Abstract:
Disclosed are brushes for cleaning toilet bowls and the like. The brushes have a permanent handle and can be used with a replaceable/disposable brush head that is flushable after use. The brush is a stack of sheets of water-dissolvable material. The sheets are compressed to both bind them together into a stack and create axial/longitudinal undulations. A wand provides a remote system for clamping and unclamping the brush head. The wand has a jaw whose mouth has corresponding undulating configurations. A side opening in the jaw may also be provided to facilitate assembly, as may a rear catch portion on the brush head.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Not applicable.  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
       [0002]     Not applicable  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention relates to brushes that are used for cleaning. It appears particularly well suited for providing improved toilet brushes.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     Toilet brushes are typically used to swirl cleaning chemicals around a toilet bowl and then to scrub the sides of the bowl with those chemicals and water, so as to assist in removing stains along the bowl sides. Such brushes usually have brush bristles that are permanently affixed to the handle of the brush.  
         [0005]     After using such brushes a consumer will typically attempt to rinse off the brush by swirling it in the bowl water. This rinsing process may be repeated through one or more additional rinsing flushes. While this may rinse off most of the cleaning chemicals, feces, urine, and stray bits of paper typically found in the toilet, the brushes still normally retain some contaminants even after extensive rinsing. As a result, such brushes can develop an unpleasant smell or appearance during storage.  
         [0006]     Regardless, such brushes will be dripping wet immediately after use. The consumer sometimes will therefore shake the brush over the toilet to try to remove most of the excess water, and then quickly move the brush into a storage bucket. This can result in some liquid being splashed or dripped on the floor. In any event, a storage place for the brush is needed between uses where drippings can collect.  
         [0007]     The art therefore designed toilet brushes where permanent brush handles were provided, but the brush heads were formed as disposable and replaceable elements. See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,755,497, 4,031,673, 5,630,243, and 6,094,771. See also GB 2,329,325. These brushes were designed so that a small replaceable head could be flushed down the toilet after each use. Some such heads were impregnated with a cleaning composition to avoid the need to separately add a cleaning chemical.  
         [0008]     However, these devices typically relied on relatively weak frictional attachments to connect the replaceable brush head to the wand/handle. The head would therefore sometimes accidentally/prematurely fall off during use (before the cleaning was complete, such as during vigorous scrubbing of a stubborn stain).  
         [0009]     Also, certain types of such brush heads could cause clogging problems, or be otherwise unsuitable for use with sensitive septic systems. This might be due to the size of the head, or to extra structures (such as cardboard bands) used to hold head parts together.  
         [0010]     In other prior art devices, some formed their disposable brush heads from highly water-degradable material. Unfortunately, because the material they chose for the head was so water-degradable it sometimes would begin to fall apart before the cleaning process was completed, particularly when aggressive scrubbing was attempted. Further, such material was so flexible that it made it difficult to transmit scrubbing force from the handle to the brush head portion without risking the handle scratching the bowl sides.  
         [0011]     Still other brush assemblies of this type required the consumer to provide a continuous pressure to keep the head in contact with the wand. See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,631,791 and 2,290,894. This could lead to hand strain, and in some cases to premature release of the head.  
         [0012]     Still other such brushes were difficult to assemble or disassemble. See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 245,585.  
         [0013]     Still other devices of this type could not be produced efficiently with automated equipment. With those, the cost of the devices was such as to make them less competitive in the marketplace.  
         [0014]     In GB 2,329,325 there was disclosed a toilet brush with a head portion made of a stack of bound sheets of water-dissolvable material. However, this relied on an undesirable adhesive feature, and in any event had other undesirable characteristics.  
         [0015]     A number of other prior brush heads had their bristles spread too quickly under brushing force, making scrubbing somewhat more difficult than optimal. Still other brush heads had other deficiencies.  
         [0016]     Thus, a need continues to exist for improved toilet brushes having replaceable brush heads.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]     In one aspect the invention provides a cleaning implement having a handle with a clamping jaw, and a brush head formed from a stack of material so as to be suitable to be held in the jaw. The brush head has a series of undulations extending along a longitudinal axis of at least one of its top or bottom surfaces, and the jaw has a mouth having means to secure the brush head and inhibit side-to-side movement of the brush head in the mouth.  
         [0018]     Preferably, these means are a series of essentially parallel openings extending along a longitudinal axis of the jaw which are separated by at least one narrowed linking opening, the brush head is formed from a stack of water-degradable material, and the cleaning implement is a toilet brush.  
