Patents Examined by S Balsis
  • Patent number: 7137166
    Abstract: A toothbrush with a replaceable head in which the handle has a socket and the head has a pin for insertion into the socket and the socket side walls or the pin comprise a resiliently deforable elastomer material differnt to the material of the socket side walls or pin. A preferred form of the toothbrush has its socket in a tubular structure resiliently supported between two fork-like arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: SmithKline Beecham GmbH & Co KG
    Inventor: Hans Kraemer
  • Patent number: 7124464
    Abstract: A method of providing a mop with surface scrubbing capability, that includes providing a surface scrubbing attachment device, and attaching the device to the mop for scrubbing presentation to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Inventors: Todd A. Williams, Paul B. Specht
  • Patent number: 6981291
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus includes a handle, a support rotatably coupled to the handle for rotation by a drive motor mounted in the handle and a cleaning element mountable on the support. The cleaning element a flexible mat fixed about the support or about a core mountable on the support. An auxiliary cleaning element attachment may be mounted on the end wall of the support. A liquid container may be mounted in the support or used to form the support to dispense fluid to the cleaning element disposed about the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: The Hartz Mountain Corporation
    Inventor: William D. McKay
  • Patent number: 6957467
    Abstract: A toothbrush that provides, besides the conventional bristles for brushing the teeth, other basic periodontal components recommended by dentists for perfect cleaning, massaging and stimulating the gum tissue, all in one single, convenient artifact. The brush component is molded into one end of the handle, in conventional manner, and the opposite end of the handle contains two parallel cylinders for housing the two periodontal tools which are extended and retracted with buttons, one on each side of the handle, through a slit in each cylinder wall, establishing a means for this movement. The buttons engage two sliders, the ends of each hold extension tubes that capture and retain the dental tools and provide replacement capabililty. Each cylinder contains a hinged close-out cover for protection of the periodontal tools from contamination and loss of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Inventors: Maria R. Cabedo-Deslierres, John M. Deslierres
  • Patent number: 6925673
    Abstract: A cleaning element (1) for brooms or brushes comprises a board (2) having a surface (3) for supporting a plurality of clusters or bundles (4) of fibres forming a cleaning body (5); each cluster (4) is provided with a related element (6) for fastening the clusters (4) to the surface (3) and it can be associated to the board (2); the latter has at least an internal cavity (7) for housing the fastening elements (6) in correspondence with their passage through related through holes (8) provided in the support surface (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Inventor: Francesco Sartori
  • Patent number: 6907637
    Abstract: An edge wheel assembly for use in a semiconductor wafer fabrication brush box is provided. The edge wheel assembly is configured to support and to rotate a semiconductor wafer in a vertical orientation and includes an edge wheel assembly block having at least two pairs of edge wheel shaft bores. Edge wheels are attached to shafts extending through the edge wheel shaft bores, and a drive motor drives the shafts to rotate the edge wheels. The drive motor is coupled to the edge wheel assembly block with a plate which is designed to enable insertion of the edge wheel assembly into either one of a first side and a second side of the brush box. Component parts are designed to be configurable to a plurality of orientations and implementations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher J. Peña
  • Patent number: 6907640
    Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing paint comprises a container arranged to contain paint, the container has an open top end of the container providing access to the paint by a user, an enclosed bottom end on the container and a front inner side of the container. The front inner side has a plurality of raised protrusions for rolling off excess paint of a paint roller. A mounting arrangement is located at the top end on a back side of the container for supporting the container in a raised position on a vertical structure. A supporting arrangement is located at the bottom end for supporting the container such that the container remains in a generally vertical position. The mounting arrangement is arranged such that the raised protrusions on the front inner side of the container face towards the user on the vertical structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Inventor: Ronald Rougeau
  • Patent number: 6892416
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a baby bottle brush for washing a nursing bottle. The brush comprises at least one soft and resilient support member, a washing brush, and a cap inserted into an opening portion of the nursing bottle with the upper end of the support member fixed and rotated to the right and to the left by a user. According to the brush, the interior of a nursing bottle is easily and quickly washed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Inventors: Sang Woong Lee, Dong Hean Lee
  • Patent number: 6880195
    Abstract: A vehicle (210) for travel though a fluid-filled pipe (12) is disclosed, capable of using power derived from the fluid flow to drive the vehicle (210). Certain embodiments have drive means capable of variable pitch in order to adjust the speed and direction of the vehicle in the pipe. Certain embodiments have drive means comprising a helical arm that can vary in pitch and diameter to accommodate different sizes of pipe and/or different rates of travel along the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: P.A.C.T. Engineering (Scotland) Limited
    Inventors: Bijan Bahari, Timothy Robert Louis Derval
  • Patent number: 6871371
    Abstract: A floor care method and machine are disclosed, wherein a replaceable floor care element (e.g., a cleaning pad, a brush, a polishing pad, etc.) is easily attached to and detached from the rest of the machine. For attaching the floor care element, an operator positions the machine (minus any floor care element) over the such an element so that components on the machine and/or the floor care element cause the floor care element to operationally align with the rotatable drive of the machine so that rotation of the drive in the direction used during floor care operations causes the floor care element to securely attach to the drive. Alternatively, to detach the floor care element, the direction of rotation can be reversed. The machine can then be tilted upwardly onto its rear wheels and rolled to a location where the floor care element is not underneath the rest of the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Castle Rock Industries, Inc
