Patent Abstract:
A grill cleaning device has a handle, a scraper and a rotatable bristled cleaning wheel assembly. The handle has a handle end portion and a cleaning end portion. The scraper projects from the cleaning end portion. The rotatable bristled cleaning wheel assembly has a rotatable axle held in the cleaning end portion. The bristled cleaning wheel assembly is affixed to the axle. The bristled wheel assembly has substantially radially extending cleaning bristle wheels on each of the lateral ends of the cleaning wheel assembly and two sets of opposing laterally extending bristles. Each set of lateral bristles projects inwardly from a wheel rim toward a lateral center of the wheel assembly. The bristles are made from sturdy non-rusting metal. The ends of the laterally extending bristles are spaced from the center of the wheel assembly a distance equal to or slightly less than a grill rod.

Full Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a device used to clean barbeque grills. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Barbeque grills routinely accumulate charred debris from cooked foods that adhere stubbornly to the grill bars and the intervening grooves. And these are difficult to dislodge and remove. Also, attempting to clean the surfaces with conventional metal brushes lead to the charred debris dropping into the housing of the grill as well as to the floor. 
     The current invention is designed to overcome the above problems. The cleaner according to this invention is operated only in one direction; thus the debris is likely to fly in only one direction (backwards). Further, the provision of the bristles on a wheel assures that the direction of flight of the debris will be upward, as well as backward. The prong that engages the grill bar at the front end of the cleaner is for efficiently scraping the grill bar surfaces. A further refinement in the invention is the provision of a bag at the top to capture the debris. 
     The combination of the above components assures efficient cleaning as well as removal of the debris without littering around the grill. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A grill cleaning device has a handle, a scraper and a rotatable bristled cleaning wheel assembly. The handle has a handle end portion and a cleaning end portion. The scraper projects from the cleaning end portion. The rotatable bristled cleaning wheel assembly has a rotatable axle held in the cleaning end portion. The bristled cleaning wheel is affixed to the axle. The bristled wheel has substantially radially extending cleaning bristles on each of the lateral ends of the cleaning wheel and two sets of opposing laterally extending bristles. Each set of lateral bristles projects inwardly from a wheel rim toward a lateral center of the wheel assembly. The bristles are wire preferably made from stainless steel or another non-corrosive metal. The ends of the laterally extending bristles are spaced from the center of the wheel a distance equal to or slightly less than a grill rod. The radially extending bristles extend from a hub end on each side of the wheel to a distance to contact either support rods of a grill underlying the grill rods or at least below the grill rods. 
     The grill cleaning device further has a cavity adjacent and behind the cleaning wheel in the cleaning end portion. The cavity holds a debris-holding container. The debris-holding container has an open intake for catching dislodged debris. The debris-holding container can be a folded bag assembly adapted to be stowed inside the cavity and upon unfolding becomes the debris-holding container. The folded bag includes an upper forward pull tab to raise or unfold the bag. The folded bag has a rotatable rear mounted support to hold the bag fixed open during use. The structure further has an external wheel affixed to the rear bag support, the wheel rotatable and pivots the support to move the bag into or out of a folded condition. The bag is fixed to the scraper at a lower forward tab. The upper pull tab has a snap to fit onto a projecting pin on the scraper which also holds the lower tab. The bag can be made of a woven fabric or can be made of a thermoplastic. The bag is preferably detachable for cleaning and can be disposable. 
     The cleaning wheel assembly rotates counterclockwise upon a rearward pull of the handle. The counterclockwise rotation of the cleaning wheel causes dislodged debris to be directed on either lateral side of the scraper rearwardly and upwardly into the debris-holding container, some portion of the loose debris may fall into the bottom of the grill, most however is captured in the debris-holding container. 
     The handle portion has a threaded hole and the cleaning end portion has a threaded shaft for securing the two portions. The handle portion further comprises an outer grip sleeve, the grip sleeve fits over the handle. 
     The grill cleaning device can be manufactured with the debris cleaning end portion being a molded plastic structure, more preferably, a metal structure of aluminum or stainless steel. The scraper is made of steel or another metal. The handle end portion can be wood, plastic or more preferably, a metal structure of aluminum or stainless steel. The handle grip sleeve can be a thin membrane of plastic or elastomeric material. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the grill cleaning device made according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a second perspective view looking upwardly at the grill cleaning device from  FIG. 1  showing the folded debris-collecting container fully extended and the cleaning wheel assembly and scraper at the cleaning end portion. 
