Abstract:
A brush, comprising a brush head ( 1 ) that is connected to bristles ( 2 ). The brush head ( 1 ) has at least one opening ( 4 ) designed in the form of a rinsing channel ( 3 ) for cleaning the bristles ( 2 ). The brush can be used as a dishwashing brush.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention concerns a brush, comprising a brush head, which is connected with bristles, and also refers to a use of the brush. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Brushes with bristles are generally known and can be used in various areas; for example, as washing brushes. 
         [0003]    Previously known washing brushes frequently can be washed out, after their use, only with great effort and only with limited success—particularly if, beforehand, pasty, highly viscous soilings were removed from dishes. Frequently, these soilings settle firmly on the shaft of the bristles or bristle bundles, in the transition area to the brush head. Often, in makeshift fashion, the soilings are then removed with the aid of scissors or knives, wherein there is also the danger of irreparably damaging the brushes. 
         [0004]    If during the washing of the washing brush, flowing water strikes the brush head from above, there is a large amount of spray, which is unpleasant for the user of the washing brush. Furthermore, the water sprays into the surroundings in an undesired and uncontrollable manner. 
         [0005]    If, on the other hand, the attempt is made to clean the previously known brushes by washing out from the side, then it is frequently the case that the soilings are moved still further between the bristles in the direction of the brush head and in this way, settle even more firmly between the bristles. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    A goal of the invention is to further develop a brush of the foregoing type that can be cleaned more easily and rapidly following its use. The undesired formation of spray water should thereby be minimized during the cleaning process of the brush. 
         [0007]    To this end, a brush is provided, whose brush head has at least one opening, designed as a cleaning channel, for the cleaning of the bristles. 
         [0008]    What is advantageous with a brush according to the invention is that the brush can be cleaned more easily and rapidly following its use. The cleaning of the brush can take place by conducting a cleaning agent, for example, flowing water, onto the bristles from above, through the cleaning channel in the brush head. In this way, the soilings which are found between the bristles can be washed out. The advantageous effect can be attributed to the fact that the washing out of the soilings practically takes place in the opposite direction, relative to the direction in which the soilings arrived between the bristles. There is no danger—as in the case of prior art bristle brushes—that the soilings settle even more firmly between the bristles while the bristles are being cleaned. 
         [0009]    Surprisingly, it has been found that the openings designed as cleaning channels facilitate not only an easier washing out of the bristles, but also that the cleaning channels designed as openings significantly reduce the formation of spray water, for example, during the washing out of the brush under flowing water. This can probably be attributed to the fact that the water jet does not strike a plane, closed surface—as is common with prior art brushes—and is deflected from there and, in part, is hurled back; the water jet striking the broken surface of the brush head is split and spray water formation is minimized. 
         [0010]    Preferably, the brush head has several cleaning channels. Using several cleaning channels, further improves the removal of soilings from the bristles and further reduces the formation of spray water. 
         [0011]    The cleaning channels can be arranged so that they will be uniformly distributed in the brush head. All bristles of the brush can be largely cleaned of soilings equally well in this way; dead spots not penetrated by the cleaning liquid are thereby avoided. 
         [0012]    The cleaning channels can penetrate the brush head in the washing direction, essentially vertically. Such aligned cleaning channels permit a horizontal washing out of the brush head—for example, under flowing water—and in this way, a very rapid washing out. Within a short time, most soilings are washed out of the bristles, residue-free. 
         [0013]    The cleaning channels can have a gradual but constantly diminishing cross-section in the washing direction. In a manufacturing sense, this is advantageous. Furthermore, the jet of the cleaning liquid can be directed in a more targeted manner onto the critical places of the bristles in this way, where the soilings have settled when the brush is used. 
         [0014]    The cleaning channels have an essentially rectangular or oval cross section. In this way, the cleaning channels are shaped like slits. On the underside of the brush head, it is then possible to extend bristles or bristle bundles along the circumferential limitation of the cleaning channels. 
         [0015]    According to one embodiment, it is possible to make provisions so that the cleaning channels are arranged transverse to the longitudinal direction of the bristle head and are extended almost over the entire width of the brush head. Here, it is advantageous that the bristles or bristle bundles arranged over the entire width of the brush head are cleaned well. 