    Inventor: Michael Guest
  • Patent number: 6872021
    Abstract: A cleaning assembly 10 having a telescoping handle portion 12 and a sponge member 40 which is pivotally coupled to the telescoping handle portion 12. In various non-limiting embodiments, the cleaning assembly 10 may include material, such as but not limited to, material 80 which is selectively communicated to the sponge member 40, effective to aid in the cleaning of an object and/or area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Inventors: Vernell Wilson, Raquelle Wilson, Craig Wilson
  • Patent number: 6851154
    Abstract: A device substances, such as medications or lotions, to difficult-to-reach places of the body provides a washable applicator member having a defined thickness comprising a first layer of material and a second layer of material which is formed, at least in part, non-absorbent and preferably water repellent material. The second layer of the applicator member is also structured with an absorbent layer providing a contact surface for applying substances to the body. Elasticized extension members secured to the applicator member and attached handles allow the device to be used without straining the muscles of the arms or shoulders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Inventor: Virginia Lynn Neff
  • Patent number: 6851152
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus allows an end face and/or a bevel face of a substrate to be scrub-cleaned in a simple and effective manner. The apparatus has a plurality of rotatable substrate rotating rollers for gripping a periphery of the substrate and rotating the substrate, a cleaning roller capable of rotating and having a cleaning member which is to be brought into contact with the end face and/or the bevel face of the substrate so as to apply scrub-cleaning to the end face and/or the bevel face, and a power transmission mechanism for transmitting a rotating force of the substrate rotating roller to the cleaning roller so as to rotate the cleaning roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sotozaki, Fumitoshi Oikawa
  • Patent number: 6845538
    Abstract: The lower end of the rotative brush 12 contacts the cleaning subject surface 26. As the driving wheels 14 roll on the cleaning subject surface 26, the rotative brush 12 rotates, while being guided by the sweep-up slope surface 10e1 of the slope surface forming portion 10e, the dust 28 on the cleaning subject surface 26 is swept up by the rotation of the rotative brush 12. The dust 28 is separated from the rotative brush 12 and received in the dust receiver 10a. Substantially at the same time as this, the cleaning subject surface 26 can be wiped while pressing the sheet-like wiping member 24 against the cleaning subject surface 26.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Yamazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuo Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6839932
    Abstract: A bath ball has an elastic tube-shaped net, a thread girdle surrounding the elastic tube-shaped net in an 8 shape radially, the thread girdle having a first end and a second end, the first end and the second end of the thread girdle forming a connecting knot, the connecting knot moved inside the elastic tube-shaped net, the thread girdle being pulled and the elastic tube-shaped net being squeezed, a single running knot formed on the thread girdle, and the thread girdle being pulled again to form a noose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Inventor: Min-Tsung Huang
  • Patent number: 6836925
    Abstract: A windscreen wiper includes an elongate curved backbone which is of a resiliently flexible material having a Young's modulus of between 50 to 350 GPa. The backbone has a substantially spatially consolidated cross-sectional profile at substantially all points along its length, and the magnitude of the width at substantially the widest point along the backbone, Wm (expressed in millimeters) is at most (?8.89.10?5*E+0.05378)*L?5.25, where L is the total length of the backbone expressed in millimeters and E is the Young's modulus of the backbone material expressed in GPa. The invention also provides a relationship between the thickness and the length of the backbone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Trico Products Corporation
    Inventor: Adriaan Retief Swanepoel
  • Patent number: 6837548
    Abstract: Method for manufacturing brushes whereby brush bodies are provided with brush fibers and these brush fibers are then cut off by means of a device comprising at least a rotating cutting knife and a counter knife, wherein the brush fibers are cut off by making the cutting knife as well as the counter knife carry out a rotational movement, mainly along one and the same axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Firma G.B. Boucherie, Naamloze Vennootschap
    Inventor: Bart Gerard Boucherie
  • Patent number: 6823554
    Abstract: An oral device is provided that includes a handle, a head, extending from the handle and having a pair of elongated arms that include opposed surfaces; and a pair of opposed cleaning elements, mounted on the opposed surfaces, the cleaning elements being constructed and positioned to be inserting into the interproximal regions of a user's mouth when the oral is moved back and forth over the user's teeth. Each of the cleaning elements are positioned at an acute angle with respect to an interproximal line defined through the interproximal region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Gillette Canada Company
    Inventors: Phillip M. Braun, Amit Birla, Ronald R. Duff, Karen Claire
  • Patent number: 6813799
    Abstract: A cleaning article comprising an elastomer sheet having a synthetic elastomer disposed on the surface thereof as a cleaning surface, wherein the elastomer sheet has a maximum static frictional force of 9.8 to 29 N. With the cleaning article, a carpet, etc. can easily be cleared of pet hair, etc. clinging thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuya Otsuji, Nobuya Sato
  • Patent number: 6795994
    Abstract: A portable cleaning system a power pack assembly, a combination hose/electrical wiring assembly, and a motorized power transfer assembly brush assembly. The power pack assembly includes a rechargeable battery power supply and is connected to the motorized power transfer assembly brush assembly using the combination hose/electrical wiring assembly. The user may attach a variety of items for cleaning, polishing and the like to the electrical motor driven rotary, tool attachment plate of the motorized power transfer assembly brush assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Inventor: Michael M. Nahoom