Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A Device for the Dosed Application of Cleaning Products
This invention relates to a device for the dosed application of
cleaning product to a cleaning brush disposed in a brush holder, more
particularly for cleaning lavatories, comprising a deformable container for
the cleaning product ("cleaner").
FR 15 75 741 describes a cleaning brush set consisting of a brush
and a brush holder with a brush rest, a container for a cleaning product
provided with an outlet opening with which with the brush head of the brush
is designed to be brought into contact being integrated in the brush holder.
Although this cleaning brush set is also suitable for liquid cleaners, it is
primarily intended as a toothbrush set composed of a toothbrush and a
toothbrush holder, a container for a tooth cleaning product being integrated
in the toothbrush holder. The tooth cleaning product may be liquid or
semiliquid, the toothbrush coming into contact on removal from the brush
holder with an application roller of the product container so that liquid
tooth
cleaning product is transferred to the brush.
The known toothbrush set requires both a special toothbrush and a
special brush holder with an integrated product container. In addition, the
known brush set is not suitable for cleaning lavatories.
Applicants' hitherto unpublished German patent application 197 36
551 discloses a cleaning brush set for cleaning lavatories with which the
cleaning of a lavatory can be considerably improved, the cleaning brush set
being easy to handle by the user and, above all, guaranteeing exact dosing
of the cleaning product. To this end, the cleaning brush set comprises a
container for the cleaning product which is integrated in the brush holder
and which is provided with an outlet opening plus outlet nozzle that opens
in the vicinity of the brush rest, the outlet nozzle being preceded in the
flow
path by a pump in the product container equipped with a pump lever
accessible from outside which, at its free end, is in the form of a rest for
the
brush handle. Although this known cleaning brush set is entirely functional,
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it is a stand-alone system which cannot be used in conjunction with
conventional brush sets consisting solely of a brush holder and a brush.
In addition, EP 0 210 522 B1 describes a dispenser for lavatory
cleaners where the cleaner is transported through a brush handle formed
with a longitudinal passage. Arranged in the product container of this
dispenser is a U-shaped discharge tube of which the longer arm extends
over the opening of the container to the inner longitudinal passage while
the shorter arm ends just short of the opening, a small hole being provided
in a bend joining both arms. The product is transportedldelivered on the
principle of communicating tubes, i.e. when the product container is
compressed, the liquid is expressed into the shorter arm and passes via
the connecting bend and the longer arm into the longitudinal passage of
the brush handle and from there via terminal valueless openings onto the
brush head; when the container is relaxed, part of the liquid still present in
the longer arm rises back into the container under the suction effect. This
is possible because air enters the vicinity of the air bubble through the arm
and the small hole and replaces the expressed volume of liquid. The
column of liquid initially present breaks up so that further dispensing is
prevented. Disadvantages of this known dispenser are, on the one hand,
its relatively complicated construction, which means that commercially
available cleaning brushes cannot be used, and on the other hand the lack
of user friendliness and reliability.
The dispenser described in DE 196 47 270 A1 also does not allow
the use of commercially available cleaning brushes but requires a special
design. This is because the brush head and the brush handle are both
hollow and the openings in the brush head cannot be closed between
individual applications of product so that only viscous cleaners can be
used. In addition, if the dispenser is not used for some time, the product is
in danger of drying out.
Accordingly, the problem addressed by the invention was to find an
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easy way of providing conventional brush sets, more particularly for
cleaning lavatories, with a supply of cleaning product.
In a device of the type described at the beginning, the solution to
this problem as provided by the invention is characterized in that the
product container is mounted on the brush holder andlor a brush handle of
the cleaning brush to form a contact surface for a wall of the brush holder
andlor for a holding ring of the brush handle and comprises an outlet
opening for the cleaning product to be applied which opens under the effect
of pressure applied to the product container.
Accordingly, the invention provides a device which consists solely of
an elastically deformable product container. This device is also suitable for
use with commercially available brush sets, the product container merely
having to be fixed to the brush handle or to the brush holder. For dosing,
the cleaning brush is longitudinally displaced towards the brush holder from
a starting position where the product container is not deformed into a
dosing position where the container is deformed. During the movement,
the product container is compressed against the fixed brush holder so that
cleaning product flows through the opened outlet opening out of the
product container and passes into the vicinity of the brush head of the
cleaning brush. Only one hand is needed for dosing.
According to the invention, the product container may be fixed in
position at various places - on the one hand on the outside or the inside of
a wall of the brush holder and on the other hand on the brush handle.
When the brush is in place in the brush holder, the product container has at
least one contact surface acting as a stop therefor. An arrangement such
as this enables the device to be easily and reliably handled at any time.
In a first embodiment, the product container is fixed to the outside of
the brush holder and, underneath, has a contact surface for the brush
holder and, on top, has a contact surface for the holding ring of the brush
handle. In a second embodiment, the product container is fixed to a
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section of the cleaning brush handle located outside the brush holder and,
underneath, has a contact surface for the brush holder and, on top, has a
contact surface for the holding ring of the brush handle. In both
embodiments, it is necessary during dosing to push the brush downwards
towards the brush holder so that the product container is compressed and
the outlet opening in its base is released. To terminate the dosing process,
the brush is pulled in the opposite direction and the product container
expands.
In another embodiment, the product container is fixed internally to
the brush holder and, on top, has a contact surface for the brush holder,
the brush holder engaging in a space between the holding ring on the
brush handle and the top of the product container. In a fourth embodiment,
the product container is fixed to a section of the cleaning brush handle
located inside the brush holder and, on top, has a contact surface for the
brush holder. The brush holder engages in a space between the holding
ring and the top of the product container. In both embodiments, it is
necessary during dosing to pull the brush upwards towards the brush
holder so that the product container is compressed and the outlet opening
in its base is released. To terminate the dosing process, the brush is
moved in the opposite direction so that the product container returns to its
original volume.
