WO2011091214A1

WO2011091214A1 - Roller cleaner

Info

Publication number: WO2011091214A1
Application number: PCT/US2011/021984
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stanley Taub
Original assignee: Stanley Taub
Priority date: 2010-01-22
Filing date: 2011-01-21
Publication date: 2011-07-28

Abstract

A roller cleaner has a handle to which a substantially U-shaped holder is fixed and a roller which is attached to the holder. The roller, which is reusable and has a low durometer of less than 30, is coated with TPR polyurethane which creates a permanently tacky surface that retains its original tackiness by regular cleaning. The roller cleaner is capable, by virtue of its tackiness, to remove contaminants and debris from various surfaces, including the surface of long playing vinyl discs, DVD's, compact discs, and display screens without leaving any visible residue.

Description

ROLLER CLEANER

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a roller cleaner which is capable of removing contaminants and debris from a variety of surfaces including surfaces in grooves of encoded long playing vinyl discs, DVD's, compact discs and display screens.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Rolling devices used to clean various surfaces and remove contaminants and debris such as dust, lint, powder, ash, and grease marks are known. These devices commonly require the use of liquids, sticky tape, siloxane tacky elastomers, and wet brushes or cloths. Also, double rolling reverse wound adhesive tape rollers in combination with silicone rollers of limited tackiness have been used for cleaning various surfaces. However, adhesive tape rollers require tape replacement and can leave sticky residue on the surfaces which the roller is used to clean. Moreover, silicone rollers have a limited tackiness and a firm durometer of greater than 40.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a roller cleaner which has a smooth, tacky roller surface that is used to clean various surface, including those of encoded discs and display screens. The roller surface is coated by a TPR polyurethane compound that produces a permanent, highly tacky surface with a durometer of less than 30. The roller cleaner does not require the use of liquids, cloths, or brushes to clean various surfaces including surfaces in grooves of encoded long playing vinyl discs, DVD's, compact discs, and display screens. The surface of the roller can easily be cleaned after repeated use by soap and water and dried with a lint free paper towel or cloth. Thus, the roller cleaner is continuously reusable and does not leave any residue on the surface which it cleans.

Broadly, the present invention can be defined as a roller which comprises a handle that has a proximal end and a distal end, a substantially U-shaped holder which is fixed to the distal end of the handle, and a roller, which is reusable, being attached to the holder and having a smooth, permanently tacky surface.

The handle can be substantially U-shaped and has a first extension and a second extension located at the distal end of the handle which project at right angles in opposing directions, below the attached holder.

The holder comprises a base, which has a first end and a second end that supports a first flange at the first end and a second flange at the second end. The first flange and the second flange each extend forward, perpendicularly from the ends of the base, forming a wide U shape.

The handle and the holder, which includes the base, the first flange and the second flange, are encapsulated by a rubberized compound.

The first flange and the second flange can each have a central plug, which can be circular that extends inwardly, toward each other.

The roller has a core and the core has end caps with centralized holes in which the plug of the first flange and the plug of the second flange are attachable.

The roller is three and three-quarters inches long and has a diameter of two inches. The surface of the roller is comprised of a TPR polyurethane compound and the tackiness of the surface can be replenished by cleaning with soap and water. Moreover, the surface of the roller has a durometer of less than 30 and a high coefficient of friction.

The roller can remove all residue, contaminates and debris from various surfaces, including surfaces in grooves of long playing vinyl discs. DVD's, compact discs and display screens.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be further understood and appreciated by reading the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a first perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a third perspective view of the present invention with the roller detached from the holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like reference parts throughout, FIGS. 1-3 shows a roller cleaner 10, which has a handle 12 with a proximal end 14 and a distal end 16, a U-shaped holder 18 that is fixed to the distal end 16 of the handle 12, and a roller 20, which is reusable that is attached to the U-shaped holder 18. The roller 20 is preferably three and three quarter inches in length and has a diameter of two inches. However, the roller cleaner 10 can employ rollers with various lengths and diameters. The handle is substantially U-shaped and has a first extension 22 and a second extension 24 which extend at right angles at the distal end 16 of the handle 12 in opposing directions. The handle 12 and the holder 18 can be encapsulated by a rubberized compound to prevent the handle 12 and the holder 18 from scratching a surface of the object the roller cleaner 10 is in the process of cleaning by inadvertent contact.