         [0016]    The ratio between the width of the brush head and the width of the cleaning channels can be 1.1-1.5. For most applications, such a ratio has proved advantageous, with regard to an easy cleaning of the brush. 
         [0017]    The ratio of the width of the cleaning channels to their length on the surface of the bristle head is preferably 3-6. Because of the comparatively small width of the cleaning channels, a lot of material of the brush head remains on which the bristles or bristle bundles can be affixed. A large number of bristles or bristle bundles provides an effective cleaning of the surfaces to be cleaned. 
         [0018]    At least some of the bristles can be joined together to form bristle bundles. 
         [0019]    According to another preferred embodiment, provisions can be made so that all bristles are joined together to form bristle bundles. The joining together to form bristle bundles is particularly advantageous if the bristle head has the openings, in accordance with the invention, because the fastenings of the bristle bundles can be grouped well around the openings. Although the bristle bundles are very densely packed in the area of their fastenings, the bristle bundles fan out on their side turned away from the bristle head so as to attain a good cleaning performance. 
         [0020]    The bristles and/or the bristle bundles can be arranged at an incline, relative to the vertical washing direction in the bristle head. 
         [0021]    With respect to the vertical washing direction, the bristles and/or the bristle bundles preferably define an angle which is 30-60°. 
         [0022]    In comparison to bristles or bristle bundles which are arranged in the washing direction in the brush head, not just the cleaning performance of the brush is improved. The washing out of soilings is also improved by the bristles and/or bristle bundles being arranged at an incline to the washing direction, because a larger area is impinged on with cleaning liquid, wherein when the bristle bundles are used, the inner area of the bristle bundles is also effectively washed out in this way. 
         [0023]    According to a preferred embodiment, provisions can be made so that at most two rows of bristle bundles are located between cleaning channels adjacent to one another. All bristle bundles can be washed out well in this way, because the bristle bundles of both rows are located in the effective area of the cleaning channels. If substantially more rows of bristle bundles were located between cleaning channels adjacent to one another, the cleaning would be complicated, because not all bristle bundles would be impinged on equally with the cleaning liquid through the cleaning channels. 
         [0024]    The brush head can be shaped on its upper side, turned away from the bristles and/or bristle bundles. The advantage hereby is that the upper side of the bristle head can also be cleaned well. 
         [0025]    According to another embodiment, the brush head can also be shaped in a concave manner on its upper side, turned away from the bristles and/or bristle bundles and transverse to its longitudinal direction. If, for example, the brush is cleaned by water flowing underneath, then the water jet is channeled by the concave shape of the upper side of the brush head practically in the direction of the openings so that formation of spray (with cleaning fluid) is further diminished and a better washing of the brush is provided. 
         [0026]    The brush head can have a convex underside in its longitudinal and/or transverse direction in which the bristles and/or bristle bundles are affixed. With respect to effectiveness of the brush, such a development is advantageous. The bristles of the bristle bundle project both in the longitudinal as well as in the transverse direction over the circumferential border of the brush head, so that soilings can also be removed without any problems even on sites which can be accessed only with difficulty, for example, in the transition area from the bottom of a pot to the side wall of the pot. 
         [0027]    To remove stubborn soilings, the brush head can have, on the front, a scraper which is curved forwards and upwards against the bristles and/or bristle bundles. Encrustations which could not be removed in the first operation by the bristles or bristle bundles of the brush alone can be first broken up by the scraper and subsequently be more easily removed by the bristles or bristle bundles. 
         [0028]    With reference to the scraper on the front, the brush head can also have a handle. 
         [0029]    After a first shaping, the brush head and the handle can go over into one another, as one piece, and be made of a uniform material. With regard to a simple and low-cost manufacturing capacity, the brush head can be made of a polymeric material. Due to its low weight, the brush can be handled with ease and when used as a washing brush is also rust-free and resistant to moist soilings and cleaning liquids. Due to the integrity of the brush head and the handle, separation seams in the brush are avoided; hygiene is thus improved. 
         [0030]    According to another embodiment, the brush head and the handle can be joined with one another in a detachable and nondestructive manner. Such a development is advantageous, for example, if differently shaped brush heads and/or brush heads with differently shaped bristles and/or bristle bundles are to be used, according to need and the particular application, with one and the same handle. Even if the bristles and/or bristle bundles of the brush head are subject to a particularly high wear and tear, for example, in that rough impurities are to be removed from particularly rough surfaces, it is advantageous that, as needed, a new brush head can be joined with the handle which is subject to practically no wear and hear. 
