CLEANING SYSTEM

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to cleaning implements for cleaning surfaces such as are found in a bathroom or similar environment including brushes, sponges, scouring pads, mops and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, a cleaning system comprises at least a first type of scrubber head having a first type of attachment mechanism and a second type of attachment mechanism. A first type of cleaning pad is adapted to be releasably mounted to the first type of scrubber head using the first attachment mechanism. A second type of cleaning pad is adapted to be releasably mounted to the first type of scrubber head using the second attachment mechanism.

Other embodiments are also possible. The first type of cleaning pad may comprise a movable lock member that selectively engages the first type of scrubber head. The first type of attachment mechanism may comprise a first flange that extends from a first end of the base and a second flange that extends from a second end of the base. The first attachment mechanism may comprise a first flange that extends from a first end of the base and a second flange that extends from a second end of the base. The first type of cleaning pad may comprise a mounting block comprising a third flange that is dimensioned and positioned such that it engages the first flange and a movable lock member that is dimensioned and positioned to engage the second flange. The lock member may be movable between a locked position and an unlocked position where the lock member may be biased to the locked position. The lock member and mounting block may be formed as one-piece of a plastic material where the lock member pivots relative to the mounting block at a hinge. The lock member may comprise a lead-in surface that is engageable by the first type of scrubber head during attachment of the first type of scrubber head to the cleaning pad such that the lock member is moved from the locked position to the unlocked position. The first type of cleaning pad and the second type of cleaning pad may comprise a bristle brush, a scour pad, a sponge and a microfiber cloth. The second attachment mechanism may comprise a plurality of hooks on the base. One of the first type of cleaning pad and the second type of cleaning pad may comprise a cleaning surface and a plurality of hook receiving surfaces engageable with the plurality of hooks. The cleaning system may further comprise a second type of scrubber head having the first type of attachment mechanism and the second type of attachment mechanism wherein the first type of cleaning pad and the second type of cleaning pad are adapted to be releasably mounted to the second type of scrubber head using the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism. One of the first type of scrubber head and the second type of scrubber head may comprise a handle and a detail brush removably mounted on the scrubber head. One of the first type of scrubber head and the second type of scrubber head may comprise a handle and a tank for holding a cleaning solution and a nozzle for spraying the cleaning solution. One of the first type of scrubber head and the second type of scrubber head may comprise a handle and a yoke comprising a first connector adapted to be connected to a pole where the yoke is attached to the scrubber head at pivot such that the yoke may pivot relative to the scrubber head. The yoke may pivot between a first position where the yoke is disposed remote from the handle and a second position. A lock may be provided to lock the yoke relative to the scrubber head in the first position. A pole may comprise a second connector that releasably engages the first connector. The pole may comprise a first section that is repositionable relative to a second section to adjust the length of the pole. One of the first type of scrubber head and the second type of scrubber head may comprise a first section made of a rigid material and a second section connected to the first section made of a flexible material and a handle assembly movable between a first position where the handle assembly engages the first section and the second section and a second position where the second section is able to flex when a force is applied to the second section. A lock mechanism may be provided that locks the handle assembly in both the first position and the second position.

In one embodiment, a brush comprises a base comprising a first section and a flexible second section that is connected to and extends from the first section. A cleaning surface is attached to the base. An assembly is mounted on the base such that the assembly is movable relative to the base between a first position where the assembly engages both the first section and the second section and a second position where the assembly engages the first section and allows the second section to flex. A lock member locks the assembly in the first position and the second position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a head usable in the cleaning tool and system of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of a cleaning pad usable in the cleaning tool of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of another embodiment of the cleaning pad usable in the cleaning tool of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of yet another embodiment of the cleaning pad usable in the cleaning tool of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of still another embodiment of the cleaning pad usable in the cleaning tool of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the head of FIG. 1 and the cleaning pad of FIG. 2 used in an embodiment of a cleaning tool.

FIG. 7 is a partial section view of the cleaning tool of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of a head usable in the cleaning tool and system of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a head usable in the cleaning tool and system of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a back view of the head of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a section view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a detailed top view of the head of FIG. 9.

FIG. 13 is a side view of yet another embodiment of a of a head usable in the cleaning tool and system of the invention.

FIG. 14 is a section view of the head of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of a head and extender pole usable in the cleaning tool and system of the invention.

FIG. 16 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 15.

FIG. 18 is a detailed section view taken along line 18-18 of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a head usable in the cleaning tool and system of the invention.

FIG. 20 is a side view of the head of FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a back view of the head of FIG. 19.

FIG. 22 is a section view taken along line 22-22 of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is a bottom view of the head of FIG. 19.

FIG. 24 is a detailed perspective view of the head of FIG. 19.

FIG. 25 is a view similar to FIG. 24 showing the flexible portion of the head in a flexed condition.

