GRILL CLEANING TOOL AND ATTACHMENTS

Abstract

A grill cleaning tool may include a body having a head and a handle extended from the body. The body may removably support an attachment with one or more cleaning media. The cleaning media may be in the form of a wipe pad and one or more of a wire mesh pad, a scouring pad, a sponge, bristles, or a stone. The cleaning media may be alternately used to clean a grill surface.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Example embodiments relate in general to a grill cleaning tool, and more specifically, to a grill cleaning tool having removable cleaning media.

2. Description of Related Art

Grilling food is a popular way to prepare a meal. After the food has been cooked, however, a charred and/or greasy residue may remain on the grill surface. Removal of such residue may be desirable for health and/or aesthetic reasons.

Numerous and varied grill cleaning tools are well known. For example, grill brushes are available that include a body. One end of the body serves as a handgrip, while the other end has a metal component, such as wire bristles and/or a scraper. The metal components enable the user to scrape or brush off cooked-on food matter.

Some grill brushes may include a disposable brush head. Here, when the wire bristles become unusable due to accumulated grease or wear and tear, the brush head may be replaced on the body, and this can be done without having to throw away the entire tool.

Some grill cleaning tools may implement scrubbers, such as a sponge, a scouring pad, or a wire mesh pad. These cleaning media may also be provided on a body in a disposable fashion.

Another grill cleaning product may be provided in the form of a disposable wipe pad. Here, the wipe pad may be a sheet of fire retardant material that is loaded with a cooking agent, such as vegetable oil. The sheet may be attached to a grill brush by a plurality of wire bristles partially penetrating into the sheet. The sheet can then be wiped across the grill surface to remove grease and/or apply a coating of oil on the grill surface.

Some combination grill cleaning tools are also known. For example, one grill cleaning tool may include a cleaning head having one side provided with wire bristles and another side provided with a scrubber. Here, the bristles and the scrubber are fixed to the cleaning head, and are not disposable. Also, the known combination tools do not implement wipe pads.

Although conventional grill cleaning tools are generally thought to be acceptable, they are not without shortcomings and only somewhat accomplish the task of cleaning grill surfaces. The grill cleaning tools are inadequate because no known tool utilizes a removable pad that combines a wipe pad with other cleaning media during a single cleaning, thus leaving a residue on the grill surface. Thus, it may be necessary to use a combination of tools to provide adequate cleaning, which may be inconvenient and costly. Additionally, the known scrubbers and pads are hard and inflexible, preventing the sides of the grates that contact with food from being adequately cleaned.

SUMMARY

According to example, non-limiting embodiment, a grill cleaning tool may include a handle, and a head may be connected to the handle. A metal cleaning medium may be mounted on the head. And a wipe pad may be mounted on the head. An elastically deformable pad may be interposed between the wipe pad and the head.

According to another example, non-limiting embodiment, an attachment for a grill cleaning tool may include a framed shaped base defining an opening. A wipe pad may be fixed to the frame shaped base and cover the opening.

According to another example, non-limiting embodiment, an attachment for a grill cleaning tool may include a base. A wipe pad may be mounted on the base. And an elastically deformable pad may be interposed between the wipe pad and the base.

The above and other features, including various and novel details of construction and combinations of parts will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that the details of the example embodiments are shown by way of illustration only and not as limitations of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in varied and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Example, non-limiting embodiments will become more fully understood from the detailed description below and the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are represented by like reference numerals, which are given by way of illustration only and thus are not limiting of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grill cleaning tool according to an example, non-limiting embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a left side view of the grill cleaning tool of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the grill cleaning tool of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the grill cleaning tool of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of an example attachment for use on the grill cleaning tool of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of another example attachment for use on the grill cleaning tool of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a grill cleaning tool according to another example, non-limiting embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of an example attachment for use on the grill cleaning tool of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of another example attachment for use on the grill cleaning tool of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a grill cleaning tool according to another example, non-limiting embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an example elastically deformable pad for use on the grill cleaning tool of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an example attachment for use on the grill cleaning tool of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another example attachment for use on the grill cleaning tool of FIG. 10.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another example attachment for use on the grill cleaning tool of FIG. 10.

