Patent Publication Number: US-7213289-B2

Title: Battery powered grout brush

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Grout is commonly used between tiles, not only to connect and seal adjacent tiles, but also to enhance the overall appearance of tiled surfaces. Following initial installation of lined grout between tiled surfaces, the newly laid grout between the tiles is clean, unsoiled and presents a generally bright and fresh appearance. However, as time passes the tile surface is exposed to day-to-day activity which causes it to lose its initially clean and bright finish. It becomes darkened, dirty, mildewed, and stained. No matter how clean the actual tiles are which make up the tile surface, the adjacent grout which is dull, dirty, or stained grout will substantially detract from the overall appearance. 
     Cleaning soiled, mildewed, and stained grout, especially grout located between tile, has always been difficult. Although spray on or other liquid cleaners are advertised as grout cleaning agents, these, in and of themselves, are not truly effective. Hand scrubbing or scouring grout between tiles with a grout brush, perhaps in combination with these cleaning agents, is the only effective way of cleaning grout. 
     Manual grout brushes routinely have a single set of bristles and require rigorous back and forth hand motion against the soiled grout. This obviously becomes very strenuous for the user. It also results in the effectiveness of the cleaning operation to diminish quickly. Moreover, hand scrubbing requires that the user&#39;s hands be quite close to the grout and tiles. Over a prolonged period, the user, at some point, will scrape his or her fingers or knuckles on the grout or tile surface. 
     In addition, prior grout brushes have only one scrubbing surface which typically comprises hard, rigid bristles for cleaning ingrained dirt and stains in the rough, hardened grout material. Such brushes are not designed to be used on tile surfaces, on which dirt tends to be easier to remove. In fact, such hard bristle grout brushes should not be used to scrub and clean tile surfaces, which tend to be smooth, shiny, and as a result, more susceptible to being scratched or otherwise damaged by the action of hard bristles. As a result, after grout surfaces are cleaned with one brush, it is necessary that a second brush be used for the tile surface. Even the powered brushes which are used to a limited extent to clean grout, only have a single brush surface. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is thus an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages and limitations of prior grout brushes. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a grout brush capable of cleaning both tile grout and surrounding tile surfaces with a single, manually operated, lightweight, portable handheld implement. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a grout brush which efficiently, effectively, and simply cleans grout between tile surfaces and also can be used to clean surrounding tiles with minimal effort. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a grout brush which cleans tile grout and surrounding tile surfaces without undue threat of injury to the user. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a grout brush with two brush cleaning surfaces on a single cleaning implement, a rotatable brush member for hard scrubbing and scouring rough grout and a second set of rotatable brushing elements for cleaning tile surfaces. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a grout brush which can be positioned at many varied angles for maximum cleaning effectiveness. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a grout brush which consists of a self-contained, sealed, unitary body housing electric power means and appropriate gearing to simultaneously rotate two separate brush cleaning surfaces for full and effective cleaning of both grout and tile surfaces. 
     These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by the manually operated handheld grout brush of the present invention. The grout brush has an outer housing which sealingly encloses upper and lower contiguous spaces. Electric batteries in the upper space run an electrical motor, which powers gearing to rotate two sets of brushes, a grout brush head with rigid bristles for hard scrubbing and scouring dirty, mildewed, and stained rough grout surfaces, and a tile scrubbing brush head which may include one or two common scrub brushes for cleaning glossy, smooth tile surfaces. 
     Novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its design, construction and use, together with the additional features and advantages thereof, are best understood upon review of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of the grout brush of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the grout brush of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Manually operated, handled grout brush implement  1  of the present invention comprises a unitary body with upper handle section  2  and contiguous lower section  4 . The unitary body of grout brush  1  is substantially encased by housing  10  which sealingly encloses space  6  in upper section  2  and contiguous space  8  in lower section  4 . Space  6  within housing  10  is a watertight compartment, sealed by static o-ring  9 . This protects the components located within space  6  from the entry of fluid. Space  8  is not watertight, but rotary lip seal  11  provides waterproof protection to planetary gearing  16 , located with the space. 
     Positioned within space  6  of upper section  2  are batteries  12  which provide the source of electrical power for brush  1 . The batteries could be replaceable or rechargeable, or the unit could be powered by a plug-in electrical adapter. Positioned within space  8  of lower section  4  are motor  14 , planetary gearing  16  and internal gear sets  18 ,  20 ,  24  and  26 . Actuating switch  22  is positioned within space  6  of upper section  2  as well. Actuating switch  22  can be a click on/click off, or momentary type switch. 
     Extending from lower section  4  is rotary grout brush head  30  having stiff, substantially inflexible, rigidly extending bristles  32 , for cleaning rough and hardened grout surfaces. Bristles  32  extend outwardly from brush head  30 , past the outer surface of housing  10 . In other words, tangent lines drawn over the topmost surfaces of bristles  32  would not intercept, but would extend past housing  10 . 
     Also extending from section  4  are dual scrubbing brush heads  34  and  36  with outwardly extending scrub type bristles  38 . Bristles  38 , while stiff, are substantially less rigid, more flexible and generally far softer than grout cleaning bristles  32 . Bristles  38  are thus more conducive for use on tile surfaces. Grout brush head  30  is positioned at an angle in relation to scrubbing brush heads  34  and  36 . 
     Scrubbing brush heads  34  and  36  are connected to internal gear sets  24  and  26  respectively, which in turn interconnect with gearing  20  and  18 , connected to planetary gearing  16 , keyed to electrical motor  14  for rotary movement of the heads. Similarly, grout brush head  30  is keyed to gearing  18 , planetary gearing  16  and motor  14  for rotatable movement. 
     Upon actuation of switch  22 , electrical power from batteries  12  or other power source operates motor  14 , which drives planetary gearing  16 , which then rotates grout brush head  30  and scrubbing brush heads  34  and  36  through appropriate gearing  18 ,  20 ,  24 , and  26 . 
     In this manner, hard scrubbing and scouring of grout surfaces can be accomplished by positioning grout brush implement  1  such that the rigid bristles  32  of grout brush head  30  contact the grout surfaces. The unique length of bristles  32  relative to housing  10 , as described above, permits grout brush implement  1  to be held in numerous different positions, literally including upside-down, so that bristles  32  can be positioned to contact grout surfaces for maximum cleaning effectiveness without concern that housing  10  will contact these surfaces. 
     The position of grout brush implement  1  can also be easily changed to allow scrubbing bristles  38  of heads  34  and  36  to contact dirty surfaces to scrub and clean debris away from the grout surfaces and also to the clean flat tile and similar surfaces. 
     The compact, lightweight, self-contained nature of grout brush implement  1  makes it conducive for use in cleaning both grout and flat surfaces, without rigorous scrubbing or scouring action. The grout brush head  30  is especially adaptable for cleaning lined grout between tile surfaces and scrubbing brush heads  34  and  36  for smooth and finished surfaces. The relative angle between brush head  30  and brush heads  34  and  36  allows the user to hold grout brush implement  1  in many different positions and to readily and comfortably shift between different brush heads, using the same cleaning implement. Batteries  12  can be simply and easily replaced by removing end cap  40  from upper section  2 , removing the batteries, and installing fresh ones or recharging the ones being used. As described previously, electrical power could also be provided by a plug-in adapter unit. 
     Certain novel features and components of this invention are disclosed in detail in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention as disclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details as disclosed, since it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.