Billiard Table Cleaning Device

Abstract

A billiard table cleaning device for autonomous cleaning of a playing surface of a billiard table includes a housing, which defines an interior space and which has at least one linear side. A drive unit is engaged to a bottom of the housing and is configured to selectively motivate the housing across a playing surface of a billiard table. A vacuum assembly is engaged to the housing and is positioned in the interior space. The vacuum assembly suctions air and debris, such as chalk dust, through slots positioned in the bottom and expels filtered air through vents positioned in or proximate to a top of the housing, thereby cleaning the playing surface.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A billiard table cleaning device comprising:
 a housing defining an interior space, the housing having at least one linear side;   a drive unit engaged to a bottom of the housing and being configured for selectively motivating the housing across a playing surface of a billiard table; and   a vacuum assembly engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space, wherein the vacuum assembly is configured for suctioning air and debris through slots positioned in the bottom and for expelling filtered air through vents positioned in or proximate to a top of the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The billiard table cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the top of the housing is circumferentially smaller than the bottom, such that the at least one linear side tapers from the bottom to the top, wherein the at least one linear side is configured for entering a gap defined by a cushion and the playing surface. 
     
     
         3 . The billiard table cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is substantially square frustum shaped, wherein a lower portion of the housing is configured for entering a gap defined by a cushion and the playing surface. 
     
     
         4 . The billiard table cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the drive unit comprises:
 a battery engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space;   a microprocessor engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space, the microprocessor being operationally engaged to the battery;   a first motor engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space, the first motor being operationally engaged to the microprocessor;   a disc rotationally engaged to the bottom of the housing and being operationally engaged to the first motor;   a second motor engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space, the second motor being operationally engaged to the microprocessor; and   a plurality of wheels engaged to the disc and being operationally engaged to the second motor, such that the microprocessor is positioned for selectively actuating the second motor for rotating the wheels for selectively motivating the housing across the playing surface and for selectively actuating the first motor for rotating the disc relative to the housing for controlling a direction of the housing.   
     
     
         5 . The billiard table cleaning device of  claim 4 , further including:
 the battery being rechargeable; and   a port engaged to the housing and being operationally engaged to the battery, wherein the port is configured for insertion of a plug of a charging cord for operationally engaging the battery to a source of electrical current for charging the battery.   
     
     
         6 . The billiard table cleaning device of  claim 4 , wherein the first motor and the second motor are reversible, such that the disc and the wheels are reversibly rotatable. 
     
     
         7 . The billiard table cleaning device of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of wheels comprises two wheels. 
     
     
         8 . The billiard table cleaning device of  claim 1 , further including a plurality of bearing balls rotationally engaged to and extending from the bottom of the housing and being positioned around a perimeter of the bottom, wherein the bearing balls are configured for rolling along the playing surface and for retaining the bottom of the housing in parallel with and slightly elevated from the playing surface, such that the air and debris can pass between the housing and the playing surface. 
     
     
         9 . The billiard table cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the slots are elongated and being positioned proximate to and in parallel with a perimeter of the bottom. 
     
     
         10 . The billiard table cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the vents are positioned in a side of the housing proximate to a top of the housing. 
     
     
         11 . The billiard table cleaning device of  claim 4 , wherein the vacuum assembly comprises:
 a vacuum motor operationally engaged to the microprocessor;   a chamber positioned between the bottom of the housing and the vacuum motor, the chamber being in fluidic communication with the slots and the vents;   a fan operationally engaged to the vacuum motor and being positioned at an upper end of the chamber; and   a filter engaged to the chamber and positioned proximate to the fan, wherein the filter is configured for filtering the debris from the air flowing from the slots through the chambers, such that the debris is retained within the chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The billiard table cleaning device of  claim 4 , further including a controller engaged to a top of the housing and being operationally engaged to the microprocessor, such that the controller is positioned for selectively actuating the microprocessor and wherein the controller is configured for entering of commands into the microprocessor. 
     
     
         13 . The billiard table cleaning device of  claim 12 , wherein the controller comprises a set of buttons, the buttons being depressible, wherein each button is configured for depressing for actuating the microprocessor and for entering of a respective command into the microprocessor corresponding to a size of an associated billiard table. 
     
     
         14 . A billiard table cleaning system comprising:
 a billiard table having a playing surface;   a housing defining an interior space, the housing having at least one linear side;   a drive unit engaged to a bottom of the housing and being configured for selectively motivating the housing across the playing surface; and   a vacuum assembly engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space, wherein the vacuum assembly is configured for suctioning air and debris through slots positioned in the bottom and for expelling filtered air through vents positioned in or proximate to a top of the housing.   
     
     
         15 . The billiard table cleaning system of  claim 14 , wherein the housing is substantially square frustum shaped, wherein a lower portion of the housing is configured for entering a gap defined by a cushion and the playing surface of the billiard table. 
     
