GB2163044A - Cleaning appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

A cleaning appliance for cleaning carpets and upholstery comprises a support 10 provided with a cleaning head having protrusions 15, and a handle 12. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFCATI-ON Cleaning Appliance This invention relates to cleaning appliances, particularly but not exclusively for use in the home on carpets, upholstery and certain household fabrics.

One of the main drawbacks with known household cleaning appliances, such as vacuum cleaners for cleaning carpets, upholstery and household fabrics is that while they can cope with ingrained dirt they are not particularly good at picking up surface dirt such as pet hairs.

An object of the invention is to provide a cleaning device which is capable of dealing with, for example, pet hairs and which can be used in conjunction with existing cleaning appliances such as a vacuum cleaner.

With this object in view the present invention provides a cleaning appliance comprising a support for a cleaning head attached to the support, the support forming a handle or being provided with a handle and the cleaning head having a plurality of spaced-apart protrusions which serve to effect cleaning of surfaces against which the cleaning head of the appliance is to be applied.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the cleaning appliance of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a view comparable with that of Fig. 1 but of a second preferred embodiment of the cleaning appliance of the present invention; and Fig. 3 is an underneath plan view of the embodiment of claim 1 illustrating its cleaning head, the cleaning head of the embodiment of Fig. 2, although not illustrated, being substantially identical.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, in its first preferred embodiment, the cleaning appliance comprises a support 10 being a substantially rectangular block of, for example, wood or plastics. On its upper face 11 the support 10 is provided with a substantially C-shaped handle 12 integral with the support 10 and just large enough to be gripped by an average size human hand. On its lower face 13 the support 10 is provided with a cleaning head in the form of a pad 14 covering the entire lower face 13 and attached thereto by suitable means such as an adhesive. The pad 14 is made of a tough, natural or synthetic rubber or a rubber compound. As can be seen more clearly from Fig. 3, the pad 14 has on its face which is remote from its face attached to the support 10 a plurality of spaced-spart protrusions 15 which are stud-like.The aforesaid stud-like protrusions 15 effect cleaning of a surface against which the appliance is applied, as will be described hereinafter.

In the second preferred embodiment of the cleaning appliance which is illustrated in Fig. 2, the construction of the support 10 and the cleaning head which is in the form of a pad 14 are substantially the same as in the first embodiment of the appliance, which first embodiment is intended to be hand held, but instead of the C-shaped handle 12 there is provided on upper face 11 an upstanding dog-leg shaped round tubular portion 17 into which can fit an elongate handle (not shown) to enable the cleaning appliance to be used like a broom. Like the pad 14 of the first preferred embodiment, the pad 14 of the second preferred embodiment has stud-like protrusions 15.

Both aforedescribed and illustrated embodiments of the appliance are used by being drawn along the surface e.g. of a carpet, to be cleaned toward the user. The stud-like protrusion 15 engage surface dirt, such as pet hairs, so that said dirt can be brought to one desired spot on the surface whereby in so doing it can be removed more easily therefrom by conventional means such as a vacuum cleaner. It should be noted that it is not intended that the dirt be removed directly from the surface by either of the embodiments appliance of the present invention but rather the preferred embodiment of the cleaning appliance be used in engaging the surface dirt and moving it into a particular desired spot on the surface whereby it can be readily picked up by conventional means.

The main advantages of the cleaning appliance of the invention is that it has a simple construction, there being no moving parts, it is simple and easy to use and furthermore does not require any power source either internal or external.

The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing and variations may be made thereto within the scope of the invention. Thus, for example, the protrusions on the pad forming the cleaning head may be rib-like instead of stud-like, or a combination of both.

1. A cleaning appliance comprising a support for a cleaning head attached to the support, the support forming a handle or being provided with a handle and the cleaning head having a plurality of spacedapart protrusions which serve to effect cleaning of surfaces against which the cleaning head of the appliance is to be applied.

2. An appliance as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support is substantially flat and rectangular, having on its upper face the handle, and on its lowerface the cleaning head.

3. An appliance as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the handle is substantially C-shaped and is integral with the support.

4. An appliance as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wheein the upper face of the support is provided with an upstanding dog-leg shaped round tubular portion into which can fit an elongate handle.

