Coating implements with material supply – Including means to apply material-moving force – Including means to flex diaphragm within rigid reservoir
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-11
2001-05-01
Recla, Henry J. (Department: 1744)
Coating implements with material supply
Including means to apply material-moving force
Including means to flex diaphragm within rigid reservoir
C222S213000, C401S006000, C401S146000, C401S184000, C401S186000, C401S192000, C401S269000, C401S275000, C401S279000, C401S286000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224283
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to hand-held cleaning devices and, in particular, to such devices which carry and dispense cleaning fluid.
Prior soap-dispensing cleaning devices are known which include a housing defining a soap-containing reservoir, a bottom wall of the housing carrying a cleaning medium, such as a sponge, brush or the like, the reservoir being closed by a cap. A valve assembly dispenses fluid from the reservoir to the cleaning medium. One such device is disclosed in EP-A-0198 389. Here, there is provided at the base of the housing a valve assembly having a lower opening defining a valve seat, and a thin valve stem protruding downwardly through the opening. As the user presses the bottom of the device against an object to be cleaned the valve stem is forced upwardly against the action of a resilient support, allowing the soap to drain from the reservoir.
One problem with this structure is that the device is prone to leakage both at the position of the valve and at the screw cap.
The invention seeks to provide an improved fluid-containing cleaning device which avoids the disadvantages of prior such devices while affording additional structural and operating advantages.
According to the present invention there is provided a hand-held cleaning device comprising a housing constituting a reservoir for cleaning fluid and carrying cleaning means for contacting an object or surface to be cleaned, an aperture through which cleaning fluid may pass closed by valve means which are operable by a user, and a removable cap closing the housing, wherein a portion of the cap is formed of resilient material deformable by a user, a part of the valve means extending to said portion of resilient material whereby a user can operate the valve means on deformation of the said portion, and wherein there is provided a sealing ring of resilient material between the cap and housing.
The arrangement of user-actuable valve means operable by means on the cap, and the cap seal both serve to ensure easy and leak-free dispensing of the cleaning fluid.
Preferably, the valve means comprises a valve stem which extends through the housing to the cap having an end portion which lies adjacent an inner surface of the portion of resilient material. The valve means includes a valve member arranged on an end of the valve stem which sits in a valve seat, the valve stem being biased by resilient means towards the cap so that the valve member engages in the valve seat.
The resilient portion preferably comprises a web of resilient material covering an opening in the cap. This web may further comprise a cylindrical skirt portion depending from the web in which an end portion of the valve stem is received. The web may also have a groove at a periphery of the web of the resilient material adjacent the junction with the cap.
The sealing ring and resilient web are preferably both formed of an elastomer and preferably the same elastomer moulded onto the cap in a single moulding step. This single-step moulding is particularly advantageous in terms of cost and efficiency of manufacture.
In the preferred embodiment the cap has a depending generally cylindrical skirt and an upper wall, the sealing ring being arranged on the inside of the cap adjacent the junction between the skirt and the upper wall at a position at which in use it tightly abuts an upper edge of the housing when the cap is fitted thereto.
REFERENCES:
patent: 307877 (1884-11-01), Stevens
patent: 371899 (1887-10-01), Osborne
patent: 1865850 (1932-07-01), Garvey
patent: 1901822 (1933-03-01), Reisinger
patent: 2496181 (1950-01-01), Stange
Fish & Neave
Hayco Manufacturing Ltd.
Prunner Kathleen J.
Recla Henry J.
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