WO2004017804A1 - Outil de nettoyage menager a resistance aux fuites amelioree - Google Patents

Outil de nettoyage menager a resistance aux fuites amelioree Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2004017804A1
WO2004017804A1 PCT/EP2003/008502 EP0308502W WO2004017804A1 WO 2004017804 A1 WO2004017804 A1 WO 2004017804A1 EP 0308502 W EP0308502 W EP 0308502W WO 2004017804 A1 WO2004017804 A1 WO 2004017804A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
cleaning
cleaning head
fluid
household
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.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/EP2003/008502
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Peter James Newbould
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.)
Hindustan Unilever Ltd
Unilever NV
Original Assignee
Hindustan Lever Ltd
Unilever NV
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 Hindustan Lever Ltd, Unilever NV filed Critical Hindustan Lever Ltd
Priority to DE60305327T priority Critical patent/DE60305327T2/de
Priority to AU2003258554A priority patent/AU2003258554A1/en
Priority to CA2495397A priority patent/CA2495397C/fr
Priority to EP03792240A priority patent/EP1534112B1/fr
Priority to JP2004530066A priority patent/JP4418367B2/ja
Publication of WO2004017804A1 publication Critical patent/WO2004017804A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B11/00—Brushes with reservoir or other means for applying substances, e.g. paints, pastes, water
    • A46B11/0072—Details
    • A46B11/0079—Arrangements for preventing undesired leakage or dispensing
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR, e.g. TOILET ACCESSORIES
    • A47K11/00—Closets without flushing; Urinals without flushing; Chamber pots; Chairs with toilet conveniences or specially adapted for use with toilets
    • A47K11/10—Hand tools for cleaning the toilet bowl, seat or cover, e.g. toilet brushes
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B11/00—Brushes with reservoir or other means for applying substances, e.g. paints, pastes, water
    • A46B11/001—Brushes with reservoir or other means for applying substances, e.g. paints, pastes, water with integral reservoirs
    • A46B11/0013—Brushes with reservoir or other means for applying substances, e.g. paints, pastes, water with integral reservoirs dispensing by gravity or by shaking
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B2200/00—Brushes characterized by their functions, uses or applications
    • A46B2200/30—Brushes for cleaning or polishing
    • A46B2200/304—Lavatory brush, i.e. brushes for cleaning toilets

