MANUALLY-DRIVEN ROTARY BRUSHES

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to hand-graspable brushes used for cleaning various objects. The invention is particularly useful in hand-graspable brushes of the type commonly used for cleaning toilet bowls and the like, and is therefore described below with respect to such an application.

The common hand-graspable brush used for cleaning toilet bowls and the like commonly includes a brush head carried at one end of a handle, the opposite end being provided with a mounting element, such as an annular ring or loop, for mounting the brush in suspension. Such brushes are commonly provided with a mounting stand for mounting the brush in suspension over a drip receptacle or tray for receiving water drippings from the brush head after use of the brush. Such an arrangement requires frequent cleaning of the receptacle receiving the water drippings. To avoid an accumulation of water and therefore the need for frequent cleaning of the drip receptacle, the user usually shakes the brush after use in order to eject the water therefrom, but the water then tends to splatter in many directions.

OBJECT AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a hand-graspable brush having advantages in the above respect over the conventional brush commonly used for cleaning toilet bowls and the like.

According to a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hand- graspable rotary brush, comprising: a rotatable shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; a brush carried by the distal end of the shaft; a hand graspable member rotatably mounting the proximal end of the shaft; a finger engageable member located at the proximal end of the shaft and movable towards and away from the hand graspable member; and a spring normally urging the finger engageable member away from the hand graspable member; the finger engageable member being coupled to the shaft such that movements of the finger engageable member towards the hand graspable member by finger pressure rotates the shaft, and the brush carried at its distal end, in one direction at a sufficient velocity to effectively eject by centrifugal force water adhering to the brush, and upon release of the finger engageable member, the spring moves the finger engageable member away from the hand graspable

member to rotate the shaft, and the brush carried thereby, in the opposite direction at a sufficient velocity to effectively eject by centrifugal force water adhering to the brush.

According to further features in the described preferred embodiments, the shaft extends through a hollow tube having a distal end and a proximal end; the distal end of the shaft projects outwardly of the distal end of the hollow tube; and the brush is carried at the outwardly projecting distal end of the shaft.

According to a still further feature in the described preferred embodiments, the distal end of the hollow tube includes a shield to shield a user, when grasping the hand graspable member, from the water ejected by the rotation of the brush. According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments, the shaft includes a helically-extending rib in a section thereof, and the finger engageable member includes an element formed with a shaped opening receiving the shaft, and for rotating the shaft when the finger engageable member is moved towards the hand graspable member. In one described preferred embodiment, the proximal end of the hollow tube includes a rounded end wall defining the hand graspable member, and the finger engageable member includes a finger piece extending transversely of the shaft and projecting outwardly to a pair of axial slits formed in the proximal end of the hollow tube. In a second described preferred embodiment, the hand graspable member includes a handle fixed to the proximal end of the hollow tube at an angle thereto; and the finger engageable member includes a finger-piece movable towards and away from the handle and coupled to a disk formed with the shaped opening receiving the shaft. As will be more particularly described below, such a hand-graspable brush is particularly useful for cleaning toilet bowls and the like since it conveniently enables the shedding of adhering water from the brush head after its use, thereby reducing the need for frequent cleaning of the drip receptacle.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates one form of manually-driven rotary brush constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along lines II — II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a 3-dimensional view more particularly illustrating the elements seen in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the brush in Fig. 1 in its normal position;

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to that of Fig. 4 but showing the internal structure of the brush in its actuated position. Fig. 6 illustrates a second form of manually-driven rotary brush constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a side view of the rotary brush of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of the encircled portion of Fig. 8; and Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the rotaiy brush of Figs. 6 and 7.

It is to be understood that the foregoing drawings, and the description below, are provided primarily for purposes of facilitating understanding the conceptual aspects of the invention and possible embodiments thereof, including what is presently considered to be a preferred embodiment. In the interest of clarity and brevity, no attempt is made to provide more details than necessary to enable one skilled in the art, using routine skill and design, to understand and practice the described invention. It is to be further understood that the embodiments described are for purposes of example only, and that the invention is capable of being embodied in other forms and applications than described herein.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Various embodiments of the invention are described below for purposes of example. One embodiment, as illustrated in Figs. 1-5, is a manually-driven rotary brush; whereas the second embodiment, illustrated in Fig. 6, is an electrical motor- driven rotary brush.

The Embodiment of Figs. 1-5

The manually-driven embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1-5 includes three basic elements: an outer hollow tube 10; an inner rotatable shaft 20; and a brush head 30

carried at one end of shaft 20. In use, a user grasps hollow tube 10 at one end, called the proximal end, with the brush head 30 projecting from the opposite end of the hollow tube, called the distal end, and manipulates the brush as desired for the cleaning operation, such as cleaning a toilet bowl or the like. After the brush has been so used, the user, by a simple hand squeezing operation, causes the brush head 30 to rotate at a sufficiently high velocity to effectively eject by centrifugal force water adhering to the brush head.

With reference to Figs. 4 and 5, the proximal end of hollow tube 10 grasped by the user is indicated at 11, and its distal end through which brush head 30 projects is indicated at 12. An end wall in the form of a rounded end cap 13 is threaded onto the proximal end of hollow tube 10. The proximal end of hollow tube 10 is further formed with a pair of diametrically-aligned axially-extending slots 14, 15. Similar slots 16, 17 are formed in the lower end of end cap 13 to be aligned with slots 14 and 15 when the end cap is threadedly attached to the proximal end 11 of the hollow tube. Shaft 20 also includes a proximal end 21 received within distal end 11 of the hollow tube 10, and a distal end 22 projecting through the open distal end 12 of hollow tube 10 and mounting the brush head 30 by means of a cross-pin 23. The proximal end of shaft 20 is rotatably mounted within a bearing member 24 secured within the proximal end 11 of hollow tube 10. As shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, the proximal end 21 of shaft 20 is a flattened, twisted section of the shaft defining a helical rib 25 which cooperates with a finger-piece 26 for rotating the shaft and brush head 30 carried by the distal end of the shaft.

Thus, as shown particularly in Fig. 3, finger-piece 26 includes a rectangular opening 27 receiving the helical rib 25 defined by the proximal end 21 of shaft 20. Finger-piece 26 extends transversely across hollow tube 10 and is movable within slots 14 and 15 of the hollow tube and slots 16 and 17 of the end cap 13 to effect the rotation of brush head 30. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a spring 28 is interposed between finger-piece 26 and bearing 24 and urges the finger-piece away from end cap 13 as shown in Fig. 4. Spring 28 is compressed, as shown in Fig. 5, when finger- piece 26 is hand-squeezed towards end cap 24. As will be described more particularly below, hand-squeezing finger-piece 26 towards end cap 13 rotates brush head 30 in one direction, at the same time loading spring 28, such that releasing the hand piece causes the spring to return the hand piece to its normal condition, thereby rotating the brush head in the opposite direction.

Brush head 30 includes a plurality of bristles, 31, 32 uniformly distributed around the longitudinal axis of shaft 20. Some of the bristles 31 extend at an angle to the longitudinal axis of shaft 20, whereas others, e.g. 32, extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, such that substantially the complete outer surface of the brush head is effective to perform the cleaning operation, e.g. cleaning a toilet bowl or the like.

The illustrated brush further includes a shield 40 fixed to the outer hollow tube 10 between brush head 30 and the proximal end of the hollow tube to shield the user from the water ejected by the rotation of brush head 30. The manner of using the rotary brush illustrated in Figs. 1-5 will be apparent from the above description.

Thus, the illustrated rotary brush may be manually held by the user and used in the conventional manner for cleaning a toilet bowl or the like. After it has so been used, and while the brush head 30 is still held within the toilet bowl, the user, with the palm of the user's hand applied against end cap 13 and fingers gripping the finger- piece 26, may squeeze the finger— piece towards the end cap. This will cause shaft 20, and brush head 30 at its end, to rotate in one direction by the movement of helical rib 25 of shaft 20 within rectangular opening 27 in finger-piece 26. This movement of finger-piece 26 in one direction compresses spring 28, and as soon as the finger-piece is released, the spring restores the initial position of the finger-piece with respect to shaft 20, thereby rotating the shaft in the opposite direction. The rotation of the shaft in both directions is, as indicated above, at a sufficient velocity to effectively eject by centrifugal force water adhering to the brush head 30.

The foregoing operation is to be performed while the brush head 30 is still within the toilet bowl, so that the ejected water remains in the toilet bowl. Shield 40 effectively shields the user from the ejected water.

After the brush has thus been shed of its water, it can be returned to its normal holder, e.g. to be held in suspension over the normal drip receptacle or tray underlying the brush head. It will thus be seen that the rotary brush illustrated in Figs. 1-5 may be conveniently used, and after use, may be conveniently operated to shed excess water before being returned to its holder, thereby substantially reducing or eliminating the need for frequent cleaning of the holder.

The Embodiment of Figs. 6-10

Figs. 6-10 illustrate another manually-driven rotary brush constructed in accordance with the present invention. In this case, the hand-graspable member is in the form of a handle 50 fixed to the proximal end of a hollow tube 51 at an angle thereto, and the finger-engageable member is in the form of a trigger-type finger- piece 52 which is movable towards and away from the handle for rotating the brush, schematically shown at 53, in one direction when the finger-piece is moved towards the handle, and in the opposite direction when the finger-piece is moved away from the handle by a return spring 54 within the hollow tube 51. This embodiment also includes a shield 55 to shield the user, when grasping handle 50 and actuating the finger-engageable element 52 to rotate the brush 53, from the water ejected by the rotation of the brush.

As shown particularly in Fig. 8, brush 53 is carried by a shaft 56 projecting outwardly of the distal end of the hollow tube 51. Shaft 56 is in the form of a flat bar which is given a twist, as shown at 56a in Fig. 9, to define a helical rib which is effective to rotate the brush 53 in one direction by the hand-engageable trigger 52, and in the opposite direction by spring 54, as will be described more particularly below.

The fmger-engageable trigger member 52 is slidable towards and away from handle 50. For this purpose, handle 50 includes an elongated slot 57 slidably receiving one side 52a of trigger member 52. The opposite sides of slot 57 are defined by two cover plates 58 (Fig. 7) secured together by a pair of fasteners 59 (Fig. 9).

Trigger member 52 is also integrally formed with a slide section 52b at its distal end slidably receivable within a slot 60 formed in the proximal end of hollow tube 51. The distal end of trigger member 52 further carries a disk 61 formed with a shaped opening corresponding to the shape of shaft 56. In this case, since shaft 56 is a flat bar, the opening within disk 61 would be of a rectangular configuration corresponding to the rectangular shape of the flat bar. As indicated earlier, the distal end of shaft 56 carries the brush 53. The proximal end of shaft 56 is formed with an enlarged head 62 engaging a bearing 63 fixed within handle 50 such as to permit the shaft to rotate upon the operation of the trigger member 52.

The manually-driven rotary brush illustrated in Figs. 6-10 is used in a similar manner as described above with respect to Figs. 1-5. Thus, the rotary brush may be manually held by the user by grasping handle 50 with the user's fingers aligned with trigger member 52, and used in the conventional manner for cleaning a toilet bowl or the like. After it has been so used, and while the brush head 53 is still within the toilet bowl, the user squeezes trigger member 52 towards handle 50, which will cause disk 61 carried at the distal end of trigger member 52, to move proximally with respect to the helically-twisted section 56a of shaft 56. This will cause the shaft to rotate in one direction, and thereby also the brush 53 carried at the distal end of the shaft, this rotation being permitted by enlarged head 62 of the shaft bearing against bearing member 63. During the sliding movement of trigger member 52 towards handle 50 to rotate brush 53 in one direction, spring 54 is loaded, such that as soon as trigger member 52 is released, the spring moves disk 61 in the opposite direction, to effectively rotate the brush 53 in the opposite direction. As indicated above, the rotation of the shaft in both directions is at a sufficient velocity to effectively eject, by centrifugal force, water adhering to the brush 53. In fact, if the brush bristles are made of a hydrophobic plastic material, the brush can be effectively dried by this rotation.

After the brush has thus been shed of its water, it can be returned to its normal holder, e.g., to be held in suspension of the normal drip receptacle

In all other respects, the rotary brush illustrated in Fig. 6-10, is constructed, and is operated, in the same manner as described above with respect to Figs. 1—5.

While the invention has been described with respect to two preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that these are set forth merely for purposes of example, and that many other variations, modifications and applications of the invention may be made.