The present invention relates generally to brushes, and more particularly, to a brush system having a storable hose and multiple brushes of different design which can be interchangeably attached to the hose depending on the desired spray characteristics.
The advent of flatware has necessitated a simple and efficient way for cleaning. Early techniques for cleaning flatware included the use of dish towels, sponges, rags, brushes, steel wool and the like. The automatic dishwasher has eliminated many of the problems encountered in cleaning dishes.
Automatic dishwashers may have drawbacks for some applications. For example, automatic dishwashers are expensive and cannot easily be installed in many older homes or apartments without major structural modification of the kitchen area. Some types of food preparation and serving items such as electric frying devices, for example, cannot be cleaned using an automatic dishwasher.
Sponges and handheld cleaning brushes are commonly used to clean flatware and other food preparation items. Conventional sponges and cleaning brushes, however, typically require that a user hold the item which is being cleaned with one hand and the sponge or brush with the other. While a water spraying nozzle may be used in conjunction with the sponge or brush, however, it may be difficult or impossible for the cleaner to simultaneously hold both the sponge or brush and the water spraying nozzle in an effective manner.
In some applications, a conventional water spraying nozzle may be attached to a hose connected to a water supply on one side of a sink. The user may grasp the nozzle with one hand while grasping a sponge or cleaning brush with the other hand to clean the item. This arrangement, however, may be cumbersome since the nozzle and the sponge or cleaning brush may need to be juggled from hand to hand.
Accordingly, there is need for a brush system having a storable hose and multiple brushes of different design which can be interchangeably attached to the hose depending on the desired spray characteristics.
The present invention is directed to a brush system having a storable hose and multiple brushes of different design which can be interchangeably attached to the hose depending on the desired spray characteristics. An illustrative embodiment of the brush system may include a hose housing. A hose spool may be disposed for rotation in the hose housing. A spray hose may be wound on the hose spool. A source of pressurized water may be disposed in fluid communication with the spray hose. A brush coupling assembly may terminate the extending distal end of the spray hose. Various brushes of different design may be interchangeably attached to the brush coupling assembly. Accordingly, pressurized water may be supplied to the brush through the spray hose and brush coupling assembly, respectively. A water spray may be discharged from the brush against an item to be cleaned. In alternative embodiments, the hose housing may be omitted and the spray hose may be dispensed from a counter or other enclosure or support.
In an illustrative implementation of the invention, a brush system having a storable hose and multiple brushes of different design which can be interchangeably attached to the hose depending on the desired spray characteristics may include a hose housing. A hose spool may be disposed for rotation in the hose housing. A spray hose may be wound on the hose spool. A brush coupling assembly may terminate the extending distal end of the spray hose. Various brushes of different design may be interchangeably attached to the brush coupling assembly. A flow control valve may be connected to the spray hose through a supply hose. The flow control valve may be connected to a source of pressurized water through a source hose. Accordingly, pressurized water may be supplied to the brush through the source hose, flow control valve, supply hose, spray hose and brush coupling assembly, respectively. A water spray may be discharged from the brush against an item to be cleaned.
In a second aspect, the hose housing may include a lower housing panel, a pair of side housing panels, an upper housing panel, a rear housing panel, a front housing panel and a housing interior, and the hose spool may be disposed for rotation in the housing interior.
In another aspect, a hose spool support may be provided in the housing interior of the hose housing, and the hose spool may be supported for rotation by the hose spool support.
In another aspect, the hose spool support may include a rear support member and a front support member disposed in spaced-apart relationship to the rear support member. The hose spool may be journaled for rotation between the rear support member and the front support member of the hose spool support.
In another aspect, the hose spool may include a rear spool flange, a front spool flange disposed in spaced-apart relationship to the rear spool flange, a spool body extending between the rear spool flange and the front spool flange and a spool mount shaft extending from the spool body.
In another aspect, a rear shaft bearing and a front shaft bearing may rotatably mount the hose spool on the rear support member and the front support member, respectively, of the hose spool support.
