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US 12,677,931 B2Granted
Cleaning assembly
AssigneeThe Clorox Company
InventorsKeith Alsberg, Russell E. Bell, Benjamin Ma, Julia Byrne
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a cleaning assembly having a handle and head portion. The head portion may be coupled to the handle portion. The coupling or engagement may include a fitment formed on or with the head portion and a collet assembly provided with a handle portion.
Claims21
A cleaning tool assembly comprising:
- a. an elongated handle extending from a first end to a second end having an external second end surface;
- b. an actuation assembly housed within the elongated handle and configured to be operated by a user;
- C. a cleaning head having a fitment, the fitment comprising,
- i. a base having a first surface configured to contact a cleaning substrate and a second opposed surface,
- ii. a connection member extending from the second opposed surface of the base having a base connection portion that connects the connection member to the base;
- and
- iii. a proximal surface opposite the base connection portion that contacts a selected portion of the actuation assembly;
- and
- d. a collet having (i) an expandable collar configured to selectively couple to the connection member or decouple from the connection member by movement of the actuation assembly and (ii) defining a central axis;
- wherein the actuation assembly is moveable within the elongated handle to move the collet to selectively couple the fitment in a coupled configuration or decouple the fitment in a decoupled configuration;
- wherein the collet is biased in the decoupled configuration;
- wherein the external second end surface defines an internal angle less than 90 degrees relative to the central axis;
- wherein the cleaning head is configured to tilt relative to the elongated handle such that at least the second opposed surface is configured to move from about 1 degree to about 50 degrees relative to the external second end surface and the cleaning head is configured to rotate relative to the elongated handle when selectively coupled.
10 more elements
A cleaning tool assembly comprising:
- a. an elongated handle extending from a first end to a second end having an external second end surface;
- b. a cleaning head having a fitment, the fitment comprising,
- i. a base having a first surface configured to contact a cleaning substrate and a second opposed surface,
- ii. a connection member having an outer surface portion, wherein the outer surface portion extends from a base connection portion that connects the connection member to the base;
- and
- iii. a proximal end surface opposite the base connection portion;
- c. an actuation assembly housed within the elongated handle and configured to be operated by a user;
- and
- d. a collet with an expandable collar configured to selectively couple to the connection member or decouple from the connection member by movement of the actuation assembly, wherein the collet defines a central axis;
- wherein the collet is moveable within the elongated handle to selectively couple the fitment in a coupled configuration or decouple the fitment in a decoupled configuration;
- wherein the collet is biased in the decoupled configuration;
- wherein the actuation assembly is moveable within the elongated handle to move the collet to selectively decouple the fitment;
- wherein the cleaning head is configured to tilt relative to the central axis such that at least the second opposed surface is configured to move from about 1 degree to about 50 degrees relative to the external second end surface and the cleaning head is configured to rotate relative to the collet in the coupled configuration.
10 more elements
A cleaning tool assembly comprising:
- a. an elongated handle having at least two selectively couplable portions including a separate proximal portion having a first proximal end and a first distal end and a separate distal portion having a second proximal end and a second distal end, wherein the separate proximal portion at the first proximal end is selectively coupled to the separate distal portion at the second distal end at a connection portion, wherein the elongated handle in an assembled configuration extends from the first proximal end to the second distal end;
- b. a cleaning head having a fitment, the fitment comprising,
- i. a base having a first surface configured to contact a cleaning substrate and a second opposed surface,
- ii. a connection member having a substantially spherical outer surface portion and a planar end surface, wherein the substantially spherical outer surface portion extends from a base connection portion, wherein the base connection portion connects the connection member to the second opposed surface such that the planar end surface is opposite the base connection portion;
- c. an actuation assembly housed only within the distal portion of the elongated handle and configured to be operated by a user, wherein the actuation assembly comprises a latch and a biasing member;
- and
- d. an engagement member with an expandable collet configured to selectively couple to the connection member in a coupled configuration or decouple from the connection member in a decoupled configuration by movement of the actuation assembly;
- wherein the collet includes (i) at least a first finger and a second finger that are formed in a biased decoupled configuration and (ii) a spur extending toward a central axis to engage the planar end surface in the coupled configuration;
- wherein an exterior surface of at least the first finger and the second finger engage an internal surface of the elongated handle to achieve the coupled configuration;
- wherein the cleaning head is operable to rotate and tilt relative to the central axis when the collet is in the coupled configuration and coupled to the fitment;
- wherein the actuation assembly is moveable only within the distal portion of the elongated handle to move the engagement member to selectively decouple the fitment by releasing the latch to allow the biasing member to move the engagement member to a decoupled configuration;
- wherein the actuation assembly comprises a plunger configured and moveable to engage the connection member.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.