Patent Publication Number: US-6336764-B1

Title: Adjustable water-guiding rod for a cleaning brush

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a cleaning brush, and particularly to an adjustable water-guiding rod for a cleaning brush. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     A conventional cleaning brush usually includes a separate handle to connect with a water hose; the other end of the hose is connected with a faucet so as to clean and brush something. 
     Another conventional cleaning brush includes an elongate rod mounted with a brush, and the other end of the rod is connected with a hose so as to direct water to the brush; the elongate rod can reach a higher or farther spot to conduct cleaning and brushing. 
     By using a conventional cleaning brush, it is rather difficult to brush a higher flat surface or an oblique flat surface because of the brush rod being a straight rod; in that case, the person doing brush work has to use a ladder to do it. 
     Another conventional cleaning brush has a joint in the water-guiding rod; one end of the water-guiding rod is mounted with a connector, of which one side is furnished with a cylinder to be connected with a connector mounted on another rod; the outer end of the cylinder is mounted with a threaded part. The two connectors can be communicated through a hole in the cylinder; however, such type of connector is liable to become loose unintentionally. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The prime object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable water-guiding rod for a cleaning brush, in which a rotary joint is mounted between a water-input rod and a water-output rod of the water-guiding rod; the rotary joint includes two disks furnished on both ends of the water-input rod and the water-output rod respectively; both surfaces of the two disks are furnished with ring-shaped water passages respectively, being in communication with each other; both the inner and outer surfaces of the ring-shaped water passages are furnished with ring-shaped grooves for receiving seal rings respectively. The two disks are connected together by means of a bolt in the center thereof; the outer edges of the disks are furnished with opposite clutch teeth so as to have them engaged together at a given position. After the two disks are assembled and tightened together by means of the rotary disk, the rotary joint between the water-input rod and the water-output rod would not become loose unintentionally so as to facilitate water to flow through. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable water-guide rod for a cleaning brush, in which the outer edge of one of the two disks of the water-input rod and the water-output rod is furnished with clutch teeth; the inner edge of the clutch teeth is furnished with a ring-shaped surface to be engaged with a round flange of the second disk. A positioning disk is mounted over the second disk; the lower edge of the positioning disk is furnished with clutch teeth; after the two disks and the positioning disk are assembled together, the water-input rod and the water-output rod will be engaged with each other by means of the clutch teeth to prevent the two rods from loosening and slipping. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable water-guide rod for a cleaning brush, in which the inside of the positioning disk mounted over the disk of the water-output rod has a cylindrical space for receiving the second disk; one side of the positioning disk has a cut-out for receiving the water-output rod so as to have the positioning disk and the water-output rod fastened together. After the second disk, the positioning disk and the first disk of the water-input disk are assembled together, the clutch teeth of the positioning disk will engage with the ring-shaped surface of the first disk to provide a positioning function. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable water-guiding rod for a cleaning brush, in which the center of the first disk has a bolt to pass through a cylindrical hole of the second disk, and a round hole of the positioning disk; the end of the bolt is screwed together with a thread portion of the rotary disk so as to have the rotary joint assembled together. The outer side of the rotary disk is-furnished with a cross-shaped knob to facilitate holding and turning by hand upon the rotary joint being assembled. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable water-guiding rod for a cleaning brush, in which the center of the water-input rod has a water-input passage; the first disk of the water-input rod has a ring-shaped water passage to communicate with the water-input passage of the water-input rod; the center of the water-output rod has a water-output passage; the center of the second disk of the water-output rod also has a ring-shaped water passage to communicate with the water-output passage of the water-output rod. After the two disks of the water-input rod and the water-output rod are assembled together, the two ring-shaped water passages in the two disks will be in communication with each other for receiving water from the water-input passage of the water-input rod, and the water will flow through the ring-shaped water passage of the rotary joint and the water-output rod, and finally to the cleaning brush. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable water-guiding rod for a cleaning brush, in which the inner and outer surfaces of the two ring-shaped water passages of the two disks between the two water rods are furnished with two ring-shaped grooves having different diameters respectively; the two ring-shaped grooves are used for receiving two seal rings respectively. After the two disks and the rotary disk are assembled together with the bolt, the seal rings in the inner and outer surfaces of the ring-shaped water passage will prevent water from leaking out of the contact surfaces of the rotary joint. 
     Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable water-guiding rod for a cleaning brush, in which the two disks of the water-input rod and the water-output rod have two ring-shaped water passages respectively to be in communication with each other; the inner and outer seal rings can prevent the rotary joint from leak of water. 
     Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable water-guiding rod for a cleaning brush, in which the outer edge of one of the two disks of the water rods is mounted with a positioning disk; a spring is mounted between the positioning disk and the disk; the positioning disk has ring-shaped clutch teeth to be engaged with the clutch teeth of the other disk. When the rotary disk is loosened, the two disks are still in close contact with each other as a result of the spring; then, the positioning disk over the disk of the water-output rod will disengage from the disk of the water-input rod as a result of being pushed with the spring so as to facilitate the two rods to be adjusted at an angle desired. During the two rods being adjusted at an angle, the two disks are still maintained in a close contact tension so as to prevent from leak of water. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning brush according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the present invention, showing the joint of the water-guiding rod being rotated at a given angle. 
     FIG. 3 is a disassembled view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the present invention, showing the rotary disk being released to adjust the rod at a given angle. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     This invention relates to an adjustable water-guiding rod for a cleaning brush; as shown in FIGS. 1 to  4 , a rotary joint  15  is furnished between the water-input rod  13  and the water-output rod  14  of the water-guiding rod  12  in the brush  11 . Between the connection ends of the water input rod  13  and the water-output rod  14 , there are two disks  20  and  21  contacted together; between the contact surfaces of the two disks, there are two ring-shaped water passages  34  and  40  in communication with each other, and two seal rings  24  and  25 ; the two disks are assembled together by means of a bolt  23  in the center thereof. The outer edges of the two disks are furnished with clutch teeth  30  and  47  respectively, which are engaged together. The water-input rod  13  and the water-output rod  14  are connected together by means of two disks  20  and  21 , which are assembled together; after the rotary disk  28  being turned tight upon an angle between the water-input rod  13  and the water-output rod  14  being set, the rotary joint between the water-input rod  13  and the water-output rod  14  will not become loose unintentionally. 
     The water-input rod  13  of the water-guiding rod  12  has a water-input passage  36  in the center thereof; the other end of the water-input rod  13  is furnished with a disk  20 , of which the center has a bolt  23  upon being molded; the bolt  23  is to be assembled with the parts of a rotary joint  15 . The inner surface of the disk  20  is furnished with a ring-shaped water passage  34  in communication with the water-input passage  36  in the center of the rod. When water flows into the water-input passage  36 , the water will soon flow through the ring-shaped water passage  34  of the disk  20  and to a ring-shaped water passage  40  of another disk  21  on the water-output rod  14  and the water-output passage  37 , and then to the cleaning brush  11 . The inner surface of the disk  20  of the water-input rod  13  has a ring-shaped water passage  34 ; the inner and outer ring surfaces thereof are mounted with seal rings  24  and  25  respectively so as to prevent a gap between the two disks  20  and  21  from leak after the disk  21  of the water-output rod  14  being mounted in place. 
     The outer edge of the disk  20  of the water-input rod  13  is furnished with clutch teeth  30  which are slightly higher than the inner surface thereof; the clutch teeth  30  are substantially small teeth; the inner edge of the clutch teeth  30  has a ring-shaped surface  31 . After the disk  21  of the water-output rod  14  is mounted in place, the ring-shaped surface  31  will be mated with the round flange  49  of the second disk  21  so as to have the two disks  20  and  21  assembled together to provide a circular guide surface. 
     The center of the water-output rod  14  has a water-output passage  37 , of which one end is furnished with inner threads so as to facilitate the rod of cleaning brush  11  to connect; the other end of the rod has a disk  21 , of which the center has a cylindrical hole  41 ; the outer end of the cylindrical hole  41  has a cylindrical groove  42  for receiving the bolt  23  of the disk  20  to form into a center shaft. A spring  26  is to be mounted in the cylindrical groove  42  to provide an outward pushing force for the positioning disk  27 ; the inner surface of the disk  21  has a ring-shaped water disk  40  to be in communication with the water-output passage  37  of the rod so as to facilitate water to flow through the ring-shaped water passage  34 , the ring-shaped water passage  40  of the disk  21  and to flow to the cleaning brush  11  through the water-output passage  37  of the water-output rod  14 . The inner surface of the disk  21  is furnished with a ring-shaped water passage  40 ; the inner and outer surfaces of the water passage  40  are furnished with two concentric ring-shaped grooves  38  and  39 , which are corresponding and opposite to the ring-shaped grooves  32  and  33   05  respectively of the disk  20  in order to mount two seal rings  24  and  25  respectively for preventing the gap between the two disks  20  and  21  from leaking. 
