Method and Apparatus for a Ceramic Surface Mineral Deposit Scrapper
A ceramic surface mineral deposit scrapper is used to remove mineral deposits from ceramic surfaces by scrapping the surface. The scrapper can be manufactured from plastic. A shaft of plastic is cut at an acute angle which provides a cutting edge that can extend over nearly a 108° arc. A handle is mounted to the other end of the shaft. The scrapper removes the mineral deposits without scratching the surface of the ceramic.
The present application is related to the co-filed U.S. applications Ser. No. 29/511,007 entitled “Ceramic Surface Mineral Deposit Scrapper”, filed on Dec. 5, 2014, which are assigned to the same assignee as the present application and invented by the same inventor as the present application and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONCeramic and porcelain cab ne formed from clay and water that is worked into a clay compound which is placed in a form. The clay compound is then glazed then heated in a kiln to harden. The clay compound covered with the glaze, once out of the kiln, has a smooth finish that is waterproof and strong. The finished product is called a ceramic or porcelain. These forms can be used to shape the day compound into consumer products such as toilets, sinks, cookware, and bathtubs. The smooth surface, if maintained properly, can be kept clean and sanitary. Therefore, these products have a potential to perform well in a water environment that is found in the home, i.e. the bathroom or kitchen.
Water an important medium plays an important role in the home to offer cleaning power. However, water also can carry minerals which the water absorbs from the earth as the water perks through the various layers of earth. These layers can contain deposits of calcium and magnesium-containing minerals causing the water to absorb these components becoming hard water. Hard water is fine to drink but causes problems when the water containing these minerals are applied to the suffices of ceramic or porcelain found in the home. The concentration of calcium or magnesium in the water can range from under a 100 to over 500 or more parts per million (ppm) or higher. Over time, depending on the concentration, the minerals slowly adhere to the surface of the ceramic or porcelain and cause a build-up of a mineral deposit coating. This coating can be difficult to remove.
One way of removing the mineral deposit coating is h applying chemicals to the surface of the mineral deposit coating causing the coating to dissolve and/or weaken. If there is a reservoir of water covering the costing, the water usually needs to he removed so that the applied chemicals are not diluted when acting on the coating. If the coating is exposed, a cloth wetted with the chemicals is applied or pasted to the coating to let the chemical work on the coating. Then, after a period of time, the coating is weakened; the coating can be removed by a rubbing or rinsing action.
The chemical means of removal of the coating requires a period of time and special procedures (draining the reservoir of water or pasting the chemical to an exposed coating). Both of these methods are an inconvenience to the user.
Another way of removing the mineral deposit coating is by using an abrasive action such as rubbing the coating with a pumice stone. The pumice stone is wetted and rubbed with force against the coating. The abrasive action slowly removes the coating.
There are concerns over the potential damage of the abrasive action of the pumice stone on the surface of the ceramic or porcelain. Although the surface can become clean, the abrasive action of the stone on the surface of the ceramic over a period of time is believed to scratch the surface of the ceramic. Secondly, for mineral deposit coating in corners or in tight areas are difficult to remove because of the confined spaces of the corners block the pumice stone from making contact with the mineral deposit coating. Thus, some regions of the mineral deposit coatings are not accessible by the pumice stone.
A way of quickly removing the mineral deposit coating is desirable. Firstly, removing the mineral deposit coating in corners or tight areas without the use of chemicals is needed. Secondly, removing the coating without the need for draining the reservoir of water would beneficial. Lastly, avoiding the possibility of an abrasive action on the surface of the ceramic would be desirable. A way of achieving all these features will be presented.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThis invention helps to overcome these shortcoming and offer several other advantages as well. Various embodiments and aspects of the inventions will be described with reference to details discussed below, and the accompanying drawings will illustrate the various embodiments. Some diagrams are not drawn to scale. The following description and drawings are illustrative of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. However, certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to provide a concise discussion of the embodiments of the present inventions.
