Abstract:
A grill cleaning brush and scraper having a replaceable cleaning bristle head with scraper blade. A second handle grip for improved leverage and force application permits more efficient cleaning with less effort. The device also provides a soft-grip handle and curved neck portion for improved comfort during use.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to devices for cleaning cooking grills and more particularly to combination brush/scrapers for cleaning grills. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     Grill brushes and scrapers are generally known in the art and various types are commercially available. Several features are absent from prior art devices which would significantly enhance the utility of the basic design. For example, provision of a second handle would provide leverage for extra cleaning power. In addition, if the brush head could be replaced with a clean, fresh brush head, unnecessary waste of a functional tool handle would be eliminated as a replacement cleaning head could be purchased and installed. Further, the cleaning head could be removed and cleaned, thus providing a more sanitary tool for use with a grill. It also would be highly desirable if the scraper blade is fabricated from a very hard, oxidation-resistant metal such as stainless steel. Such a choice in material would provide a more durable and long-lasting device since other common metals leads to pitting and rapid degradation of the scraper blade over time. Likewise, it would be desirable if the bristles of the brush portion of the device are also made of a strong, inert material such as stainless steel. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a grill brush and scraper having the capability of ready replacement of the cleaning head assembly, thereby extending the useful lifetime of the grill brush/scraper. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a grill brush having a second handle which would permit the application of additional force so as to clean grill surfaces more effectively. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a grill brush and scraper having a soft-grip handle and curved neck portion which would make use of the device more comfortable. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a grill cleaner and scraper having a scraper blade which is made from an oxidation-resistant metal so as to provide a long-lasting device by selecting a blade material which resists degradation over time, such as stainless steel. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning brush and scraper for grills in which the bristles of the brush portion of the device are also made of a long-lasting, oxidation-resistant material, such as stainless steel. 
     It will be understood that the foregoing general description as well as the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not intended to be restrictive thereof. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective diagrammatic view of an exemplary grill brush and scraper in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of an exemplary grill brush and scraper according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a side exploded view of an exemplary grill brush and scrapper according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a top and side diagrammatic view of an exemplary grill brush and scraper according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a side exploded diagrammatic view of an exemplary grill brush and scraper according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the exemplary embodiments thereof, and from the claims. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now more particularly to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying FIGS. 1-5, there is illustrated a brush-scraper combination tool for cleaning grills and similar structures. 
     A grill cleaning tool according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes, for example, handle portion  10  and brush/scraper cleaning head portion  12 . Handle portion  10  includes, for example, handle grip section  10   a  and body core section  10   b . The handle grip section  10   a  is attached, for example, to the upper end of the body core section  10   b . Handle grip section  10   a  may be formed of, for example, a single material or have a core of a suitable hard material with a coated surface or overmold grip made from a deformable material which affords a comfortable grip for the hand of a user. The deformable material for handle grip section  10   a  may be overmold injected and may be any suitable plastic, for example, Santoprene™ thermoplastic rubber. 
     The body core section  10   b  may be injection moldable, and made from a suitable plastic. For example, the body core section  10   b  may be fabricated from a thermoplastic such as polypropylene. The handle grip section  10   a  may also be modified to accept a hanging ring  16 , such as a flat metal or plastic piece having a suitably dimensioned opening from which the brush/scraper may hang. The hanging ring  16  may be removable or permanently bonded to the handle grip section  10   a  by any means known in the art, including a friction fit, glue bond or riveting. 
     The handle portion  10  may be formed as an integral piece or from two separate pieces  10   a  and  10   b  which are either releasably engageable or bound permanently by any means known in the art. If formed of an integral piece, the handle portion  10  may be formed by a variety of methods, and is readily made by thermoplastic molding. If the handle portion  10  is made of two pieces which are releasably engageable, such an engagement may entail a twist-lock, bayonet or similar type of connection. Generally, the handle portion  10  may also be prepared from any relatively strong and thermally insulating material such as wood. As illustrated in the Figures, handle  10  has a slight downward curvature to enhance the user&#39;s comfort during use of the grill brush. 
     The body core section  10   b  includes, for example, a second handle piece  13  positioned substantially centrally along the body core section  10   b  and substantially orthogonally with respect to the main longitudinal axis of the body core section  10   b . The second handle piece  13  serves as a barrier or stop to prevent the user&#39;s hand gripping the handle piece from slipping to the lower end of the device and thereby causing injury to the user. The second handle piece  13  also may serve as an additional means of gripping the grill brush/scraper, and thereby applying more force to the point of cleaning action than can be mustered using only handle section  10   a . The second handle piece  13  may be wider in dimension relative to the width of the body core section  10   b  so as to shield the hand while holding the handle grip section  10   a  and to provide a sufficiently sizeable second handle so as to provide for a more secure grip. 
