Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L13/00—Implements for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
  • A47L13/10—Scrubbing; Scouring; Cleaning; Polishing
  • A47L13/50—Auxiliary implements
  • A47L13/58—Wringers for scouring pads, mops, or the like, combined with buckets
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L13/00—Implements for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
  • A47L13/10—Scrubbing; Scouring; Cleaning; Polishing
  • A47L13/50—Auxiliary implements
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
  • D06F47/00—Apparatus of the press type for expelling water from the linen

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an apparatus for squeezing a cloth, preferably a wet cloth, in or- der to squeeze liquid out of the cloth.
• the invention relates to tools for people with weak hands, which tools facilitate squeezing liquids out of cloths of various -kinds used in common household activities.
• Such activities are normally used in e.g. washing of clothes, cleaning operations, dish washing, etc.
• the wringing operations of cloths are performed in industrial activities, such as cleaning, and dur- ing common private household operations.
• Many people experience difficulties in wringing these cloths with sufficient strength to squeeze the desired amount of water out of the cloth.
• weak elderly people and patients suffering from rheumatic diseases or muscle or connective tissue diseases experience problems in wringing cloth in order to squeeze liquid out of the cloth.
• This has several disadvantages in the private household, such as insufficient wringed dishcloths leading to damp or wet surfaces on kitchen table, or an excessive use of paper towels.
• the problem has been addressed mainly for cloths used for washing of floors.
• GB 2 036 549 discloses a device for wringing a floor cloth.
• the device comprises a traditional bucket and two parallel rollers, between which the cloth can pass, whereby the liquid is squeezed out of the cloth. In operation the device is operated via a foot control lever.
• DE 196 33 304 disclose a corresponding device comprising a container for water, two rollers and a handle or a pedal for moving the two rollers towards each other and thereby exerting the necessary strength to squeeze water out of the cloth.
• EP 755 649 discloses a wringer for wet wiping cloth comprising two parallel rollers adapted to roll in opposite directions with the cloth between the rollers .
• the present inventor has solved the problems mentioned by providing an apparatus suitable for squeezing a wet cloth by a person with weak hands, comprising a piston having one end adapted to engage- ment by hand of the user, and a receiver having a wall surrounding a central channel being adapted to receive the piston, the receiver being provided with means for allowing outflow of liquid, where the end of the piston opposite to the end adapted to engage- ment by hand is capable of entering and gliding into the channel of the receiver and thereby squeeze a cloth, which is present in the receiver.
• a person with weak hands is intended to mean any person having reduced strength and/or motility of the hands or fingers compared to normal healthy individuals.
• the weakening of the hands may be caused by a number of reasons, including age, disabling diseases such as rheumatic diseases, diseases affecting the locomotion of the limbs or injuries.
• the term also includes peoples suffering from mental conditions affecting the control of the limbs, in particular the hands, such as epileptic diseases, Alzheimer's disease or Parkinsons disease.
• the invention takes advantage of the surprising finding that a through wet cloth when lifted in one edge of one of its corners can easily be shaped into an elongated, rod-like rather stable object, which can easily be placed in the receiver of the apparatus .
• the apparatus according to the invention pro- vides a readily usable device for squeezing water out of cloths, requiring a minimum of time and strength in the process of placing the wet cloth in the receiver, squeezing it as desired, and removing it from the apparatus, ready for the intended use.
• the apparatus has the advantage of a high flexibility, which can readily be operated without any need for securing to a table, bucket or similar. Additionally, because of the simple design, the apparatus can be produced at low costs .
• the piston is at first removed from the receiver, and then the receiver is placed in a position where the channel for receiving the piston is in a practically vertical position.
• the wet cloth is placed in the receiver, and, subsequently, the piston is entered into the receiver; and by pressing the piston down on the cloth present in the receiver, liquid is squeezed out of the cloth and leaves the apparatus via the means for allowing outflow of the receiver.
• Due to the simple design of the apparatus it can readily be placed in a suitable position for use, e.g. in a kitchen sink, and can be removed after use allowing the sink to be used for other purposes.
• the simple design of the apparatus according to the invention allows the use thereof by persons with reduced control of their hands, who are therefore, incapable of performing accurate assembly or opera- tion of complicated devices.
