AU655230B2 - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

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).21 arrrrrm~ A A AUTRALIA,, 19 PATENTS ACT 1990 65 M52%30 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

ORIGINAL

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. CI: Application Number: Lodged: O0 0 0 0 Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: Priority: 000044 ol 0 Related A Related Art: o 44 o 0400

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TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: Marcus Robert Worthington Address of Applicant: 2 Uloola Place GYMEA BAY NSW 2227 Actual Inventor: AS ABOVE Address for Service: ANDERSON-TAYLOR ASSOCIATES, Registered Patent Attorneys of 10 Harrison Avenue BONNET BAY N.S.W. 2226 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: CLEANING DEVICE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: .04 C 1 9 2 i: )i" ci~ ii p-

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et: .1.r 444ri 44

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C 44 This invention relates to cleaning apparatus and more particularly, although not exclusively to a spray device for narrow necked containers.

Most drink bottles have a narrow neck for ease or pouring or to enable one to imbibe directly from the vessel. This however causes difficulties with cleaning especially for amateur home brewers as there is no low cost equipment presently available which is capable of efficiently scouring out residue from the bottom and inside walls of drink bottles to achieve the required degree of sterilisation before refilling. Various brushes and water sprays are currently used however these are laborious to use and are often unable to shift the bacteria laden residue which dries in the bottom of used drink bottles.

It is therefore an object of this invention to ameliorate the aforementioned disadvantages and accordingly this invention discloses a cleaner for a narrow mouth cntainer such as a drink bottle or the like, said cleaner comprising a connector means for attachment to a source of pressurised fluid, a spray nozzle and conduit means extending between and communicating with said connector means and spray nozzle, wherein the conduit means is configured so that in use of the cleaner the spray nozzle may be inserted up through the narrow mouth of the container when inverted -2- 2

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M 1 sufficiently to thereby position said nozzle closely adjacent the bottom thereof said conduit means including a vertical tube which is formed in segments and further having provision for the introduction of a sterilising agent into the fluid through the wall of said conduit by means of a venturi.

The currently preferred example of this invention will now be described with reference to the .o attached representation which shows a side o* S° elevation of the cleaner and bottle in cross-section.

o 0000 It may comprise a releasible connector 1 of the type used with garden hoses. Attached to the o ^o^ a base of the connector is a conduit 2. This o0 extends downwardly a short distance and then 0*40 through a right angle to a horizontal section 2A. Projecting up from this horizontal section J 00 is a smaller diameter vertical tube 2B which terminates in a high pressure directional spray nozzle 3 of any suitable design.

In use the device is connected to any suitable pressurised water supply such as a garden faucet. The container to be cleaned (which may for example be a 780 ml beer bottle 4 as favoured F -3-

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by home brewers) is inverted over the nozzle 3 and vertical tube 2B. Preferably the tube 2B is of sufficient length that the nozzle can be positioned closely adjacent the bottom of the bottle. By slowly rotating the the bottle the high pressure concentrated water spray 5 emanating from the nozzle cuts through and dislodges any residue from the bottom and inside walls so that it drains down and out of the mouth.

Although not shown in the representation an additional supply of cleaning or sterilising agent may be added through the wall of the conduit 2A before the fluid exits through the nozzle. This may be achieved by either a positive pressure feed or by means of a venturi arrangement.

The exact design of such a system will not be described in detail as its construction would be well within the knowledge of a person skilled in the art.

As an additional preferred feature the vertical tube 2B may be formed in detachable segments so that its length may be varied in accordance with the depth of the container being cleaned.

It will thus be appreciated that this invention at least in the form of the embodiment described r.

provider, a novel and improved cleaning device -4-

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for drink bottles or the like. Clearly however the example disclosed is only the currently preferred form of this invention and a wide variety of modifications may be made which would be apparant to a person skilled in the art. VFor example the type of connector fitting and spray nozzle as well as the shape and size of the conduits may all be varied according to design preference or to adapt the device to other types of containers. Also while the cleaner in its preferred form is constructed from plastic the invention extends to the use of any other suitable material.

For the purposes of this specification expressions such as "vertical", "horizontal", "downwardly" and "up" refer to the device in a position of o ause as illustrated and are not to be read as 4 necessarily limiting.

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Claims (3)

1. A cleaner for a narrow mouth container such as a drink bottle or the like said cleaner comprising a connector means for attachment to a source of pressurised cleaning fluid, a spray nozzle and conduit means extending between and communicating with said connector means and spray nozzle wherein the conduit means is configured so that in use of the cleaner the spray nozzle may be inserted up through the mouth of the container when inverted sufficiently to thereby position said nozzle closely adjacent the bottom thereof said conduit means including a vertical tube which is formed in detachable segments and further having provision for the introduction of a sterilising agent into the fluid through the wall of said conduit by means of a venturi. 4

2. The cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connector means is adapted for connection to a garden faucet. li

3. A cleaner for drink bottles or the like, said cleaner being substantially as described herein with reference to the attached drawing. Dated this 21st day of June, 1994. Marcus Robert Worthington By His Patent Attorney MICHAEL ANDERSON-TAYLOR 6