     The second handle piece  13  is formed, for example, either as one unit integrated with the body core section  10   b , or of two pieces including a base  13   a , which is formed integrally with the body core section  10   b , and cap  13   b . The base  13   a  and cap  13   b  are attached by any means known in the art, and may be bound permanently by a pressure snap junction, by a glue seal using a standard adhesive or by thermal welding. If formed as an integral unit, the second handle piece  13  may be formed by various methods, for example, thermoplastic molding. The cap  13   a  is prepared from any suitable material, such as polypropylene. 
     The body core section  10   b  further includes, for example, a flat enlarged region  10   c  integrally formed at the lower end of the body core section  10   b . The flat enlarged region  10   c  may be any shape, for example, round, square or rectangular, and is generally characterized in having a front edge, from which the scraper blade  15  emanates, side edges, and a rear edge. The flat enlarged region  10   c  may be angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body core section  10   b  so as to form an angle of between about 100 degrees and about 160 degrees, but more typically about 120 degrees. Such angling, in combination with the curvature of handle  10 , provides a more comfortable configuration for cleaning grills, and permits more convenient application of cleaning power to the grill surface. 
     The flat enlarged region  10   c  is modified so as to be able to accept the detachable brush/scraper cleaning head portion  12  by, for example, a releaseable engagement. 
     Referring to FIG. 5, brush/scraper cleaning head portion  12 , which is, for example, detachable, disposable and replaceable with a new head portion, is attached to the enlarged flat region  10   c  by any means of stable attachment known in the art. As illustrated in the drawings, the brush/scraper head portion  12  is releaseably engageable with the flat enlarged region  10   c  by, for example, means of three openings  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c , two openings ( 11   a ,  11   b ) being disposed near one edge and one opening ( 11   c ) being located on the opposite edge modified so as to be able to accept, for example, tabs and a locking tongue, respectively. 
     Thus, as embodied, the brush/scraper cleaning head portion  12  may comprise three locking tongues or tabs corresponding in position to the three openings  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c  on the flat enlarged region  10   c . These three locking tongues or tabs permit stable attachment and retention of the brush/scraper cleaning head portion  12  to the body core section  10   b.    
     Referring to FIGS. 3-5, brush/scraper cleaning head portion  12  includes, for example, a plurality of brush bristles  14  which are affixed to the brush/scraper cleaning head portion  12  so as to project from the bottom surface thereof. The brush bristles may be of substantially uniform or variable length, are stiffly resilient and made from, for example, a strong, heat-stable, oxidation-resistant metal. Suitable metals include, for example, brass and stainless steel, the latter being useful to avoid damage to porcelain grids. The brush bristles  14  are, for example, between about one-quarter (¼″) and about one-half inch (½″) in length, and are affixed to the brush/scraper cleaning head portion  12  in a plurality of rows, although other configurations are possible. 
     The bristles may be attached to the brush/scraper cleaning head portion  12  by any method known in the art so as to securely attach the bristles thereto. For example, the bristles may be embedded in a doubled-over manner in holes drilled or otherwise formed in a framework at the lower end of the brush/scraper cleaning head portion  12 . 
     The brush/scraper cleaning head portion  12  also may include a slit traversing substantially the entire front end and adjacent to and above the framework holding the bristles so as to releaseably and stably engage scraper blade  15 , which is secured by any means known in the art. As embodied, the scraper blade  15  has a series of indentations on opposite sides which contact with the sides of the slit thereby permitting the blade to be retained within the brush/scraper cleaning head portion  12  by means of friction. Other means of retention include pressure snaps and tabs. 
     The brush body core portion  10   b  can be formed to any convenient shape and size. The cross-sectional shape of the core portion  10   b  may be, for example, square, triangular, round or trapezoidal. As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the brush body core portion  10   b  is round, and is about ½″ to about ¾″ in diameter. 
     The scraper blade  15  may be formed from a single sheet-like piece of steel or other metal. Stainless steel is favored for its durable nature and strength to loosen baked-on grease. The oxidation resistance of stainless steel would make it more long-lasting. As embodied, the scraper blade  15  has an angular deflection along the working edge. The scraper blade  15  may also be entirely flat. 
     In operation, a user may hold the brush so that the bristles make maximum contact with the grill surface, and to use the scraper portion, may invert the grill brush/scraper so that the scraper blade  15  is slightly skewed to the vertical axis. 
     One of skill in the art will readily understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment shown and described, and may be further used in applications other than cleaning grills. Such additional applications include, for example, cleaning griddles, scraping paint from walls or windows, removing wall paper and cleaning rust from iron railings. 
     Variations of the present invention may be made which are within the scope of the present invention as defined in the accompanying claims, without departing from the principles of the present invention.