Patent Publication Number: US-8118512-B2

Title: Brush or mop or like tool

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a brush, or mop, or like tool, and relates particularly but not exclusively to a toilet brush with an elongate handle. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Hitherto, there have been many proposals for producing brushes, mops or like tools that carry a liquid, such as a cleaning liquid, and wherein the liquid can be dispensed during operation of the brush, or mop, or like tool to facilitate use. Toilet brushes have been previously proposed that have a mechanism to permit the dispensing of a cleaning liquid, such as a disinfectant. Toothbrushes have also been proposed that include toothpaste which can be released during operation of the brush. Many other forms of brushes, mops, or like tools have been proposed, and various valve mechanisms have been utilised to enable the liquid to be dispensed as required by an operator. In some dish brushes, a hollow handle contains a dish washing liquid. Apertures are provided at the head end and when the user squeezes the handle it causes the dish washing liquid to be dispensed. Dish washing brushes of this type are particularly wasteful of the contents because during normal use, the handle is gripped which, in turn, applies pressure to the liquid contents which causes unwanted dish washing liquid to be dispensed. Further, such dish washing brushes allow the liquid contents to be unintentionally discharged when the brush is merely lying on a surface such as in a cupboard. 
     The known prior art brushes, mops, or like tools have suffered from a problem of blocked outlets or control valves, which necessitates dismantling and cleaning of the valve or otherwise manipulating tools external of the tools to clear the outlets or valves. In some cases, “pricking” wires are required to be inserted into the outlets where the liquid is dispensed. This can damage the valves and/or the outlets. 
     STATEMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     There is a need for an alternative brush, mop or like tool. 
     According to a first broad aspect of the present invention there is provided a brush, or mop like tool, comprising a head and a handle extending from said head, 
     said handle being able to carry a liquid that can be dispensed therefrom to provide a dispensed liquid useable during operation of the brush or mop or like tool, 
     said handle including a liquid dispensing passage through which said liquid can pass to a liquid outlet during liquid dispensing, 
     said passage having a valve for controlling a passage of said liquid, said valve including a sliding gate part and a stationary gate part, said sliding gate part being positionable relative to said stationary gate part to block the flow of liquid when in one position, and to be positionable relative to said stationary gate part in another position to permit the flow of liquid, 
     said sliding gate part effecting a sliding wiping cleaning of the valve during movement from said one position to said another position. 
     Preferably, the brush, or mop, or like tool is a toilet brush and wherein the handle is an elongate handle intended to be held in an upright disposition during use, and wherein said outlet is at a head end of the brush. 
     Preferably, the valve has a sliding gate part mounted so that it can slide in a direction across the handle and generally perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis of the handle. 
     Most preferably, the sliding gate part is caused to slide by being associated with a dispensing operator carried by the handle, so that when said dispensing operator is moved to dispense liquid, the sliding gate part will slide relative to the fixed gate part. 
     Most preferably the sliding gate part is an elongate part that can be held stationary at one end relative to the stationary gate part, and which can be elongated longitudinally by an operation of the dispensing operator so that the other end will slide relative to the stationary gate part, and permit the flow of liquid so liquid can be dispensed from said outlet. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       In order that the invention can be more clearly ascertained an example of a preferred embodiment of a toilet brush will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front side elevation view of an example of a preferred embodiment resting in a base. 
         FIG. 2  is a transverse cross sectional view taken from one side of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of an intermediate part of the handle. 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the intermediate part shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of the intermediate part shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a longitudinal cross sectional view through the intermediate part shown in  FIGS. 3-5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a top perspective view of a dispensing operator. 
         FIG. 8  is an underneath view of the dispensing operator shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a rear elevational view of the dispensing operator shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a side elevational view of the dispensing operator shown in  FIGS. 7-9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a sliding gate part of a control valve. 
         FIG. 12  is a vertical cross sectional of the sliding gate part shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a side elevational view of the sliding gate part shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . 
         FIG. 14  is a close up longitudinal cross sectional view showing the valve in a closed condition. 
         FIG. 15  is a view similar to that of  FIG. 14  showing the valve in a position where liquid can be dispensed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring firstly to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a front side elevational view of a toilet brush  1  seated in a base  3 . It should be appreciated that the invention is applicable to brushes, mops, or like tools and is not limited to toilet brushes per se. 
