Portable cordless scrubber

• US 4,158,246 A
• Filed: 09/07/1977
• Issued: 06/19/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rule Industries Incorporated (ITT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Disston, Inc.
• Inventors: Doolittle, Stephen D., Meadows, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US05/831,246
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 15/28, 15/29, 15/49 R, 15/50 R, 15/97 R, 51/170 T, 51/177, 310/50, 310/75 R, 310/114
• US Class Current: 15/28
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/02 power-driven carriers
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 23/02 with rotating grinding tools; Accessories therefor

Abstract

A hand-held, portable, cordless scrubber is disclosed which incorporates counter-rotating, scrubbing brushes detachably mounted on counter-rotating, concentric shafts. The scrubber housing is designed to prevent the entry of moisture and provides a pocket with a detachable cover for receiving a battery pack which can be recharged by direct plugging into an ordinary AC household receptacle. Both finger-actuated, handle-mounted switch and brush pressure actuated switch arrangements are provided. Snap-on pads, and the like, may also be employed.

Claims

1. A portable, battery-operated device adapted to drive rotating brushes, pads, and the like, comprising:

(a) an integral molded housing formed of secured half sections, said housing having in an upper intermediate portion thereof a molded handle grip portion, having in a forward portion thereof an internal vertical compartment for receiving a drive motor and associated gear and drive shaft subassembly and having a lower rearward pocket with an outwardly open side and peripheral side walls, a rectangular base wall located opposite said open side and rigid with said housing and forming the base of said pocket, said base wall providing receptacle openings adapted to receive a pair of AC household type prongs and with circuit means to connect such inserted prongs to said motor;

(b) a rectangular box-shaped battery pack fitting and movable within said housing pocket side walls towards and from said base wall, said pack mounting a battery, rectifier means connected to the battery for recharging the battery, a pair of AC household type prongs projecting from one flat, substantially rectangular sidewall thereof and a switch mounted within the pack, said switch having a normal position which acts to connect said battery through said rectifier means to said prongs enabling said pack to be recharged by insertion of said prongs in an AC household type receptacle supply and having a second position which said switch is adapted to assume by being engaged whenever said pack prongs are inserted into said housing receptacle openings to connect said battery to said prongs to power said motor;

(c) actuator means arranged on said pack and pocket to move said switch to its said second position when said prongs are fully inserted into said housing receptacle openings;

(d) latching means for securing said pack in said pocket when said pack is fully inserted into said housing pocket;

(e) a drive motor and associated gear and drive shaft subassembly mounted in said forward compartment, said subassembly including;

(i) a drive motor having a drive shaft and a first drive gear mounted thereon;

(ii) reducing gear means driven by said first motor drive gear and providing a second drive gear operating at a speed reduced from that of said first motor drive gear;

(iii) an integral outer gear-drive shaft member comprising a vertical hollow shaft member having an enlarged circular upper portion formed with an internal ring gear engaging and driven by said second drive gear at a selected speed in one direction and a lower drive portion adapted for being snap-fit connected to a correspondingly formed brush, pad, or the like, for being driven thereby;

(iv) an integral inner gear-drive shaft member mounted and rotatable within said outer gear-drive shaft member and comprising a vertical shaft member having an enlarged upper circular portion formed with an external outer gear and driven by said second drive gear at a selected speed in an opposite direction to that of said outer gear-drive shaft member and having a lower drive portion adapted for being snap-fit connected to a correspondingly-formed brush, pad, or the like, for being driven thereby;

(v) gear housing means secured to and below said motor and providing mounting means for said reducing gear means, said outer and inner gear drive shaft members; and

(f) a positionable control switch and circuit means enabling said switch to control the connection between said pack prongs and motor when said pack is installed in said pocket.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lower drive portion of said inner gear-drive shaft member is hollow and includes a snap-fit securement means therein adapted for being snap-fit connected to a brush, pad, or the like, having a correspondingly-formed shaft insertable into such hollow lower drive portion to be snap-fitted to such securement means.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said lower drive portion of said outer gear-drive shaft member includes a spline configuration adapted for being snap-fit connected to a brush, pad, or the like, having a correspondingly-formed, grooved aperture designed to be snap-fitted to said spline configuration.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 including an integral splash cover adapted to be snap-fitted over said pocket when containing said pack, said splash cover having an outer wall, one closed and one open end wall and a pair of opposed side walls and pin means integrally formed therewith and pivotally mounted on said housing at a position below the forward end of said pack and below said open end wall, said walls and mating receiving edges of said pocket being provided with mating sealing and snap-fitting securement means designed to provide a snap-fitted, waterproofing cover over said pack when installed in said pocket.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said outer and inner gear-drive shaft members are adapted for axial movement towards and away from said motor and with respect to fixed portions of said gear housing means and switch means connected in circuit with said motor and pack prongs when said pack is installed and actuating means for said switch means dependent on vertical upward axial movement of one of said gear-drive shaft members for closing said switch means thereby providing a pressure-actuated switching means for said device.

