Patents Examined by Stephanie Berry
-
Patent number: 8713739Abstract: A battery operated detachable back scrubber that includes a head portion releasably attachable at a distal end of a handle, said head portion having a motor interiorly disposed, which motor operationally engages a rotatable connect socket centrally disposed in a first side of the head portion, said rotatable connect socket operationally communicating the kinetic energy from the motor to a drive shaft of an interchangeable attachment member releasably attachable to the head portion, wherein a plurality of tactile devices disposed on a front surface of a base of the attachment member are mechanically manipulable for use in scrubbing or massaging, as desired.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2013Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Inventors: Jorge Alas, Kim Alas
-
Patent number: 8707503Abstract: 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. In an embodiment, 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. In an embodiment the body has angled portions.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2013Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Asia Connection LLCInventors: Mitch Saccoccio, Jonathan Bonelli
-
Patent number: 8707505Abstract: A cleaning device connectable to a handle includes a head (100) with a substantially circular profile formed by a plurality (200) of flexible strips in non-woven fabric overlapped and arranged to cover the circumference of the head (100) wherein the outermost strips (1) of the plurality of overlapped strips (200) have the outer surface formed by a microfiber layer (8) supported by a non-woven fabric layer (9), and the innermost strips (3) have a greater stiffness than the remaining strips.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2011Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Inventors: Marco Maranghi, Paolo Parenti
-
Patent number: 8701243Abstract: An apparatus and methods for collecting swept waste material are described herein. The apparatus includes a dustpan having a base and a wall, a handle, and a plurality of protrusions. The base is configured to be placed in contact with a surface to be cleaned and includes a front lip over which debris can be swept. The wall extends upwardly from at least a portion of the base other than the front lip and is configured to contain debris in the dustpan. The handle is coupled to a top edge of the wall opposite the front lip and extends away from the wall and downwardly from the top edge so that an end of the handle is disposed approximately even with the base. The plurality of protrusions extend inwardly from the wall and are configured to remove debris from bristles of a broom when the broom is swept across the plurality of protrusions.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2011Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Quirky, Inc.Inventors: Bill Ward, Jordan Diatlo, Kate Vallon, Gareth Brown, Nikki Kaufman
-
Patent number: 8677543Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning (e.g., scrubbing, washing, treating, waxing, etc.) a surface, such as a recessed crevice or area, includes a fluid-powered scrubber head and a removable brush extending from the scrubber head. The scrubber head includes a housing, an inlet at one end of the housing for receiving a flow of fluid from a fluid supply and a deflecting surface for directing the flow of fluid once received through the inlet. The deflecting surface may be a movable deflecting panel that is selectively moved relative to the housing to cover an opening in the housing. The deflecting surface may also include a partial conical surface that concentrates the flow of fluid deflected out of the housing and onto the brush outside the housing as the brush rotates in response to the fluid flow.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2008Date of Patent: March 25, 2014Inventor: Larry C. Wilkins
-
Patent number: 8671503Abstract: A cleaning sponge with embedded clusters for providing enhanced scouring is disclosed. In one embodiment, the cleaning sponge comprises a sponge body and a plurality of discrete fiber clusters embedded within the sponge body. Each fiber cluster is a matrix of interconnected fibers. In one embodiment, each fiber cluster is a three dimensional web of entangled fibers bonded to one another at their mutual contact points.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2009Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventor: Scott J. Tuman
-
Patent number: 8661596Abstract: A toothbrush drive includes a first drive component for generating a magnetic field and a second drive component driven in both a translational and rotational manner under the influence of the magnetic field. A transmission element is deflected out of a predetermined position for transmission of both translational and rotary movement of the second drive component. The deflection of the transmission element varies along its longitudinal axis. A transmission element can be deflected out of a predefined position for transmission of a translatory movement and a rotational movement of the second drive component to the brush element along a longitudinal axis of the transmission element. The deflection of the transmission element out of the predefined position is varied along the longitudinal axis of the transmission element.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2007Date of Patent: March 4, 2014Assignee: Braun GmbHInventors: Uwe Jungnickel, Benedikt Heil, Christian Neyer, Bernhard Kraus
-