In another aspect, a rear shaft bearing may mount the spool mount shaft on the rear support member of the hose spool support.
In another aspect, a hose connecting conduit may be disposed in fluid communication with the spray hose and the supply hose.
In another aspect, the hose connecting conduit may extend through the front housing panel of the hose housing.
In another aspect, a hose coupling may be provided on the hose connecting conduit, and the supply hose may be connectable to the hose coupling.
In another aspect, a home station arm may extend from the hose housing, and the spray hose may extend from the housing interior of the hose housing through the home station arm.
In another aspect, the brush coupling assembly may include a typically knob-controllable shutoff valve on the distal or extending end of the spray hose, a coupling socket disposed in fluid communication with the shutoff valve, a socket cup disposed in the coupling socket and at least one socket opening extending through the socket cup, and each brush may be configured for releasable attachment to the coupling socket.
In another aspect, each brush may include a brush handle, a spray head on the brush handle and a brush coupling extending from the brush handle, and the brush coupling may be configured to connect with the coupling socket of the brush coupling assembly.
In another aspect, a brush release button may be provided on the brush handle of each brush to facilitate selective release and detachment of the brush from the brush coupling assembly.
In another aspect, the interchangeable brushes may include a scrub brush.
In another aspect, the interchangeable brushes may include a bottle brush.
In another aspect, the scrub brush may include a plurality of brush bristles extending from the spray head.
In another aspect, a spray concentrator may be deployable in place on the spray head to concentrate the spray discharged from the spray head.
In another aspect, the bottle brush may include a brush opening in the brush head.
In another aspect, a spray control button may be provided on the spray head of the scrub brush to control the flaccid or forceful discharge of spray from the spray head.
In another aspect, the flow control valve may be fitted with a valve handle.
In another aspect, the flow control valve may include a hose fitting, and the source hose and the supply hose may be connected to the hose fitting.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow.
Various illustrative embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements, and in which:
Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “rear”, “right”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in
Shown throughout the figures, the present invention is directed toward a brush system having a storable hose and multiple brushes of different design which can be interchangeably attached to the hose depending on the desired spray characteristics.
Referring initially to
A brush coupling assembly 166 may terminate the extending distal end of the spray hose 154. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
In some embodiments, the flow control valve 192 may be fitted with a valve handle 194. The valve handle 194 may facilitate selective opening and closing of the flow control valve 192. The flow control valve 192 may include a hose fitting 196. Accordingly, the source hose 198 and the supply hose 160 may be connected to the hose fitting 196.
As further illustrated in
As illustrated in
As will be appreciated, the lower housing panel 104, the side housing panels 106, the rear housing panel 108, the front housing panel 110 and the upper housing panel 112 may be secured to one another to form the assembled hose housing 102. As illustrated in
As further illustrated in
The hose spool 132 may include a rear spool flange 136. A front spool flange 138 may be disposed in a spaced-apart relationship to the rear spool flange 136. A spool body 134 may extend between the rear spool flange 136 and the front spool flange 138. In some embodiments, the spool body 134 may be cylindrical. The spray hose 154 may be wound on the spool body 134.
The hose spool 132 may be mounted or journaled for rotation on the hose spool support 120. In some embodiments, a spool mount shaft 140 may extend rearwardly from the spool body 134. A rear shaft bearing 124 may rotatably mount the spool mount shaft 140 on the rear support member 122 of the hose spool support 120. A front shaft bearing 128 may mount the spool body 134 on the front support member 126 of the hose spool support 120.
In some embodiments, a spool rotation wheel 144 may drivingly engage the spool mount shaft 140. The spool rotation wheel 144 may be exposed through a wheel opening (not illustrated) in the rear housing panel 108 of the hose housing 102. The spool rotation wheel 144 may facilitate rotation of the hose spool 132 through the spool mount shaft 140 and winding or unwinding of the spray hose 154 with respect to the hose spool 132. A wheel engagement device such as a handle, dimples, or the like may be provided on or in the spool rotation wheel 144 to enable a user to manually rotate the spool rotation wheel 144 and the hose spool 132.
