GB2539880A

GB2539880A - Sweeping blade and sweeping apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2539880A
Application number: GB1511124.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Phibbs Daniel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-06-24
Filing date: 2015-06-24
Publication date: 2017-01-04
Also published as: GB201511124D0

Abstract

A sweeping apparatus comprising a brush head 34 having bristles 36 the outer edge forming a brush face F, a handle 32, a blade 10, and a blade mount for mounting the blade to the handle and/or the brush head 34 such that the blade at least partially covers the brush face. The detachable blade may have an edge parallel to the sweeping surface in use, and an inwardly curving rim extending from the base of its rear surface 14. The blade mount comprising a plate aperture to receive the handle of the brush. The mounting plate may be formed integrally with the blade and the blade mount may have one or more brush head clamps 28 comprising clamping apertures able to receive bolts 46 or a nut 48. The attachment of the blade allows the sweeping apparatus to be used for sweeping items such as stones, gravel, soil or snow. Also claimed is the blade and mount.

Description

SWEEPING BLADE AND SWEEPING APPARATUS Field of the disclosure

This disclosure relates to a sweeping blade and to a sweeping apparatus incorporating the sweeping blade. The sweeping blade and sweeping apparatus are particularly, but not exclusively, useful for sweeping items or materials that are resistant to sweeping.

Background to the disclosure

Many situations arise in which it is desired to sweep a surface, for example to clear dirt or other items on the floor or ground. Generally, sweeping is carried out using a broom or brush comprising a brush head mounted at one end of a brush handle. The brush head typically has at least one row of bristles extending outwardly from the brush head. In use, the bristles of the brush head are swept over the surface to be cleaned by a sweeping movement of the brush handle, enabling dirt or debris to be cleared from the surface.

Although sweeping of a surface is often easily accomplished, in some circumstances in which the material to be swept from the surface is relatively heavy or bulky, or has a high coefficient of friction relative to the surface, sweeping may be difficult. For example, problems are often encountered when sweeping stones, gravel, soil, grass clippings, leaves or snow and other similar materials. In such situations, the effort required to sweep a surface can be undesirably high and the force exerted on the brush during sweeping may even result in breaking of the brush.

The present disclosure seeks to reduce or eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art.

Summary of the Disclosure

According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a sweeping apparatus, comprising a brush head, having a base and at least one row of bristles outwardly extending from the base, the brush head having a brush face defined by an outermost side of the at least one row of bristles and a sweeping surface defined by the furthest extent of the bristles from the base; a handle coupled to the brush head and operable to move the sweeping surface across a surface to be swept during use of the sweeping apparatus; a blade; and a blade mount operable to mount the blade to at least one of the brush head or the handle in a secured position of the blade in which the blade at least partially covers the brush face.

The brush head and the handle may be provided by a brush. The blade mount may be operable to detachably mount the blade to at least one of the brush head or the handle.

The disclosed sweeping apparatus enables a greater force to be applied during a sweeping operation without breaking the brush. The blade is able to push away heavy or bulky items or materials. The bristles provide a cushioning or suspension-like effect so that the sweeping apparatus is able to pass easily over bumps or irregularities in the ground.

In some embodiments, the blade has a first edge, and in the secured position of the blade the first edge is parallel to the sweeping surface. The edge of the blade is therefore parallel with the ground when the sweeping surface is resting on the ground, enabling even sweeping.

In some embodiments, in the secured position of the blade, the first edge is displaced in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the sweeping surface by an offset. In some embodiments, the offset is less than 0.05m. The edge of the blade is therefore raised with respect to the ground when the sweeping surface is resting on the ground.

The offset may be reduced or eliminated during a sweeping operation. The sweeping apparatus or the blade mount may provide a resilient mechanism for supporting the blade with a varying offset. The sweeping apparatus may have a resilient mechanism that allows the offset between the edge of the sweeping blade and the plane of the sweeping surface to become smaller during a sweeping operation, for example in response to the experienced sweeping resistance. For example, when the resilient mechanism is provided by the bristles, the deflection of the bristles during a sweeping operation, for example owing to friction between the sweeping surface and the ground or the material being swept, may result in the offset being reduced or eliminated. The blade mount may resiliently mount the blade such that the blade is temporarily deflected during a sweeping operation, resulting in a reduction or elimination of the offset.

