US20010008032A1 - Cleaning implement - Google Patents

Cleaning implement Download PDF

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Publication number
US20010008032A1
US20010008032A1 US09/760,869 US76086901A US2001008032A1 US 20010008032 A1 US20010008032 A1 US 20010008032A1 US 76086901 A US76086901 A US 76086901A US 2001008032 A1 US2001008032 A1 US 2001008032A1
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
bristles
group
handle
cleaning implement
head
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US09/760,869
Inventor
John Llewellyn-Jones
Victor Davies
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of US20010008032A1 publication Critical patent/US20010008032A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46BRUSHWARE
    • A46BBRUSHES
    • A46B15/00Other brushes; Brushes with additional arrangements
    • A46B15/0055Brushes combined with other articles normally separate from the brushing process, e.g. combs, razors, mirrors
    • A46B15/0069Brushes fitted with a interdental devices, e.g. toothpick
    • A46B15/0071Toothbrushes with flossing arrangements
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46BRUSHWARE
    • A46BBRUSHES
    • A46B1/00Brush bodies and bristles moulded as a unit

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a cleaning implement and more particularly but not solely to a brush.
  • Brushes are well known implements for cleaning a wide variety of items and surfaces.
  • brushes comprise a head portion and an integral or separate handle extending from the head.
  • a plurality of bristles are attached to the head.
  • Brushes having bristles or groups of bristles axially spaced apart are more suited to cleaning than brushes in which all of the bristles are side-by-side.
  • a disadvantage of known brushes is that it is difficult to make very small cleaning brushes in which the bristles or groups of bristles are laterally spaced apart.
  • a one-piece cleaning implement formed of plastics material by injection moulding, the implement comprising an elongated handle, a head at one end of the handle and a group of at least thirty resiliently flexible bristles extending from the head generally axially of the handle, the bristles in the group being laterally spaced apart from each other, wherein each bristle is less than 2 mm in diameter.
  • the cleaning implement is a one-piece member of injection moulded plastics material and as such is cheap to manufacture from waste plastics.
  • the group of bristles is substantially circular in cross-section.
  • each bristle is the same length, with each bristle being between 4 and 15 mm in length.
  • the bristles around the outside of the group are shorter than the bristles in the centre of the group, with the longest bristles being between 4 and 15 mm in length.
  • the length of the bristles in the group increases in a stepwise manner towards the centre of the group.
  • the bristles extend from a surface of the head which lies in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the handle.
  • the gap between adjacent bristles of the implement may contain a cleaning material such as toothpaste.
  • the bristles are sufficiently flexible to enable opposite ends of the bristle to be brought end-to-end.
  • the cleaning implement is arranged as a toothbrush, preferably of the type for single use only.
  • the opposite end of the handle to the head is pointed, so that it can be used as a toothpick.
  • the plastics material is polypropylene or polyethylene, which respectively form hard and soft bristles.
  • the maximum distance between any two bristles is less than 10 mm.
  • FIG. 1 is a side view of a cleaning implement in accordance with this invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional view along the line II-II of FIG. 1.
  • a one-piece cleaning implement moulded from plastics material, such as polypropylene or polyethylene and comprising an elongated handle 10 , an enlarged head 11 at one end of the handle 10 and a plurality of resiliently flexible bristles 12 extending from the head 11 , axially of the handle 10 .
  • the bristles 12 extend parallel to each other and are spaced apart by a gap which is less than the width of one bristle 12 .
  • Each bristle 12 is circular in section and has a diameter of approximately 0.5 mm.
  • each bristle 12 is of the same length to form a flat tip, although the tip of the implement could be convex.
  • the bristles 12 extend from a flat surface of the head 11 , which lies in a plane normal to the axis of the elongated handle 10 .
  • the bristles 12 are arranged in a circular group having a diameter less than 10 mm.
  • the cleaning implement can be used to clean a wide variety of surfaces, such as the inside of a nozzle of a baby's feeding cup.
  • the cleaning implement would be arranged as a single use toothbrush which can be provided in restaurants etc. for cleaning teeth after a meal.
  • the opposite end of the handle 10 to the head 11 may be pointed, so as to form a toothpick.
  • a cleaning implement in accordance with this invention is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and yet forms an ideal implement for cleaning a wide variety of surfaces.

