Cleaning device for smooth surfaces

Abstract

A cleaning device for smooth surfaces is described, comprising a main body (10) of which at least one side is formed with a cleaning surface (11), and a liquid reservoir (20) arranged in the main body (10), at the first end (21) of which a spray head (23) projecting from the main body (10) is arranged. The invention was based on the objective of providing a cleaning device that effectively reduces the risk of the spray head (23) colliding with the surface to be cleaned during use. According to the invention, the liquid reservoir (20) extends through the main body (10) and is accessible from a second end (22) opposite the first end (21).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cleaning device according to the features in the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Such cleaning devices are used primarily for cleaning smooth surfaces, such as glass or painted surfaces. Due to their self-contained operation, no additional cleaning agents or water are required, and the amount of liquid used is relatively small, allowing cleaning of the inside of vehicle windows or the displays of electronic devices, for example, without the risk of water damage.

[0003] DE 10 2020 117 922 A1 represents relevant prior art and describes a cleaning pad for treating surfaces. The cleaning pad comprises an elastically deformable core surrounded by a cleaning cover. A container with a storage compartment and a neck protruding from the cleaning pad is inserted into the core, into which a spray head can be detachably attached. For cleaning purposes, a cleaning agent is sprayed onto the surface to be cleaned using the spray head, which is then wiped off with the cleaning cover. The cleaning agent is refilled by removing the spray head from the neck of the container.However, it has proven to be disadvantageous that the spray head protrudes far out from the cleaning pad due to the detachable attachment to the neck of the container and, if the pad is deformed unevenly, often tilts towards the surface to be cleaned, which can lead to scratches on the surface to be cleaned and unpleasant noises during cleaning.

[0004] Consequently, the object of the invention was to provide a cleaning device which effectively reduces the risk of collision of the spray head with the surface to be cleaned during use.

[0005] The object is achieved according to the invention with the features of claim 1. The main body serves to carry out the actual cleaning and has at least one side with a cleaning surface. The cleaning surface can be made of a nonwoven fabric, for example, based on polyamide and / or polyurethane, a velour and / or terry cloth fabric, or a knitted fabric. It is particularly advantageous if the cleaning surface is made of a dirt-absorbing microfiber material.

[0006] The liquid reservoir is permanently inserted into the main body and protrudes from it at a first end with its spray head. The liquid reservoir is also accessible from an opposite, second end for the purpose of refilling with a cleaning agent or solvent. It is preferred that the second end of the liquid reservoir has a refill opening sealed by a releasable closure element. The releasable closure element is, for example, a plug that can be inserted into the refill opening or a screw cap.

[0007] Due to the spatial separation of the spray head and refill opening at the opposite first and second ends of the fluid reservoir, both components can be designed more compactly and are located within the outer contour of the main body defined by the cleaning surface. This reduces the risk of damage to the surface being cleaned by the spray head or the closure element of the refill opening.

[0008] The closure element can, in particular, have a laterally projecting edge, the side of which, facing the liquid reservoir, rests flat against the main body when the closure element is inserted. This results in the advantage of a closure element that is particularly compact in the axial direction of the liquid reservoir. To release the closure element, the usually softer main body can be pushed back in the immediate vicinity of the closure element, and the closure element can be gripped behind at its laterally projecting edge.

[0009] Advantageously, the spray head is attached to the first end of the fluid reservoir. Refilling the cleaning agent or solvent occurs via the refill opening at the second end, allowing the spray head to remain permanently attached to the fluid reservoir. This has the advantage that no threads or detachable sleeves are required between the spray head and the fluid reservoir, resulting in a particularly short length of the spray head protruding from the main body.

[0010] The main body expediently comprises a support cushion and an outer shell surrounding it. The support cushion can, for example, comprise a permanently elastic, open-cell soft foam, such as polyurethane soft foam, or a soft foam-nonwoven material combination. The support cushion can also be made in the form of a loose granulate or from a block. A material mix can also, for example, comprise at least two soft material layers, one of which is made of soft foam and the other of a textile material, such as cushioning cotton fleece. Silicone foam or viscose foam can also be used as the soft foam.