The sweeping blade may be in contact with the surface to be swept during a sweeping operation or may be offset from the surface. The sweeping apparatus is able to pass easily over bumps or irregularities in the surface. The resilient mounting of the sweeping blade enables the blade to move heavy or difficult to sweep items or materials without snagging on irregularities in the ground.

In some embodiments, the blade has a first edge, a rear surface facing towards the brush head in the secured position, and a rim extending from the rear surface along the first edge. The rim may be curved towards the rear surface. The rim may be inclined with respect to the rear surface at a rim inclination angle θι of between 20 degrees and 90 degrees. The rim inclination angle θι is generally greater than 45 degrees and may be greater than 60 degrees. A rim inclination angle θι between 70 degrees and 90 degrees may be used. The rim inclination angle θι may be such that at least a portion of the rim lies closer to the plane of the sweeping surface than the edge of the blade when the blade is in the secured position. In this case, the rim will contact the ground before the first edge of the blade when the offset is reduced during a sweeping operation, which enables the sweeping operation to be continued without snagging of the blade on bumps or irregularities in the surface.

The rim may extend from the rear surface along the lower edge of the blade when the blade is mounted to the brush in the secured position. Additionally or alternatively a rim may be provided extending from the rear surface of the blade along any edge of the blade. The rim reduces or eliminates the accumulation of swept objects or material between the rear surface and the bristles during sweeping.

In some embodiments, the blade mount mounts the blade to the brush head and to the brush handle to provide strength to the sweeping apparatus.

In some embodiments, the brush mount opposes sideways forces between the sweeping blade and the brush head. This reduces or eliminates relative movement between the blade and the brush head during operation. In some embodiments the brush mount exerts forces on each of the blade and brush head towards the other. This secures the blade against forwards and backwards forces.

In some embodiments, the blade mount comprises a plate aperture provided in the blade, the plate aperture being dimensioned to receive the handle when the blade is in the secured position. In some embodiments the plate aperture has a minimum diameter in the range 0.02 meters to 0.04 meters. This arrangement is easy to use and mounts the sweeping blade to the handle of the brush securely.

In some embodiments, a mounting plate is formed integrally with the blade, and the mounting plate is inclined with respect to the rear surface at a mounting plate angle 02 of between 90 and 140 degrees, and the plate aperture is formed in the mounting plate.

In some embodiments, the blade mount comprises at least one brush head clamp arranged to engage with the brush head, and at least one blade aperture in the blade through which the brush head clamp can be secured to the blade. In some embodiments, a plurality of blade apertures, or a plurality of sets of blade apertures are provided in the blade to enable the brush head clamp to be secured to the blade at a plurality of different positions and/or orientations. The sweeping blade can therefore be mounted to any of a range of brushes.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a sweeping blade comprising a blade having a forward surface and a rear surface; and a blade mount, operable to secure the blade to a floor brush having a brush head, having at least one row of bristles outwardly extending from the brush head, the brush head having a brush face defined by the outermost sides of at least one row of bristles and a sweeping surface defined by the furthest extent of the bristles from the brush head; and a handle coupled to the brush head and operable to move the sweeping surface across a surface to be swept during use of the sweeping apparatus. The blade mount is operable to secure the blade in a secured position of the blade in which the blade at least partially covers the brush face.

Specific embodiments are described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a sweeping blade in accordance with one embodiment.

Figure 2 is a front view of the sweeping blade shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a back view of a sweeping apparatus incorporating the sweeping blade shown in Figure 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of the sweeping apparatus shown in Figure 3.

Detailed description A sweeping blade in accordance with one embodiment will now be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a sweeping blade in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure, and Figure 2 is a front view of the sweeping blade shown in Figure 1. A sweeping blade 1 is provided with a blade 10. The blade 10 is generally flat and has a forward surface 12 and a rear surface 14, as well as a first edge 16 and a second edge 18. The first edge 16 is longer than, and generally parallel with, the second edge 18, and the blade 10 therefore has a generally trapezoid shape.

The blade 10 is provided with a lip or rim 20 extending from the rear surface 14 at the first edge 16. The rim 20 is arranged at a rim inclination angle 0i to the rear surface 14. The rim inclination angle 0i of the rim 20 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is around 60 degrees. The rim 20 is provided with a curved cross-sectional profile, arranged to curve towards the rear surface 14 as the rim 20 extends outwardly from the rear surface 14.