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a household cleaning tool which incorporates a reservoir for containing household cleaning fluid and which has improved resistance to accidental leakage or dripping of the contained household cleaning fluid when the tool is not in use.
  • the corrosive or irritant nature of some cleaning products means that is especially important to avoid accidental leakage of cleaning liquid from the dispensing end of the cleaning tool when it is not in use. Otherwise there is a risk that the cleaning liquid may come into contact with skin, clothing or other surfaces which are not intended to be treated.
  • US 4,875,791 illustrates a liquid dispensing brush.
  • this design contains no flow control mechanism, it requires that the brush head be kept higher than the reservoir while not in use, or else the liquid flows unobstructed to the brush head. This makes the design impractical for most bathroom cleaning uses since most people store their toilet bowl and other bathroom brushes standing or hanging with the brush head below the handle.
  • WO01/65969 discloses a brush with an integrated cleaning liquid reservoir, in which a piston pump is used to forward cleaning liquid from the reservoir to a discharge opening in the brush head.
  • the pump forms the mechanical connection between the brush handle and the brush head, and the dispensing of cleaning liquid is effected by movement between the brush handle and the brush head in the axial direction of the brush handle.
  • the cleaning liquid travels from within the chamber of the pump towards a single discharge opening via a passage which extends axially through the core of the brush head.
  • a spring assisted ball check valve into the pump, or downstream of the pump, which serves to block the passage when the brush is not in use.
  • a problem with the above arrangement is that the constraints on the location of the pump may make sizing and manufacture of the pump and its components difficult (for example, if the area between the handle and the head of the brush is small or narrow due to the design of the brush) . Also the incorporation of spring assisted ball check valves represents an extra expense.
  • the invention provides a household cleaning tool which comprises an elongate housing incorporating a reservoir for household cleaning fluid, the housing having at one end a cleaning head, the cleaning head forming a hollow chamber which is in fluid communication with the reservoir and which is provided with at least one outlet for the dispensation of the household cleaning fluid, characterised in that the hollow chamber formed by the cleaning head contains a space- filler insert plug.
  • the space- filler insert plug serves to minimise the volume of fluid accommodating space inside the hollow chamber of the cleaning head and therefore reduces dripping and leakage by controlling the volume and distribution of household cleaning fluid in the cleaning head when the tool is not in use .
  • the cleaning head of the invention is also much easier to manufacture by injection moulding than a cleaning head which is in the form of a solid core with a single liquid passage, as is described in WOOl/65969.
  • a solid core with single passage would be very difficult to injection mould because of the thickness of the plastic involved, which would be slow to cool and prone to shrinkage during cooling.
  • the injection moulding process requires quick cooling of the molten plastic, because otherwise it becomes necessary to shut down the injection moulding machinery periodically to permit cooling, which is inefficient and may make the process economically infeasible on a large scale.
  • the cleaning head of the invention can be made with relatively thin plastic walls.
  • a further advantage of the cleaning head of the invention is that it can be provided with a number of outlets for the dispensation of the household cleaning fluid, instead of a single outlet. This enables a more uniform and complete distribution of household cleaning fluid onto the exterior surfaces of the cleaning head when the tool is in use, and therefore more efficient cleaning, especially of areas such as toilet bowls where thorough cleaning of the entire surface is important.
  • a cleaning head which is in the form of a solid core with a single outlet as is described in WOOl/65969, it would be very difficult to provide further outlets because such outlets would have to be drilled with precision through the entire wall thickness of the solid core .
  • the space-filler insert plug controls dripping and leakage by minimising the volume of space inside the hollow chamber of the cleaning head which is available to accommodate fluid, and therefore controlling the volume and distribution of household cleaning fluid in the cleaning head when the tool is not in use.
  • the space-filler insert plug is of suitable dimensions so that it forms a sufficiently close fit with the interior surface of the hollow chamber of the cleaning head in order to minimise the volume of fluid accommodating space as far as possible without actually preventing the flow of household cleaning fluid when the cleaning tool is actuated into a dispensing position.
  • Actuation of the cleaning tool is typically via a piston pump, squeeze chamber or the like which serves to apply an overpressure to the household cleaning fluid, thereby forwarding it from the hollow chamber of the cleaning head to the outlet for its dispensation to the exterior surfaces of the cleaning head.
  • the space-filler insert plug is provided with projections on its surface, which projections make a flush fit with the interior surface of the hollow chamber of the cleaning head. This arrangement therefore leaves areas between the individual projections which can accommodate the flow of a thin layer of household cleaning fluid.
  • the projections are suitably in the form of studs, ribs, nodules or the like.
  • the hollow chamber of the cleaning head and the space- filler insert plug are both of a generally cylindrical shape, and the plug fits concentrically inside the chamber.
  • the plug is provided with longitudinal rows of studs, which studs make a flush fit with the interior surface of the chamber of the cleaning head. Since the studs only project to a small extent radially outward in relation to the surface of the space- filler insert plug, the fluid accommodating space can be minimised without preventing household cleaning fluid flow.
