Dryer

Abstract

 The invention relates to a dryer (1), which comprises an elongated body (2) having a bottom side (210) and two vertical sides (215, 216) contiguous with said bottom side (210) of the body, which together with said bottom side make up a channel (21) extending lengthwise of the body, in which channel a mostly elastomer-constructed sweeper element (3) of the dryer is capable of being accommodated and clamped with a press-fit joint. In the dryer,
- upon a face (210; 210b) of the body's bottom side (210) turned away from the sweeper element (3) is propped an articulation part (6), to which is pivotably attached the dryer's handle or handle bracket,
- the dryer's sweeper element (3) is made in one piece and comprises an elongated base (30), which is fitted in the body's channel (21) and which comprises a head (325) of the base with two contiguous side faces (315, 316) of the base connected by a bottom (310) of the base, whereby between said side faces (315, 316) exists a certain distance in a crosswise direction of said base (30), especially in a lateral direction of the base, and the bottom (310) has a width at least equal to that of the base head (325), whereby a plane (L) extending across the base head is substantially co-directional with a plane extending across the base bottom (310),
- the base head (325) of the sweeper element features three contiguous resilient sweepers (4), which depart outward from said head in a way that each sweeper (4; 41, 42, 43) has its specific divergence angle from the base head plane (L), such that between two adjacent sweepers (41, 42 as well as 42, 43) there is always a certain separation angle (b1, b2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a dryer as set forth in the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] The prior art discloses squeegees or dryers intended for drying the floor, having at least its sweeper element made of an elastic rubber-like material. The construction of these dryers is generally such that the base of a sweeper element is pressed inside an aluminum profile.

[0003] The inventors have now discovered that a problem with these prior known dryers is a poor water removing performance on floor surfaces in the event that the floor surface is uneven, which is often the case in bathrooms with a tiled floor leaving joint segments between adjacent tiles.

[0004] Based on the foregoing prior art, it was an objective of the inventors to find a remedy for the above problem and to provide a dryer intended primarily for the removal of water from floors, which enables water to be removed more effectively than before from uneven floor surfaces.

[0005] The objective of the present invention is accomplished with a dryer as set forth in claim 1.

[0006] More specifically, the invention relates to a dryer, which comprises an elongated body having a bottom side and two vertical sides contiguous with said bottom side of the body, which together with said bottom side make up a channel extending lengthwise of the body, in which channel a mostly elastomer-constructed sweeper element of the dryer is capable of being accommodated and clamped with a press-fit joint. Hence,

• upon a face of the body's bottom side turned away from the sweeper element is propped an articulation part, to which is pivotably attached the dryer's handle or handle bracket,
• the dryer's sweeper element is made in one piece and comprises an elongated base, which is fitted in the body's channel and which comprises a head of the base with two contiguous side faces of the base connected by a bottom of the base, whereby between said side faces exists a certain distance in a crosswise direction of said base, especially in a lateral direction of the base, and the bottom has a width at least equal to that of the base head, whereby a plane extending across the base head is substantially co-directional with a plane extending across the base bottom,
• the base head of the sweeper element features three contiguous resilient sweepers, which depart outward from said head in a way that each sweeper has its specific divergence angle from the base head plane, such that between two adjacent sweepers there is always a certain separation angle.

[0007] The present objectives of the invention are attained with a sweeper as discussed above. As opposed to the known prior art, the sweeper includes three resilient sweepers extending from a common part (head) of the base and jointly making up a sweeper element. Such a sweeper element design has been found highly effective in terms of removing water from uneven floor surfaces. It is also of particular significance that the sweeper element and the base be constructed in one piece, whereby the sweeper element is structurally durable.

[0008] Preferably, the middlemost sweeper has its free end extending further out than the free ends of both outermost sweepers as viewed from the sweeper element's base. Such a sweeper element has been found particularly effective in terms of removing water from uneven floor surfaces.

[0009] Preferably, upon a face of the body's bottom side turned away from the sweeper element is propped a swivel block, which is pivotably fitted with the dryer's handle or handle bracket.