FIG. 26 is a more detailed view of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Like references numbers are used to refer to like elements throughout.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Relative terms such as “below” or “above” or “upper” or “lower” or “horizontal” or “vertical” or “top” or “bottom” or “front” or “rear” may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element, area or region to another element, area or region as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.

Environments such as bathrooms are a difficult to clean because of the variety of surfaces, hard to reach areas, tight spaces, surface contours, and difficult and unpleasant substances to be cleaned. The cleaning tools and system described herein may be used on a variety of different types of surfaces and provide distinct cleaning processes and functionalities. The cleaning tools and system are able to clean different surfaces and different substances using interchangeable cleaning pads. The cleaning tools and system are easy to use and efficiently clean tub/shower floors, walls, fixtures and hard to reach areas such as corners. The cleaning tools and system provide the user with the ability to clean with an extended reach product that may be quickly and easily changed to a handheld scrubber providing more leverage. The cleaning tools and system allow the cleaning pads to be easily removed and replaced. The cleaning tools are ergonomically designed for leverage while scrubbing. The cleaning tools and system provide a platform from which a variety of cleaning tools may be created by the end user using interchangeable components.

The cleaning system comprises a plurality of different types of scrubber heads 2 that may be releasably connected to a plurality of different types of cleaning pads 4 such that a scrubber head and cleaning pad combination may be selected to perform a specific cleaning function. Each type of scrubber head 2 may be provided with different functionalities and structures and each type of cleaning pad 4 may be provided with different functionalities and cleaning surfaces. The scrubber heads 2 and cleaning pads 4 may comprise attachment mechanisms that allow the cleaning pads to be removably connected to the scrubber heads such that different combinations of different types of cleaning pads and different types of scrubber heads may be provided.

One embodiment of a scrubber head 2 and cleaning pad 4 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. The scrubber head 2 comprises a base 6 that supports and is releasably connected to the cleaning pad 4 and a handle 8 that extends from the base 6. The handle 8 and base 6 may be formed as a one-piece component. The scrubber head 2 may be injection molded of a thermoplastic such as polypropylene or otherwise made of a relatively rigid, strong material. The base 6 comprises an upper surface 10 to which the handle 8 is connected and a lower surface 12 (FIGS. 7 and 8). A lateral side wall 16 joins the upper surface 10 and the lower surface 12. The base 6 may have any shape suitable for cleaning and in the illustrated embodiment comprises a tapered shape that extends from a narrow tip 14 at the front end of the tool to a relatively broader rear end 18. Providing a tapered tool allows the front tip 14 of the tool to reach narrow areas and corners while providing suitable surface area for larger scale cleaning. The handle 8 may extend from adjacent the front end of the base 6 to a free standing back end 17. The handle 8 is positioned so as to be centered along the longitudinal axis of the base 6 and extends such that in use a force applied to the handle 8 by the user will be approximately centered on the base 6. The handle 8 may be provided with a soft elastomer insert to create a relatively soft hand grip 20. For example the insert may be overmolded on a polypropylene handle 8 with a material such as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The base 6 includes a first attachment mechanism for releasably connecting the scrubber head 2 to certain types of cleaning pads and a second attachment mechanism for releasably connecting the scrubber head 2 to other types of cleaning pads as will hereinafter be described

The cleaning pads 4 may comprise a wide variety of cleaning surfaces and materials designed to meet specific cleaning needs and/or be used on specific types of surfaces. For example the cleaning surface of the cleaning pads 4 may comprise bristles 30 (FIG. 2), a scour pad 32 (FIG. 3), a sponge 34 (FIG. 4), a microfiber cloth 36 (FIG. 5) and/or other suitable cleaning surfaces, materials and structures. The cleaning pads may also comprise combinations of surfaces and/or materials such as a microfiber cloth having scouring strips that is backed by a sponge, a scour pad backed by a sponge or the like. The cleaning pads and cleaning surfaces may comprise any suitable material or combination of materials. The cleaning pads 4 may be disposable or reusable. The cleaning pads 4 are removably mounted on the scrubber head 2 using one of two attachment mechanisms as will be described. The removable and replaceable cleaning pads 4 also extend the life of the tool because the cleaning pad 4 is the system component most likely to wear, making the tool economical and sustainable.