  • the space-filler insert plug may be solid or hollow and may suitably be made of plastic, foam or any other material which is easily formed and resistant to attack from the chemicals in household cleaning fluids. Preferred are rigid plastics materials.
  • the cleaning head of the household cleaning tool according to the invention is typically provided on its exterior surface with a suitable scrubbing means .
  • the scrubbing means constitutes an array of bristles or synthetic bristles located on the exterior surface of the cleaning head.
  • the bristles may be fastened to the cleaning head according to techniques known in the art such as fusing-on or staple- setting.
  • the bristles are arranged in tufts, and fluid continuous channels lead from the interior of the cleaning head to the base of each of the tufts of bristles on the cleaning head. These channels therefore form outlets for the dispensation of the household cleaning fluid.
  • This arrangement provides an additional hygiene benefit since it ensures that the cleaning fluid comes into contact with the base of each of the tufts of bristles, enabling uniform coating of the entire bristle array.
  • the uniform coating of the bristle array ensures as a consequence that the household cleaning fluid is applied more efficiently and thoroughly to the surface to be treated. Also, it enables the tool to stay hygienically clean and fresh between uses, due to the residual hygiene effect of the coating.
  • the orientation of the bristle tufts is also important for improved resistance to leakage and dripping. It is preferred to locate bristle tufts on the sidewalls of the cleaning head as well as the tip of the cleaning head, because the former are less subject to leakage when not in use due to gravity-influenced drainage. A distribution of bristle tufts over all surfaces of the cleaning head of bristle tufts is also more efficient for cleaning hard-to- reach areas .
  • the bristle tufts into the wall of the cleaning head so that they serve to plug the fluid channel which extends from the interior of the cleaning head through the wall of the cleaning head to the bristle. This improves resistance to leakage and dripping by reducing the space inside the cleaning head which is available to be accommodated by fluid.
  • Thixotropic household cleaning fluids are preferred for use in conjunction with the tool according to the invention, since these may be pumped without running or dripping after pumping, which provides further anti-leak protection.
  • a piston pump forms the mechanical connection between the reservoir for household cleaning fluid and the cleaning head, and the dispensing of household cleaning fluid is effected by movement between the reservoir and the cleaning head in the axial direction of the reservoir.
  • the reservoir for household cleaning fluid is in the form of a cartridge which is reversibly interengageable with the housing so that the cartridge can simply be removed when empty of household cleaning fluid and replaced with a full one which is sold as a refill.
  • the cleaning head may also be a separate component which is releasably secured to the housing, e.g. by means of a screw or snap-fit connection, so that it is replaceable by a new cleaning head in the event that the scrubbing means on its surface wears out .
  • Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-section showing a household cleaning tool according to the invention, showing the spacefilling insert plug, and
  • Figure 2 shows a developed view of the cleaning head of the tool of Figure 1.
  • a household cleaning tool (1) is seated in a storage pot (2) , and has an elongate housing (3) which is in the form of a rigid sleeve furnished with an inclined handle (4) and a cleaning head (5) .
  • a spring- loaded piston pump (6) is located in the base of the main body of the housing (3) .
  • the cleaning head (5) consists of a generally cylindrical hollow chamber (7) , which is contained by a wall member (8) having an interior surface (8a) and an exterior surface (8b) .
  • a plurality of fluid continuous channels four of which are shown representatively as (9) , lead from the interior surface (8a) to the exterior surface (8b) of the cleaning head (5) , which exterior surface (8b) is provided with an array of bristles arranged in tufts.
  • the bristle tufts are distributed uniformly around the sides and tip of the cleaning head, and are set into the wall member (8) of cleaning head (5) so that they plug the fluid channels (9) .
  • Four of these bristle tufts are shown representatively as (10) .
  • a space-filling insert plug (11) fits concentrically inside the chamber (7) .
  • the plug (11) is provided with four equally spaced longitudinal rows of studs (12) which form a flush fit against the interior surface (8a) of the chamber (7) of the cleaning head (5) . Since the studs (12) only project to a small extent radially outward in relation to the surface of the space-filler insert plug (11) the fluid accommodating space can be minimised without preventing household cleaning fluid flow.
  • a rigid elongate axisymmetric cartridge (13) containing household cleaning fluid is located in the sleeve of the housing (3) and is connected with the housing (3) by means of a bayonet-type coupling between recesses (14) which are provided on the neck of the cartridge (13) with corresponding projections (15) which are provided on an annular connection socket (16) which is located at the base of the sleeve of the housing (3) above the pump (6) .
  • a hollow needle (17) is provided between the pump (6) and the cartridge (13), so that when the cartridge (13) is screwed into place, the needle (17) penetrates a flexible silicone sealing septum (18) , which seals the neck of the cartridge (13) . This allows cleaning fluid to enter the pump (6) through the hollow needle (17) .
  • the cartridge (13) In order to operate the tool (1) the cartridge (13) is pushed down axially in the direction of the cleaning head (5) which causes the pump (6) to be actuated, thereby transferring household cleaning fluid from the cartridge (13) through the channels (9) to the array of bristle tufts (10) .
  • the spring-loading of the pump (6) returns the cartridge (13) to its starting position after the pump stroke .