Patent number: 8650695Abstract: The present invention is a pipeline pig for cleaning the interior of a pipeline, the pipeline pig having a longitudinal pig body with forward and rearward elastomeric propulsion members affixed to and supporting the pig body substantially concentrically in a pipeline, the propulsion members functioning to move the pig body through a pipeline by the force of fluid flow and a plurality of spaced apart elastomeric diagonally oriented scrapers radially extending from the pig body, each scraper member having a semi-circular outer peripheral edge configured and dimensioned to engage the interior wall of a pipeline to thereby scrape and clean the interior pipeline wall as the pig is moved through the pipeline and provide additional support for the pig substantially concentrically in a pipeline. Orientation of the scraper enhances scraping effectiveness by slicing through any debris buildup, separating the debris from the inner pipe wall so that it can be pushed out of the pipeline by the pig discs or cups.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2009Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: TDW Delaware Inc.Inventors: Rick D. Pruett, William J. Rankin
-
Patent number: 8590094Abstract: A combination sticky roller and brush for dislodging and collecting debris from a plurality of different types of surfaces. The present invention utilizes a rubber brush to dislodge debris such as hairs, dusts, or dirt from a surface. The device includes a compartment with a cover lid that conceals a sticky roller. Once the debris is uprooted from a surface, the user is able to roll the sticky roller over the surface to pick up and retain the debris. The present invention can be used on fabrics or other textiles surfaces and is convenient for use anywhere due to its travel sized and unique configuration.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2012Date of Patent: November 26, 2013Assignee: Telebrands Corp.Inventor: Tylor Christian Ross
-
Patent number: 8584296Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning bleeder valves is disclosed. The apparatus includes a rigid casing and a flexible casing rotatably connected to the rigid casing. The flexible casing is adapted to provide fluid-tight coupling of the flexible casing to a bleeder valve. Within the flexible casing, a flexible shaft is rotatably mounted and extended from one end of the flexible casing to a position outwardly of an opposite end of the flexible casing. Connected to the flexible shaft is a drill adapted for engagement to effect rotation and reciprocation thereof. Also connected to the rigid casing is a valve adapted for selective venting of an interior of the rigid casing.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2008Date of Patent: November 19, 2013Inventor: Arthur W. Doty
-
Patent number: 8584299Abstract: 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: July 25, 2007Date of Patent: November 19, 2013Assignee: The Procter & Gamble CompanyInventors: John Geoffrey Chan, Douglas A. Gall
-
Patent number: 8585154Abstract: There is a need to reduce raw materials used in the manufacturing of wet mops, to reduce the weight of the wet mop which will decrease user fatigue and related injuries and to address the difficulty of attaching standard wet mops to commonly used mop handles. The improvement is a tubular headband wet mop with yarn strands on only one side of the headband, reducing the amount of unused yarn incorporated into the wet mop while not reducing floor surface coverage area. The tubular headband also eliminates the possibility of exposing the bottom side of the mop handle which can damage or mar the floor surface, coatings and finishes. This reduction in raw materials results in a lighter product, which reduces effort required to lift and wring out the wet mop, and reduces fatigue and injuries associated with mopping.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2011Date of Patent: November 19, 2013Assignee: Rubbermaid Commerical Products LLCInventors: Todd Allen Williams, Cynthia Kay Williams
-
Patent number: 8578544Abstract: An oral hygiene implement includes a cleaning element carrier and a body. The body has a proximal end and a distal end. The cleaning element carrier has a first area and a second area wherein the second area is disposed inboard of the first area. The first area is attached to the body while the second area is unattached to the body. A bending element is disposed between the first area and the second area, thereby allowing the second area to bend/flex while the first area stays fixed to the body.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2008Date of Patent: November 12, 2013Assignee: The Gillette CompanyInventors: William Ralph Brown, Jr., Karen Lynn Claire-Zimmet, Soeren Jan Wasow, Steffi Raehse, Tilmann Winkler
-
Patent number: 8578541Abstract: A shoe cleaning device 10 comprises a rotatable cleaning disc 12, a housing 14 on which the cleaning disc 12 is rotatably mountable, a horizontally mounted motor 16, mounted sideways within the housing 14 to maintain an extreme low profile, and a non-centrally configured gearbox 68, non-central to a central axis of the cleaning disc 12, non-centrally configured to allow the sideways mounted motor 16 to be housed within, or substantially within a circumference of the cleaning disc 12, the device 10 thus maintaining both an extreme low profile and an extreme compact diametric profile. Preferably the housing 14 encapsulates the motor 16, forming a mounded pinchgrip 38 for gripping by a user. Preferably there is provided a pressure activated unit 62 so that pressurizing of the pinchgrip 38 activates the device 10, which is intended to provide an intuitive interface.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2011Date of Patent: November 12, 2013Inventor: Jethro Bennett
-
