Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Implements – Brush or broom
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-24
2001-10-16
Spisich, Mark (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Implements
Brush or broom
C015S112000, C015S237000, C280S164200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301739
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a retractable shoe cleaning device which may be mounted beneath a vehicle door opening allowing a vehicle passenger to clean his or her shoes prior to entering the passenger compartment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Each time a vehicle passenger enters the interior of a vehicle, debris that is adhering to the passenger's shoes is often deposited on the vehicle floorboard. Although various shoe scrapers and cleaning devices for vehicles exist in the prior art, they are either separate from the vehicle or are mounted thereto in a conspicuous fashion. The present invention relates to a shoe cleaning device which may be mounted to the bottom of a vehicle, immediately adjacent the lower edge of a door opening, and may be concealably retracted beneath the vehicle when not in use.
Various shoe cleaning devices exist in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,028,617 issued to Racina relates to a golf shoe cleat cleaner which may be attached to a golf cart.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,404 issued to Ribera relates to a portable shoe cleaner for vehicles including a web belt which is secured by the closed hood of a vehicle. An independent collapsible foot support pivotally attaches at the top to a base and hooks to the belt. The device also includes a foot support pivotally attached to the top of the base and a brace pivotally attached to the bottom of the foot support.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,103,681 issued to Crook relates to a shoe scraper for vehicles including a flange having screw holes for attaching to an edge of a vehicle immediately beneath the edge of a door. A second downwardly depending flange includes openings adjacent a scraping ridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,072 issued to Veith relates to a foot cleaner device for vehicles including a bracket which mounts to the vehicle and has a nippled member pivotally secured thereto for scraping debris from one's shoes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,165,334 issued to Barrett relates to a shoe scraper for automobiles including a vertically disposed scraper rod having an upper portion to fit in an upright position along the lower outer portion of an automobile door and a horizontally disposed lower portion for scraping one's shoes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,984 issued to Wylie relates to an automobile door mat including a stationary bracket vertically disposed along the interior portion of the door and a cleaning element removably supported on the bracket.
As indicated above, numerous vehicle shoe cleaning devices exist in the prior art. However, none relate to a cleaning platform having removable bristles mounted thereon, the platform being retractable beneath and extendable from the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a shoe cleaning device for vehicles. The device comprises a tray having a lower wall with a pair of opposing side walls and a rear wall upwardly extending therefrom. Slidably mounted within the tray is a cleaning member which may be automatically extended from or retracted within the tray using a motorized gear assembly. The cleaning member includes a platform having a layer of abrasive material on its upper surface on which a passenger's shoes may be scraped to remove debris therefrom. Overlaying the abrasive surface are a plurality of removable pads each having bristles extending therefrom. The bristle pads may also be attached to vertical side walls on the cleaning platform to scrape the sides of one's shoes. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shoe cleaning device which may be concealably mounted beneath a vehicle and extended therefrom.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a shoe cleaning device which may be automatically retracted beneath the vehicle.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a shoe cleaning device having a plurality of removable bristle pads allowing a user to selectively configure the cleaning surface. Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the attached drawings and the appended claims.
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Spisich Mark
Tolar Kenneth L
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