         [0031]    The invention also encompasses the use of a brush as was previously described. A brush with a brush head having at least one opening for the cleaning of the bristles and is shaped like a cleaning channel is used in accordance with the invention as a washing brush. Especially for this use, a brush which can be washed out well is particularly advantageous. Even pasty, highly viscous soilings, which settle between the bristles and/or between the bristles of the bristle bundles, following the cleaning of surfaces to be cleaned, can be washed out well due the shape of the brush head, in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0032]    A brush according to the invention, and its use as a washing brush is described in more detail below with the aid of  FIGS. 1-4 . These figures show the following: 
           [0033]      FIG. 1  is a top view of a washing brush in accordance with the invention; 
           [0034]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the washing brush of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0035]      FIG. 3  is a bottom a view of the washing brush of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0036]      FIG. 4  is a partial side sectional view of the front brush head of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0037]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a brush that can be used as a washing brush. The washing brush includes a brush head  1 , which is connected with bristles  2 . In the illustrated embodiment, all of the bristles  2  are joined together to form bristle bundles  10 . Embodiments of the invention using part bristles  2  and par, bristle bundles  10  or only bristles  2  can also be used depending on the application. 
         [0038]    In the illustrated embodiment, the brush head  1  is made of a polymeric material and has a unitary construction with the handle  14  with both the head and the handle being made of the same material. 
         [0039]    Three openings  4 , in the form of cleaning channels  3 , are located in the brush head  1 . The openings completely penetrate the brush head  1  in the washing direction  5 . The cleaning channels  3  are shaped as slits, which are arranged transverse to the longitudinal direction  6  of the brush head  1 , and extend almost over the entire width of the brush head  1 . 
         [0040]    The ratio between the width  7  of the brush head  1  and the width  8  of the cleaning channels  3  is 1.3 in the illustrated embodiment. The ratio of the width  8  of the cleaning channels  3  to their length  9  on the upper side  11  of the brush head  1  is 4.5. 
         [0041]    At the end opposite the handle  14  in the longitudinal direction of the brush head  1 , the brush head  1  has a scraper  13  which is curved forwards and upwards against the bristle bundles  10 . The scraper  13  is provided, to first break up stubborn encrustations, before the remaining broken-up soilings can be removed from the bristle bundles  10 . 
         [0042]    The upper side  11  of the brush head  1  is shaped in a con concave manner either plane or transverse to its longitudinal direction  6 . If the washing brush is washed under flowing water after it has been used, as shown in  FIG. 2 , flowing water, in the washing direction  5 , strikes the upper side  11  of the brush head  1 . The water passes through the cleaning channels  3  and arrives at the bristle bundles  10  and there, washes even pasty, highly viscous soilings from the bristle bundles  10 . In the illustrated embodiment, two rows of bristle bundles  10  are arranged adjacent to one another between the washing canals  3 . In this case, the two rows of bristle bundles  10  can be impinged on with cleaning liquid (e.g., flowing water) via a cleaning channel  3 . 
         [0043]    The location of the cleaning channels  3 , relative to the bristle bundles  10  can be seen in  FIG. 3 . In  FIG. 3 , one can also see, in addition to the convex underside  12  in the transverse direction  7  of the brush head  1 , that the bristles  2  of the bristle bundles  10  define with the vertical washing direction  5  an angle α, which is 30-60° in the illustrated embodiment. 
         [0044]    This connection is also shown in  FIG. 4 . In  FIG. 4 , an portion of the brush head  1  is shown in which the vertical washing direction  5  through the cleaning channels  3  is viewed in the longitudinal direction  6  of the brush head  1 , with which bristles  2  and/or bristle bundles  10  define the angle α. 
         [0045]    As a whole, the washing brush, in accordance with the invention, has very good properties during a long period of use, because the bristles  2  and/or the bristle bundles  10  can be cleaned simply and effectively by means of the cleaning channels  3 , and the formation of undesired spray water during the cleaning of the brush via the cleaning channels  3  that penetrate the upper side  11  of the brush head  1  is minimized.