EP0117712B1

EP0117712B1 - Device for removing moisture from window panes and the like

Info

Publication number: EP0117712B1
Application number: EP19840301130
Authority: EP
Inventors: John David Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-02-25
Filing date: 1984-02-22
Publication date: 1990-04-25
Also published as: EP0117712A3; GB8328411D0; DE3482025D1; EP0117712A2

Description

This invention relates to devices for removing moisture from window panes or like flat surfaces and has particular though not exclusive application to the removal of condensation from the window panes of industrial and domestic buildings.
It is well appreciated that the formation of condensation, particularly overnight in the bedrooms of domestic residences, is a considerable problem that has proved very difficult, if not impossible, to overcome. Although the installation of double glazing can reduce the problem somewhat, condensation can and does still form even after such expensive installations.
Consequently, clear windows can only be achieved by physically removing the moisture from the window panes. However, because condensation is pure water and has a relatively high surface tension, it is notoriously difficult to wipe off, the water behaving somewhat like mercury by running into globules. Even the use of the best quality chamois leather or yards of absorbent tissue does not guarantee a clean pane.
It has been proposed to provide a window cleaning device including a rubber blade which can be drawn across and/or down a wet pane whereby the water is caused to run down the window and collect at the bottom. Clearly such an arrangement is more suited to outdoor than indoor situations - in the latter case it is necessary to mop-up the water from the window sill, while the formation of puddles can eventually cause damage to, for example, the surrounding paintwork and wallpaper as well as to the woodwork itself.
It has also been proposed, for example in United Kingdom patent specification No. 1160995, to provide a window cleaning device which comprises an elongate blade attached to a hollow body portion whereby the blade can remove condensation from the window and feed it into the hollow interior of the body portion. However this known device is of relatively complex construction and does not lend itself to ready removal of the water contained therein.
It would be desirable to provide a device of relatively simple construction capable of effectively removing condensation from window panes without forming undesirable puddles of water and permitting ready disposal of the water so removed.
According to the present invention there is provided a device for removing moisture from window panes comprising an elongate blade of generally wedge-shape in transverse section and having a leading edge adapted for engagement with the window pane, and a hollow body portion to which the blade is attached, said body portion being of generally cylindrical shape with its longitudinal axis extending parallel with the length of the blade, one or more elongate slots extending longitudinally of the body portion adjacent the trailing regions of the blade feeding substantially tangentially into the hollow interior of the body portion, the inlet to the or each elongate slot, in the operative position of the device with the leading edge of the blade engaging substantially horizontally with the window pane, being located upwardly relative to the hollow interior of the body portion whereby, on movement of the device up the pane, water removed by the blade is forced under gravity and inertia through said slot or slots and into the hollow interior of the body portion, characterised in that the/or each elongate slot extends the length of the body portion and is defined by substantially parallel inner and outer walls, each extending substantially tangentially of the cylindrical body portion, said slot terminating in an inlet within the body portion so that the defining wall of the or each slot prevents removal of the water frm the body portion other than by reversing the orientation of the device from that of said operative position.
The body portion of the device may be provided with opposed, removal end cap, to facilitate emptying of the body portion.
The interior of the body portion may be provided with one or more transverse baffle plates to inhibit movement of water within the body portion longitudinally of the body portion.
The blade may be removably attached to the body portion, while a preferred device includes a handle projecting substantially perpendicularly from the side of the body portion opposite the blade. The handle may be removable from the body portion and may be interchangeable with one or more further handles of different lengths. Further, the handle may be hollow and communicate with the interior of the body portion to constitute a secondary reservoir for condensation removed from the window pane.
Preferably the blade is of a flexible material such as rubber or plastic, while the body portion is of moulded plastics material.
By way of example only, an embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a device according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a plan view from above of the device of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end view in the direction of arrow III of the device of Figure 1,
Figure 4 is the view of Figure 3 with the end cap removed;
Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V of Figure 2 with the blade removed;
Figure 6 is a section on the line VI-VI of Figure 2;
Figure 7 illustrates schematically a device according to the invention in use, and
Figure 8 shows the device of Figure 7 being emptied of water.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated device comprises a hollow, elongate body portion of moulded plastic indicated generally at 2 and of substantially cylindrical shape. The ends of the body portion 2 are closed by removable caps 4 which are a friction push-fit into said body portion.
An elongate slot 6 extends the length of the body portion 2 and is defined by substantially parallel inner and outer walls 8,10 each extending substantially tangentially of the cylindrical body portion 2, said slot terminating in an inlet 12 within the body portion 2. The slot 6 is divided into a series of sub-slots by a series of partition walls 14.
An elongate rubber blade 16 of generally wedge shape in transverse section is releasably attached to the outside of, to extend the full length of, the body portion 2. More particularly, the rear face of the blade 16 is formed with parallel upper and lower flanges 18, 20 which are received within co-operating grooves formed in the body portion 2, a series of screws (not shown) extending through the lower regions of the blade 16 and being received within corresponding apertures 22 in the body portion 2 to hold the blade in position. The blade 16 includes a leading feature edge 24 and an inclined upper surface 26 which forms a continuation of a surface 28 on the body portion leading into the slot 6 as best seen in Figure 6.
Integrally moulded with the body portion 2 is a hollow cylindrical stub 30 located centrally of the body portion 2 and projecting perpendicularly therefrom opposite the blade 16. A handle 32 is a friction push-fit onto the stub 30.
The described device is used to remove condensation from a window pan 34 in the manner illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. The user grips the handle 32 and presses the leading edge 24 of the blade 16 firmly against the lower regions of the pane 34 with said blade substantially horizontal and pushes the device briskly up the pane in the direction of arrow 'A' in Figure 7. The blade 16 cuts under the condensation whch flows down over the guide surface 26 of the blade 16, through the slot 6 and into the interior of the body portion 2 by way of the inlet 12. Further upward strokes are made until the pane is dry.
In the case of the very lower regions of the pane 34, where use of the device in its normal operative position may cause obstruction of the handle 32 by the window sill, the device can be positioned substantially perpendicular to the pane and the blade 16 can be used to push the condensation up onto the area already cleaned. The device is then tilted to the position shown in Figure 7 and the condensation is collected in the desired manner.
The body portion 2 of the device is preferably provided with a central baffle plate 36, which may be apertured as shown in Figure 6, to prevent water in the body portion 2 slopping about during use of the device.
Further, the ends of the slot 6 are each defined by a wall 38 which tapers inwardly of the device, as best seen in Figure 1, and which is spaced from the associated end of the body portion 2 such as to provide end regions in said body portion from which water therein cannot readily escape. This internal configuration of the body portion is particularly useful if the device is used slightly off horizontal such that water gathers in one end of the body portion and could otherwise slop out of the slot 6.
It will be appreciated that, in use of the device, the position of the device together with the inner wall 8 of the slot 6 prevents water in the body portion from flowing out of the body portion 2. In order to empty the device, it is turned through 180° as indicated by arrow'B' in Figure 8 and held with the slot 6 below the blade 16 such that the contents of the body portion 2 can flow out under gravity from the slot 6. The end caps 4 could be removed to facilitate emptying, while said removal of the caps 4 also enables the interior of the device to be cleaned.
One or more additional handles longer than or shorter than the handle 32 may be provided to enable the range of uses of the device to be extended.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the or each handle is hollow and can be used to store condensation removed by the device. In such a case, the hollow interior of the body portion communicates into the interior of the stub 30 and thence into the handle push-fitted thereon, the free end of said handle of course being closed.
If pools of condensation have formed on a flat surface such as a window sill, the blade 16 can be used to remove said pools in conventional manner, while it will be appreciated that the device detailed above can also be used to clean smooth surfaces other than windows, for example, ceilings and tiled or painted walls using appropriate wetting agents or cleaning solutions.
The outer edge of the wall 10 defining the slot 6 conveniently comprises a rigid blade 40 which can be used, for example, to defrost chest freezers. More particularly, with a longer handle on the device, the blade 40 is used to dislodge the ice from the bottom and side walls of the freezer using short, sharp strokes. After removal of the solid ice, the device can then be used to remove any remaining slush by using the blade to sweep the slush along the floor of the chest and tilting the device into its normal operative position and moving it up the side of the freezer such that the slush is carried up the wall while the water flows into the body portion.
A further application of the described device is in the cleaning of the sides of aquaria, in which case it is preferred that the end caps 4 are replaced by filter bungs, the slie being diverted into the body portion through the slot 6 and the clean water passing out of the body portion 2 through the filter bungs.
Thus there is provided a device primarily for removing moisture from flat surfaces which, contrary to establish devices, is moved up the surface and incorporates a container portion for collecting the moisture in the device itself. It will be appreciated that such an arrangement greatly facilitates the cleaning of such surfaces compared with established techniques and at the same time greatly reduces the messiness of the job by eliminating the necessity to absorb the moisture in chamois leathers, paper tissues, cloths, towels and the like. Being removable, the blade 16 can be replaced as and when necessary.

