Abstract:
A convertible broom having a broom head able to be selectively latched in either of two pivoted angular positions with respect to a broom handle. A latch mechanism includes a sleeve grip slidable on the handle to move a locking feature into and out of engagement with either of two locator features or pairs of locator features on a head bracket pivotally mounted to one end of the handle. On locator feature (or pair of features) is aligned with the locking feature with the broom head in a straight configuration, the other locator feature aligned with the locking feature with the broom head in a push broom configuration.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/998,702 filed on Oct. 15, 2007. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention concerns brooms and more particularly brooms having a broom head which is adjustable angularly with respect to the broom handle. 
         [0003]    Such brooms have been proposed in the past to increase the usefulness of a straight broom, allowing its use as a push broom, or vice versa. Oftentimes, when sweeping It would be desirable to switch between a push and straight broom configurations. This would require a quick change mechanism in order to be practical. 
         [0004]    However, the angle adjustment mechanisms heretofore proposed have been inconvenient to operate or too time consuming to operate, introduce excessive looseness in the connection between the handle and the broom head, and/or are relatively complex. 
         [0005]    It is the object of the present invention to provide a broom with a simple broom head angular adjustment which allows quick and convenient adjustments of the angle of the broom head with respect to the handle while maintaining a rigid connection between the broom head and the handle. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The above recited object as well as other objects which will be understood upon a reading of the following specification and claims are achieved by a pivot latch mechanism manually operated by an operator member from a point intermediate the length of the handle. 
         [0007]    The pivot latch mechanism features engagement of a plurality of locator features fixed relative the broom head with a locking element spring loaded to engage one of the locator features and moved out of engagement by movement of the operator member. 
         [0008]    The broom head is pivotally attached to the handle with a bracket so that when released and the broom is held correctly, the broom head will pivot by gravity from one position to another whereat it is again locked in position upon release of the operator member and re-engagement of the locking element. 
         [0009]    In the preferred embodiment, the locator features comprise two sets of pockets or recesses formed into each side of a pivot bracket attached to the broom head, and the locking element comprises a cross pin spring loaded to engage one of two the sets of recesses. 
         [0010]    The operator member preferably comprises a sleeve grip slidable on the handle connected to one end of an inner elongated member which holds the cross pin on an inner end. 
         [0011]    Pulling up on the sleeve grip against a spring bias disengages the cross pin from the set of recesses in which it was disposed allowing the broom head to pivot to the other position whereat the cross pin will engage the other set of recesses to again lock the broom head to the handle in the other angular position. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of a first embodiment of a convertible broom according to the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2A  is a fragmentary view of the broom shown in  FIG. 1  held in a horizontal position with the broom head locked in the straight broom configuration. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2B  is a view of a broom as shown in  FIG. 2A  but with the broom head released and dropped down to the push broom configuration. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2C  is a view of a broom as shown in  FIG. 2B  but rotated and the broom head released but having not yet dropped back down to the straight broom configuration. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 3A-3C  are enlarged partially sectional views of the release and lock mechanism and fragmentary adjacent portions of the handle and broom head convertible of the broom shown in  FIG. 1  in respective successive stages in converting the broom head from a straight broom to a push broom configuration. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3D  is an exploded side pictorial of the head bracket and handle bracket shown in  FIGS. 3A-3C . 
           [0018]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are views of longitudinal section  4 - 4  in  FIG. 1  showing the rest and retracted position respectively of the operator grip and connected components. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 5A-5C  are fragmentary front elevational views of a second embodiment of a convertible broom according to the invention with the pivot latch components in successive conditions during adjustment from a straight broom to a push broom configuration. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 6A-6B  are side elevational fragmentary view of portions of the convertible broom shown in  FIGS. 5A-5C  showing locked and unlocked positions of the pivot latch components. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a pictorial view of the head bracket included in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5A-5C  and  6 A and  6 B. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    In the following detailed description, certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 USC 112, but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-4B , a convertible broom  10  according to one embodiment of the invention is shown which includes a broom head  12  having bristles  13  projecting therefrom which is mounted to a U-shaped head bracket  14  received in an oppositely directed U-shaped handle bracket  16  secured to one end of an elongated broom handle  18 . A fixed pivot element comprised of a pivot cross bolt  20  allows pivoting of the broom head  12  when a locking feature comprised of a movable locking element or cross bolt  22  is retracted out of either of two sets of aligned locator notches or recesses  24 A- 1 ,  24 B- 1 ,  24 A- 2 ,  24 B- 2  in respective side walls  26 A,  26 B ( FIGS. 4A ,  4 B) of the head bracket 
         [0024]    The locking cross bolt  22  passes through an actuator tube  28  slidable in the handle  18  to be drivingly connected to a sleeve grip  30  slidable on the handle  18  at about its midpoint via a connector pin  32  in the sleeve grip passing through a slot  34  in the handle  18  to allow a limited sliding motion of the sleeve grip  40  on the handle  18 . Slots  36 A,  36 B in the side walls  38 A,  38 B of handle bracket  36  accommodate movement of the locking cross bolt  22  with the actuator tube  28 . The combination of the sleeve grip  30  and tube  28  comprise an operator for the pivot latch mechanism comprised of the locking cross bolt  22  and head bracket  14 . 