         [0019]     In other preferred forms the undulations extend along a longitudinal axis of the brush head, beginning at a rearward end of the brush head, or the undulations extend along a longitudinal axis of the brush head, beginning adjacent, but not at, the rearward end of the brush head. In this latter version the brush head is formed with a thickened rearward end, a narrowed middle portion having said undulations, and a front flowerable end.  
         [0020]     In still other preferred forms the undulations were formed by compressing the stack, and the compression of the stack also served to bind an end of the stack together. If desired, a plurality of the layers can be formed with bristle segments adjacent a forward end of the stack.  
         [0021]     In another aspect the invention can provide a brush head suitable to be held by a cleaning implement. The brush head has a plurality of layers of a water-degradable material positioned on top of each other in the form of a stack of such layers. At least one of a top or bottom side of the stack is provided with undulations.  
         [0022]     In yet another form the invention provides wand for holding a brush head. The wand has a handle having an internal axial cavity, a lower opening communicating with the cavity, and an activator opening, an actuator having a projection extending through the activator opening, a connecting rod linked to the projection which is mounted in the handle cavity, and a jaw linked to the rod which extends out the handle lower opening.  
         [0023]     The jaw has a throat portion and a clamping portion, the clamping portion, when in its clamping position, presenting a series of openings separated by at least one narrowed linkage. The wand is constructed and arranged such that a first movement of the projection will move the jaw to a first position suitable to release a brush head if the brush head has been inserted in the jaw, and a second movement of the projection will move the jaw to a second position suitable to clamp a brush head if a brush head has been inserted in the jaw.  
         [0024]     In other preferred forms the jaw is provided with a side cheek opening connected to the jaw&#39;s throat, and the wand is for holding a toilet brush head.  
         [0025]     Water-degradability is a desirable feature because it allows the head to be flushed immediately after use, thereby avoiding the need to transport the dripping head to a garbage can, and avoiding any odors that may develop if the brush head were left in a garbage can for some time period after use. Preferred water-degradability exists where with the degree of mechanical action typical in residential plumbing systems, the material will structurally separate in water into numerous small pieces in a short period.  
         [0026]     For purposes of interpreting our claims, we use a standard laboratory test, rather than observing the particular material in a plumbing facility. In this regard, we agitate a standard sample of the material in a tube containing water, by repetitively inverting the tube at a standard speed.  
         [0027]     We obtain a transparent tube (e.g. a plastic tube) that is 500 mm in height with an internal diameter of 73 mm. We place in the tube 700 ml of tap water at 23° C. A 100 mm×100 mm sample of the material to be tested (regardless of thickness) is placed in the water and allowed to stand immersed for 30 seconds. During the 30 seconds the tube is stoppered.  
         [0028]     The tube is then inverted (rotated 180 degrees), stopped for a second, turned back to the original starting position (180 degrees), and then stopped for a second. Note the reversal of direction, rather than continued rotation in the same direction which might create a centrifugal force which forces the material to a wall. Each cycle takes about four seconds, leading to an average test speed of 15 such cycles per minute.  
         [0029]     We then examine whether within five minutes of such agitation the material has at least split into two pieces. If so, the material is considered “water-degradable” for purposes of our claims. Note that it is highly preferred that the material be chosen so that under these conditions, within that five minutes, the material will have broken up into many small pieces. Note that “water-degradable” is not being used in this application in a way that necessarily requires any particular degree of biodegradability (as distinguished from structural degradability under the conditions specified). Of course, for a variety of reasons, biodegradability may well be desirable as well.  
         [0030]     While a variety of cellulosic materials have been developed for use as toilet paper, and most toilet papers are water-degradable, stacked plies of conventional toilet paper would not be optimal for these brush heads as such paper is typically designed to degrade much more quickly than desired when used for cleaning bowl sides. It is instead preferred to use a nonwoven fibrous web formed from a blend of cellulosic fibers that are hydroentangled. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,421 for a disclosure of such hydroentangled materials.  
         [0031]     It is most preferred to use a nonfibrous web which is at least 70% pulp fibers hydroentangled with other selected fibers. Suitable materials are available from Ahlstrom Corporation under the tradenames Hydraspun 784 Flushable Wipes, Hydraspun 8553 Flushable Wipes, Hydraspun 1280 Flushable Wipes, and Hydraspun 1280 Flushable Wipes Apertured Grade. The last of these materials is a somewhat more abrasive material than the other three.  
         [0032]     One could one start with a material having a dry thickness of about 500 microns. By forming a two-ply structure of that material one could end up with a thickness of about 1,000 microns.  
         [0033]     The brush heads of the present invention could be formed from a single piece of water-degradable material that has been repetitively folded back on itself in accordion fashion. This is one form of a “stack” of material.  
