Extensible cleaning utensil

Abstract

The present invention provides a cleaning utensil comprising a handle portion and a head portion, the head portion adapted to be extendible from the handle portion and adapted to be flexible when extended from the handle portion.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a cleaning utensil and more particularly a cleaning utensil having an extensible flexible head portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many cleaning utensils are known having a variety of handles and cleaning heads. Generally cleaning utensils include a handle portion with a cleaning attachment at one end. The cleaning attachment may take the form of a brush or sponge or such like.

Some cleaning utensils include a flexible portion connecting the handle portion to the cleaning head so that a user can utilise the utensil in hard to reach areas due to the flexibility imparted to the utensil. Others include fixed elongated handle portions to allow a user to reach further into a vessel that is to be cleaned. These types of utensils have fixed handle lengths and do not generally allow a user to adapt the utensil to a particular use.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a cleaning utensil that includes an extendible head portion that has varying flexibility for use in different environments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a cleaning utensil comprising a handle portion and a head portion that is adapted to be extendible from the handle portion. The present invention further provides the cleaning utensil having an extendible and flexible head portion.

The present invention also provides a cleaning utensil comprising a handle portion, a cleaning head and an attachment member releasably attached to at least one of the cleaning head and the handle portion and operable to extend the cleaning head away from the handle portion and to impart flexibility thereto.

The present invention further provides a method of using an extensible cleaning utensil with a vessel to be cleaned, the utensil having a handle portion and an extendible and flexible head portion. The method includes the steps of (i) extending the head portion to at least one of a desired length and degree of flexibility for cleaning a portion of the vessel, (ii) placing the utensil within the interior portion of the vessel, (iii) cleaning the interior portion of the vessel with the head portion, and (iii) optionally flexing the head portion in order to reach areas within the interior portion of the vessel to be cleaned. The portion to be cleaned may be an interior portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are isometric views of one embodiment of the extensible utensil of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A through 2C illustrate a series of side views of the extensible utensil of FIGS. 1A and B showing different extension positions;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are exploded isometric views of the extensible utensil of FIGS. 1A and 1B; and

FIG. 4 illustrates the use of the extensible utensil of FIG. 1A in a carafe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described with reference to the Figures in which the utensil is shown as a cleaning brush and is indicated generally at numeral 10.

In one embodiment of the present invention the brush 10 has a handle portion 12 and a head portion 14. The head portion 14 is adapted to be extendible from the handle portion 12. The head portion 14 is also adapted to be flexible.

The handle portion 12 is preferably made from a thermoplastic material. In a preferred embodiment the thermoplastic material is transparent. Alternatively, the handle portion 12 may be made of metal, for example stainless steel, or an alternative plastic material.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2A through 2C, the head portion 14 includes a flexible coil 16 that threadingly engages the handle portion 12. It will be understood that the connection of the coil 16 to the head portion 14 may be through any means known in the art and may be permanent, but preferably is releasable, so that the components of the head portion 14, including the coil 16, may be easily cleaned. In an alternative embodiment, the spring coil may be included as part of the handle portion, i.e. connected at the opposing end to the embodiment discussed above, the spring coil then threadingly engages the head portion.

In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible coil 16 is adapted to thread onto an proximal end 18 of the handle portion 12 and is operable to thread or unthread along the proximal end 18 to extend the head portion 14 away from or closer to the distal end of the handle portion 12 as required. It will be understood that the flexible coil 16 may extend further onto the handle portion 12 than depicted in the Figures, including extending the full length of the handle portion 12. Further it will be understood that the head portion 14 may be connected to the handle portion 12 by other means that allow for the head portion 14 to extend away from the handle portion 12 and to be flexible in either a partially or fully extended position.

As the head portion 14 extends away from the handle portion 12, i.e. the flexible coil 16 is unthreaded from the handle portion 12, the flexible coil 16 imparts flexibility to the head portion 14. The further from the handle portion 12 the flexible coil 16 extends, i.e. the more it is unthreaded, the greater the degree of flexibility provided. This flexibility allows for use of the brush 10 in tough to reach areas, for example decanters or vases, as described in further detail below.

