Window cleaning caddy having a liquid reclaim system

Abstract

A caddy for carrying window cleaning accessories such as squeegees. The caddy can hang from the waistbelt of a user. The caddy can include a lower reservoir portion engaged by an upper sleeve portion. The sleeve loosely engages the oversized brim of the reservoir to form a peripheral drainage gap between the outer surface of the sleeve and the reservoir brim to trap liquids dripping over the outer surface of the sleeve. The caddy can be simply manufactured by a pair of arcuate panels bonded along a peripheral seal to a oblong, outwardly concave back panel to securely rest against a user's upper thigh.

Claims

1. A window cleaning supplies caddy comprises: an oblong, outwardly concave arcuate back panel comprising a top end and a bottom end; an arcuate outwardly convex bucket panel; a substantially U-shaped peripheral seal between said back panel and said bucket panel forming a reservoir near said bottom end; an arcuate, outwardly convex, item-supporting sleeve nested between said bucket panel and said back panel; wherein said sleeve comprises a pair of lateral edges bonded to said peripheral seal; and, wherein said sleeve is shaped and dimensioned to form an arcuate gap between said sleeve and said bucket panel.

2. The caddy of claim 1, which further comprises: said bucket panel having a shape which tapers to become narrower from a top opening toward a closed bottom.

3. The caddy of claim 1, which further comprises: a squeegee; said sleeve having an open top inlet; and, wherein said top inlet is shaped and dimensioned to allow insertion of an arm of said squeegee therethrough.

4. The caddy of claim 3, wherein said open top inlet is bordered by an undulating upper lip shaped and dimensioned to nest a handle of said squeegee therein.

5. The caddy of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of said sleeve comprises a hydrophillic, high water adhesion material for directing a flow of liquid along an outer surface of said sleeve through said arcuate gap.

6. The caddy of claim 1, which further comprises a lateral septum spanning said sleeve.

7. The caddy of claim 1, which further comprises: said back panel being elongated along an axis; said back panel having an axial upper part and an opposite axial lower part; wherein said axial upper part forms a portion of said sleeve, and said axial lower part forms a portion of said bucket.

8. The caddy of claim 1, wherein said reservoir has a substantially semi-conical shape narrowing towards the bottom end.

9. The caddy of claim 1, wherein said sleeve has a bottom outlet spaced apart from said bottom end.

10. The caddy of claim 1, which further comprises: a flexible belt loop formed on said top end.

11. The caddy of claim 10, wherein said bucket is moveable with respect to said flexible belt loop in order to drain liquid from said bucket.

12. A window cleaning supplies caddy comprises: a sleeve elongated along an axis; said sleeve having an open top inlet bordered by a rim, and an open bottom outlet; a bucket having a top opening bordered by a brim and a closed bottom; said top opening being shaped and dimensioned to axially and loosely engage said open bottom outlet; said top opening being further shaped and dimensioned to include a peripheral gap between said sleeve and said brim; and, wherein said bucket is moveable in order to drain liquid from said bucket.

13. e caddy of claim 12, which further comprises: a flexible belt loop rotatively connecting said bucket to a belt worn by a user; said belt loop allowing relative angular movement of said bucket with respect to said belt.

14. A method for carrying a window cleaning squeegee, said method comprises: selecting a body-worn caddy having a sleeve and a bucket loosely engaged by said sleeve to form a gap therebetween; inserting a wet arm of a squeegee through said sleeve and into said bucket; awaiting drips of cleaning liquid to drain off of said squeegee; wherein said awaiting comprises: flowing of said drips over an outer surface of said sleeve, through said gap and into said bucket; and, moving said bucket in order to drain said drips from said bucket.

15. e caddy of claim 14, wherein said moving comprises: rotating said bucket with respect to a flexible belt loop connecting said caddy to a belt worn by a user.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a squeegee caddy according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention carried by a user.

[0044] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the back of the squeegee caddy showing its concave back surface.

[0045] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the caddy of FIG. 1 in the closed, bucket engaged configuration and carrying a squeegee.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic side elevation view of the caddy of FIG. 1 in the closed, bucket engaged configuration.

[0047] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional side view of the caddy of FIG. 1 in the closed, bucket engaged configuration.

[0048] FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the back of the squeegee caddy showing its concave back surface and band of material forming the hinge.

[0049] FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional side view of the hinge in the closed, bucket engaged configuration.

[0050] FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the back of the squeegee caddy in the open, reservoir disengaged configuration.

[0051] FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional side view of the hinge in the open, reservoir disengaged configuration.

