GB2168895A - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for cleaning the body comprises an elongate brush or sponge (56) which may be rotated about its longitudinal axis and which is movable translationally in a vertical plane, the sense of rotation of the brush being coupled to the direction of translation of the brush, and translational movement being automatically reciprocable over a predetermined height. The device is driven by an electric motor (46) which produces translational motion by the meshing of a driven cog (68) with a rack (26) which forms part of a fixed frame of the device, and which produces rotation of the brush or sponge (56) by a series of cogs (58, 72) and toothed belts (62). A control device (48, 51) reverses the directions of travel and rotation of the brush or sponge (56) after a predetermined amount of translational motion. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cleaning device The invention relates to a device for cleaning the body, and in particular, but not exclusively, to a device for cleaning the back.

It is often found that it is difficult to clean one's back easily, and the problem is more acute for elderly and/or disabled people who may need another person to carry out the task for them.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for cleaning the body, especially the back, which may be used easily and conveniently, especially by the elderly and/or disabled.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a device for cleaning the body, comprising an elongate cleaning member rotatably drivable about its longitudinal axis and movable reciprocably and translationally.

Preferably the elongate member is movable reciprocably and translationally in a substantially vertical plane.

The elongate member may be mounted between two supporting arms, and preferably is mounted between the opposing ends of the two supporting arms. Preferably the arms extend substantially hor izontal ly.

Preferably, a motor is mounted on a support frame which is attached to the said supporting arms. Preferably the support frame is arranged for translational movement and preferably the same motor produces the rotational and translational motion of the elongate cleaning member. Preferably, the motor is an electric motor.

The motor may drive two shafts, the first for producing reciprocating translational motion and the second for rotating the elongate cleaning member.

Preferably, the first shaft drives a gear mounted on the supporting frame, which gear meshes with a rack. Preferably the rack comprises a fixed portion of the device, preferably part of a fixed frame of the device.

The motor may be provided with sensor and reversing means for reversing the sense of rotation of the motor after a predetermined amount of translational motion of the elongate cleaning mem ber has occurred.

The second shaft may rotate the elongate cleaning member by means of a first gear attached to the shaft which drives a chain or toothed belt, which in turn drives a second gear which is attached to the elongate cleaning member. Prefera bly the chain or toothed belt and/or the second gear is contained within the supporting arms.

Preferably, the elongate cleaning member comprises a brush or a sponge. The cleaning device is intended to be mounted on a wall, in use, and preferably the device comprises a housing which is fixed relative to the wall.

By way of example, a specific embodiment of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a perspective view, partly cut away, of a backwasher accord ing to the invention.

Referring to the Figure, the illustrated backwasher comprises a generally cuboidal plastics housing 10 which is provided with two rectangular slots 12 in each of two opposing faces of the housing. Within the housing 10 is a plastics frame which comprises two substantially vertical rectangular bars 14 and a substantially horizontal rectangular bar 16 secured to the upper ends of bars 14 by means of bolts 18. The horizontal bar 16 is provided with an upturned flange 20 at each end, each of which is provided with a tapped hole 22. Bolts 24 pass through a hole (not shown) in the housing and are screwed into the tapped holes 22 to secure the housing to the frame. As can be seen from the Figure, the rear edge of each bar 14 is provided with teeth in the form of a rack 26, the reason for which will be explained hereinafter.In use, the housing and/or the frame are securely attached to a wall.

A movable plastics support frame 28 comprises first and second generally U-shaped brackets 30, 32 and a support plate 34. The first bracket 30 comprises a sheet of plastics bent perpendicularly at two locations to form parallel, opposed arms 36.

The second bracket 32 comprises a sheet of plastics with a substantially horizontal strip portion 38, and two substantially triangular portions bent perpendicularly to form parallel opposed arms 40. The distance between the arms 40 of the second bracket 32 is slightly less than the distance between the arms 36 of the first bracket 30.

In use, the first bracket 30 is positioned on one edge and the second bracket is inverted, rested on the arms 40 and placed within the bracket 30 with the strip portion 38 in a substantially horizontal plane. Two pairs of idler wheels 42 are mounted between the arms 36, 40 in bearings 44 on the arms and are positioned to roll up and down the edge of bars 14. A plastics support plate 34 rests horizontally on the strip portion 38 and one edge of the first bracket 30 and is secured thereto by means of adhesive.

