WO2004066783A2

WO2004066783A2 - Towel bowl brush

Info

Publication number: WO2004066783A2
Application number: PCT/US2004/000160
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bernard L. Bensussan; Ronald Callanan
Original assignee: Unger Marketing International, Llc
Priority date: 2003-01-28
Filing date: 2004-01-06
Publication date: 2004-08-12
Also published as: US20040143923A1; WO2004066783A3

Abstract

A toilet bowl brush that is especially useful to industrial and commercial cleaners is provided. The toilet bowl brush has an elongated handle with a grasping portion and a connecting portion. The grasping portion and connection portion have centerlines at an angle to one another. A brush head body is connected to the connecting portion of the handle. Scrubbing bristles extend from the brush head body at a variety of angles, including at an acute angle of from about 350 to slightly less than 90°, relative to a centerline of the connection portion of the elongated handle.

Description

TOWEL BOWL BRUSH

Field of the Invention

[0001] The invention relates to an improved toilet bowl brush for cleaning toilets, urinals and the like, and especially adapted for easier, more effective and ergonomically acceptable cleaning of the overhanging lip or rim of such toilets, urinal and the like.

Background to the Invention

[0002] A wide variety of toilet brushes has been marketed and employed for cleaning toilets, urinals and the like. However, for the most part, these toilet brushes were designed and intended for residential or occasional use and are not really acceptable for use by industrial or commercial cleaning personnel who are engaged in cleaning large numbers of toilets and urinals on an essentially constant or continuing basis throughout a workday.

[0003] A number of problems and concerns arise when an attempt is made to use such residential toilet brushes for commercial or industrial usage. The toilet brushes proposed heretofore are not ergonomically designed and lead to health concerns with repeated and continuing use. When one needs to clean the overhanging lip or rim of the toilets or urinals, the user is required not only to move his arm in a circular motion to move the brush around the rim or overhang but, because of the brush designs heretofore available, the user must also employ a repeated rotation of the wrist to bring the bristles of the brush up under the lip or overhang in an attempt to obtain suitable scrubbing power and access for cleaning of that area of the toilets and urinals. It is that area of the toilets and urinals that must especially be cleaned since it is an area in which lime deposits and bacteria most likely to occur. The repeated rotation of the wrist necessary to clean this area can not only cause undue fatigue of that body part but also soreness and possible health risks of carpal tunnel syndrome and tearing or damage to tendons in the wrist area of the user. Additionally, brush handles have also tended to be relatively short, usually about 12-18 inches in length, and as a result the commercial or industrial cleaner user has to bend over to properly use the toilet brush. While this bending at the waist may be all right for the occasional residential user, such repeated continuous bending throughout the workday for industrial and commercial cleaners put an undesirable and unhealthy strain on their backs.

[0004] Additionally, the brushes hereto suggested for improving the cleaning of areas under the rim or lip areas of toilets have not been entirely satisfactory, nor have they resulted in complete and essentially uniform cleaning of those areas.

Such lack of complete and uniform cleaning of the rim or lip area of toilets, urinals and the like has been due at least in part to both the poor design of the brush cleaning head of the toilet brushes as well as to the fact that the design of the brushes requires the user to employ the aforementioned wrist rotation movement to properly position the brush head under the rim or lip all the way around the rim or lip.

Users will tend not to rotate their wrists sufficient and all the time since such action is tiresome and cumbersome to do. Consequently, proper and complete cleaning of the all areas of the rim or lip is not obtained.

[0005] As examples of such previously proposed toilet brushes that have one or more of the aforementioned drawbacks, as well as other drawbacks, are those discussed in the following patents. US Patent No. 4,967,441 disclose a toilet brush with a scouring pad attached to a wire pool handle. In US Patent No 5,878,459 there is a toilet brush disclosed with complex, flexible, deflection-limited, connection between the handle and scrubbing portion. In US Patent No 5,984,555 describes a toilet brush with two distinct brush heads for cleaning separate parts of the toilet bowl. In US Patent No. 6.154,913 there is disclosed a complex flexibly jointed mechanism attached to the brush handle. None of the brushes disclosed in these patents completely avoids all of the aforementioned drawbacks and do so in a desired manner so as to be ergonomically acceptable to the user while still proving for easy, complete cleaning of toilet bowls, especially by industrial and commercial cleaners throughout their workday.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a toilet bowl brush that is ergonomically acceptable to industrial and commercial cleaners that must clean a plurality of toilets, urinals or the like throughout the workday. The toilet bowl brush of this invention is characterized by a brush head body having bristles projecting therefrom, in a direction towards the toilet bowl brush handle, at acute angles relative to a centerline of that handle. The toilet bowl brush is also preferably characterized by scrubbing brush head body being removably attached to the handle of the brush for easy removal, cleaning and or disinfecting of the brush body, if desired, and possible re-attachment to the handle for reuse. The handle of the toilet bowl brush is preferably an elongated brush, most preferably of from about 24 to 36 inches in length, has an ergonomically shaped section at one end for grasping and holding by a user. Additionally, the centerline of the section of the handle proximate the point of attachment of the handle to the brush head body is preferably offset by an angle of from about 40° to about 50° relative to the centerline of the grasping portion of the elongate handle.

[0007] In an embodiment of the invention the towel bowl brush comprises: an elongate handle, the elongate handle having a first end section with a first centerline and an opposite second end section with a second centerline, the second centerline being offset from the first centerline by an angle of from about 40° to about 50°, the first end section adapted to be grasped by a user of the brush;

a brush head body attached to the second end section of the elongate handle, said brush head body having a proximate body section nearest the attachment of the brush head body to the elongate handle, an opposite remote body section, and an intermediate body section between the proximate and remote body sections; and

a plurality of scrubbing bristles radially projecting from each of said brush head body sections, the bristles radially projecting from the remote end section projecting therefrom in a direction away from the handle at obtuse angles of from greater than 90° to about 180° relative to the second centerline of the second end section of the elongate handle, the bristles projecting from the intermediate body section projecting therefrom at an angles of essentially 90° relative to the second centerline of the second end of the elongate handle, and the bristles radially projecting from the proximate body section projecting therefrom in a direction towards the handle at acute angles of from less than 90° to about 0°, preferably at acute angles of from less than 90° to about 35°, relative to the second centerline of the second end of the elongate handle, with at least a portion of said bristles projecting from the proximate body section projecting therefrom at acute angles of from about 35° to about

60°, preferably 40° to 55°, more preferably about 45°, relative to the second centerline oft the second end of the elongate handle.

[0008] The toilet bowl brush of this invention has an elongate handle and is of a length such that a user of the brush would not be required to bend at the waist to effectively used the brush for cleaning toilets, urinals and the like. The length of the elongate handle is preferably from about 24 to about 36 inches, although it can be slightly shorter or slightly longer in length. The first end section of the handle is generally ergonomically formed to be readily and comfortably grasped and held by a user. This first end section can be provided with a means for storage or mounting on a utility cart or similar workstation. Any suitable means for storage or mounting can be employed, including, by not limited to, a mounting hole or mounting latch or hook located near the end of the handle. The second section of the handle is located opposite the first section of the handle and comprises a section for being affixed to or uniformly formed with a brush head body member. However, it is preferred that this second section be a section for receiving and retaining the brush head body member in a removable manner. Any suitable mechanism for attaching this section to a brush head body may be employed. For example, this section could terminate in an internally or externally threaded member to mate with a corresponding externally or internally threaded member, respectively, on the brush head body. However, this second section of the handle is preferably a hollow tubular section, preferably circular in cross-section, having at least one, and preferably at least two, recesses therein for receiving a corresponding number of protuberances on a portion of the brush head body member. The centerline of the second section of the handle is offset from the centerline of the first section of the handle, i.e., a plane through the centerline of the of the second section of the handle is at an angle offset from a plane through the centerline of the first section of the handle. The offset is generally an angle of from about 40° to about 50°.