In one embodiment of the cleaning pad 4, the attachment mechanism comprises a rigid mounting block 40 on which a cleaning surface is provided as shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 7. The rigid mounting block 40 may be made of a rigid thermoplastic such as polypropylene or other suitable strong, rigid material. In one illustrated embodiment the cleaning surface comprises a plurality of bristles 30 secured to one side of the mounting block 40 (FIG. 2), although the cleaning surface may comprise any suitable cleaning surface and/or materials or combinations of cleaning surfaces and materials. To make a bristle brush the mounting block 40 may be injection molded of a rigid material such as polypropylene. A bristling machine may then insert the bristles 30 into the molded mounting block where the bristles are cut and trimmed. The mounting block 40 may have an overall shape that conforms to the shape of the base 6 of the scrubber head 2 and that is dimensioned to conform to and fit against the bottom surface 12 of the scrubber head 2. In one embodiment, a rim 44 extends from the opposite side of the block 40 from bristles 30 to define a receptacle that receives the base 6. However, in other embodiments, the block 40 may not include a rim or may include a partial rim that only partially circumscribes the outer periphery of block 40. The base 6 may be inserted into the receptacle with the mounting block 40 abutting the lower surface 12 of the base 6 and the rim 44 extending over an closely receiving the side wall 16. To attach the mounting block 40 to the scrubber head 2 a cantilever snap-in attachment mechanism may be used. The attachment mechanism can include one or more engagement members at one or more positions of the block 40 and one or more positions of the scrubber head 2. For example, according to one embodiment, an attachment mechanism may comprises a first pair of engagement members on the front ends of the mounting block 40 and the scrubber head 2 and a second pair of engagement members on the rear ends of the scrubber head 2 and mounting block 40. It is appreciated that while the engagement members are shown and described as being proximate to the front and rear portions of the mounting block 40 and the scrubber head 2, in other embodiments one or more engagement members may be located at any location along the outer edge of the block 40 and the scrubber head 2 and operate in a like manner as explicitly described herein. Moreover, in other embodiments, engagement members need not be oriented proximate to the edge or perimeter of the block 40 or scrubber head 2, but instead may be located anywhere on the upper surface of the block 40 and a corresponding location(s) on the lower surface of the scrubber head 2.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, the engagement member on the front of the scrubber head 2 comprises a first lip or flange 52 that extends outwardly from the base 6. The engagement member on the front of the mounting block 40 comprises an inwardly extending lip or flange 58 that is dimensioned and positioned such that it engages the first lip or flange 52 formed on the front end of the base 6. Flanges 52 and 58 are arranged such that flange 52 is disposed behind flange 58 and between flange 58 and mounting block 40. According to this embodiment, the engagement member 54 on the rear of the scrubber head 2 comprises a second lip or flange 56 that extends outwardly from the base portion 6. The engagement member on the rear of the mounting block 40 comprises a movable lock member 60 that is dimensioned and positioned to engage the second lip or flange 56. The lock member 60 is movable between a locked position (shown in FIG. 7) and an unlocked position. The lock member 60 is biased to the locked position. In one embodiment the lock member 60 and mounting block 40 are formed as one-piece of molded plastic where the lock member 60 pivots relative to the mounting block 40. In one embodiment the lock member 60 extends from the mounting block 40 in a cantilevered manner and creates a snap lock with the lip or flange 56. The plastic material that forms the lock member 60 provides the biasing force that biases the lock member 60 to the locked position. The lock member 60 may also be formed as a separate mechanical element from the mounting block 40 where the lock member 60 is connected to the mounting block 40 at a mechanical hinge. The lock member 60 may also be biased to the locked position by a separate biasing mechanism such as a spring rather than using the plastic material as the biasing mechanism. In yet another embodiment, a lock member may simply be formed of a material that has at least partial deflection or elastic characteristics such that the lock member may be deformed during attachment and removal of the cleaning pad 4, such as under the force of the lock member against the scrubber head 2 or by manual deflection by the user. In yet another embodiment, a lock member may be a sliding or pivoting member that has a tab releasably engageable with a corresponding detent, tang, or other snap fit or friction fit connection. The use of the plastic material as the biasing mechanism, however, may provide one economical arrangement of making the movable lock member. The lock member 60 may also be provided with a lead-in surface 64 that is engaged by the back edge 6a of body 6 during attachment of the scrubber head 2 to the cleaning pad 4. The surface 64 is arranged such that the lock member 60 is moved from the locked position to the unlocked position against the bias of the biasing mechanism when it is engaged by the back edge 6a of body 6.

To attach the scrubber head 2 to the cleaning pad 4 the front end of the base 6 is positioned against the front end of the mounting block 40 such that the flange or lip 52 of the base 6 is positioned behind the flange or lip 58 of the mounting block 40. The rear end of the scrubber head 2 is then rotated toward the rear end of the mounting block 40 such that the back edge 6a of the base 6 engages the surface 64 on the lock member 60. As the rear end of the scrubber head 2 is pushed toward the mounting block 40 the engagement of the base 6 with the lead-in surface 64 moves the lock member 60 to the unlocked position such that the lip or flange 56 may move passed the lock member 60 and the base 6 may be seated in the receptacle formed by rim 44 and mounting block 40. When the rear end of the base 6 moves past the lock member 60, the biasing member moves the lock member 60 to the locked position. In the locked position the lock member 60 engages and is positioned over the lip or flange 56 of the base 6. In this position the base 6 of the scrubber head 2 is secured to the cleaning pad 4 by the engagement of the locking member 60 with flange 56 at the back end of the tool and the engagement of the flange 52 with the flange 58 at the front end of the tool.

