US3281884A

US3281884A - Cleaning implement

Info

Publication number: US3281884A
Application number: US498530A
Authority: US
Inventors: Anne C Feil
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-10-20
Filing date: 1965-10-20
Publication date: 1966-11-01
Anticipated expiration: 1983-11-01

Description

Nov. 1, 1966 A. c. FEIL CLEANING IMPLEMENT Filed 001;. 20, 1965 WWW United States Patent 3,281,884 CLEANING IMPLEMENT Anne C. Feil, 392 Deming Road, Rochester, N.Y. Filed (let. M), 1965, Ser. No. 498,530 3 Claims. (Cl. 15244) This present invention relates to novel and improved cleaning implements and more particularly to novel and improved brush and mop constructions which can be rapidly and inexpensively manufactured in highly efficient esthetically pleasing forms.

A multitude of brush constructions are known most of which employ a plurality of rod-like bristles. These bristles are normally formed of hair, fiber and in some cases solid plastic monofilaments. Often the materials used and the manufacturing methods employed in conventional brush constructions of this type are relatively expensive and require relatively complex manufacturing procedures.

An important object of this invention is to provide a highly efficient brush suitable for a multitude of applications, and which can be rapidly and economically manufactured from a minimum of basic components.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a brush in accordance with the preceding object which is highly pleasing to the eye over long periods of usage.

According to the invention a cleaning instrument has an elongated support. An elongated flexible preferably cellular foam-like member is helically wound about the handle from one end thereof to a position short of the other end. The member is preferably made from a sheet having a series of slits extending from one side of the member in a direction transverse to its length to form a series of inte rally connected projections and means secure the member to the handle.

Preferably the member is formed from a sheet of flexible, resilient, cellular foamed plastic such as polyurethane which is slit at spaced intervals with the slits extending laterally of the member short of opposing side edge portions thereof The sheet is folded over on itself to form looped projections and the sheet is then wound with opposing side edge portions lying adjacent each other preferably with the side edge portions helically wound tightly about the handle with adjacent turns of the member lying in overlapping relationship. It is a feature of this invention that the flexible, cellular foamed plastic member corresponds to conventionally used bristles and has suflicient rigidity to allow brushing of a surface for cleaning purposes. In addition, the flexible cellular foamlike projections make the cleaning implement useful as a lint remover if desired or for any of the conventional brush applications such as Venetian blind cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, dust brooms and mops. The preferred looped construction greatly enhances the esthetic appeal of the brush particularly when the sheet from which the projections are formed are brightly colored.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be readily understood from the following description thereof when read in connection with the accompanying drawing of a preferred embodiment in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view thereof;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a sheet used in the construction thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the bristle-like member previous to application to the handle; and,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the preferred winding of the bristle-like member.

With reference now to the drawing, a preferred embodiment of the brush is illustrated at in FIG. 1 having a centrally located handle 11. The handle 11 is prefer- "ice ably an integral wood dowel which has an upper portion extending to the upper end of the brush acting as a support for an elongated, flexible, cellular foamed plastic member 12.

In some cases, the handle and its support portion can be plastic, metal or other material. It is also possible to employ a resilient or flexible handle includingthe support portion such as a stiff rubber rod to permit conformance of the brushing end with the surface to be cleaned or brushed.

The elongated, flexible member which forms the bristlelike portion of the brush 10 is preferably formed from an elongated strip of sheet material such as a resilient, cellular polyurethane foamed plastic sheet 13 illustrated at FIG. 2. The sheet 13 has a plurality of transverse or lateral slits 14- which extend laterally of the strip short of side marginal portions thereof to provide uninterrupted marginal edge portions 15 adjacent each side edge of the strip. The slits 14 are preferably parallel to each other and extend through the strip preferably equally distant apart.

The elongated member 12 is formed by superimposing a second sheet 13' preferably identical to the first sheet 13 over the sheet '13 and folding both sheets with their marginal portions 15 into close adjacency as best seen in FIG. 3. This provides looped upper portions 16 extending along the length of the elongated member. The looped portions 16 have a spring-like action and have the function normally found in the bristles of a conventional brush. These loops will bend and spring back into position during use.

If desired, the marginal portions 15 may be secured together along the length of the elongated member although this is not necessary.

The elongated member 12 is preferably helically tightly wound on the handle 11 at the upper support portion thereof as best shown in FIG. 4. The elastic nature of the resilient foam aids in holding the member firmly in place about the handle. Preferably turns of the marginal edge portions 15 overlap oneanother about the handle and only the upper and lower ends of the member are secured to the handle by pins (not shown) or other conventional means. In some cases, a glue or adhesive can be spread on the handle before application of the elongated member and the member will be adhered thereto as it is wound or shortly thereafter. In the preferred embodiment, the elongated member is wound to form the loops adjacent to each other from end to end of the support portion of the handle in lines extending preferably substantially parallel to the axis of the handle. This provides a decorative highly pleasing esthetic effect to the completed brush. However, the loops can be randomly arranged on the support portion if desired and often separate slightly from each other after use to create a random effect.

In the preferred embodiment the sheets such as 13, 13 are composed of a closed cell, foam polyurethane plastic haveing a thickness of approximately A2 inch. The handle is 9 inches long with the member 12 covering 5 inches thereof. The elongated strip 13 has a width of 3 inches and is folded over to have a width of 1 /2 inches with marginal portions 15 being approximately /2 inch wide. These dimensions provide a small hand brush particularly desirable for lint removal due to the inherent nature of the rough cellular surface of the foam polyurethane. The cellular structure of the foam provides a relatively rough abrasive-type surface which yields under pressure in use.

While a specific embodiment of the cleaning implement of this invention has been described and illustrated, it will be obvious that many variations thereof are pos- 3 sible. For example, the particular dimensions recited can vary considerably depending on the intended use of the brush. In some cases only a single sheet 13 can be folded on itself to form the looped bristle-like portions of the elongated member. Similarly more than two sheets can be employed. The slits 14 can be circular rather than straight or have other configurations. Varying width loop portions can be provided. The particular material of the elongated member can be varied. A circular support portion of a handle can be provided and in some cases the support portion can be joined to the hand gripping portion of the handle rather than being integral therewith. Therefore this invention is to be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A brush comprising an elongated handle, an elongated flexible cellular foam-like member helically wound about said handle from one end to a position short of the other end, and means securing said member to said handle, said member comprising a plurality of superimposed strips of flexible cellular foam plastic, each of said strips defining spaced slits extending laterally thereof short of opposing side edge portions thereof and being folded over longitudinally to form plural layered projections in loop form with opposed side edge portions of said strips being superimposed on each other and helically tightly wound on said handle with adjacent turns thereof lying in overlapping relationship whereby said plural layers of said projections can separate from each other in use, said slits being of sufiicient number to form projections substantially throughout the length of the strips. 2. A brush in accordance with claim 1 wherein said plastic is polyurethane.

3. A brush in accordance with claim 1 wherein said projections lie along lines substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said handle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 180,913 8/1876 Patterson 15-226 X 1,767,313 6/1930 Salvucci 15226 X 2,637,061 5/1953 Ozdobinski 15-226 3,081,476 3/1963 Mosheim 15-226 X FOREIGN PATENTS 820,204 7/ 1937 France.

259,782 6/ 1949 Switzerland.

295,349 3/ 1954 Switzerland.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A BRUSH COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HANDLE, AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE CELLULAR FOAM-LIKE MEMBER HELICALLY WOUND ABOUT SAID HANDLE FROM ONE END TO A POSITION SHORT OF THE OTHER END, AND MEANS SECURING SAID MEMBER TO SAID HANLE, SAID MEMBER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SUPERIMPOSED STRIPS OF FLEXIBLE CELLULAR FOAM PLASTIC, EACH OF SAID STRIPS DEFINING SPACED SLITS EXTENDING LATERALLY THEREOF SHORT OF OPPOSING SIDE EDGE PORTIONS THEREOF AND BEING FOLDED OVER LONGITUDINALLY TO FORM PLURALITY LAYERED PROJECTIONS IN LOOP FORM WITH OPPOSED SIDE EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID STRIPS BEING SUPERIMPOSED ON EACH OTHER AND HELICALLY TIGHTLY WOUND ON SAID HANDLE WITH ADJACENT TURNS THEREOF LYING IN OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP WHEREBY SAID PLURAL LAYERS OF SAID PROJECTIONS CAN SEPARATE FROM EACH OTHER IN USE, SAID TILTS BEING OF SUFFICIENT NUMBER TO FORM PROJECTIONS SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE STRIPS.