     
         16 . The billiard table cleaning system of  claim 14 , wherein the drive unit comprises:
 a battery engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space, the battery being rechargeable;   a port engaged to the housing and being operationally engaged to the battery, wherein the port is configured for insertion of a plug of a charging cord for operationally engaging the battery to a source of electrical current for charging the battery;   a microprocessor engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space, the microprocessor being operationally engaged to the battery;   a first motor engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space, the first motor being operationally engaged to the microprocessor;   a disc rotationally engaged to the bottom of the housing and being operationally engaged to the first motor;   a second motor engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space, the second motor being operationally engaged to the microprocessor;   a plurality of wheels engaged to the disc and being operationally engaged to the second motor, such that the microprocessor is positioned for selectively actuating the second motor for rotating the wheels for selectively motivating the housing across the playing surface and for selectively actuating the first motor for rotating the disc relative to the housing for controlling a direction of the housing; and   a controller engaged to a top of the housing and being operationally engaged to the microprocessor, such that the controller is positioned for selectively actuating the microprocessor and wherein the controller is configured for entering of commands into the microprocessor, the controller comprising a set of buttons, the buttons being depressible, wherein each button is configured for depressing for actuating the microprocessor and for entering of a respective command into the microprocessor corresponding to a size of an associated billiard table.   
     
     
         17 . The billiard table cleaning system of  claim 16 , wherein the first motor and the second motor are reversible, such that the disc and the wheels are reversibly rotatable. 
     
     
         18 . The billiard table cleaning system of  claim 14 , further including a plurality of bearing balls rotationally engaged to and extending from the bottom of the housing and being positioned around a perimeter of the bottom, wherein the bearing balls are configured for rolling along the playing surface and for retaining the bottom of the housing in parallel with and slightly elevated from the playing surface, such that the air and debris can pass between the housing and the playing surface. 
     
     
         19 . The billiard table cleaning system of  claim 16 , wherein the vacuum assembly comprises:
 a vacuum motor operationally engaged to the microprocessor;   a chamber positioned between the bottom of the housing and the vacuum motor, the chamber being in fluidic communication with the slots and the vents;   a fan operationally engaged to the vacuum motor and being positioned at an upper end of the chamber;   a filter engaged to the chamber and positioned proximate to the fan, wherein the filter is configured for filtering the debris from the air flowing from the slots through the chambers, such that the debris is retained within the chamber;   the slots are elongated and being positioned proximate to and in parallel with a perimeter of the bottom; and   the vents are positioned in a side of the housing proximate to a top of the housing.   
     
     
         20 . A billiard table cleaning device comprising:
 a housing defining an interior space, the housing having at least one linear side, the housing having a bottom and a top, the top being circumferentially smaller than the bottom, such that the at least one linear side tapers from the bottom to the top, wherein the at least one linear side is configured for entering a gap defined by a cushion and a playing surface of a billiard table, the housing being substantially square frustum shaped, wherein a lower portion of the housing is configured for entering the gap defined by the cushion and the playing surface;   a drive unit engaged to the bottom of the housing and being configured for selectively motivating the housing across the playing surface, the drive unit comprising:
 a battery engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space, the battery being rechargeable, 
 a port engaged to the housing and being operationally engaged to the battery, wherein the port is configured for insertion of a plug of a charging cord for operationally engaging the battery to a source of electrical current for charging the battery, 
 a microprocessor engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space, the microprocessor being operationally engaged to the battery, 
 a first motor engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space, the first motor being operationally engaged to the microprocessor, 
 a disc rotationally engaged to the bottom of the housing and being operationally engaged to the first motor, 
 a second motor engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space, the second motor being operationally engaged to the microprocessor, and 
 a plurality of wheels engaged to the disc and being operationally engaged to the second motor, such that the microprocessor is positioned for selectively actuating the second motor for rotating the wheels for selectively motivating the housing across the playing surface and for selectively actuating the first motor for rotating the disc relative to the housing for controlling a direction of the housing, the first motor and the second motor being reversible, such that the disc and the wheels are reversibly rotatable, the plurality of wheels comprising two wheels; 
   a plurality of bearing balls rotationally engaged to and extending from the bottom of the housing and being positioned around a perimeter of the bottom, wherein the bearing balls are configured for rolling along the playing surface and for retaining the bottom of the housing in parallel with and slightly elevated from the playing surface, such that the air and debris can pass between the housing and the playing surface;   a vacuum assembly engaged to the housing and positioned in the interior space, wherein the vacuum assembly is configured for suctioning air and debris through slots positioned in the bottom and for expelling filtered air through vents positioned in or proximate to a top of the housing, the slots being elongated and being positioned proximate to and in parallel with the perimeter of the bottom, the vents being positioned in a side of the housing proximate to the top, the vacuum assembly comprising:
 a vacuum motor operationally engaged to the microprocessor, 
 a chamber positioned between the bottom of the housing and the vacuum motor, the chamber being in fluidic communication with the slots and the vents, 
 a fan operationally engaged to the vacuum motor and being positioned at an upper end of the chamber, and 
 a filter engaged to the chamber and positioned proximate to the fan, wherein the filter is configured for filtering the debris from the air flowing from the slots through the chambers, such that the debris is retained within the chamber; and 
   a controller engaged to the top of the housing and being operationally engaged to the microprocessor, such that the controller is positioned for selectively actuating the microprocessor and wherein the controller is configured for entering of commands into the microprocessor, the controller comprising a set of buttons, the buttons being depressible, wherein each button is configured for depressing for actuating the microprocessor and for entering of a respective command into the microprocessor corresponding to a size of an associated billiard table.