Abstract

A one-piece toothbrush or other cleaning implement formed of plastics material by injection moulding comprises an elongated handle 10, a head 11 at one end of the handle and a group of at least thirty resiliently flexible bristles 12 of a small diameter extending from the head generally axially of the handle, the bristles 12 in the group being laterally spaced apart from each other.
The cleaning implement is a one-piece member of injection moulded plastics material and as such is cheap to manufacture from waste plastics.

Description

    BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  • 1. Field of the Invention [0001]
  • This invention relates to a cleaning implement and more particularly but not solely to a brush. [0002]
  • 2. Related Background Art [0003]
  • Brushes are well known implements for cleaning a wide variety of items and surfaces. Typically, brushes comprise a head portion and an integral or separate handle extending from the head. A plurality of bristles are attached to the head. [0004]
  • Such brushes are expensive to manufacture and are thus unsuitable for use as cleaning implements intended to be used only once or twice. [0005]
  • Brushes having bristles or groups of bristles axially spaced apart are more suited to cleaning than brushes in which all of the bristles are side-by-side. A disadvantage of known brushes is that it is difficult to make very small cleaning brushes in which the bristles or groups of bristles are laterally spaced apart. [0006]
  • When forming injection moulded plastics articles, there is often a large amount of waste plastics material. Hitherto, such waste material has been discarded and it will be appreciated that this is costly. [0007]
  • We have now devised a clearing implement which alleviates the above-mentioned problems. [0008]
  • SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
  • In accordance with this invention there is provided a one-piece cleaning implement formed of plastics material by injection moulding, the implement comprising an elongated handle, a head at one end of the handle and a group of at least thirty resiliently flexible bristles extending from the head generally axially of the handle, the bristles in the group being laterally spaced apart from each other, wherein each bristle is less than 2 mm in diameter. [0009]
  • The cleaning implement is a one-piece member of injection moulded plastics material and as such is cheap to manufacture from waste plastics. [0010]
  • Preferably the group of bristles is substantially circular in cross-section. [0011]
  • In one embodiment each bristle is the same length, with each bristle being between 4 and 15 mm in length. [0012]
  • In an alternative embodiment, the bristles around the outside of the group are shorter than the bristles in the centre of the group, with the longest bristles being between 4 and 15 mm in length. [0013]
  • Preferably, the length of the bristles in the group increases in a stepwise manner towards the centre of the group. [0014]
  • Preferably, the bristles extend from a surface of the head which lies in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the handle. [0015]
  • The gap between adjacent bristles of the implement may contain a cleaning material such as toothpaste. [0016]
  • Preferably, the bristles are sufficiently flexible to enable opposite ends of the bristle to be brought end-to-end. [0017]
  • Preferably, the cleaning implement is arranged as a toothbrush, preferably of the type for single use only. [0018]
  • Preferably, the opposite end of the handle to the head is pointed, so that it can be used as a toothpick. [0019]
  • Preferably, the plastics material is polypropylene or polyethylene, which respectively form hard and soft bristles. [0020]
  • Preferably, the maximum distance between any two bristles is less than 10 mm. [0021]
  • These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through consideration of the following detailed description. [0022]
  • BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
  • An embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [0023]
  • FIG. 1 is a side view of a cleaning implement in accordance with this invention; and [0024]
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional view along the line II-II of FIG. 1. [0025]
  • DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
  • Referring to the drawings, there is shown a one-piece cleaning implement moulded from plastics material, such as polypropylene or polyethylene and comprising an [0026] elongated handle 10, an enlarged head 11 at one end of the handle 10 and a plurality of resiliently flexible bristles 12 extending from the head 11, axially of the handle 10.
  • The [0027] bristles 12 extend parallel to each other and are spaced apart by a gap which is less than the width of one bristle 12. Each bristle 12 is circular in section and has a diameter of approximately 0.5 mm.
  • In the present embodiment, each [0028] bristle 12 is of the same length to form a flat tip, although the tip of the implement could be convex.
  • The [0029] bristles 12 extend from a flat surface of the head 11, which lies in a plane normal to the axis of the elongated handle 10. The bristles 12 are arranged in a circular group having a diameter less than 10 mm.
  • In use, the cleaning implement can be used to clean a wide variety of surfaces, such as the inside of a nozzle of a baby's feeding cup. Alternatively, the cleaning implement would be arranged as a single use toothbrush which can be provided in restaurants etc. for cleaning teeth after a meal. In this embodiment, the opposite end of the [0030] handle 10 to the head 11 may be pointed, so as to form a toothpick.
  • It will be appreciated that a cleaning implement in accordance with this invention is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and yet forms an ideal implement for cleaning a wide variety of surfaces. [0031]
  • While the preferred embodiment of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims. [0032]

