MXPA05001770A

MXPA05001770A - Disposable dust collectors for use with cleaning machines.

Info

Publication number: MXPA05001770A
Application number: MXPA05001770A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Robert T Wosewick; Frederick H Martin; Jose Porchia
Original assignee: Johnson & Son Inc S C
Priority date: 2002-08-14
Filing date: 2003-08-07
Publication date: 2005-05-27
Also published as: WO2004016144A1; EP1528885A1; AU2003259046A1; CA2495250A1; US20040031121A1; CN1688236A

Abstract

A dust collecting device is disclosed for use with cleaning equipment such as a vacuum cleaner. The device is a disposable dust ruffle made of an electet material. The ruffle prevents the equipment from spreading dust and itself acts as a dust magnet, both with respect to dust agitated by the machine and with respect to dust present in confined areas such as corners.

Description

DISPOSABLE POWDER COLLECTORS FOR USE WITH CLEANING MACHINES REFERENCE TO RELATED REQUESTS Not applicable DECLARATION WITH RESPECT TO FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not applicable BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to disposable gathers for collecting dust, designed for use with floor care equipment, such as vacuum cleaners or the like. Mechanical and electrical cleaning machines such as vacuum cleaners, rotary polishing machines, carpet cleaners operated by brushes and sweepers are well known in the art. These devices range from manual and barrel vacuum cleaners and sweeping devices to robotic motorized cleaning devices. The latter may include an internal control system and associated sensors to allow the device to follow a selected path in the area of a room. There are a number of problems associated with these devices. For example, certain vacuum cleaner and sweeper devices do not provide adequate cleaning in tight spaces, such as around the foot of furniture or in corners of rooms. As a result, individual attention and a variety of cleaning tools, attachments and accessories are often required to address those areas. Even when the device is operated by robotic means, the device may bypass certain areas (for example, if a chair is moved and not placed in its exact expected position). Another problem is that the small particulate material (collectively referred to as dust) is often propelled into the surrounding air by these devices, instead of being sucked into the vacuum storage bag. This is of particular concern with respect to devices that use rotating brushes. Not only can this result in a need to clean dust from rooms or furniture more frequently, but it can also cause respiratory problems for those who have asthma or other respiratory conditions. In US Patent 5,974,626 a plastic cover coupled to a flexible jacket surrounding the perimeter of a polishing machine which is used to reduce dust problems is discussed. Similarly, U.S. Patent No. 5,643,047 discusses a floor polishing machine that includes a rubber jacket surrounding the vacuum heads. Also, U.S. Patent No. 5,454,129 discusses a suction device that includes a brush that surrounds the perimeter of the machine. These devices use the surrounding structures mainly to prevent dust and particles of material escaping laterally from the area over which the machine passes. However, these surrounding structures are not well designed to capture the dust by themselves, and so they allow considerable amounts of dust to return onto the carpet (for example allowing the dust to be carried in the shoes when a person walks on the carpet). carpet). Moreover, these devices are of little help to collect dust in areas where the device can not act directly on them. Also, these devices are designed to be typically permanent, or at least semi-permanent, machine accessories. They can not be easily cleaned, and thus create their own problems for asthmatics and the like. In addition, some of these devices are unduly expensive. In separate developments, the technique has created disposable fabrics for use in dust cleaning. Some of these are made of cloth that attracts dust, and that is why they retain dust once it is attracted. It is intended that these fabrics be discarded when they are sufficiently dirty. See, for example, US Patent 3,877,103 and PCT Application WO 02/00819. These disposable fabrics can be used on, or in conjunction with, a cleaning utensil such as a sweeper or mop. Accordingly, there is still a need for a device for collecting dust that can be easily placed and removed from a cleaning machine, which also improves the performance of the cleaning machine around corners, grooves, and on uneven or angular surfaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a device for collecting dust and particulate material that can be easily put on and removed in a mechanical, electrical, robotic or other cleaning apparatus or apparatus, to prevent the spreading of dust while performing a cleaning operation, and to improve the ability of these devices to clean corners, angles, crevices, and around the foot and legs of tables and chairs. According to one aspect, the present invention provides a dust collector (eg, a shirred piece for powder) for use in conjunction with a cleaning apparatus of the type having a lower head. The dust collector has a jacket portion of electrified material suitable for essentially circumscribing the perimeter of the head, the jacket having means along an upper surface of the sleeve, for mounting the sleeve on the head.