[0010] In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the sweeper body comprises a rigid elongated metal profile, preferably an aluminum profile, having a bottom side and two vertical sides contiguous with the bottom side. The face of the bottom side turned towards the sweeper element constitutes a channel floor for the body's channel, and said vertical sides constitute parallel, more or less vertical channel walls, which are contiguous with the lengthwise edges of the channel floor and between which is left an installation space for the dryer's base. Preferably, said installation space has an enlargement at the point of connection between the body's vertical sides and the body's bottom side. Such an aluminum profile intended for the sweeper base is simple to manufacture and advantageous in terms of its manufacturing costs.

[0011] In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the sweeper element's base comprises a head provided with sweepers on one side and side faces of the base on the other side, between which faces exists a certain distance in a crosswise direction of the base and which side faces are contiguous with the base bottom, and said bottom having a width at least equal to that of the base head. Preferably, the base bottom is wider than the base head and, as viewed from the head, the side faces extend further away than the base bottom, such that the free ends of said side faces constitute what in a view from a lengthwise centerline of the base are outwardly turned fins which can be fitted in the installation space enlargement. In still another preferred embodiment of the invention, the sweeper element has its base fitted in the body's channel in such a way that the base has its bottom in contact with the channel floor of the body's channel and the base has its side faces in contact with respective vertical sides of the body and the fins are fitted in the installation space enlargement. Such a sweeper element design enhances the durability of a press-fit joint between the sweeper element's base and the body's channel.

[0012] The invention and benefits gained thereby will now be described further with reference to the accompanying figures.

Fig. 1 shows a dryer of the invention in a perspective view.

Fig. 2 shows a sweeper element for the dryer of fig. 1 in a cross-section view as seen from the end.

Fig. 3 shows a portion of the dryer's aluminum body in a schematic perspective view.

[0013] Next, there will be a brief survey of the main structures of each figure, as well as which aspect of the invention is to be illustrated by each figure.

[0014] Fig. shows a dryer of the invention in its entirety and in working condition. The dryer 1 includes a sweeper element 3, which has three sweepers 4 extending side by side lengthwise of the dryer, and which sweeper element 3 is inserted in an aluminum profile 2 functioning as a body 2 of the dryer. On the opposite face of a bottom side 210 of the body, as seen from the sweeper element 3, is mounted an articulation part 6 capable of having a handle of the dryer attached thereto. The dryer body 2 has its longitudinal ends provided with end plugs 5; 51,52.

[0015] Fig. 2 shows a sweeper element 3. The sweeper element 3 consists of a base 30 of the sweeper element, as well as of three sweepers 4; 41, 42, 43 contiguous with the base, the middlemost sweeper being the longest in a view from where the base 30 is located. The sweeper base 30 is hollow, and on either side of its bottom side 310 are fins 315, 316, which protrude from the base approximately co-directionally with the bottom side, and which restrain movement of the base once the base has been fitted inside the aluminum profile 2 functioning as a body.

[0016] Fig. 3 shows a dryer body 2. Said body consists of an elongated bottom side 210, both lengthwise edges thereof being provided with contiguous profiled upward directed sides 215, 216, i.e. vertical sides 215, 216, extending at a more or less right angle away from the plane of the body's bottom side.

[0017] The dryer 1 according to the invention comprises an elongated body 2, which includes a channel 21 lengthwise of the body with a mostly elastomer-constructed sweeper element 3 fitted therein and clamped with a press-fit joint. The sweeper element 3 is constructed in one piece and comprises a base 30, which is fitted in the body's channel 21 and from a head 325 of which extend outwards, i.e. away as seen from the location of a channel floor 210, three resilient sweepers 4; 41, 42, 43, whereby between two adjacent sweepers (41 and 42 or 42 and 43) there is always a certain separation angle.

[0018] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to figs. 1-3, as well as to the foregoing general description of these figures.

