Cleaning brush

Abstract

A brush, having a back with bristles distributed from edge to edge on one surface. The sides and ends of the back form a rhomboid with opposite projecting corners of between 40.degree. to 60.degree.. The brush has a size peculiarly adapted to fit the human hand with one of the projecting corners extending between the thumb and index finger and providing particular utility for cleaning in corners.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to brushes used for manual scrubbing or polishing of the type comprising a block-like back adapted to be manually grasped, and a multiplicity of generally parallel bristles projecting from the back so that their tips define a generally planar surface.

Known brushes of the aforementioned type have heretofore had certain structural features which made them inconvenient to use.

In some known brushes of the aforementioned type the bristles are tufted. The back of a tufted brush normally has a greater length and width than the surface defined by the tips of the bristles. Thus the tufted brush cannot conveniently be used to clean in corners formed by three normally intersecting surfaces because of interference from both the users fingers and the overlapping back.

In other known brushes of the aforementioned type the bristles are individually embedded in the back and are distributed between and to the sides and ends of the back. While the back of a brush having individually embedded bristles may not project beyond the area defined by the ends of the bristles, heretofore such brushes have had generally rectangular backs, and do not solve the aforementioned problem of finger interference when they are used to clean in corners.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A brush according to the present invention has bristles distributed between and to its sides and ends, has a back shaped to afford a peculiarly comfortable grip on the brush for the user when compared to that afforded by a similar brush having a rectangular back. The brush is shaped to provide a projecting corner which, when the back is grasped, is adapted to extend between the users thumb and index finger and provide particular utility for cleaning in corners such as those formed by three intersecting surfaces.

According to the present invention there is provided a brush of the type comprising a back adapted to be manually grasped. The back has opposite first and second major surfaces, opposite first and second side surfaces extending between said major surfaces, and an end surface joining the major and side surfaces. A plurality of generally parallel bristles are individually embedded in the back and project from the second major surface of the back between and to the edges of the second major surface. The tips of the bristles generally define a common plane having a shape and size which is generally the same as that of the first and second major surfaces, all of which is known from the prior art.

In the brush according to the present invention however, the height of the brush from the common plane defined by the tips of the bristles to the first major surface is at least 11/2 inches, and the width of the back between the side surfaces is in the range of 2 to 4 inches. This provides adequate distance around the brush so that the normal human hand can be positioned with the thumb along the first side surface, the palm of the hand on the first major surface and at least the little and ring fingers are along the second side surface opposite the thumb. Most importantly, the first side surface has a length of at least 3 inches and intersects the end surface (which is adjacent the end of the thumb when the brush is grasped) to form an acute included angle of between about 40.degree. to 60.degree.. This positions the end surface to comfortably receive at least the index finger, (the ring finger being either along the side or end surface as the user deems most comfortable) with a projecting corner so formed extending between the thumb and index finger. The projecting corner of the brush extends beyond the hand and has an angle of substantially less than 90.degree. so that it provides particular utility in cleaning corners as is illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like numbers refer to like parts in the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a brush according to the present invention being used to clean in a corner;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal plan view of the brush of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a side view of the brush of FIG. 1, with a part thereof broken away and shown in section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawing, there is illustrated a brush according to the present invention generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The brush has a back 12 adapted for manual engagement (FIG. 1) from which project a multiplicity of generally parallel bristles 14 adapted to clean or polish a surface against which they are rubbed.

The brush 10 and back 12 are both a parallelepiped in shaped. The back 12 has planar surfaces including opposite first and second major surfaces 16 and 18 respectively, each in the shape of a rhomboidal parallelogram; rectangular opposed first and second side surfaces 20 and 22 respectively, and rectangular opposed end surfaces 24. At opposite corners of the back 12 the end and side surfaces 24, 20 and 22 are disposed at an acute angle to provide a pair of projecting corners 26. The bristles 14 are individually embedded in the back 12 to project from the second major surface 18, and have tips defining a generally common plane 28 generally coresponding in shape and size to the first and second major surfaces of the back 12.