• FIG 1 depicts an apparatus according to the invention, showing a receiver (10) having slits (11) in the lower part for outflow of liquid, and a piston (20) having a contact surface (21) and a handle (22) .
• a receiver (10) having slits (11) in the lower part for outflow of liquid
• a piston (20) having a contact surface (21) and a handle (22) .
• the apparatus according to the invention comprising of a receiver and a piston is used for squeezing a wet cloth and have several applications in common household activities. Due to the simplicity of the apparatus and the ease of operation, it can readily be operated even by persons with reduced strength and/or flexibility in the joints and/or re-
• the cloth that may be treated in the apparatus may, in principle, be any cloth that is regularly found in a wet state under common domestic household activities.
• the cloth may, for example, be a cloth used for personal hygienic purposes such as a face cloth, a washcloth or even a sponge; or it may be a cloth used for cleaning purposes, such as a floor cloth or a dish cloth.
• the apparatus may also be used in laundry for squeezing water out of clothes.
• the expression "the cloth being shaped into an elongated rod-like rather stable object” and grammatically equivalent expres- sions are intended to mean that the cloth is in a conformation having a geometry enabling it to enter into the receiver, and that the conformation is sufficiently stable for handling thereof by hand by the user .
• the liquid to be squeezed out of the cloth may, in principle, be any liquid that is regularly used in private households. In practice, the liquid will almost always be water, usually containing soap, etc., such as for cleaning, washing of dishes, clothes, etc., or for personal hygiene.
• the piston is shaped as a rod having one end adapted to engagement by hand, usually formed as a handle, in one end.
• the end of the piston opposite the handle is the part of the piston, which is in direct contact with the cloth.
• the surface of the piston in the end opposite the handle is also called the contact surface .
• the contact surface is plane and essentially perpendicular to the length axis of the piston, even though the contact surface may form an angle with the axis of the piston different from approximately 90 ' .
• the contact surface is essentially plane, even though other shapes, such as e.g. parabolic, may also be contemplated.
• the contact surface may be essentially smooth or it may have a certain pattern, such as serrated, grooved, etc., e.g. in or- der to improve the effluence of the liquid.
• the cross section of the piston perpendicular to the length axis of the piston is uniform along the complete length of the piston.
• the cross section of the piston perpendicular to the length axis of the piston is smaller than the area of the contact surface.
• means be provided to guide the piston in order to increase the stability of the apparatus according to the invention when the piston is pushed down to squeeze a cloth.
• the receiver may, in principle, have any form that is capable of receiving the piston and let the piston glide into the channel of the receiver.
• the receiver In the lower part of the receiver means are provided for al- lowing outflow of liquid being squeezed out of a cloth.
• the means for allowing outflow of liquid may, in principle, be any such means as the skilled person will appreciate.
• the receiver is provided with means for stabilizing the receiver in upright standing position, such as a foot. It is within the skills of the average practitioner to provide suitable means for stabilizing the receiver in upright position.
• the receiver is provided with means for guiding the wet cloth into the receiver. These guidance means may e.g.
• the piston and the receiver may, in principle, be made of any suitable hard solid materials having sufficient strength. It is within the skills of the average practitioner to select suitable material for the piston and receiver. As examples of suitable materials can be mentioned: metals such as iron, steel or aluminium, plastic materials, polymeric materials such as polycarbonate, polystyrene, acrylic materials; ceramics and wood.
• suitable materials can be mentioned: metals such as iron, steel or aluminium, plastic materials, polymeric materials such as polycarbonate, polystyrene, acrylic materials; ceramics and wood.
• the piston and the receiver are made of polymeric materials.
• the piston and the receiver may be made of the same material, or they can be of different materials.
• the cross section of the piston and the receiver may, in principle, be of any shape. However, as the skilled person will appreciate, is it mandatory that the shape of the receiver is adapted to the shape of the piston in order to allow the piston to glide into the channel of the receiver.
• the shape of the cross section of the piston and the receiver is a regular simple geometric shape, such as a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, a square, a penta- gon, hexagon, or an octagon.
• the cross section of the piston and the receiver is essentially circular.
