Bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system

Abstract

The bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system can include a bottle washing station, a rinsing station, a vent washing station, a nipple washing station, and a cap washing station. The system has a base that has a top and base sidewalls forming an inner compartment with a plurality of containers. The base supports a tank and is equipped with a pump and a motor. The tank can be configured to accept washing and/or rinsing fluid. The pump can be connected to the tank and the containers. The containers can be designed for washing different parts of a bottle and include a washing container, a nipple washing container, a vent container, a rinsing container, and a cap container. Each washing station can be equipped with specific features to facilitate efficient cleaning of the respective bottle parts. The bottle brush, nipple cap, and vent brush are removable from the system.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system for a bottle including a bottle, a nipple, a cap, and a vent, the cleaning and washing system comprising:
 a base;   a plurality of stations coupled to the base, the stations selected from the list comprising a bottle washing station, a rinsing station, a vent washing station, a nipple washing station and a cap washing station; and   a tank in fluid communication with at least one of the stations.   
     
     
         2 . The bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system of  claim 1  wherein the base has a top and base sidewalls extending from the top forming an inner compartment wherein the top defines each of the stations and wherein the base has a platform that is configured to support the tank wherein the platform extends laterally outward from at least one of the sidewalls and wherein the tank is detachably coupled to the base. 
     
     
         3 . The bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system of  claim 1  wherein the tank has at least one inner container configured to accept as least one of a washing fluid and/or a rinsing fluid. 
     
     
         4 . The bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system of  claim 3  wherein the base encloses at least one pump having a supply line coupled to the at least one tank and an exit line coupled to at least one of the stations and wherein the base encloses at least one motor that operates at least one station. 
     
     
         5 . The bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system of  claim 2  wherein the top is contoured to define a station bottom and station sidewalls for each station. 
     
     
         6 . The bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of stations comprises a bottle washing station having a brush support and a brush receiver wherein the brush receiver slides axially in and out of the brush support. 
     
     
         7 . The bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system of  claim 6  wherein the bottle washing station further comprises a bottle brush having a rod extending upright from a lower end to an upper end with at least one jet hole spaced on the rod having a plurality of bristles projecting outwardly from the rod. 
     
     
         8 . The bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system of  claim 7  wherein the bottle brush is removably coupled to the brush support allowing the user to remove the brush and attach a handle and wherein the bottle brush and/or brush receiver is axially rotated by at least one motor. 
     
     
         9 . The bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system of  claim 1  wherein the nipple has an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the plurality of stations comprises a nipple washing station having a nipple base configured to be support a nipple brush that is shaped to conform to the nipple, and a nipple cap removably and rotatably coupled to the nipple base allowing the user to rotate the cap around a nipple and clean the inner surface and the outer surface. 
     
     
         10 . The bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system of  claim 1  wherein the vent has an inner surface and an outer surface and wherein the plurality of stations comprises a vent washing station having vent receiver with a plurality of receiver bristles, and a vent brush having a hollow vent rod with a plurality of vent brush bristles, the vent brush having a vent upper end and vent lower end and a generally frustoconical shape, wherein the vent brush is removably coupled to the vent receiver. 
     
     
         11 . The bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system of  claim 10  wherein the vent brush is removed from the vent receiver and coupled to a vent handle when not coupled to the vent receiver. 
     
     
         12 . The bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system of  claim 5  wherein the rinsing station comprises the rinsing container wherein a rinsing receiver is coupled to the rinsing station wherein the rinsing receiver is slidably coupled to a receiver support, wherein the rinsing receiver has a locating element with a rinsing opening that is coupled to the exit line to the at least one pump. 
     
     
         13 . The bottle and bottle parts cleaning and washing system of  claim 5  wherein the cap washing station comprises a cap receiver that is coupled to the cap container wherein the cap receiver comprises a cap brush having a plurality of bristles coupled to at least one cap receiver sidewall. 
     
     
         14 . A bottle vent cleaner for washing a vent having an outer surface with an outer surface shape, and an inner surface with an inner surface shape, the vent cleaner comprising:
 a cavity having side walls and a bottom, the side walls having bristles configured to accommodate the outer surface shape and brush the outer surface when the vent is inserted into the cavity;   a brush coupled to the bottom of the cavity shaped to conform to the inner surface shape.   
     
     
         15 . The bottle vent cleaner of  claim 14 , wherein the brush is removable. 
     
     
         16 . The bottle vent cleaner of  claim 14  further comprising a base defining the cavity, wherein the base comprises a tank in fluid communication with the cavity to provide a washing fluid to the cavity to wash the vent. 
     
     
         17 . A bottle cleaner for cleaning a bottle having an interior, a bottle width, and a bottle length that is greater than the width, the bottle cleaner comprising:
 a washing fluid source;   a brush shaped to conform to the interior of the bottle, the brush comprising
 a base; 
 a central rod extending from the base and being in fluid communication with the washing fluid source, the rod having a rod length; 
 a cleaning surface having an exterior and an interior; 
 a plurality of jet holes dispersed along the length of the rod to dispense a fluid from the washing fluid source to the interior of the cleaning surface. 
   
     
     
         18 . The bottle cleaner of  claim 17 , further comprising a motor to rotate the brush. 
     
     
         19 . The bottle cleaner of  claim 17 , wherein the jet holes are in the central rod or in a tube that runs along the rod length. 
     
     
         20 . The bottle cleaner of  claim 17  wherein the cleaning surface is formed by a plurality of bristles or a sponge material.