     Reference will now be made to  FIG. 2  which is a transverse cross sectional side elevation view of the example. Here it can be seen that the toilet brush  1  has a handle  5  and a head  7  at one end of the handle  5 . The head  7  is preferably formed with bristles and is generally half hemispherical in shape. Heads of this type are well known in toilet brush arts. Instead of the head  7  being of bristles it may be of configurations such as of synthetic foam materials or of other wiping pads. The exact nature of the head is not critical to the inventive concept. 
     The handle  5 , the base  3 , and bristles  7  are all formed from a plastics material.  FIG. 2  clearly shows the construction of the toilet brush  1 . Here it can be seen that the handle  5  has a hand gripping part  9 , an intermediate part  11 , and a head core  13 . The remote or free end of the hand gripping part  9  has a screw threaded end cover  15  which can be used to allow a liquid such as disinfectant or detergent or cleaning fluid to be placed within the hollow body of the handle  5 . An outlet  17  is provided in the handle  5  to permit the liquid within the hollow handle  5  to be dispensed during operation of the toilet brush  1 . The liquid within the hollow handle  5  can be dispensed by operation of a valve (shown generally as valve  19 ). Details of the valve  19  will be explained hereafter. A dispensing operator  21  is carried by the handle  5  so that when the dispensing operator is moved to dispense liquid, such as being engaged with the inside of the toilet bowl or toilet bowl rim, the valve  19  will operate to allow liquid to be discharged from the outlet  17 . 
       FIG. 2  clearly shows that a hand gripping part  9  is snap lock fittable within a central bore part of the intermediate part  11 . Here, the intermediate part  11  has an internal groove  23 , and the intermediate part  11  has a corresponding mating peripheral snap lock rib  25 . An “O” ring seal  27  is provided to provide a fluid type seal. 
     The head  7  is snap lock fittable into a lower end of the intermediate part  11 . Here, the head core  13  contains a circumferential groove  29 , and the internal surfaces of the intermediate part  11  at the head end contain a peripheral snap lock rib  31 . 
     A “duck” valve  33  is provided on the end cover  15  and allows air to pass through an opening  35  in the end cover  15 , through the “duck” valve  33 , and into the hollow interior of the handle  5 . Thus, as liquid is dispensed from the outlet  17 , air can be introduced into the hollow handle  5  to compensate for the volume of liquid displaced. In other words, this provides a neutral pressure differential between the inside of the hollow handle  5  and atmospheric pressure. 
       FIG. 2  also shows that the dispensing operator  21  is pivoted to the intermediate part  11  at pivot pin  36 . Thus, as the dispensing operator  21  is pressed or otherwise engaged with the internal surfaces of the toilet bowl or the rim of the toilet bowl, the dispensing operator  21  will swing in a direction inwardly of the circumferential surfaces of the intermediate part  11 . This, in turn, will cause a pressing pin  37  to effect operation of the valve  19 . This will be explained in more detail hereinafter. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3-6 , it can be seen that the intermediate part  11  is formed with a cut-out part  38  in which the dispensing operator can be received. The cut-out part  38  contains transverse pivot pin bores  39  to receive the pivot pin  36  of the dispensing operator  21 . The hollow interior of the intermediate part  11  is stepped inwardly at region  41  (see  FIG. 6 ) whilst at the same time providing liquid communication from the hollow interior of the handle  5  to the valve  19  so that the liquid can be dispensed from the outlet  17 . The intermediate part  11  has a valve body  43  formed therein at the lowermost end of region  41 . A bore  45  extends through the body  43  in a direction transverse to the central longitudinal axis of intermediate part  11 . The outlet  17  is formed in a partly hemispherical swelling  47  of the outside surfaces of the intermediate part  11  directly opposite the bore  45 . The body  43  therefore provides a stationary gate part  49  of the valve  19 . A liquid dispensing passage  51  passes through the body  43  and communicates with the bore  45  and is funnel shaped, although this is not essential. The end of the bore  45  remote from the outlet  17  is provided with a seat  53 . This will be referred to in due course. The valve  19  is therefore in a liquid dispensing passage through which liquid can pass from the handle  5  to the outlet  17 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 7-10  there are shown views depicting the dispensing operator  21 . Here, the dispensing operator  21  has a central body part  54  which has its external surfaces curved to the same profile as the profile of the outer surfaces of the handle  5  (and the intermediate part  11 ). The dispensing operator  21  has an uppermost shoulder  55  which extends laterally outwardly therefrom so that it is proud of the outermost face of the body  54 . The lowermost end of the dispensing operator  21  has a pair of protruding arms  57  which each contain axle bores  59 . The pivot pin  36  (see  FIG. 2 ) can be passed through these axle bores  59  to hold the dispensing operator  21  fixed relative to the handle  5 .  