Claims (11)

We claim:
1. A one-piece cleaning implement formed of plastics material by injection moulding, the implement comprising an elongated handle, a head at one end of the handle and a group of at least thirty resiliently flexible bristles extending from the head generally axially of the handle, the bristles in the group being laterally spaced apart from each other, wherein each bristle is less than 2 mm in diameter.
2. A one-piece cleaning implement as claimed in
claim 1
, in which the group of bristles is substantially circular in cross-section.
3. A one-piece cleaning implement as claimed in
claim 1
, in which each bristle is the same length, with each bristle being between 4 and 15 mm in length.
4. A one-piece cleaning implement as claimed in
claim 1
, in which the bristles around the outside of the group are shorter than the bristles in the centre of the group, with the longest bristles being between 4 and 15 mm in length.
5. A one-piece cleaning implement as claimed in
claim 4
, in which the length of the bristles in the group increases in a stepwise manner towards the centre of the group.
6. A one-piece cleaning implement as claimed in
claim 1
, in which the bristles extend from a surface of the head which lies in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the handle.
7. A one-piece cleaning implement as claimed in
claim 1
, in which a gap between adjacent bristles of the implement contains a cleaning material.
8. A one-piece cleaning implement as claimed in
claim 1
, in which the bristles are sufficiently flexible to enable opposite ends of the bristle to be brought end-to-end.
9. A one-piece cleaning implement as claimed in
claim 1
, in which the maximum distance between any two bristles is less than 10 mm.
10. A one-piece toothbrush formed of plastics material by injection moulding, the toothbrush comprising an elongated handle, a head at one end of the handle and a group of at least thirty resiliently flexible bristles extending from the head generally axially of the handle, the bristles in the group being laterally spaced apart from each other, wherein each bristle is less than 2 mm in diameter.
11. A one-piece toothbrush as claimed in
claim 10
, in which the opposite end of the handle to the head is pointed.
US09/760,869 2000-01-17 2001-01-16 Cleaning implement Abandoned US20010008032A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0001009A GB2358130A (en) 2000-01-17 2000-01-17 One-piece toothbrush
GB0001009.0 2000-01-17

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20010008032A1 true US20010008032A1 (en) 2001-07-19

Family

ID=9883822

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US09/760,869 Abandoned US20010008032A1 (en) 2000-01-17 2001-01-16 Cleaning implement

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US20010008032A1 (en)
EP (1) EP1116447A3 (en)
GB (1) GB2358130A (en)

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20060179594A1 (en) * 2005-02-17 2006-08-17 Ken Yeung Silicone pastry brush
US7934284B2 (en) 2003-02-11 2011-05-03 Braun Gmbh Toothbrushes
US20120134837A1 (en) * 2011-12-19 2012-05-31 General Electric Company Noise reducer for rotor blade in wind turbine
US8414261B2 (en) 2011-05-31 2013-04-09 General Electric Company Noise reducer for rotor blade in wind turbine
US8523515B2 (en) 2010-11-15 2013-09-03 General Electric Company Noise reducer for rotor blade in wind turbine
US8834127B2 (en) 2011-09-09 2014-09-16 General Electric Company Extension for rotor blade in wind turbine
US9494134B2 (en) 2013-11-20 2016-11-15 General Electric Company Noise reducing extension plate for rotor blade in wind turbine
US10180125B2 (en) 2015-04-20 2019-01-15 General Electric Company Airflow configuration for a wind turbine rotor blade
US10465652B2 (en) 2017-01-26 2019-11-05 General Electric Company Vortex generators for wind turbine rotor blades having noise-reducing features
US10746157B2 (en) 2018-08-31 2020-08-18 General Electric Company Noise reducer for a wind turbine rotor blade having a cambered serration
US10767623B2 (en) 2018-04-13 2020-09-08 General Electric Company Serrated noise reducer for a wind turbine rotor blade