[0052] FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic top front right side perspective view of a squeegee caddy according to an alternate exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0053] FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic bottom back left side perspective view of a squeegee caddy of FIG. 10.

[0054] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a method for carrying a squeegee according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0055] In this specification, the references to top, bottom, upward, downward, inward, outward, upper, lower, vertical, horizontal, sideways, lateral, back, front, etc. can be used to provide a clear frame of reference for the various structures with respect to other structures while the caddy is being worn by a user as shown in FIG. 1, and not treated as absolutes when the frame of reference is changed, such as when the caddy is laying on the ground unworn. The term “substantially” is used in this specification because manufacturing imprecision and inaccuracies can lead to non-symmetricity and other inexactitudes in the shape, dimensioning and orientation of various structures. Further, use of “substantially” in connection with certain geometrical shapes and orientations, such as “parallel” and “perpendicular”, can be given as a guide to generally describe the function of various structures, and to allow for slight departures from exact mathematical geometrical shapes and orientations, while providing adequately similar function. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate the degree to which a departure can be made from the mathematically exact geometrical references.

[0056] Referring now to the drawing, there is shown in FIG. 1 a caddy 2 for carrying a squeegee 8 among other items according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The caddy can include an upper fastening rig such as a belt loop 12 which may be laterally engaged by a waist belt 9 worn by a user 1.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 2, the caddy 2 can include an arcuate back panel 10 forming a concave outer rear surface 15 for comfortably and securely nesting against the user's upper leg 17. The back panel can have an oblong, rounded shape extending along a vertical axis 6 between a top end 13 and a bottom end 14, and having a pair of lateral sides 18,19. The belt loop 12 can extend upwardly from the top end.

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the caddy 2 can include an upper portion forming a tubular hollow retaining sleeve 20 and a lower portion forming a liquid trapping bucket 30. The sleeve can be formed by a curved piece of rigid sheet material 21 having its lateral edges 22 (in FIG. 3, the far edge is hidden) attached to and sealed against the front surface of the back panel 10 near its lateral sides 18,19. The inside surfaces of the sleeve can have a layer of waterproof material such as 18 ounce vinyl sheeting. In this way, the sleeve 20 can form a waterproof inner passageway 24 which extends axially between an open top inlet 25 and an open lower outlet 26.

[0059] Part of the top inlet can be bordered by an undulating upper lip 27 while part of the lower outlet can be bordered by a lower lip 28. The upper lip can have a pair of downwardly extending lateral notches 23a, 23b shaped and dimensioned to have a generally rounded shape of a given radius in order to securely nest the typically cylindrical handle 7 of the squeegee 8 therein. The bucket 30 can be formed by a curved piece of rigid sheet material having a shape similar to a partial cone having a curved wall 38 whose lateral and bottom edge 31 is attached to and sealed against the front surface of the back panel 10 near its lateral sides 18,19 and bottom edge 14. The inside surface of the bucket can have a layer of waterproof material such as 18 ounce vinyl sheeting. In this way, the bucket can have a curved top opening 32 bordered by a brim 37 leading to a waterproof internal reservoir 34 which can have a downwardly tapering substantially rounded wedge or conic shape so that the bottom of the reservoir terminates in a narrow pit 33 for capturing the narrow end of a squeegee arm or the end or a mop handle for example. The pit can be laterally dimensioned to have a width W (shown in FIG. 2) in order to allow space for the rubber blade 4 of a squeegee to rest therein, while avoiding crimping and forcing early replacement of the blade.

[0060] The combination of the tapered bucket 30, the narrower inner passageway 24 of the sleeve 20, and the notches 23a, 23b in the upper lip 27 serve to capture the squeegee 8 while carried in the caddy, but also allow for rapid removal and use of the squeegee. Captured items are less likely to rattle during walking movement of the user and the swinging of the caddy. The inside surfaces of the bucket and sleeve can be smooth allowing unobstructed sliding and guiding of any oblong item such as a squeegee arm down through the sleeve passageway, bucket, and into the pit.

[0061] The shape and dimensioning of the brim 37 of the bucket 30 can be oversized with respect to the lower lip 28 of the sleeve 20 allowing the brim to be loosely engaged by the sleeve. This loose engagement can provide a peripheral drainage gap 49 between the brim and the lower lip to allow the unimpeded passage of drips 51 therethrough and on into the bucket to be trapped in the reservoir 34. The loose engagement also allows the bucket to swing between the bucket-engaged and bucket disengaged configurations without interference. The gap also allows for insertion of additional tools such as squeegee arms therethrough.

[0062] The sleeve 20 can include an outer surface veneer layer of relatively hydrophillic, high water adhesion material such as ballistic nylon. This material allows the outer surface of the sleeve to retain and direct liquid droplets downwardly toward the lower end, through the gap and into the bucket portion instead of glancing off the outer surfaces of the caddy and onto clean windows. The outer surfaces of the entire caddy can include a layer of hydrophillic material such as ballistic nylon to act as a kind of sponge to further prevent unwanted drips by capturing and dispensing liquids, and upon saturation of a local zone, guiding additional water downward while maintaining adhesion.

[0063] A tubular organizing retainer 40 can be formed against the forward facing surface of the back panel and within the sleeve 20. The front portion of the retainer can form a laterally extending vertical septum separating the inner passageway of the retainer from an inner passageway 24 of the sleeve, and thereby narrow the upper passageway of the sleeve. The retainer can be shaped and dimensioned to secure a mop handle and squeegee arm in a side-by-side configuration to further secure and organize the items in place within the caddy. The retainer has smooth inside and outside surfaces to avoid snags and other obstructions during insertion of items through the retainer or outside the retainer and into the sleeve. A top rim 41 has a pair of opposite lateral clefts 42a (far cleft hidden) for capturing the laterally projecting handles of items such as squeegees. The clefts can be located against the back panel in order to prevent the handles of squeegees held by the retainer to interfere with the handles of squeegees held by the notches 23a, 23b in the upper lip 27 of the sleeve. A bottom rim 43 of the retainer terminates an axial distance D from the brim 37 of the bucket 30 in order to avoid rigidizing the back panel 10 near the bucket. Such rigidization would tend to prevent the back panel from having the flexibility to form a hinge as will be described below. One or more retainers can be provided to more completely organize and secure tools engaging the sleeve.

[0064] A tool loop 45 is secured to the outside surface of the bucket 30 to capture additional tools and to act as a graspable handle for manipulating the bucket during a bucket dumping process described below. A top rim 46 of the loop can have a pair of opposite lateral clefts 47a, 47b for capturing the laterally projecting handles of items such as squeegees.

[0065] The bucket 30 and sleeve 20 can be hingedly interconnected at a hinge 50 which allows relative angular movement between the bucket and sleeve about a substantially transverse rotation axis 56 which can be substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis 6 of the caddy 2.

[0066] The hinge 50 can be formed by a web or band of flexible material forming part of the back panel 10.

[0067] As shown primarily in the enlarged part of FIG. 5, in order to maintain the flexibility of the hinge 50, the lower lip 28 of the sleeve 20 includes a pair of slits 29 where the lateral edges 22 connect to the back panel 10, so that a separation 52 exists between the axial extents of the lower lip and the brim 37 of the bucket 30. In other words, both the bucket and sleeve tend to stiffen the structure of the back panel. The stiffening influence of the bucket and sleeve is reduced by terminating those structures near the band of material forming the hinge. Further, in this way the sleeve and bucket have an integrated posterior concave surface for nesting against the thigh of a user.

[0068] In a typical in-use, bucket-engaged configuration as shown in FIGS. 1-7, the bucket 30 is engaged by the sleeve 20, and the back panel 10 has a concave back surface 15. In this configuration the band of flexible material forming the hinge 50 is curved as shown in FIG. 7. However, as shown in FIG. 8, when the bucket gets full, and needs to be drained, the outer, free edge 39 of the bucket brim 37 can swing downwardly, causing the bucket to rotate about the rotational axis 56 of the hinge 50,50′. At the full extent of its swinging arc, while the caddy is in its emptying, bucket disengaged configuration, the contents of the reservoir 34 can be emptied 54. In this configuration the band of flexible material forming the hinge 50′ is flattened as is the inner surface 15′ of the back panel 10′ as shown in FIG. 9. For illustrative purposes, the dotted line shows the previous shape of the band 50 while the caddy is in the bucket-engaged configuration. Thus, the back panel can be flexible enough to change its shape from being curved in the bucket-engaged configuration to being substantially flat in the bucket-disengaged configuration. The back panel can bend longitudinally at a temporary crease formed by the hinge allowing a joint to be formed between the sleeve and the bucket. It can be counterintuitive to place a latitudinally concave shape in an item which is intended to bend longitudinally.

[0069] The bucket 30 is held in the bucket-engaged configuration by a lock 60 which can be formed by a side release snap-fit buckle including a catch member 61 secured to an outer surface of the caddy such as on the sleeve 20, and a hook member 62 adjustably secured to a flexible strap 63 which is attached at a lower terminus 69 to the inner surfaces of the bucket.

