US20240023702A1 - Adjustable bottle brush - Google Patents
Adjustable bottle brush Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20240023702A1 US20240023702A1 US18/097,380 US202318097380A US2024023702A1 US 20240023702 A1 US20240023702 A1 US 20240023702A1 US 202318097380 A US202318097380 A US 202318097380A US 2024023702 A1 US2024023702 A1 US 2024023702A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- core
- bristles
- brush
- brush according
- inner portion
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
- 241001264766 Callistemon Species 0.000 title 1
- 229920002379 silicone rubber Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 239000004945 silicone rubber Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 230000001681 protective effect Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000003467 diminishing effect Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 8
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000006978 adaptation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002537 cosmetic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000013011 mating Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010422 painting Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000049 pigment Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000012815 thermoplastic material Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46D—MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES
- A46D1/00—Bristles; Selection of materials for bristles
- A46D1/02—Bristles details
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B5/00—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware
- A46B5/002—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware having articulations, joints or flexible portions
- A46B5/0033—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware having articulations, joints or flexible portions bending or stretching or collapsing
- A46B5/005—Brushes with a telescopic or similarly moveable portion
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B2200/00—Brushes characterized by their functions, uses or applications
- A46B2200/30—Brushes for cleaning or polishing
- A46B2200/3006—Brushes for cleaning bottles or hollow containers
Abstract
A brush includes a retractable, removable silicone rubber brush head. The diameter of the bristles diminishes as they extend outward. The bristles at the end of the brush head are positioned to contact and clean the corners of a flat-bottomed container.
Description
- This application claims the priority of pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63/390,449, filed Jul. 19, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference.
- The present invention relates to brushes, and in particular to brushes for cleaning the cylindrical interiors of objects such as bottles.
- Brushes were likely first used for applying pigment to surfaces, such as the walls where prehistoric cave paintings have been found. Later they were adapted for cosmetic purposes, as in the hairbrushes found among the grave goods in ancient Egyptian tombs. When they first found use as an aid to clean objects is not known, but the adaptation of brush geometry and construction blossomed during the Industrial Revolution. Brushes often take on a special shape when adapted for cleaning specific surfaces. One important cleaning task is the cleaning of cylindrical objects like bottles, and in particular, baby bottles. While many such brushes are known, the task calls out for improvement in brushes which can help reduce the difficulty of the task, and the length of time involved in using the brush.
- The present invention provides a brush comprising a handle and a detachable brush head. The handle includes an inner portion and an outer portion. The outer portion has a first aperture extending substantially the length of the outer portion. Preferably, the outer portion is closed at its proximate end and the aperture opens at the distal end of the outer portion of the handle. Preferably, means for securing the brush is provided at or near the proximate end, such as a ring or second aperture for hanging the brush on a nail or hook or the like. The inner portion of the handle is slidably positionable inside the aperture between a first position, such as a closed position, and a second position, such as an open or extended position. Preferably, means are provided for releasably locking the inner portion at the first position and the second position, such as a twist lock.
- The brush also includes a brush head, which is adapted to attach to the inner portion of the handle. The brush head has a core having a central axis, a proximate end, and a terminal end. A second aperture preferably extends substantially the length of the core for receiving the inner portion through the proximate end of the core. Preferably, the brush head is formed from a silicone rubber.
- The brush head also includes a first bristle set comprising a plurality of generally cylindrical bristles extending from the core. Preferably, the bristles of the first set have a first cross-section proximate the core and a second cross-section at the distal end, with the first cross-section having a greater area than the second cross-section. Preferably, the core is generally cylindrical and the bristles of the first set extend radially from the core.
- In a presently preferred embodiment, the bristles of the first set comprise a plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments having a corresponding cross-sectional area. The cross-sectional area of the plurality of segments of bristles preferably diminishes from the proximate end to the distal end of the bristles. Preferably, the cross-sectional areas of the bristles of the first set are circular. Preferably, the bristles of the first set include at least two segments. In a presently preferred embodiment, the bristles of the first set include three segments. Preferably, the bristles of the first set extend at a fixed distance from the core. Preferably, the bristles of the first set extend radially from the core and are evenly spaced radially around the core. Preferably, the bristles of the second set are evenly spaced axially. Preferably, the brush head comprises a second set of bristles extending from the terminal end of the core, and which includes a subset of bristles terminating at a plane perpendicular to the axis of the core spaced from the terminal end of the core.