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of an example attachment assembly for use on the grill cleaning tool of FIG. 10.

FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view of the example attachment assembly of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is cross sectional view of another example attachment assembly for use on the grill cleaning tool of FIG. 10.

FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of another example attachment assembly for use on the grill cleaning tool of FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE, NON-LIMITING EMBODIMENTS

EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-6

With reference to FIG. 1, a grill cleaning tool 2 can include a body having a head 6 and a handle 4 extending from the head 6.

In this example embodiment, the handle 4 can be 10.5 inches long. But the invention is not limited in this regard. As shown, the handle 4 has a cylindrical shape. But the invention is not limited in this regard. The handle 4 can include features (e.g., raised features, depressions, etc.) to facilitate gripping by the user. The handle 4 can also be shaped to provide and ergonomic and comfortable grip for the user.

The head 6 can include three supports 8, 10, 12. Of course more or less than three supports may be suitably implemented. The support 10 can be perpendicular to the handle 4. And each of the supports 8, 12 can extend from the support 10 to form an angle of 45° relative to the handle 4 (see FIG. 2). It will be appreciated that other angles can be formed between the supports 8, 12 and the handle 4 as desired. In this example embodiment, each of the supports 8, 10, 12 can have an outwardly facing, flat planar surface. In alternative embodiments, the supports 8, 10, 12 can have outwardly facing, curved surfaces.

As shown, the outwardly facing surfaces of the supports 8, 12 are larger than the outwardly facing surface of the support 10. And the outwardly facing surface of the support 12 is larger than the outwardly facing surface of the support 8. Of course the relative sizes of the supports 8, 10, 12 may be varied. Also, the outwardly facing surfaces of the supports 8, 10, 12 may have a square shape, a rectangular shape, or any other geometric shape.

As shown in FIG. 2, the supports 8, 10, 12 may be optionally covered with a pad of foamed plastic material 15, or some other material that is elastically deformable, such as a silicon pad. The foam pad 15 may be secured in place using conventional adhesives, or some other conventional securing mechanism that is well known in this art. A single foam pad 15 may be used to cover all of the supports 8, 10, 12. Alternatively, the supports 8, 10, 12 can be covered using individual foam pads. Of course less than all three supports 8, 10, 12 may be covered using a foam pad. The foam pad may (1) push a pad (described below) between the grates of the grill surface to be cleaned, (2) protect the head from damage during use, and/or (3) provide a softer feel and comfort for the user.

The head 6 can include a plurality of members 14 that extend between and brace the supports 8, 12. In this example embodiment, two members 14 are provided. But more or less than two members 14 may be provided.

In this example embodiment, the body (inclusive of the handle 4 and the head 6) can be of a unitary, one-piece construction. But the invention is not limited in this regard. For example, multiple pieces can be separately provided and assembled together. The body can be fabricated from plastic material using conventional molding techniques. In alternative embodiments, the body may be fabricated from numerous and varied materials that are well known in this art.

With reference to FIG. 3, the proximal side of the support 8 may be provided with a plurality of pegs 16. For clarity, the support 12 is not shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, two pegs 16 are provided, but it will be readily apparent that more or less than two pegs may be provided. Similarly, and with reference to FIG. 4, the proximal side of the support 12 may be provided with a plurality of pegs 16. Again, two pegs 16 are provided, but it will be readily apparent that more or less than two pegs may be provided.

The head 6 can be provided with an attachment having a plurality of cleaning media. An example attachment 20 is depicted in FIG. 5. The attachment 20 can include a base 22. The base 22 may include through holes 25 for receiving the pegs 16 provided on the supports. The base 22 may include one or more tabs 23 to facilitate handling of the attachment 20. The base 22 may be fabricated from polymer based materials that are well known in this art. Such materials may have elastic properties. The base 22 may be fabricated from numerous and varied alternative materials that are well known in this art.

