Window cleaning device

• US 5,271,682 A
• Filed: 12/18/1991
• Issued: 12/21/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gianluigi Realdon
• Original Assignee: Gianluigi Realdon
• Inventors: Realdon, Gianluigi
• Primary Examiner(s): DeMille, Danton D.
• Application Number:
  US07/809,163
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 401/118, 401/38, 401/136, 401/48, 401/137, 401/146, 401/139, 401/37, 401/140, 401/191, 401/291, 401/290, 401/289, 401/287, 401/268, 401/286, 401/285, 401/283
• US Class Current: 401/37
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 1/08 with provision for supplying liquids, e.g. cleaning agents A47L1/095, A47L1/13, A47L1/15 take precedence

Abstract

A squeegee-type cleaning device for washing windows and other structures has a holder with a brush, a support for the holder, a wiper blade adjacent the brush and a fluid supply connected by a hose to the holder. Apertures provided along the length of the holder allow fluid to be pumped from the supply along the entire length of the brush. A manually operated pump is provided to pump this fluid. The brush is pivotable relative to the support and a telescopic pole can be provided on the support to aid in cleaning of the structure.

Claims

1. A cleaning device comprising:

a holder having a longitudinal axis and at least one aperture defined therein, said at least one aperture being disposed along the longitudinal axis;

a brush provided on a top surface of the holder;

t-shaped support means positionable beneath the holder for pivotally supporting the holder, the holder being pivotable about a pivot axis which is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, said support means having a vertical section and a horizontal section arranged perpendicularly to one another, the horizontal section being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis when the support means is supporting the holder, the holder being pivotable about the pivot axis to move the brush relative to the vertical section of the support means, the brush on the holder remaining a fixed distance from the pivot axis when the support means is supporting the holder;

a readily detachable blade mounted adjacent the brush, the blade being a fixed distance from the pivot axis and being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis;

a supply of fluid;

a hose connecting the supply of fluid to one of the support means and holder;

means for pumping the fluid from the supply, through the hose, out of the at least one aperture on the holder and past in the brush, the fluid being supplied along a length of the brush generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, the liquid being sealed in the cleaning device such that the liquid is only released through the at least one aperture; and

a telescopic pole having a first and second end, the support means being detachably mounted to the second end of the telescopic pole and the hose extending through the first and second ends of the pole and along an inside of the pole, the pole having an opening defined in a side thereof, the hose extending through said opening, the opening enabling the hose to slide into and out of the pole during telescopic movement of the pole while the hose continues to extend through both the first and second ends of the poles without moving relative to these ends.

2. The cleaning device as recited in claim 1, wherein the brush is a short bristle brush, the fluid being ejected through gaps in the brush along the length thereof upon operation of the means for pumping.

3. The cleaning device as recited in claim 1, wherein the pole comprises an upper section and a lower section with a locking collar therebetween, the upper and lower sections being extendable and retractable for telescopic movement of the pole and the locking collar being operable to lock the sections in position, the opening being provided in a side of the lower section.

4. The cleaning device as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for pumping is accommodated in the opening in the side of the pole, said means for pumping comprising a manually operated hand pump for withdrawing the fluid from the supply, forcing the fluid through the hose and ejecting the fluid along the length of the brush.

5. The cleaning device as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for pumping comprises a manually operated hand pump for withdrawing the fluid from the supply, forcing the fluid through the hose and ejecting the fluid along the length of the brush, the supply of fluid being a portable tank.

6. The cleaning device as recited in claim 1, wherein the hose is connected to the support means, the support means having a plurality of sprinklers provided along a length of the horizontal section, the sprinklers being aligned with the at least one aperture in the holder whereby the means for pumping supplies fluid through the hose, along an interior of the horizontal section of the support means, through the sprinklers and out of the at least one aperture of the holder.

7. The cleaning device as recited in claim 6, wherein the holder comprises a plate and a U-shaped section, the brush being mounted to a top surface of the plate and the U-shaped section being mounted to a bottom surface of the plate, the U-shaped section being in mating engagement with the horizontal section of the support means when the support means is supporting the holder, the at least one aperture in the holder extending through the plate and U-shaped section.

8. The cleaning device as recited in claim 6, wherein the holder is detachably mounted on the support means, the U-shaped section having a greater length then the horizontal section and having slots defined at the ends thereof, said cleaning device further comprising clips which are insertable through the slots to detachably mount the holder to the support means, the U-shaped section being sized such that the holder can be slid over an end of the support means in a direction generally parallel to the pivot axis in order to mount the holder on the support means and the clips thereafter being inserted into the slots to hold the holder on the support means.

9. The cleaning device as recited in claim 6, wherein the blade is rigidly mounted on the holder and pivotable therewith.

10. The cleaning device as recited in claim 1, wherein the blade is rigidly mounted on the holder and pivotable therewith.

11. The cleaning device as recited in claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a plate and a generally circular section and the horizontal section of the support means comprises a C-shaped section, the brush being mounted to a top surface of the plate and the circular section being mounted to a bottom surface of the plate, the circular section being slidably received within the C-shaped section of the support means to permit pivoting of said holder.

12. The cleaning device as recited in claim 11, wherein the C-shaped section has a slot defined therein and wherein the hose extends from an upper end of the vertical section of the support means, through the slot in the C-shaped section and to the circular section of the holder, the hose having a predetermined length exposed between the upper end of the vertical section and the circular section to permit pivoting of the holder.

13. The cleaning device as recited in claim 11, wherein the blade is rigidly mounted on the C-shaped section of the support means, the blade extends uninterrupted along a length of the C-shaped support means.