To release the scrubber head 2 from the cleaning pad 4, the lock member 60 is moved to the unlocked position. To facilitate the movement of the lock member 60 to the unlocked position a lever 68 is provided on the lock member 60 that may be easily pushed by the user to release the lock member 60 from flange 56. Once the lock member 60 is released, the rear end of the scrubber head 2 may be rotated away from the mounting block 40. After the rear end of the scrubber head 2 is rotated way from the mounting block 40 the flange 52 may be removed from engagement with the flange 58. It is appreciated that, in other embodiments, the lock member 60 (or other lock members described herein) may likewise be provided in opposite arrangement such that the lock member is coupled to the scrubber head and releasably engages a corresponding structure on the cleaning pad 4.

The lock member 60 may be used on both ends of the scrubber head 2 and cleaning pad 4 rather than using the engaging flanges 52 and 58. Moreover, the pivoting lock member 60 may be replaced by a rotating cam lock on one of the scrubber head and cleaning pad that engages a mating structure or cam surface on the other of the scrubber head and cleaning pad. The lock member may also comprise a linear lock such as a bolt or rod on one of the scrubber head and cleaning pad that engages a mating structure or receptacle on the other of the scrubber head and cleaning pad. The lock member may also comprise a threaded member such as a set screw threadably attached to one of the scrubber head and cleaning pad that may be tightened into engagement with the other of the scrubber head and cleaning pad. The cleaning pad 4 may also be attached to the scrubber head 2 using a keyed coupler where the bottom center of the scrubber head and the top center of the cleaning pad have mating keys. The scrubber head and cleaning pad 4 may be aligned such that the mating keys engage one another. After the keys are aligned the scrubber head and cleaning pad are rotated relative to one another (e.g. 90°) to lock the keyed couplers to one another. To unlock the keyed coupler the scrubber head and cleaning pad are rotated relative to one another in the opposite direction.

A cleaning pad 4 also may be mounted to the scrubber head 2 without using a rigid mounting block by a second attachment mechanism. To mount a cleaning pad 4 without using the mounting block 40, the bottom surface 12 of the scrubber head 2 is also provided with a series of hooks 70 (FIGS. 8 and 25). As used herein the term “hooks” is intended to mean, without limitation, members having one or more geometries permitting securement (or at least partial interference) with another hook-receiving surface, such as, but not limited to, rod-like members having one or more arced surfaces, rod-like members having a mushroom or umbrella shaped head, rod-like members having a t-shaped head or a flat head, rod-like members having a palm tree shaped or anchor shaped head, rod-like members having bent free ends, and the like. According to various embodiments, hook receiving surfaces may include, but are not limited to, loops, corresponding hooks, cut loops, free-ended fibers or plastic members, and the like. In one embodiment the hooks 70 are molded into the bottom surface during molding of the scrubber head 2. To facilitate the molding of the hooks 70 onto the surface 12, the surface 12 may be manufactured as a separate component from the remainder of the scrubber head 2. The surface 12 having the hooks 70 may be connected to the scrubber head 2 by fasteners such as screws 74, a snap fit connection, adhesive, welding or the like. The hooks 70 may also be formed separate from the bottom surface such as on fabric strips that are attached to the bottom surface by adhesive, welding, stitching, fasteners or the like. The hooks 70 may cover the entire surface 12 or may cover portions 76a, 76b and 76c of the surface 12 provided the cleaning pad 4 is securely held on the scrubber head 2. The cleaning pad 4 may comprise a cleaning surface such as a sponge, microfiber cloth, scouring pad or other suitable surface, material or structure or combinations of such surfaces, materials or structures. The cleaning surface may be attached to a backing material 72 having a plurality of loops 74 or other hook-receiving surfaces formed thereon as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. It is appreciated that in some embodiments, the cleaning pad 4 may not include a separate backing material 72, such that the hooks 70 secure directly to the back surface of the cleaning surface. In embodiments utilizing a backing material 72, the backing material 72 may be secured to the cleaning surface by any suitable attachment mechanism such as adhesive, stitching, welding, or the like. To attach the cleaning pad 4 to the scrubber head 2 the loops 74 or other hook-receiving surfaces of the cleaning pad are pressed against the hooks 70. To remove the cleaning pad 4 the loops 74 or other hook-receiving surfaces are simply pulled away from the hooks 70.

It is appreciated that while only two attachment mechanisms are shown and described, in some embodiments, a scrubber head 2 may include more than two different types of attachment mechanisms. In other embodiments, however, a first scrubber head 2 may only include a single attachment mechanism, whereas a second scrubber head 2 may include a different attachment mechanism than is included on the first scrubber head, such that different scrubber heads may support different functionality and/or cleaning pad types utilizing different attachment mechanisms.