One of the embodiments of this disclosure presents a shaft cut at an acute angle creating a cutting edge extending over 180° arc. The cutting edge can be positioned and placed at the ceramic-(mineral deposit coating) interface. By applying force to the cutting edge, mineral deposits can be scrapped from the surface of the ceramic object. The scrapping direction can occur in a parallel direction to the projection of the axis of the shaft onto the surface of the ceramic object. In addition, the scrapping direction can be directed in an acute angle measured from this projection.
Another embodiment relates to a plastic scrapper apparatus comprising: a shall with a first end, a second end and an outer surface; an axis along the center of the shaft; a handle coupled to the first end of the shaft; a planar surface forming the second end of the shaft; an acute angle greater than zero formed between the planar surface and the axis of the shaft; and all acute angled edges formed between the outer surface of the shaft and the planar surface presents a cutting edge; wherein the cutting edge can he used to remove a mineral deposit coating, adhered to a surface of a ceramic object, wherein the cutting edge is placed in contact with an interface between the ceramic object and the mineral deposit coating, wherein a removal of the mineral deposit coating occurs when the shaft is forced to move along the surface of the ceramic object in any acute angled path with respect to a projection of the axis of the shaft onto the surface of the ceramic object. The apparatus wherein the shaft is cylindrical along its length, wherein the shaft is oval along its length, wherein the plastic scrapper apparatus removes all mineral deposits that formed on the surface of the ceramic object, wherein the ceramic object is selected from the group consisting of a sink, a bathtub, and a toilet.
Another embodiment relates to a plastic scrapper apparatus comprising: a shaft having an outer surface surrounding an axis of the shaft; as handle coupled to a first end of the shaft; a second end of the shaft having a planar surface; an acute angle greater than zero formed between the planar surface and the axis of the shaft; and all acute edges formed between the outer surface of the shaft and the planar surface presents a cutting edge, wherein the cutting edge can be used to remove a mineral deposit coating adhered to a surface of a ceramic object, wherein the ceramic object is selected from the group consisting of a sink, a bathtub, and a toilet. The apparatus wherein the cutting edge is placed in contact with an interface between the ceramic object and the mineral deposit coating, wherein a removal of the mineral deposit coating occurs when the shaft is forced to move along the surface of the ceramic object in any acute angled path with respect to a projection of the axis of the shaft onto the surface of the ceramic object. The apparatus wherein the shaft is cylindrical along its length, wherein the shaft is oval along, its length, wherein the plastic scrapper apparatus removes a mineral deposit that formed on the surface of a ceramic object.
Another embodiment relates to a plastic scrapper apparatus comprising: a shaft having an outer surface surrounding an axis of the shaft; a handle coupled to a first end of the shaft; a second end of the shaft having a planar surface; an acute angle formed between the planar surface and the axis of the shaft; and any acute angled edges formed between the outer surface of the shaft and the planar surface presents a cutting edge; wherein a force can be applied to the cutting edge to remove a mineral deposit coating adhered to a surface of a ceramic object, wherein the ceramic object is selected from the group consisting of a sink, a bathtub, and a toilet, wherein the plastic scrapper apparatus removes the mineral deposit that formed on the surface of the ceramic object. The apparatus wherein the cutting edge is placed in contact with an interface between the ceramic object and the mineral deposit coating, wherein a removal of the mineral deposit coating occurs when the shaft is forced to move along the surface of the ceramic object in any acute angled path with respect to a projection of the axis of the shaft onto the surface of the ceramic object.
Please note that the drawings shown in this specification may not necessarily be drawn to scale and the relative dimensions of various elements in the diagrams are depicted schematically. The inventions presented here may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments arc provided so that this disclosure will he through and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiment of the invention.