14. The cleaning device as recited in claim 1, wherein the blade is rigidly mounted on the support means in a position avoiding interference with pivoting of the holder, the blade being fixed in position while the holder is pivotable.

15. The cleaning device as recited in claim 1, wherein the holder has a recess defined therein for receiving the vertical section of the support means when the holder reaches a maximum angle for pivoting in at least one direction.

16. The cleaning device as recited in claim 1, further comprising sprinklers defined along the length of the horizontal asection of the T-shaped support means, the brush being a short bristle brush with gaps provided therein, the gaps being registered with the at least one aperture in the holder and with the sprinklers to permit ejection of the fluid along the length of the brush.

17. A cleaning device comprising:

a holder having a longitudinal axis and at least one aperture defined therein, said at least one aperture being disposed along the longitudinal axis, the holder comprises a plate and a generally circular section;

a brush provided on a top surface of the holder;

t-shaped support means positionable beneath the holder for pivotally supporting the holder, the holder being pivotable about a pivot axis which is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, said support means having a vertical section and a horizontal section arranged perpendicularly to one another, the horizontal section being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis when the support means is supporting the holder, the holder being pivotable about the pivot axis to move the brush relative to the vertical section of the support means, the brush on the holder remaining a fixed distance from the pivot axis when the support means is supporting the holder, the horizontal section of the support means comprises a tube enclosing the circular section of the holder, the circular section being mounted to a bottom surface of the plate through mounting openings defined in the tube and the brush being mounted on a top surface of the plate, the mounting openings being sized to permit pivoting of the holder about the pivot axis;

a readily detachable blade mounted adjacent the brush, the blade being a fixed distance from the pivot axis and being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis;

a supply of fluid;

a hose connecting the supply of fluid to one of the support means and holder; and

means for pumping the fluid from the supply, through the hose, out of the at least one aperture on the holder and past the brush, the fluid being supplied along a length of the brush generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, the liquid being sealed in the cleaning device such that the liquid is only released through the at least one aperture.

18. The cleaning device as recited in claim 17, further comprising sprinklers defined along the length of the horizontal section of the T-shaped support means, the hose extends through the vertical section of the support means to the circular section of the holder, the circular section of the holder extends along the longitudinal axis and provides for communication to the sprinklers on the holder such that the means for pumping can supply fluid through the hose and out of the sprinklers along the length of the brush.

19. The cleaning device as recited in claim 17, wherein the blade is rigidly mounted on the tube avoiding obstruction of the mounting openings, the blade extends uninterrupted along most of a length of the tube.

20. A cleaning device comprising:

a holder having a longitudinal axis and at least one aperture defined therein, said at least one aperture being disposed along the longitudinal axis;

a brush provided on a top surface of the holder;

t-shaped support means positionable beneath the holder for pivotally supporting the holder, the holder being pivotable about a pivot axis which is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, said support means having a vertical section and a horizontal section arranged perpendicularly to one another, the horizontal section being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis when the support means is supporting the holder, the holder being pivotable about the pivot axis to move the brush relative to the vertical section of the support means, the brush on the holder remaining a fixed distance from the pivot axis when the support means is supporting the holder;

a readily detachable blade mounted adjacent the brush, the blade being a fixed distance from the pivot axis and being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis;

a supply of fluid;

a hose connecting the supply of fluid to the support means;

means for pumping the fluid from the supply, through the hose, out of the at least one aperture on the holder and past the brush, the fluid being supplied along a length of the brush generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, the liquid being sealed in the cleaning device such that the liquid is only released through the at least one aperture;

the support means having a plurality of sprinklers provided along a length of the horizontal section, the sprinklers being aligned with the at least one aperture in the holder whereby the means for pumping supplies fluid through the hose, along an interior of the horizontal section of the support means, through the sprinklers and out of the at least one aperture of the holder;

the holder being detachably mounted on the support means, the U-shaped section having a greater length than the horizontal section and having slots defined at the ends thereof; and

clips insertable through the slots to detachably mount the holder to the support means, the U-shaped section being sized such that the holder can slide over an end of the support means in a direction generally parallel to the pivot axis in order to mount the holder on the support means and the clips thereafter being inserted into the slots to hold the holder on the support means.

21. A cleaning device comprising:

a holder having a longitudinal axis and at least one aperture defined therein, said at least one aperture being disposed along the longitudinal axis, the holder comprises a plate and a generally circular section;

a brush provided on a top surface of the holder;

t-shaped support means positionable beneath the holder for pivotally supporting the holder, the holder being pivotable about a pivot axis which is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, said support means having a vertical section and a horizontal section arranged perpendicularly to one another, the horizontal section being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis when the support means is supporting the holder, the holder being pivotable about the pivot axis to move the brush relative to the vertical section of the support means, the brush on the holder remaining a fixed distance from the pivot axis when the support means is supporting the holder, the horizontal section of the support means comprises a C-shaped section, the brush being mounted to a top surface of the plate of the holder and the circular section of the holder being mounted to a bottom surface of the plate, the circular section being slidably received within the C-shaped section of the support means to permit pivoting of said holder;

a readily detachable blade mounted adjacent the brush, the blade being a fixed distance from the pivot axis and being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis;

a supply of fluid;

a hose connecting the supply of fluid to one of the support means and holder; and

means for pumping the fluid from the supply, through the hose, out of the at least one aperture on the holder and past the brush, the fluid being supplied along a length of the brush generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, the liquid being sealed in the cleaning device such that the liquid is only released through the at least one aperture;

the C-shaped section having a slot defined therein and wherein the hose extends from an upper end of the vertical section of the support means, through the slot in the C-shaped section and to the circular section of the holder, the hose having a predetermined length exposed between the upper end of the vertical section and the circular section to permit pivoting of the holder.