Cleaning device
AssigneeWinston Products LLC
InventorsWinston H. Breeden, III, Andrew J. Carcioppolo, Robert C. Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cleaning device having a cleaning head assembly and a handle assembly is provided. The assemblies are removably attached to one another by a locking 5 mechanism that includes a female attachment portion having a receptacle and being affixed to a cleaning head, and a male attachment portion having a locking projection and being affixed to a handle and adapted for removable engagement with the female attachment portion. The locking projection on the male attachment portion is biased to engage the receptacle in the female attachment portion so as to 10 releaseably lock the cleaning head and the handle together.
Claims20
A locking mechanism for the removable attachment of a cleaning head to a handle, the locking mechanism including:
- a female attachment portion affixed to the cleaning head and having a first axially extending cavity extending longitudinally in an insertion direction, and a receptacle extending through a wall of the female attachment portion, wherein an axis extends through the receptacle perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
- and
- a male attachment portion having a first portion configured to be received in the first axially extending cavity of the female attachment portion for removable engagement with the female attachment portion, and a second portion configured to be attached to the handle, the first portion having a front face with longitudinally extending walls having respective first and second ends and a longitudinally extending locking projection between the longitudinally extending walls and spaced therefrom to define a longitudinal gap between each longitudinally extending wall and a respective side of the longitudinally extending locking projection, the locking projection being resiliently deflectable in a deflection direction parallel to the axis and perpendicular to the insertion direction to engage the receptacle in the female attachment portion so as to releaseably lock the cleaning head and the handle together,
- wherein the locking projection has a fixed end proximate the first ends of the longitudinally extending walls, a free end, and a radially outwardly projecting catch proximate the free end that engages the receptacle, and
- wherein the free end is longitudinally spaced from the second ends of the longitudinally extending walls to form an axially opening recess between the longitudinally extending walls that opens from the second ends of the longitudinally extending walls to the free end.
A cleaning device including a cleaning head, a handle, and a locking mechanism for the removable attachment of the cleaning head to the handle, the locking mechanism including:
- a female attachment portion affixed to the cleaning head and having a first axially extending cavity extending longitudinally in an insertion direction, and a receptacle extending through a wall of the female attachment portion, wherein an axis extends through the receptacle perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
- a male attachment portion having a first end adapted to be received in the first axially extending cavity, a second end, a ledge between the first and second ends having a first and second side, a first portion defined between the ledge and the first end, a second portion defined between the ledge and the second end, and a second axially extending cavity in the second portion opening to the second end, the first portion having a locking projection engageable with the receptacle to releaseably lock the male attachment portion to the female attachment portion;
- and
- a cap removably secured by a fastener to the male attachment portion,
- wherein the first side of the ledge is configured to abut an end of the female attachment portion, and
- wherein the handle extends through the second and third axially extending cavities.
A locking mechanism for the removable attachment of a cleaning head to a handle, the locking mechanism including:
- a female attachment portion affixed to the cleaning head and having a first axially extending cavity extending longitudinally in an insertion direction, and a receptacle extending through a wall of the female attachment portion, wherein an axis extends through the receptacle perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
- and
- a male attachment portion having a first portion configured to be received in the first axially extending cavity of the female attachment portion for removable engagement with the female attachment portion, and a second portion configured to be attached to the handle, the first portion having a front face with longitudinally extending walls having respective first and second ends and a longitudinally extending locking projection between the longitudinally extending walls and spaced therefrom to define a longitudinal gap between each longitudinally extending wall and a respective side of the longitudinally extending locking projection, the locking projection being resiliently deflectable in a deflection direction parallel to the axis and perpendicular to the insertion direction to engage the receptacle in the female attachment portion so as to releaseably lock the cleaning head and the handle together,
- wherein the locking projection has a fixed end proximate the first ends of the longitudinally extending walls, a free end, and a radially outwardly projecting catch projecting from an upper surface of the locking projection proximate the free end to engage the receptacle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.