[0019] The base 30 of the sweeper element 3 consists of a hollow elongated element in the shape of a more or less obtuse triangle in cross-section, which is capable of being accommodated in the channel 21 of the dryer body 3 in such a way that between the base 30 and the body 2 is established a press-fit joint restraining a relative movement of the base 30 and the body 2. The sweeper element's base 30 comprises an elongated bottom side 310 extending lengthwise of the base, and side faces 315 and 316 contiguous with the lengthwise edges of this bottom side at an angle slightly more than 90 degrees, in other words, in a slightly converging position. The side faces 315, 316 become closer to each other upon joining a head 325 of the base 30, said head extending co-directionally with the bottom side 310 in a longitudinal direction of the base. The cross-section of the base 30, visible in fig. 2, takes the shape of a triangle with an obtuse apex (cf. fig. 2). From the bottom side 310 of the base protrude two fins 317, 318 approximately transverse to the longitudinal direction of the base, which fins are made up of free ends 315a, 315b of the respective side faces 315, 316. The fins 317, 318 extend at an angle of about 90 degrees outward from the plane of the side faces 315, 316 and at the same time away as seen from a longitudinal center axis P of the base 30, thus constituting extensions of the bottom side 310 more co-directional with the bottom side 310. The fins 317, 318 are capable of being accommodated, as subsequently described, in an installation space 220 of the body 2, which for its part impedes relative movement between the base and the body. The base 30 and sweepers 4 of the sweeper element 3 are made of the same material and preferably manufactured in one piece for example by extruding from a suitable elastomer, such as TPE. For reasons of manufacturing technique, the base 30 of the sweeper element 3 is constructed in the embodiments of figs. 2A and 2B to be hollow on the inside, but equally functional in this context is also a sweeper element 3 constructed in solid rubber material, comprising a solid base 30 whose head 325 is provided with the sweepers 4; 41, 42, 43 contiguous therewith.

[0020] The sweepers 4; 41, 42, 43 included in the dryer's sweeper element 3 are contiguous with the base 30 shared by the sweepers. Each sweeper 41, 42, 43 has its specific angle of divergence from a plane L extending across the base head 325. The plane L of the base head represents here a plane which extends across the base head 325 and which is substantially co-directional with the base bottom 310. When studying the base in cross-section (figure) and fixing the x-axis of an xy-coordinate system on the base plane L as well as the y-axis on the middlemost sweeper 42, the separation angles (expressed as a positive angle difference) between the middlemost sweeper 42 and the outermost sweepers 41 and 43 are in this case each time equal to angles b1 and b2 at which the outermost sweepers 41 and 43 diverge from the base head plane L serving as the x-axis. In figs. 2A and 2B, the angles of divergence are +45 degrees or -45 degrees and thereby the separation angles are 45 degrees.

[0021] The separation angles between the middlemost sweeper 42 and the outermost sweepers 41, 43 must be such that the neighboring sweepers 41, 42 or 42, 43 do not lean against each other too tightly as said sweepers 41, 42, 43 are used for removing water from the floor surface. The floor is swept with a dryer of the invention by drawing the dryer's sweeper element in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the sweeper element so as to bring free ends 41 a, 42a, 43a of the sweeper 4 in contact with the floor. In this case, the overly small separation angle b1 or 2 would cause agglutination of the sweepers 4; 41, 42, 43 together and deterioration of the drying performance.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is the middlemost sweeper 42 which is the tallest and the outermost sweepers 41 and 43 are shorter than that as the sweepers 4 are viewed from where the base head 325 is located.

