Cleaning implement

• US 6,845,538 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamazaki Company Limited (Yamazaki Baking Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Yamazaki Company Limited (Yamazaki Baking Company Limited)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KARLS, SHAY LYNN
• Application Number:
  US10/410,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20030204923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 15/27, 15/411, 15/44, 15/521, 15/4, 15/98, 15/503, 152/31
• US Class Current: 15/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/02 power-driven carriers
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/3066 Brush specifically designed for use with street cleaning machinery
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/33 having means for storing dirt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4052 Movement of the tools or the like perpendicular to the cleaning surface
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels

Abstract

The lower end of the rotative brush 12 contacts the cleaning subject surface 26. As the driving wheels 14 roll on the cleaning subject surface 26, the rotative brush 12 rotates, while being guided by the sweep-up slope surface 10e1 of the slope surface forming portion 10e, the dust 28 on the cleaning subject surface 26 is swept up by the rotation of the rotative brush 12. The dust 28 is separated from the rotative brush 12 and received in the dust receiver 10a. Substantially at the same time as this, the cleaning subject surface 26 can be wiped while pressing the sheet-like wiping member 24 against the cleaning subject surface 26.

Claims

1. A cleaning implement comprising a rotative brush supported for rotation around a horizontal rotation axis, a driving device for rotatively driving the rotative brush, a dust receiver for receiving dust swept up by the rotation of the rotative brush, a wiping member support bottom for supporting a sheet wiping member in such a manner the latter can be pressed against a cleaning subject surface, and a wiping member fixer for removably fixing the wiping member while supporting the latter on the wiping member support bottom, wherein

said wiping member support bottom is disposed laterally of said rotative brush,

said rotative brush, while supporting the wiping member on said wiping member support bottom to abut the wiping member against the cleaning subject surface, is supported with at least a lower end thereof in contact with the cleaning subject surface,

said cleaning implement having a separator for separating the wiping member supported by said wiping member support bottom and said rotative brush.

2. A cleaning implement of claim 1, wherein the wiping member fixer is disposed between said rotative brush and wiping member support bottom or above a portion of the wiping member support bottom, said portion being near to the rotative brush, and is capable of removably fixing the rotative brush side end of the wiping member supported by the wiping member support bottom.

3. A cleaning implement of claim 2, including a wiping member holding groove parallel with the rotation axis of said rotative brush and open downward between the rotative brush and wiping member support bottom or at the portion of the wiping member support bottom, the portion being near to the rotative brush, said wiping member holding groove having the wiping member fixer.

4. A cleaning implement of claim 3, including a support bottom constituting member constituting at least a portion of the wiping member support bottom, said support bottom constituting member having a rotation axis parallel with the rotation axis of the rotative brush, being adapted to be opened and closed by the turning around the axis of the rotation axis, and having the wiping member fixer placed on the upper side thereof, wherein with the support bottom constituting member closed, the wiping member support bottom supports the wiping member in such a manner that the latter can be pressed against the cleaning subject surface.

5. A cleaning implement as described in claim 3, wherein said wiping member support bottom is able to support a sheet-like wiping member in such a manner that the sheet-like wiping member can be pressed against the cleaning subject surface and said wiping member fixer, while supporting said sheet-like wiping member on said wiping member support bottom, can removably fix said sheet-like wiping member.

6. A cleaning implement of claim 3, including a slope surface forming portion that extends substantially along the outer periphery of the rotative brush to define a sweep-up slope surface opposed at its lower end to a cleaning subject surface, and forming at least a portion of said separator.

7. A cleaning implement claim 2, including a support bottom constituting member constituting at least a portion of the wiping member support bottom, said support bottom constituting member having a rotation axis parallel with the rotation axis of the rotative brush, being adapted to be opened and dosed by the bring around the axis of the rotation axis, and having the wiping mentor fixer placed on the upper side thereof, wherein with the support bottom constituting member closed, the wiping member support bottom supports the wiping member in such a manner that the latter can pressed against the cleaning subject surface.

8. A cleaning implement as described in claim 2, wherein said wiping member support bottom is able to support a sheet-like, wiping member in such a manner that the sheet-like wiping member can be pressed against the cleaning subject surface, and said wiping member fixer, while supporting said sheet-like wiping member on said wiping member support bottom, can removably fix said sheet-like wiping member.

9. A cleaning implement of claim 2, including a slope surface forming portion that extends substantially along the outer periphery of the rotative brush to define a sweep-up slope surface opposed at its lower end to a cleaning subject surface, and forming at least a portion of said separator.

10. A cleaning implement of claim 1, including a support bottom constituting member constituting at least a portion of the wiping member support bottom, said support bottom constituting member having a rotation axis parallel with the rotation axis of the rotative brush, being adapted to be opened and closed by the turning around the axis of the rotation axis, and having the wiping member fixer placed on the upper side thereof, wherein with the support bottom constituting member closed, the wiping member support bottom supports the wiping member in such a manner that the latter can be pressed against the cleaning subject surface.

11. A cleaning implement as described in claim 10, wherein said wiping member support bottom is able to support a sheet-like wiping member in such a manner that the sheet-like wiping member can be pressed against the cleaning subject surface, and said wiping member fixer, while supporting said sheet-like wiping member on said wiping member support bottom, can removably fix said sheet-like wiping member.

12. A cleaning implement of claim 10, including a slope surface forming portion that extends substantially along the outer periphery of the rotative brush to define a sweep-up slope surface opposed at its lower end to a cleaning subject surface, and forming at least a portion of said separator.

13. A cleaning implement as described in claims 1, wherein said wiping member support bottom is able to support a sheet-like wiping member in such a manner that the sheet-like wiping member can be pressed against the cleaning subject surface, and said wiping member fixer, while supporting said sheet-like wiping member on said wiping member support bottom, can removably fix said sheet-like wiping member.

14. A cleaning implement of claim 13, including a slope surface forming portion that extends substantially along the outer periphery of the rotative brush to define a sweep-up slope surface opposed at its lower end to a cleaning subject surface, and forming at least a portion of said separator.

15. A cleaning implement of claim 1, including a slope surface forming portion that extends substantially along the outer periphery of the rotative brush to define a sweep-up slope surface opposed at its lower end to a cleaning subject surface, and forming at least a portion of said separator.

16. A cleaning implement of claim 15, wherein the slope surface forming portion is vertically movably supported so that it can be moved upward as it is pushed up by a projection on the cleaning subject surface and so that it can be returned to its original position by canceling the push-up.