending in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The cross-sectional area has a shape substantially of a parallelogram with two pairs of substantially parallel sides forming four angles and a diagonal joining two non-consecutive angles of the parallelogram. The sides of the parallelogram have a length of at least 3.5 mm. The at least one tuft extends from the mounting surface so that the diagonal of the parallelogram is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mounting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY
    Inventor: Uwe Jungnickel
  • Patent number: 10186433
    Abstract: Particles can be suppressed from adhering to a substrate. A substrate processing apparatus includes a carry-in/out chamber, a transfer chamber, and a delivery chamber. In the carry-in/out chamber, the substrate is carried in and out with respect to a carrier, and in the transfer chamber, a transfer path for the substrate toward a substrate processing chamber, where a predetermined process is performed on the substrate, is formed. Further, the delivery chamber is arranged between the carry-in/out chamber and the transfer chamber. Moreover, an internal pressure of the delivery chamber is higher than an internal pressure of the carry-in/out chamber and an internal pressure of the transfer chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Junya Minamida, Daisuke Aoki
  • Patent number: 10182647
    Abstract: A twisted wire brush comprises a wire core and at least one length of spring coil. The wire core has a first length, defines a core axis, and comprises at least two core wires intertwined. The core wires twist helically about the core axis. Each length of spring coil extends about at least one of the core wires, and each length of spring coil is pressed between the twisted core wires. In another embodiment, a method of making a twisted wire brush comprises providing at least two core wires, positioning a length of spring coil about each core wire, aligning each length of spring coil, and twisting each core wire about a core axis. In yet another embodiment, a grill brush comprises a handle, a plurality of twisted core wires attached to the handle, and at least one length of spring coil, each length extending about at least one core wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Brushtech, Inc.
    Inventor: Zaven Gunjian