[0023] The body 2 of the dryer 1, visible in figs. 1 and 3, comprises in turn a rigid elongated aluminum profile, which is slightly shorter in length than the sweeper element 3. The aluminum profile includes an elongated bottom side 210 and two vertical sides 215, 216 contiguous with a lengthwise edge of the bottom side. A face 210a of the bottom side 210, turned towards the sweeper element 4, makes up a channel floor 210a for the body, and internal surfaces 215a, 216a of said vertical sides 215, 216 make up co-directional channel walls 215a, 216a contiguous with the channel floor. The vertical sides 215, 216, and thereby also the channel walls 215a, 216a established by the internal surfaces thereof, are generally profiled, whereby each channel wall 215a, 216a consists of a profiled sheet, the center axes extending across its lengthwise surface area being located at a certain average plane. The departing direction of the average plane of each channel wall 215a, 216a from the plane of the channel floor 210a is perpendicularly away and thereby the channel walls are in vertical orientation as viewed from the horizontal channel floor. The channel walls 215a, 216a, along with the channel floor 210a, define an elongated installation space 220, i.e. the borders of an installation channel, from three directions. The installation space 220 is open upwards, while its mouth 220e is left between free edges 215e, 216e of the channel's vertical sides 215, 216. In the proximity of their conjunction with the channel floor 210a, the profiled channel walls 215a and 216a have a pocket 216c, 216c extending outward from the average plane of the channel walls as the channel walls 215a, 216a are regarded from a lengthwise centerline of the channel walls. It is the pockets 216c, 216c which make up installation space enlargements 220a, 220b. The bottom side 210 of the body 2 has its face opposite with respect to the channel floor 210a provided with an articulation part 6. The articulation part 6 abuts and attaches to the bottom side as well as to attachment recesses 215h, 216h of the vertical sides 215, 216. To the articulation part 6 is attached a handle bracket 7 or a handle, which is rotatable around its attachment point (mounting axle) with the articulation part in a longitudinal direction of the sweeper element 3.

[0024] When the dryer 1 is assembled to its working condition, the sweeper element 3 is locked with a press-fit joint in the channel 21 of the body 2 and a handle is fixed to the handle bracket 7.

[0025] The press-fit joint between the sweeper element 3 and the body 2 is established by first inserting the base 30 of the sweeper element 3 in the body's channel 21. Hence, the bottom 310 of the base 30 is brought into contact with the channel floor 210a while the side faces 315, 316 of the base are brought into contact with the respective channel walls 215a, 216a. As a result, the fins 317, 318 of the base are placed in the enlargements 220a, 220b of the installation space 220 of the channel 21 and the base places itself in the installation space 220 in such a way that the base head 325 settles at the mouth 210e of the installation space. Since the sweeper element 3 is longer than the body 2, the sweeper element 3 has its ends 3a, 3b extending slightly beyond the ends of the body 2. When the side faces of the body's channel 21 are now pressed towards each other, the base 30 will be pressed into the installation space and relative movement between the base 30 and the body's channel 21 will be prevented. After this, to the bottom side 210 as well as the vertical sides 215, 216 of the body are still attached end plugs 5; 51, 52, which seal the installation space ends 220c, 220d in a longitudinal direction of the installation space.

[0026] In a completely assembled sweeper, the base head 325 lies at the installation space mouth 220e in such a way that the virtual plane L extending across the head is substantially flush with the channel walls' free ends 215e, 216e, i.e. flush with the free ends of the body's side faces 215, 216 when regarded from the body's bottom side 210.

Reference numerals

[0027] 

1

Dryer

2

Body

21

Channel in the body

210

Bottom side

215, 216

Upright sides, vertical sides

210a

Channel floor

210b

Attachment face of the bottom side

215a, 216a

Channel walls

216c, 216c

Pockets in the channel walls

215e, 216e

Free ends of the channel walls

215h, 216h

Attachment recesses in the vertical sides

220

Installation space

220a, 220b

Enlargement of the installation space

220c, 220d

Ends of the installation space

220e

Mouth of the installation space

3

Sweeper element

3a, 3b

Ends of the sweeper element

30

Base of the sweeper element

310

Bottom of the base

310a

Channel floor

315, 316

Side faces of the base

315a, 316a

Free ends of the side faces

317, 318

Fins

325

Head of the base

4

Sweepers

41,42,43

Sweeper

41a, 42a, 43a

Free end of the sweeper

b1, b2

Separation angle between two sweepers

5

End plugs

51, 52

End plug

6

Articulation part

7

Handle bracket

L

Plane of the base head

b1, b2

Separation angle

Claims

1. A dryer (1), which comprises an elongated body (2) having a bottom side (210) and two vertical sides (215, 216) contiguous with said bottom side (210) of the body, which together with said bottom side make up a channel (21) extending lengthwise of the body, in which channel a mostly elastomer-constructed sweeper element (3) of the dryer is capable of being accommodated and clamped with a press-fit joint, characterized in that

- upon a face (210; 210b) of the body's bottom side (210) turned away from the sweeper element (3) is propped an articulation part (6), to which is pivotably attached the dryer's handle or handle bracket,