For purposes of this patent, the term "electrified" will mean a material that attracts dust, such as one that attracts by electrostatic charge. This is to distinguish it from a merely adhesive material, which can hold dust or other materials once it makes contact, but does not attract dust that is not in contact. In preferred forms, the liner may have a central hole therethrough to receive a portion of the head, and in an especially preferred form, a central region covered to cover at least a portion (e.g., most of, or almost all of , or all) the lower part of the head. The cover may have an aperture of suitable size to allow one wheel of the cleaning apparatus to project therethrough and another aperture of suitable size to allow a brush of the cleaning apparatus to project therethrough. Alternatively, the electrified material may be impregnated with at least one of a cleaning fluid, a polishing fluid, an insecticide, or a fragrance (so that it also acts as a dispenser). In another form of the invention, there is a cleaning apparatus (i.e. a vacuum cleaner) having an upper handle, a head attached to the handle at a lower part thereof, and a dust collector mounted on the head. Preferably, the electrified material is shirred along its lower axis. In still another form, the invention provides a robot for automatic cleaning. It has a robot body, and a dust collector mounted on the body of the robot. The dust collector is a piece of flared shirt of electrified material that essentially circumscribes the perimeter of the body, the shirt having means along an upper area of the shirt to mount the shirt on the body. See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 5,454,129 for teaching a self-propelled vacuum. The shirt can slide and be retained on these cleaning machines. The shirt surrounds the outer perimeter of these machines and extends downward to make contact with the surface to be cleaned. The sleeve is preferably very puckered, and it is wider at the bottom along the cleaning surface than at the top. This provides additional material that can be extended into indentations or other irregularly shaped areas and filled to be cleaned. When used in a corner, the electrified material of the liner attracts and maintains dust and small particles of material, thus providing a fast and efficient way to clean the area. When it is not pressed against an obstacle, the shirt is floating freely. This type of shirred piece also has the advantage of serving as a bumper. Consequently, it can minimize the damage to the legs or foot of furniture or to the walls of the rooms, caused by the contact of this type of machine with them. The dust collector device may contain a dust cover, adjusted and dimensioned to enclose the bottom of the cleaning device, with the exception of functional elements such as wheels and brushes. As a result, the penetration into the air of dust and particles of material that are pushed into the air by the rotation of the brush and the wheels of a cleaning device is inhibited. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the device that limits the powder and particles of material, is used in conjunction with a cleaning device that includes a floating plate mechanism to provide pressure on the dust cover while moving along of a surface that is being cleaned and to collect the dust particles. This brief description of the invention has been provided in such a way that the nature of the invention can be understood at a general level. However, this brief description should not be interpreted as limiting the invention. The above and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a view of the lower plane of a dust collecting device of the present invention; Figure 2 is a view of the lower plane of a second embodiment thereof; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a stand alone cleaning machine on which the dust collector of Figure 2 has been mounted; Figure 4 is a side view, partially sectioned, of the cleaning device of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES With reference to Figure 1, a dust collecting device 10 is shown in the form of a ring of electrified material 12 containing a woven or nonwoven cleaning material. Preferred materials are those described in patent application WO 02/00819 (PCT / USOO / 20074, filed June 22, 2001), which is incorporated in the present application by reference. The cleaning material can be electrostatic, electrified, treated with powder attractants, liquid fluids, insecticides, etc., and provides a function of removing dust, dirt or other material and deposits a layer of surface active agent such as that described in detail. more complete later. The material 12 is preferably formed in a jacket 18 having an elasticized upper edge 14 which is adjusted and sized to slide over a selected cleaning machine. When this is done, the lower edge 16 loosens freely down to a position in which it makes contact with the surface to be cleaned, typically a carpet or a hard floor surface. The lower edge 16 of the jacket 18 is formed to be larger than the elasticized upper edge 14, and the jacket 18 preferably folds or gathers around the upper edge, so that the material of the jacket extends horizontally outwardly. from the cleaning machine. Consequently, it has sufficient flexibility to be compressed to fit a space between the cleaning machine and an obstacle such as a corner, chair leg or table, or other irregular or angled surface. Thus, the sleeve 18 can attract and capture dust and particles of material during the cleaning process, even on areas of the floor that the machine can not reach. The elasticized upper edge comprises a length of elastic material 19 formed in a generally circular configuration and glued to the sheet of electrified material. See in general U.S. Patent No. 5,292,582 for the description of suitable elastics. Although an elasticized material is preferred as the means for connecting the jacket to the machine, other methods may be used, such as straps, strips, clips, or other mechanical devices evident to those of advanced skill in the art.

Referring now to Figure 2, a second dust collection device 20 has a similar external jacket section, but also has a dust cover 22 which essentially closes the central hole. It has the electrified material adjusted and sized to enclose the cleaning surface 24 (Fig. 4) of a cleaning machine. As will be appreciated in Figures 2 to 5, there is an elasticized upper edge of the jacket 1 8. There are also openings 40, 42, 43 through which functional elements of the selected cleaning machine 26 can be extended. The functional elements may include, for example, wheels 30 that fit through the openings 40, a brush that is adjusted through the aperture 42, and a sensor (not shown) adjusted or through the opening 43. Referring now to Figure 4, the dust collection device 20 is shown placed in a robotic wiping device 26. The robotic wiping device 26 comprises a housing 28 in which a control and steering system is stored., a plurality of steering wheels 30, and a rotary brush 32. The dust collection device 20 is placed on the perimeter of the cleaning machine 26 and held in place by the elastic 14, with the shirt 1 2 extending from the elastic 14 to a surface below, and with the cover for the powder 22 also extending downwards and through it, to cover a large part of its surface at the bottom of the cleaning machine 26.