A variety of different types of scrubber heads 2 may be provided with different structures and functionality such that different types of scrubber heads may be used with different types of cleaning pads 4. One such type of scrubber head is shown in FIGS. 9 through 12 and includes a detail brush 80 removably mounted on the scrubber head 2. The scrubber head 2 integrates an ergonomically correct detail brush 80 having a cleaning surface 82 to clean tight and difficult to reach surfaces. The cleaning surface 82 may comprise any suitable material such as bristles, sponge, microfiber, scouring pad or other suitable surface, material or structure or combinations of such surfaces, materials or structures. The detail brush 80 snaps into a matching shaped pocket 86 on the scrubber head 2 such that it is always within easy reach of the user during the cleaning process. The detail brush 80 snaps into and out of the scrubber head 2 separate from the cleaning pad 4 such that if the detail brush 80 is misplaced the user can continue using the scrubber head 2 and cleaning pad 4 as a unit. The provision of a separate detail brush allows a single tool to clean a variety of surface types that call for distinct cleaning processes and allows a user to clean different surfaces without using the same cleaning surface. The detail brush 80 also can clean very tight or difficult to reach surfaces that may not be reached by the scrubber head 2.

In one embodiment the pocket 86 extends along the longitudinal axis of the scrubber head 2 and is located on the upper surface 10 such that the detail brush 80 is easy to access. The pocket 86 conforms to the shape of the brush handle 84 such that a relatively snug fit is created between the brush handle 84 and the pocket 86. The pocket and/or detail brush may be provided with a locking structure to secure the detail brush 80 in pocket 86. The locking structure may comprise detents 88 on one of the handle 84 and pocket 86 that cooperate with projecting tangs 90 formed on the other one of the handle 84 and pocket 86 to create a mechanical lock between the detail brush 80 and the scrubbing head 2 (FIG. 12). The pocket 86 may be formed such that in the area of the cleaning surface 82 the pocket 86 extends through the scrubber head 2 (FIG. 11) such that the detail brush cleaning surface 82 is exposed on the underside of the scrubber head 2. Providing an open area allows the detail brush cleaning surface 82 to drain moisture and air to circulate around the cleaning surface to dry out the cleaning surface to prevent the formation of mold and mildew. Moreover, providing an open area below the cleaning surface 82 allows a user to push on the end 80a of the detail brush adjacent the cleaning surface 82 causing the opposite end 80b of brush handle 84 to pivot away from upper surface 10 and disengage from the locking structure 88, 90. The handle 84 of the detail brush 80 is rotated away from the scrubber head 2 where it may be easily grasped by a user.

An embodiment of another type of scrubber head is illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14. The cleaning tool comprises a manual spray brush having a scrubber head 2 and a removable cleaning pad 4 as described above. The scrubber head 2 comprises a tank or reservoir 100 that may be filled with a cleaning solution. The term “cleaning solution” is used herein in to mean any liquid usable for cleaning including water, other cleaning solutions or detergents, a mixture of water and/or other cleaning solutions or detergents, or the like. In one embodiment the tank 100 may hold 4-6 ounces of cleaning solution and includes a fill port 102 at the rear end of the tool that may be easily filled with a cleaning solution. The center of gravity of the tank 100 and the handle 108 is directly above the cleaning pad 4 and the center of gravity of the tool is centered on the handle 108. A trigger 110 is provided on the handle 108 that is operatively connected to a pump assembly 113 via a lever 115. Pump assembly 113 operatively connects nozzle 112 on the front end of the scrubber head 2 to the tank 100 via conduit 117. The user may depress the trigger 110 while gripping the handle 108 to actuate the pump 113 and spray cleaning fluid from the nozzle 112 in front of the tool. The trigger 110 and internal spray components may be injection molded. The arrangement of the trigger 110 and nozzle 112 allows fluid to be dispensed on a surface while the user maintains his or her grip on the handle 108 to provide one-hand operation.

The scrubber head 2 may be made by injection molding the housing sections 2a and 2b and then assembling those housing sections together with screws, a snap-fit connection, welding, adhesive or the like. The tank 100 may be blow molded and may be positioned between the housing sections 2a and 2b before assembly of the scrubber head 2 such that the tank 100 is retained in the scrubber head 2 with the fill port 102 projecting from the scrubber head. An injection molded cap 114 may removably cover the fill port 102

An embodiment of another type of scrubber head is illustrated in FIGS. 15 through 18. The cleaning tool comprises a scrubber head 2 that supports a removable cleaning pad 4 as previously described above. A yoke 140 and connector 143 are mounted to the scrubber head 2 in addition to handle 8 such that the scrubber head 2 may be used either as a hand held scrub brush or with an extender pole that extends the reach of the tool.