The head portion 14 of the present invention additionally includes a releasable cleaning head 20. The releasable cleaning head 20 may take any form of cleaning utensil that is known to a person skilled in the art and is releasably attached to the head portion 14. Examples of suitable cleaning heads include any type of scrubbing device suitable for kitchen and/or housewares, examples include but are not limited to, brushes, sponges and cleaning pads, e.g. steel wool pads.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the cleaning head 20 is releasably attached to a plug portion 22 that is connected to the flexible coil 16. However, it will be understood that the cleaning head 20 may be connected directly to the flexible coil 16. As can also be seen in FIGS. 2A-2C the cleaning head 20 is connected to the plug portion 22 that fits within the flexible coil 16. The cleaning head 20 is releasably attached to the plug portion 22 so that when the cleaning head 20 is disengaged from the plug portion 22 the plug portion 22 remains attached to the flexible coil 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the plug portion 22 is frictionally engaged inside the flexible coil 16. However, other means of attaching the plug portion 22 to the flexible coil 16 may be used, for example the flexible coil 16 may be threadingly engaged on the inside or outside of the plug portion or the flexible coil 16 may be attached to the plug portion 22 using adhesive or overmolding.

In the illustrated embodiment, the plug portion 22 includes a projection 24, shown clearly in FIGS. 3A and 3B, that extends away from the plug portion 22 in the direction of the handle portion 12. The projection 24 is sized to be received within an aperture 26 located in the proximal end 18 of the handle portion 12 when the plug portion 22 is moved into engagement with the handle portion 12. However, it will be understood by a person skilled in the art that the projection 24 merely provides an additional connection between the head portion 14 and the handle portion 12 when the head portion 14 is in the non-extended position, and may take any form of connection or in an alternative embodiment may not be included.

The use of the brush 10 of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2A-2C and FIG. 4. The brush 10 may be used to clean a vessel without any tough to reach areas and of a depth that can be reached without any extended length on the brush and thus the head portion 14 may remain attached to the handle portion 12 in the non-extended position illustrated in FIG. 2C. However, if the brush 10 is to be used to clean a vessel, i.e. a carafe indicated generally at numeral 30 in FIG. 4, which includes areas that are awkward to reach, the head portion 14 may be extended away from the handle portion 12, as required by the user. This may be achieved by unthreading the flexible coil 16 from the handle portion 12, as illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, which extends the head portion 14 away from the handle portion 12. As the head portion 14 extends further from the handle portion 12 the head portion 14 has increased flexibility and therefore is able to reach into the hard to reach areas of the vessel.

In addition, the brush 10, may be used to clean a delicate surface upon which minimum pressure should be placed while cleaning. In such a use, the head portion 14 may be extended away from the handle portion 12 in order to impart maximum flexibility to the head portion 14 whilst minimising the force placed upon the item to be cleaned.

While this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments and examples, the description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Thus, various modifications of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to this description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments. Further, all of the claims are hereby incorporated by reference into the description of the preferred embodiments.

All publications, patents and patent applications referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Claims

1. A cleaning utensil comprising: a handle portion and a head portion, the head portion adapted to be extendible from the handle portion and adapted to be flexible when extended from the handle portion.

2. The cleaning utensil according to claim 1, wherein the head portion is releasably attached to the handle portion.

3. The cleaning utensil according to claim 2, wherein the head portion is adapted to threadingly engage the handle portion.

4. The cleaning utensil according to claim 1, wherein the head portion includes a flexible coil that is adapted to threadingly engage the handle portion.

5. The cleaning utensil according to claim 4, wherein the head portion comprises a cleaning head.

6. The cleaning utensil according to claim 5, wherein the cleaning head is releasably attached to the flexible coil.

7. The cleaning utensil according to claim 5, wherein the head portion further comprises a plug portion releasably attached to the cleaning head and connected to the flexible coil.

8. The cleaning utensil according to claim 5, wherein the cleaning head is selected from a brush, a sponge and a cleaning pad.

9. A cleaning utensil comprising: a handle portion, a cleaning head and an attachment member releasably attached to at least one of the cleaning head and the handle portion and operable to extend the cleaning head away from the handle portion and to impart flexibility thereto.

10. The cleaning utensil according to claim 9, wherein the attachment member is threadingly engaged to at least one of the handle portion and the cleaning head.

11. The cleaning utensil according to claim 9, wherein the attachment member is a flexible coil.

12. The cleaning utensil according to claim 9, wherein the cleaning head is selected from a brush, a sponge and a cleaning pad.

13. A method of using an extensible cleaning utensil with a vessel to be cleaned, the utensil having a handle portion and an extendible and flexible head portion, comprising the steps of: (i) extending the head portion to at least one of a desired length and degree of flexibility for cleaning a portion of the vessel; (ii) placing the utensil within the interior portion of the vessel; (iii) cleaning the interior portion of the vessel with the head portion; and (iii) optionally flexing the head portion in order to reach areas within the interior portion of the vessel to be cleaned.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the portion of the vessel is an interior portion.