Cleaning device containing a pump device within the container

The invention relates to a cleaning device of the kind that is seen in the preamble of claim 1.

A cleaning device comprising a container, which is arranged to contain a cleaning liquid as well as a brush having a handle and a brush head intended to be put down into an upwardly open space in the container, may be regarded to be previously known from the practice.

The cleaning device according to the invention is primarily intended to be used for cleaning toilets, also as profes- sional work carried out by cleaning staff.

An object of the invention is to provide a cleaning device that offers a simple and suitable application of cleaning liquid on the brush for use thereof.

An additional object is to provide a cleaning device that offers a simple dosage of cleaning liquid and allows simple and convenient transportation of the container having the brush placed therein.

An additional object is to provide a cleaning device, the brush of which can be replaced easily, and the brush head of which readily can be elastically tilted in relation to the brush shank.

An additional object is to provide a driving motor and a power source in the brush shank for controlled rotational driving of the brush head in relation to the brush shank.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a preferably concentric cover on the brush, which cover screens

off the upwardly open space of the container when the brush head is received therein.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a lock- ing device for temporary locking of the cover of the brush to the container.

An additional object is to provide a container device embracing two containers concentrically inserted into each other and coupled with a detachable connection, a storage chamber for the cleaning liquid being established in the gap between the two containers .

One or more of the objects are attained entirely or partly by the invention.

The invention is defined in the appended claim 1.

Embodiments of the invention are defined in the appended dependent subclaims.

Further embodiments of the invention are seen in the appended drawing and the following description of a pres ^¬ ently preferred embodiment of the cleaning device according to the invention.

Fig. 1 schematically shows a cleaning device, the included parts of which are shown as a partially sectioned expanded axial section.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the device according to Fig. 1, having a modified brush and inner container .

In Fig. 1, an outer container 5 is shown and an inner con ^¬ tainer 3 coaxially placed therein, which has an upper verge part 7 connectable to an upper verge part of the outer con-

tainer 5. In the upper part of the outer container 5, there is a marking 70 corresponding to a suitable highest fill level for a liquid that is filled in the outer container 5 before the inner container 3 is inserted therein. In the bottom thereof, the inner container 3 has a central axial support tube 31 for a feed line 41 belonging to a pump 4, which is shown carried by the bottom of the inner container 3.

The pump device 4, 41 is received in a central conduit 21 in a brush head 1. When the brush head 1 is brought down close to the bottom of the inner container 3, the valve line 41 will strike against the bottom 23 of the conduit, wherein liquid fed through the line 41 is expelled from the pump and can flow through distribution conduits 22, which extend through the conduit bottom area of the brush head to the upper portion of the brush head so that liquid there ^¬ from, under the impact of gravity, can flow down along the brush head and soak the brush bundles 11 and 12 thereof. The conduits 22 are shown directed obliquely upward and can thereby feed cleaning liquid also to overhead brush bundles 10, which are shown directed obliquely upward in Fig. 1.

The brush head is carried by a shank part 24, which is shown to have an elastically deflectable portion 20, which allows an inclination of the brush head 1 in relation to the shank part 24 in order to present improved accessibility to the brush head, for instance in connection with a water seal in a water closet.

The upper end portion of the shank part 24 is provided with a coupling part 25, which can be received detachably in an appurtenant snap-lock part 95 of a brush shank 90. The brush shank 90 is shown to contain a motor 91, which rota- tionally drives the snap fastener 95 and is powered by a battery 92, wherein the motor 91, in a known way per se,

can be controlled by means of an actuator 93 on a shank handle 94.

Furthermore, the shank 90 is shown to carry a cover 80 that sealingly fits in a throughput opening in the upper portion of the inner container 3. The cover is shown to have radial arms 82, which can be brought into engagement with corresponding holding recesses 72 at the upper verge of the inner container 3. In Fig. 1, it is further seen that the upper verge portion of the inner container 3 projects radially so that the radially outer portion 72 thereof can be connected tightly to a nearby verge portion of the upper verge part of the outer container 5, wherein the joint, for instance, may be in the form of a screw thread, possibly having a sealing ring (not shown) positioned therebetween. By virtue of the detachable connection of the cover 80 to the container device 3, 4, for instance via the illustrated bayonet coupling 72, 82, the transportation of the con ^¬ tainer device 3, 5, including the cover 80 and shank 90 mounted thereon, via the handle 94 thereof, is facilitated at the same time as the brush head 1 is tightly received inside the inner container 3 tightly sealed by the cover 80.

The pump device 4 is activated by the fact that the opera ^¬ tor applies an axial downwardly directed pressure via the shank 90 and via the brush head 1 against the actuation line 41 of the pump 4.

The pump device may be of a well-known type per se found in commercially available automatic liquid-soap containers.

The cleaning liquid 6 received in the container device may be of a freely selectable kind.

In a practical embodiment, the motor unit 91 is suitably arranged to establish a rotational speed of 200 r/min.

Upon full actuation, the pump device 4 may be arranged to pump out a dose of, for instance, 2,5 ml.

Fig. 2 shows a variant where the pump 4 comprises a vertical cylinder 43 screened by a vertically movable piston 42' having an upwardly projecting piston rod 41, which is tubular and has a throughput channel 42. The piston 42' is upwardly biased by a screw spring 49. The cylinder 43 has a one-way valve 47, 48 in the lower part thereof. Said valve may comprise an inner seat 47 at the throughput channel of the valve, and a ball 48 that can seal the throughput channel, for instance under the impact of gravity or possibly under the impact of an appurtenant closing spring.

The throughput channel 42 of the piston rod 41 mouths in the liquid-distribution conduits 22 of the brush head 1.

The bottom 44 of the cylinder 4 is shown to be in the form of a cup having a threaded wall 45, which engages an appurtenant threaded wall 46 of the container 3. Thus, the bot ^¬ tom part 44 of the cylinder can be mounted and dismounted, respectively, by means of the threaded joint 45, 46, which facilitates replacement of the valve device and mounting of a piston including a piston rod.

The tubular piston rod 41 is shown to have an upper part conically tapering in the direction upward and received in a corresponding conically mating recess 21 in the brush head 1. In this way, guiding-in of the brush head 1 onto the piston rod 41 is offered, upon putting down into the inner container 3. Simultaneously, the brush head 1 is centred in the container 3 and the brush head is set on a selected level above the bottom of the container 3. In this way, the brush bundles 10, 11 of the brush head can essentially be kept free from contact with the walls of the container 3 while minimizing the size of the container 3.

In this way, deformation of the bristles of the brush bundles is prevented during storage of the brush in the container .

From Fig. 2, the function of the pump 4 can be understood; the brush is pushed down into the container so that the piston rod 41 is pushed downward together with the piston 42' . Liquid contained in the pump 4 is then driven upward through the channel 42 and further through the distribution conduits 22. When the brush is unloaded, the piston 42' is displaced upward by the spring 49, the ball 48 lifting from the seat so that liquid can be sucked into the pump from the liquid storage between the inner container 3 and the outer container 5.