US3357033A

US3357033A - Sonic surface cleaner

Info

Publication number: US3357033A
Application number: US480310A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold T Sawyer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-08-17
Filing date: 1965-08-17
Publication date: 1967-12-12
Anticipated expiration: 1984-12-12

Description

Dec. 12, 1967 H. T. sAwYER 3,357,033

SONIC SURFACE CLEANER Filed Aug. 17, 1965 Haro/'al 7. San/fer United States Patent Olilice 3,35733 Patented Dec. 12, 1967 3,357,033 SNEC SURFACE CLEANER Harold T. Sawyer, Los Angeles, Calif., assiguor of' Seventeen and one-half percent to Vernon D. Beehler, Los Angeles, Caif.

Filed Aug. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 480,310 17 Claims. (Cl. 15-9S) This is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 394,686, tiled Sept. 8, 1964.

The invention relates to cleaning devices especially advantageous for cleaning and conditioning of flat Surfaces such as floors, walls, and ceilings. More particularly, the invention relates to a cleaning tool which relies primarily for its efectiveness upon a source of sonic energy.

Household cleaning of large surface areas such, as for example, floors and walls, requires considerable physical energy and time if a quality cleaning job is to be attained. in addition, the problems generally are known to be twofold. First, energy means is required to loosen and free the dirt and contamination from said surface, and secondly, the loosened dirt,` contamination and cleaning fiuid must then be removed from said surface and in such a manner as to leave the surface clean and in a condition which is substantially dry or moist.

Household cleaning of said .surfaces is generally accomplished with the use of a conventional sponge, sponge mop, conventional mop, rags, etc., and in combination with various types of cleaning fluids. The quality of cleaning is in most cases directly related to the energy expended in the cleaning or scrubbing process. One of the diflcult problems in door cleaning, for example, is to remove contaminated wax from waxed doors by manual means.

Although there are commercially available methods and devices for scrubbing, cleaning and removal of resultant contamination from floors, such methods and devices usually involve more than one piece of equipment, and the physical size, weight, and cost is a deterrent to household use, and particularly with respect to wall cleaning applications.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved device for sound wave energy surface cleaning, the device being portable and preferably being capable of operating at low power.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved surface conditioning device making use of sound energy which is light in weight, low in cost, capable of operating at exceptional efficiency and wherein the maximum effect is in a direction substantially vertical with respect to the surface being conditioned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved surface conditioner pad making use of sound wave energy of relatively high amplitude and intensity in the lower sonic range which works rapidly and effectively and which can be adapted not only to clean surfaces but also to remove the contamination and cleaning fluid after cleaning and subsequently, if desired, recondition the .surface.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a side perspective View of an embodiment of the surface conditioning device.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view away.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2.

partially broken FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view or" another type of work holder.

In an embodiment of the device chosen for the purpose of illustration there is shown a tool holder indicated generally by the reference character 1d upon which is mounted a source of sonic energy 11 and to which is attached a handle 12. The device is shown mounted for operation upon a surface 13 which is to be conditioned.

The tool holder consists of a relatively rectangular body 15 providing a chamber 16. inwardly directed beveled edges 17 and 1S at the ends of

respective side walls

19 and 20 define sides of the chamber 16. Opposite ends of the chamber are open, as readily appears from the examination of FIGURES 1 and 2.

Substantially central ou the upper face 21 of the body 15 is a pedestal 22. This may be molded integrally with the body 15 if desired or, on those occasions where the body 15 is of sheet metal, the pedestal may be fastened to it in some appropriate conventional way. Attached to the pedestal 22 is a rounded shell 23, which in the chosen embodiment is spherical and provides a chamber 24. In the embodiment here under consideration the shell consists of a lower section 25 and an upper section 26. The lower section 25 if desired may be molded integrally with the pedestal 22 and the body 15, especially under those circumstances where these parts are made of some appropriate synthetic plastic resin material such as Fiberglas. When the lower section 25 and upper section 26 are separately molded as complementary portions they may be joined together along a circumferential line 27 by use of an annular ring 2S and an appropriate adhesive.

A pad indicated generally by the reference character 30 is herein shown in the form of a substantially two-part spongy material consisting of a lower sheet 31 and an upper sheet 32, attached and bonded together by a layer 33 of adhesive .bonding material which is impervious to fluids. For many types of cleaning operations as, for eX- ample, for stripping wax and contamination from a floor and thereafter cleaning the iloor preparatory to rewaxing and buliing, the lower sheet 31 may be made of .some appropriate semi-abrasive type of material such as stiff nylon fiber, a brushlike material, or merely a retaining semi-open material in which is embedded some granular abrasive such as powdered flint or silica carbide.

The upper sheet 32 is preferably one form or another of conventional natural or porous cellulose sponge which is capable of absorbing many times its weight in water. The pad 30, in the form shown, is substantially rectangular and wide enough so that it can be jammed snugly into the chamber 16 by compressing side portions of the upper sheet 32 enough to be securely engaged by the

beveled edges

17 and 13. The sponge can be inserted merely by compressing it slightly after it is sufficiently moistened and can be removed merely by deforming it or reversing it so that the lower sheet 31 is uppermost and then reinserting it when slightly deformed, after which it will expand and remain snugly in position.

The source of sound energy is embodied primarily in the mass of motor 35 contained in a housing 36. A projection 37 at one end of the motor housing is provided with a coiled wire supporting sleeve 38 which provides a resilient mounting for that end of the housing 36 in a bore 39 withinvthe block dii. A set screw 41 extending through the block 4() and into engagement with the coiled wire sleeve 38 is useful for retaining it -in position. A widened portion 42 of the bore provides room for movement of the adjacent end of the projection 37.

An end portion 43 of the housing 36 has a motor shaft 44 protruding therefrom into engagement with a crank 45. Extending from the cranlc 45 is a stub shaft 46 which has a substantially universal connection to a bearing housing 47. The bearing housing is mounted at 48. At its outer or lower end the leg has a pedestal base 49 attached to the pedestal 22 by means of appropriate screws 50, 51 together with an appropriate epoxy adhesive. Under certain circumstances the screws or the adhesive may 'oe used separately.

Wires

55 and 56 which supply an electric motor 35 located in the housing 36 pass through a potting compound 57 in a passage 5S, the potting compound serving as a sound wave isolation and absorbing medium as well as a sealant. The

wires

55 and 56 then extend through a hollow interior 59 of the handle 12 and extend outwardly through a cap 60. An on-oif switch 51 may be connected in one or another of the wires. Absorbent wafers 62, 63, etc., through which the wires pass are provided at staggered locations in the handle and serve to prevent passage of sound wave energy lengthwise through the handle. The handle is attached by an appropriate resilient adhesive 64 to a stub 65 of the block 40.

As a further convenience,

bosses

66 and 67 extend into the chamber 16 from the underside of the body 15 and are provided with roughened exteriors in the form of multiple rings. Tubes 68 and 69 extend through the respective bosses and are fed by respective hoses 70 and 71 which lead from a reservoir container 72. A remote control 73, connected in a conventional way (not shown), may be used to control the passage of liquid from the reservoir container 72 into the hoses 70 and 71. Holes 74 and 75 in the pad 30 accommodate the

bosses

66 and 67 and assist both in positioning and holding the pad in the work holder and in retaining it in place once in position. Liquid applied to the surface 13 passes through the holes 74 and 75.

For operations other than those for which the pad 30 is designed there may be employed a pad 80, shown in FIGURE 4, which fits in the work holder in the same manner as does the pad 30. The pad 80 has a sheet S1 of water absorbent spongy or cellulosic material, on opposite faces of which may be attached

bufflng sheets

82 and 83 by use of an appropriate flexible adhesive layer 84 in each instance. For some uses the

bufling sheets

82 and 83 may be sheeps Wool or other appropriate builing material.

It is significant that even though the pedestal 22 has an appreciable area it is located on one side only of the holder and on one side only of base 49 which together may be considered elements of a mount for the source of and transmission of sonic energy. Further still, by having the right end of the housing 36 resiliently mounted, as viewed in FIGURE 3, and the left end eccentrically mounted, the motor 35 in the housing 36 provides a power actuated cyclically movable mass supplied with electrical energy through the

wires

55 and 56. Good results are produced when for a 110 volt source of electrical energy a motor operating at somewhere between 45 and 70 watts is made use of capable of generating relatively low frequency sound waves typically between 50 and 150 cycles per second.

The rotational mass of the motor 35 which is mounted within and protected by its encompassing shell cover 23, is cyclically driven in a rotational manner about its eccentric bearing and housing 47 and produces a sinusoidal driving force in a vertical downward direction at its pdestal base 22. In the present instance the source of power resides in the motor 35 on its specifically designed mount. The mechanical energy thus developed by the rotational mass 35 is transmitted to the tool holder 10 which is of infinitely smaller mass than that of the rotational driving force mass 35. In order to take full advantage of this driving force relationship in terms of essential requirements set forth, the center of the radius of gyration of the rotating mass 35 is located directly above, and in line with, the center of tool holder 10 and in such fashion that the resultant mechanical energy thus released is coupled to the tool holder 10 in a near dynamically balanced condition. The mechanical energy of a specific nature thus developed and released Within the the upper free end of a leg the shell 23 and the light mass of the tool holder 10 causes the material of said tool holder to be displaced on either side of equilibrium in a downward perpendicular direction in alternate periods of compression and tension and in sinusoidal fashion and at a fundamental frequency which is in phase and similar to the rotational velocity of the mass of the motor 35.

It is significant to this invention that the tool holder 10 is constructed of thin and still material of very light weight and resilient in texture in order that it may freely resonate at the fundamental frequency of the energy source. The resultant frequency of the mechanical energy thusly generated in the tool holder is analogous to the action of a loud-speaker diaphragm which has been displaced mechanically and in sinusoidal fashion by the mechanical energy of an armature of an oscillator coil. The resultant resonant mechanical energy, at a particular frequency, thusly generated within the embodiment of tool holder 10 is transformed, for the most part, into compressional sound waves which are launched and transmitted vertically downward from the inner surface of the tool holder 10. In the present embodiment of this invention, the tool holder 10 serves also as a directional coupler for directional transmission of sound wave energy and mechanical energy through the pad 30 and in a perpendicular direction to and releasing said energy at the surface 13. The amount of sound wave energy and mechanical energy thusly transmitted to the surface 13 is proportional to the angular velocity of the rotational mass and the product of its displacement from its center of mass from the rotational axis.

For purposes relating to this invention it is significant that the sonic energy thus released at the surface 13 is of extraordinary high amplitude and intensity thus enabling the lower sheet 31 of the pad 30 to quickly penetrate and remove the surface contamination from the floor surface. The energy thusly released at the surface 13 is for the most part a combination of sound wave and mechanical energy in the lower sonic range and which is transmitted in a perpendicular direction to said surface. In addition there is another source of mechanical energy, of much lesser amount, and whi-ch originates from the moment of inertia of the rotational mass of the motor 35, and which energy causes a limited lateral motion of the pad which is a right and left motion as viewed in FIGURE 2. This motion coupled with the third energy motion, namely that of pushing the tool holder and pad combination back and forth in line with the handle 12 across the floor surface produces a combination of three energy motions which work together effectively and rapidly at the surface.

The most effective source of energy in the cleaning operation is performed by the compressional sound wave energy which is directed to the surface 13. This wave energy, which is in the lower sonic range, is known to have excellent penetrative quality, and the waves are efficiently transmitted through the moist sheets of the pad 30 and into the floor surface and at a velocity approximating 4800 ft./sec. during the cleaning cycle. Since said sonic wave energy has exceptionally high amplitude, the alternate reversal of said wave energy at its respective fundamental frequency, causes an exceptional amount of cavitation within the pad 30 and within the contacted cleaning fluid on the surface 13. The cavitation thus produced within the pad and within the cleaning fluid at contact on the surface produces in combination with the reversal of energy cycles alternate cyclic periods of pressure and tension at the surface which in turn produces an implosion effect which tends to loosen and rip away the Wax and contamination from the surface. This effect is somewhat analogous to the implosion effect produced by ultrasonic wave energy when used for cleaning the surfaces of materials within a fluid bath.

If the cleaning operation be one for removing wax and contamination from a floor surface some appropriate fluid detergent can be merely spread around the surface either from the reservoir 72 or otherwise and the lower sheet 31 passes entirely over the surface while the source of energy is Ikept operating. This is suicient to effectively dislodge wax and contamination from the surface. Dislodgment is appreciably increased when the lower sheet 31 is of mild abrasive resilient material.

After the wax and contamination has been loosened, the pad is reversed so that the upper absorbent sheet 32 is exposed on the bottom. The pad is then again passed over the entire surface while the source of sonic energy is operating and acts to pick up the loosened wax and contamination. When a floor is thus to be stripped of wax and contamination, it is advantageous to rinse the floor once or twice to be certain that it is entirely cleaned of the dislodged wax. The rinsing can be done with a moderate amount of water in the sheet 32 and by using the absorbent sheet 32 of the pad in a position which makes floor contact. The rinsing is done with the device energized.

lf the surface is to be rewaxed, an appropriate liquid wax can be poured upon the surface and spread with the birding sheet 82 without the source of sound energy being operating. When finally spread, the pad Si) can be reversed exposing the bufiing sheet 83. Then with the source of sound energy operating the buing sheet 83 is passed rapidly over the surface and the surface is in this manner satisfactorily bu'tfed.

Although the description has been directed primarily to a floor as the surface 13 by way of example, and a wax and contaminant removing operation has been used as an illustration, walls and ceilings which are soiled or dirty can be cleaned equally advantageously. The orientation of the handle 12 with the tool holder 10 is such that the tool holder and the pads can be kept substantially iiat against the surface while the sundry operations are being performed. Moreover, when the shell is made liquid tight the entire lower end of the device may be immersed in liquid, should that be necessary at any time, and without damage or harmful effects to the tool. lt is significant to this invention that the layer of adhesive bond material 33 between the

sheets

31 and 32 be one which is impervious to the passage of liquid so that when a surface is being cleaned, as by use of a detergent, the detergent will not he absorbed into the upper sheet 32. Thereafter, when the `pad 30 is reversed the upper absorptive sheet 32 becomes available `to absorb the mixture of dirt, detergent and water from the surface. Although a pad 30 of a specific type has been described in detail, it will be appreciated that other pads differently designed may be used for other purposes.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is tobe accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent is:

1. A surface cleaning and conditioning device comprising a relatively at liquid absorbent pad having an applicator surface on one side and an absorbent surface on the opposite side, a pad holder including retaining elements in releasable engagement with the pad whereby the pad is adapted to lbe removed and replaced in reverse position, `a mount having an attachment to the pad holder on the side o-f said paid holder opposite from said pad, said mount comprising a Shell having a rounded exterior surface with a chamber therein, a power actuated cyclically movable mass in said shell having opposite ends lying substantially in the axis of cyclical movement, support element on the device respectively supporting said opposite ends, said support elements being out of engagement with the shell and lying `in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said pad, and a connection between one of said supports and lthe attachment to the pad holder, and a handle on said device having one end substantially in alignment with said mass, the other end of said handle being at a location removed from said pad holder.

2. A ysurface cleaning anld `conditioning device comprising a relatively flat liquid absorbent pad member having an applicator surface on one side and an absorbent surface on the opposite side, a pad holder mem-ber including re- 'taining elements in releasable engagement with the pad member whereby the pad member is adapted to be removed and replaced in reverse position, one of said members having an opening therein, and a boss on the other yof said members having a roughened exterior in engagement with the opening in said one member, ysaid boss having a passageway therethrough for passing liquid through said pad member to the surface, a mount having an attachment to the pad holder member on the side of said pad holder member opposite from said pad member, said mount comprising a shell having a rounded exterior surface with a chamber therein, a power actuated cyclically movable mass in said shell having opposite ends lying substantially inthe axis of cyclical movement, support elements on the device out of engagement with the shell and respectively supporting said opposite ends, said support elements lying in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said pad member, and a connection between one of said support elements and the mount and a handle on said device having one en'd in alignment with said respectively opposite end's of the mass, the other end of said handle being at a location removed from said pad holder member.

3. A portable appliance for ysound energy application to a subject on which work is to be performed comprising a hollow shell of relatively stiff resilient consistency having a chamber therein, said shell having a supporting structure thereon having a junction with the shell, said shell being out of engagement with the subject, a portable power actuated cyclically movable ma'ss in the chamber, la rst resilient connection between said mass and said supporting structure in line with the axis of cyclical motion of said mass, a tool member having an attachment to the shell yat one location on the shell for application of work energy -to the subject, a second connection between the shell and the mass, said second connection having one end thereof in engagement with the shell at the attachment thereof with the tool member in a line substantially radial with respect to said direction of cyclical motion and the other end movably attached to the end of the mass 0pposite from said first connection whereby to pass energy generated by the mass to said subject.