The sweeping blade 1 is provided with blade mount for mounting the sweeping blade securely to a brush 30 having a brush head 34 and a handle 32, as will be clear from a consideration of the following description relating to Figures 3 and 4. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the blade mount comprises a handle mount to enable mounting of the sweeping blade 1 to the handle 32 of the brush 30, and a head mount to enable mounting of the sweeping blade 1 to the brush head 34.

In the sweeping blade 1, the handle mount is provided by a plate aperture 22 dimensioned to receive a brush handle (not shown in Figure 1 and 2). The plate aperture 22 is formed in a mounting plate 24. The mounting plate 24 has a mounting edge coinciding with the second edge 18 of the blade 10, and is integral or contiguous with the blade 10. As shown most clearly in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the mounting plate 24 and the blade 10 are a single sheet of material. In this embodiment, the blade is metal, for example aluminium, steel or another alloy.

The mounting plate 24 is arranged at a mounting plate angle 02 to the rear surface 14 of blade 10. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the mounting plate angle 02 is 125 degrees.

As will be understood more clearly with reference to the sweeping apparatus disclosed in Figures 3 and 4, the plate aperture 22 is dimensioned to receive a brush handle 32. In order to accommodate the handle 32 of a typical brush 30, the minimum diameter of the plate aperture 22 is in the range 20 to 40mm (0.02 to 0.04 meters).

Sweeping blade 1 is also provided with a head mount for securing the sweeping blade 1 to a brush head. In the sweeping blade 1, the blade 10 is provided with a plurality of blade apertures 26 that co-operate with one or more brush head clamps 28 (shown in Figures 3 and 4) in order to mount the sweeping blade 1 to a brush. The blade apertures 26 and brush head clamps 28 together form a head mount for the sweeping blade 1. Respective sets of blade apertures 26 are formed in different positions on the blade 10 to allow different sizes of brush head, or different orientations of brush head with respect to the blade 10, to be accommodated. A sweeping apparatus 2 in accordance with one embodiment will now be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a back view of a sweeping apparatus 2 incorporating the sweeping blade 1 described above with reference to

Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of the sweeping apparatus 2 shown in Figure 3.

The sweeping apparatus 2 of Figure 3 comprises the sweeping blade 1 described above with reference to Figures 1 and 2 together with a brush 30. The sweeping blade 1 strengthens the brush 30 and enables more force to be applied during a sweeping operation without breaking the brush 30.

The brush 30 is a conventional floor brush having a brush handle 32, which in Figures 3 and 4 is a pole. The brush 30 also has a brush head 34 mounted at one end of the brush handle 32. The brush head 34 has at least one row of bristles 36 arranged along the length of the brush head 34 and extending outwardly from a base 34a. The at least one row of bristles are arranged along a longitudinal axis of the base 34a. The brush head 34 has two brushing faces defined by outermost sides of the row or rows of bristles 36. A brushing face is shown diagrammatically as surface F in Figure 4. The side of the bristles extending between the base 34a and the furthest extent of the bristles along the row of bristles or an outermost row of bristles can be considered to define the brushing face F of the brush. The furthest extent of the bristles 36 at the distal end of the bristles 36 forms a brushing surface of the brush 30, shown diagrammatically as dashed line 38 in Figure 3. The brushing surface 38 at the outermost extent of the bristles 36 or bristle tips can be moved over the surface to be swept using a sweeping action of the brush handle 32. During the sweeping action, one of the brushing faces F of the brush 30 is the leading face of the brush head 34.

As described above, the brush head clamps 28 and the blade apertures 26 form the head mount used to mount the sweeping blade 1 to the brush head 34. The sweeping blade 1 is mounted to the brush head 34 by the head mount such that relative motion between the blade 10 and the brush head 34 during use of the sweeping apparatus 2 is reduced or eliminated. In particular, the head mount exerts forces on each of the blade 10 and brush head 34 towards the other. This force secures the blade 10 against forwards and backwards forces and against sideways forces.

The brush head clamps 28 comprise a fork 40 that is dimensioned and arranged to penetrate between and engage with the bristles 36 of the brush head 34. The fork 40 fits around the bristles 36 at the point where the bristles 36 enter the base 34a of the brush head 34. This arrangement opposes sideways forces between the sweeping blade 1 and the brush head 34, reducing or eliminating relative movement between the blade 10 and the brush head 34 during operation.

The brush head clamps 28 also comprise one or more clamping apertures 44 able to receive a bolt 46. The bolt 46 can be secured with a nut 48.

As can be seen in Figure 4, the brush head clamps 28 are generally “S”-shaped, with one of the limbs of the “S” fitted around the rear of the brush head 34, and the other of the limbs of the “S” shape securing the sweeping blade 1 to the brush head clamp 28. This configuration facilitates the clamping of the sweeping blade 1 to the brush head 34.

The sweeping apparatus 2 comprises the sweeping blade 1 secured to the brush 30 by the blade mount. In order to assemble the sweeping apparatus 2, the brush handle 32 is inserted into the plate aperture 24 of the sweeping blade 1, shown as direction A in Figure 3, and the sweeping blade 1 moved along the brush handle 32 until it reaches the brush head 34.

Thereafter the sweeping blade 1 can be rotated about the brush handle 32, if necessary, until the blade 10 lies generally parallel to and at least partially covering one of the brushing faces F of the brush head 34. In this position, the blade 10 is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base 34a, and the rear surface 14 is adjacent one of the brushing faces F of the brush head 34.

In this position, the sweeping blade 1 can be secured to the brush head 34 by fitting the fork 40 of one or more brush head clamps 28 to engage with the bristles 36 of the brush head 34. The brush head clamps 28 are secured to the sweeping blade 1 by passing bolts 46 through the blade apertures 26 and clamping apertures 44 to be secured with a nut 48. The use or other fastening devices may be used to secure the blade 10 to the brush head 34 or brush head clamps 28.

The provision of a number of differently positioned blade apertures 26 enables the fit of the sweeping blade 1 to the brush head 34 to be adjusted to achieve an optimum fit.

In the secured position, the blade 10 lies generally parallel to the brush head 34 covering the brush head 34. The front surface 12 faces away from the brush head 34 and the rear surface 14 faces towards the brush head 34.

The blade 10 at least partially covers, or overlaps with, the bristles of the brush 30. The blade 10 at least partially covers or overlaps with the base 34a. In the secured position the blade 10 is arranged in front of one of the brushing surfaces F of the brush 30.

In the secured position, the blade 10 is inclined at an angle to the plane of the sweeping surface 38. Alternatively, this can be viewed as the plane of blade 10 being inclined at an angle to the plane of brush face F of brush 30. This could also be viewed as the plane of the blade 10 being inclined at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the brush handle 32. The inclination of the blade 10 of sweeping blade 1 in the secured position can be seen most clearly in Figure 4.

In a forward sweeping operation, with the sweeping surface 38 in contact with a surface to be swept, the sweeping surface 38 is generally parallel with the surface to be swept. The angle of inclination of the blade 10 with respect to the plane of the sweeping surface 38 is generally in the range 45 degrees to 85 degrees. The inclination of the blade enables the items or material being swept to be pushed by the blade 10 more easily, leading to an improved sweeping operation.

When the sweeping blade 1 is mounted to the brush 30 in the secured position, the first edge 16 is generally parallel to the brushing surface 38, and therefore is generally parallel to the ground when the brush 30 is in a sweeping position with the brushing surface 38 resting on the ground.

When the sweeping blade 1 is mounted to the brush 30 in the secured position, the first edge 16 is offset from brushing surface 38 by an offset 50. In the secured position, the blade 10 covers all of the brush head 34 apart from the furthermost extent of the bristles 36. The tips of the bristles 36 therefore extend beyond the blade 10 by the offset 50.

The direction along which the offset 50 is measured is a generally vertical direction when the apparatus is used for sweeping a horizontal surface. The offset 50 may therefore be measured along a direction perpendicular to the plane of the sweeping surface 34, or may equally be measured in a direction parallel with the plane of the brush face F, or in a direction generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the brush handle 32, for example.

As a result of the offset 50, the first edge 16 is higher than the ground by a distance equivalent to the offset 50 when the brush 30 is in a sweeping position with the brushing surface 38 resting on the ground. The offset 50 is around 25 mm (0.025 meters) in the embodiment shown in Figure 4 when the sweeping surface 38 is resting on the ground and the brush handle 32 is generally vertical.