Mounted on the support plate 34 is a motor 46 and a control device 48 comprising a combined thyristor speed control, motor reversal switch and position sensor. The motor is a mains A.C. motor and is connected to the mains via the control device 48 and a flexible lead 50. The thyristor speed control is for producing an acceptable motor speed using an A.C. mains input. A rod 51 is secured to the base of the housing and passes through the control device 48, as will be explained.

Attached to the first bracket 30, through each of the slots 12 in the housing are L-shaped brackets 52. Attached to each of these brackets is a plastics arm 54, and a substantially cylindrical brush 56 is mounted for rotation at the ends of arms remote from the brackets 52. The brush 56 is releasably mounted on the arms so that it may be removed and replaced, for example, with a different brush or a cylindrical sponge member.

A cog 58 driven by the motor 46 drives two toothed belts 60, 62. The belt 60 drives a first shaft 64 by means of a cog 66 mounted thereon. At each end of the shaft 64 is a pinion 68 mounted be tween the arm 36 and arm 40 in bearings thereon.

The pinions 68 are positioned to mesh with the racks 26 on the bars 14. The belt 62 drives a second shaft 70 by means of a cog 72 mounted thereon. The shaft 70 passes through holes in each pair of adjacent arms 36, 40 and each end of the shaft 70 is connected to a further cog (not shown) housed within the arm 54. Each of these cogs housed within the arms 54 drives a toothed belt (not shown) also housed in the arm. In turn, the toothed belts each drive a cog (not shown) attached to the end of the brush 56.

When the backwasher is switched on, the motor cog 58 rotates, driving the belts 60 and 62. If the cog 58 rotates clockwise as shown in Figure 1, the rotation of the pinions 68 will also be clockwise and the frame 28 will thus move up the bars 14 due to the meshing of the pinions with the racks 26. While this is happening, the brush 56 will be rotated in a clockwise sense.

When the pinions 68 approach the upper end of the racks 26, the control device 48 is near the upper end of rod 51. The control device senses this position and reverses the rotation of the motor so that the cog 58, the pinion 68 and the brush 56 all rotate in an anti-clockwise sense. Thus, the frame 28 moves down the bars 14. When the frame approaches the lowest possible position, i.e. with pinions 68 near the lower end of racks 26, the control device is near the lower end of rod 51. The control device senses this position and reverses the rotation of the motor again, so that cog 58, pinions 68 and brush 56 rotate clockwise again, and the frame 28 moves up the bars 14.

Thus, when the backwasher is switched on, the brush is moved up and down, and also rotates, changing its sense of rotation at the upper and lower limits of its travel. A person, for example a disabled or elderly person, may conveniently have his or her back cleaned simply by standing adjacent to the moving brush.

There may be a feed (not shown) of water and/or liquid soap onto the roller. Hot water would first be fed onto the roller, followed by a predetermined amount of liquid soap, followed by more hot water for rinsing. The actuation of the water and/or liquid soap may be controlled by, for example, push buttons. Alternatively, switching on the backwasher may activate a device which automatically controls the sequence of water and/or soap in a predetermined manner.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment.

Claims (19)

1. A device for cleaning the body, compising an elongate cleaning member rotatably drivable about its longitudinal axis and movable reciprocably and translationally.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate member is movable reciprocably and translationally in a substantially vertical plane.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the elongate cleaning member is mounted between two supporting arms.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the arms extend substantially horizontally.

5. A device as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, comprising a motor mounted on a support frame, which support frame is attached to the supporting arms.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the support frame is movable translationally.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the same motor produces the rotational and translation motion of the elongate cleaning member.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the motor can drive two shafts, the first shaft for producing reciprocating translational motion and the second shaft for rotating the elongate cleaning member.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first shaft drives a gear which meshes with a rack.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the rack comprises a fixed portion of the device.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the fixed portion comprises a fixed frame of the device.

12. A device as claimed in any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the second shaft can rotate the elongate cleaning member by means of a first gear attached to the second shaft, which drives a chain or toothed belt, which in turn drives a second gear which is attached to the elongate cleaning member.

13. A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the chain or toothed belt and/or the second gear is/ are contained within the supporting arms.

14. A device as claimed in any of claims 5 to 13, wherein the motor is provided with sensor and reversing means for reversing the sense of rotation of the motor after a predetermined amount of translational motion of the elongate cleaning member has occurred.

15. A device as claimed in any of claims 5 to 14, wherein the motor is an electric motor.

16. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate cleaning member comprises a brush or sponge.

17. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising means for mounting the device on a wall.

18. A device as claimed in claim 17, comprising a housing which, in use, is fixed relative to a wall.

19. A device for cleaning the body, substantially as herein described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawing.