US 6,634,052 B2 · Apparatus for remotely cleaning interior walls of tanks from the tank exterior

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning liquid-filled tanks, e.g., aquariums, includes an inner cleaning assembly which moves across the interior wall of the tank and an outer cleaning assembly which moves across the exterior wall of the tank. The inner and outer cleaning assembly are magnetically attracted to each other so that manipulation of the outer cleaning assembly results in corresponding motion of the inner cleaning assembly. The inner cleaning assembly bears a cleaning pad which moves across the tank wall to clean matter therefrom. The inner cleaning assembly is buoyant so that interruption of the magnetic engagement between the inner and outer cleaning assemblies results in the inner cleaning assembly floating to the top of the liquid-filled tank for easier retrieval. One or more accessory attachment members may be provided, each of which is removably attachable to the inner cleaning assembly, and these may bear scrapers and/or coarser or finer cleaning pads so as to allow the inner cleaning assembly to be adapted for desired cleaning operations.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A tank cleaning apparatus comprising:

a. a first cleaning assembly having a cleaning pad situated thereon, the cleaning pad being made of scrubbing material, the first cleaning assembly being buoyant when placed in water;
b. a second cleaning assembly having a sliding pad situated thereon;
c. at least one accessory attachment member bearing hook-and-loop material, the accessory attachment member being configured to engage to the cleaning pad of the first cleaning assembly, wherein;
(1) one of the first and second cleaning assemblies includes a magnet,
(2) the other of the first and second cleaning assemblies includes magnetically attractable material arranged in such a manner that the cleaning pad is pulled toward the sliding pad when the cleaning pad and sliding pad are in close proximity, and
(3) the accessory attachment member, when engaged to the cleaning pad of the first cleaning assembly, is situated between the cleaning pad of the first cleaning assembly and the sliding pad of the second cleaning assembly when the cleaning pad and sliding pad are magnetically attracted into close proximity.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for remotely cleaning interior walls of tanks from the tank exterior

Life of this patent

Apparatus for remotely cleaning interior walls of tanks from the tank exterior

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26