The jacket of the dust collecting device 20 extends around a lower edge of the robotic cleaning device 26, and from this edge to the cleaning surface 34 below. Therefore, as indicated above, the sleeve 18 is larger at the lower edge than at the upper edge, the lower perimeter of the sleeve is larger than that of the robotic device 26. Consequently, material can be compressed from the sleeve 18 in the slits, angled surfaces, and corners as the robotic device 26 approaches difficult-to-clean obstacles. The robotic cleaning device 26 may also include two plates or pads 31, 33, located on opposite sides of the brush 32 to provide downward pressure on the electrified dust cover 22, pushing the cover 22 against the surface 34 being cleaned. The dust cover 22 can consequently attract dust and small particles of material from the surface 34 by direct contact. Although the brush 32 is shown as a rotating brush, various types of brushes can be used including stationary brushes, brushes that rotate in the opposite direction, whisking brushes, and other devices for use with cleaning devices operated by brushes or by vacuum. Additionally, while the brush 32 rotates and causes the particles to be collected from the surface 34, these particles are pushed up and under the dust cover 22. Anyone that has not been sucked out can then stick to the dust cover 22 In operation, the dust collectors of the present invention provide a number of functions. First, the sleeve 18 provides a cleaning surface that is automatically configured to clean surfaces that would otherwise be inaccessible. Additionally, the jacket 18 surrounds the area of the cleaning machine in which the rotating brush 32 is located, improving the efficiency of the device to prevent dust from being dispersed outwardly. Moreover, dust that is not sucked or brushed will tend to stick in the dust collector. The dust cover 22 provides both a cleaning function and a storage function, cleaning the powder from the surface and / or depositing a fragrance, insecticide, insect repellent, cleaning fluid, or other material. After a period of particular use, a dust collector of this type can be removed from the cleaning machine, discarded, and replaced with a new, clean dust collection device 20. This prevents the dust collector from being used after its "saturation" point. In some applications the dust collector device can also be cleaned and used again. In some applications, the dust collector can have another function. For example, it may be treated with a volatile substance, such as an insecticide, insect repellent, deodorant, fragrance, or fragrance drops that may be deposited on the surface and / or dispersed throughout the room being cleaned while the Air that passes into the machine and exits helps to dispense the volatile substance. In other applications, the material 12 may be pretreated with polish and cleaning fluids such as polishes and floor waxes. In this version, the jacket will act as both a dust collector and a floor treatment material dispenser. In a bathroom application, the shirt could contain useful antibacterial cleaning fluids, particularly in cleaning ceramic surfaces in kitchens and bathrooms. The dust collector can also have different sections in which the cleaning cloth is treated to provide different functions. For example, a loading section may be treated to provide a function to attract dust, while a drag portion deposits a fragrance layer. Additionally, sections of the dust collector can be provided to attract different bonds or sizes of powder and material particles. A wide variety of cleaning machines can be provided with the present invention. These include, without limitation, electrical and mechanical cleaning devices including vacuum cleaners, sweepers and carpets, and scrubbing devices. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the invention may appear in other embodiments from those discussed above. Therefore, the claims should be examined in order to judge the full scope of the invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The invention provides sleeve devices that can be mounted on cleaning machines that can be used to collect dust and dispense desired active substances.

Claims

REIVINDICACIO ES

1. A dust collector for use in conjunction with a cleaning machine, the cleaning machine is of the type that has a lower head, the dust collector comprises: a portion of easily removable shirt, of cleaning material, appropriate to circumscribe the perimeter of the head, the sleeve has means along an upper area of the sleeve to mount the sleeve on the head.

2. The dust collector of claim 1, further characterized in that the sleeve has a central hole that passes through it to receive a portion of the head.

3. The dust collector of claim 1, further characterized in that the sleeve has a central region covered to cover a greater part of the bottom of the head. The dust collector of claim 1, characterized in that the cover has an aperture adjusted to allow one wheel of the cleaning machine to project through it and another aperture adjusted to allow a cleaning machine brush to be projected to through it. The dust collector of claim 1, further characterized in that the electrified material is impregnated with at least one of a cleaning fluid, a polishing fluid, an insecticide, or a fragrance. 6. The dust collector of claim 1, further characterized in that the jacket is flared outwardly. 7. The dust collector of claim 1, further characterized in that the sleeve comprises a shirring. 8. The dust collector of claim 1, further characterized in that the dust collector is disposable. 9. The dust collector of claim 1, further characterized in that the dust collector can be reused. 10. A cleaning machine, comprising: a top handle; a head attached to the handle in a lower portion thereof; and a dust collector mounted on the head; characterized in that the dust collector is an easily removable sleeve portion of cleaning material that essentially circumscribes the perimeter of the head, the sleeve has means along an upper area of the sleeve to mount the sleeve on the head. The cleaning machine of claim 10, further characterized in that the cleaning material is shirred along its lower edge. 12. The cleaning machine of claim 10, characterized in that the apparatus is a vacuum cleaner. 13. An automatic cleaning robot, comprising: a robot body; and a dust collector mounted on the body of the robot; characterized in that the dust collector is a portion of the liner that can be easily removed, of a cleaning material that essentially circulates the label. At the perimeter of the body, the shirt has measures along an upper area of the sleeve to mount the sleeve on the body.