[0011] The outer shell preferably surrounds the support pad on all sides, with the cleaning surface being an integral part of the outer shell. The outer shell is generally made of a flexible fabric and / or film, such as synthetic leather, PVC foam film, and / or polymerization products without a carrier layer. In its initial state, without external forces, the outer shell should fit snugly and wrinkle-free against the support pad, without being firmly or firmly bonded to it.

[0012] The support cushion has a receiving opening that extends completely through it, into which the fluid reservoir is inserted. The fluid reservoir is thus completely surrounded by the support cushion in its circumferential direction, making it particularly resistant to breakage.

[0013] Advantageously, the liquid reservoir is flush with the support cushion at the first and / or second end. This means that the length of the liquid reservoir is determined by the length of the support cushion, so that the length of the spray head and / or closure element protruding from the main body is further minimized.

[0014] According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the support pad and the liquid reservoir are integrally connected to one another. This prevents the liquid reservoir from migrating into the support pad when the spray head is activated or the closure element is removed. This displacement prevents the spray head or closure element from protruding so far from the main body that it could cause a collision, for example, with the surface to be cleaned.

[0015] The receiving opening within the support cushion can, in particular, have an inner diameter that is dimensioned complementarily to the outer diameter of the fluid reservoir. In a simple embodiment, the receiving opening and the fluid reservoir have a cylindrical cross-section. The outer diameter of the fluid reservoir should essentially correspond to the inner diameter of the receiving opening so that the support cushion fits as evenly as possible against the fluid reservoir. This, in turn, can reduce or even completely eliminate the amount of adhesive required between the fluid reservoir and the support cushion.

[0016] Preferably, two opposing through-openings are formed in the outer shell, which are aligned with the receiving opening of the support pad and / or the liquid reservoir. The purpose of the two through-openings is to allow the spray head to be guided out of the main body through the corresponding through-opening at the first end of the liquid reservoir and the closure element to be guided out of the main body through the corresponding through-opening at the second end.

[0017] Advantageously, the outer shell is formed from the cleaning surface and a holding surface engaging therewith in the circumferential direction, with the opposing openings formed in the holding surface. The holding surface can, in principle, be constructed in the same way as the cleaning surface. However, the holding surface is preferably made of a material with low water absorption, which, on the one hand, ensures the user's fingers are as dry as possible and, on the other hand, is particularly well-suited for the permanent printing of advertising information. Synthetic leather (imitation leather) is particularly suitable for this purpose.

[0018] For a better understanding, the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to two figures. FIG. 1: a plan view of a cleaning device from the side of the holding surface and FIG. 2: a longitudinal section through the section plane AA in FIG. 1 .

[0019] The FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the cleaning device according to the invention with a main body 10 comprising an internal support cushion 12 and an outer shell 13 enclosing the cushion. The support cushion 12 is, in particular, an elastic element such as a foam or sponge. The cleaning device has a substantially cuboid shape with oppositely tapered, opposite side edges. The cuboid shape and the maximum dimensions of the cleaning device are determined by the internal support cushion 12, which holds the outer shell 13 in a largely tensioned state.

[0020] The outer shell 13 has a holding surface 16 visible in the image plane, which, during operation, faces the operator's hand and away from the surface to be cleaned. The holding surface 16 is made of a waterproof material, such as synthetic leather, and serves particularly as a printable surface for advertising information.

[0021] In a peripheral edge area of ​​the main body 10, a cleaning surface 11 (see FIG. 2 ) is permanently attached, which is formed in particular from a cleaning cloth, particularly preferably a microfiber cloth or fleece. By means of the cleaning surface 11, a contact-based frictional movement takes place over the surface to be cleaned. The connecting seam 17 is arranged equidistantly between the cleaning surface 11 and the holding surface 16 and completely surrounds the main body 10 in the circumferential direction.

[0022] A liquid reservoir 20 is inserted into the main body 10, in which a cleaning or solvent is held, which can be dispensed onto a surface to be cleaned via a spray head 23 arranged at a first end 21. The cleaning or solvent is refilled via a refill opening 26 located at a second end 22, which can be sealed by means of a closure element 24 releasably engaging the liquid reservoir 20.

[0023] In order to minimize the risk of collision of the cleaning device, in particular with the surface to be cleaned, during cleaning work, the spray head 23 is projected over by at least one front end section 10a of the main body 10 in the axial extension of the liquid reservoir 20.