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Brushes (AREA)
  • Cleaning Implements For Floors, Carpets, Furniture, Walls, And The Like (AREA)
  • Non-Flushing Toilets (AREA)
  • Materials For Medical Uses (AREA)
  • Detergent Compositions (AREA)
  • Infusion, Injection, And Reservoir Apparatuses (AREA)
  • Food-Manufacturing Devices (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un outil de nettoyage ménager (1) qui comprend un boîtier allongé (3) dans lequel se trouve un réservoir (13) destiné à un liquide de nettoyage ménager, le boîtier (3) présentant à une extrémité une tête de nettoyage (5) qui forme une chambre creuse (7) qui est en communication fluidique avec le réservoir (13) et présente au moins une sortie (9) destinée à la distribution de liquide de nettoyage ménager. L'invention se caractérise en ce que la chambre creuse (7) formée dans la tête de nettoyage (5) contient un obturateur d'insertion de remplissage de l'espace (11). L'obturateur d'insertion de remplissage de l'espace (11) sert à minimiser le volume de l'espace de réception de liquide à l'intérieur de la chambre creuse (7) de la tête de nettoyage (5) et permet ainsi de réduire l'écoulement par gouttes et les fuites, grâce à la régulation du volume et à la répartition du liquide de nettoyage ménager dans la tête de nettoyage (5) lorsque l'outil n'est pas utilisé.
PCT/EP2003/008502 2002-08-16 2003-07-31 Outil de nettoyage menager a resistance aux fuites amelioree Ceased WO2004017804A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE60305327T DE60305327T2 (de) 2002-08-16 2003-07-31 Haushaltsreinigungsutensil mit verbessertem schutz gegen auslaufen
AU2003258554A AU2003258554A1 (en) 2002-08-16 2003-07-31 Household cleaning tool with improved leakage resistance
CA2495397A CA2495397C (fr) 2002-08-16 2003-07-31 Outil de nettoyage menager a resistance aux fuites amelioree
EP03792240A EP1534112B1 (fr) 2002-08-16 2003-07-31 Outil de nettoyage menager a resistance aux fuites amelioree
JP2004530066A JP4418367B2 (ja) 2002-08-16 2003-07-31 改良された耐漏れ性を備える家庭用掃除用具

