Toilet brush with disponsable head

Abstract: Toilet brush with a disposable head, comprising two independent parts before use, namely a hollow cylindrical body (1) and a disposable brush, secured to each other by means of a manually activated attachment mechanism formed by a resilient element, preferably a spring (10) which, when pressed via the pushbuttons (7) and (8) located on the side of the cylindrical body (1), produces the horizontal displacement of the bases (11) and (12) of the laminar stems (13) and (14) fitted with harpoon-shaped tips (15) and (16) which penetrate the rectangular grooves (17) and (18) located in the base (19) of the semi-circumference (20) forming the brush, becoming secured to the widened area at the end of the grooves. The hollow handle is closed on both ends by rounded caps (2) and (3), which close the entry and exit of the liquid, and presents circular concave lateral undercuts (4) and (5) through which pressure is exerted on the disinfectant liquid container (6).

Description: OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention, as the title implies, is to provide a brush of the type used for cleaning toilets that comprises two bodies, one disposable and the other formed by a handle designed to be held by hand, the interior of the handle incorporating a means of securing the body that forms the cleaning element or brush (so called because normally it comprises a plurality of different thickness bristles). The brush thus formed allows for efficient cleaning, preventing germs to adhere and collect between the bristles of the brush in the course of internally cleaning a toilet. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The important solution now provided by this article consists in maintaining the toilets clean by means of an element which does not collect germs from each cleaning operation. It is known in the current state of the art for standard brushes to incorporate a rigid handle in the upper part and a brush formed by a plurality of filaments in the lower part. After use, the brush is placed in a container which collects the residues retained between the bristles of the brush, this evidently being a source of germs, bacteria and bad smell. The invention patent WO9530366, "Disposable cleaning scraper and fabrication procedure thereof" comprises a body that is totally soluble in water, which body incorporates a dissolution-retarding substance and presents a laminar design, with a long section and a shorter wider section, in the shape of a tennis racket. The Spanish utility models U9401245, "Disposable cleaning brush", made of paper or paper by-products; U9802587, "Single use disposable brush", a palette-shaped brush made of cardboard; and U9901928, "Brush for cleaning fecal residues disposable through the toilet", of a rectangular shape, with an intermediate fold which opens during use, also made of cardboard, likewise exist for similar purposes. Concerning the use of disinfectants contained in the brush, the Spanish utility model U9900696, "Toilet cleaning brush with container and dosing mechanism", recognizes said use in the state of the art and is characterised in that it supplies the disinfecting agent through holes in the brush bristles. Although the above applications are intended for maximum hygienic conditions in the cleaning of toilets via disposable devices or the use of disinfectant liquid dispensers, they all include totally disposable elements, contrary to combining two elements - one of them being disposable and the other, corresponding to the brush handle, non-disposable. In no instance is a solution proposed comprising a cleaning device formed by two independent elements that can be readily assembled for use. In GB-A-2 329 325 it is disclosed a cleaning device for cleaning a toilet bowl, the device comprising a handle and a head, where at least the head may be disposed of after one or more uses. The head may be formed of a material which may be flushed away down the toilet, such as a material which slowly desintegrates upon contact with water and which is biodegradable. The head may be impregnated with a dry or liquid disinfectant fed to the head through a tubular handle. Both handle and head are joined by means of a water soluble adhesive. The US-A-5.888.002 Patent discloses a cleaning brush which may be discarded as a whole, the cleaning brush being formed by a handle to be fitted to a head made in a material moulded with hollow bristles in such a manner that the cleaner products can accede to the interior of said bristles. The fitting between said handle and head is a threaded fitting or may be a snap fitting. In the DE-U-297 09 610 Patent it is disclosed a cleaning device for a toilet bowl comprising a wholly disposable body, said device being sized in such a manner that it can be discarded through the toilet bowl. The cleaning head may be made in a multiplicity of materials, the device also having a means for manually handle the same. It is also known by the document DE-U-88 14 497 a cleaning device comprised of a container provided with a rechangeable cartridge containing a cleaner product, the container being housed within a handle, the last having a button to act on said container and cause the cleaner product to be forced in the direction of a cleaning head. Other known documents of the prior art also disclose cleaning devices designed with more intrincate shapes. In this sense, the document DE-U-296 09 832 refers to a device including a cylindrical handle provided with two side protruding diametrically opposed buttons by means of which a nippers-shaped device coming out through an end of the handle, may be actuated, whilst the document DE-U-295 02 685 discloses a cleaning element comprised of a handle and a head, devoid of any container for cleaner products, the head being generally cylindrical, provided with bristles evenly distributed by the external surface ot the cylinder and the hemispherical end of said head, the head being also coupled by its other end to the handle with the use of a snap fitting. The object of the present invention has therefore been devised in order to solve the problems deriving from the use of these disposable brushes. DESCRIPTION The brush with disposable head for cleaning toilets comprises as it is known in the current art two clearly differentiated sections: on the one hand, the handle, preferably formed by a hollow cylindrical body occluded at both ends; and on the other hand, the head, preferably formed by a brush of a HEMISPHERIC shape and made of bio-degradable material, such as hardened paper or similar material. The handle, preferably in the form of a cylindrical body, is closed in accordance to the present invention at either end by rounded surface caps applied by threading or pressure. The generated surface of the cylindrical body presents two circular and concave radially opposed undercuts allowing manual pressure to be exerted on the disinfectant liquid container installed inside the handle. Each undercut is arranged along the generated surface of the cylindrical handle, adequately spaced apart to permit pressure from the thumb and index finger while holding the cylindrical body. The handle also comprises pushbuttons which activate a system for securing and releasing the brush. The interior of the handle is fitted with a container of a shape generally identical to that of the handle, although shorter, for the disinfectant liquid that is dispensed by the user by pressing on the circular and concave radially opposed undercuts located on the generated surface of the cylindrical handle. The brush is formed by a HEMISPHERE of slightly hardened and bio-degradable paper with a texture that is coarser than that of the paper bristles lodged in the multiple holes drilled throughout the convex surface of the HEMISPHERE that forms the brush. The base of the HEMISPHERE is fitted with grooves, preferably of a rectangular shape, which constitute a means of securing the brush to the handle. The advantages of the brush that is the object of the invention may be readily understood from the above description: the fact that the brush or head is disposable avoids the accumulation of germs and the bad smells that prevail in the use of conventional brushes, in view that the inventive brush is fabricated with a non-contaminating bio-degradable material. The disinfectant liquid contained in the brush handle effectively contributes to the cleaning and disinfection of the toilet without the need for additional products. A further advantage lies in the simplicity of the system whereby the two elements that form the brush are attached to each other during use. In order to facilitate the understanding of the characteristics of the invention, several drawings are attached to this specification, forming an integral part thereof, wherein the following is represented: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows the brush handle with the head off and the caps fitted onto its two ends, revealing both the circular concave radially opposed undercuts on the generated surface of the cylindrical body that forms the handle and the pushbuttons which activate the system for securing and releasing the handle and the brush. Figure 2 shows the brush handle in cross-section along the middle portion, the liquid disinfectant container and nozzle appearing in dotted line, and also shows the movement of the attachment lugs as they penetrate the brush (only the holes in the brush into which the handle is inserted are shown). Figure 3 shows the brush, with grooves on its base for attaching the handle, and bristles throughout its surface. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in figure 1, the brush handle is preferably formed by a hollow cylindrical body (1) occluded at either end by rounded caps (2) and (3). The generated surface of the cylindrical body (1) present circular concave radially opposed undercuts (4) and (5) for exerting pressure on the disinfectant liquid container (6) located inside the handle. On the sides of the handle, press buttons or pushbuttons (7) and (8) activate the system for attaching the handle to the brush. The cap at the upper end (2) closes the disinfectant liquid container (6), the opening in said cap (2) allowing the container (6) to be refilled with liquid. As shown in figure 2, the liquid container (6) is lodged inside the hollow cylindrical body (1) which constitutes the brush handle, said handle being made of a flexible material so that, when pressure is exerted on it by the user via the concave radially opposed undercuts (4) and (5) located on the generated surface of the cylindrical body (1) that forms the handle, disinfectant liquid flows out of a nozzle (9), shaped like a narrow cylinder and located at the lower end of the container (6), and into the toilet for complete cleaning and disinfection. The manually operated handle-to-brush attachment system comprises a spring (10). When the pushbuttons (7) and (8) located on the sides of the cylindrical body (1) forming the handle are pressed, the spring (10) that attaches the pushbuttons causes a horizontal displacement of the bases (11) and (12) of the stems (13) and (14) that form the attachment system between the two independent brush elements. Said laminar elements (13) and (14) end in harpoon-shaped tips (15) and (16). As shown in figure 3, the portion depicted becomes engaged in rectangular grooves (17) and (18) which end in a widened section and are located at the base (19) of the HEMISPHERE (20) which forms the brush, in such a way that the brush and the handle can be readily and securely assembled by virtue of the harpoon-shaped tips (15) and (16) in the stems (13) and (14), precluding disengagement unless pressure is exerted on the pushbuttons (7) and (8). The surface of the HEMISPHERE (20) is fitted with paper bristles (21) lodged in multiple holes drilled in it. After describing in sufficient detail the nature of the present invention and the manner in which it is put into practice, its characteristics are defined in the attached claims.