         FIG. 3  is a third perspective view of the grill cleaning device with the debris-collecting container shown folded in a retracted position. 
         FIG. 4  is a fourth perspective view similar to  FIG. 3 , but with the debris-collecting device fully extended and open. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the grill cleaning device taken along the longitudinal length of the device. 
         FIG. 6  is an end cross sectional view taken along the dashed or broken line  6 - 6  from  FIG. 5 , the dashed lines of  FIG. 6  show an exemplary grill. 
         FIG. 7  is an end cross sectional view of the folded debris container taken along dashed or broken line  7 - 7  taken from  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a longitudinal cross sectional view similar to  FIG. 5 , but with the debris-collecting container fully extended and open. 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the grill cleaning device made according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded view of the bristled cleaning wheel assembly. 
         FIG. 11  is a view of the grill cleaning device in use. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a grill cleaning device  10  is shown. The device  10  has a handle  12 , a scraper  40  and a rotatable bristled cleaning wheel assembly  20 . The device  10  has a handle end portion  12  and a cleaning end portion  14 . The scraper  40  projects from the end of the cleaning end portion  14 . The rotatable cleaning wheel assembly  20  has a rotatable axle held in the cleaning end portion  14 . As illustrated, the device  10  further has a folded debris container  30 . The folded container  30  as illustrated can be a fabric or plastic member that is shown in a collapsed and folded state. An upper forward end tab  36  is shown that is snapped to the scraper assembly  40  using a snap-in fastener  37 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 , various perspective views of the assembly are shown. In  FIG. 2 , the device  10  is shown with the debris-holding container  30  in a released, fully extended position such that the debris container  30  can receive debris from the wire wheel assembly  20  during the cleaning procedure. With reference to  FIG. 3 , another perspective view is shown of the device  10 . In this view the folded debris container  30  is shown secured at the fastener  37  in its folded and retracted condition. In  FIG. 4 , the debris container  30  is shown in the same view as  FIG. 3  only with the container  30  being in the fully extended and upward position. In this position, the support  32  helps maintain the folded bag in this upright and fully opened position. 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , a cross sectional view of the device  10  is shown. The handle end portion  12  is shown threadingly engaged onto a shaft  15  of the end cleaning portion  14 . To accomplish this fastening of the two portions, a threaded opening  16  is provided in the handle portion  12 . The handle portion  12  is further shown with an elastomeric sleeve or covering  12 A that surrounds the handle  12 . This elastomeric or plastic sleeve  12 A is provided to give the user a gripping surface upon which to hold the device  10 . As further illustrated, in the cleaning end portion  14  the support  32  is shown horizontal in the stowed position. In dashed lines, this support  32  is rotated vertically in a vertical position when the container  30  is moved to the fully upright and open extended position. The wheel assembly  20  underlies the scraper  40  as illustrated and is held to the end portion  14  via an axle  24 . 