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP02255747.4 2002-08-16
EP02255747 2002-08-16

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2004017804A1 true WO2004017804A1 (fr) 2004-03-04

Family

ID=31896956

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2003/008502 Ceased WO2004017804A1 (fr) 2002-08-16 2003-07-31 Outil de nettoyage menager a resistance aux fuites amelioree

Country Status (8)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1534112B1 (fr)
JP (1) JP4418367B2 (fr)
AT (1) ATE326169T1 (fr)
AU (1) AU2003258554A1 (fr)
CA (1) CA2495397C (fr)
DE (1) DE60305327T2 (fr)
ES (1) ES2262006T3 (fr)
WO (1) WO2004017804A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITAN20130020A1 (it) * 2013-02-04 2014-08-05 Massimiliano Mazzoli Spazzolino per wc con erogatore di sapone incorporato

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE10001182A1 (de) * 2000-01-07 2001-07-26 Dagobert Haist Reinigungsgerät für Klosettschüsseln
WO2001065969A1 (fr) * 2000-03-09 2001-09-13 Joachim Dettmann Brosse pourvue d'un dispositif de distribution de liquide de nettoyage

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE10001182A1 (de) * 2000-01-07 2001-07-26 Dagobert Haist Reinigungsgerät für Klosettschüsseln
WO2001065969A1 (fr) * 2000-03-09 2001-09-13 Joachim Dettmann Brosse pourvue d'un dispositif de distribution de liquide de nettoyage

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITAN20130020A1 (it) * 2013-02-04 2014-08-05 Massimiliano Mazzoli Spazzolino per wc con erogatore di sapone incorporato

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE60305327T2 (de) 2007-04-26
JP4418367B2 (ja) 2010-02-17
CA2495397A1 (fr) 2004-03-04
AU2003258554A1 (en) 2004-03-11
ES2262006T3 (es) 2006-11-16
EP1534112A1 (fr) 2005-06-01
EP1534112B1 (fr) 2006-05-17
CA2495397C (fr) 2011-04-26
ATE326169T1 (de) 2006-06-15
DE60305327D1 (de) 2006-06-22
JP2005535423A (ja) 2005-11-24

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6623201B2 (en) Cleaning device and method of use
US6210057B1 (en) Multipurpose applicator
US7244073B2 (en) Travel toothbrush assembly
US5908257A (en) Toothpaste dispensing toothbrush
US8087843B2 (en) Liquid dentifrice dispensing toothbrush
US9326655B2 (en) Multi-function cleaning apparatus
US7055528B2 (en) Applicator
EP0599834A1 (fr) Brosse a dents et distributeur de pate dentifrice.
US11388986B2 (en) Liquid dispensing hairbrush systems and associated devices
US3383157A (en) Dispensing utensil
CN101460075A (zh) 刷、拖把或类似工具
US5913632A (en) Refillable dentrifice dispensing toothbrush
KR880001673B1 (ko) 유액이 자체내에서 공급되도록 된 브러시
EP1367928B1 (fr) Utensile de nettoyage à usage domestique
US8864402B2 (en) Refillable toothbrush and base assembly
EP1534112B1 (fr) Outil de nettoyage menager a resistance aux fuites amelioree
US2665442A (en) Toothbrush with refillable dentifrice dispenser
US7367737B2 (en) Paste-N-Brush
WO2001045533A2 (fr) Dispositif de nettoyage et procede d'utilisation
CN219206184U (zh) 一种加液清洁刷
US10638830B2 (en) Neat hand-washing system
CN212200648U (zh) 一种洁厕剂容器
CN210783345U (zh) 一种喷液式清洁刷
EP1859704A2 (fr) Brosse de wc distributrice
EP1480544A1 (fr) Instrument menager de nettoyage a verrouillage de securite

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AK Designated states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EC EE ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NI NO NZ OM PG PH PL PT RO RU SC SD SE SG SK SL SY TJ TM TN TR TT TZ UA UG UZ VC VN YU ZA ZM ZW

AL Designated countries for regional patents

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): GH GM KE LS MW MZ SD SL SZ TZ UG ZM ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LU MC NL PT RO SE SI SK TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GQ GW ML MR NE SN TD TG

121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application
WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 2003792240

Country of ref document: EP

ENP Entry into the national phase

Ref document number: 2495397

Country of ref document: CA

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 2004530066

Country of ref document: JP

WWP Wipo information: published in national office

Ref document number: 2003792240

Country of ref document: EP

WWG Wipo information: grant in national office

Ref document number: 2003792240

Country of ref document: EP