4. A portable appliance according to cla-im 3 including a tool element having a removable attachment to the tool member and comprising a sponge member adapted co engage said subject.

5. A portable appliance according to claim 4 wherein said sponge element has an absorbent surface on one side and an abrasive surface on the other side.

6, A surface conditioner for ysound energy application `to sai-d surface comprising a relatively flat pad adapted to provide contact between said conditioner Iand said surface, a substantially stiff resilent and relatively thin walled shell having a chamber therein, a mount connecting said shell an'd said pad, a power actuated cyclically movable mass in `said chamber having the axis of cyclical motion substantially parallel to the pad, opposite ends of said mass lying substantially in said axis of cyclical motion, one of said ends having a connection to said mount, the other of said ends being resiliently supported by a portion of the shell, said mount being located in a line substantially radial with respect `to said mass and the direction of cyclical motion.

7. A conditioner according to claim 6 wherein said shell is substantially spherical.

8. A conditioner according to claim 6 wherein there is a handle having an end attached `to the shell with said end substantially in alignment wit-h said other end of the cyclically moving mass.

9. A conditioner according to claim 6 wherein said pad comprises a relatively soft material of consistency adapted to be substantially saturated with liquid.

10. A conditioner according to claim 6 wherein there is only one connection between the cyclically Amoving mass `and the mount which lies on aline radial with respect to the direction of cyclical motion.

11. A conditioner according to claim 6 wherein there is a boss on the shell extending outwardly having a recess therein in communication with said chamber and said other end has a resilient support on said boss in said recess.

12. A conditioner according to claim 11 wherein there is a handle -for said conditioner yattached to said boss.

13. A portable tool rfor sound energy application according to claim 3 wherein there is a pad attac'hed to the tool holder, said pad comprising a plurality of sheets of material and an impervious layer between said sheets and bonded respectively thereto.

14. A portable tool according to claim 13 wherein the sheet on the side nearest the tool holder is of a moisture absorbent spongy consistency.

15. A portable tool according t0 claim 13 wherein the sheet on -the side farthest from the tool holder is of semiabrasive consistency.

16. A portable tool according to claim 13 wherein the pad is removably mounted in the tool and wherein one sheet on one side of the impervious layer is of a moisture absorbent spongy consistency and another sheet on the other side of the impervious layer is of a semi-abrasive consistency.

17. A portable tool according to claim 16 wherein the sheet of semi-abrasive consistency is substantially thinner than the sheet of spongy consistency.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,936,022 11/1933 Hunt 128-55 3,085,372 4/1963 Sweeney et al 51-400 3,139,101 6/1964 Wyczalek et al. 134-186 3,166,772 1/1965 Bodine 259 3,166,773 1/1965 Wyczalek 15--97 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. L. G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

3. A PORTABLE APPLIANCE FOR SOUND ENERGY APPLICATION TO A SUBJECT ON WHICH WORK IS TO BE PERFORMED COMPRISING A HOLLOW SHELL OF RELATIVELY STIFF RESILIENT CONSISTENCY HAVING A CHAMBER THEREIN, SAID SHELL HAVING A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE THEREON HAVING A JUNCTION WITH THE SHELL, SAID SHELL BEING OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SUBJECT, A PORTABLE POWER ACTUATED CYCLICALLY MOVABLE MASS IN THE CHAMBER, A FIRST RESILIENT CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID MASS AND SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE IN LINE WITH THE AXIS OF CYCLICAL MOTION OF SAID MASS, A TOOL MEMBER HAVING AN ATTACHMENT TO THE SHELL AT ONE LOCATION ON THE SHELL FOR APPLICATION OF WORK ENERGY TO THE SUBJECT, A SECOND CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SHELL AND THE MASS, SAID SECOND CONNECTION HAVING ONE END THEREOF IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHELL AT THE ATTACHMENT THEREOF WITH THE TOOL MEMBER IN A LINE SUBSTANTIALLY RADIAL WITH RESPECT TO SAID DIRECTION OF CYCLICAL MOTION AND THE OTHER END MOVABLY ATTACHED TO THE END OF THE MASS OPPOSITE FROM SAID FIRST CONNECTION WHEREBY TO PASS ENERGY GENERATED BY THE MASS TO SAID SUBJECT.