         [0034]     Another approach is to take shorter segments of that material, fold them over once (or not at all), and then stack the segments. Either approach creates a stack brush head.  
         [0035]     In any event, it is preferred to have between four and forty layers of such material in the stack. Using less than four layers may provide too small a brush head (which takes longer to clean a typical toilet bowl), or require each sheet to be so thick as to be less degradable. Using more than forty layers increases the production cost and (depending on the thickness of the layers) may increase the frequency of clogging the toilet or problems in the septic system. To achieve any desired level of thickness of a particular layer, one can start with a sheet that is already that thick, or take multiple sheets of less thickness and (by pressing) create a multiple ply layer.  
         [0036]     To provide for easier handling, clamping and removal of the brush head, the end of the brush head opposite the bristles should have the layers bonded together. One means of achieving this bonding is by pressure bonding (also known as mechanical quilting) of the type typically used to bond multiple plies of paper towels together. The same compression force that creates the bonding can also create the undulations. An alternative is to use a water-dissolvable adhesive such as adhesive H9397 (a hot melt adhesive sold by Bostik Findley), or water-dissolvable threads or staples made of a material such as polyvinyl alcohol.  
         [0037]     It is preferred that the rear end be compressed such that at rest the bristle front end will be between 50 and 200% thicker than the part with undulations. When this is the case, the bristle end will tend to spread out/flower the appropriate amount when pushed against the bowl side during a scrubbing motion.  
         [0038]     It is preferred for the undulating section to constitute no more than one-half of the head axial length. This permits at least one-half of the length to be used for bristles and spreading support therefor. It is also preferred for there to be between two and twenty undulations on a side, most preferably between five and ten, even more preferably about seven.  
         [0039]     In other forms the brush head will be at least partially impregnated with a cleaning chemical such as a surfactant. The chemical might be a mixture of one or more of surfactants known to be effective for toilet bowl or other cleaning (for example most preferably anionic and nonionic in combination, but also possible cationic or zwitterionic). The chemical composition can also include fragrance, dye (for example to dye the head itself or for turning the bowl water a desired color such as blue), preservatives, bleaches, and/or other additives conventional in toilet bowl cleaners (for example abrasives).  
         [0040]     Most preferably, any such impregnating chemical will only have a very low percentage, or no, water. For example, the chemical composition could, as applied, have less than 30% water. By using low levels of (or no) water in the cleaning chemical, the cleaner is inhibited from migrating during storage from the interior layers to the exterior layers. Further, the structural integrity of the brush is protected.  
         [0041]     The stack is preferably cut at the forward end with parallel cuts to create bristles. Each bristle could be single-layered, or more preferably be at least a double-layered structure in the form of a loop.  
         [0042]     The present invention advantageously provides in various embodiments:  
         [0043]     a cleaning implement;  
         [0044]     a brush head of the above kind that has a relatively stiff rearward portion such that force applied to the rear of the brush head via the brush handle will be efficiently transmitted to the brush head bristles to assist scrubbing;  
         [0045]     a brush head of the above kind that can easily be securely mounted in a jaw of a holding wand;  
         [0046]     a wand of the above kind that can securely hold such a brush head; and  
         [0047]     toilet brushes which can be formed from such wands and brush heads that are inexpensive to produce.  
         [0048]     These and still other advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following disclosure. In the following description reference is also made to the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof, and in which there is shown by way of illustration preferred embodiments of the invention. These embodiments do not represent the full scope of the invention. Rather, reference should be made to the claims herein for determining the full scope of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0049]      FIG. 1  is a top, frontal, right perspective view of an assembled toilet brush of the present invention;  
         [0050]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view thereof, albeit taken from the left side;  
         [0051]      FIG. 3  is a left side elevational view of the  FIG. 1  brush;  
         [0052]      FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0053]      FIG. 5  is an enlargement of a portion of  FIG. 4 , showing the brush head in the clamped position;  
         [0054]      FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5 , but with the actuator moved such that the clamping jaw has flexed open to permit the release of the brush head;  
         [0055]      FIG. 7  is a top plan view of the brush head portion of the toilet brush;  
         [0056]      FIG. 8  is a side elevational view thereof;  
         [0057]      FIG. 9  is an end view of a slightly modified wand jaw;  
         [0058]      FIG. 10  is a view similar to  FIG. 9 , but with the  FIG. 8  brush head inserted therein, with the brush head shown in section;  
         [0059]      FIG. 11  shows the brush head of  FIG. 1  in the process of being mounted into the wand jaw by movement along a longitudinal axis of the jaw;  
         [0060]      FIG. 12  is a view similar to  FIG. 7 , but of a modified embodiment of the brush head;  
         [0061]      FIG. 13  is a view similar to  FIG. 8 , but of the  FIG. 12  embodiment;  
         [0062]      FIG. 14  shows the brush head of  FIG. 12  in the process of being mounted into the jaw of a further modified wand assembly;  
         [0063]      FIG. 15  is a top view of a fragment of a continuous stacked sheet of water-degradable paper that has been previously compressed by a roller in accordance with a preferred method of the present invention; and  
         [0064]      FIG. 16  schematically shows how the  FIG. 15  structure can be created using a compression roller. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0065]     In  FIGS. 1-6  there is depicted a toilet brush (generally  10 ) having a disposable brush head  11  and a multi-part wand/handle (generally  12 ).  FIGS. 2 and 4  depict that the wand  12  can be assembled from an extension  14 , and upper and lower clam shell housing parts  15  and  16 . The extension  14  is preferably largely hollow to reduce weight, and is formed with a hole  17  for assisting in hanging up the wand  12  (or the wand  12  with an unused brush head  11  connected thereto) between uses (for example on a nail or a hook).  
