Silicone rubber foam brush

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11283399-B2
Application number	US-202016889071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2020
Priority date	Mar 4, 2016
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A brush suitable for performing at least one of a cleaning, buffing, and polishing action on a surface without requiring water comprises a core member, the core member having a central axis surrounded by a plurality of C-channel grooves and a plurality of sheets of material, each sheet of material comprised of closed-cell silicone foam rubber, being folded to define a double-sided flap, and secured to a respective one of the plurality of C-channel grooves. The sheet of material is secured to the core member to permit relative movement of the double-sided flap with respect to the surface in at least a first direction, and the relative movement of the double-sided flap produces at least one of the cleaning, buffing and/or polishing action on the surface without requiring water.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A brush suitable for performing at least one of a cleaning, buffing, and polishing action on a surface without requiring water, comprising:
a core member, the core member having a central axis surrounded by a plurality of C-channel grooves, each of the C-channel grooves having an opening with lips positioned adjacent to the opening, the lips having an external facing surface and an internal facing surface; and
a plurality of sheets of material, each sheet of material comprised of closed-cell silicone foam rubber, being folded to define a double-sided flap, and secured to the internal facing surface of the lips of a respective one of the plurality of C-channel grooves;
wherein each sheet of material is secured to the core member to permit relative movement of the double-sided flap with respect to the surface in at least a first direction, and
wherein the relative movement of the double-sided flap produces at least one of the cleaning, buffing and/or polishing action on the surface without requiring water.

2. The brush according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of double-sided flaps secured to respective C-channel grooves define a symmetric pattern of flaps around the core member.

3. The brush according to claim 1 , wherein the double-sided flaps include a middle area between the folded sheet material, the brush further comprising a flexible structural element disposed within the middle area.

4. The brush according to claim 3 , wherein the flexible structural element is configured to increase a pressure between the double-sided flap and the surface being cleaned during contact by the sheet of material.

5. The brush according to claim 1 , wherein the core member includes a flat surface adjacent each double-sided flap.

6. The brush according to claim 1 , wherein the surface is a solar panel and wherein the relative movement of the double-sided flap produces at least one of the cleaning, buffing and/or polishing action on the solar panel to improve a light transmission characteristic of the solar panel.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Carrasco Zanini Pablo
• Parrott Brian
• Shehri Ali

Classifications

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• Y02E10/40

  Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers · CPC title

• H10F19/80

  Encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• B08B11/04

  specially adapted for plate glass, e.g. prior to manufacture of windshields · CPC title

• B08B1/34

  rotating about an axis parallel to the surface · CPC title