The yoke 140 is attached to the scrubber head 2 at pivot 144 such that the yoke 140 may pivot relative to the scrubber head 2. The pivot 144 is arranged such that the axis of rotation of the yoke 140 is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the scrubber head 2. While the yoke 140 in the illustrated embodiment rotates about a single axis, the yoke may be provided with a second axis of rotation arranged transversely to pivot 144 such that the scrubber head 2 may pivot relative to the yoke 140 about two orthogonal axes. The yoke 140 may pivot approximately 120 degrees between a first storage position where it is disposed substantially parallel to and flush with the top surface 10 of scrubber head 2 and second position where the yoke 140 is pivoted away from surface 10. The yoke 140 may comprise a U-shaped member where the handle 8 may be received between the legs 146 of the yoke. In the storage position, the yoke 140 is secured to the base 6 such that it does not interfere with the user's ability to grasp the handle 8. The yoke 140 may be releasably held in the storage position with a locking structure. The locking structure may comprise detents 148 on one of the yoke 140 and base that cooperate with projecting tangs 149 formed on the other one of the yoke 140 and body to create a mechanical lock between the yoke 140 and the scrubbing head 2. In one embodiment, the yoke 140 may be removably coupled to the scrubber head 2, such as at or near pivot 144, to permit removing the yoke 140 and handle 8 and allow free use of the scrubber head 2 in a second use without the handle 8.

Similarly, in one embodiment, the yoke 140 may be releasably connected to an extender pole 160. In one embodiment the pole 160 is connected to the yoke 140 by a quick-connect coupling 141 that may be easily and quickly attached to and detached from the extender pole. The quick-connect coupling 141 may comprise a male connector 143 on the yoke that is dimensioned to be inserted into a female connector 168 on extender pole 160.

The pole 160 may comprise a first section 162 that is telescopically received inside of a second section 164. Hand grips 180 and 182 may be provided on each end of the second section 164 to provide comfortable hand grips for the user. The connector 168 is formed on the free end of the first section 162. Referring to FIG. 18 the connector 168 comprises a receptacle 169 that receives the connector 143 on yoke 140. The receptacle 169 supports bearings 171 that engage an annular recess 150 on connector 143 to fix the extender pole 160 to the yoke 140. The bearings 171 are held in a locked position by a lock sleeve 174 that is biased to the locked position by spring 175. The lock sleeve 174 may be retracted to release the bearings 171 such that the bearings may be retracted from annular recess 150. Once the bearings 171 are released from recess 150, connector 143 may be removed from receptacle 169 of connector 168. The receptacle 169 of connector 168 and connector 143 may be provided with non-round profiles to prevent the yoke 140 from rotating relative to the extender pole 160 during use. While a quick connect coupling such as described may be used, other releasable coupling mechanisms may be used such as mating screw threads, a push button arrangement or the like.

The first section 162 is repositionable relative to the second section 164 to adjust the length of the pole 160. The sections 162 and 164 may be fixed in position relative to one another at the desired length using a lock 182 as shown in FIGS. 15 through 18. The lock 182 may comprise a cam lever 184 that comprises a lock member 188 that is mounted on a pivot 186. When the lock 182 is in the locked position (FIG. 18) the lock member 188 is rotated into engagement with the first section 162 such that the first section 162 is fixed in position relative to the second section 164. The lock member may frictionally engage the first section to fix the first and second sections in position relative to one another. The cam lever 184 may be rotated to an unlocked position to release the first section 162 such that the first section 162 may be repositioned relative to the second section 164 to adjust the length of the pole 160. The lock 182 provides an intuitive, reliable adjustment mechanism for an extendable pole.

The combination of the scrubber head 2, detachable extender pole 160 and removable/replaceable cleaning pads 4 creates a versatile cleaning tool. The quick-connect coupling 141 provides an intuitive, quick and easy mechanism allowing the tool to switch between a handheld cleaning tool and an extended reach cleaning tool. The removable/replaceable cleaning pads 4 may be shared among the various types of scrubber heads. The cleaning tool may be used to quickly clean tub/shower floors, walls, fixtures and corners and provides the user with the ability to clean with an extended reach. In one example of using the extender pole, the user may clean a bath/shower stall without entering the stall.

Another embodiment of a scrubber head is shown in FIGS. 19 through 24. The scrubber head can efficiently clean contoured surfaces having a variety of angled, intersecting, curved and radiused surfaces. The scrubber head has an at least partly flexible base that flexes to contour to a variety of surface shapes and is ergonomically designed for leverage during scrubbing. The scrubber head provides a full handled brush that may be converted from a rigid brush to a flexible brush by shifting the base and the scrubber head relative to one another. The scrubber head and base may be shifted between a first position where at least a portion of the base is able to flex and a second position where the portion of the base is prevented from flexing. In the first position the scrubber head may comprise a reinforcing assembly that reinforces or supports the flexible portion of the base to prevent the base from flexing. The scrubber head or a portion of the scrubber head may be moved linearly, rotationally or the like relative to the base to move the reinforcing assembly from the flexible portion of the base to activate the flexing of the base.