     After the disk  21  of the water-output rod  14  is mounted over the disk  20  of the water-input rod  13 , the round flange  49  thereof will be fitted into the ring-shaped surface  31  inside the clutch teeth  30  so as to step up the positioning strength between the two disks  21  and  20 . A positioning disk  27  is mounted over the disk  21 ; the inner center of the disk  27  has a cylindrical space  46 , and one side thereof has a cut-out  45 , which is slightly wider than the diameter of the water-output rod  14 . After the positioning disk  27  is mounted over the disk  21  of the water-output rod  14 , an opening under the disk  27  is furnished without hindering the rod; the cylindrical space  46  of the positioning disk  27  is closely in contact with the outer surface of the disk  21 . 
     After the positioning disk  27  is mounted over the disk  21 , the round hole  44  thereof will be mounted around the bolt  23  on the disk  20 . The outer edge of the positioning disk  27  is furnished with clutch teeth  47 , which are to be mated with the clutch teeth  30  of the disk  20  of the water-input rod  13 . After the positioning disk  27  is mounted in place, the clutch teeth  47  of the positioning disk  27  and the clutch teeth  30  of the disk  20  will provide a clutch function. 
     After the positioning disk  27  is mounted over the disk  21  of the water-output rod  14  and the disk  20  of the water-input rod  13 , the bolt  23  on the center of the disk  20  will penetrate through the cylindrical hole  41  of the disk  21 , the round hole  44  of the positioning disk  27  and the rotary disk  28 . The outer surface of the rotary disk  28  is furnished with a cross-shaped knob  48 , of which the center has a threaded hole  29  to be engaged with the thread portion  35  of the bolt  23 . The inner surface of the rotary disk  28  is furnished with slightly salient rib strips  50 , which can provide a uniform pressure against the outer surface of the positioning disk  27  upon the rotary disk  28  being screwed tightly in place so as to have the clutch teeth  47  of the positioning disk  27  and the clutch teeth  30  of the disk  20  positioned firmly, and to prevent the parts of the water-input rod  13  and the water-output rod  14  from being loosened. 
     In order to prevent the seal rings  14  and  15  from fatigue failure under long time pressure between the disk  20  and the disk  21 , a positioning disk  27  is mounted over the disk  21 ; the outer flat surface  43  of the positioning disk  27  will be in contact with the rotary disk  28 ; after the rotary disk  28  is screwed tightly, the pressure thereof will fall between the clutch teeth  47  and the clutch teeth  30  of the disk  20  without having over-pressure added to the disk  21 . 
     The center of the disk  21  has a cylindrical hole  41  and a cylindrical groove  42 ; a spring  26  is to be mounted in the cylindrical groove  42 ; the positioning disk  27  is to be in contact with the spring  26  upon the disk being mounted over the disk  21 . After the rotary disk  28  is mounted to the thread portion  35  of the bolt  23 , a pushing force will be applied to push the positioning disk  27  towards the disk  21  until the clutch teeth  47  of the positioning disk  27  being in contact and engagement with the clutch teeth  30  of the disk  20 . 
     The spring  26  in the cylindrical groove  42  of the disk  21  is kept in the cylindrical groove  42  by means of the rotary disk  28  as shown in FIG. 4, i.e., the rotary disk  28  will push the positioning disk  27  to cause the clutch teeth  47  thereof to engage with the clutch teeth  30  of the disk  20  so as to control the rotation position between the positioning disk  27  and the disk  20 . The cut-out  45  of the positioning disk  27  is mounted over the water-output rod  14  so as to control the swinging of the water-output rod  14 . When the angle between the water-input rod  13  and the water-output rod  14  has to be adjusted, the cross-shaped knob  48  of the rotary disk  28  of the rotary joint  15  can be rotated by hand. 
     When the rotary disk  28  is loosened as shown in FIG. 4, the spring  26  in the cylindrical groove  42  of the disk  21  will push the clutch teeth  47  of the positioning disk  27  to disengage with the clutch teeth  30  of the disk  20 ; the disk  21  pushed by the spring  26  still maintains under a pressure; in that case, the seal rings  24  and  25  between the two disks  20  and  21  are still under a given pressure without having any leak upon the water-output rod  14  being turned at an angle. 
     As soon as the positioning disk  27  is disengaged from the clutch teeth  30  of the disk  20  as a result of the pushing force of spring  26 , the disk  21  of the water-output rod  14  under the positioning disk  27  can be turned at an angle; the inner surface of the disk  21  pushed with the spring  26  still maintains under the original tension of contact, i.e., having no leak upon the disk  21  being turned. 
     After the water-input rod  13  and the water-output rod  14  are turned at an angle desired, turn the rotary disk  28  tight so as to have the clutch teeth  47  and the clutch teeth  30  of the disk  20  engaged together again as a result of the positioning disk  27  being pressed; in that case, the angle between the water-input rod  13  and the water-output rod  14  can not be adjusted.