U.S. patent number 3,883,197 [Application Number 05/365,492] was granted by the patent office on 1975-05-13 for bowl brush assembly.
Invention is credited to Joyce Pruitt Reid.
United States Patent |
3,883,197 |
Reid |
May 13, 1975 |
Bowl brush assembly
Abstract
A brush and holder assembly in which the brush is held out of
contact with the holder at all points except the suspension point,
the holder being open and pivotable and tiltable about a suspending
point whereby unobstructed access to the holder cavity is provided
the user, said holder cavity having no recesses or other possible
water collecting points therein which are different to maintain in
a sanitary condition. The assembly may be swung out of the way when
not in use to present an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Inventors: |
Reid; Joyce Pruitt (Chicago,
IL) |
Family
ID: |
23439121 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/365,492 |
Filed: |
May 31, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/206; 206/361;
211/65 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K
11/10 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47K
11/10 (20060101); A47K 11/00 (20060101); A47g
029/08 (); A46b 017/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;15/258,246,247,184,185
;206/361 ;312/206 ;248/110 ;211/65,66 ;D6/125 ;D7/179 ;D4/6-12 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Feldman; Peter
Claims
I claim:
1. A brush and holder assembly, said assembly including, in
combination,
a brush having an elongated handle and a bristle portion at one end
thereof,
a holder for said brush,
said holder being formed generally in the shape of said brush and
having an open, unobstructed entry side,
means for suspending the brush in the holder from a support
location integral with the holder which maintains the bristle
portion out of contact with the holder, and
means for connecting said brush and holder assembly from an anchor
location which enables said assembly, when not in use, to be
disposed with the open, unobstructed entry side of the holder
facing an adjacent vertical surface, such as the vertical wall of a
water closet tank to which the assembly is anchored,
said connecting means further enabling the brush and holder
assembly to be unrestrainedly rotated and tilted with respect to
the adjacent vertical surface whereby the brush may be freely
inserted into, and removed from, the holder, and the holder
disposed in a position in which the open entry side faces the
adjacent vertical surface.
2. The brush and holder assembly of claim 1 further characterized
in that
the holder is so formed and contoured that when suspended
vertically all internal surfaces at all levels which may become wet
during use, except a smoothly contoured drip barrier member located
at substantially the lowest elevation of the assembly, slope
downwardly.
3. The brush and holder assembly of claim 1 further characterized
in that the
suspension means includes a projection integrally formed with the
holder,
said projection being arranged to co-act with receptacle means on
the brush.
4. The brush and holder assembly of claim 1 further characterized
in that the connecting means for the brush and holder assembly
includes
a first member constructed and arranged to be secured to an anchor
point, such as the upper edge of a water tank,
a second member which extends generally transversely outwardly from
the anchor point, and
a fastener which connects the upper end portion of the holder to
said second member,
said fastener providing rotational and vertically tiltable movement
of the holder with respect to the adjacent vertical surface,
said means for suspending the brush in the holder providing
relative vertical displacement between the brush and the holder
whereby the brush, upon vertically tilting the holder, will
separate from the holder so that the brush may be grasped and
removed from the holder.
Description
This invention relates generally to brush and holder sets, and
specifically to a brush and holder set designed for water closet
use, which is practical, unobtrusive, and to the extent it is used
in an exposed location, aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Brush and holder sets of the general type described above are often
unsightly and all too frequently unsanitary. Thus water closet bowl
cleaning brushes are conventionally designed with a generally
round, exploded bristle construction which, though efficient in
use, has the undesirable features of retaining water and other fine
sediments which may be present in the water upon withdrawal from
the bowl; some of the water and sediments, if present, may even
remain on the brush after shaking or hitting against a solid
surface after use. Should such a brush be placed on the floor with
the bristles in contact therewith after use, a pool of water may be
formed which is susceptible of tracking throughout the immediate
area. Hence it is very desirable to house the brush in a container
or holder which holds the brush away from the floor.
Even when the brush is in a holder it is possible for odors to
develop and an unsightly appearance to result due to the fact that
the bristles at the extremity of the brush come in contact with the
holder. Thus, if the brush when in the holder rests on the bottom
of a receiving pocket, there is a tendency for water and sediment
to run from the exposed bristles into the pocket. Alternate
moistening and drying of a few drops after each use may cause a
build-up of residue and the consequent creation of an undesirable
odor.
Further, many of the brush and holder sets now in use, including
those constructed to be suspended from an elevated location, such
as the upper edge of the side-wall of a water tank, are difficult
and awkward to use due to suspension arrangements which preclude
easy manipulation. And finally, many present brush and holder
assemblies are unsightly and not particularly pleasing to the eye
when in place.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly a primary object of the invention is to provide a
combination water closet brush and holder assembly which may be
suspended from an elevated, out-of-the-way position, including the
top edge of the water tank, and when so suspended, is unobtrusive
yet easily accessible for use.
Another object is to provide a brush and holder combination as
above described in which the portion of the brush exposed to water
in the toilet bowl is held out of contact with any adjacent surface
following use whereby water run-off and collection, and consequent
opportunity for undesirable odor generation, is minimised.
The foregoing and other objects will become apparent from the
detailed description of the invention which follows.