5. An appliance as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the plurality of spaced-apart protrusions are stud-like.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFCATI-ON Cleaning Appliance This invention relates to cleaning appliances, particularly but not exclusively for use in the home on carpets, upholstery and certain household fabrics. One of the main drawbacks with known household cleaning appliances, such as vacuum cleaners for cleaning carpets, upholstery and household fabrics is that while they can cope with ingrained dirt they are not particularly good at picking up surface dirt such as pet hairs. An object of the invention is to provide a cleaning device which is capable of dealing with, for example, pet hairs and which can be used in conjunction with existing cleaning appliances such as a vacuum cleaner. With this object in view the present invention provides a cleaning appliance comprising a support for a cleaning head attached to the support, the support forming a handle or being provided with a handle and the cleaning head having a plurality of spaced-apart protrusions which serve to effect cleaning of surfaces against which the cleaning head of the appliance is to be applied. The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the cleaning appliance of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a view comparable with that of Fig. 1 but of a second preferred embodiment of the cleaning appliance of the present invention; and Fig. 3 is an underneath plan view of the embodiment of claim 1 illustrating its cleaning head, the cleaning head of the embodiment of Fig. 2, although not illustrated, being substantially identical. Referring firstly to Fig. 1, in its first preferred embodiment, the cleaning appliance comprises a support 10 being a substantially rectangular block of, for example, wood or plastics. On its upper face 11 the support 10 is provided with a substantially C-shaped handle 12 integral with the support 10 and just large enough to be gripped by an average size human hand. On its lower face 13 the support 10 is provided with a cleaning head in the form of a pad 14 covering the entire lower face 13 and attached thereto by suitable means such as an adhesive. The pad 14 is made of a tough, natural or synthetic rubber or a rubber compound. As can be seen more clearly from Fig. 3, the pad 14 has on its face which is remote from its face attached to the support 10 a plurality of spaced-spart protrusions 15 which are stud-like.The aforesaid stud-like protrusions 15 effect cleaning of a surface against which the appliance is applied, as will be described hereinafter. In the second preferred embodiment of the cleaning appliance which is illustrated in Fig. 2, the construction of the support 10 and the cleaning head which is in the form of a pad 14 are substantially the same as in the first embodiment of the appliance, which first embodiment is intended to be hand held, but instead of the C-shaped handle 12 there is provided on upper face 11 an upstanding dog-leg shaped round tubular portion 17 into which can fit an elongate handle (not shown) to enable the cleaning appliance to be used like a broom. Like the pad 14 of the first preferred embodiment, the pad 14 of the second preferred embodiment has stud-like protrusions 15. Both aforedescribed and illustrated embodiments of the appliance are used by being drawn along the surface e.g. of a carpet, to be cleaned toward the user. The stud-like protrusion 15 engage surface dirt, such as pet hairs, so that said dirt can be brought to one desired spot on the surface whereby in so doing it can be removed more easily therefrom by conventional means such as a vacuum cleaner. It should be noted that it is not intended that the dirt be removed directly from the surface by either of the embodiments appliance of the present invention but rather the preferred embodiment of the cleaning appliance be used in engaging the surface dirt and moving it into a particular desired spot on the surface whereby it can be readily picked up by conventional means. The main advantages of the cleaning appliance of the invention is that it has a simple construction, there being no moving parts, it is simple and easy to use and furthermore does not require any power source either internal or external. The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing and variations may be made thereto within the scope of the invention. Thus, for example, the protrusions on the pad forming the cleaning head may be rib-like instead of stud-like, or a combination of both. CLAIMS

1. A cleaning appliance comprising a support for a cleaning head attached to the support, the support forming a handle or being provided with a handle and the cleaning head having a plurality of spacedapart protrusions which serve to effect cleaning of surfaces against which the cleaning head of the appliance is to be applied.

2. An appliance as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support is substantially flat and rectangular, having on its upper face the handle, and on its lowerface the cleaning head.

3. An appliance as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the handle is substantially C-shaped and is integral with the support.

4. An appliance as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wheein the upper face of the support is provided with an upstanding dog-leg shaped round tubular portion into which can fit an elongate handle.

5. An appliance as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the plurality of spaced-apart protrusions are stud-like.

6. An- appliance as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the spaced-apart protrusions are riblike.

7. A cleaning appliance substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.