Patents Examined by Stephanie Berry
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Patent number: 8984703Abstract: A foot deployed mop includes hingedly connected panel members having a pad connected to them. A foot engagement structure attached to one of the panels is engaged by a user's foot to move the panels between a non-use configuration and a use configuration.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2012Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Inventor: David C. Hull
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Patent number: 8984699Abstract: An oral care implement comprises a head with a plurality of cleaning elements, and a light source incorporated into or adjacent the head. The light source is incorporated prior to the attachment of the cleaning elements for ease of manufacturing and a cost-effective assembly. The cleaning elements are preferably pre-formed and attached to the head after the incorporation of the light source so that the provision of the light source does not require any post-processing that might impair the integrity of the head or cleaning elements.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2013Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive CompanyInventors: Bruce M. Russell, James H. Kemp
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Patent number: 8955186Abstract: A toothbrush has a body, a brush head, and a neck extending between the body and the brush head. The toothbrush also has a massaging element, a plurality of bristles, and a plurality of massaging tips. The brush head has a front face and a rear face. The massaging element is disposed on the rear face of the brush head, while the plurality of bristles and the plurality of massaging tips extend from the front face.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2013Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: The Procter & Gamble CompanyInventors: John Geoffrey Chan, Douglas A. Gall
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Patent number: 8955188Abstract: A lawn sweeper including a swing arm rotatably connected to a wheel axle including a first end connected to a biasing element and a second end including a rotatably connected idler gear that meshingly engages a wheel gear in a first position and is disengaged from the wheel gear in a second position.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2012Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: Agri-Fab, Inc.Inventors: Ronald Hickenbottom, Doug Moore
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Patent number: 8943640Abstract: A pool brush includes a handle receiver; and a brush head attached to the handle receiver, the brush head having a body and a plurality of bristles extending from said body. The body includes a cylindrical portion having rounded top, bottom, front and rear sides, and opposite end portions, and the plurality of bristles includes bristles radially extending 360 degrees around the cylindrical portion of the body and from the end portions. The plurality of bristles includes a plurality of bundles of relatively longer bristles and a plurality of bundles of relatively shorter bristles, wherein the bundles of relatively longer bristles are in arrays in an alternating arrangement with arrays of the bundles of shorter bristles.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2013Date of Patent: February 3, 2015Assignee: Asia Connection LLCInventors: Mitch Saccoccio, Jonathan Bonelli
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Patent number: 8931855Abstract: A formable handle toothbrush has a handle portion that allows a user to heat and form the handle to the shape of their hand to provide for more secure grip of the toothbrush. In one embodiment, a hand formable toothbrush has a toothbrush head attached to a shank that can be inserted into a socket within the toothbrush handle. This configuration allows for the use of replacement toothbrush heads. This makes manufacturing of higher cost handles more economical, as the formable handle portions would not be thrown out when the toothbrush head needs replacement. To customize the formable handle portion, a user may simply place the toothbrush, or handle portion of the toothbrush, in boiling water for a period of time and then remove the toothbrush handle, allow it to cool to a safe temperature and then grasp the handle to form it into the shape of their hand.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2013Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Radius CorporationInventors: Kevin Foley, James Eldon
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Patent number: 8918950Abstract: Disclosed is a mobile robot system having a plurality of exchangeable work modules, thereby providing a mobile robot capable of performing various functions at a low cost. The mobile robot system comprises a plurality of work modules, which perform different works, respectively; a module station for connecting the plurality of work modules; and a mobile robot, which selects and connects to one of the plurality of work modules from the module station according to a work task to be performed. The mobile robot autonomously operates to perform the work task.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2006Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Jeong-gon Song, Sam-jong Jeung, Ju-sang Lee, Jang-youn Ko, Kwang-soo Lim
