Suction device designed to suck air and liquid from a planar surface, and scraper blade for such a device

• US 9,532,692 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EcoDrop Co.
• Original Assignee: EcoDrop Co.
• Inventors: Curien, Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG V
• Application Number:
  US14/769,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20160007816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 1/05 Hand apparatus with built-in electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees

Abstract

A suction device sucks air and liquid from a planar surface, and the scraper blade active portion moves on a surface. The active portion is in the form of a single blade, made from a flexible or semi-rigid material, intended to be moved in one direction against the planar surface. There is an internal cavity connected to a mechanism for sucking air and liquid. At a distal portion of the blade and behind the ridge to be moved on the surface, two walls together form an angle and meet at the ridge. A first wall is presented first towards the surface to be scraped during a scraping operation having, alongside and close to the ridge, a plurality of holes opening into the cavity.

Claims

1. A suction device for sucking air and liquid from a planar surface, said suction device comprising:

a single blade, being comprised of a flexible material and moveable in one direction against said planar surface, the blade having a distal portion in contact with said planar surface during a scraping operation, the blade comprising;

an internal cavity being positioned on said distal portion and being comprised of a contact wall and an upper wall, said upper wall being angled toward said contact wall; and

means for carrying out suction of air and liquid connected to said internal cavity;

a ridge between said contact wall and said upper wall and being moveable over said planar surface; and

a plurality of holes connected to said internal cavity and positioned on said contact wall, said ridge being between said holes and said upper wall, said holes being arranged along said ridge.

2. The suction device according to claim 1, further comprising:

another plurality of holes on both sides of said internal cavity, said ridge being between said another plurality of holes and said upper wall, said another plurality of holes being arranged along said ridge.

3. The suction device according to claim 1, wherein each hole has a chamfer on a respective outer side.

4. The suction device according to claim 1, wherein said internal cavity is provided with reinforcing means extending between two sides of said internal cavity.

5. The suction device according to claim 4, wherein the reinforcing means comprises applied elements inserted between said two sides of said internal cavity.

6. The suction device according to claim 5, wherein said applied elements are comprised of a plurality of parallel walls, each parallel wall extending between said two sides of said internal cavity and connected by at least one longitudinal beam.

7. The suction device according to claim 6, further comprising:

non-return means trapping residual water resulting from suction, said non-return means being incorporated with said internal cavity.

8. The suction device according to claim 7, wherein each non-return means comprises a truncated channel in fluid communication with at least one hole of said plurality of holes, said internal cavity being connected to said means for carrying out suction of air and liquid.

9. The suction device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a flat strip on a free end of the blade, said flat strip at said distal portion of the blade, said contact wall having a set-back forming an angle with said flat strip, said set-back being extended by a portion of a wall sloping with respect to the blade, said plurality of holes being located in said portion of said wall.

10. The suction device according to claim 1, wherein the holes are formed in a distal edge of said contact wall and are separated two-by-two by a strip of material having a substantially triangular shaped end on a distal side, wherein a tip of said strip of material is directed towards said ridge so as to form a point of attachment to said upper wall.

11. A suction device for sucking air and liquid from a planar surface, said suction device comprising:

two blades, each blade being comprised of a flexible material, said two blades being made integral in order to form a single blade member moveable in one direction against said planar surface;

a ridge formed by said two blades joining together at an angle;

an internal cavity being between said two blades and having a shape resulting from angled positioning and from making said two blades integral; and

means for carrying out suction of air and liquid connected to said internal cavity,

wherein one blade of said two blades is oriented downward relative to the other blade of said two blades so as to be presented first to said planar surface during a scraping operation, said one blade having a plurality of holes along and close to said ridge, said holes being in fluid connection to said internal cavity.

12. A suction device for sucking air and liquid from a planar surface, said suction device comprising:

a single blade, being comprised of a flexible material and moveable in one direction against said planar surface, the blade having a distal portion in contact with said planar surface during a scraping operation, the blade comprising;

an internal cavity being positioned on said distal portion and being comprised of a contact wall and an upper wall, said upper wall being angled toward said contact wall; and

means for carrying out suction of air and liquid connected to said internal cavity;

a ridge between said contact wall and said upper wall and being moveable over said planar surface;

a plurality of holes connected to said internal cavity and positioned on said contact wall, said ridge being between said holes and said upper wall, said holes being arranged along said ridge; and

a flat strip on a free end of the blade, said flat strip at said distal portion of the blade, said contact wall having a set-back forming an angle with said flat strip, said set-back being extended by a portion of a wall sloping with respect to the blade, said plurality of holes being located in said portion of said wall.