• the area of the cross section is suitably adapted to the size of the cloth intended to be squeezed in the apparatus, a large cross section is selected for larger cloths, and smaller cross sections are selected for smaller cloths. Further it will be easier to place a cloth to be squeezed in an apparatus according to the invention having a larger cross section of the channel for the piston compared to a similar apparatus having a smaller cross section. However, a larger area of the cross section leads to a lower pressure applied to cloths placed in the receiver for the same force applied to the handle of the piston, leading to less water being squeezed out of the cloth.
• the area of the cross section should be selected balancing the regards to the size of the cloth intended to be treated, the ease of placing the cloth in the receiver and the intended pressure to be applied to the cloth in order to squeeze the cloth and obtain a cloth having the desired residual moisture content .
• a suitable diameter of a piston for an essentially circular cross section is selected in the range of 3-20 cm, preferably in the range of 4-15 cm.
• the dimensions are suitably selected so that the area is in the same area as indicated for essentially circular cross sections.
• the handle may even be adapted to engagement by the foot of the user.
• the expression "adapted to engagement by hand” is intended to mean that the end of the piston in question is formed in a way that allows the user to exert the necessary force on the end using the hands or even the lower parts of the arms.
• the expression adapted to engagement by hand may mean that the surface in question is flat or smooth without any struc- tures that may tear or puncture the skin.
• the expression adapted to engagement by hand means that the end in question is provided with a handle.
• the expression should even be understood as also comprising pistons having ends that may be en- gaged by foot by the user.
• the handle may in principle be any device capable of being engaged by the limbs of the user.
• the handle is shaped in order to facilitate the grip, as it will be appreciated within the area.
• the handle is formed as a knob or a ball having a larger diameter than the piston. This will allow a firm grip of the handle even for the user having joints with reduced flexibility due to e.g. rheumatic diseases.
• the handle may, in principle, be made of the same materials as the piston, or it may be of a different material having an adequate strength and structure .
• the handle is made of a resilient materiel in order to allow the user to exert a substantial force on the handle without experiencing pain in the hand due to the stress exerted by the handle. Further, a resilient handle will allow the user to lean on the handle and use the body weight the exert the desired pressure in order to squeeze liquid out of the cloth, with reduced risk of hurting the user due to hard objects, etc.
• the handle is made completely of resilient material.
• the handle is made integrally in one piece with the piston, and in an even further embodiment, the handle is made in one piece with the piston and is coated or covered with a resilient material at the end adapted to engagement by hand by the user . It is also within the skills of the average practitioner to select suitable materials for the handle.
• Rubber is an example of a suitable resilient material for use as handle according to the invention.
• the receiver is placed in upright position, i.e. a position where the channel for receiving the piston is essentially vertical.
• the wet cloth which has been lifted and held in one edge or in one of its corners and shaped into a rod-like rather stable object, is lowered into the receiver and the piston is entered into the receiver and pushed down, squeezing the liquid out of the cloth.
• the liquid leaves the receiver via the means for outflow of liquid.
• the squeezed cloth is removed from the receiver, for example, the receiver may be removed and the cloth left behind, now containing less liquid than before the operation.
• the receiver may be placed at any stable sur- face for use.
• the receiver (10) was made of a hard plastic pipe having a length of 15 cm and an inner diameter of 4.5 cm. In the lower end of the receiver 2 slits
• the piston (20) was made of a hollow hard plastic rod having an outer diameter of approximately 4.3 cm.
• the handle (22) was made of rubber attached to the piston.
• the apparatus was tested using a cloth having a size of approximately 25x25 cm of a type usually used in kitchens for e.g. sweeping tables.
• the cloth was wetted by immersion in water.
• the receiver was placed in a sink and the wet cloth, which was lifted and held in one edge or in one of its corners and was shaped into an elongated rod-like rather stable object, was lowered into the receiver and the piston was pushed down on the cloth, squeezing water out of the cloth. Subsequently, the receiver with the piston was removed, and the cloth re- mained in the sink. After this treatment, the cloth had a suitable dryness for sweeping kitchen tables.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Accessory Of Washing/Drying Machine, Commercial Washing/Drying Machine, Other Washing/Drying Machine (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Cites Families (5)

• 2005
  • 2005-06-01 EP EP05746403A patent/EP1756348A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-06-01 WO PCT/DK2005/000363 patent/WO2005118943A1/en active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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