EP1228734A2

EP1228734A2 - Crumb collecting brush

Info

Publication number: EP1228734A2
Application number: EP02001114A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pierangelo Bertola
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-02-01
Filing date: 2002-01-24
Publication date: 2002-08-07
Also published as: ITMI20010193A1; EP1228734A3

Abstract

A crumb collecting brush (1) with improved means for retaining collected dirt, comprising a base body (2) that can be closed by a cover. The base body forms an opening (7) for accommodating a rotatably supported brush roller (10). Means (40) are further provided for cleaning the brush roller which are suitable to produce a gradual radial compression of the surface of the brush roller (10) with a subsequent radial expansion in order to propel the collected dirt toward a collection region formed by the base body.

Description

The present invention relates to a crumb collecting brush with improved means for retaining collected dirt.
It is known that crumb collecting brushes have long been commercially available which generally consist of a base body that can be closed by a cover, such body forming an opening that accommodates a rotatably mounted brush roller.
In known embodiments the brush roller is constituted by a plurality of bristles that extend from a shaft, which is provided in any manner and on which, at the axial ends, there are knurled wheels, which during the sliding of the brush on a surface cause the rotation of the bristles.
With these embodiments, first of all the brush is relatively complicated to assemble, since it is necessary to provide roller supporting elements, which must be interlocked in the base body, consequently having a plurality of parts to be assembled.
Furthermore, the main problem arises from the fact that the presence of the actuation wheels inevitably produces, within the opening, free spaces through which the collected dirt can escape.
Moreover, in order to remove the dirt from the bristles there are scraper elements, which in practice cause the flexing of the bristles; when such bristles are released, they propel the dirt in a direction that is predominantly tangent with respect to the roller; this allows the dirt to settle back onto the brush and accordingly be conveyed outward again.
Owing to these problems, in most cases these kinds of brush are scarcely accepted, since they are unable to fully collect the dirt due to the subsequent release of the collected dirt.
The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the above noted drawbacks, by providing a crumb collecting brush with improved means for retaining collected dirt that allows to eliminate the usual actuation wheels, accordingly reducing the free regions of the opening.
Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a crumb collecting brush in which it is possible to use a brush roller onto which the dirt to be collected is applied easily and which at the same time allows to release the collected dirt toward an appropriate collection region without the risk of said dirt falling back outside.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a brush which, by virtue of its particular constructive characteristics, is capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a crumb collecting brush with improved means for retaining collected dirt that can be easily obtained starting from commonly commercially available elements and materials and is further competitive from a merely economical point of view.
This aim and these and other objects will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a crumb collecting brush with improved means for retaining collected dirt, comprising a base body that can be closed by a cover, such body forming an opening for accommodating a rotatably supported brush roller, characterized in that it comprises means for cleaning said brush roller which are suitable to produce a gradual radial compression of the surface of said brush roller with a subsequent radial expansion in order to propel the collected dirt toward a collection region formed by said base body.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a crumb collecting brush with improved means for retaining collected dirt, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the crumb collecting brush according to the invention, in the open position;
Figure 2 is a detail cutout view of the element for supporting the brush roller;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the crumb collecting brush in the open position;
Figure 4 is a sectional view, taken along a longitudinal plane, of the brush;
Figure 5 is a sectional view, taken along a transverse plane, of the brush body;
Figure 6 is a sectional view, taken along a transverse plane, of the brush;
Figure 7 is a schematic sectional view, taken along a transverse plane, of the brush during use.
With reference to the figures, the crumb collecting brush with improved means for retaining collected dirt, according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a base body 2 to which a cover 3 is hinged; the cover is advantageously formed monolithically and is connected by means of a weakening line 4 obtained directly during molding.
On the opposite side with respect to the weakening line 4, there is advantageously a tooth 5 for coupling during closure.
The base body 2 defines an opening 7, which internally accommodates a brush roller generally designated by the reference numeral 10.
The brush roller 10 has the particularity of being provided by means of a rigid tube 11, on which a cylindrical body 12 made of expanded plastic material, preferably composed of high-density polyurethane sponge, is coupled.
In order to rotatably support the roller 10, at the longitudinal ends of the opening 7 there are elastically flexible tabs 20, which are separated from the edge of the opening 7 by slits 21 whose length is a function of the degree of elasticity to be given to the tabs 20.