Claims: A toilet brush with disposable head, of the type that comprises a handle within which a refillable container (6) with disinfectant liquid is housed, the toilet brush comprising two independent parts before use, namely a handle shaped as a hollow cylindrical body (1) and a disposable brush (20) made of bio-degradable material such as hardened paper or a similar material, both parts being secured to each other by means of a manually activated attachment mechanism formed by a resilient elements, characterized in that said brush (20) is formed by a hemisphere, said hollow handle is occluded before use on both ends by means of rounded caps (2, 3) which close the entry and exit of the liquid, the handle presenting two circular concave radially opposed undercuts (4, 5) along its generated surface through which the user can exert a manual pressure on the disinfectant liquid container (6), and wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a manually activated spring (10) in such a manner that upon pressing two pushbuttons (7, 8) located on both sides of the cylindrical body (1), said spring (10) attaching said pushbuttons (7, 8) produces the horizontal displacement of the bases (11, 12) of two laminar stems (13, 14) fitted with harpoon-shaped tips (15, 16). A toilet brush according to claim 1, characterized in that the hemispheric brush (20) presents two rectangular grooves (17, 18) provided on its base (19) the handle and the brush becoming attached to each other when the harpoon-shaped tips (15, 16) of the stems (13, 14) are inserted in the widened area at the end of the grooves (17, 18). A toilet brush according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface of the hemispheric brush (20) contains paper bristles (21) lodged in multiple holes drilled therein.

Inventors: ESCAJADILLO SERNA JOSEFINA ANG, ESCAJADILLO SERNA, JOSEFINA ANGELA
Applicants: ESCAJADILLO SERNA JOSEFINA ANG, ESCAJADILLO SERNA, JOSEFINA ANGELA
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A47K11
IPC codes: A47K11