Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – Brushing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-16
2002-04-23
Chin, Randall E. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
Brushing
C015S097100, C015S049100, C015S144100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06374447
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a cordless, waterproof hand manipulated powered washing system powered by an electric motor and a rechargeable battery and which is lightweight, self contained and submersible.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various devices have been provided to facilitate washing various surfaces and devices such as washing cars by individual owners of vehicles which is preferred by many vehicle owners since commercial car washing operations frequently do not properly clean all surface areas of a vehicle. One example of this type of washing apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,605, issued Mar. 1, 1994. Other types of washers include water or air driven brushes which tend to wash or blow most detergent off the surface to be cleaned before the detergent can act.
The prior art does not include a powered washing system utilizing the features of the present invention including the association of a wand type handle in selective locking angular engagement with the motor housing and rotational axis of selective brushes. Further, the prior art does not disclose interchangeable disk type brushes in which the bristles are of unequal length and perpendicular to the flat surface of the mounting disk or a brush having bristles oriented in acute angular relation to the flat surface of the disk with the disk rotating about a non-concentric axis and the bristles varying in length from longer bristles at one side of the disk and shorter bristles at the opposite side of the disk. Also, the prior art does not disclose a rechargeable stick battery unit incorporated into a split housing for the motor and does not include a alternative higher voltage, more powerful rechargeable battery unit mounted at the handle end of the wand type handle of the washing apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The cordless rechargeable powered washing system of this invention includes a high RPM motor driving through a dual planetary gear set producing high torque and low RPM final drive output with the motor being powered by a rechargeable battery. The washing system includes rotary interchangeable brushes with one brush being a generally circular disk with perpendicular or angled bristles for washing generally flat and smoothly curved surfaces on a vehicle or any other surface that needs scrubbing. Another brush includes bristles attached to a flat surface of a disk in a non-perpendicular angular relation and varying in length at opposite sides of the disk to form a bristle pattern offset from the rotational center of the disk and oriented in approximately 70° acute angular relationship to the flat surface of the disk so that the tip ends of the bristles are inboard of the periphery at one side of the disk and outboard at the other side. This unique bristle configuration permits the bristles to enter into tight areas, whether straight or radiused to remove dirt and contamination with a wiping or sliding action thereby enabling road wheel cleaning including tightly curved recessed areas and other areas that are inaccessible to a flat disk brush to permit cleaning of various items. The brush disks are relatively stiff and a relatively soft rubber bumper is mounted or formed on the periphery of the disk and may extend inwardly along the upper surface thereof.
The hand manipulated washing apparatus includes an elongated wand type handle having a U-shaped yoke at one end pivotally connected to a motor housing which includes a motor and a dual planetary reduction gear set, a rechargeable stick battery and a push-on push-off switch. The wand type handle and yoke includes a lock mechanism engaging a portion of the motor housing to lock the motor housing in rigid predetermined angular relation to the longitudinal axis of the wand type handle to enable the non-concentric, non-perpendicular bristle brush to be rigidly associated in a desired angular relation to the handle. In another embodiment of the invention, the elongated wand type handle is provided with a rechargeable battery unit at the hand gripping end thereof which is connected to the motor through the handle to provide a higher voltage, more powerful and longer lasting rechargeable power source. The elongated wand type handle enables a user to stand on the ground to wash vehicles or other surfaces without requiring a stepladder or other elevated support to wash the roof of vans, sport utility vehicles, buses, small airplanes, boats, building surfaces and the like. This provides a substantial safety factor by eliminating falls which can easily occur when a user is standing on wet stepladders which may also have a slippery detergent mixture thereon. Also, those of advanced age and disabilities can effectively use the washing apparatus.
An object of the present invention is to provide a cordless, rechargeable powered washing system that will safely clean any automotive paint, clear coat paint, chrome, aluminum, anodized aluminum, cloth, canvas, rubber, plastic, glass, clear plastic, or any other surfaces such as those normally encountered on a vehicle including the road wheels, hub caps, wire wheels, wheel covering disks and all materials and types of materials currently used in the construction of various vehicles including but not limited to cars, trucks, vans, sport utility vehicles, aircraft as well as the surface of various household items especially outdoor items such as patio furniture having intersecting straps, plastic components and the like. The washing system can be effectively used to clean bathroom surfaces, tile surfaces, tile floors, shower stalls, pets, large and small animals.
Another object of the invention is to provide a battery powered washing apparatus which is lightweight, self contained, submersible, rechargeable and provided with interchangeable brush units.
A further object of the invention is to provide a cordless rechargeable powered washing system used in association with a separate garden type water hose preferably having a rotary spray discharge pattern of selective characteristics and a separate pump or spray type dispensing apparatus for detergent to be used after a sharp water spray has been used to remove loose dirt, mud and the like with the detergent being sprayed on the wetted surface and the brush of the washing apparatus of this invention then being activated to clean the surface to be cleaned by starting at the top and washing downwardly.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a cordless rechargeable powered washing system as set forth in the preceding objects in which the interchangeable brush units includes a circular disk having a flat surface with bristles of equal length extending perpendicular to the flat surface and a brush having a disk with a flat surface in which the bristles are oriented in acute angular relation to the flat disk surface with the bristles at one side of the disk being longer than those at the other and the disk being connected to a rotary output of a drive motor in eccentric relation to the center of the disk to produce a sliding action of the bristles to enable sliding engagement with sharp cylindrical surfaces, recesses and other generally non-accessible areas especially those found in cast road wheels, hub caps, wire wheels, wheel disks and the like to enable road dirt and grim to be removed as well as brake dust which has a particularly strong affinity to the surfaces on which such dust is deposited during normal use of the vehicle.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a washing system including a motor housing connected to a wand type handle either of fixed length or telescopically adjustable and having a yoke at one end pivotally connected to the motor housing and provided with a selective locking mechanism to lock the motor housing and elongated handle in predetermined angular relation with the weight of the motor and brush unit providing sufficient downward force for the brush to clean the surface without downward force being applied to the handle to enable users with arthritis or car
Armbruster Joseph M.
Armbruster Sue B.
Chin Randall E.
Jacobson & Holman PLLC
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