Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B08—CLEANING
  • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
  • B08B11/00—Cleaning flexible or delicate articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B08—CLEANING
  • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
  • B08B1/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools
  • B08B1/10—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools characterised by the type of cleaning tool
  • B08B1/14—Wipes; Absorbent members, e.g. swabs or sponges
  • B08B1/145—Swabs

Definitions

• Digital cameras comprise a sensor chamber in which is lodged an electronic sensor, such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor or Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, onto which is projected the image of what is seen through the lens of the camera.
• CMOS Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
• This sensor can acquire the image projected thereon and convert it into electronic data, which is thereafter forwarded to data processing means provided on the digital camera.
• the data processing means then converts this electronic data into an image file of known format, such as in JPEG, TIFF or RAW formats, stored thereafter on the memory card of the camera.
• this sensor must remain as clean as possible, since impurities deposited thereon can undesirably alter the final image acquired by the camera.
• One cleaning method consists in
• a paddle-shaped rigid body defining an elongated handle and a sweeping
• cleaning swabs, lint-free cloth is bag-shaped and slipped around sweeping blade
• the user wets the lint-free cloth with a few drops of
• specks that may be present on the sensor's surface, such as dried saliva drops blown
• the swab picks up and removes
• the cleaning swab is
• swabs when used, are generally held in downwardly inclined fashion with their
• an anti-smear cleaning swab for cleaning delicate surfaces comprising a body defining an elongated handle having one end and another end opposite said one end thereof, an enlarged blade edgewisely carried at said handle one end and having one face and another face opposite said one face and a peripheral edge joining said
• channel means provided integral to said blade and enabling fluid flow about at least one of said one face and of said another face of said blade, and a fluid absorbing pocket generally enclosing said one blade and sized to fit snugly therearound.
• said channel means consists of at least a few passageways extending through said one blade and opening into said one face and into said another face of said blade.
• at least some of said passageways are sized and shaped to enable fluid droplet retensive capture between said one face and said another face of said blade.
• Said passageways could be selected from the group comprising circular holes, oblong channels, and slots; or alternately or concurrently, from the group comprising grooves made on at least one of said one face and another face of said blade, and protrusions (e.g. spikes) integrally projecting from at least one of said one face and another face of said blade.
• an elongated groove extending lengthwisely of said handle, said handle groove cooperating with said blade channel means in promoting fluid escape from said fluid absorbing pocket, preferably under capillary forces whereby said handle groove is suitably sized and shaped therefor.
• Said fluid absorbing pocket could be made from a piece of folded lint- free sheet fabric, positioned relative to said blade such that a fold line of said sheet fabric is positioned adjacent a substantial portion of said blade peripheral edge, said sheet fabric being secured to said blade by hot sealing of a small fraction of said blade peripheral edge.
• said fluid absorbing pocket could be made from a piece of folded lint-free sheet fabric, positioned relative to said blade such that a fold line of
• said sheet fabric is positioned adjacent a substantial portion of said blade peripheral edge, said sheet fabric to be sewn to said blade by a thread passing through a small portion of said sheet fabric and hookingly passing through not more than a few of said blade passageways.
• smear cleaning swab for cleaning delicate surfaces, comprising a body defining an elongated cross-sectionally quadrangular rigid handle having one end and another end opposite said one end thereof, a first enlarged rigid blade carried at said handle one end and having one face and another face opposite said one face and a peripheral edge joining said one face and said another face, a second enlarged rigid blade carried at said handle another end and having one face and another face opposite said one face and a peripheral edge joining said one face and said another face; channel means provided integral to said one blade and enabling fluid flow about at least one of said one face and said another face of said blade, and a fluid absorbing pocket generally
• Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of cleaning swab according to the present invention
• Figure 2 is a view similar to figure 1, but with the cleaning swab in assembled condition
• Figure 3 is a view similar to figure 2, but showing a second embodiment of cleaning swab according to the present invention.
• Figure 4 is a view similar to figure 1, but with the cleaning swab rotated half a turn.
• a first embodiment of cleaning swab 10 is shown in figures 1 -2 of the drawings, and comprises a body 12, for example of paddle shape, having a generally rigid elongated shaft handle 14, at one end of which is edgewisely affixed a wider