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6387058B1 (en) * 2000-10-13 2002-05-14 Wallach Surgical Devices, Inc. Self-sampling brush and method for use
EP2535033A1 (en) 2011-06-17 2012-12-19 Topro as Hand grip for a rollator, method for producing a hand grip and rollator

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB760619A (en) * 1954-04-07 1956-11-07 Brushes Ltd Spa Improvements in or relating to brushes for applying cosmetics
GB811195A (en) * 1956-07-20 1959-04-02 G O L Sarl Tooth brush
US4712936A (en) * 1981-06-26 1987-12-15 Milton Kessler One-piece cap and brush and method of forming it
FR2559361A1 (en) * 1984-02-09 1985-08-16 Gilanton Etienne Henri Single-use brushing assembly for the teeth, with handle and bristles moulded in one and the same block made from semi-rigid plastic, for example of polyethylene type, with dehydrated toothpaste placed on the bristles
GB2159699B (en) * 1984-05-23 1988-06-02 Rodney David Cole An applicator for the application of cosmetic products
GB2297489B (en) * 1995-02-04 1998-10-07 Michael William Hindmarch A tooth-cleaner
US5679067A (en) * 1995-04-28 1997-10-21 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Molded abrasive brush
US5758384A (en) * 1997-02-07 1998-06-02 Kelly; James Device for brushing dentures
US6049934A (en) * 1997-09-22 2000-04-18 Centrix, Inc. Disposable dental applicator

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8695149B2 (en) 2003-02-11 2014-04-15 Braun Gmbh Toothbrushes
US7934284B2 (en) 2003-02-11 2011-05-03 Braun Gmbh Toothbrushes
US7958589B2 (en) 2003-02-11 2011-06-14 The Gillette Company Toothbrushes
US20060179594A1 (en) * 2005-02-17 2006-08-17 Ken Yeung Silicone pastry brush
US8523515B2 (en) 2010-11-15 2013-09-03 General Electric Company Noise reducer for rotor blade in wind turbine
US8414261B2 (en) 2011-05-31 2013-04-09 General Electric Company Noise reducer for rotor blade in wind turbine
US8834127B2 (en) 2011-09-09 2014-09-16 General Electric Company Extension for rotor blade in wind turbine
US20120134837A1 (en) * 2011-12-19 2012-05-31 General Electric Company Noise reducer for rotor blade in wind turbine
US8430638B2 (en) * 2011-12-19 2013-04-30 General Electric Company Noise reducer for rotor blade in wind turbine
US9494134B2 (en) 2013-11-20 2016-11-15 General Electric Company Noise reducing extension plate for rotor blade in wind turbine
US10180125B2 (en) 2015-04-20 2019-01-15 General Electric Company Airflow configuration for a wind turbine rotor blade
US10465652B2 (en) 2017-01-26 2019-11-05 General Electric Company Vortex generators for wind turbine rotor blades having noise-reducing features
US10767623B2 (en) 2018-04-13 2020-09-08 General Electric Company Serrated noise reducer for a wind turbine rotor blade
US10746157B2 (en) 2018-08-31 2020-08-18 General Electric Company Noise reducer for a wind turbine rotor blade having a cambered serration

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1116447A3 (en) 2002-11-06
GB0001009D0 (en) 2000-03-08
EP1116447A2 (en) 2001-07-18
GB2358130A (en) 2001-07-18

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Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION