Tile cleanup apparatus

• US 8,522,800 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rob Parker
• Original Assignee: Rob Parker
• Inventors: Parker, Rob
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lorenzi, Marc
• Application Number:
  US12/648,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20110155183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 134/60, 454/11, 465/3, 47/656, 248/79, 211/126.7
• US Class Current: 134/60
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 17/06 Devices for cleaning brushes after use
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/50 Auxiliary implements cleaning devices for brushes or the like A46B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: B44D 3/006 Devices for cleaning paint-applying hand tools after use removing dry paint from surfaces B44D3/16; apparatus for dissolving dry paints B44D3/24; devices for cleaning brushes A46B17/06; cleaning in general B08B

Abstract

The invention in one variation is a specialized tub-like apparatus for cleaning sponges. The apparatus is nestable and can be seated in the mouth of a bucket. The apparatus has a ribbed flat bottom, a flanged quasi-circuline tapered side wall contiguous with a pair of elevated shelves with level control holes that establish the water level and flow rate, and a garden hose fastening element that includes two wedged shaped holes that are orthogonal. There is an indentation with drain holes in the center bottom that disburses flow of the incoming water outwardly. The apparatus has a second inward deviation that provides an access port to the interior of the bucket. The access port is large enough to accommodate a drain line for the bucket and wiring. The bottom has several tapered legs with annular drain holes that enable the apparatus to drain dry.

Claims

1. A specialized tub-like apparatus for cleaning sponges comprising:

a flat bottom having tapered raised ribs, wherein the ribs provide support to the bottom and focus pressure applied to a pressed sponge therein expressing detritus from a soiled sponge;

a flanged quasi-circuline tapered side wall so dimensioned that the apparatus can be seated in a mouth of a bucket, wherein said side wall is contiguous with and extends above a shelf on a riser that is contiguous with the ribbed bottom, wherein said shelf has a plurality of level control holes that operationally function in part to establish a level of incoming clean water in said apparatus, and also function as an outlet through which detritus, precipitates and water can exit the tub-like apparatus as waste water;

a first inward deviation of the side wall, wherein the side wall deviates inwardly from circuline to linear, said first inward deviation comprising a water hose fastening element that functionally enables a water hose to be reversibly secured to the tub-like apparatus, wherein said water hose fastening element has a restraining wall with a top wedge-shaped hole in a top wall section and a side wedge-shaped hole in an indented wall section, wherein the holes in the top and indented wall sections are substantially orthogonal to each other, wherein the water hose will be restrained as it passes through the top hole and is flexed to curve through the side hole, such that a clean water hose can be fitted to the tub-like apparatus without any auxiliary fastening elements; and

an indentation in the bottom, said indentation having tapered lateral walls and a sloped floor that feeds to an indentation drain hole, said indentation drain hole serving as another outlet through which detritus, precipitates and water can exit the tub-like apparatus as waste water, wherein said indentation disburses incoming clean water outwardly towards the tapered side wall, said disbursed incoming clean water displacing water admixed with detritus formed during cleaning.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a tapered leg having a tapered annular drain hole, said tapered leg depending from the bottom of the apparatus, wherein the leg elevates the apparatus and said tapered annular drain hole serving as a passage outlet through which detritus, precipitates and water can exit the tub-like apparatus as waste water.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a second inward deviation of the side wall forming a serpentine loop that provides an access port to a point below the bottom of the apparatus, for running drain lines and wires to a bucket.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is an integral molded piece.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus can be nested with another said apparatus.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said indentation has a blocked “

V”

-shape.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said flanged quasi-circuline tapered side wall is marked with indices.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said apparatus has a pair of shelves, wherein the shelves are separated from each other by the first inward deviation and the second inward deviation.

9. A specialized tub-like apparatus that can be seated in a mouth of a bucket, said apparatus comprising:

a flat bottom having tapered raised ribs, wherein the ribs provide support to the bottom and focus pressure applied to a pressed sponge therein expressing detritus from a soiled sponge;

a flanged quasi-circuline tapered side wall so dimensioned as to enable the apparatus to be seated in the mouth of the bucket, wherein said side wall is contiguous with and extends above both a first shelf on a first riser and an opposing second shelf on a second riser, both first and second shelves being contiguous with the ribbed flat bottom, wherein said first and second shelves have a plurality of level control holes that operationally function in part to establish a level of incoming clean water in the apparatus, and also function as an outlet through which detritus, precipitates and water can exit the tub-like apparatus as waste water;

a first inward deviation of the side wall, wherein the side wall deviates inwardly from circuline to linear, said first inward deviation comprising a water hose fastening element that functionally enables a water hose to be reversibly secured to the tub-like apparatus, wherein said water hose fastening element has a restraining wall with a top wedge-shaped hole in a top wall section and a side wedge-shaped hole in an indented wall section, wherein the holes in the top and indented wall sections are substantially orthogonal to each other, wherein the water hose will be restrained as it passes through the top hole and is flexed to curve through the side hole, such that a clean water hose can be fitted to the tub-like apparatus without any auxiliary fastening elements;

an indentation in the bottom, said indentation having tapered lateral walls and a sloped floor that feeds to an indentation drain hole, said indentation drain hole serving as another outlet through which detritus, precipitates and water can exit the tub-like apparatus as waste water, where said indentation disburses incoming clean water outwardly towards the tapered side wall, said disbursed incoming clean water displacing water admixed with detritus formed during cleaning; and

a second inward deviation of the side wall, wherein the side wall deviates inwardly from circuline and forms a serpentine loop that provides an access port to an interior of the bucket to a point below the bottom of the apparatus, for drain lines and wires.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising:

a tapered leg having a tapered annular drain hole, said tapered leg depending from the bottom of the apparatus, wherein the leg elevates the bottom and the tapered annular drain hole provides a passage for detritus and water.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said apparatus is an integral molded piece.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, operationally, said clean water hose is secured to the tub-like apparatus and the clean water hose is conveying clean water at a rate controlled by a flow control valve.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said flanged quasi-circuline tapered side wall is marked with indices.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said flow control valve is adjustable so that there is a flow rate sufficient to maintain a water level at a desired mark on the indices.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said apparatus can be nested with another said apparatus.

16. A specialized tub-like apparatus seated in a sink, said apparatus comprising:

a bottom having tapered raised ribs, wherein the ribs provide support to the bottom and focus pressure applied to a pressed sponge therein expressing detritus from a soiled sponge;

a flanged quasi-circuline tapered side wall so dimensioned that the apparatus can be seated in the sink, wherein said side wall is contiguous with and extends above both a first shelf on a first riser and an opposing second shelf on a second riser, both first and second shelves being contiguous with the ribbed bottom, where said first and second shelves have a plurality of level control holes that operationally function in part to establish a level of incoming clean water in the apparatus, and also function as an outlet through which detritus, precipitates and water can exit the tub-like apparatus as waste water;

a first inward deviation of the side wall, wherein the side wall deviates inwardly from circuline to linear, said first inward deviation comprising a water hose fastening element that functionally enables a water hose to be reversibly secured to the tub-like apparatus wherein said water hose fastening element has a restraining wall with a top wedge-shaped hole in a top wall section and a side wedge-shaped hole in an indented wall section, wherein the holes in the top and indented wall sections are substantially orthogonal to each other;

an indentation in the bottom, said indentation having tapered lateral walls and a sloped floor that feeds to an indentation drain hole, said indentation drain hole serving as another outlet through which detritus, precipitates and water can exit the tub-like apparatus as waste water, wherein said indentation disburses incoming clean water outwardly towards the tapered side wall, said disbursed incoming clean water displacing water admixed with detritus formed during cleaning;

a plurality of tapered legs each having a tapered annular drain hole, said tapered legs depending from the bottom of the apparatus, wherein the legs elevate the apparatus and said tapered annular drain hole serving as a passage through which detritus, precipitates and water can exit the tub-like apparatus as waste water; and

a clean water hose conveying clean water secured in the hose fastening element without any auxiliary fastening elements by threading said clean water hose through the to hole and flexing it to curve through the side hole, such that the clean water exits the hose into the indentation, and is disbursed outwardly towards the first shelf and second shelf.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said apparatus can be nested with another said apparatus.