For example, according to one embodiment, the permanently attached handle assembly 208 comprises the reinforcing assembly. Handle assembly 208 may be shifted forward and backward relative to the base 210 to allow a front section 212 of base 210 to flex. The brush may be provided with any type of cleaning pad 4 that can at least partially flex such as a bristles, a scour pad, a sponge, a microfiber cloth or other suitable surface, material or structure or combinations of such surfaces, materials or structures. According to one embodiment a push button lock may be used to secure and release the handle assembly 208 from the base 210 such that the handle is selectably free to slide along a guide toward the rear of base 210 which allows the front flexible section 212 to become active and flex. The handle assembly 208 of this embodiment locks to the base 210 in either the front position to provide an all rigid brush or the rear position to provide a flexible front tip. The handle may be moved rotationally between a first position where it reinforces the flexible section 212 and a second position where it is positioned remotely from the flexible section 212 such that the flexible section is free to rotate. Moreover, rather than moving the entire handle assembly, the handle may be fixed to the base and the reinforcing assembly may comprise a separate plate or other structure that is shifted independently of the handle between a first position where it reinforces the flexible section 212 and a second position where it is positioned remotely from the flexible section 212 such that the flexible section is free to rotate.

In the illustrated embodiment the base 210 may comprise a rigid rear section 214 having a first plurality of bristles or other cleaning surface attached to the bottom surface thereof. The base 210 also comprises a flexible front section 212 that is connected to and extends from the rear section 214 to form the front end of the tool. The front section 212 is made of a flexible material and is configured such that the front section 212 can bend or flex when a force is applied to the front section. The base 210 may be molded where the front section 212 is made of a flexible material such as linear low density polyethylene and the rigid back section 214 is overmolded on the front section with a rigid material such as polypropylene. According to one embodiment, the front section 212 comprises a plurality of relatively thick sections 212a alternating with a plurality of relatively thinner sections 212b. The thick sections 212a may support the bristles 228. The thin sections 212b allow the front section 212 to more easily flex. While the front section 212 is shown with alternating thick and thin sections, the need for these sections may depend on the flexibility of the material used and the amount of flex desired in the front section 212. For example, according to another embodiment, the front section 212 may be sufficiently rigid to support the pad material while still retaining enough flexibility or elasticity to deform under user's pressure when in use. Such an embodiment may be utilized with soft pad materials, such as a scour pad, sponge or microfiber, for example. In yet other embodiments, the entire base 210 may be constructed from the same flexible material, such that any portion that extends beyond or is not otherwise supported by the reinforcing assembly can flex.

The first set of bristles 228 or other cleaning surface are attached to the bottom surface of the first section 212 and a second plurality of bristles 230 or other cleaning surface are attached to the bottom surface of the second section 214. The bristles or other cleaning surface 228 on the first section 212 may be the same as or different than the bristles or other cleaning surface 230 on the second section 214. The bristles may be of a different size, stiffness or the like and the cleaning surfaces may be made of materials other than bristles.

In one embodiment, the top surfaces of the first section 212 and second section 214 comprise a guide or track 220 that slidably supports the handle assembly 208 such that the handle assembly 208 may slide relative to the base 210 along the longitudinal axis of the tool. In one embodiment, on the rear section 214 the guide 220 comprises a raised support 222 that extends along the direction of travel of handle assembly 208. The support 222 defines a first outwardly facing recess 224 extending along one side of the guide 220 and defined in part by a flange 226. A second outwardly facing recess extends along the opposite side of the guide 220 and is defined in part by a second flange. On the front section 212 the guide 220 is formed of a plurality of segments 220a that are located on the thick sections 212a such that the guide does not inhibit the flexing of the front section. Each section 212a defines an outwardly facing recess 224a extending along each side of the guide 220 that is defined in part by flange 226a. The recesses 224 and 224a are coextensive such that the handle assembly 208 may slide along the guide 220 between the extended and retracted positions. A slot 240 extends through a portion of the second section 214 and a portion of the first section 212 with its long axis extending along the direction of travel of the handle assembly 208. Slot 240 receives a lock member as will be described.

The handle assembly 208 comprises a slide 250 that rides on guide 220 and a handle 252 that extends over the slide 250 that may be gripped by a user. The handle assembly 208 is made of a rigid material such as molded polypropylene. The slide 250 comprises inwardly facing flanges that engage recesses 224 and 224a formed on base 210 such that the slide 250 may reciprocate relative to the base but is otherwise secured thereto. The handle assembly 208 may ride on the guide 220 between an extended position (FIG. 19) where the slide 250 engages the guide 220 on both the front section 212 and the rear section 214 and a retracted position (FIG. 25) where the slide 250 engages only the guide on the rear section 214. In the extended position, the slide 250 prevents the front section 212 from flexing. In the retracted position, the front section 212 is free to flex because the slide 250 does not reinforce or support the flexible front section 212. It is appreciated that in other embodiments the slide and guide may be provided in opposite orientation, such that the handle comprises a guide and corresponding features otherwise described herein and the bottom portion comprises a slide and corresponding features otherwise described herein.

