U.S. patent application number 14/769496 was filed with the patent office on 2015-12-31 for toilet brush.
The applicant listed for this patent is Frank HENRY. Invention is credited to Frank HENRY.
Application Number | 20150374183 14/769496 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48091878 |
Filed Date | 2015-12-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150374183 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HENRY; Frank |
December 31, 2015 |
TOILET BRUSH
Abstract
The toilet brush includes a handle and a brush head, wherein the
brush head is detachably connectable to the handle and includes
bristles that are soluble or disintegrable in water.
Inventors: |
HENRY; Frank; (London,
GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HENRY; Frank |
|
|
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
48091878 |
Appl. No.: |
14/769496 |
Filed: |
February 18, 2014 |
PCT Filed: |
February 18, 2014 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2014/050470 |
371 Date: |
August 21, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/104.94 ;
15/105; 15/145; 15/160 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 2200/304 20130101;
A46D 1/0215 20130101; A46B 5/0095 20130101; A46B 15/0055 20130101;
A47K 11/10 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47K 11/10 20060101
A47K011/10; A46D 1/00 20060101 A46D001/00; A46B 15/00 20060101
A46B015/00; A46B 5/00 20060101 A46B005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 21, 2013 |
GB |
1303091.1 |
Claims
1. A toilet brush, comprising: a handle; and a brush head, wherein
said brush head is detachably connectable to said handle and
comprises flexible bristles formed from a gel, said gel being
soluble in water.
2. The toilet brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bristles
comprise a chemical cleaning agent.
3. The toilet brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bristles
have tips spaced from one another by at least 10 mm.
4. The toilet brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein a majority of
the bristles extend from said brush head at an angle of greater
than 90 degrees with respect to a longitudinal axis of said
handle.
5. The toilet brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein a majority of
the bristles extend from said brush head at an angle of 135 degrees
or more with respect to a longitudinal axis of said handle.
6. The toilet brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handle is
provided with a flexible joint, said brush head having a main axis
in axial alignment with an axis of said handle and at an angle to
said axis of said handle.
7. The toilet brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handle is
comprised of a plunging element.
8. The toilet brush as claimed in claim 7, wherein said plunging
element comprises a flexible disc, said flexible disc extending
radially outwardly from said handle.
9. The toilet brush as claimed in claim 7, wherein said plunging
element is substantially planar.
10. The toilet brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handle is
comprised of a resiliently biased attachment head, said resiliently
biased attachment head being arranged to detachably engage a core
element of said brush head.
11. The toilet brush as claimed in claim 10, wherein the attachment
head is provided with at least one detent, said at least on detent
being ordinarily urged radially outwardly.
12. The toilet brush as claimed in claim 11, wherein said core
element of said brush head comprises a substantially cylindrical
member axially aligned with said axis of the handle when said brush
head is attached to said handle and is provided with at least one
opening for receiving the detents.
13. The toilet brush as claimed in claim 12, wherein said handle
comprises a substantially cylindrical shaft having a greater
diameter than the cylindrical member and being arranged to receive
the cylindrical member when a cleaning head is attached to said
handle.
Description
RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] 1. Field of the Invention
[0005] The present disclosure relates to a toilet brush, more
particularly to a toilet brush comprising a soluble brush head,
which may be replaced.
[0006] 2. Description of Related Art Including Information
Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
[0007] Toilet brushes generally comprise a unitarily formed handle
and brush head, wherein the brush head is provided with a plurality
of non-soluble cleaning bristles, which may be formed from nylon or
a similar material. Such conventional toilet brushes are generally
stored in toilet brush holders that receive the head of the toilet
brush when it is not in use and retain the handle in an upright
position to be grasped by a user when the brush is to be used for
cleaning a toilet.
[0008] These conventional toilet brushes, whilst effective in
dislodging material that is stuck to a toilet bowl, do not aid in
disinfecting the toilet bowl. Generally bleach or other cleaning
products are required to be used in tandem with the toilet brush to
maintain a clean toilet bowl. Furthermore, dirt is easily trapped
in and amongst the bristles of the brush head, which dirt is
transferred to and stored in the toilet brush holder between uses,
which is extremely unhygienic.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention arose in a bid to provide an improved
toilet brush.
[0010] According to the present invention in a first aspect, there
is provided a toilet brush comprising a handle and a brush head,
wherein the brush head is detachably connectable to the handle and
comprises flexible bristles that are formed from a gel that is
soluble in water.
[0011] According to the present invention in a further aspect,
there is provided a toilet brush comprising a handle and a brush
head, wherein the brush head is detachably connectable to the
handle and the handle is provided with a flexible plunging element
which is arranged such that the handle may be used as a plunger
when the brush head is detached from the handle. The plunging
element may comprise a flexible disc, which extends radially
outwardly from the handle. The plunging element may be
substantially planar.
[0012] Further preferred features are presented in the dependent
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] Non-limiting embodiments will now be described, by way of
example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a toilet brush according
to the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 2 shows a part sectional view of the toilet brush of
FIG. 1 with the brush head detached.
[0016] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary brush head before and after
use.
[0017] FIG. 4 shows a close up perspective view of the attachment
mechanism for the brush head (with the brush head attached).
[0018] FIG. 5 shows a close up perspective view of the attachment
mechanism for the brush head in a retracted state (with the brush
head detached).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a toilet brush embodying the present invention.
The toilet brush comprises, broadly, a handle 100 and a brush head
101, which is detachably connected to the handle.
[0020] The handle is preferably formed from plastic and may be
formed by injection moulding or otherwise.
[0021] The handle is provided with a hand grip 102 at or adjacent
its first (proximal) end, which hand grip is arranged to be grasped
by a user during use of the toilet brush. The hand grip may be
integrally formed with the remainder of the handle or may comprise
a separate element, such as a rubber or plastic end cap or sleeve
or otherwise, that is attached to the handle. In the arrangement
shown, the handle is integrally formed and is provided with ribs to
increase grip.
[0022] The handle comprises a longitudinally extending and
preferably substantially cylindrical shaft 103, which extends from
the hand grip at the first end to a second (distal) end, which
engages the brush head 101. It should be appreciated that the
handle may take other forms, however, as will be readily
appreciated by those skilled in the art.
[0023] A radially protruding and flexible collar 2 is preferably
provided adjacent the second end of the handle. By adjacent the
second end, it is meant that the collar is provided closer to the
second end of the handle than to the first end, which is provided
with the hand grip. The flexible collar allows the toilet brush to
be used as a plunger when the brush head is detached from the
handle, as shown in FIG. 2 for example. In other words, the handle
100 doubles as a plunger by virtue of the collar. The flexible
collar is substantially disc like in form and planar with its plane
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle. Whilst the
collar is shown to be substantially planar, it should be
appreciated that it may take other, more conventional, plunger
forms. It may, for example be substantially dome shaped. The only
limitation on the form of the collar is that it must not interfere
with the use of the toilet brush when it is being used to clean the
bowl of a toilet. The collar 2 is preferably integrally moulded
with the handle. It may, however, be separately formed and attached
to the shaft of the handle using adhesive or alternative suitable
fixing means, in which case it may comprise a disc with a central
opening that receives the shaft of the handle.
[0024] Adjacent the second end of the handle there may be a
flexible joint 3 provided to allow the second end of the handle, to
which the brush head is attached in use, to flex, such that the
axis of the brush head may be provided at an angle to the axis of
the handle for cleaning under a toilet rim or similar by flexing
the joint. As shown in FIG. 1, the flexible joint is provided
between the flexible collar 2 and the brush head. The flexible
joint may comprise a portion of flexible tubing, made of rubber or
similar, that is inserted during manufacture of the handle at the
desired location along the length of the handle.
[0025] The brush head comprises a plurality of bristles 10, 11,
which are soluble in water. The bristles most preferably comprise a
cleaning agent and/or a descaling agent. Most preferably the
cleaning agent contains a bleaching agent. The bristles project
radially outwardly from the brush head at a range of angles, as
shown. The bristles may be configured to provide a brush head of
any desired shape. The bristles may all be formed together in a
single moulding. Adjacent bristles preferably have their tips
spaced from one another by 10 mm.
[0026] In a preferred arrangement, the brush head is arranged such
that all or a majority of the bristles are angled downwards, that
is the bristles extend from the brush head at an angle of greater
than 90 degrees (most preferably at an angle of greater than 135
degrees) with respect to the longitudinal axis of the handle, in a
direction away from the hand grip. By this arrangement when the
toilet brush is oriented with the handle vertical and the hand grip
uppermost the bristles are angle downwards. By such an arrangement
the catching of remnant toilet tissue within the toilet bowl is
limited during use of the toilet brush.
[0027] The bristles may be formed from known materials used to form
rigid/semi-rigid toilet rim blocks. They are formed from a gel.