As best shown in shown in FIG. 3, the U-shaped holder 18 includes a first flange 26, a second flange 28, and a base 30. Both the first flange 26 and the second flange 28 extend away from the base 30 and the handle 12. The first flange 26 and the second flange 28 each have a central plug 32 which extends inwardly, toward each other. The plug 32 can be of any shape, including circular as shown. As can further be seen in FIG. 3, the roller 20 has a core 34 and the core 34 has end caps 36 at each end with centralized holes 38 in which the plug 32 of the first flange 26 and the second flange 28 can be attached.

The surface 38 of the roller 20 is smooth and comprised of a proprietary TPR polyurethane compound that produces a permanent, highly tacky surface with a durometer of less than 30 and a high coefficient of friction, such that if the roller 20 were to roll down on a vertical, smooth surface it would take four seconds for the roller 20 to travel a distance of nine inches. The tackiness of the roller surface 38 allows the roller 20 to be able to remove any amount of contaminants and debris, such as lint, dust, grime, ash, powder, and grease marks, from surfaces or in the grooves of, for example, long playing vinyl records, DVD's, compact discs, and display screens. The roller's surface 38 does not leave any visible residue on the surface of an object which it is used and does not require liquids, sticky tape, silozane tacky elastomers, wet brushes or clothes to clean the surface. To ensure tackiness, the roller's surface 38 should be cleaned after extended use. This can be done by detaching the roller 20 from the flanges 26, 28, washing the roller surface 38 using soap and water, drying the roller surface 38 using a lint free paper towel or cloth, and reattaching the roller 20 to the flanges 26, 28.

The present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. It should be understood that the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiment disclosed herein.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed:

1. A roller cleaner, comprising:

a handle having a proximal end and a distal end;

a substantially U-shaped holder being fixed to the distal end of the handle; and a roller, which is reusable, being attached to the holder and having a smooth, permanently tacky surface.

2. The roller cleaner of claim 2, wherein the handle is substantially U-shaped and has a first extension and a second extension, which project at right angles located at the distal end of the handle in opposing directions, below the holder.

3. The roller cleaner of claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a base, which has a first end and a second end that supports a first flange at the first end and a second flange at the second end, the first flange and the second flange extend forward, perpendicularly from the first end and the second end of the base respectively, forming a wide U shape.

4. The roller cleaner of claim 1, wherein the handle and the holder, which includes the base, the first flange and the second flange, are encapsulated by a rubberized compound.

5. The roller cleaner of claim 3, wherein the first flange and the second flange each have a central plug which extends inwardly, toward each other.

6. The roller cleaner of claim 5, wherein the plug of the first flange and the plug of the second flange is circular.

7. The roller cleaner of claim 5, wherein the roller has a core and the core has end caps with centralized holes in which the plug of the first flange and the plug of the second flange are attachable.

8. The roller cleaner of claim 1, wherein the roller is three and three-quarters inches long and has a diameter of two inches.

9. The roller cleaner of claim 1, wherein the surface of the roller is comprised of a TPR polyurethane compound.

10. The roller cleaner of claim 1, wherein the surface of the roller has a durometer of less than 30.

11. The roller cleaner of claim 1, wherein the surface of the roller has a high coefficient of friction.

12. The roller cleaner of claim 1, wherein tackiness of the surface is replenishable by cleaning with soap and water.

13. The roller cleaner of claim 1, wherein the roller removes all residue, contaminates and debris from various surfaces, including surfaces in grooves of long playing vinyl discs, DVD's, compact discs and display screens.