Abstract:
A broom with a broom head has flared out bristles projecting therefrom so as to form a leading edge for reaching into confined spaces. The broom head has an opening therethrough to define an integral handle to better control the leading edge and the broomstick is angled away from the leading edge to facilitate entry into confined spaces.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to bristle brooms and particularly to a broom base for a long handled broom, or the combination of a long handle broom and a broom base. In this context and as used herein, the term “broom base” includes a broom head, means for securing a broomstick to the broom head, and a downwardly extending brush such as a plurality of bristles. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Brooms are generally well known. They may be sewn together broom corn as in a traditional broom or synthetic bristles secured into a broom base with an adhesive or with the broom base material itself e.g. plastic molded around the upper bristle ends. 
     Generally speaking broom bases do not have any openings there through, that is broom bases are of solid, imperforate construction with only a means for securing a broomstick thereto. 
     However there are some examples in the prior art of broom bases with an opening, usually to form a handle. U.S. Design Pat. No. 359,853 to Haug discloses a broom with a base broomstick socket at one side of the broom base to hold a broomstick in a position where the broomstick is angled to pass over the vertical centerline of the broom base, thus forming an acute angle thereto. Within that acute angle is a handle means in the form of an angled brace or strut. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,710 to Hisey discloses a multipurpose broom having a forming an acute angle thereto. Within that acute angle is a handle means in the form of an angled brace or strut broomstick which extends generally perpendicular to the sweeping surface and a hollow portion in the broom base to receive an auxiliary dusting brush. That hollow portion has a lateral opening through both its side walls so as to form an opening through the broom base which could be used as an handle. However that handle is not readily accessible or comfortable to use since the broomstick is closely positioned nearby. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,360 to Vosbikian is similar to the Hisey patent discussed above because it also has a hollow portion but that hollow portion is used to receive a folded dustpan. Like Hisey, Vosbildan&#39;s broomstick extends perpendicular to the broom&#39;s sweeping surface so that a lateral opening through the sidewalls of the hollow portion forms a handle, which is difficult and uncomfortable to use. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     As previously stated the term “broom base” includes the broom head, means for securing a broomstick thereto, and a downwardly extending brush, such as bristles. The broom head of the present invention has an opening there through which is near one edge of the broom head so as to define a narrow area which acts as a comfortable handle which is an integral portion of the broom head. The broom head is preferably made of a moldable material, such as plastic. This handle may be gripped by a user to assist in getting into a small area such as a corner. 
     The broom head has an off-center broomstick mounting means on its top portion to which a broomstick may be attached, either permanently or detachably. The broom head has a preferably planar lower edge from which the bristles project preferably flared outwardly toward the leading and trailing edges of the broom. The broomstick mounting means results in the broomstick being preferably angled away from the leading edge at an angle of 60 to 85 degrees with respect to the above-mentioned lower edge, thus facilitating insertion of the leading edge of the bristles into a confined space such as a corner. 
     Unlike the prior art broom bases discussed above, the angle of the broomstick is away from the vertical center line of the broom base. Thus the combination of the off-center location for the broomstick mounting means and the angle thereof results in the broomstick being well clear of the area where a user would be if the user were attempting to force the bristles into a room comer. 
     The above-mentioned handle on the broom head is not under nor is access thereto impaired. The present handle is instead on the opposite side from the off-center broomstick attachment means. Thus it is very convenient for a user to be positioned between the broom head handle and the broomstick so that the handle can be gripped with one hand and the broomstick gripped with the other hand. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a broom base with bristles, which can be very conveniently used to reach into confined spaces such as room corners. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a broom having a handle on the broom head, which can be used to maneuver the broom head into confined spaces. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a broom head having a handle thereon which can be gripped by one hand of the user while the broomstick is gripped by the user&#39;s other hand. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Although a preferred embodiment is illustrated, numerous modifications and variations are possible in light of the present teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein. Referring now to the drawings, 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevation of the broom base of the present invention; an attached broomstick is also shown; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation of broom base of FIG.  1 ;. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the broom base shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the broom head and broomstick shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the attached drawings like referenced numerals represent identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views. Referring to  FIG. 1  in particular, numeral  12  identifies the broomstick which is shown for the sake of better understanding and which may be of any conventional type: wood, metal, or plastic and about one inch in diameter. The broomstick may be straight or a special double curved handle as disclosed in assignee&#39;s above referenced co-pending U.S. patent application. 
     The broomstick is permanently or detachably secured to a broom base  14  which includes a broom head  15  and a broom brush  18 . The broom head is preferably made of a molded plastic material so that the nylon bristles  17  may be permanently molded therein. The lower edge  16  of sweeping surface  20  defined by the ends of the bristles  17 . The bristles are preferably flared out toward the leading and trailing ends thereof so that the length of the sweeping surface  20  is about 50 percent longer than the length of the lower edge  16 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the bristles  17  are preferably not flared out in the direction of the thickness of the broom. 
     The flaring out of the bristles results in the desirable characteristic of the tip  22  of the longest bristles extending out well past the leading edge  28  of the broom head  15 . Thus the tip  22  of the longest bristles extending out well past the leading edge  28  of the broom head  15 . Thus the tip  22  can be more easily put into a corner. The cleaning of corners is also facilitated by the provision of handle  26  which is preferably integrally formed in the broom head  15  by means of an opening  24  which is preferably oblong and spaced about one inch inwardly from the adjacent leading edge of the broom head  15 . 
     The longitudinal axis X-X of preferably oblong opening  26  is at an acute angle of about 25 to 45 degrees, and preferably about 35 degrees with respect to the lower edge  16 . This angle makes it convenient for insertion of four fingers of a user&#39;s hand into the opening  24 . 
     The broom head  15  is shaped so that the attachment point for the broomstick  12  is off center as shown in  FIG. 4  and spaced away from the leading edge  28 , thus, in effect, extending the leading edge  28  farther away from the user and making it easier for the user to be positioned between handle  26  and broomstick  12  when the handle  26  is used. 
     In addition to the advantage of the above described attachment point, the leading edge is also effectively extended by the broomstick projecting at an acute angle from the broom head  15 . Longitudinal axis Y-Y of broomstick  12  is at an angle of about 60 to 85 degrees and preferably about 70 to 75 degrees with respect to lower edge  16 . 
     Stated another way for greater clarity, assume that vertical line Z-Z in  FIG. 1  passes through the center of broom head  15 , that is at the mid-point between the leading and trailing edges thereof. Then, as shown in  FIG. 1 , broomstick  12  is located to the right of line Z-Z and opening  24  is located almost entirely to the left of line Z-Z. Thus a user who desired to grip both the handle  26  of the broom head  15  and the broomstick  12  would be in the area of line Z-Z. That user would have sufficient space in which to stand and then grip both the handle  26  and the broomstick or, alternatively could readily grip only handle  26  without the broomstick being in the way. As an alternative to the above described construction it is also contemplated that the area of the broom head  15  at handle  26  could be made thicker so that a hand grip with ridges and/or groves could be formed either in the molded plastic of the broom head  15  itself or by an auxiliary hand grip installed there over. 
     It is clear that the manner and mode of making broom head  26  and attachment and shape of the broomstick  12  may be varied, and that the particular mode described and/or illustrated is only by way of example of construction of a broom wherein the leading edge of the longer bristles may be spaced and controlled so as to effect desired cleaning of confined spaces.