     With further reference to  FIGS. 6 and 10 , the rotatable bristled wheel assembly  20  is illustrated. In  FIG. 6 , a cross sectional view of the device  10  cut along line  6 - 6  from  FIG. 5  shows the wheel assembly  20  in its mounted condition held securely in the end portion  14 . As shown, with reference to  FIGS. 5 and 9 , the axle  24  extends across the wheel assembly  20  into openings  55  on each side of the end portion  14 . This axle  24  is retained by retaining washers  25  that are snapped over the ends of the axle  24  pinning the axle in the end portion  14  as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . Inward of the retaining washers  25  and the sides of the end portion  14  are shown radially extending wire wheels  21 . These wire wheels  21  are formed from wire bristles extending radially outwardly. These wire wheels  21  have a center hub  27 . The center hub  27  has a square or rectangular end on each laterally inward side of the wheel  21 . The square hub  27  is adapted to fit into the rims  28  and lock into a square opening  29  on the rim  28  itself, as shown in  FIG. 10 . Projecting from the rim  28  are laterally extending wire bristles  23 . These laterally extending wire bristles  23  are directed facing the opposite laterally extending wire bristles  23  on the opposite rim  28 . These rims  28  are fitted into a center hub  26  and are rotatably fixed to the hub  26  in such a fashion that as the wheel assembly  20  rotates, the center hub  26  and both of these rims  28  with laterally extending wire bristles  23  will rotate in a counterclockwise direction as the handle assembly  12  is pulled toward the user. This is best illustrated in  FIG. 11  showing the hand  3  of an operator pulling the device  10  backwards along the rods  2  wherein the debris  5  on the rod  2  is then flipped off the rod  2  with the lateral extending wire bristles  23  rotating in such a fashion that the debris  5  is either thrown generally rearwardly and upwardly into the debris-holding container  30  as illustrated through the opening  33 . This debris  5  projects on each side of the scraper  40 . The scraper  40  provides a means to pull any remaining surface debris  5  along the top surface of the rod  2 . The lateral bristles  23  loosen and deflect a large portion of the debris  5  as the wheel assembly  20  rotates. To facilitate rotation, the center hub  26  can be pushed against the rods  2  upon which the hub  26  is riding. This provides additional rolling assistance for the wheel assembly  20  as it is being turned and pulled over the rods  2  cleaning them. The radially extending bristles  21  extend from a hub  27  end on each side of the wheel assembly  20  to a distance to contact either support rods  4  of a grill underlying the grill rods  2  or at least below the grill rods  2 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 7 , the debris container  30  is shown in a folded and retracted position inside a cavity  31  in the end portion  14 . A knob  50  is shown attached to the support  32  of the device  10  such that the wheel  50  can be rotated to move the support  32  from a horizontal stowed position to a vertical position as the bag  30  is being extended into its fully opened position. 
     With reference to  FIG. 8 , this is best shown in the fully open position wherein the container  30  is extended from the cavity  31  in the end portion  14 . With further reference to  FIG. 8 , the container  30  is held by snaps  39 ,  38  and  37  and snaps  60 ,  62 . To remove the container  30 , one simply pulls the snaps open releasing the container  30 . The container  30  can be cleaned or washed or discarded and replaced at the user&#39;s option. 
     With reference to  FIG. 9 , an exploded view of the entire device  10  is shown. In this view, the scraper  40  is more clearly shown having a projected end  41  with a scraper surface  42  that extends back to a flanged end  44 . This flanged end  44  has openings to hold snaps or rivets  60 ,  62  which can securely hold the scraper  40  into position. Preferably these snaps or rivets  60 ,  62  are solidly riveted to the end portion  14  through the openings  57  shown in  FIG. 9 . Additionally, the support  32 , formed as two portions held together by fastener  52 , extends through openings  54  on each side of the end portion  14 . The axle  24  of the wheel assembly  20  extends through the openings  55  in this end portion  14  as shown in  FIG. 5 . As further shown, the handle  12  is shown in a preferred embodiment with the opening  16  being threaded. The handle  12  being a solid structure having a flexible sleeve  12 A covering it. 
     It is important that the wire bristles on both the radially extending wheel  21  and laterally extending wires  23  on the rims  28  of the wire wheel assembly  20  be made of a tough durable material, preferably a stainless steel or aluminum material of high stiffness. This will ensure that the wheels  20  when rotating about the rods  2  of the grill cleaning it can provide enough rigidity to break free the debris  5  from the rods  2  of the grill allowing the debris  5  to be removed easily. The cleaning end portion  14  and the handle portion  12  can be made of a lightweight aluminum or stainless steel or other metal material or alternatively can be made of heavy duty fabric material if so desired or the handle alternatively could be made of wood. It is believed that preferably lightweight aluminum assembly provides the most advantageous construction as it provides both corrosion resistance and strength. 
     The present invention provides a mechanical grill cleaning device  10  that requires no vacuum assist in collecting debris or battery operated rotation of the wheel assembly  20 , although such additions could be used without departing from the inventive concept. It is believed preferable that the entire cleaning can be manually accomplished with the device  10 . One of the main objectives is to keep the surroundings of the grill from being splattered by the charred dislodged debris  5 . It is further important that the debris  5  mainly is captured in the debris container  30  with some residual debris  5  being dropped into the bottom of the grill, but otherwise not allowing the dislodged debris  5  from spraying over the patio deck as is a common problem with conventional grill cleaning. 
     Variations in the present invention are possible in light of the description of it provided herein. While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the subject invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the subject invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that changes can be made in the particular embodiments described, which will be within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0