GB2322796A

GB2322796A - Brush for cleaning wheely bins

Info

Publication number: GB2322796A
Application number: GB9704531A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Linder
Original assignee: BRADLEY BAYNE BRUSHES Ltd
Current assignee: BRADLEY BAYNE BRUSHES Ltd
Priority date: 1997-03-05
Filing date: 1997-03-05
Publication date: 1998-09-09
Also published as: GB9704531D0

Abstract

A brush for cleaning the insides of tall wheely bins includes long handle 18 carrying a head with bristle arrays which are inclined to one another, bristles 8 for brushing the bin base and bristles 10 for brushing the bin sides.

Description

BRUSHES This invention relates to brushes.

In an effort to increase efficiency of refuse collection, some local authorities have introduced wheeled refuse bins which can be manhandled to the refuse collection vehicle without manual lifting and can then be emptied automatically also without manual lifting. The bins are referred to colloquially as "wheely bins".

Presumably in an attempt to ensure that the bins are not filled to overflowing, they are large, and in particular tall, compared with traditional "dustbins". Indeed,the bins are about 1.5 m tall. It is extremely difficult to reach the bottom of the bins in order to clean them. Indeed, accidents are happening where people fall into the bins injuring their backs or shoulders.

Against this background, there is provided a brush having a head attached to a handle, the head having two planar arrays of bristles which arrays are mutually inclined.

The handle allows the user to reach the bottom of a wheely bin with the head. One array can be used to brush or scrub the bottom of the bin and the other to brush or scrub the bin sides. Both arrays of bristles will operate together when the user is brushing the corner between the bottom and the sides of the bin.

Preferably, a first of said arrays extends generally normal to or at a relatively large angle to the length of the handle and a second of the arrays extends generally parallel to or at relatively small angle to the length of the handle. This arrangement places one array generally parallel to the bottom of the bin, in use, and the other array generally parallel to the sides. The exact angles can be adjusted to achieve the best fit.

The brush is preferably constructed so that the head has two mutually inclined body sections, one having a socket to receive and end of the handle, the other having a clip or bracket to receive the handle intermediate its ends. The handle can be an ordinary brush handle.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the head of a brush embodying the invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the head of figure 1 with the handle fitted; Figure 3 its a section on arrows A-A of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 3 of an alternative arrangement.

Referring to the drawings, the brush head 2 has a plastics body in two sections 4 and 6 each about 11 cm long and about 4.5 cm wide. The sections are mutually inclined.

Each section supports a flat or planar array 8,10 of polypropylene bristles 12 so that the arrays 8,10 are mutually inclined. The sections 4 and 6 are moulded separately, one being formed with a socket 14 which receives a dovetail 16 formed on the other. We find it satisfactory to rely on an interference or sliding fit and assemble the joint dry.

The brush has a handle 18. The array 8 could be normal to the length of the brush handle 18 and the array 10 could be parallel to the handle 18. As illustrated, however, a more preferable arrangement is to have the array 8 set at a large angle, near a right angle, to the handle and to have the array 10 set at a small angle, near parallel, to the handle.

The body section 4 has a socket 20 to receive the end of the handle. An intermediate portion of the handle is received by a clip 22 on the section 6 of the body. An alternative to the clip in the form of a bracket 24 through which the handle passes is illustrated in Figure 4.

In use the array 8 of bristles is used to sweep or scrub the bottom of the bin, the handle being long enough for the user to do that without falling in, e.g. about 120 cm. The array 10 of bristles is used to sweep or scrub the sides of the bin. When the brush is used to sweep or scrub the corner between the sides of the bin and its bottom, both arrays are operative together.

Claims

1. A brush having a head attached to a handle, the head having two planar arrays of bristles which arrays are mutually inclined.

2. A brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first of said arrays extends generally normal to or at a relatively large angle to the length of the handle and a second of the arrays extends generally parallel to or at relatively small angle to the length of the handle.

3. A brush as claimed in claim 2, wherein the head has two mutually inclined body sections, one having a socket to receive and end of the handle, the other having a clip or bracket to receive the handle intermediate its ends.