Claims

1. A device for removing moisture from window panes (34) comprising an elongate blade (16) of generally wedge-shape in transverse section and having a leading edge (24) adapted for engagement with the window pane (34), and a hollow body portion (2) to which the blade (16) is attached, said body portion being of generally cylindrical shape with its longitudinal axis extending parallel with the length of the blade (16), one or more elongate slots (6) extending longitudinally of the body portion (2) adjacent the trailing regions of the blade (16) feeding substantially tangentially into the hollow interior of the body portion (2), the inlet to the or each elongate slot (6) in the operative position of the device with the leading edge (24) of the blade (16) engaging substantially horizontally the window pane (34), being located upwardly relative to the hollow interior of the body portion (2) whereby, on movement of the device up the pane (34), water removed by the blade (16) is forced under gravity and inertia through said slot or slots (6) and into the hollow interior of the body portion (2) characterised in that the or each elongate slot (6) extends the length of the body portion (2) and is defined by substantially parallel inner and outer walls (8, 10) each extending substantially tangentially of the cylindrical body portion (2), said slot terminating in an inlet (12) within the body portion (2) so that the defining inner wall (8) of the or each slot (6) prevents removal of water from the body portion (2) other than by reversing the orientation of the device from that of said operative position.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, in which the body portion (2) of the device is provided with opposed, removable end caps (4).

3. A device as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the interior of the body portion is provided with one or more transverse baffle plates (36).

4. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 in which the blade (16) is removably attached to the body portion (2).

5. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 and including a handle (32) projecting substantially perpendicularly from the side of the body portion (2) opposite the blade (16).

6. A device as claimed in Claim 5 in which the handle (32) is removable from the body portion (2) and is interchangeable with one or more handles of different lengths.

7. A device as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6 in which the handle (32) is hollow and communicates with the interior of the body portion (2) to constitute a secondary reservoir for condensation removed from the window pane (34).

8. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7 in which the blade (16) is of rubber or a plastics material and the body portion (2) is of a moulded plastics material.