Abstract
A cleaning device (10; 110; 210), in particular for cleaning hook-and-loop fasteners, includes a plurality of projections (16; 116; 216) which project inclined from a surface (13; 113; 213) of the cleaning device, such that between the projections and the surface (13; 113; 213) there is formed a mouth (17) respectively, the cross-section of which is tapering in an xz-plane from a mouth opening (B, D) in a sharp angled manner towards a vertex (C) wherein the mouth opening (B, D) includes an angle () in the xz-plane of 10 to 40 with the vertex (C) as center of the angle ().
Claims
1-10. (canceled)
11. Cleaning device (10; 110; 210) for cleaning hook-and-loop fasteners, comprising a plurality of projections (16; 116; 216), wherein the plurality of projections project inclined from a surface (13; 113; 213) of the cleaning device, such that between the projections and the surface (13; 113; 213) there is formed a mouth (17) respectively, the cross-section of which is tapering in an xz-plane from a mouth opening (B, D) in a sharp angled manner towards a vertex (C) wherein the mouth opening (B, D) includes an angle () in the xz-plane of 10 to 40 with the vertex (C) as center of the angle ().
12. Cleaning device (10; 110; 210) according to claim 11, wherein the surface (13; 113; 213) is a curved surface having an outwardly curved cross-section in an xz-plane.
13. Cleaning device (10; 110; 210) according to claim 12, wherein the curved surface (13; 113; 213) has a constant curvature, wherein a maximal dimension of the curved surface in a z-direction which is in the xz-plane, is between 1 and 10% of the maximum dimension of the curved surface in an x-direction, which is in the xz-plane and perpendicular to the z-direction.
14. Cleaning device (10; 110; 210) according to claim 11, wherein the projections (16; 116; 216) are tapered towards their mouth openings (B, D) when looking towards the surface (13; 113; 213) of the cleaning device in a z-direction which is perpendicular to the x- and y-direction.
15. Cleaning device (10; 110; 210) according to claim 11, wherein a surface of the projections (16; 116; 216), which faces away from the surface (13; 113; 213) of the cleaning device has a curved shape.
16. Cleaning device (10; 210) according to claim 11, wherein the projections (16; 216) are formed monolithically with the surface (13; 213) of the cleaning device.
17. Cleaning device (10) according to claim 11, wherein between the mouths (17) and the surface (13) of the cleaning device there is provided a wedge (18) respectively, which wedge (18) is monolithically formed with the respective projection (16) and has a wedge-shaped cross-section in an xz-plane.
18. Cleaning device (110) according to claim 11, further comprising a plurality of slots (121) being opened towards the surface (113) of the cleaning device, and a plurality of projection inserts (120) which are adapted to be inserted into the slots (121), wherein a portion of each projection insert (120) forms one of the projections (116).
19. Cleaning device (110) according to claim 18, wherein the projection inserts (120) have a plate-like shape comprising a cuboid base portion (122) and a hook-shaped upper portion (123), wherein the hook-shaped upper portion (123) forms the projection (116) by projecting partially out from the slot (121) beyond the surface (113) of the cleaning device.
20. Cleaning device (210) according to claim 11, wherein the surface (213) of the cleaning device is an outer surface of a material layer (224), wherein the projection is formed by a triangular portion of the material layer (224), in which two sides (225, 226) of the triangular shape are punched and one side (227) is used as a bending line for bending the triangular shape away from the surface (213) of the cleaning device.
21. Cleaning device (10; 110; 210) according to claim 12, wherein the projections (16; 116; 216) are tapered towards their mouth openings (B, D) when looking towards the surface (13; 113; 213) of the cleaning device in a z-direction which is perpendicular to the x- and y-direction.
22. Cleaning device (10; 110; 210) according to claim 12, wherein a surface of the projections (16; 116; 216), which faces away from the surface (13; 113; 213) of the cleaning device has a curved shape.
23. Cleaning device (10; 210) according to claim 12, wherein the projections (16; 216) are formed monolithically with the surface (13; 213) of the cleaning device.
24. Cleaning device (10) according to claim 12, wherein between the mouths (17) and the surface (13) of the cleaning device there is provided a wedge (18) respectively, which wedge (18) is monolithically formed with the respective projection (16) and has a wedge-shaped cross-section in an xz-plane.
25. Cleaning device (110) according to claim 12, further comprising a plurality of slots (121) being opened towards the surface (113) of the cleaning device, and a plurality of projection inserts (120) which are adapted to be inserted into the slots (121), wherein a portion of each projection insert (120) forms one of the projections (116).
26. Cleaning device (210) according to claim 12, wherein the surface (213) of the cleaning device is an outer surface of a material layer (224), wherein the projection is formed by a triangular portion of the material layer (224), in which two sides (225, 226) of the triangular shape are punched and one side (227) is used as a bending line for bending the triangular shape away from the surface (213) of the cleaning device.
27. Cleaning device (10; 110; 210) according to claim 13, wherein the projections (16; 116; 216) are tapered towards their mouth openings (B, D) when looking towards the surface (13; 113; 213) of the cleaning device in a z-direction which is perpendicular to the x- and y-direction.
28. Cleaning device (10; 110; 210) according to claim 13, wherein a surface of the projections (16; 116; 216), which faces away from the surface (13; 113; 213) of the cleaning device has a curved shape.
29. Cleaning device (10; 210) according to claim 13, wherein the projections (16; 216) are formed monolithically with the surface (13; 213) of the cleaning device.
30. Cleaning device (10) according to claim 13, wherein between the mouths (17) and the surface (13) of the cleaning device there is provided a wedge (18) respectively, which wedge (18) is monolithically formed with the respective projection (16) and has a wedge-shaped cross-section in an xz-plane.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0020] FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a cleaning device according to a first embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 shows the geometry of a projection of the cleaning device of FIG. 1 in a cross-sectional view cut along an xz-plane;
[0021] FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional view of a curved surface with projections of FIG. 2;
[0022] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged three-dimensional view of the projections of FIG. 3;
[0023] FIG. 5 shows the cleaning device of FIG. 1 in a cross-sectional view cut along the xz-plane;
[0024] FIG. 6 shows an unrolled top view of the curved surface of the cleaning device of FIG. 1;
[0025] FIG. 7 shows a three-dimensional view of a part of a cleaning device according to a second embodiment of the invention;
[0026] FIG. 8 shows a projection insert of the cleaning device of FIG. 7, wherein FIG. 8a is a front view, FIG. 8b is a side view, and FIG. 8c is a top view;
[0027] FIG. 9 shows the entire cleaning device of FIG. 7 without the projection inserts;
[0028] FIG. 10 shows a three-dimensional view of a part of a cleaning device according to a third embodiment of the invention, and
[0029] FIG. 11 shows a side view of FIG. 10 as seen when looking along a y-direction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] For reasons of clarity, all Figures indicate a three- or two-dimensional coordinate system indicated with x-, y- and z-axes, wherein these axes are perpendicular to each. A xy-plane is spanned by the x- and y- axis, an xz-plane is spanned by the x- and z-axis, and an yz-plane is spanned by the y- and z-axis.
[0031] FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of the cleaning device 10 according to a first embodiment of the invention. This cleaning device 10 has a substantially cuboid-shaped body, having two plain end surfaces 11 extending substantially in an yz-plane, two side surfaces 12 extending substantially in an xz-plane and which are curved slightly inwards (a cross-section in the yz-plane is curved inwards) in order to provide improved gripping properties, a curved surface 13 and opposite thereto a plain bottom side 14 extending in an xy-plane. However, the cleaning device body could have any suitable shape, either adapted to be used as a handle for manual use or any other shape such as a sled adapted to slide on a rail in case of an automated use, e.g. in the textile industry.
[0032] The curved surface 13 is curved such that it has a curved cross-section when cut along an xz-plane. The curvature is preferably constant having a radius R2 (as indicated in FIG. 2). From the curved surface 13, a plurality of projections 16 are projecting which are described in more detail together with the following Figures, in which FIG. 2 shows the geometry of a projection 16 in a cross-sectional view cut along the xz-plane, FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional view of the curved surface 13 with the projections 16, FIG. 4 shows an enlarged three-dimensional view of the projections 16, FIG. 5 shows the cleaning device 10 in a cross-sectional view cut along the xz-plane, and FIG. 6 shows an unrolled top view of the curved surface.
[0033] The projection 16 which is shown in FIG. 2 represents the plurality of projections 16. In a y-direction, the space in between two adjacent projections 16 is preferably such that a human finger can pass through in order remove the contaminations after using the cleaning device. In an x-direction, the space in between two adjacent projections 16 is preferably smaller than the x-length of one projection 16. As shown, the projection 16 projects oblique from the curved surface 13 and terminates in a tip. In FIG. 2 basically the area in between the reference signs A, B, C and R2 is referred to as a projection. In a cross-section in an xz-plane, the projections 16 taper towards the tip. Between the projection 16 and the curved surface 13 there is formed a mouth 17 which is a hollow space tapering (in a xz-plane) from a mouth opening B, D towards a vertex C with an angle and which space is opened along a y-direction (or in other words: opened on the sides of the mouth). The tapering angle is defined as the angle included in between a line (imaginary or realimaginary in case the real line from B to C is curved and real in case it is in fact straight) from an upper edge B of the mouth opening to the vertex C and a line (imaginary or real) from a lower edge D of the mouth opening to the vertex C. The tapering angle is preferably in between 10 and 40, and more preferably in between 20 to 30, and even more preferably in between 23 to 27. This sharp angled shape of the mouth has the effect that the contaminations, such as threads, fibers or fuzz, are guided from the mouth opening B, D towards the vertex C and then pinched at the vertex C. Ideally the mouth terminates in a very sharp angle at the vertex C without any radius at the vertex C. However, in realistic manufacturing processes there might be a small radius remaining, but it is beneficial to keep such a radius smaller than the radius of the contaminations to be pinched in order to have good pinching properties of the cleaning device. In FIG. 2, the upper edge B (shown as a point in FIG. 2) of the mouth opening corresponds to the tip of the projection 16. Between the mouth 17 and the curved surface 13 there is provided a wedge 18, which wedge is monolithically formed with the projection 16 and has a wedge-shaped cross-section in an xz-plane which wedge tapers in a direction away from the vertex C towards an end of the wedge 18 forming the lower edge D of the mouth opening. In this embodiment, the surfaces from the upper and lower edges B, D of the mouth opening to the vertex C are plain, respectively, but they could also be curved. The upper surface 19 of the projection 16 is curved with a preferably constant curvature having a radius R1 which is smaller than the radius R2 of the curved surface 13. The non-rounded illustration of this upper surface 19 in FIGS. 3 and 4 is intended to be schematically. For reasons of clarity, in the Figures there is only one of the plurality of projections 16 and its associated elements provided with reference signs.