The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the
accompanying figures, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation with portions broken away for clarity of
the brush and holder assembly of the invention suspended in place
between use from the upper edge of a vertical wall of a toilet
tank;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the holder and brush assembly of the
invention; and
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the upper end portion, including the
suspension means, of the brush and holder assembly of this
invention.
Like reference numerals will be used to refer to like parts from
Figure to Figure in the following description of the drawing.
Referring first to FIG. 1, the brush and holder assembly of the
invention is illustrated generally at 10. Holder 11 includes an
elongated handle or shank portion 12 and a head portion 13. The
head portion 13 is laterally offset with respect to handle portion
12 as best seen in FIG. 1. Holder 11 includes side walls 14, 15,
and an upper end wall 16. In this instance the lower end wall is
indicated generally at 17, this wall being formed by the converging
portions of side walls 14 and 15 where they form the head portion
13. The back wall is indicated at 18. If desired, this wall can be
modified to include additional angular surfaces, such as surface
19, which will give a pleasing aesthetic appearance to the outer
exposed surface of the holder.
As best seen in FIG. 2, the inner or front side of the holder is
open to provide easy access.
It will be noted from FIG. 1 that lower end wall 17 is formed at a
slight downward angle when the holder is suspended vertically, and
that all interior surfaces beneath upper end wall 16 except the
drip barrier member 20 slope uninterruptedly downwardly. Although
the drip barrier member 20 is shown as a smooth raised edge or bead
formed from the same material as the holder, it will be understood
that other configurations and materials, including a strip of
sponge like material, may be employed; it is essential, however,
that the drip barrier member be so contoured that it does not form
a pocket which would easily entrap moisture and sediment and
facilitate build-up of sediment and consequent generation of
undesirable odors.
A conventional water closet bowl brush is indicated generally at 21
in FIG. 2. The brush includes a handle portion 22 and a bristle
section 23 which has been shown, in this instance, as of the
exploded bristle type. The upper end of handle portion 22 is
apertured as at 24 so that the brush can be suspended from a
projection 25 formed integrally with holder 11. This means of
suspension enables the brush to be suspended within the holder out
of contact with all adjacent surfaces.
Means for connecting the brush and holder assembly to an anchor
location, such as a vertical surface, are illustrated best at the
upper end of FIGS. 1 and 2, and in FIG. 3. The connecting means
includes, in this instance, a hanger 27 having an upper hook
section 28, a downwardly depending shank portion 29, and a
transversely outwardly extending portion 30. A fastener, in this
instance a rivet type structure, is indicated at 31. The rivet
shank passes through a hole in transverse section 30 of the hanger,
the diameter of the hole being substantially larger than the
diameter of the rivet shank so as to enable the holder to be easily
rotated and tilted with respect to the vertical axis of the
aperture. The hook section 28 of the hanger is shown attached to
the upper edge of a side wall 33 of a water closet tank 34.
From the relative position of the parts in FIG. 1 it will be noted
that the head portion 13 of the brush and holder assembly, when at
rest, extends laterally inwardly, that is, toward the water tank,
which thereby makes possible the tucking of the holder under the
tank and minimizes its projection into the room.
The use and operation of the invention are as follows.
In the condition of rest, represented by the solid line positions
in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the brush 21 is suspended from projection 25
formed in holder 11. The parts are so dimensioned that brush 21,
when suspended from projection 25, is out of contact with all
internal surfaces of holder 11. Thus, although moisture may collect
in drops on handle portion 22 of the brush and the bristles 23, the
tendency for the droplets to coalesce and run down the bristles due
to engagement of the bristles with one another and an internal
surface of the holder is minimized with the result that collection
of a pool of droplets from the bristles in a location remote from
the bristles is minimized. Further, since all internal surfaces of
holder 11, except drip barrier member 20, slope uninterruptedly
downwardly, including the lower end wall 17, no recessed pocket is
formed within the holder which would entrap water and sediment from
the bristles and facilitate build-up of sediment and the consequent
generation of odors. The open wall feature also facilitates
internal cleaning of the holder, the smooth edge bead 20 which
prevents the occasionally deposited drop of water from running onto
the floor presenting no obstacle to a wiping action.
In use, the user merely grasps the outside of holder 11, and
rotates it in an appropriate direction, such as the direction of
the arrows of FIG. 3. At the same time, in view of the loose fit
between the shank portion of rivet 26 and the receiving aperture in
transverse section 30 of the hanger 27, the brush and holder
assembly may be tilted into the dotted line position of FIG. 1.
Since no mechanical restraining element is employed to hold the
brush 21 onto projection 25, tilting of the assembly will cause the
brush to hang vertically downwardly, and be displaced relatively
outwardly from its nested position of FIG. 2, thus facilitating
easy grasping of the brush by the user.
After use the brush is merely placed back onto projection 25. The
holder, during use, may be located at any angular position which
deviates from the position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Assuming the
holder is rotated 90.degree. from the FIG. 3 position during use,
the user merely rotates the holder with the suspended brush back to
the FIG. 3 position whereby the assembly is returned to its
unobstrusive position shown in FIG. 1.
Since the inner side of the holder 11 is open and unobstructed
throughout the vertical distance spanned by the brush, maximum ease
of access, during both retrieval and placement of the brush, has
been provided.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become obvious
to those skilled in the art upon a review of the foregoing
description. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the
invention be limited not by the scope of the foregoing description,
but solely by the scope of the hereafter appended claims when
interpreted in light of the pertinent prior art.
* * * * *