6. A device as claimed in claim 4 including an integral sealing strip member secured between said housing half sections and extending around said housing between the extremities of said pocket, said strip member including an integrally-formed flexible cap portion covering said control switch and providing moisture protection therefor and an annular ring portion adapted to provide moisture sealing between said outer gear-drive shaft member and surrounding edges of said half sections.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pocket is upwardly angled and said pack when installed resides in an upwardly angled relation and wherein said motor and its weight is directed downwardly substantially centrally of said outer and inner gear-drive shaft members such that the balance point of said device resides proximate said handle grip portion.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said outer gear-drive shaft member speed is substantially half that of the speed of said inner gear-drive shaft member.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1 including a pair of outer and inner brushes adapted for respective snap-fit connection to said outer and inner gear-drive shaft members and wherein the respective speeds of said outer and inner gear-drive shaft members are substantially inversely proportional to the mean diameter of said brushes.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reducing gear means comprises an integral molded combination gear having an upper gear driven by said first drive gear and a lower gear comprising said second drive gear.

11. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control switch means includes a finger-actuated control switch mounted on said housing between said half sections and forward of said handle grip portion and having flexible protective cap means thereover held by the join of said half sections.

12. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said gear-shaft members are arranged for axial movement and said control switch means includes switch means dependent on axial movement of one of said gear-drive shaft members for actuation thereof.

13. A device as claimed in claim 12 wherein said control switch means further includes a finger-actuated control switch mounted on said housing between said half-sections and forward of said handle grip portion and having flexible protective cap means thereover held by the join of said half sections.

14. In a portable, battery-operated device adapted to drive rotating brushes, pads, and the like, comprising:

(a) an integral molded housing formed of secured half sections having fluid sealing means at the join thereof, said housing having in an upper intermediate portion thereof a molded handle grip portion, having in a forward portion thereof an internal compartment for receiving a drive motor and associated gear and drive shaft subassembly and having a rearward pocket with an outwardly open side and peripheral side walls, a rectangular base wall located opposite said open side and rigid with said housing and forming the base of said pocket, said base wall providing receptacle openings adapted to receive a pair of AC household type prongs and with circuit means to connect such inserted prongs to said motor;

(b) a rectangular box-shaped battery pack fitting and movable within said housing pocket side walls towards and from said base wall, said pack mounting a battery, rectifier means connected to the battery for recharging the battery, a pair of AC household type prongs projecting from one flat, substantially rectangular sidewall thereof and a switch mounted within the pack, said switch having a normal position which acts to connect said battery through said rectifier means to said prongs enabling said pack to be recharged by insertion of said prongs in an AC household type receptacle supply and having a second position which said switch is adapted to assume by being engaged whenever said pack prongs are inserted into said housing receptacle openings to connect said battery to said prongs to power said motor;

(c) actuator means arranged on said pack and pocket to move said switch to its said second position when said prongs are fully inserted into said housing receptacle openings;

(d) latching means for securing said pack in said pocket when said pack is fully inserted into said housing pocket;

(e) a drive motor and associated gear and drive shaft subassembly mounted in said forward compartment, said subassembly including;

(i) a drive motor having a drive shaft and a first drive gear mounted thereon;

(ii) reducing gear means driven by said first motor drive gear and providing a second drive gear operating at a speed reduced from that of said first motor drive gear;

(iii) an integral outer gear-drive shaft member comprising a vertical hollow shaft member having an enlarged circular upper portion formed with an internal ring gear engaging and driven by said second drive gear at a selected speed in one direction and a lower drive portion adapted for being snap-fit connected to a correspondingly formed brush, pad, or the like, for being driven thereby;

(iv) an integral inner gear-drive shaft member mounted and rotatable within said outer gear-drive shaft member and comprising a vertical shaft member having an enlarged upper circular portion formed with an external outer gear and driven by said second drive gear at a selected speed in an opposite direction to that of said outer gear-drive shaft member and having a lower drive portion adapted for being snap-fit connected to a correspondingly-formed brush, pad, or the like, for being driven thereby;

(v) gear housing means secured to and below said motor and providing mounting means for said reducing gear means, said outer and inner gear drive shaft members;

(f) a positionable control switch and circuit means enabling said switch to control the connection between said pack prongs and motor when said pack is installed in said pocket; and

(g) an integral splash cover adapted to be releasably fitted over said pocket when containing said pack.

15. In a device as claimed in claim 14, said splash cover having an outer wall, one closed and one open end wall and a pair of opposed side walls and pin means integrally formed therewith and pivotally mounted on said housing at a position below the forward end of said pack and below said open end wall, said walls and mating receiving edges of said pocket being provided with mating sealing and snap-fitting securement means designed to provide a snap-fitted, waterproofing cover over said pack when installed in said pocket.

16. In a device as claimed in claim 14 wherein said pocket is both lower and rearward and is upwardly angled and said pack when installed resides in an upwardly-angled relation.