A hose connecting conduit 142 may be disposed in fluid communication with the spray hose 154 and the supply hose 160, for example, via a distal hose coupling 164. The hose connecting conduit 142 may extend through a conduit opening in the front housing panel 110 of the hose housing 102. A distal hose coupling 164 may connect the supply hose 160 to the hose connecting conduit 142.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
In some embodiments, each brush 178, 210 may include a surrounding splash guard to prevent water from splashing when the brush 178, 210 is placed in the splash guard when not in use.
As illustrated in
A spray head 184 may terminate the extending or distal end of the brush handle 180. At least one, and typically, multiple spray openings may discharge through the face of the spray head 184. The spray openings may be disposed in fluid communication with the spray hose 154 through the distal hose coupling 164, the shutoff valve 174, the coupling socket 168, the brush handle 180 and the spray head 184, respectively. A plurality of brush bristles 186 may extend from the face of the spray head 184 adjacent to the spray openings.
In some embodiments, a spray control button 190 may be provided on the spray head 184 of the scrub brush 178. The spray control button 190 may be configured to dispense a flaccid discharge of water spray 176 from the spray head 184, as shown by way of example in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
A bulbous brush head 214 may terminate on the extending or distal end of the brush handle 212. The brush head 214 may be configured for insertion into a bottle for washing of the bottle interior. A brush opening 216 may be provided in the brush head 214. The brush opening 216 may be disposed in fluid communication with the spray hose 154 through the distal hose coupling 164, the shutoff valve 174, the coupling socket 168 and the brush coupling 222, respectively. Accordingly, the bottle brush 210 may be configured to discharge a conical water spray 218 from the brush head 214 through the brush opening 216 in at least one application of the brush system 100, described hereinafter.
In a typical application of the brush system 100, the source hose 198 may be coupled to the hose fitting 196 of the flow control valve 192 via the source hose coupling 200. The supply hose 160 may be coupled to the hose coupling 196 of the flow control valve 192 via the proximal hose coupling 162, as shown in
The selected length of the spray hose 154 may be extended from the hose spool 132 typically by pulling the spray hose 154 through the home station arm 150. The scrub brush 178 or the bottle brush 210 may be attached to the brush coupling assembly 166, as was heretofore described with respect to
The flow control valve 192 may be opened, typically by rotating the valve handle 194, to distribute water from the source of pressurized water through the open flow control valve 192, the supply hose 160, the hose connecting conduit 142 and the spray hose 154, respectively. The shutoff valve 174 of the brush coupling assembly 166 may be opened to facilitate flow of the pressurized water from the spray hose 154 through the brush coupling assembly 164 and the brush handle 180 of the brush 184, respectively. As illustrated in
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the spray characteristics of the scrub brush 178 can be selectively adjusted to achieve a flaccid discharge of the water spray 176 from the spray head 184, once again, as shown in
As illustrated in
Referring again to
In some embodiments, the shutoff valve in the brush handle 180, 212 may be pressure actuated. Upon applying pressure of the brush head 184, 214 to the item being cleaned, the shutoff valve may open to permit flow of the water through the brush handle 180, 212 and discharge of the water spray 176, 218 from the brush head 184, 214, respectively. Conversely, upon release of the brush head 184, 214 from the item, the shutoff valve may close to prevent flow of the water through the brush handle 180, 212 and discharge of the water spray 176, 218 through the brush head 184, 214, respectively.
In some embodiments, the brush handle 180 of the scrub brush 178 or the brush handle 212 of the bottle brush 210 may include an opening or port which facilitates introduction of a cleaning solution into the flow of the water through the brush handle 180, 212. This feature may facilitate mixture of the cleaning solution with the water and discharge of the water and cleaning solution in the water spray 176, 218 in the cleaning of dishes or other flatware or silverware, for example and without limitation.
Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/182,393 filed on Apr. 30, 2021, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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63182393 | Apr 2021 | US |