         [0066]     Near the opposite end of the extension  14  are radially extending holes  19  and  20  that are suitable to receive corresponding snap parts  21  and  22  of the housing parts  15  and  16 . The housing part  15  has a radial slot  24  on one surface and an arcuate inner channel along its opposite surface. The housing part  16  has a corresponding arcuate inner channel along its upper surface extending to a rear depressed area  26 . When the housing parts  15  and  16  are assembled together, they form a somewhat clam shell-like housing with a hollow internal cavity communicating with the slot  24  and a mouth outlet  25  at a lower end.  
         [0067]     Prior to assembling the housing parts  15  and  16 , an actuator (generally  29 ) is positioned there between. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the actuator  29  has a radially outward projecting section  34 , a lower flexible spring  35 , a series of catch teeth  36 , a rod  37  (which is preferably of a cross-shaped cross section to reduce weight and friction), and a flexible jaw  38  having one or more abutment ears  39 .  
         [0068]     The projection  34  extends through the slot  24 , with the spring  35  then abutting housing part  16 . From  FIG. 5  it can be seen that corresponding teeth  40  are formed on an internal surface of housing part  15 .  
         [0069]     Once the parts  15  and  16  have sandwiched the actuator  29 , that subassembly can be snap fit into the extension  14  via the interaction of the parts  19 ,  20 ,  21  and  22 . This creates a secure and rigid wand structure.  
         [0070]     When the projection  34  is in the  FIG. 5  position, teeth  36  are interfit with the teeth  40  such that downward movement of the connecting rod  37  is inhibited. In this position the upper and lower jaws  30  have been driven by the mouth  25  firmly against the rearward portion of the brush  11  of the present invention.  
         [0071]     In this configuration the jaws firmly hold the brush head  11 , and the control rod  37  is inhibited from accidentally moving in a way that would permit release of the brush head. However, when a consumer pushes radially inward on the projection  34  (compare  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) against the opposing spring pressure, the teeth  36  and  40  will clear each other (see  FIG. 6 ) such that a consumer can then readily push the projection  34  axially towards the handle mouth. Subsequent release of the projection permits the teeth to re-engage.  
         [0072]     The actuator  29  is preferably molded from a plastic such as polypropylene which holds a position bias. The jaw portion thereof can be molded with a rest position that is more open than shown in  FIG. 6 . When the jaws are dragged into the wand mouth  25 , they will tend to move towards each other as shown in  FIG. 5 . However, even a slight release of the wand holding pressure, as shown in  FIG. 6 , will allow the jaw to flex open, thereby releasing the brush head.  
         [0073]     It is expected that the brush head will then be able to easily fall out of the jaw into the toilet bowl for flushing disposal. However, if the brush head tends to hold in place, one can lightly shake the brush head to dislodge it.  
         [0074]     When it is desired to reclose the jaw to clamp a replacement brush head, simple axial movement of the projection  34  (without any depressing of it) will achieve this due to the particular sloping of the teeth. Thus, a unidirectional movement of the projection is sufficient to catch a new brush head, while a bidirectional movement is required to create a release. This helps avoid accidental release of the brush head, while making insertion of the replacement brush head easy and intuitive.  
         [0075]     Wand parts  14 - 16  are preferably made of plastic. It is especially preferred that a more flexible plastic be used for actuator  29  than for the outer parts  14 - 16 .  
         [0076]     While parts  14 - 16  are shown as being linked together by a snap fit connection of a type conventional with vacuum cleaner hose parts, a variety of other mechanical means for securing the parts together are possible. For example, there may be some benefits to the use of a bayonet type connection, rather than a simple axial snap connection. Alternatively, the parts  14 - 16  could be reconfigured as a two-part clam shell, albeit this would be less preferred due to it taking up extra shelf and shipping space prior to purchase by the consumer.  
         [0077]     Also, while teeth  36 / 40  are angled to render clamping of the brush head easier to achieve than release, the teeth could be otherwise angled. For example, rendering them normal to the wand would make it equally difficult to move the connecting rod  33  in either direction, and require radial motion for both to proceed.  
         [0078]     Particularly now with respect to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the brush head  11  is a stack of layers ( 50 ,  51 , etc.) of water-degradable material. The layers may be folded back on each other once, and then stacked.  
         [0079]     The stack has a series of undulations  53  at its rearward end  54  on both the top  73  and bottom  74  of the brush head. As will be described in more detail below, the undulations can be formed by a compression roller, with the pressure bonding the layers together in a manner similar to mechanical quilting. Where there are the undulations, the compression of the stack sufficiently bonds the layers of the stack together, while permitting the forward end  58  to flower outward.  
         [0080]      FIG. 9  shows a slightly modified jaw structure  60 , with a mouth  61  defined by a series of generally parallel, longitudinal, two-part, almost cylindrical, openings  62  separated by narrowed linking openings  63 . As best seen in  FIG. 10 , the presenting face of the jaw mouth thus acts to provide a corresponding reception area for the undulations  53 . The undulations  53  and parallel cylindrical openings  62  provide an alignment device, while also controlling the type of refill used with the wand.  
         [0081]     As the jaw tightens, it bites into the corresponding undulations. This provides an even more secure connection.  
         [0082]      FIG. 11  depicts a consumer beginning to attempt to insert the brush head  11  into the jaw  30 .  
         [0083]      FIG. 12  shows a modified brush head  80  that is similar in all respects to the brush head  11 , except that the undulations  81  do not extend all the way to the rear  82  of the brush head, and a slightly compressed, but not undulating, region  83  can be left at the rear of the brush head  80 . Again, parallel slits  85  can be provided to create an array of bristles  86 .  
         [0084]      FIG. 13  shows the relative degree of compression of the respective sections, with region  83  preferably being at an intermediate level of compression relative to the most compressed area  81  and the non-compressed area of the bristles  86 .  
         [0085]      FIG. 14  shows that the parts could be configured so that the brush head  80  could similarly be longitudinally inserted into jaw  90  (in a manner analogous to how the parts can be assembled with respect to the  FIG. 11  embodiment). However, it is preferable for this embodiment that the length of the connecting rod be such that even when the jaw is at its maximum open position, it won&#39;t open enough for the end  83  to pass longitudinally into the jaw.  
         [0086]     Instead, in this configuration, one would need to slide the end  83  into side cheek holes  91 , from the side, as indicated by the arrow A. After doing this, the head  80  cannot be simply moved longitudinally out the jaw  90 . The jaw can then be clamped tightly against the head  83  to prevent removal out the side cheek opening.  
         [0087]     This has several advantages. First, it insures that the brush head will always be inserted a sufficient distance so that it will be securely clamped. Further, it insures that brush heads not having this type of cross section, and of sufficient thickness, cannot be easily used with the brush wand  93 .  
         [0088]     The brush head  80  can be manufactured in accordance with the method depicted schematically in  FIGS. 15 and 16 . One can take an elongated continuous stack of sheets  94  and then roll its top with a compression roller  95 . At the same time, a roller  96  can roll its bottom.  
         [0089]     Each roller has two wavy regions  97  sandwiching a non-wavy region  98 . The rollers create two regions of highly compressed undulations  81  adjacent a middle slightly compressed continuous region  83 . Outside regions  99  are not compressed.  
         [0090]     One may then cut the material along transverse cut lines  101 ,  102 ,  103 , etc., followed by a further cut  104 , to thereby create a plurality of brush heads  60 .  
         [0091]     While specific embodiments of the invention have been described, additional embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, the term “undulation” is not limited to just a smoothly contoured set of waves of uniform dimension. Rather, the undulations could be a series of pointed or more complex projections separated by recesses. Similarly, the cross section of the openings in the jaw need not be purely cylindrical.  
         [0092]     As such, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that still other alternative embodiments fall within the scope and breadth of the invention. The claims should be looked to in order to understand the full scope of the invention, and the claims are not to be limited to just the preferred embodiments shown.  
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY  
       [0093]     An improved toilet brush is provided with an undulating brush head that is disposable and replaceable, in a wand having a complementary jaw.