Finally, it is understood that the above description is only illustrative of the principles of the current invention. It is understood that the various embodiments of the invention, although different, are not mutually exclusive. In accordance with these principles, those skilled in the art may devise numerous modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The ceramic object can he a sink, a bathtub, or a toilet. The handle can be shaped to fit the fingers of the hand or be just a simple cylindrical cover that can be held. After removal of the mineral build, the conventional cleaning methods (which could not clean the mineral deposits) can be used to further clean the area of the easily removable stains and dirt. A shaft is an object with which has a cross-sectional symmetry along its length axis. The cross-sectional symmetry can have the shape of a circle or oval, for example. When the cross-sectional symmetry is a circle, the shaft defines a cylinder. A planar surface is a flat surface as when a surface is defined by a geometric plane. Acute angled edges are formed when the angle between the outer surface of the shaft and the planar surface is less than 90 degrees. These edges present a cutting edge. The cutting edge of the scraper tool occurs when the attack angle (φ) is <90°. Plastic as used in this document includes but is not limited to: Polyvinyl chloride, nylon, polycarbonate, polypropylene, or acrylic. These types of plastics would not scratch ceramic or porcelain. Attack angle is the measured angle between the surface of the shaft and the planar surface. Mineral deposits can include calcium and magnesium derived from materials such as limestone, chalk and dolomite.
Claims
1. A plastic scrapper apparatus comprising:
- a shaft with a first end, a second end and an outer surface;
- an axis along the center of the shaft;
- a handle coupled to the first end of the shaft;
- a planar surface forming the second end of the shaft;
- an acute angle greater than zero formed between the planar surface and the axis of the shaft; and
- all acute angled edges formed between the outer surface of the shaft and the planar surface presents a cutting edge; wherein
- the cutting edge can be used to remove a mineral deposit coating adhered to a surface of a ceramic object.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
- the cutting edge is placed in contact with a interface between the ceramic object and the mineral deposit coating.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein
- a removal of the mineral deposit coating occurs when the shaft is forced to move along the surface of the ceramic object in any acute angled path with respect to a projection of the axis of the shaft onto the surface of the ceramic object.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
- the shaft is cylindrical along its length.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
- the shaft is oval along its length.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
- the plastic scrapper apparatus removes all mineral deposits that formed on the surface of the ceramic object.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
- the ceramic object is selected from the group consisting of a sink, a bathtub, and a toilet.
8. A plastic scrapper apparatus comprising:
- a shaft having an outer surface surrounding an axis of the shaft;
- a handle coupled to a first end of the shaft;
- a second end of the shaft having a planar surface;
- an acute angle greater than zero formed between the planar surface and the axis of the shaft; and
- all acute edges formed between the outer surface of the shaft and the planar surface presents a cutting edge.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein
- the cutting, edge can be used to remove a mineral deposit coating adhered to a surface of a ceramic object.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein
- the ceramic object is selected from the group consisting of a sink, a bathtub, and a toilet.
11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein
- the cutting edge is placed in contact with an interface between the ceramic object and the mineral deposit coating.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein
- a removal of the mineral deposit coating occurs when the shaft is forced to move along the surface of the ceramic object in any acute angled path with respect to a projection of the axis of the shaft onto the surface of the ceramic object.
13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein
- the shaft is cylindrical along its length.
14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein
- the shaft is oval along its length.
15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein
- the plastic scrapper apparatus removes a mineral deposit that formed on the surface of a ceramic object.
16. A plastic scrapper apparatus comprising:
- a shaft having an outer surface surrounding an axis of the shaft;
- a handle coupled to a first end of the shaft;
- a second end of the shaft having a planar surface;
- an acute angle formed between the planar surface and the axis of the shaft; and
- any acute angled edges formed between the outer surface of the shaft and the planar surface presents a cutting edge; wherein
- a force can he applied to the cutting edge to remove a mineral deposit coating adhered to a surface of a ceramic object.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein
- the ceramic object is selected from the group consisting of a sink, a bathtub, and a toilet.
18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein
- the plastic scrapper apparatus removes the mineral deposit that formed on the surface o the ceramic object.
19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein
- the cutting edge is placed in contact with an interface between the ceramic object and the mineral deposit coating.
20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein
- a removal of the mineral deposit coating occurs when the shaft is forced to move along the surface of the ceramic object in any acute angled path with respect to a projection of the axis of the shaft onto the surface of the ceramic object.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 5, 2014
Publication Date: Jun 9, 2016
Inventor: Thaddeus John Gabara (Murray Hill, NJ)
Application Number: 14/561,427