Particularly suitable for the bristles are the materials used to
form the commercially available Harpic.RTM. Max range of toilet
blocks. The bristles may, for example, contain: 5% Chlorine Based
Bleaching Agent, >30% Anionic Surfactants, 5-15% Nonionic
Surfactants and Aliphatic Hydrocarbons. As a specific example, the
bristles may contain: Sodium Sulfate, Sodium Dodecylbenzesulfonate,
Sodium C14-C16 Olefin Sulfonate, Parfum, Cocamide DEA, Aqua, Sodium
Citrate, Sodium Laureth Sulphate, Polybutadiene, Silica,
Tetrasodium Etidronate, Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Coumarin,
Eugenol, Geraniol, Limonene, Alpha-Iso Methyl Ionone, Titanium
Dioxide, Glycerin, Diethanolamine, 3,6-Dioxaoctamethylenediamine,
and Polyoxypropylenediamine, in descending order of mass by volume
of the bristles.
[0028] The material forming the bristles may be rendered more
pliable by the introduction of one or more suitable chemical
compounds, as will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the
art.
[0029] FIG. 3 shows a brush head before and after use, wherein the
bristles 11 can be seen to have been worn down from their original
form 10 during use of the toilet brush and the brush head has
correspondingly reduced in size. After a number of uses and once
the bristles have been significantly eroded the brush head may be
replaced with a fresh brush head.
[0030] The brush head comprises a cylindrical core 9 that is
provided to allow for attachment of the brush head to the handle.
The cylindrical core is preferably formed from a water
disintegratable (soluble) material, such as cardboard, so that the
used brush head may be flushed down the toilet after use. It may,
however, be formed from plastic or other materials that are not
flushable for disposal in a bin instead.
[0031] The cylindrical core is preferably provided with a pair of
opposed openings (holes) 15 in its side wall, which are arranged to
receive a pair of detents when the brush head engages the handle,
as discussed in detail below. Other attachment mechanisms will,
however, be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.
[0032] The bristles, which are preferably unitarily formed with one
another, may be joined to the cylindrical core using adhesive or
may be moulded around the core during manufacture. As discussed,
all of the bristles may be unitarily moulded together, wherein a
central opening may be provided that receives and engages the
cylindrical core.
[0033] The handle is provided with an attachment head 8 at its
second end, which attachment head is arranged to engage with the
cylindrical core 9 of the brush head. The attachment head 8 is a
flexible element that is provided with a pair of opposed detents
that are substantially spherical in form and are arranged to engage
the opposed openings provided in the cylindrical core 9 to control
attachment/detachment of the brush head from the handle. Each of
the detents is mounted on the end of a curved flexible arm that is
joined to a body of the attachment head at an opposite end.
[0034] The detents are ordinarily resiliently biased outwardly. The
attachment head is attached to a stem 6, which extends along the
inside of the shaft of the handle, wherein a downwards force on the
stem, as indicated by the downward arrows in FIG. 4, acts to urge
the detents apart, i.e. radially outwardly, and an upwards force on
the stem, as indicated by the upward arrows in FIG. 5 acts to draw
the detents together, i.e. radially inwardly. The curved flexible
arms that are provided with the detents at their ends are joined to
the stem by a flexible or bendable cross member that is joined to
the stem and is pulled up by the stem, wherein the pulling up of
the stem bends or flexes the stem upwards and draws the detents
radially inwards. The stem may comprise a metal or plastic rod or
any other element that is capable of transmitting the necessary
force to the attachment head.
[0035] At its end adjacent the first end of the handle, the stem
engages a resilient biasing means, which is a spring in the present
arrangement. The spring provides a permanent downwards force on the
stem such that the detents are ordinarily urged radially outwardly.
A button 5 is provided, which may be engaged by a users thumb or
otherwise to urge the stem upwards against the force of the spring
to draw the detents radially inwards (for attachment/detachment of
the cleaning head).
[0036] As shown in FIG. 4, the cylindrical core 9 preferably has a
smaller diameter than that of the shaft of the handle such that the
cylindrical core is received by the second end of the shaft of the
handle. The cylindrical core and the shaft are preferably co-axial
when the brush head and the handle are engaged with one another, as
seen in FIG. 4.
[0037] A brush head may be attached to the handle by sliding the
cylindrical core 9 into the open end of the shaft 103 of the handle
100. The openings in the cylindrical core are aligned with the
detents, which by their biasing will engage the openings to lock
the brush head in place ready for use. When the used brush head is
to be removed, a user simply slides the button 5 upwardly to
retract the detents and the brush head will fall off the handle
without a user needing to handle the dirty brush head. The used
brush head may be dropped directly into the toilet bowl or a bin
for disposal, as appropriate.
[0038] As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art,
the attachment means for attaching the brush head to the handle may
take numerous other forms to that disclosed.
* * * * *