- Preferably, the brush head is releasably affixed to the second portion of the handle.
- Preferably, a means for releasably affixing the brush head to the inner portion of the handle is provided and comprises a plurality of grooves formed in the inner portion. Preferably, the brush further comprises a corresponding plurality of protrusions formed on the surface of the aperture of the core of the brush head for engaging the grooves.
- Preferably, the handle includes means for locking the inner portion of the handle at at least one intermediate position between the first position and the second position. Preferably, the means for locking the inner portion of the handle comprises a twist lock device.
- Preferably, the brush head further comprises a collar at the proximate end of the brush head, the collar being adapted for receiving a removable protective splash shield. Preferably, the collar comprises a pair of spaced disks having a diameter greater than the core.
- Preferably, the brush further comprises a splash shield.
-
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a brush according to the present invention. -
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the brush ofFIG. 1 showing the brush head. -
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the brush ofFIG. 1 showing the handle in a fully retracted position. -
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the brush head of the brush ofFIG. 1 showing a first set of bristles. -
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the brush head of the brush ofFIG. 1 showing a second set of bristles. -
FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the inner portion of the handle with the brush head removed. -
FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a cross-section of the brush ofFIG. 1 taken along the long axis of the brush. -
FIG. 8 is a plan view of a splash shield for use with the brush ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the brush ofFIG. 1 . - The present invention provides an improved brush for cleaning the interiors of hollow objects, and in particular generally cylindrical objects such as glass bottles, bottles formed from thermoplastic materials, vacuum thermoses, baby bottles, and the like.
-
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of abrush 10 according to the present invention. Thebrush 10 includes ahandle 20 having anouter portion 30 adapted to be grasped by the hand of the user, and aninner portion 40. Theouter portion 30 has a plurality of grooves extending substantially the length of the outer portion for permitting the handle to be securely grasped by the user, and a loop or ring at one end to permit the brush to be hung for storage when not in use. Theouter portion 30 also has a generallycylindrical aperture 32 extending substantially the length of theouter portion 30 for receiving theinner portion 40. Theinner portion 40 is slidable from a fully closed or first position 42 (FIG. 4 ) to a fully extended or second position 44 (FIG. 1 ). Theinner portion 40 can be locked at any intermediate position by twisting theouter portion 30 relative to theinner portion 40, by means of alocking device 102 provided at the distal end of theinner portion 40. Thus, a user can contract theinner portion 40 fully within the outer portion and lock theinner portion 40 in place for storage or for travel and extend theinner portion 40 to a desired length when the cleaning task so requires, as when cleaning large glass jars and the like. - As can be seen in the exploded view of
FIG. 9 , thelocking device 102 is located at the distal end of theinner portion 40. The distal end of theinner portion 40 of thehandle 20 includes a conical female thread. The conical thread is flanked at either end by a pair of disks formed on inner portion. A cam comprising a pair of mating cam halves is provided to travel axially on the conical male thread. The travel of the cam is limited by the disks. The cam halves each have a corresponding female conical thread on their respective interiors. One cam half is provided with prongs at one end, and the other cam half is provided with corresponding apertures at one end for receiving the prongs, while the other ends of the cam halves are separated by a gap when the cam is assembled. Thecylindrical aperture 32 inside theouter portion 30 is provided with a set of protrusions extending on the wall of theaperture 32 the length of the outer portion being parallel to the axis of theouter portion 30. In operation, the cam contacts one or more of the protrusions as the brush handle 20 is extended or retracted. However, when thehandle 20 is twisted counterclockwise (as viewed from the distal end of the brush 10), the cam is forced to ride up on the conical screw thread and thus push outward on theouter portion 30 of thehandle 10, locking the inner 40 and outer 30 portions of thehandle 20 together at any chosen extension of thebrush 10. - The