The back 12, as illustrated, comprises a relatively thin layer 30 of a semi-rigid polymeric material such as a polyurethane which provides the second major surface 18 of the brush 10 and in which the bristles 14 are embedded; and a thicker layer 32 of a flexible, resilient polymeric open cell foam material, such as a polyester, adhered to the thin layer 30. The foam layer 32 deflects slightly when the brush 10 is grasped, thereby providing greater comfort to the user. Additionally, the foam layer 32 can serve to hold a supply of detergent to be applied to a surface being cleaned, if this is desired. Alternatively the back 12 could consist entirely of one material such as a polyurethane.

Preferably, brushes 10 according to the present invention are made by cutting them along the side and end surfaces 20, 22 and 24 from a sheet of commercially available brush material such as that sold under the trade designation "Brushlon" by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company of St. Paul, Minn. A preferred "Brushlon" material comprises white polypropylene bristles each about 0.01 inches in diameter and individually embedded in and projecting about seven-eighths inch from a one-eighth inch thick dark blue layer of a semi-rigid polyurethane material having a Shore A Durometer value of about 88, with a 1 inch layer of light blue open cell polyester or polyether foam adhered to the side of the polyurethane layer opposite the bristles.

The shape of the brush 10 allows a multiplicity of brushes to be cut from a large sheet of brush material with no loss of brush material between adjacent brushes.

As a preferred, nonlimiting example, the height of the brush from the common plane 28 defined by the tips of the bristles is about 2 inches, the width of the back 12 between the side surfaces 20 and 22 is 3 inches, the length of the side surfaces is about 41/2 inches, and the angle between the side surfaces 20 and 22 and the end surfaces 24 at the projecting corners 26 is about 60.degree..

The brush 10 illustrated is adapted for use only in the right hand; the brush being shaped so that when the side surfaces 20 and 22 are oriented with one of the surfaces north and south and the brush 10 is viewed from the first major surface 16, the side and end surfaces 20, 22 and 24 form projecting corners 26 at the northwest and southwest corners of the brush 10. The brush 10 may be grasped in the right hand with the thumb along either the first or second side surface 20 or 22 to provide a projecting corner 26 between the thumb and index finger. A similar brush adapted for use only in the left hand can easily be made by making a brush with major surfaces which are the mirror image of the major surfaces 16 and 18 illustrated. Brushes according to the present invention can also be made with two projecting corners along a first side surface so that by changing ends the brush can be used either in the right or left hand. Other possible configurations include a brush adapted for use either in the left or right hand which has only one projecting corner and an end surface of the brush opposite the projecting corner disposed at a right angle to the side surfaces.

Claims

I claim:

1. A brush including:

a back having opposite first and second parallel major surfaces, opposite first and second side surfaces extending between said major surfaces, and end surfaces joining said major and side surfaces, said back comprising a layer of a stiff resilient polyurethane about one-eighth inch thick defining said second major surface, and a layer of a flexible resilient open cell polyester foam about 1 inch thick adhered to the side of said polyurethane layer opposite said second major surface; and

a multiplicity of generally parallel polypropylene bristles about 0.01 inch in diameter individually embedded in said back and projecting about seven-eighths inch from the second major surface of said back, the bristles being distributed between and to the edges of said second major surface with the distal ends of said bristles defining a common plane having about the same shape and size as the major surfaces;

wherein said major surfaces are rhomboidal in shape, the height of said brush from said common plane to said first major surface is about 2 inches, the width of said back between said side surfaces is about 3 inches, and said side surfaces have a length of about 41/2 inches and when one of said side surfaces is oriented north and the other south and the brush is viewed from the first major surface said side and end surfaces are disposed at an included angle of about 60.degree. with said end surfaces at the northeast and southwest corners of the first major surface to form projecting corners of the brush, said brush being peculiarly adapted to fit a right human hand with one of said projecting corners extending between the thumb and index finger of the hand and having bristles to its edges to provide particular utility for cleaning in corners.