The handle assembly 208 includes a lock mechanism that locks the handle assembly in both the retracted position and the extended position. The lock mechanism comprises a plunger 260 that is mounted for reciprocating movement in the handle assembly perpendicular to the base 210. The plunger 260 terminates in an actuator 262, such as push button, on the handle 252 that may be depressed by a user to unlock the lock mechanism. The actuator 262 is positioned such that it may be depressed while the user holds handle 252. The opposite end of the plunger 260 terminates in an enlarged head 264. The plunger 260 extends through the slot 240 such that the enlarged head 264 is disposed on the side of the base 210 opposite to the handle 252. The plunger 260 is biased by a spring 261 to the locked position where the head 264 is biased toward the bottom of the base 210. A first recess 266 is formed at the front end of the slot 240 and a second recess 268 is formed at the rear end of the slot 240. The recesses 266 and 268 are dimensioned to receive the enlarged head 264. When the handle assembly 208 is positioned in the extended position the enlarged head 264 is biased into recess 266 and when the handle assembly 208 is positioned in the retracted position the enlarged head 264 is biased into recess 268. When the head 264 is in either the first recess 266 or second recess 268 the handle assembly 208 is prevented from moving relative to the base 210. To move the handle assembly 208 relative to the base 210, the actuator 262 is depressed which causes the plunger to extend such that the enlarged head 264 is removed from the first or second recess. The handle assembly 208 may then be slid to either end of the slot 240 to the retracted position or the extended position and the push button released. When the push button 260 is released, the spring 261 moves the head into engagement with either the first recess 266 or the second recess 268 to lock the handle assembly 208 in either the extended or retracted position. While a two position arrangement is illustrated, additional recesses may be provided along the length of the slot 240 to provide locked positions intermediate of the extended position and the retracted position.

It is appreciated that a number of other mechanisms may be utilized to achieve the sliding relationship between the cleaning surface and the handle surface along a parallel plane. For example, the cleaning pad or bristles may be secured to an at least partially flexible base, similar to that described with reference to FIGS. 2-7, wherein the partially flexible base includes a flexible portion (e.g., at the front tip) and can be secured to a scrubber handle, such as a scrubber handle described herein that incorporates attachment mechanisms. To provide flexibility to the cleaning pad or bristles, the base can be secured to the handle in at least two different positions: (1) a first position in which the base including the flexible portion is substantially reinforced or supported by the scrubber handle, providing rigid cleaning use (similar to that illustrated in FIG. 7); and (2) a second position in which at least a portion of the flexible portion of the base is extended from the scrubber head, providing flexible cleaning use. One way this can be achieved is utilizing attachment mechanisms along the side edges of the cleaning pad base and/or scrubber base or utilizing attachment mechanisms formed on the mating surfaces of the cleaning pad base and scrubber handle, whereby the attachment mechanisms are located to permit at least two distinct positions of attachment and the scrubber head is free to slide beyond the cleaning pad base (e.g., rearwardly). Example attachment mechanisms include, but are not limited, those described herein, such as fastening hooks, latches, locks, tabs, detents, or other friction fit, snap fit, or mechanical securement. In this manner, the scrubber handle may be utilized with other cleaning pads that do not include flexible portions as well.

Accordingly, the brush may be configured for use as either a flexible brush or a rigid brush thereby eliminating the need for two separate tools. The brush allows the user to have a solid handled scrub brush in both the flexible and rigid modes. The base 210 may be provided with a removable cleaning pad rather than fixed bristles. For example, the bristles 228 and 230 may be omitted and the bottom surfaces of the first section 212 and the second section 214 may be provided with hook fasteners as described with reference to FIGS. 3-5 and 7 for attaching the base 210 to different types of cleaning pads.

The components described above may be used in a cleaning system that provides flexibility in the functionality of the scrubber head and cleaning pads. Because the cleaning pads are removable and replaceable a variety of different types of cleaning surfaces may be used with a variety of different types of scrubber heads. The user may select the desired type of scrubber head and the desired type of cleaning pad to make a unit providing the desired scrubber head functionality and the desired cleaning pad functionality. Moreover, different scrubber head functionalities may be combined in a single scrubber head in combinations other than specifically shown in the example embodiments.

Specific embodiments of an invention are disclosed herein. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention has other applications in other environments. Many embodiments are possible. The following claims are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention to the specific embodiments described above.

CLEANING SYSTEM

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