FIG. 2  clearly shows that the lowermost end  61  of the dispensing operator  21  limits the amount of outward swinging of the dispensing operator  21  from the handle  5 . Thus, when the dispensing operator  21  is mounted relative to the handle  11 , it can swing only inwardly in a direction radially inwardly transversely across the handle  11 . It can then swing back again. Three protruding ribs  63  are provided on the outer surface of the dispensing operator  21  at a position below the shoulder  55 . These ribs  63  are provided to provide a gripping surface to the outside of the dispensing operator  21  so that if the dispensing operator  21  is engaged with a corner of the rim of the inside of the toilet bowl, it will assist in transferring motion to the dispensing operator  21  to cause operation of the valve  19 . The shoulder  55  also provides a protruding surface to the dispensing operator  21  in the event that the dispensing operator  21  is engaged with the internal lowermost surfaces on the inside of a toilet bowl. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 11-13 , there are shown details of a sliding gate part  65  of the valve  19 . Here, the sliding gate part  65  is manufactured from a synthetic plastics material that will permit the sliding gate part to be elongated longitudinally. Thus, when the dispensing operator  21  is operated, the sliding gate part  65  can be elongated longitudinally to cause operation of the valve. The sliding gate part  65  is typically made from a silicon rubber. Here it can be seen that it has a generally cylindrical configuration that has a head  67  that can be held stationary within the valve  19 . The head  67  is provided with an annular step  60  to assist pressure fitting and holding of the sliding gate part  65  stationary at its head end relative to the valve, to inhibit against unwanted dislodgment in a radially outward direction. At the other end there is a smaller diameter head  69 . The head  67  is arranged to engage with the seat  53 . The head  69  is a sliding frictional fit within the bore  45  of the valve  19  and includes a liquid passageway  71  extending therethrough which will allow liquid from the hollow handle to pass through the valve  19  and from the outlet  17 . The head  69  is also of larger diameter than a main body part  73  of the sliding gate part  65 . A hollow bore  75  extends from the head  67  end towards the opposite head  69  end to receive the pressing pin  37 . The pressing pin  37  engages with inside surfaces  40  of the dispensing operator  21 , and with inside surfaces of the bore  75  at the head end  69  (see  FIG. 2 ). Because the sliding gate part  65  is made from a material that will permit it to be elongated longitudinally, then the head  69  can move transversely across the longitudinal extent of the handle  11  within the valve  19  and cause operation of the valve  19 . 
     Referring now in detail to  FIGS. 14 and 15 , it can be seen how the valve  19  operates. Here, under conditions where the dispensing operator  21  is not operated, the head  69  of the sliding gate part  65  assumes a position where it is closing the liquid dispensing passage  51  of the stationary gate part  49 . When the dispensing operator  21  is operated to permit liquid to be dispensed, then the sliding gate part  65  is caused to be elongated longitudinally by the pressing pin  37  pressing within the bore  75  against the head end  69 . This, in turn, slides the head  69  to a position past the liquid dispensing passage  51  (see  FIG. 15 ). Here, liquid within the hollow handle  11  can pass through the liquid dispensing passage  51 , into a space  79  between the head  69  and the head  67 , and then through liquid passage  71  in the head  69 , and then from the outlet  17 . This is diagrammatically shown in  FIG. 15  where it can be seen that the sliding gate part  65  has been elongated relative to that shown in  FIG. 14 . It should also be appreciated that the sliding gate part  65  moves past the stationary gate part  49  (and the liquid dispensing passage  51 ) and effects a sliding wiping cleaning of the valve  19 . This, in turn, ensures that the valve  19  is kept clean and free for flow of liquid from the handle  11  through the outlet  17 . The resiliency of the elongated sliding gate part  65  causes the sliding gate part  65  to subsequently return to its original un-elongated condition, and returns the dispensing operator  21  to its original position. The resiliency therefore provides a bias to the dispensing operator  21  to return to its original position. 
     The bore  79  has a circumferential groove  62  provided at the end that receives the head  67 . Here a part of the step  60  can deform into the groove  62  to assist in the holding of the head  67  stationary within the bore  79  to inhibit against unwanted outward dislodgement of the sliding gate part  65 . 
     Typically, the liquid within the handle  5  is a disinfectant liquid. One such liquid is sold under the trade mark PINE-O-CLEAN. It has been found that a disinfectant of this type is very suitable for use in cleaning toilets and is inexpensive. It has also been found that such disinfectant tends to crystallise at any valve openings after an extended period. Thus, the sliding wiping action of the valve  19  minimises the likelihood of crystal build up at the liquid dispensing passage  51 , particularly as the liquid dispensing passage  51  is closed to atmospheric air when the valve  19  is not operated. This, in turn, also inhibits crystal formation. The sliding wiping action further assists cleaning of the surfaces of the stationary gate part  49  and the sliding gate part  65 . The outlet  17  does not tend to be clogged by crystal build-up as outlet  17  is flushed by water in the toilet bowl and therefore is not subject to direct contact with the disinfectant after use. 
     In use, the handle is held in a generally upright position within the toilet bowl so that the liquid within the handle  5  is at the bottom of the hollow interior of the intermediate part  11 . Thus, there is always a liquid covering the liquid dispensing passage  51 . The liquid can then flow by gravity through the valve  19  and from outlet  17  upon operation of the dispensing operator  21 . The liquid will then fall into the toilet bowl and be mixed with water within the toilet bowl to facilitate application of the liquid to the interior surfaces of the toilet bowl. 
     The diameter of the openings for the liquid dispensing passage  51  and the outlet  17  are typically 1 millimeter in diameter. This is merely exemplary and is not meant to be exhaustive. Typically, the volume of liquid held within the hollow handle is approximately 130 milliliters. Again, this is not meant to be exhaustive. 
       FIG. 1  shows an optionally provided elongate liquid level sight gauge window  81  formed in the handle. Here, the handle  5  may be moulded from a translucent or transparent plastics material. This enables the liquid level sight gauge window  83  to be economically formed within the handle  5 . The external surfaces of the handle  5  may be slightly corrugated as shown to facilitate gripping. A plastics covering may be applied around the handle  5 , but not over the liquid level sight gauge window  81 , to facilitate gripping. 
     Advantages of the example of the toilet brush shown are that the liquid is held within the handle and is convenient for use. There is nothing attached external to the toilet brush to facilitate dispensing of liquid. Further, there are no hoses or other pipes to permit the dispensing of the liquid. The user can control the amount of liquid dispensed by the number of times, or the pressing time, that the dispensing operator  21  is engaged with the internal surfaces of the toilet bowl. Further, an inexpensive disinfectant can be used as the liquid. 
     Whilst the handle has been shown hollow so that the cleaning liquid may be filled directly into the hollow interior, the cleaning liquid may be provided in a cartridge container that can be inserted directly into the hollow interior to thereby avoid messy filling procedures where the cleaning liquid could otherwise accidentally spill during filling of the handle. In a further variation the handle may not be hollow, and the cartridge may be attachable to external surfaces of the handle. In such case an appropriate connection can be made to the cartridge to allow the cleaning liquid to be dispensed from the valve. 
     Whilst the outlet  17  has been shown displaced from the head  7 , it should be appreciated that the outlet  17  may be positioned at any desired location along the length of the handle  5  below the uppermost or free end, such as within the content of the head  7  itself. 
     Whilst the present invention has been disclosed specifically with example to a toilet brush it should be appreciated that it may be applicable to other brushes such as brushes for windows, mops, and can be utilised for such tools where there are either bristles, pads or foam or like surfaces. 
     The invention may also be incorporated into paint brushes that contain paint as the liquid. The invention could also be incorporated into rakes or combs or toothbrushes, or similar where a liquid is to be dispensed during operation. All such tools are to be considered within the scope of the invention. 
     These and other modifications may be made without departing from the ambit of the invention and nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description. 
     It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country. 
     In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.