[0070] By being adjustable, the lock 60 allows the position of the bucket 30 in its bucket-engaged configuration to be adjusted so that the lower lip 28 more deeply engages the tapered walls of the bucket and thus narrows the gap 69 between the sleeve 20 and bucket. A narrower gap can help prevent liquid from sloshing out of the bucket when it becomes full and when squeegee arms are not present to act as baffles to the trapped liquid. A wider gap allows more tools to be inserted into the gap for additional storage.

[0071] By locating the terminus inside the bucket, drips from the lock are guided into the bucket reservoir. The curved free edge 39 of the bucket in combination with the attached strap acts as a spout for directing a stream of liquid from the reservoir in a controlled manner. The shape of the free edge can include a front notch or other structure to improve the spout.

[0072] It should be noted that the pair of slits 29 on the posterior edge of the lower lip 28 of the sleeve 20 where it joins to the back panel 10 can include a continuous, downwardly sloping edge 59 from the point of contact 58 with the back panel. The slits, in combination with the hydrophillic material layer on the outside surface of the sleeve, causes drips to be carried away from the band of material forming the hinge 50,50′. In this way the caddy avoids drips caused during motion of the bucket about the hinge. It also avoids pinch points which can tend to trap liquid and saturate and foul the binding between the back panel and the parts of the bucket and sleeve contacting the back panel near the hinge.

[0073] The back panel 10 of the caddy can be formed from an oblong piece of semirigid laminar material such as a layer of durable, flexible plastic sandwiched between layers of 18 ounce vinyl sheeting and ballistic nylon. This allows the necessary flexibility of the back panel to act as a hinge 50 for angularly displacing the bucket 30 with respect to the sleeve 20. Alternately, it shall be understood that the back panel can be formed by separate rigid arcuate panels joined by a flexible web forming the hinge.

[0074] The upper lip 27 of the sleeve portion 20 can include edge guards 65 made of compressible material such as foam rubber having a durometer of between about 40A and 80A. The edge guards can be glued to the edges and the outer surface layers sewn over. The compressible edge guards can have an enlarged axial cross-section 66 so that a wider surface area is provided for the rubber blades of the squeegee to rest against. In this way the flatness of the squeegee blade is protected, thereby reducing the incidence of replacement.

[0075] A bottom toe guard 68 of more durable material than the back panel, such as hard plastic or steel can be formed onto the bottom outer tip of the bucket, as this site is often a point of high wear.

[0076] Referring now to FIGS. 10-11, there is shown a caddy 70 for carrying a squeegee among other items according to an alternate exemplary embodiment of the invention. The caddy can be similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-3 but with some important differences. In this embodiment the bucket portion is not movable with respect to the rest of the caddy. In other words, there is no hinge or mechanism for moving the bucket with respect to the item retaining sleeve. Instead, the upper fastening rig such as a flexible belt loop 71 is formed by a folded flap of material having a releasable fastener 71a such as a snap connector allowing the loop to secure in place around the waist belt worn by the user. The loop can be flexible enough to allow tipping the bucket while the loop is engaged upon a belt, or can allow the loop to be disengaged from the waist belt in order to empty the bucket. In other words, the belt loop can rotatively connect the bucket to a belt worn by a user, thereby allowing relative angular movement of the bucket with respect to the belt.

[0077] The caddy 70 can include a back panel 72 this can be substantially flat or outwardly concave as shown in FIG. 7, forming a substantially planar or arcuate outer rear surface 73 for resting securely against the user's convex upper thigh as shown in FIG. 1. The back panel can have an oblong, rounded shape extending along a longitudinal axis 76 between a top end 74 and a bottom end 75, and having a pair of lateral sides 77,78. A seam 79 can extend along a peripheral edge of the back panel. The flexible belt loop 71 can extend upwardly from the top end.

[0078] The front of the caddy 70 can include an upper portion forming a substantially tubular hollow retaining sleeve 81 and a lower portion forming a liquid trapping bucket 91. The sleeve can be formed by an outwardly convex, arcuate panel of substantially rigid sheet material having its lateral edges 82,83 attached to and sealed against the back panel 72 along the peripheral seam 79 formed along its lateral sides 77,78.

[0079] The inwardly facing surfaces of the sleeve can have a layer of waterproof material such as 18 ounce vinyl sheeting. In this way, the sleeve 81 can form a waterproof inner passageway 84 which extends axially between an open top inlet and an open lower outlet similar to that shown in FIG. 5. Part of the top inlet can be bordered by an undulating upper lip 85 to more securely nest the typically cylindrical handle of the squeegee therein.

[0080] The bucket 91 can be formed by a curved piece of rigid sheet material forming a curved bucket panel 92 having a shape similar to a partial cone having a curved wall whose lateral and bottom edge 93 is attached to and sealed against the front surface of the back panel 72 along the peripheral seam 79 formed along its lateral sides 77,78 thus forming a substantially U-shaped seal between the bucket panel and the back panel. The inside surface of the bucket can have a layer of waterproof material such as 18 ounce vinyl sheeting. In this way, the bucket can have a curved top opening 94 bordered by a brim 95 leading to a waterproof internal reservoir which can have a downwardly tapering substantially rounded wedge or conic shape as formed by the curved bucket panel 92 and back panel 72. In this way, the bottom of the reservoir can terminate in a narrow pit similar to the embodiment of FIG. 5 formed by the pinching bottom tip 96 of the bucket which can capture the narrow end of a squeegee arm or the end or a mop handle for example. In this way the bucket portion can be more readily used as an additional storage pocket.

[0081] Similarly to the embodiment of FIGS. 2-3 the combination of the tapered bucket 91, the narrower inner passageway 84 of the sleeve 81, and the undulating upper lip 85 serve to capture a squeegee while carried in the caddy, but also allow for rapid removal and use of the squeegee. Captured items are less likely to rattle during walking movement of the user and the swinging of the caddy. The inside surfaces of the bucket and sleeve can be smooth allowing unobstructed sliding and guiding of any oblong item such as a squeegee arm down through the sleeve passageway, bucket, and into the pit of the reservoir.

[0082] Similarly to the embodiment of FIGS. 2-3 the shape and dimensioning of the brim 95 of the bucket 91 can be oversized with respect to the dimensioning of the sleeve 81 proximal to the brim allowing the brim to be loosely engaged by the sleeve. This loose engagement can provide a peripheral drainage gap 88 between the brim and the sleeve to allow the unimpeded passage of drips therethrough and on into the bucket to be trapped in the reservoir. The gap also allows for insertion of additional tools such as squeegee arms therethrough if desired. In this way, the item-supporting sleeve can be nested between bucket panel and the back panel.

[0083] Similarly to the embodiment of FIGS. 2-3 the sleeve 81 can include an outer surface veneer layer of relatively hydrophillic, high water adhesion material such as ballistic nylon. This material allows the outer surface of the sleeve to retain and direct liquid droplets downwardly toward the lower end, through the gap and into the bucket portion instead of glancing off the outer surfaces of the caddy and onto clean windows. The outer surfaces of the entire caddy can include a layer of hydrophillic material such as ballistic nylon to act as a kind of sponge to further prevent unwanted drips by capturing and dispensing liquids, and upon saturation of a local zone, guiding additional water downward while maintaining adhesion.

[0084] Similarly to the embodiment of FIGS. 2-3, a laterally extending vertical septum 87 can separate the inner passageway 84 of the sleeve 81 into separate, open-bottomed pockets to further organize tools inserted into them.

[0085] A pair of tool loops 98, 99 can be secured to the outside surface of the bucket panel 92 to capture additional tools and to act as a graspable handle for manipulating the caddy during a bucket dumping process described below. The loops can be formed by strip of durable flexible fabric material such as canvas having its ends 97 bonded to the seam and a central portion 89 bonded to the outer surface of the bucket panel. In this way the bonding of the two ends can occur using the same single stitching process when forming the seam 79 which bonds the bucket panel 92 and lateral edges 82, 83 of the sleeve 81 to the back panel 72. Using a single stitching reduces manufacturing costs and greatly improves quality control during manufacturing of the caddy. In this way the squeegee caddy can conveniently carrying a number of wet or soaking window cleaning items such as squeegees on a user's belt. The caddy can be made from substantially rigid, durable fabric sheet material, and thus the entire caddy can be machine washed.

[0086] Referring now to FIG. 12, there is shown an exemplary embodiment for a method 100 for carrying a window cleaning squeegee. The method steps include selecting 101 a body-worn caddy having a sleeve and a bucket rotatably connected to the sleeve at a hinge; inserting 102 the wet arm of a squeegee through the sleeve and into the bucket; waiting 103 for drips of cleaning liquid to drain off of the squeegee and flow 104 along an outer surface of the sleeve before passing through a gap between the sleeve and the bucket brim, then on into the bucket. Once the bucket contains enough liquid, the bucket can be rotated 105 about its hinge in the case of the embodiment of FIG. 8, or about the belt loop in the case of the embodiment of FIG. 10, to drain the bucket.

[0087] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, modifications can be made and other embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.