Cleaning Apparatuses and Methods

Abstract

New and novel structure(s) for cleaning surfaces have been disclosed. The device may include; a wiping surface, which may be disposable; a brush roll/larger debris gathering mechanism; a local debris storage and/or staging area, and a larger remote debris storage structure. Additionally, there are mechanisms and structures disclosed for powering the brush roll, activating the brush roll from an out of use position to an in use position, waste from one area to another. The invention at hand uniquely and inventively improves upon the known devices in this field.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for cleaning surfaces comprising:
 a block-like structure for holding a wiping cloth, where said wiping cloth wraps around said block-like structure on at least one side;   a brush-roll structure; and
 an interconnection between said block-like structure and said brush-roll structure where rotation of said block-like structure from a first position relative to said user to a second position relative to said user brings said brush roll from a first position to a second position relative to the surface to be cleaned. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  1  further including a motor and a drive connecting said motor to said brush roll structure. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  2  where said interconnection includes a linkage. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  3  where said linkage includes a cam. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  3  further including a switch associated with said linkage. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  1  further including a steam generating mechanism. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  1  further including at least a first debris box. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  7  further including a second removable debris box, disposed generally within said first debris box. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  3  where linkage includes a pivot and said motor share at least one common center. 
     
     
         10 . A device for cleaning surfaces by a user comprising:
 a box-like structure;   a handle with an interconnection to said box like structure;   a rotating cleaning element disposed on one side of said box-like structure; and
 an interconnection between said box-like structure and said rotating cleaning element, where movement of said interconnection between said handle and said box like structure, causes movement between said box like structure and said rotating cleaning element, bringing said rotating cleaning element from a first distal position relative to the surface to be cleaned to a second more proximal position to the surface to be cleaned. 
   
     
     
         11 . The device of  10  further including a motor and a drive connecting said motor to said rotating cleaning element. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  10  where said interconnection between said box-like structure and said rotating cleaning element is characterized as being a linkage. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  12  where said linkage further includes a cam. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  11  further including a switch. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  10  further including a steam generating mechanism. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  10  further including at least a first debris box. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  16  further including a second removable debris box, disposed generally within said first debris box. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  12  where the linkage includes a least one pivot and said motor and said pivot share a common center. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  14 , where generally concurrent to said rotating cleaning element moving from a first distal position relative to the surface to be cleaned to a second more proximal position to the surface to be cleaned, said switch activates said motor. 
     
     
         20 . A brush roll for a surface cleaning apparatus, the brush roll comprising:
 a generally cylindrical guide body having a lineal distance;   a first protrusion from said cylindrical guide body;
 where said protrusion spirals about a lineal centerline of said cylindrical guide body to the point generally half its lineal distance; 
 and where a second lineal protrusion from said cylindrical guide body is a mirror of said first lineal protrusion; and 
 so that the resultant shape of said first and said second lineal protrusions form a spiral “V” or contoured chevron.