Vehicle laundry implement and replaceable cloth elements for use therewith

• US 5,784,748 A
• Filed: 04/29/1996
• Issued: 07/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Washme Properties, LLC
• Original Assignee: Belanger, Inc. (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Wentworth, Robert J., Belanger, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TILL, TERRENCE R
• Application Number:
  US08/641,024
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 15/97.3, 15/230, 15/230.13-230.17, 15/230.19, 15/231, 451/DIG. 2, 451/466
• US Class Current: 15/230.14
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/003 made up of a series of annular brush rings; Annular brush rings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/3046 Brushes for cleaning cars or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/063 the axis of rotation being approximately vertical

Abstract

A rotatable vehicle laundry brush comprising a center shaft and a plurality of axially stacked hollow blow-molded spacers which are pinned and clamped together with felt discs sandwiched between the spacers and extending radially outwardly therefrom so as to translate in an edgewise manner when the brush rotates. The felt discs are made up from pie-shaped or rectangular brush elements the outer peripheries of which are subdivided into sample and/or compound fingers by a pattern of long and short slits. Brush elements are also provided which translate in a facewise manner. Brush material is minimized and reconstruction of the brush is made more efficient.

Claims

1. A replaceable element for a cloth-type vehicle laundry implement wherein brushes rotate in an edge-wise manner, the element having an overall shape of a sector of a circle and having opposite, parallel, plane faces, being made of non-woven, synthetic fabric and having a first vehicle-containing peripheral edge, said element being subdivided into compound radial fingers extending to said edge by a first set of relatively widely spaced slits of a first length and a second set of relatively closely spaced slits intermediate the first slits and of a second length, the first length being substantially greater than the second length.

2. An element as defined in claim 1 further including a hole formed in an unslit portion of the element and extending between opposite faces to receive a drive element.

3. An element as defined in claim 1 further including two adjacent holes formed in an unslit portion of the element to receive drive pins.

4. A cloth-type vehicle laundering element comprising;

support means defining an axis of rotation;

a plurality of parallel, adjacently arranged spacers mounted on said support means;

each spacer having at least one face in matable, adjacent relationship with a face of an adjacent spacer; and

a plurality of predominantly flat fabric brush elements disposed between the mating faces of said spacers and extending outwardly beyond said spacers for edgewise translation with said spacers and said support means as a unit;

wherein the axial thickness of said spacers and substantially greater than the thickness of said elements such that the elements are axially spaced apart by a substantial distance as compared to the thickness of said elements, further wherein the spacers are hollow plastic bodies.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 further comprising means for urging said spacers together.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 further including means for interconnecting adjacent spacers.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said interconnecting means comprises pins extending between adjacent spacers, each of said elements having at least one hole formed therein for receiving a pin and being driven edgewise thereby.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein each pin is secured in essentially permanent relationship with one spacer and extends into removable relationship with the adjacent spacer.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said spacers are of annular shape and at least some of the spacers have circumferential gate openings to permit spacers to be placed in and removed from surrounding relationship with a shaft by radial translation.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said spacers are substantially rigid and said faces are non-planar.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said brush elements have radially subdivided outer ends.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein the brush elements exhibit a compound pattern of radial fingers characterized by relatively wide and radially deep fingers the outer end portions of which are subdivided into relatively narrow and radially more shallow sub-fingers.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein at least one of the brush elements is made up of individual pie-shaped segments.

14. A laundry implement comprising:

support means;

a plurality of hollow plastic spacers arranged in parallel, adjacent relationship for movement and having adjacent matable faces; and

a plurality of flat cloth elements having opposite plane faces disposed between said spacers for movement therewith.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein each said cloth element comprises a body of unstitched, unfolded material an outer peripheral edge of which extends beyond said spacers, said body having at least one mounting hole formed between said faces in a portion which lies between adjacent spacers.

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 15 further including a pin passing through said hole whereby said elements are pivotable about said pins.

17. Apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein the spacers are annular and the cloth elements are subdivided into a plurality of uniformly circumferentially arranged relatively long and wide fingers, each of said long and wide fingers being subdivided over only the radially outermost portion thereof into smaller sub-fingers.

18. Apparatus as defined in claim 14 further including means for urging said spacers axially toward one another.

19. A cloth-type vehicle laundering implement comprising:

support means;

a plurality of parallel, adjacently arranged spacers mounted on said support means, each spacer having at least one face in matable, adjacent relationship with a face of an adjacent spacer; and

a plurality of flat fabric brush elements disposed between the mating faces of each pair of adjacent spacers to form a plurality of substantially circular brushes extending outwardly beyond said spacers for edgewise translation with said spacers and said support means as a unit, at least one of said brush elements having a radially subdivided outer end.

20. A replaceable element for a cloth-type vehicle laundry brush having opposite, parallel, plane faces, the element made of non-woven, synthetic fabric and having a first vehicle-contacting peripheral edge, said element being subdivided into compound radial fingers extending to said edge by a first set of relatively widely spaced slits of a first length and a second set of relatively closely spaced slits intermediate the first slits and of a second length, the first length being substantially greater than the second length, and the element further including a hole formed in an unslit portion of the element and extending between opposite faces to receive a drive element.

21. A replaceable element for a cloth-type vehicle laundry brush having opposite, parallel, plane faces, the element made of non-woven, synthetic fabric and having a first vehicle-contacting peripheral edge, said element being subdivided into compound radial fingers extending to said edge by a first set of relatively widely spaced slits of a first length and a second set of relatively closely spaced slits intermediate the first slits and of a second length, the first length being substantially greater than-the second length, and the element further including two adjacent holes formed in an unslit portion of the element to receive drive pins.

22. A cloth-type laundering implement comprising:

support means;

a plurality of parallel, adjacently arranged spacers mounted on said support means, each spacer having at least one face in matable, adjacent relationship with a face of an adjacent spacer, the spacers being hollow plastic bodies; and

a plurality of flat fabric brush elements disposed between the mating faces of said spacers and extending outwardly beyond said spacers for edgewise translation with said spacers and said support means as a unit.

23. A cloth-type laundering implement comprising:

support means comprising a shaft;

a plurality of parallel, adjacently arranged spacers mounted on said support means, each spacer having at least one face in matable, adjacent relationship with a face of an adjacent spacer, said spacers being of annular shape and at least some of the spacers having circumferential gate openings to permit spacers to be placed in and removed from surrounding relationship with said shaft by radial translation; and

a plurality of flat fabric brush elements disposed between the mating faces of said spacers and extending outwardly beyond said spacers for edgewise translation with said spacers and said support means as a unit.

24. A cloth-type laundering implement comprising:

support means;

a plurality of parallel, adjacently arranged spacers mounted on said support means, each spacer having at least one face in matable, adjacent relationship with a face of an adjacent spacer; and

a plurality of flat fabric brush elements disposed between the mating faces of said spacers and extending outwardly beyond said spacers for edgewise translation with said spacers and said support means as a unit, said brush elements having radially subdivided outer ends and exhibiting a compound pattern of radial fingers characterized by relatively wide and radially deep fingers the outer end portions of which are subdivided into relatively narrow and radially more shallow sub-fingers.