When the sweeping blade 1 is mounted to the brush 30 in the secured position, the rim 20 protrudes from the rear surface 14 into a gap between the rear surface 14 and the forward edge of the bristles 36. The rim 20 in the disclosed embodiment lies closer to the plane of the sweeping surface 30, and therefore to the surface to be swept, than the first edge 16 of the blade 10 when the blade 10 is in a secured position. In other words, the rim 20 extends into the offset 50.

Once the sweeping blade 1 is mounted to the brush 30 to form sweeping apparatus 2 as described above, the sweeping apparatus 2 can be used to sweep surfaces.

In a forward sweeping operation, with the sweeping surface 38 in contact with the surface to be swept, the front surface 12 of the sweeping blade 1 contacts the items or debris to be swept. During a sweeping operation, the front surface 12 acts in a manner similar to a snow plough, enabling efficient sweeping of heavy items or material from the surface. The blade 10 protects or shields the brush head 34 during a sweeping operation.

During a sweeping operation the sweeping blade 1 is carried by the brush 30 across the ground. The bristles 36 of the brush 30 also provide a cushioning or suspension-like effect. The bristles 36 may act as a resilient mechanism to resiliently mount the blade 10 in the secured position. The sweeping apparatus 2 is able to pass easily over bumps or irregularities in the ground.

More specifically, during a sweeping operation, material that is not contacted by the front surface 12 instead passes under the blade 10, owing to the offset 50 between the plane of the sweeping surface 38 and the first edge 16. This material is swept by the bristles 36 in the normal way. The sweeping blade 1 is not generally in contact with the ground.

When the sweeping apparatus 2 encounters items or material during a sweeping operation, a force is applied to the front surface 12 of the blade 10. This force acts to push the blade 10 downwardly to reduce or eliminate the offset 50. The reduction or elimination of the offset 50 during a sweeping operation may occur when the items to be swept are heavy, or when the material to be swept is heavy, sticky or ground in. When sweeping such materials, for example when clearing mud, the blade 10 may contact the ground and act in a manner similar to a spade in getting underneath the mud and clearing larger chunks, leaving loosened smaller particles to be swept by the bristles 36.

The blade mount may allow the blade 10 to be deflected towards the brush face F in response to contact of the blade 10 with the items or material to be swept. Additionally or alternatively, the bristles 36 are deflected resulting in reduction or elimination of the offset 50. During a sweeping operation, therefore, the offset 50 may be reduced or eliminated such that the blade 10 contacts the ground, at least temporarily.

The rim 20 extends between the rear surface 14 and the bristles 36, reducing or eliminating the accumulation of swept objects or material between the rear surface 14 and the bristles 36 during a sweeping operation. Since the rim 20 is closer to the plane of the sweeping surface 38 than the first edge 16 of the blade 10, the rim 20 contacts the ground before first edge 16 if the offset 50 is reduced during a sweeping operation. The curved cross-sectional shape of the rim 20 in the portion contacting the ground helps to prevent snagging of the first edge 16 on snags or irregularities in the ground, enabling the sweeping apparatus to pass smoothly over the ground.

The sweeping blade 1 of this disclosure may be provided separately from the brush 30 or may be provided as a kit for a sweeping apparatus 2 comprising the sweeping blade 1 and the brush 30. Where the sweeping blade 1 is separable from the brush 30, whether provided separately or as part of a kit for a sweeping apparatus 2, the brush 30 can be used in conjunction with the sweeping blade 1 or on its own, enabling a more flexible sweeping solution. Alternatively, the sweeping apparatus 2 may be provided as a complete device that cannot be disassembled into the brush 30 and sweeping blade 1.

The term brush is intended to refer to any brush or broom for sweeping the ground whether the ground is internal to a building or external to a building.

The blade 10 in the disclosure has a trapezoidal shape having the longer first edge 16 of the blade 10 adjacent the ground during use of the sweeping apparatus. This has the advantage of sweeping the greatest area during a single sweeping movement while reducing resistance to the sweeping motion. However, this is not necessary in all embodiments and other shapes of blade 10 may be used.

