Hand-held cleaning device with snout-like sweep tunnel
First Claim
1. A hand-held cleaning device comprising:
- a housing having,forwardly-extending hollow tunnel means with a forwardly-inclined intake opening at its forward end for engaging a surface to be cleaned and taking in dust and debris from said surface;
handle means disposed rearwardly of said tunnel means for accommodating the hand of a user;
means defining a chamber disposed at the opposite end of said tunnel means from said intake opening for receiving dust and debris taken in through said intake opening; and
debris cup means removably disposed in communication with said chamber for collecting dust and debris received therein;
sweeping means in said tunnel means for picking up dust and debris at said intake opening and delivering it to said chamber and comprising;
an elongated endless belt extending between said ends of said tunnel means, and having a series of ribs on its inner surface and spaced flexible upstanding blade means on its outer surface for engaging dust and debris at said intake opening; and
means for mounting said endless belt in said tunnel means including gear means for engaging said ribs to drive said belt whereby said blade means moves through said tunnel means and past said intake opening;
motor means in said housing for producing a rotational output; and
drive means operatively connecting said motor means to said gear means, for rotating said gear means to drive said belt.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hand-held cleaning device is disclosed comprising a two-piece, molded plastic housing having a top handle and a forwardly-extending snout-like sweep tunnel with a forwardly-inclined intake opening at its forward end and containing a driveable endless belt with spaced flexible sweeping blades thereon which pick up dust and debris at the intake opening and carry it through the tunnel to a material-receiving chamber within the housing. An illuminating system is located in the housing above the tunnel for alternately acting as a flashlight or a beacon, and a debris cup is removably mounted on the underside of the housing for collecting and disposing of material from the material-receiving chamber, which cup may also act as a prop for inclinedly supporting the device on a flat surface when the illuminating system is being used. Power cells and an electric motor are mounted within partitions molded integrally with the axially-mating housing halves, and respective switching arrangements are provided for energizing the electric motor and the illuminating system.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A hand-held cleaning device comprising:
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a housing having, forwardly-extending hollow tunnel means with a forwardly-inclined intake opening at its forward end for engaging a surface to be cleaned and taking in dust and debris from said surface; handle means disposed rearwardly of said tunnel means for accommodating the hand of a user; means defining a chamber disposed at the opposite end of said tunnel means from said intake opening for receiving dust and debris taken in through said intake opening; and debris cup means removably disposed in communication with said chamber for collecting dust and debris received therein; sweeping means in said tunnel means for picking up dust and debris at said intake opening and delivering it to said chamber and comprising; an elongated endless belt extending between said ends of said tunnel means, and having a series of ribs on its inner surface and spaced flexible upstanding blade means on its outer surface for engaging dust and debris at said intake opening; and means for mounting said endless belt in said tunnel means including gear means for engaging said ribs to drive said belt whereby said blade means moves through said tunnel means and past said intake opening; motor means in said housing for producing a rotational output; and drive means operatively connecting said motor means to said gear means, for rotating said gear means to drive said belt. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A hand-held cleaning device comprising:
- a housing having,
forwardly-extending hollow tunnel means with a forwardly-inclined intake opening at its forward end for engaging a surface to be cleaned and taking in dust and debris from said surface; handle means disposed rearwardly of said tunnel means for accommodating the hand of a user; means defining a chamber disposed at the opposite end of said tunnel means from said intake opening for receiving dust and debris taken in through said intake opening; illuminating means disposed above the rear of said tunnel means for shining light from said housing; sweeping means in said tunnel means for picking up dust and debris at said intake opening and delivering it to said chamber, said sweeping means comprising an elongated endless belt extending between said ends of said tunnel means, and having speed flexible upstanding blade means on its outer surface for engaging dust and debris at said intake;
drive means for driving said belt to move said blade means through said tunnel means and past said intake opening; anddebris cup means removably attached to the underside of the housing in communication with said chamber for collecting dust and debris received therein. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
- a housing having,
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17. A hand-held cleaning device comprising:
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a housing having, forwardly-extending hollow tunnel means with a forwardly-inclined intake opening at its forward end for engaging a surface to be cleaned and taking in dust and debris from said surface; handle means disposed rearwardly of said tunnel means for accommodating the hand of a user; and means defining a chamber disposed at the opposite end of said tunnel means from said intake opening for receiving dust and debris taken in through said opening; sweeping means in said tunnel means for picking up dust and debris at said intake opening and delivering it to said chamber, said sweeping means comprising an elongated endless belt extending between said ends of said tunnel means, and having spaced flexible upstanding blade means on its outer surface for engaging dust and debris at said intake opening; drive means for driving said sweeping means to move said blade means through said tunnel means and past said intake opening; and debris collecting means removably attached to said housing in communication with said chamber for collecting dust and debris received therein. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification