CLEANING DABBER FOR A BATTERY/POD SECTION OF AN ELECTRONIC VAPING DEVICE

Abstract

A cleaning tool that includes a handle and an absorbent material attached to a base to a base of the handle. The handle has a stem, a release ring and a holder. The stem separates the base from the release ring. The release ring is wider than the stem and spaces apart the stem from the holder. The holder has opposite faces with concave curvature. An absorbent material is secured to an underside of the base and may be either dry or wetted with alcohol.

Claims

1. A cleaning tool, comprising: a handle having a holder, a release ring, a stem and a base, the release ring being wider than the stem, and separating the handle from the stem, the stem extending between the release ring and the base; and an absorbent material secured to the base of the handle.

2. The cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein the absorbent material has two channels spaced apart that pass through the absorbent material, the base having two channels in alignment with the two channels of the absorbent material.

3. The cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein the holder has opposite faces, at least one of the opposite faces having concave curvature.

4. The cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein the absorbent material is soaked with alcohol.

5. The cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein the absorbent material is dry.

6. The cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein the release ring has a circular periphery.

7. The cleaning tool of claim 1., wherein the base and the absorbent material have respective peripheries in alignment with each other in their respective entireties.

8. The cleaning tool of claim 7, wherein each of the respective peripheries include pairs of parallel opposite sides.

9. The cleaning tool of claim 1, in combination with a pod section or battery section of a vaping device, the pod section or battery section defining an interior dimension and shape of an inner periphery that corresponds with an exterior dimension and shape of an outer periphery of the absorbent material.

10. A method of cleaning with a cleaning tool, comprising the steps of: inserting an absorbent material within confines of a pod section or battery section of a vaping device, the absorbent material being secured to a base of a handle, the handle also having a holder, a release ring, a stem and a base, the release ring being wider than the stem and separating the handle from the stem, the stem extending between the release ring and the base, the pod section or battery section of the vaping device defining an inner periphery, the absorbent material having an exterior periphery that corresponds in dimension and shape to the inner periphery of the pod section or battery section of the vaping device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of; removing the absorbent material from the confines of the pod section or battery section of the vaping device by exerting a pulling forced on the release ring, the absorbent material being soaked with alcohol; and inserting dry absorbent material into the confines of the pod section or battery section of the vaping device, the dry absorbent material being secured to a base of a further handle, the dry absorbent material having an exterior periphery that corresponds in dimension and shape to the inner periphery of the pod section or battery section of the vaping device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising: removing contents of the pod section or the battery section of the vaping device before inserting the absorbent material, wherein the contents being a pod within the pod section or a battery within the battery section.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of: enveloping pins of the pod section or battery section within confines of the respective pair of channels in the absorbent material as a result of the step of inserting.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of: applying pressure to opposite faces of the holder during the inserting, at least one of the opposite faces having concave curvature.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings, while the scope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims.

[0020] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a cleaning tool in accordance with the invention, but without an absorbent material.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a top view thereof.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a front view thereof that is symmetric to the rear thereof.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a left side view thereof that is symmetric to a right side view thereof.

[0024] FIG. 5 is a bottom view thereof.

[0025] FIG. 6 is a front view of two cleaning tools thereof each having an absorbent material, with one being a dry dabber cleaning tool and the other being an alcohol dabber cleaning tool.

[0026] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the alcohol dabber of FIG. 6 in position for insertion into an exposed battery section of a vaping device to wet clean the same.

[0027] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the dry dabber of FIG. 6 in position for insertion into the exposed battery section of the vaping device to dry clean the same after wet cleaning with the alcohol dabber has finished.

[0028] FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a portion of the vaping device that is ready to use after cleaning is complete with the cleaning tools of FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0029] FIG. 10 is a front view of two cleaning tools as in FIG. 6, but without holes in absorbent material.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0030] FIGS. 1-5 show a cleaning tool 10 without its absorbent material. The cleaning tool includes a base 12, a stem 14, a release ring 16 and a spoon-like holder 18. The base 12 has two spaced channels 20. The spoon-like holder 18 has opposite faces with at least one of the two faces having concave curvature. The release ring 16 has a circular periphery. The stem 14 is cylindrical in shape. The base 12 has a rectangular cross section.

[0031] FIG. 6 depicts an alcohol dabber cleaning tool 22 and a dry dabber cleaning tool 24 each of whose base 12 is equipped with an absorbent material 26 secured to the underside of the respective base 12. The absorbent material has a rectangular cross section that matches the dimension of the base 12.

[0032] Each cleaning tool 22, 24 is configured with exact measurements to get into the spaces that oil tends to fall into, namely, the cracks between the battery shell and the inner brain attached. In contrast, a conventional Q-tip cotton swab, because of its shape, makes it hard to reach those places. The alcohol dabber cleaning tool 22 and the dry dabber cleaning tool 24 are of identical construction, except that the absorbent material 26 for the alcohol dabber cleaning tool 22 is saturated with alcohol and the absorbent material 26 for the dry dabber cleaning tool 24 is dry.

[0033] The top round part of the spoon-like holder 18 has functionality as a holder and also the release ring 16 between the stem 14 and the spoon like holder 18 aids in pulling the alcohol dabber cleaning tool 22 or dry dabber cleaning tool 24 out of the device.

[0034] Instructions for use:

[0035] Referring to FIG. 6: [0036] Step 1take the alcohol dabber cleaning tool and the dry dabber cleaning tool out of their common retail package (not shown) that contains them.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 7: [0038] Step 2insert the alcohol dabber cleaning tool 22 in the battery section or pod compartment 30 gently. [0039] Step 3move the alcohol dabber cleaning tool 22 to the right and left and up and down while in the compartment. [0040] Step 4remove the alcohol dabber cleaning tool 22 from the compartment, dispose of it.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 8: [0042] Step 5insert the dry dabber cleaning tool 24 into the battery section or pod compartment 30. Move right and leftup and down gently. [0043] Step 6remove the dry dabber cleaning tool 24 and dispose of it.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 9: [0045] Step 7place a pod 32 into the pod compartment 30 for use.

[0046] The alcohol dabber cleaning tool 22 and the dry dabber cleaning tool 24 cover the entire inner battery surface area without moving it around when each is separately inserted. Since they fit in exactly in the pod placement compartment and are dedicated to cleaning the electronic vaping device. There is no need to move it around inside. By having the ring around the handle it makes for ease to just pull the dabber out of the battery.

[0047] Preferably, the materials used are as follows. For the holder 18, release ring, 16 stem 14 and base 12, making them in one-piece construction of hard plastic, preferably molded. For the cotton part of the absorbent material for the dabber, two forms of material may be used. The alcohol dabber, which contains rubbing alcohol, is using an absorbent cotton so to hold the alcohol in place. The dry dabber contains a bounty quick absorbent material.

[0048] The holder 18, release ring 16, stem 14 and base 12 are initially molded into one-piece construction, preferably with a suitable mold form. Thereafter, two adhesive epoxies are used to place the alcohol soaked swab on the base surface area and the dry bounty style material on the base area.

[0049] The structure of the alcohol dabber cleaning tool 22 and the dry dabber cleaning tool 24 is measured to fit the battery chamber of the vaping device 30 exactly. Each has a small inverted handle (base 12, stem 14, spoon-like holder 18) with release ring 16 to make it easy to handle. Cotton, foam bottom attached with adhesive as the absorbent material 26 for dabbing, and absorbing the entire area to get the metal connections from a pod and the battery tips to be cleaner than what is attained conventionally, which does not fully clean the area.

[0050] With reference to FIG. 6, the two channels 20 in the base 12 are in alignment with two channels 28 through the absorbent material 26. The channels 28, 20 accommodate insertion of respective pins that are within the battery section of the vaping device. Both the base 12 and the absorbent material 26 have pairs of parallel opposite sides that define their respective peripheries and align with each other. However, the two channels 20 in the base 12 and the two channels 28 in the base of the tool are optional and may be dispensed with entirely. For instance, the absorbent material 26 may have no through going channels at all as shown in FIG. 10 and the base of the dabber cleaning tools 22, 24 may be flat or recessed with no channels. The absorbent material 26 may envelop the pins to clean them as they are inserted into the battery section of the vaping device.

[0051] While the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiments of the present invention, various changes and modifications made be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.