The rim 20 may be straight or may be curved towards the rear surface 14. This means that the cross-sectional shape of the rim 20 in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the blade 10, such as that shown in Figure 1, may be straight or curved. The cross-sectional shape of the rim 20 is constant along the length of first edge 16.

The rim inclination angle θι may be between 20 degrees and 90 degrees. The rim inclination angle θι may be less than 80 degrees. The rim inclination angle θι may be less than 70 degrees. In some embodiments, the rim inclination angle θι is such that the rim 20 is generally horizontal or sloping upwards at an angle of less than 30 degrees to the horizontal, or more preferably sloping upwards at an angle of less than 20 degrees to the horizontal when the blade is assembled as part of the sweeping apparatus 2. In some embodiments having a mounting plate 22 inclined at a mounting plate angle 02 to the rear surface 14 of blade 10, the rim inclination angle 0i is related to the mounting plate angle 02.

In embodiments having a mounting plate 22 inclined at a mounting plate angle 02 to the rear surface 14 of blade 10, the mounting plate angle 02 may be between 90 degrees and 140 degrees. The mounting plate angle 02 may be greater than 100 degrees. The mounting plate angle 02 may be greater than 120 degrees.

The plate aperture 22 may be circular or oval or any other suitable shape. The size of the plate aperture 22 is dimensioned to receive the handle of the brush 30, or is dimensioned to receive commonly available brush handles.

In some embodiments, the sweeping blade 1 of this disclosure is provided with a blade mount that is dimensioned or positioned so as to be suitable for mounting the sweeping blade 1 to a variety of available brushes 30. In other embodiments, the sweeping blade 1 of this disclosure is provided with a blade mount dimensioned or positioned so as to be suitable for mounting the sweeping blade to a brush 30 having specific dimensions.

The blade mount for securing the sweeping blade 1 to the brush 30 may be provided in a number of different ways. Although in this disclosure the blade mount comprises a handle mount and a head mount, it is not necessary in all arrangements for the sweeping blade 1 to be mounted to both the handle 32 and the head 34 of the brush 30.

In some embodiments the handle mount and/or the head mount may be mounted on or formed in the blade 10 instead of being provided at least partially separately. In some embodiments the handle mount and/or the head mount is welded to or moulded with or provided as part of the blade 10 or the handle 32 or the brush head 34.

In some embodiments, the blade 10 may be integral with the base 34a of the brush head 34.

In one arrangement, one or more partially circular clips may be provided at the back of the blade 10 to secure the blade to the handle 32.

The blade mount is intended to mount the sweeping blade 1 to the brush 30 sufficiently securely to enable the sweeping blade 1 and brush 30 to function together as a sweeping apparatus 2. In some embodiments, a degree of relative movement between the blade 10 and the brush 30 may be permissible.

In some embodiments the sweeping blade 1 is provided with a notch 52. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, notch 52 is formed in mounting plate 24. The notch 52 acts as a handle mount, and plate aperture 22 may or may not be provided in this embodiment.

When the sweeping blade 1 is mounted to a brush that is strengthened, for example for industrial use, by struts fixed between the handle and the brush head, the notch 52 can be fitted around the brush handle and the mounting plate 24 fitted under the struts of the brush to mount the sweeping blade 1 securely to the brush.

In the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of blade aperture sets is provided, to enable any necessary adjustments to the fit between the blade 10 and the brush 30 to be made. In some embodiments, only one set of blade apertures 26 are provided.

In some embodiments, the handle mount and/or the head mount may be integral with the blade, for example by extending mounting plate 24 in a plane generally parallel with the blade 10 and providing brush head clamps 28 on the extended mounting plate.

The offset 50 between the first edge 16 and the brushing surface 38 may lie in the range 5 mm to 50 mm (0.005 to 0.05 meters). The offset 50 may be greater than 15 mm (0.015 meters). The offset 50 may be less than 30 mm (0.03 meters).

The blade 10 comprises a material having sufficient strength and resilience to enable the blade 10 to act to displace items or material to be swept without buckling or snapping. As described above, the blade 10 may comprise a metal, such as aluminium or steel or metal alloy as described above. In some embodiments, the blade comprises other materials such as a plastics material with appropriate strength and resilience properties, or from plastics material with a metal edge or trim. Metal trim may be used along all edges of the blade 10, or only along some edges, such as first edge 16. In some embodiments rim 20 may be made of metal and may be fixed to a blade 10 made of plastics material.