Outside of the region affected by the slits 21, there are transverse walls 22, which in practice close the region affected by the tabs 20, in order to limit the amount of dirt that can pass through such region and possibly escape outside.
The tabs 20 have protrusions 30 with an upper bevel 31, which facilitate the insertion of the roller 10 with engagement in the tube 11.
The protrusions 30 advantageously have an oval shape, so as to allow the roller to perform a translational motion at right angles to its axial direction, so as to facilitate removal of the collected dirt.
In greater detail, the opening 7 is delimited by steeply inclined edges 40, which in practice provide cleaning means that engage the polyurethane sponge surface of the roller 10.
The possibility of the roller 10 to perform a translational motion in the direction of use of the roller allows a gradual radial compression of the surface of the roller 10, by engagement with the steeply inclined wall 40, with subsequent radial expansion as soon as the surface of the roller 10 disengages from the upper edge of the wall 40, consequently propelling the collected dirt toward a collection region 41 formed by the base body 2.
In this manner, therefore, the dirt assuredly cannot remain on the brush roller 10 and accordingly be returned toward the outside.
Optionally, it is possible to provide, in an upper median portion, a scraper 50, which engages the surface of the roller 10 and is adapted to remove any dirt particles that have not been eliminated by the cleaning means constituted by the steeply inclined wall 40.
The brush roller 10 made of spongy material has a wide surface for producing friction with the working surface; accordingly, it is sufficient to produce the rotation of the roller without having to resort to the conventional actuation wheels, and therefore the roller 10 can occupy substantially the entire space of the opening 7, minimizing the free regions that can cause the escape of the dirt.
From the above description it is thus evident that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects, and in particular it is stressed that a crumb collecting brush is provided which, by using a brush roller made of high-density polyurethane sponge, allows first of all to utilize the surface of the roller to turn the roller and, by providing compression with subsequent release and radial expansion of the surface, propels in a radial direction the dirt, which accordingly does not tend to fall back onto the brush roller and therefore return toward the outside.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.
All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MI2001A000193 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A crumb collecting brush (1) with improved means for retaining collected dirt, comprising a base body (2) that can be closed by a cover (3), said body forming an opening (7) for accommodating a rotatably supported brush roller (10), characterized in that it comprises means (40) for cleaning said brush roller which are suitable to produce a gradual radial compression of the surface of said brush roller (10) with a subsequent radial expansion in order to propel the collected dirt toward a collection region (41) formed by said base body (2).
A crumb collecting brush (1) with improved means for retaining collected dirt, comprising a base body (2) that can be closed by a cover (3) and forms an opening (7) for accommodating a rotatably supported brush roller (10), characterized in that said brush roller (10) is constituted by a cylindrical body (12) made of expanded plastic material.
The crumb collecting brush according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said base body (2) is formed monolithically with said cover (3) by interposing a weakening line (4), which is suitable to act as a hinge element.
The crumb collecting brush according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said brush roller (10) comprises a rigid tube (11) on the surface of which a cylindrical body (12) made of expanded plastic material is associated.
The crumb collecting brush according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said expanded plastic material is constituted by high-density polyurethane sponge.
The crumb collecting brush according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for rotatably supporting said brush roller (10), said means being constituted by elastically flexible tabs (20) arranged at the longitudinal ends of said opening (7).
The crumb collecting brush according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises, on said tabs (20), protrusions (30) with an upper bevel (31) for removable insertion at the ends of said tube (11) of said brush roller (10).
The crumb collecting brush according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said protrusions (30) are oval, with the shorter axis arranged substantially parallel to the direction of translational motion of said brush roller (10) on the working surface.
The crumb collecting brush according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cleaning means comprise steeply inclined edges (40) arranged at the longitudinal extension of said brush roller (10), said inclined edges being suitable to engage by contact against the surface of said roller, consequently producing said radial compression.
The crumb collecting brush according to claim 2, characterized in that said region (41) for collecting the collected dirt is formed by said base body (2).
The crumb collecting brush according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises, at an upper median portion of said brush roller (10), a scraper (50) which can engage the surface of said brush roller (10).