SURFACE-CLEANING DEVICE

• US 20130061408A1
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grillbots, LLC
• Original Assignee: Grillbots, LLC
• Inventors: Woods, Ethan
• Granted Patent: US 9,161,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/52.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/00 Brushes with driven brush bodies or carrierspower-driven toothbrushes A61C17/16
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/001 Cylindrical or annular brush bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/02 power-driven carriers
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/026 Brushes which automatically reverse direction of rotation, e.g. using gravity switches
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/3033 Household brush, i.e. brushes for cleaning in the house or dishes
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 3/18 the bristles being fixed on or between belts or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 7/04 interchangeably removable bristle carriers
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/02 Position or arrangement of bristles in relation to surface of the brush body, e.g. inclined, in rows, in groups
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0786 Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/00 Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/282 having rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4002 Installations of electric equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/34 Scouring implements for hearths or metal objects
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/00 Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto B08B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/10 characterised by the type of cleaning tool
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/12 Brushes
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/32 using rotary cleaning members

Abstract

A device for cleaning a surface, such as a barbeque grill, has a substantially hollow enclosure that has at least a lower side, an upper side, and a peripheral edge, and contains a plurality of motors that each has a rotational shaft selectively fixable with a rotatable brush. At least a portion of bristles of each brush projects below a plane of the lower side of the enclosure. The enclosure further contains a power source and a circuit adapted for connecting power to each of the motors for a preset period of time upon actuation of an electrical switch connected thereto. The circuit is adapted to run each motor in a first direction and then an opposing direction, such that if the device becomes stuck at an obstruction, it will eventually turns around due to the alternating directions of the motors.

Claims

1. A device for cleaning a surface, comprising:

a substantially hollow enclosure having at least a lower side, an upper side, and a peripheral edge;

a plurality of motors each contained within the enclosure, each motor having a rotational shaft fixed with a rotatable brush, each rotatable brush having a plurality bristles radially projecting from a rotational axis thereof, at least a portion of the bristles of each brush projecting below a plane of the lower side of the enclosure;

a power source; and

a circuit adapted for connecting power from the power source to each of the motors for a preset period of time upon actuation of an electrical switch connected thereto, the circuit adapted to run each motor in a first direction and then an opposing direction, respectively;

whereby with the enclosure placed upon the surface and the switch actuated, the circuit runs each motor in the first direction and then alternately in the opposing direction, such that the brushes simultaneously support and move the device along the surface and clean the surface, the enclosure if becoming stuck at an obstruction eventually turning around due to the alternating directions of the motors.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the rotational axis of each brush is substantially parallel to the lower side of the enclosure.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the rotational axis of each motor is substantially parallel to the lower side of the enclosure.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein each brush is selectively attachable to the rotational shaft of any of the plurality of motors.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the power source is at least one battery.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the enclosure is made from a heat-resistant plastic material.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the enclosure further includes a heat insulator proximate the lower side thereof, such that the power source, plurality of motors and circuit are at least partially insulated from heat emanating from the surface.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the circuit further includes an indicator for indicating one of a plurality of program times, whereby multiple actuations of the switch advance the preset period of time from one program time to the next, the indicator indicating the currently-selected program time and the circuit running the motors back and forth for the currently-selected program time.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the circuit is adapted to change the direction of any of the plurality of motors independently of the direction of the other motors.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the circuit further includes a random number generator, whereby the direction of any of the plurality of motors may be changed in a substantially random manner.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of motors with brushes is an odd number, each brush capable of moving the enclosure in a direction different from any of the other brushes.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the plurality of motors with brushes is exactly three, each brush being oriented substantially 60 degrees in plan view from each other brush.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the peripheral edge of the enclosure is rigid and adapted to absorb kinetic energy of the device upon contacting an obstruction, whereby upon the next directional change of one or more of the motors the device moves away from the obstruction.

14. The device of claim 4 wherein the lower surface of the enclosure further includes at least one selectively attachable contact pad for supporting the enclosure on the surface in cooperation with the brushes.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein the bristles of each brush are made of brass, whereby when the surface is a plurality of barbeque grill rods, the bristles are adapted to clean the top surfaces thereof and at least a portion of the side surfaces thereof.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the lower side of the enclosure further includes a plurality of sensors for detecting an edge of the surface, the circuit electrically connected to each sensor and adapted to run at least one of the plurality of motors in an opposing direction upon detection of the edge of the surface.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein the enclosure includes at least one handle fixed with the upper side thereof.

18. The device of claim 1 wherein the power source is at least one rechargeable battery, and wherein a charging port is electrically connected with the at least one rechargeable battery and fixed through the enclosure, whereby an external power source may be used to charge the at least one rechargeable battery.