In order to achieve exact dosing and controlled compression of the
product container, the product container has a bellows-like construction.
To enable the product container to be readily fixed to the brush
handle, the product container is advantageously of sleeve-like construction
and comprises a lateral holding slot - preferably adapted to the holding slot
of the brush holder - for fastening to the brush handle. The product
container may thus readily be fastened to the handle of the cleaning brush
in such a way that the top of the container is in contact with the holding
ring
of the brush handle. The cleaning brush with the device according to the
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invention may then be replaced in the brush holder in such a way that the
underneath of the product container rests on the top of the brush holder.
Alternatively, the product container may also have fastenings for
fixing to the outside or top or to the inside or underneath of the brush
5 holder. These fastenings may be in the form of adhesive, detent or
bayonet fastenings. In this case, the product container is of course also
designed in such a way that the brush can be readily inserted both into the
brush holder and into the product container.
It is of advantage to provide compression-limiting means, such as
stops, in the region of the product container in order in this way to keep the
quantity to be dispensed during compression substantially constant.
The outlet opening of the product container preferably has a tube-
like outlet passage designed to be inserted into the interior of the brush
holder. This outlet tube may either be guided through the holding slot in
the brush holder or downwards at its front past the holder into the interior
of
the brush holder and hence into the vicinity of the brush head of the brush.
In order to achieve exact dosing of the cleaning product, the outlet
opening is provided with a closure which opens when pressure is applied to
the container. This closure may be formed, for example, by a valve, a
valve membrane or the like.
In another advantageous embodiment, the product container has a
closable refill opening, preferably in its upper surface. This ensures that
the device can be reused several times.
The product container can be made by a simple process, for
example by extrusion blow molding.
The device may be marketed as a single part. However, the device
according to the invention may also be marketed as part of a complete
cleaning brush set with a brush and a brush holder.
The invention is described in more detail in the following with
reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
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Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cleaning brush set equipped with a
device according to the invention.
Figure 2 is a view from above of the brush set shown in Fig. 1.
A cleaning brush set, more particularly for cleaning lavatories, is
generally denoted by the reference numeral 1 in the drawings. This
cleaning brush set comprises a brush 2 with a brush head 3 and brush
handle 4, the brush handle 4 being provided approximately at its middle
with a holding ring 5 which, usually, is formed integrally on the brush
handle 4. In addition, the cleaning brush set conventionally comprises a
brush holder 6 formed at its upper end with a holding slot 7 into which the
brush handle 4 of the brush 2 is designed to be inserted and held from
above by its holding ring 5.
Now, according to the invention, a device for the dosed application
of cleaning product to the cleaning brush 2 or rather to its brush head 3 is
provided. This device comprises a product container 8 which is preferably
made of plastic by extrusion blow moulding and which, in the illustrated
embodiment, has a bellows-like and sleeve-like construction. Underneath,
the product container 8 has a tube-like outlet passage 9 with an outlet
opening 10 preferably equipped with a valve (not shown) or the like which
opens when pressure is applied to the product container 8 and closes
again when the pressure is removed. The product container 8 is designed
to be fastened to the top 6a of the brush holder 6 and/or to the brush
handle 4 of the cleaning brush 2 and, on top, has a contact surface 11 for
bearing against the holding ring 5 of the brush handle 4.
In the illustrated embodiment, the product container 8 of the device
according to the invention can be fastened to the brush handle 4. To this
end, the sleeve-like product container 8 is provided with a lateral holding
slot 12 adapted to the holding slot 7 of the brush holder 6 so that the
sleeve-like product container 8 can be fastened to the brush handle 4.
Alternatively, the product container 8 may also be fastened
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underneath to the top 6a of the brush holder 6, for example by an
adhesive, detent or similar fastening. In this case, the holding slot 12 is
shaped in such a way that, when the brush 2 is inserted into the brush
holder 6, the brush handle 4 can readily be inserted into and removed from
the holding slots 7, 12 - aligning with one another - of the brush holder 6
and the product container 8.
The outlet tube 9 of the product container 8 may either be guided
through the holding slot 7 of the brush holder 6 or from outside into the
interior of the brush holder 6 so that the outlet opening 10 is situated above
the brush head 3 of the inserted brush 2.
If the brush handle 4 is pushed downwards by the user, the product
container 8 - fixed between the top 6a of the brush holder 6 and the
holding ring 5 of the brush handle 4 - is vertically compressed so that the
cleaning product accommodated in the container 8 flows out of the outlet
opening 10 and passes into the vicinity of the brush head 3 and wets it with
cleaning product.
It can be seen that the device according to the invention is suitable
for any conventional cleaning brush sets, i.e. an existing brush set can
easily be fitted with a device according to the invention.
The device itself or rather the product container thereof is preferably
provided on top with a closable refill opening 13 so that, after complete
emptying, the product container 8 can easily be refilled again.
The invention is not of course confined to the illustrated
embodiment. Other embodiments are possible without departing from the
basic concept. Thus, the shape of the product container 8 may also be
different although it is essential that the container 8 can be compressed
easily and under control by applying pressure to the brush handle 4 to
guarantee the outflow of product from the outlet opening 10. By suitably
shaping the outlet opening 10, it is even possible to ensure - depending on
the product - that the required amount of product is dispensed from the
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product container 8 by a single actuation, i.e. by a single depression of the
brush handle 4, and passes into the vicinity of the brush head 3.