[0034] The projections 16 are preferably formed such that in case there is an imaginary tangent 15 drawn in a cross-sectional view as shown in FIG. 5, which tangent 15 connects the outer surfaces 19 of two adjacent projections 16 (adjacent in the x-direction), then the tip of the projections 16 are below the tangent 15.
[0035] As shown in particular in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, the projections 16 and the wedges 18 also taper in a top view towards their mouth openings B, D with an angle which is preferably between 1 and 40, and more preferably between 5 and 30, and more preferably between 5 and 15 in the first embodiment and 10 and 25 in the later described third embodiment, and most preferably around 10 in the first embodiment.
[0036] FIGS. 7 to 9 show a cleaning device 110 according to a second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 7 shows a three-dimensional view of a part of the cleaning device 110, which part only includes one out of a plurality of projections 116. This cleaning device 110 has the same substantially cuboid-shaped body as described in connection with the first embodiment. A curved surface 113 is curved as described in connection with the curved surface 13 of the first embodiment. In contrast to the first embodiment, in this second embodiment, the projection 116 is not formed monolithically with the curved surface, but formed by a separately formed projection insert 120 which is shown in more detail in FIG. 8 in which FIG. 8a is a view along the x-direction, FIG. 8b is a view along the y-direction, and FIG. 8c is a view along the z-direction. These projection inserts 120 are insertable into slots 121 which are formed in the cleaning device 110 such that they are opened towards the curved surface 113 (see FIG. 9). Optionally, the slots 121 may also be opened on the bottom surface opposite to the curved surface 113. The projection inserts 120 are adapted to the slots 121 such that they can be slid into the slots and held aligned by the slots in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction. The projection inserts 120 have a plate-like shape comprising a cuboid base portion 122 and a hook-shaped upper portion 123, wherein the hook-shaped upper portion 123 forms the projection 116 by projecting partially out from the slot 121 beyond the curved surface 113. By sliding the projection insert 120 in the slot 121, a height of the projection in a z-direction beyond the curved surface 113 can be set. Thereafter, the projection insert 120 can be fixed such that its position is maintained (also in the sliding direction) by adhesive bonding, welding, screws, a snap mechanism, to name but a few. A space 124 of the slot 121 which is kept empty due to the shape of the hook-shaped portion 123, could be filled with a material which is fluid when being filled in and which is self-curing or can be cured to close the space 124 even to the curved surface 113. In the preferred case, however, it is kept empty.
[0037] In contrast to the first embodiment, there is no wedge present, but the surface which is provided between the vertex C and the lower edge D in FIG. 2, is formed by the curved surface 113 at the edges of the slot 121 and/or the above mentioned optionally filled in material which is even to the curved surface 113. Further, the projections 116 are also not tapered in a top view, but preferably have a constant thickness in a y-direction in this embodiment. Apart from these differences, the description of the first embodiment shall apply.
[0038] FIGS. 10 and 11 show a cleaning device 210 according to a third embodiment of the invention. FIG. 10 shows a three-dimensional view of a part of the cleaning device 110, which part only includes one out of a plurality of projections 216. This cleaning device 210 also has a cleaning device body as described in connection with the first embodiment to which body a material layer 224 is attached by means of welding, adhesive, screws, etc. A curved surface 213 is curved as described in connection with the curved surface 13 of the first embodiment. FIG. 11 shows a side view of FIG. 10 as seen when looking along the y-direction. As shown, in contrast to the first embodiment, in this third embodiment the projection 216 is not tapered in an xz-plane towards the projection tip, but has a constant material thickness. However, as can be seen in FIG. 10, the projection 216 is tapered towards the tip in a xy-plane (in a top view). In the third embodiment, the curved surface 213 is the outer surface of the material layer 224, wherein the projection 216 is formed by a triangular portion of the material layer 224, in which two sides 225, 226 of the triangular shape are cut and one side 227 is used as a bending line for bending the triangular shape away from the curved surface 213.
[0039] In contrast to the first embodiment, there is no wedge present, but the surface which is provided between the vertex C and the lower edge D in FIG. 2, is formed by the curved surface 213 and/or the curved surface 213 at the edge of the two sides 225, 226 where the material layer 224 is punched. Apart from these differences, the description of the first embodiment shall apply.
[0040] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive and it is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiments. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used advantageously.