- the dryer's sweeper element (3) is made in one piece and comprises an elongated base (30), which is fitted in the body's channel (21) and which comprises a head (325) of the base with two contiguous side faces (315, 316) of the base connected by a bottom (310) of the base, whereby between said side faces (315, 316) exists a certain distance in a crosswise direction of said base (30), especially in a lateral direction of the base, and the bottom (310) has a width at least equal to that of the base head (325), whereby a plane (L) extending across the base head is substantially co-directional with a plane extending across the base bottom (310),

- the base head (325) of the sweeper element features three contiguous resilient sweepers (4), which depart outward from said head in a way that each sweeper (4; 41, 42, 43) has its specific divergence angle from the base head plane (L), such that between two adjacent sweepers (41, 42 as well as 42, 43) there is always a certain separation angle (b1, b2).

2. A dryer as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the dryer's body (2) comprises a rigid elongated metal profile, preferably an aluminum profile, which has a bottom side (210) and two vertical sides (215, 216) contiguous with said bottom side (210) of the body, whereby the bottom side (210) and said vertical sides (215, 216) jointly make up a channel (21) extending lengthwise of the body.

3. A dryer as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the face of the body's bottom side (210), which has turned towards the sweeper element (3), constitutes a channel floor (210a) for the body's channel (21), and the internal surfaces (215a, 216a) of said vertical sides (215, 216) of the body constitute channel walls (215a, 216a), which are contiguous with lengthwise edges of said channel floor (210a) and extend co-directionally or in a slightly converging manner when proceeding towards a free end (215e, 216e) thereof, the average plane extending across each of said walls being in a substantially perpendicular orientation, especially in a substantially vertical orientation, with respect to said channel floor (210a), whereby between said channel walls (215a, 216a) is left an installation space (220) defined by the channel floor (210a) and the channel walls (215a, 216a) for the base (3; 30) of the sweeper element.

4. A dryer (1) as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the sweeper element's base (3; 30) is capable of being accommodated in the body's channel (21), such that the base has its bottom (30; 310) in contact with the channel floor (210a) of the body's channel and the base has its side faces (315, 316) in contact with the respective channel walls (215a, 216a) of said channel in such a way that the plane (L) of the sweeper element's base head (325) extends substantially in flushness with the free ends (215e, 216e) of the vertical sides (215a, 216a) of the channel (21) as regarded from the channel floor (210), whereby the base has its head (325) at a mouth (210e) of the installation space.

5. A dryer as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that, in the proximity of a junction between the channel walls (215a, 216a) and the channel floor (210a), the installation space (220) is provided with a pocket (216c, 216c), which are directed outward from an average plane extending across each channel wall (215, 216), and which make up enlargements (220a, 220b) of the installation space, and from the bottom (310) of the base depart two fins (317, 318), which are approximately transverse to a longitudinal direction of the base and which are capable of being fitted in said enlargements (220a, 220b) of the installation space (220).

6. A dryer (1) as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that a free end (42a) of the middlemost sweeper (4; 42) extends further out than free ends (41 a, 43a) of both outermost sweepers (41, 43) as regarded from the direction of the sweeper element's base (30).

7. A dryer (1) as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the installation space (220) becomes narrower when proceeding from the channel floor (210a) towards a free end (215e, 216e) of the channel walls (215a, 216a).

8. A dryer (1) as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sweeper element's base bottom (30; 310) is wider than the base head (30; 325) and the side faces (30; 315, 316) of the base extend, as regarded from said head (325), further away than the base bottom (310), such that the free ends (315a, 316a) of said side faces (315, 316) make up respective fins (317, 318) turned outward as regarded from a lengthwise centerline (P) of the base.

9. A dryer (1) as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sweeper element (3) is longer than the body's installation space (220) and has each of its free ends provided with an end plug (5; 51, 52), which closes an end (220a, 220b) of the installation space in a longitudinal direction of the installation space.

10. A dryer (1) as set forth in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a separation angle (b1, b2) between each outermost sweeper (41, 43) and the middlemost sweeper (42) of the sweeper element (3) is approximately 45 degrees.

Drawing