Patent number: 8567007Abstract: An air flow sensing unit, which may sense an amount of air flowing or an pressure for air flown into the cleaning apparatus by a suction motor or an impeller and inform a user of a time for emptying a dirt collecting receptacle of dust or dirt and/or a time for cleaning or replacing a filter with a new one, and a cleaning apparatus having the same are provided. The unit may include an air flow pipe to fluidly communicate an air flow passage of a cleaning apparatus with the outside, and an indicator positioned in the air flow pipe to be lifted based on a change in amount of air flowing or air pressure generated by air movement in the air flow passage and to be lowered due to a weight thereof.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2008Date of Patent: October 29, 2013Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hwa-gyu Song, Min-ha Kim, Jang-keun Oh
-
Patent number: 8561249Abstract: A multi-head toothbrush assembly includes a housing that is elongated and has a first end, a second end and a perimeter wall. The first end comprises an exit door. Each of a plurality of spaced sets of bristles is attached to and extends upwardly from a top side of an elongated panel. A plurality of panel sections is defined between adjacent ones of the sets. Each of the panel sections and an adjacent set defines a head. A frangible area in the panel is formed at junctures of each of the heads to facilitate breaking the heads off from one another. The panel is slidable outwardly through the first end to expose the heads and allow the heads to be used for brushing teeth. The heads are broken off of the panel to allow a next one of the heads to be used.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2011Date of Patent: October 22, 2013Inventors: Alevtina Malakova, Boris Fuzaylov
-
Patent number: 8555459Abstract: An apparatus and methods for collecting swept waste material are described herein. The apparatus includes a dustpan having a base and a wall, a handle, and a plurality of protrusions. The base is configured to be placed in contact with a surface to be cleaned and includes a front lip over which debris can be swept. The wall extends upwardly from at least a portion of the base other than the front lip and is configured to contain debris in the dustpan. The handle is coupled to a top edge of the wall opposite the front lip and extends away from the wall and downwardly from the top edge so that an end of the handle is disposed approximately even with the base. The plurality of protrusions extend inwardly from the wall and are configured to remove debris from bristles of a broom when the broom is swept across the plurality of protrusions.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2012Date of Patent: October 15, 2013Assignee: Quirky IncorporatedInventors: Bill Ward, Jordan Dialto, Kate Vallon, Gareth Brown, Nikki Kaufman
-
Patent number: 8528157Abstract: An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis, a drive system configured to maneuver the robot, and a cleaning assembly. The cleaning assembly includes a cleaning assembly housing and at least one driven sweeper brush. The robot includes a controller and a removable sweeper bin configured to receive debris agitated by the driven sweeper brush. The sweeper bin includes an emitter disposed on an interior surface of the bin and a receiver disposed remotely from the emitter on the interior surface of the bin and configured to receive an emitter signal. The emitter and the receiver are disposed such that a threshold level of accumulation of debris in the sweeper bin blocks the receiver from receiving emitter emissions. The robot includes a bin controller disposed in the sweeper bin and monitoring a detector signal and initiating a bin full routine upon determining a bin debris accumulation level requiring service.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2007Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Mark Schnittman, Daniel N. Ozick, Gregg W. Landry
-
Patent number: 8522382Abstract: A penetrating electric toothbrush is disclosed, including a handle, a replaceable brush head, a head unit base, an engaging device, a selection device, and an actuator. The replaceable brush head comprises a head body, a plurality of bristles fixed to the head body, and a detachable fastener. The head unit base has a head receptacle portion, a actuator receiving recess, and a bar guiding portion. The reciprocating bar is protruded from the handle and received in the actuator receiving recess, and the actuator receiving recess is configured to engage the reciprocating bar in either penetration mode or polishing mode. The engaging device is disposed at an end of the reciprocating bar and engaging the head unit base with the reciprocating bar. The selection device places the engaging device either in the penetration mode or the polishing mode.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2011Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Inventor: Soo Woong Lee
-
Patent number: 8495783Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for cleaning a burner by a burner cleaner. The method comprises removing a burner nozzle, partly inserting the burner cleaner into the burner, connecting a threaded guide of the cleaner to the burner at a thread of an inlet pipe, bringing a shaft being a part of the burner cleaner and partly surrounded by the guide to rotate by a motor, thereby bringing a flare brush connected to the other end of the shaft to hit inner surface of the burner and remove deposit from it, and moving the shaft with the flare brush in the guide enabling the flare brush to clean the inner surface of the burner. The invention further provides a burner cleaner, comprising a shaft, an annular, threaded guide mounted around and co-axially with the shaft, and being shorter than the shaft, a flare brush connected at one end of the shaft, and a motor connected to other end of the shaft.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2007Date of Patent: July 30, 2013Assignee: Haldor Topsoe A/SInventors: Erwin Bos, Niels Kristian Nielsen, Sven Erik Lyse-Petersen