         [0025]    A spring  40  acts on the movable locking cross bolt  22  to urge it to its locking position (shown in  FIG. 3A ) which spring  40  is compressed when the sleeve grip  30  is pulled up to release the locking cross bolt  22  and the head bracket  14 . 
         [0026]    When making an adjustment, the broom  10  is held generally horizontally as seen in  FIG. 2A  and the sleeve grip  30  thereafter retracted as seen in  FIG. 2B  to cause the broom head  12  in the straight broom orientation to be released by retraction of the movable cross bolt  22  out of notches  24 A- 1 ,  24  A- 2  and thereafter pivot down by gravity to the push broom configuration as shown in  FIG. 2B . Projecting ledges  25 B- 1 ,  25 B- 2  of the notches  24 B- 1 ,  24 B- 2  catch the locking cross bolt  22  and guides the ends of the locking bolt  22  into notches  24 B- 1 ,  24 B- 2  when the sleeve grip  30  is released and spring  40  pushes the elongated tube  28  and cross bolt  22  back down, locking the broom head  12  in the push broom configuration. 
         [0027]    To restore the broom head  12  to the straight broom configuration, the broom  10  is again held in a generally horizontal position but rotated to be inverted as shown in  FIG. 2C  and the sleeve grip  30  pulled back. 
         [0028]    When the broom head  12  is released by retraction of the movable locking cross bolt  22  out of notches  24 B- 1 ,  24 B- 2  it will pivot back by gravity to the straight broom sweep position where it is locked by the locking cross bolt  22  moving into notches  24 A- 1 ,  24 A- 2  upon release of the sleeve grip  30 . 
         [0029]    The movable locking cross bolt  22  catches on the projecting ledges  25 A- 1 ,  25 A- 2  when the head bracket  14  pivots back to the position aligned with the handle bracket  16 . When the sleeve grip  30  is released, the movable locking cross bolt  22  is guided into the notches  24 A- 1 ,  24 A- 2  to again lock the broom head  12  in the straight orientation. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIGS. 5A-5C ,  6 A,  6 B, and  7  fragmentary portions of a second embodiment of a convertible broom according to the invention is shown which is somewhat simpler than the first described embodiment. 
         [0031]    In this embodiment, only a head bracket  42  is provided attached to the broom head  44  having bristles  45  projecting therefrom, the broom head  44  attached to the head bracket  42  with screws  46 . 
         [0032]    The head bracket  42  has two sidewalls  48 A,  48 B between which is received the lower end of the broom handle  50 . 
         [0033]    An opening  52 A,  52 B is formed in each sidewall  48 A,  48 B, each opening aligned with the other end formed with a set of locator features comprised of sets of recesses or pockets  54 A- 1 ,  54 A- 2 ,  54 B- 1  and  54 B- 2 . 
         [0034]    A movable locking feature comprised of a locking cross pin or screw  56  is held in the end of an elongated operator member  58 , the locking cross screw  56  having ends extending through each sidewall  48 A,  48 B through the openings  52 A,  52 B, and held therein by a cap  57  and nut  59  at either end. 
         [0035]    A slot  60  in either side of the handle  50  also receives the locking cross screw  56  and accommodates the upward movement of the cross screw  56  when the member  58  is pulled up, as will be described. 
         [0036]    A pivot element comprised of a fixed pivot cross screw  62  passes through a hole in the lower end of the handle  50  and each side wall  48 A,  48 B to pivotably mount the lower end of the handle  50  to the bracket  42  and thus to the broom head  44 . 
         [0037]    Operator member  58  extends up within the handle to an intermediate location where its upper end is attached to a sleeve grip  64  with a pin  66  passing through slots  68  in the handle  50 . 
         [0038]    A compression spring  70  urges the operator member  58  downward, so that the ends of locking cross screw  56  are also urged into engagement with either of two sets recesses  54 A- 1 ,  54 B- 1 , or  54 A- 2  and  54 B- 2 . 
         [0039]    Upward pulling of the sleeve grip  50  withdraws the locking cross screw  56  out of one pair of recesses to allow pivoting movement of the broom head  44  by gravity when held horizontally and alignment with the other pair of recesses which it then enters when the sleeve grip  64  is released, in similar fashion to the first described embodiment. 
         [0040]    The endwalls of each opening  52 A,  52 B act to align the locking cross screw  56  with the sets of recesses  54 A- 1 ,  54 B- 1 , or  54 A- 2 ,  54 B- 2  in each pivoted position of the head bracket  42 . 
         [0041]    Thus a simple pivot latch mechanism have been described convenient to use even while sweeping to achieve the above recited object of the invention.