Patent Publication Number: US-2015082567-A1

Title: Extendable toilet brush

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a toilet brush with a handle that may extend to assist a user to reach into a toilet bowl without having to bend or reach. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A toilet is one of the most frequently cleaned objects in a house or building. It is also one of the most dreaded objects to clean due to the nature of its use. Most people maintain as much distance as possible when performing the housekeeping task of cleaning the toilet bowl, especially in public facilities like a hotel or office building. Standard toilet brushes include a fixed length handle with a brush head at one end. Some brush heads are spherical while others comprise a more cylindrical shape. Each is designed to clean the nooks and crannies of the toilet. Typically, a cleanser is used in combination with the brush to thoroughly scrub all surfaces of the bowl. 
     For those individuals who work cleaning the bathroom facilities in an office or hotel, cleaning the toilets is a burdensome task. They must repeatedly bend over and position themselves at odd and uncomfortable angles to reach all of the crevices of the toilet bowl. Over time this becomes painful and debilitating. The bowl rim and the drains are especially problematic areas to clean due to their sharp angles and hidden surfaces causing the most disgust and discomfort. 
     Therefore it would be desirable in the art to provide a toilet brush that enables a user to stand upright while cleaning the toilet so that the user remains comfortable and maintains maximum distance from the toilet bowl. It would also be beneficial in the art to provide a toilet brush with a shaped brush head to enable the rim and drain to be more easily cleaned. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior art, the general purpose of the present invention is to provide an extendable toilet brush with curved brush head, configured to include all of the advantages of the prior art, and to overcome the drawbacks inherent therein. 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an extendable toilet brush with a telescoping rod to allow a user to stand upright while scrubbing a toilet bowl. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an extendable toilet brush with a J-shaped brush head to clean under the rim of the toilet bowl. 
     To achieve the above objects, in an aspect of the present invention, an extendable toilet brush is described comprising a handle, where the handle is hollow; a rod connected to the handle, where the rod extends and retracts from the handle; a brush head attached to the rod at an end opposite from the handle; and a telescopic fastening means connecting the rod within the handle, where the telescopic fastening means enables the rod to extend, lock and retract within the handle. 
     These together with other aspects of the present invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the present invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part of this present invention. For a better understanding of the present invention, its operating advantages, and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated exemplary embodiments of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of a perspective view of an extendable toilet brush and a reservoir in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention relates to a toilet brush with a handle that may extend to assist a user to reach into a toilet bowl without having to bend or reach. The present invention provides an extendable toilet brush consists of a handle with an inner rod which adjustably extends from the handle. At the end of the rod is a curved brush head which may reach anywhere from 12 inches to 24 inches from the handle. The curved brush head facilitates cleaning the toilet bowl by reaching under the rim and into the drain. Finally, the extendable toilet brush includes a reservoir to collect the residual water that is soaked onto the brush head. While using the extendable toilet brush with the curved brush head the user is afforded the comfort of standing while cleaning the inner surfaces of the toilet bowl. 
     Turning now descriptively to the drawings, referring to  FIG. 1 , an extendable toilet brush  10  is shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The extendable toilet brush  10  includes a handle  12  as the main body portion. The handle  12  is hollow to receive a rod  14  which extends from and retracts into the handle  12 . The handle  12  may comprise a cylindrical or cuboidal shape, where the shape of the rod  14  coordinates with that of the handle  12 . The handle  12  and rod  14  may be made from a lightweight metal, like aluminum or steel, a plastic or even wood material. The handle  12  may include a rubber or neoprene cover for additional comfort against the user&#39;s hand. 
     At an end opposite of the rod  14  to where the handle  12  is attached is a brush head  16 . The brush head  16  may be curved into a J-shape to enable the user to reach under the toilet rim and into the drain. This way the user does not have to bend or reach their arms at odd or uncomfortable positions. The brush head  16  may composed of a plurality of plastic or synthetic bristles. Alternatively, the brush head  16  may be covered with a plurality of nubs  18 . The nubs  18  may be textured foam or cloth which facilitates scrubbing the inner surfaces of the toilet bowl. 
     To connect the rod  14  within the handle  12  is a telescopic fastening means  20 . The telescopic fastening means  20  enables the rod  14  to lock within the handle  12  at a desired length without retracting. The telescopic fastening means  20  may include a button  22  and a set of locking holes  24 . When the user presses the button  22  the rod  14  may automatically extend from the handle  12  to a desired length. Then when finished using the extendable toilet brush  10 , the user may press the button  22  and press the brush head  16  against a hard surface to retract the rod  14  back into the handle  12 . Alternatively the telescopic fastening means  20  may be a latch or screw type telescoping mechanism. 
     The extendable toilet brush  10  may be used with a reservoir  40  to house the extendable toilet brush  10  when not in use. The reservoir  40  includes a basin  42  which narrows to an opening  44 . The opening  44  receives the brush head  16  and rod  14  during storage. Along the rod  14  is a bumper  26  which rests atop the opening  44  of the reservoir  40 . The bumper  26  prevents the extendable toilet brush  10  from falling within the basin  42 . Within the basin  42  may be an antibacterial cleansing liquid  46  to cleanse the brush head  16  after use. During storage, the user may insert the brush head  16  and the lower portion of the rod  14  into the basin  42 . Then they may retract the rod  14  until the bumper  26  meets the handle  12 . This way the handle  12  is kept out of the way to maintain the extendable toilet brush  10  in a compact form when not in use. The extendable toilet brush  10  and the reservoir  40  provide the user with an easy and more efficient way to clean toilets which prevents them from having to bend and stretch while cleaning the bowl. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.