# US 11,609,044 B2 · Liquid removal device with absorber drum and related methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,609,044 B2 - Document ID: US11609044B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/375,673 - Filed: 2021-07-14 - Published: 2022-01-20 - Granted: 2023-03-21 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-14 - Assignees: Clevertivity LLC - Applicants: Clevertivity LLC - Inventors: Justin Stewart - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11609044B2 ## CPC - F26B 5/16: by contact with sorbent bodies, e.g. absorbent mould; by admixture with sorbent materials - A61J 15/0011: {Feeding-tubes for delivery of nourishment to the mouth; Mouth pieces therefor (breast-nipple shields A61J13/00; mouth pieces for drinking straws A47G21/185; straws to take medicine A61J7/0038, mouthpieces for tracheal tubes A61M16/0488)} - A61J 15/0076: {Feeding pumps (A61M1/00, A61M5/142, A61M25/1018 take precedence)} - E01H 1/108: {Removing liquids or semi- liquids, e.g. absorbing rain water, sucking-off mud (in road washing machines E01H1/103; in snow melting E01H5/108; applying absorbing agents on oil or the like E01H1/001; constructional measures for draining roads E01C11/224)} - F26B 9/003: {Small self-contained devices, e.g. portable} - F26B 19/005: {Self-contained mobile devices, e.g. for agricultural produce (movable devices with radiation means F26B3/28; small self-contained devices for drying objects at rest F26B9/003)} - F26B 25/16: mainly closed, e.g. drum - F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27) - A61J: CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE - E01H: STREET CLEANING; CLEANING OF PERMANENT WAYS; CLEANING BEACHES; DISPERSING {OR PREVENTING} FOG IN GENERAL {CLEANING STREET OR RAILWAY FURNITURE OR TUNNEL WALLS}(cleaning in general B08B) ## Abstract A liquid removal device is for removing a liquid from a surface. The liquid removal device includes a chassis comprising a handle and an absorber drum and an extractor drum both rotationally coupled with the chassis. The absorber drum includes a cylinder, where an absorbent layer is positioned on an outer drum surface of the absorber drum. The extractor drum includes a reservoir configured to retain the liquid absorbed from the surface, an outer extractor surface, and a plurality of apertures defined by the outer extractor surface in fluid communication with the reservoir. The extractor drum is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, at least a first portion of the plurality of apertures are in contact with the absorbent layer. In the second position, the first portion of the plurality of apertures are not in contact with the absorbent layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid removal device, the liquid removal device comprising: a chassis, the chassis comprising a handle; an absorber drum rotationally coupled with the chassis, the absorber drum comprising a cylinder having an outer drum surface, wherein an absorbent layer is positioned on the outer drum surface of the absorber drum, the absorber drum configured to absorb a liquid from a surface; and an extractor drum rotationally coupled with the chassis, the extractor drum comprising a reservoir configured to retain the liquid absorbed from the surface, an outer extractor surface, and a plurality of apertures defined by the outer extractor surface in fluid communication with the reservoir, the extractor drum being movable between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position at least a first portion of the plurality of apertures are in contact with the absorbent layer and in the second position the first portion of the plurality of apertures are not in contact with the absorbent layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The liquid removal device of claim 1, wherein, when the extractor drum is in the first position, liquid in a lower portion of the reservoir will not drain out of the reservoir. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The liquid removal device of claim 1, wherein in the first position a first height of a second portion of the plurality of apertures is higher than a second height of the second portion when the extractor drum is in the second position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The liquid removal device of claim 1, wherein, when the extractor drum moves from the first position to the second position, a second portion of the plurality of apertures rotates toward the surface such that the liquid will be gravitationally urged downward and out of the extractor drum. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The liquid removal device of claim 1, wherein the extractor drum rotates from the first position to the second position when the liquid removal device is urged in a rearward direction such that the liquid is released from the reservoir. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The liquid removal device of claim 1, wherein the chassis further comprises a housing defining an interior, wherein the extractor drum and the absorber drum are positioned in the interior of the housing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The liquid removal device of claim 1, further comprising an elastic device coupling the extractor drum to the chassis, wherein the elastic device biases the extractor drum towards the absorber drum. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The liquid removal device of claim 7, wherein the elastic device allows the extractor drum to move away from the absorber drum to allow debris to pass between the extractor drum and the absorber drum. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The liquid removal device of claim 7, further comprising an adjustable bracket coupling the elastic device to the chassis, wherein the adjustable bracket is movable to select between a first tension and a second tension for the elastic device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The liquid removal device of claim 1, wherein the absorbent layer is wound on the absorber drum in a helical configuration, the absorbent layer comprising a first end and a second end, the first end of the absorbent layer coupled to a first end of the absorber drum, and the second end of the absorbent layer coupled to a second end of the absorber drum. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The liquid removal device of claim 10, further comprising a tension mechanism coupling the second end of the absorbent layer to the absorber drum, wherein the tension mechanism is configured to compensate for lengthening of the absorbent layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The liquid removal device of claim 11, wherein the tension mechanism has a first tension when the absorbent layer has a first length, and the tension mechanism has a second tension lower than the first tension when the absorbent layer has a second length longer than the first length. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The liquid removal device of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the plurality of apertures is in a first radial quadrant of the extractor drum and a second portion of the plurality of apertures is in an opposite radial quadrant of the extractor drum. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The liquid removal device of claim 1, wherein the surface is an athletic court. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A method of using the liquid removal device of claim 1, the method comprising: absorbing the liquid from the surface by moving the absorbing drum over the surface in a first direction; and extracting the liquid from the absorbent layer into the reservoir of the extractor drum through at least the first portion of the plurality of apertures. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising draining the liquid from the extractor drum by moving the absorbing drum in a second direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein draining the liquid from the extractor drum comprises moving the extractor drum from a first position to a second position to rotate a second portion of the plurality of apertures toward the surface such that the liquid will be gravitationally urged downward and out of the extractor drum. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the absorbent layer is wound on the absorber drum in a helical configuration, the absorbent layer comprises a first end and a second end, the first end of the absorbent layer coupled to a first end of the absorber drum, and the liquid removal device further comprises a tension mechanism coupling the second end of the absorbent layer to the absorber drum, the method further comprising compensating for the absorbent layer lengthening by adjusting a tension of the tension mechanism. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the liquid removal device further comprises an elastic device coupling the extractor drum to the chassis, wherein the elastic device biases the extractor drum towards the absorber drum, the method further comprising adjusting a tension of the elastic device to change a distance between the absorber drum and the extractor drum. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the liquid removal device further comprises an adjustable bracket coupling the elastic device to the chassis, and adjusting the tension of the elastic device comprises moving the adjustable bracket between a first position and a second position, wherein the tension of the elastic device is different in the first position and the second position.