Abstract:
A tile grout brush for cleaning grout stain comprising a main body having a handle portion and a brush head with a plurality of brush bristles extending from said brush head and a scraper structured for applying force and motion to said bristles against grout and tile and removing excess grout stain, residue and other unwanted substances there from.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/973,941, filed Sep. 20, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is a tile grout tool having: 
         [0000]    a. a main body having a handle portion and a brush head;
 
b. a plurality of brush bristles fitted to and extending from said brush head; and
 
c. a scraper on said main body for scraping engagement with tile to remove excess grout stain, residue and other unwanted substances therefrom; said tool structured for applying force and motion to said bristles against grout and tile.
 
         [0003]    In one embodiment, the brush portion is removably attached to the brush head. The brush head has brush bristles which are disposed in a plurality of bristle bundles, said bristle bundles being positioned and arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows along said brush head. 
         [0004]    The brush of the present invention has a handle portion including a brush head support portion. In one embodiment, the brush head support portion is co-linear with the handle. In another embodiment, the brush head support portion has an angular inflection. In a preferred embodiment, the angular infection of the brush head support is between 180°-90°. 
         [0005]    The tool has a squeegee or scraper on the main body for scraping engagement with tile to remove excess grout stain, residue and other unwanted substances therefrom. 
         [0006]    In one embodiment, the squeegee is integral with the main body. 
         [0007]    In one embodiment, the handle portion, brush head, and squeegee are formed as a unitary structure. 
         [0008]    Additionally, the brush may have one or more cavities that facilitates manufacture as a single unitary structure. One preferred embodiment provides for a cavity within the handle portion. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side view of the grout tool. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1A  is a partial side view of the brush head support of the grout with the detachable brush head disengaged. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the grout tool showing bristles mounted on the end of a brush head. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the grout tool. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0013]    The grout tool  10  of the present invention has a handle  11  and a brush head support  12 . Handle  11  has scraper support  13  which has scraper  14  and a tip  15 . Scraper support  13  has a first surface  13   a  and a second surface  13   b . Brush head support  12  has a brush head  16  with bristles  17  substantially perpendicular to brush head  16 . 
         [0014]    The grout tool  10  has a handle  11  for grasping grout tool  10 . Brush head  16  is moved back and forth so that when applying motion and pressure, bristles  17  contact a surface in which grout stain is to be brushed or applied. 
         [0015]    Handle  11 , is an elongated rectangular prism. The shown embodiment is for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to limit the configuration of handle  11 . Handle  11 , one embodiment, is solid on the interior region. In another embodiment, handle  11  has an interior cavity. In other embodiments, handle  11  is constructed and arranged in other configurations that may include, but would not be limited to various curvatures to facilitate grasping and surface relief on at least part of handle  11  to assist in maintaining a grip on handle  11 . 
         [0016]    Grout tool  10  is used to remove excess grout stain and other unwanted residue after grout stain has been applied to tile grout. Application of grout stain often involves application of excess stain on tile grout to ensure complete coverage of stain on the grout. When excess grout stain is present on a tile surface in which grout is applied, grout tool  10  is positioned along the line where stained grout is positioned. Bristles  17  are passed in a back and forth manner along stained grout and the passing of bristles  17  moves stained grout to either side of the line of stained grout between tiles. Handle  11  of grout tool  10  is then rotated 180° along the longitudinal axis of handle  11  so squeegee tip  15  is facing the tile. Squeegee tip  15  is moved along a tile surface in the direction away from brush head  16  subsequently removing excess grout stain when grout stain on tile is contacted by moving squeegee tip  15 . 
         [0017]    Tool  10  is also used in the manner described to remove excess grout cleaner when the cleaner is applied to the tile grout. 
         [0018]    Squeegee tip  15  and first surface  13   a  of scraper support  13  intersect to form an angular vertex and create angle “y.” Angle “y” is an acute angle preferably less than 60°. 
         [0019]    Scraper portion  14  has an angular configuration based on the measure of angle “y” and a substantially trapezoidal shape whereby grout that is scraped by tip  15  travels when grout tool  10  is moved in a direction away from tip  15 . The brush head support portion  18  may be co-linear with handle portion  11  or may have an angular inflection “x” as shown in  FIG. 1 . In a preferred embodiment, the angular infection is between 180°-90°. 
         [0020]    Brush head  16  is detachable and is configured such that bristles  17  are of varying size, shape, and hardness. Grout tool  10  can be used with different sized tiles and gouts of various compositions. Removable brush head  16  is connected to brush head support  12  at brush head support end  18  and is secured such that when pressure is applied by a user to engage bristles  17  on grout stain, brush head  16  does not dislodge from brush head support  12 . A preferred engagement is a snap fit type arrangement. However, any acceptable attachment arrangement may be incorporated into the present invention. 
         [0021]    Brush head  16  attaches to main body  11  in end region  18  that is the terminal portion of brush head support  12 . The attachment is effectuated by any means as is commonly known in the art. In the embodiment depicted in the attached figures, the attachment is through an incorporated interlock/attachment mechanism whereby proximal clip  19  and distal clip  20  insert into proximal brush head receiving cavity  21  and distal brush head receiving cavity  22  respectively. 
         [0022]    The attachment depicted is accomplished by initially placing brush head  16  in an angular orientation as depicted in  FIG. 1A  below end region  18 . Proximal clip  19  is then placed within proximal brush head receiving cavity  21 . Brush head  16  is then moved into locking position as shown by an arrow in  FIG. 1A . Distal clip  20  then engages brush head  16  through insertion into distal brush head receiving cavity  22 . 
         [0023]    While the invention has been described in its preferred form or embodiment with some degree of particularity, it is understood that this description has been given only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction, fabrication, and use, including the combination and arrangement of parts, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.