[0009] The brush head body can be of any suitable shape in its main body section, such as for example, square, rectangular, oblong, spherical or oval in shape. The main body portion of the brush head body comprises three sections with scrubbing or cleaning bristles projecting therefrom. The brush head body will generally be of unitary construction with each of the three sections being a portion of the unitary body. The three section of the brush head body comprise a proximate body section nearest the attachment of the brush head body to the elongate handle, an opposite remote body section, and an intermediate body section between the proximate and remote body sections.

[0010] A plurality of scrubbing bristles radially project from each of the brush head body sections. The bristles radially projecting from the remote end section project therefrom in a direction away from the handle at obtuse angles of from greater than 90° to about 180° relative to the centerline of the second end section of the elongate handle. The bristles projecting from the intermediate body section project therefrom in a direction at an angle of essentially 90° relative to the centerline of the second end of the elongate handle. The bristles radially projecting from the proximate body section project therefrom in a direction towards the handle at acute angles of from less than 90° to about 0°, preferably from less than 90° to about 35°, relative to the centerline of the second end section of the elongate handle, with at least a portion of said bristles projecting from the proximate body section projecting therefrom at acute angles of from about 35° to about 60°, preferably at about 40° to about 55°, most preferably at about 45°, relative to the centerline at the second end section of the elongate handle.

[0011] The brush head body member preferably has a radially projecting arm extending from the proximate body section of the brush head body. The arm preferably has at least one or more flexible or retractable protuberances or latching mechanisms located on the surface of the arm for being received in the one or more recesses in a hollow tubular handle section for retaining the brush head body on the handle in an attached, but removable, manner. The arm will be of a shape complementary to the shape of the hollow tubular section of the handle for being received in and retained in the hollow tubular section.

[0012] The brush body head can be made of any suitable material, but is preferably formed or molded from plastic, preferably polyethylene or polypropylene, and most preferably polypropylene.

[0013] The scrubbing bristles radially projecting from the brush head body may be of any suitable material, but are preferably plastic bristles, more preferably, polyethylene or polypropylene bristles, and most preferably polypropylene bristles. The bristles may be anchored to the brush head body by any suitable anchoring or retaining process. Such anchoring or retaining processes include, but is not limited to, adhesively binding the bristles to the outer surface of the body by means of hot melt adhesives, adhesively binding bristles in holes on the outer surface of the body, and stapling folded bristles into holes on the outer surface of the body. It is preferred that batches of plastic bristles, preferable polypropylene bristles, be folded in half on themselves and each batch of folded bristles be inserted into a hole of the surface of the brush head body and stapled into said hole. The holes in the head can be of any suitable diameter and depth, but are preferable about 1/8 inch in diameter and about 1/8 to about 1/4 inch deep. The bristles preferably extend radially away from the surface of the brush head body by a distance of at least one- inch, preferable at least about three inches or more.

[0014] The bristles for the brush head may be of any suitable cross sectional shape, but are preferably circular in cross-section since this form of bristle is most resistant to retaining debris or bacteria and the like on the surface of the bristles.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] The invention is illustrated by, but not limited by, the attached drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet bowl brush according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the brush handle of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the brush head body of Fig. 1 with a portion of the bristles removed for purposes of better illustrating the invention;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section view of the brush head body along line 3-3 of Fig. 3 with the bristles present; and

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view, like Fig. 4., of a further brush head in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Detailed Description of Invention and Preferred Embodiments

[0016] The invention is further illustrated by, but not limited to, the following discussion of the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

[0017] Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a toilet bowl brush 10 of the present invention. The toilet bowl brush 10 comprises an elongate handle 12 and a brush head body 14 attached thereto. The brush head body 14 has a plurality of batches of scrubbing bristles 16 radially projecting from the outer surface 18 of the body. The brush 10 with the handle 12 and the brush head body 14 may be formed as a unitary construction. However, it is preferred that the handle 12 and the brush head body 14 be formed as separate units and then attached to form an integrated unit.

[0018] The length of the elongate handle 12 can be any suitable length L-1 so as to be ergonomically acceptable to the intended user. It has been found that a handle length of from about 25 to about 36 inches is ergonomically acceptable to most users. At the distal end of the handle 12 is a first or grasping section 20 ergonomically shaped to be ergonomically acceptable to the hand of the intended user. At the opposite end of the handle 12 is a second or attaching end section 22 of the handle for being attached, preferably removably attached, to the brush head body 14.

[0019] As seen in Fig. 2, in this embodiment of the toilet bowl brush, the attaching end section 22 of the handle 12 is a hollow tubular, generally circular tubular section, having one or more, preferably two, recesses 24, which in this embodiment are holes, for receiving attachment and securing mechanisms 44 (Fig. 3) located on the brush head body 14.

[0020] The centerline CL-1 at attaching section 22 of the handle 12 is offset at an angle _α of from about 40° to about 50° preferably about 45°, from the centerline CL of the handle at the grasping portion 20 of the handle.

[0021] Although the elongate handle may be telescoping or non-telescoping in form, it is preferred that the elongate handle be non-telescoping so as not to present any surfaces not readily cleaned to rid the toilet bowl brush free of debris, especially free of bacteria and the like.

[0022] The brush head body 14, in its main body portion, is divided into three sections 26, 28 and 30 as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5; each section of the body having a plurality of holes 32 on the outer surface 18 of the body section. Section 26, is a section proximate the point of attachment of the body 14 to handle 12. Section 28 is a section opposite and remote from proximate section 26, and section 30 is located intermediate and adjacent sections 26 and 28. In each of the holes 32 there are located a plurality of scrubbing bristles 16, preferably folded polypropylene scrubbing bristles, attached to the body 14 by being stapled in the holes by staples 38. The scrubbing bristles 16 protrude from the surface 18 of the body 14 by a distance L-2 of at least about one inch, preferably at least about three inches.

[0023] As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the bristles 16 projecting from remote body section 28 project therefrom at obtuse angles of from greater than 90° to about

180° relative to the centerline CL-1 at the attaching end section 22 of handle 12.

The bristles 16 projecting from the intermediate body section 30 project therefrom at an angle of essentially 90° relative to the centerline CL-1 at the attaching end section 22 of the handle 12. The bristles 16 projecting from proximate body section 26 project therefrom at acute angles of from less than 90° to 0° (Fig. 5), preferably from less than 90° to about 35° (Fig. 4), relative to the centerline CL-1 at the attaching end 22 of the handle 12, with at least a portion of these bristles projecting from the proximate body section projecting therefrom at acute angles of from about

35° to about 60°, and most preferably at an acute angle of about 45°, relative to the centerline CL-1 at the attaching end section 22 of the handle 12. [0024] Projecting and extending from proximate body section 26 is an attachment arm 40 shaped complementary to hollow tubular attaching end section 22 of handle 12 and adapted and sized to be inserted into said hollow tubular attaching end section. Near the distal end 42 of arm 40 are one or more biased retaining members 44, preferably flexibly, biased protuberances having leading edge inclined ribs 46, for entering and being received in the recesses 24 in the hollow tubular attaching end section 22 of handle 12. These protuberances can be outwardly biased buttons, outwardly biased ears or any other biased means suitable for retaining arm 40 on or in handle 12.

[0025] While the invention has been described herein with reference to the specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that changes, modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept disclosed herein. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such changes, modification and variations that fall with the spirit and scope of the appended claims

Claims

I Claim:

1. A toilet bowl brush comprising: a elongate handle, the elongate handle having first end section with a first centerline and an opposite second end section with a second centerline, the second centerline being offset from the first centerline by an angle of from about 40° to about 50° relative to the first centerline, the first end section adapted to be grasped by a user of the brush; a brush head body attached to the second end section of the elongate handle, said brush head body having a proximate body section nearest the second end section of the elongate handle, an opposite remote body section, farthest from the second end section of the elongate handle, and an intermediate body section between the proximate and remote body sections; a plurality of scrubbing bristles radially projecting from each of said proximate, remote and intermediate body sections, the bristles radially projecting from the remote body section projecting therefrom in a direction away from the handle at obtuse angles of from greater than 90° to about 180° relative to the centerline of the second end section of the elongate handle, the bristles projecting from the intermediate body section projecting therefrom at in a direction away from the handle at an angles of essentially 90° relative to the centerline at the second end section of the elongate handle, and the bristles radially projecting from the proximate body section projecting therefrom in a direction towards the handle at acute angles of from less than 90° to about 0° degrees relative to the centerline at the second end section of the elongate handle, with at least a portion of said bristles projecting from the proximate body section projecting therefrom at acute angles of from about 35° to about

60° relative to the centerline at the second end section of the elongate handle.

2. A toilet bowl brush according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said bristles projecting from the proximate body section projecting therefrom in a direction towards the handle at acute angles of from about less than about 90° to about 35° relative to the centerline at the second end section of the elongate handle.

3. A toilet bowl brush according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said bristles projecting from the proximate body section projecting therefrom in a direction towards the handle at acute angles of from about 40° to about 55° relative to the centerline at the second end section of the elongate handle.

4. A toilet bowl brush according to claim 3, wherein at least a portion of said bristles projecting from the proximate body section projecting therefrom in a direction toward the handle at acute angles of about 45° relative to the centerline at the second end section of the elongate handle.

5. A toilet bowl brush according to Claim 1, wherein the brush head body is removable attached to the elongate handle.

6. A toilet bowl brush according to claim 5, wherein the second end section of the elongate handle comprise a hollow tubular member having one or more recesses positioned therein, and said proximate end of the brush head body having an radially projecting arm extending therefrom, said arm having one or more outwardly biased flexible protuberances, the arm being received in the hollow tubular member and the one or more protuberances being received in the one or more recesses for retaining the brush head body on the elongate handle.

7. A toilet bowl according to claim 2, wherein the second end section of the elongate handle comprise a hollow tubular member having one or more recesses positioned therein, and said proximate end of the brush head body has an radially projecting arm extending therefrom, said arm having one or more outwardly biased flexible protuberances, the arm being received in the hollow tubular member and the one or more protuberances being received in the one or more recesses for retaining the brush head body on the elongate handle.

8. A toilet bowl according to claim 1 wherein the bristles protruding from the brush head body are folded bristles anchored in holes on the brush head body by staples into the holes.

9. The toilet bowl brush according to claim 8, wherein the bristles are plastic bristles and project radially from the brush head body a distance of at least one-inch or more.

(^'

10. The toilet bowl brush according to claim 9, wherein the bristles are polypropylene.

11. The toilet bowl brush according to claim 10, wherein the bristles project at least about three inches or more.

12. The toilet bowl brush according to claim 9, wherein the bristles are essentially circular in radial cross-section.

13. The toilet bowl brush according to claim 1 , wherein the elongate handle is from about 24 to about 30 inches in length.

14. A toilet bowl brush according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said bristles projecting from the proximate body section projecting therefrom in a direction towards the handle at acute angles of from about 40° to about 55° relative to the handle centerline at the second end of the elongate handle, the second end section of the elongate handle comprise a hollow tubular member having one or more recesses positioned therein, and said proximate end of the brush head body has an radially projecting arm extending therefrom, said arm having one or more flexible protuberances, the arm being received in the hollow tubular member and the one or more protuberances being removably received in the one or more recesses for retaining the brush head body on the elongate handle, the bristles are folded plastic bristles anchored in holes on the brush head body by staples, said bristles being essentially circular in radial cross- section and projecting radially from the brush head body a distance of at least about three inches or more, and the elongate handle is from about 24 to about 30 inches in length.

15. A toilet bowl brush according to claim 14, wherein at least a portion of said bristles projecting from the proximate body section projecting therefrom in a direction toward the handle at acute angles of about 45° relative to the handle centerline at the second end of the elongate handle.