• Handle 14 may be cylindrical (as shown in figures 1-2), cross-sectionally quadrangular (for example, cross-sectionally rectangular, in figure 3), or other suitable shapes.
• Blade 16 includes one and another opposite faces 16a, 16b (figures 1 and 4), and a peripheral edge 16c (figure 1).
• Blade 16 further carries fluid channel means 20.
• fluid channel means consists of a number of perforations or holes 20 made transversely of blade 16.
• channel means 20 could alternately consist of slots or ' 'mini- channels", 30, or other apertures (for example, ovoidal apertures 32) extending through blade 16; or alternately and/or concurrently, channel means 20 could consist of protrusions 34 (like spikes), grooves 36, or ridges 38 made on at least one surface of the blade 16. Furthermore, a pair of sew holes 22 are preferably made on blade 16, in the vicinity of its junction with handle 14.
• the cleaning swab 10 can be provided with a sweeping blade 16 of various widths.
• a camera owner can select a cleaning swab 10 having a blade width corresponding to his sensor size.
• Cleaning swab 10 further comprises a pocket member 18 sized to fit
• Pocket member 18 is preferably made from sheet fabric.
• the fabric used in the confection of pocket member 18 can be any suitable lint-free fabric or cloth, and can be chosen in function of its compatibility with the specific cleaning fluid it is destined to be used with.
• pocket member 18 is a
• This method can be used for cloths made with
• fabrics permitting hot-sealing such as polyester or nylon fabrics, or other polymer-
• pocket member 18 could consist of a piece of fabric folded
• hot-sealing such as cellulose, cotton or rayon.
• the blade leading edge i.e. the contact edge
• hot sealing forms relatively rough and sharp joints
• swabs having a lint-free cloth formed of a folded piece of fabric.
• Cleaning swab 10 is used in the same way than the prior art cleaning
• the user wets the lint- free cloth 18 with a few drops of cleaning fluid, and the swab is
• the swab of the present invention if the cloth of pocket member 18 is wetted by an excessive amount of cleaning fluid, the liquid can be retained in fluid pockets formed by holes 20 within the thickness of blade 16, and thus prevented from running towards the blade's outer edge 17 and thus towards cloth contact edge 19a. It therefore prevents excessive amounts of liquid to be discharged onto the sensor surface when the swab with oversaturated cloth pocket member 18 is swept thereon.
• holes 20 allow the swab to remain wet for longer periods of times without having to pour additional cleaning fluid on the cloth of pocket member 18.
• holes 20 are preferably sized and shaped to enable fluid droplets retensive capture in relation to the density of the fluid absorbed by the cloth make-up of pocket member 18. Therefore, the cleaning fluid previously dropped onto lint-free cloth of pocket member 18 and accumulated in retaining holes 20 can gradually be transferred to the lint-free cloth as soon as cloth
• pocket member 18 starts to dry out, thus preventing premature dry up of the cleaning swab.
• An elongated groove 14a may be made along handle 14. Groove 14a may be provided to promote fluid escape from the damp pocket member 18. In one embodiment, groove 14a could be sized and shaped to enable passive fluid motion under capillary forces from oversaturated cloth pocket member 18 along handle 14 away from blade 16.
• a second blade 16' is added to handle 14' at the end of handle 14' opposite , and another fluid absorbing pocket member 18" is snugly mounted around a second blade 16".
• the cleaning swab of the present invention could be used for cleaning any delicate surface, such as the external surface of the rear and front elements on a DSLR lens, the glass of a flatbed scanner, etc.
• channels 20 may vary, since mitigation of fluid oversaturation at the level of the fluid absorbing pocket
• Channels 20 may be holes, or alternately surface grooves made on one or both main surfaces of blade 16, or a combination of through holes and surface grooves.
• the elongated groove 14a in the handle 14 could cooperate under capillary forces with the channel means 20 in drawing fluids away from blade 16 and along handle 14. What is sought is to thus to substantially prevent surface smear of the external sensor or lens structure to be cleaned by cleaning swab 10 from fluid dripping under gravity forces upon fluid over-saturation of the cloth material constituting the swab blade pocket 18.

Landscapes

• Cleaning In General (AREA)
• Cleaning Implements For Floors, Carpets, Furniture, Walls, And The Like (AREA)

Priority Applications (7)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=38563030

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (16)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (32)

• 2007
  • 2007-03-22 CA CA002616646A patent/CA2616646C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2007-03-22 WO PCT/CA2007/000468 patent/WO2007112550A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2007-03-22 US US11/996,808 patent/US7966687B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2007-03-22 EP EP07710786A patent/EP2001610B1/en not_active Not-in-force
  • 2007-03-22 AU AU2007231948A patent/AU2007231948B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2007-03-22 CN CN200780019943.7A patent/CN101454087B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2007-03-22 JP JP2009503377A patent/JP5053360B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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