[0024] The liquid reservoir 20 is completely accommodated by the main body 10. A receiving opening 14 is formed in the support cushion 12 and extends completely through the support cushion 12. The receiving opening 14 has an inner diameter ∅ I that approximately corresponds to the outer diameter ∅ A of the liquid reservoir 20, so that the support cushion 12 conforms to the liquid reservoir 20 over its entire axial length and is thus permanently connected to it, in particular by adhesive bonding. The liquid reservoir 20 is provided as a tube with a cylindrical cross-section that is constant over its entire axial length. This cross-section can be particularly well matched to the complementarily shaped receiving opening 14.

[0025] At the first end 21 and the opposite, second end 22, the liquid reservoir 20 is flush with the support cushion 12, as can be seen particularly well in the illustration of the FIG. 2can be seen. In the axial extension of the liquid reservoir 20, passage openings 15 are formed in the outer shell 13 at the first and second ends 21, 22, in particular on the side of the holding surface 16. Both the spray head 23 and the closure element 24 protrude from the outer shell 13 through the respective passage opening 15 and can thus be actuated by an operator.

[0026] To facilitate gripping of the closure element 24, its edge 25 protrudes laterally beyond the outer diameter ∅ A of the liquid reservoir 20. The closure element 24 is inserted into the liquid reservoir 20 until the edge 25 contacts the holding surface 16. This ensures that the closure element 24 protrudes laterally beyond the main body 10, reducing the risk of collision, for example, with the surface to be cleaned.

[0027] To minimize the risk of collision of the cleaning device, particularly with the surface to be cleaned, during cleaning operations, the closure element 24 is also projected beyond by at least one rear end section 10b of the main body 10 in the axial extension of the liquid reservoir 20. In a plan view of the cleaning device, no components of the liquid reservoir 20, in particular the spray head 23 and / or the closure element 24, protrude beyond an outer contour 18 of the main body 10. The outer contour 18 follows the course of the connecting seam 17 between the cleaning surface 11 and the holding surface 16. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0028] 10Main body 10Front end section(s) of main body 10Rear end section(s) of main body 11Cleaning surface 12Support pad 13Outer shell 14Support pad receiving opening 15Outer shell through opening 16Holding surface 17Connecting seam 18Outer contour of main body 20Liquid reservoir 21First end of liquid reservoir 22Second end of liquid reservoir 23Spray head 24Closing element 25Edge of closing element 26Refill opening ∅ A Outer diameter of liquid reservoir ∅ I Inner diameter of receiving opening

Claims

1. A cleaning device for smooth surfaces, comprising a main body (10), at least one side of which is formed with a cleaning surface (11), and a liquid reservoir (20) arranged in the main body (10), at the first end (21) of which a spray head (23) projecting relative to the main body (10) is arranged, characterized by that the liquid reservoir (20) extends through the main body (10) and is accessible from a second end (22) opposite the first end (21).

2. Cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second end (22) of the liquid reservoir (20) has a refill opening (26) sealed by means of a releasable closure element (24).

3. Cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in thatthe closure element (24) has a laterally projecting edge (25), the side of which facing the liquid reservoir (20) lies flat against the main body (10) when the closure element (24) is inserted.

4. Cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the spray head (23) is attached to the first end (21) of the liquid reservoir (20).

5. Cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the main body (10) comprises a support cushion (12) and an outer shell (13) surrounding it.

6. Cleaning device according to claim 5, characterized in that in the support cushion (12) a receiving opening (14) is formed which completely penetrates the support cushion (12) and into which the liquid reservoir (20) is inserted.

7. Cleaning device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in thatthe liquid reservoir (20) is flush with the support cushion (12) at the first and / or second end (21, 22).

8. Cleaning device according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the support cushion (12) and the liquid reservoir (20) are integrally connected to one another.

9. Cleaning device according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the receiving opening (14) has an inner diameter (∅ I ) which is complementary to the outer diameter (∅ A ) of the liquid reservoir (20).

10. Cleaning device according to one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that two opposite passage openings (15) are formed in the outer shell (13), which are aligned with the receiving opening (14) of the carrier cushion (12) and / or the liquid reservoir (20).

11. Cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in thatthe outer shell (13) is formed from the cleaning surface (11) and a holding surface (16) engaging thereon in the circumferential direction, wherein the opposite passage openings (15) are formed in the holding surface (16).

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