Cleaning cartridge and handling unit for cleaning system
AssigneeDakota Supplies, Inc.
InventorsVaughan Payne, Deborah Humphries
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cleaning cartridge and a handling unit of a cleaning system are provided. The cleaning cartridge comprises an outer housing having a mouth; a cap for sealing the housing at the mouth; a stiffening component attached to the cap; and a cleaning element attached to the stiffening component, and the cartridge is receivable in and dispensable from the handling unit; the stiffening component has a compact position and an expanded position, and in the compact position, the stiffening component and cleaning element fit into the housing and the housing is sealable by the cap; and in the expanded position, the stiffening component expands the cleaning element to provide a cleaning surface.
Claims41
A cleaning cartridge loadable into and dispensable from a handling unit having a loading mechanism and/or dispensing mechanism, the cleaning cartridge comprising:
- an outer housing having an inner surface defining a chamber and a mouth providing open access to the chamber;
- a cap for sealing the outer housing at the mouth;
- a stiffening component attached to the cap, the stiffening component having a compressed position and an extended position;
- and
- a cleaning element attached to the stiffening component, wherein in the compressed position, the stiffening component and cleaning element are compacted to fit into the chamber, and wherein in the extended position, the stiffening component extends to expand the cleaning element to provide a cleaning surface, and
- the cleaning cartridge having closed position, wherein the stiffening component and cleaning element are disposed in the chamber in the compressed position and the cap is removably attached to the outer housing to seal same at the mouth;
- and
- an open position, wherein the cap is detached from the outer housing and the stiffening component is released from the outer housing into the extended position.
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A handling unit for storing, activating, dispensing, using, and/or disposing one or more cleaning cartridges, the one or more cleaning cartridges each comprising a cap removably attached to an outer housing, the handling unit comprising:
- a tubular member having a first end, a second end, a primary channel extending between the first end and second end;
- an outlet opening at or near the second end providing open access to the primary channel;
- an outer sleeve positioned at or near the outlet opening, the outer sleeve comprising:
- an inner surface defining an inner bore, an outer surface, a loading mechanism, and a dispensing mechanism,
- wherein the loading mechanism, when activated, allows the one or more cleaning cartridges to be loaded into the primary channel via the outlet opening and allows an outermost cleaning cartridge to transition from a storage position to a ready position, and
- wherein the dispensing mechanism, when activated, disengages and releases the outermost cleaning cartridge.
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A handling unit for storing, activating, using, and/or disposing a cleaning cartridge having a cap removably attached to an outer housing, the handling unit comprising:
- a tubular member having a first end and a second end;
- an outlet opening at or near the second end;
- an outer sleeve positioned at or near the outlet opening, the outer sleeve comprising:
- an inner surface defining an inner bore, an outer surface, and a dispensing mechanism,
- wherein the dispensing mechanism, when activated, allows the cleaning cartridge to be loaded into the inner bore of the outer sleeve via the outlet opening;
- when deactivated, is configured to retain the cleaning cartridge in a ready position;
- and, when activated, disengages and releases the cleaning cartridge.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.