The present disclosure provides a sweeping blade 1 and a sweeping apparatus 2 that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a sweeping operation. The use of the sweeping apparatus 2 enables items or materials that are resistant to sweeping, for example because of their weight or relatively coefficient of friction, to be swept with less effort than is required if a brush 30 alone is used. In some cases, the items or material may be swept with the disclosed sweeping apparatus 1, whereas an attempt to sweep the material with a brush 30 alone would result in breakage of the brush 30, or no movement of the debris as friction prevents sweeping.

Embodiments of the disclosure may be particularly useful for sweeping materials that are bulky and/or heavy and/or or have a relatively high friction coefficient that makes those materials hard to sweep with a conventional floor brush. Such materials are exemplified by, but not limited to, materials such as: stones; gravel; soil; grass clippings; leaves; snow; rubble or miscellaneous building materials; bark chippings; twigs or branches.

Other variations and modifications will be apparent to the skilled person. Such variations and modifications may involve equivalent and other features which are already known and which may be used instead of, or in addition to, features described herein. Features that are described in the context of separate embodiments may be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, features which are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination.

It should be noted that the term “comprising” does not exclude other elements, the term “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality, a single feature may fulfil the functions of several features recited in the claims and reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. It should also be noted that the Figures are not necessarily to scale; emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A sweeping apparatus, comprising a brush head, having a base and at least one row of bristles outwardly extending from the base, the brush head having a brush face defined by an outermost side of the at least one row of bristles and a sweeping surface defined by the furthest extent of the bristles from the base; a handle coupled to the brush head and operable to move the sweeping surface across a surface to be swept during use of the sweeping apparatus; a blade; and a blade mount operable to mount the blade to at least one of the brush head or the handle in a secured position of the blade in which the blade at least partially covers the brush face.

2. The sweeping apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brush head and the handle form a brush, and the blade mount is operable to detachably mount the blade to the at least one of the brush head or the handle.

3. The sweeping apparatus as claimed in one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the blade has a first edge, and in the secured position of the blade the first edge is parallel to the sweeping surface.

4. The sweeping apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein in the secured position of the blade, the first edge is displaced in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the sweeping surface by an offset.

5. The sweeping apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the offset is less than 0.05m.

6. The sweeping apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the blade has a first edge, a rear surface facing towards the brush head in the secured position, and a rim extending from the rear surface along the first edge.

7. The sweeping apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the rim is curved towards the rear surface.

8. The sweeping apparatus as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the rim is inclined with respect to the rear surface at a rim inclination angle θι of between 20 degrees and 90 degrees.

9. The sweeping apparatus as claimed any preceding claim, wherein the blade mount comprises a plate aperture provided in the blade, the plate aperture being dimensioned to receive the handle when the blade is in the secured position.

10. The sweeping apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the blade mount comprises a plate aperture provided in the blade, the plate aperture having a minimum diameter in the range 0.02 meters to 0.04 meters.

11. The sweeping apparatus as claimed in one of claims 9 or 10, wherein a mounting plate is formed integrally with the blade, and the mounting plate is inclined with respect to the rear surface at an mounting plate angle Θ2 of between 90 and 140 degrees, and the plate aperture is formed in the mounting plate.

12. The sweeping apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the blade mount comprises at least one brush head clamp arranged to engage with the brush head, and at least one blade aperture in the blade through which the brush head clamp can be secured to the blade.

13. The sweeping apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein a plurality of blade apertures, or a plurality of sets of blade apertures are provided in the blade to enable the brush head clamp to be secured to the blade at a plurality of different positions and/or orientations.

14. A sweeping blade comprising a blade having a forward surface and a rear surface; and a blade mount, operable to secure the blade to a floor brush having a brush head, having at least one row of bristles outwardly extending from the brush head, the brush head having a brush face defined by the outermost sides of at least one row of bristles and a sweeping surface defined by the furthest extent of the bristles from the brush head; and a handle coupled to the brush head and operable to move the sweeping surface across a surface to be swept during use of the sweeping apparatus, in a secured position of the blade in which the blade at least partially covers the brush face.