brush 10 also includes abrush head 50 having aproximate end 54 and adistal end 56. Thebrush head 50 includes a plurality ofbristles 52 which extend from a cylindrical core 60 (FIG. 7 ). Thecore 60 and bristles 52 are integrally formed from a silicone rubber. Thebrush head 50 is detachable from thehandle 20 so thatbrush head 50 can itself be cleaned in a dishwasher. - As shown in
FIG. 7 , thebrush head 50 includes acylindrical aperture 62 with aninner surface 64 extending substantially the length of thebrush head 50 for receiving the inner portion of thehandle 20. Theaperture 62 is sized so that thebrush head 50 is held on the handle by a friction fit. Theinner portion 40 of thehandle 20 has a plurality ofcircumferential grooves 46 formed in the surface to reduce the amount of effort required to remove or replace thebrush head 50 on thehandle 20 by reducing the area in contact between thebrush head 50 and theinner portion 40 of thehandle 20. Theinner surface 64 of thecore 60 of the brush head includes a pair of inwardly extending protrusions extending parallel to the brush head central axis, as well as an inwardly extending ring protruding from the surface of theaperture 62 positioned proximate the distal end of thebrush head 50 to help lock thebrush head 50 in place. - The
brush head 50 has a central axis, aproximate end 54 to receive theinner portion 40 of thehandle 20, and a terminal ordistal end 56. - The
bristles 52 include afirst set 70 and asecond set 90. Thebristles 72 of the first set extend radially from thecore 60 and are generally cylindrical and are spaced evenly along and around the central axis of the brush head 50 (FIG. 2 ). Thebristles 72 are formed such that the diameter of the bristles proximate thecore 60 is greater than the diameter of the bristles at their outer end. Each bristle 72 of thefirst set 70 includes afirst segment 80 having a constant diameter which is larger than the diameter of an adjacentsecond segment 82 of thebristles 72. Each bristle 72 of thefirst set 70 has athird segment 84 adjacent thesecond segment 82, and which extends to the outer or distal end of thebristles 72 which is rounded. - The second set 90 of
bristles 52 are positioned at the distal or terminal end of thebrush head 50 and are adapted to facilitate cleaning the bottom of a bottle or the like. The second set ofbristles 52 includes afirst subset 92 and asecond subset 94 Thefirst subset 92 extend both radially outwardly from thecore 60 and upwardly to terminate at a plane perpendicular to the central axis of thebrush head 50, the plane being spaced axially from the terminal end of thecore 60. Thesecond subset 94 ofbristles 52 also extends radially outwardly and upwardly but the bristles of thesecond subset 94 are positioned intermediate thefirst set 70 ofbristles 52 and thefirst subset 92 ofbristles 72. In use, thebrush head 50 can be pushed against the flat bottom of a bottle such that thefirst subset 92 ofbristles 72 contacts and cleans detritus in the area between the side and bottom of the bottle. - The
brush head 50 also includes acollar 104 formed from afirst disk 106 and asecond disk 108 spaced from thefirst disk 106 and located at the proximate end of thebrush head 50 for receiving asplash guard 110. Thesplash guard 110 is formed from a flexible sheet material such as a silicone rubber and includes an aperture with a diameter slightly less than the diameter of thedisks splash guard 110 can be stretched over thefirst disk 106 to attach or remove thesplash guard 110 from thebrush head 50. - Various modifications can be made in the details of the various embodiments of the apparatus of the present invention, all within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims (17)
1. A brush comprising:
a) a handle including an inner portion and an outer portion, the outer portion having a first aperture extending substantially the length of the outer portion, the inner portion slidably positionable inside the aperture from a first position to a second position, and means for releasably locking the inner portion at the first position and the second position, and
b) a brush head including a core having a central axis, a proximate end, a terminal end, and a second aperture extending substantially the length of the core for receiving the inner portion through the proximate end of the core, and a first bristle set comprising a plurality of generally cylindrical bristles extending from the core, the bristles of the first set having a first diameter proximate the core and a second diameter at the distal end, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter.
2. The brush according to claim 1 wherein the core is generally cylindrical, and the bristles of the first set extend radially from the core.