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Patent number: 8918944Abstract: Provided is an interdental brush having a wire and filaments arranged therein by folding the wire and disposing the filaments between the wire and then twisting the wire. The interdental brush has improved filament retention and improved cleaning effectivity and reachability to minute portions. Each of filaments 3 has a polygonal cross section whose at least one corner portion has an interior angle 31 as acute as 30 to 75 degrees. Specifically, an angle ?3 of the acute corner portion 31 is set at 1.2 to 3 times a twisting angle ?4 of the wire. The filaments each have two or more such acute corner portions, and two or more rows of such filaments are disposed and laminated between the wire in a densely arranged manner.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2009Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Sunstar Inc.Inventors: Keisuke Kato, Shinya Sakurai
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Patent number: 8910337Abstract: The present invention thoroughly cleans hairbrushes and combs and comprises an upper portion with at least two openings for containing a hair remover and an item to be cleaned, a rotating roller brush, and a housing portion. The roller brush, together with the hair remover, effectively clean and remove hair from styling combs and brushes and prevent accumulated hair from impeding the cleaning action by removing it from the roller brush. The device is configured in a specialized concave crescent shape, and the pattern of bristles on the roller brush is configured to optimize cleaning action on hairbrushes and styling combs.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2012Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Inventors: Ted J. Brackett, C. Martin Smith
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Patent number: 8904589Abstract: The cleanup system employs an associated clearing component, such as a tool comprised of squeegee and/or brush elements, to close the entrance to a containment or receptacle unit to thereby prevent leakage or escape of liquid, semi-liquid, and/or dry matter during transport.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2011Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Inventors: Paul Santarsiero, Roger Comora
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Patent number: 8904590Abstract: An oral hygiene implement is described herein. The oral hygiene implement has a handle; a head, and a neck disposed between the handle and the head. The head has a plurality of contact elements. A sealing element is positioned between the handle and the neck. The sealing element is translucent. An indication element is positioned between the adjacent the sealing element. A light emitting source provides electromagnetic energy to the indication element, and the electromagnetic energy passes through the sealing element.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2012Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Braun GmbHInventor: Uwe Jungnickel
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Patent number: 8904592Abstract: Devices and systems are disclosed for rapidly drying and shaping fine-bristled brushes. The typical device is a resilient, water permeable tubular band or sleeve, designed to surround a bundle of bristles when in a radially expanded state. An elastic restoring force exerted by the sleeve acts radially inwardly against the bundle, compacting the bristles against one another. The compaction tends to preserve or restore a desired shape of the bundle, and substantially closes interstitial regions or open spaces ordinarily present between and among the bristles. Substantial closure of the interstitial regions, along with the use of a breathable material in the fibers used to construct the sleeve, contribute to a surprising and considerable reduction in bristle drying time. A system suitable for simultaneously drying several brushes includes a flat panel supporting a plurality of the sleeves, each sleeve aligned with a receptacle for the brush handle.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2011Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Inventors: Rene Xavier Filho, Simone Rodrigues Oliveira Xavier
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Patent number: 8898847Abstract: An improved apparatus and a method of using the apparatus for cleaning tools, utensils, and other objects. The apparatus comprises a container, a first wiping element that is submerged in a liquid in the container capable of removing undesirable material from at least a portion of the object and a second wiping element mountable to the container that is capable of removing excess moisture from the object. The object undergoes at least a two-step wiping comprising a first wiping against the first wiping element while submerged in the liquid and a second wiping against the second wiping element after being at least partially removed from the liquid. The apparatus of the invention reduces the potential for serious injuries from cuts or abrasions from contact with the objects and is more sanitary than systems currently used in the prior art. The apparatus of the invention may also be easily disassembled for cleaning.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2006Date of Patent: December 2, 2014Inventor: Christopher P. Farrell
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Patent number: 8881336Abstract: A cleaning substrate (1) comprising an absorbent layer (2); a surface layer (3) comprising a macro-apertured laminate (31) of a thermoplastic formed film (32) and a nonwoven layer (33); wherein said thermoplastic formed film (32) is in direct contact with said absorbent layer (2), and said macro-apertured laminate (31) has a thickness (35) of from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2006Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: The Procter & Gamble CompanyInventors: David John Pung, Edward Philip Allie