3. The brush according to claim 2 wherein the bristles of the first set comprise a plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments having a corresponding diameter, the diameter of each of the plurality of segments of bristles diminishing from the proximate end to the distal end of the bristles.
4. The brush according to claim 3 wherein the bristles of the first set include at least two segments.
5. The brush according to claim 3 wherein the bristles of the first set include three segments.
6. The brush according to claim 1 wherein the brush head is formed from a silicone rubber.
7. The brush according to claim 1 wherein the bristles of the first set extend at a fixed distance from the core.
8. The brush according to claim 1 wherein the brush head comprises a second set of bristles extending from the terminal end of the core and terminating at a plane perpendicular to the axis of the core spaced from the terminal end of the core.
9. The brush according to claim 1 wherein the bristles of the first set extend radially from the core and are evenly spaced radially around the core.
10. The brush according to claim 1 wherein the brush head is releasably affixed to the second portion of the handle.
11. The brush according to claim 10 wherein the means for releasably affixing the brush head to the inner portion of the handle comprises a plurality of grooves formed in the inner portion.
12. The brush according to claim 1 wherein the handle includes means for locking the inner portion of the handle at at least one intermediate position between the first position and the second position.
13. The brush according to claim 12 wherein the means for locking the inner portion of the handle comprises a twist lock device.
14. The brush according to claim 1 wherein the brush head further comprises a collar at the proximate end of the brush head, the collar being adapted for receiving a removable protective splash shield.
15. The brush according to claim 14 wherein the collar comprises a pair of spaced disks having a diameter greater than the core.
16. The brush according to claim 1 further comprising a splash shield.
17. The brush according to claim 11 further comprising a corresponding plurality of protrusions formed on the surface of the aperture of the core of the brush head for engaging the grooves.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US18/097,380 US20240023702A1 (en) | 2022-07-19 | 2023-01-16 | Adjustable bottle brush |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US202263390449P | 2022-07-19 | 2022-07-19 | |
US18/097,380 US20240023702A1 (en) | 2022-07-19 | 2023-01-16 | Adjustable bottle brush |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20240023702A1 true US20240023702A1 (en) | 2024-01-25 |
Family
ID=89578024
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US18/097,380 Pending US20240023702A1 (en) | 2022-07-19 | 2023-01-16 | Adjustable bottle brush |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20240023702A1 (en) |
-
2023
- 2023-01-16 US US18/097,380 patent/US20240023702A1/en active Pending
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US5339480A (en) | Tint bottle and nozzle cleaning brush | |
US6029307A (en) | Quick connect brush handle and multi-brush kit | |
EP0089178B1 (en) | Mascara applicator wand and storage receptacle | |
KR101228619B1 (en) | Brushes with interchangeable heads | |
EP2448443B1 (en) | Cosmetic applicator with disparate material application zones and backwipe return | |
US9462871B2 (en) | Applicator assembly | |
US20150053233A1 (en) | Cosmetic Systems | |
US9078514B2 (en) | Brush cap for cleaning | |
KR101910925B1 (en) | Adjustable cosmetic applicator | |
US10334941B2 (en) | Bottle brush with multiple bristle reaches | |
US20180168320A1 (en) | Cosmetic applique removal feature | |
TW201406319A (en) | Cosmetic product applicator and associated applicator assembly | |
US4813091A (en) | Can cleaner device | |
US20240023702A1 (en) | Adjustable bottle brush | |
US9961988B2 (en) | Hair brush with dual shaped head for managing baby and mature hair | |
US4912801A (en) | Can cleaning brush | |
US10595623B2 (en) | Cosmetic brush | |
US2228067A (en) | Washing brush for glassware | |
CN208446865U (en) | Detachable cup brush | |
US11737540B2 (en) | Brush assembly | |
CN214317941U (en) | Connecting assembly and cleaning tool set | |
CN205432618U (en) | Deformable bottle brush | |
US20180000238A1 (en) | Brush device that dispenses cleaning fluid | |
US2396388A (en) | Cap cleaner | |
US20100162505A1 (en) | Cleaning apparatus with splash shield |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: DOCKETED NEW CASE - READY FOR EXAMINATION |