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Patent number: 8881332Abstract: A toothbrush includes a brush head having a capsule receiving zone sized to receive an dentrifice capsule, and a plurality of angled bristles adapted to retain the capsule in such zone. Loading of such toothbrush with a capsule may be performed with a dispenser including a toothbrush manipulation element adapted to move a retention structure associated with the brush head, and dispensation element adapted to deliver the capsule into the receiving zone. Such dispenser may include a desiccant material disposed to receive moisture from a capsule storage container. A dispenser may further include a plurality of toothbrush insertion apertures each adapted to receive a portion of a different toothbrush, so as to enable multiple users each having different toothbrushes to use the same dispenser without requiring contact between multiple brushes and single capsule interface surface of the dispenser.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2008Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Inventors: Lise W. Noble, Patrick T. Noble
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Patent number: 8875336Abstract: This application relates to electric toothbrushes and in particular to a brush section for an electric toothbrush. The brush section may include static contact elements and movable contact elements to perform a cleaning operation. A head portion of the brush section is resistant to fractures or other material damage which might result from impacts, such as for example caused by dropping the toothbrush. It is structured to transmit forces from the impact away from an interior region of the head portion, to pass through the side portions of the head portion.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2013Date of Patent: November 4, 2014Assignee: Braun GmbHInventors: Thomas Fritsch, Ulrich Sotrkel
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Patent number: 8869346Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a suction body to draw in dust along with air from a surface to be cleaned; a cleaner body having a suction motor; and a cyclone dust collecting apparatus detachably coupled in the cleaner body. The cyclone dust collecting apparatus includes a cyclone unit to form a first current turning in a first direction to separate the dust and the air drawn therein from each other and having a dust outlet to discharge the dust separated from the air; and a dust collecting unit to collect the dust discharged from the dust outlet. The dust outlet has a side formed adjacent to an inner wall of the dust collecting unit to form a second current turning in a second direction opposite to the first direction to allow the dust discharged through the dust outlet to whirl along the inner wall of the dust collecting unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2011Date of Patent: October 28, 2014Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Jung-gyun Han, Ki-man Kim, Dong-jun Kim
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Patent number: 8863346Abstract: The hands-free dental appliance includes upper and lower tray members (12, 14) for receiving the teeth of the user, the tray members having teeth contact members such as bristles. A power assembly (28) moves the tray member in a reciprocal manner, resulting in cleaning of the surfaces of the teeth by the bristles. A grounding system (30) with bite portions (32, 34, 36) for biting contact whereby the user's teeth grounds the appliance to the user's mouth structure, reacting both static and dynamic forces, the grounding system being either separate from the tray members or flexibly connected to the tray members, allowing the tray members to move and clean the teeth without the user having to hold or otherwise manipulate the appliance.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2010Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.Inventors: Patrick A. Headstrom, Tijn Pieter Lodewijk Huttenhuis, Jeffrey Daniel Allison, Lawrence David Azzano
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Patent number: 8856998Abstract: A mobile floor cleaning machine is provided, having a chassis on which running wheels are rotatably mounted, and having at least one cleaning unit which has at least one cleaning tool and is coupled to the chassis via a guide member. To improve the floor cleaning machine in such a way that the risk of damage to the floor cleaning machine or to an obstacle in the event of a frontal collision with the obstacle may be minimized, it is proposed that the guide member is elastically deformable in the longitudinal direction of the floor cleaning machine.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2013Date of Patent: October 14, 2014Assignee: Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Rainer Schäfer, Frank Nonnenmann
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Patent number: 8844086Abstract: A fluid rotation drive, in particular for cleaning apparatus, having at least one drive wheel, in particular a turbine wheel or bucket wheel, which can be directly set into rotation about a drive axis by the action of a supplied fluid, in particular supplied in jet form; having at least one planetary transmission, with a sun gear of the planetary transmission being connected to the drive wheel; and having a housing which includes the drive wheel and the planetary transmission and which has at least one inlet for the fluid supplied for acting on the drive wheel, with a first ring region for the fluid being defined by the drive wheel and the housing and a second ring region for the fluid being defined by a toothed arrangement of an annulus gear of the planetary transmission, and with the first ring region and the second ring region being arranged in direct spatial proximity to one another.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2011Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Inventor: Anton Jaeger