A first cleaning medium 24 may be mounted on a first section of the base 22 corresponding to the support 8. In this example embodiment, the first cleaning medium 24 can be in the form of a metal wire mesh pad. By way of example only, the wire mesh can be bundled, twisted, woven, welded, expanded, etched or electroformed. The mesh pad can be fabricated from galvanized wire, hot-dipped galvanized wire, stainless steel wire and/or SS 430, for example. The wire mesh may be mounted on the base 22 using conventional adhesives, or some other conventional securing mechanism that is well known in this art. In alternative embodiments, the first cleaning medium 24 may be in the form of a scouring pad, a sponge, wire bristles, or a stone, for example.

A second cleaning medium 26 may be mounted on a second section of the base 22 corresponding to the support 12. Although not shown, the second cleaning medium 26 may be additionally mounted on a section of the base 22 corresponding to the support 10. In this example embodiment, the second cleaning medium 26 can be in the form of a wipe pad. The wipe pad may be mounted on the base 22 using conventional adhesives, or some other conventional securing mechanism that is well known in this art. The wipe pad can be an absorbent fabric sheet that is known in this art as “spunlace,” for example. The final properties of the spunlace can be adapted by combining a plurality of fibers of different types, for example, rayon fibers, aramid fibers, and/or cellulose materials. The wipe pad may be treated to have a fire retardant characteristic. The wipe pad may receive a cooking agent (e.g., vegetable oil) and/or a bacteria killing chemical that is well known in this art. The wipe pad may include woven, non-woven, and knitted fabrics. In alternative embodiments, the wipe pad may be fabricated from numerous and varied materials, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,916,382 to Aldredge, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The attachment 20 may be mounted on the tool 2 as follows. The through holes 25 in the first section of the base 22 are slipped over the pegs 16 provided on the support 8. The base 22 is then wrapped around the supports 8, 10, 12, such that the first cleaning medium 24 is exposed and superposed over the outwardly facing surface of the support 8, and the second cleaning medium 26 is exposed and superposed over the outwardly facing surface of the support 12. Finally, the through holes 25 in the second section of the base 22 are slipped over the pegs 16 provided on the support 12. It will be appreciated that the elastic characteristics of the base 22 may facilitate application and removal of the attachment 20.

The first cleaning medium 24 may be used to remove major debris from the grill surfaces. The second cleaning medium 26 may then be used to wipe the grill surfaces to remove and/or absorb any remaining debris. At this time, pressure on the tool 2 may cause cooking agents and/or bacteria killing chemicals to be applied from the second cleaning medium 26 to the grill surfaces.

The attachment 20 may then be conveniently removed from the head 6 and discarded. A new attachment 20 may be provided for a subsequent grill cleaning. The removal of the attachment 20 may be achieved by reversing the mounting procedures described above. It will be appreciated that rather than immediate disposal, the attachment 20 may remain on the head 6 for multiple grill cleanings.

An alternative, example attachment 20′ is depicted in FIG. 6. This attachment 20′ can be similar to the one in FIG. 5, with a couple of exceptions. As shown, the first cleaning medium 24 can be mounted on the second cleaning medium 26. That is, the second cleaning medium 26 can additionally serve as the base. Here, the first cleaning medium 24 may be mounted on the second cleaning medium 26 using conventional adhesives, or some other conventional securing mechanism that is well known in this art.

Reinforcement strips 30 may be provided on the ends of the second cleaning medium 26 to reinforce the through holes 25 provided in the second cleaning medium 26. The reinforcement strips 30 can be provided on both major sides of the second cleaning medium 26. The reinforcement strips 30 can be secured to the second cleaning medium 26 using conventional adhesives, or some other conventional securing mechanism that is well known in this art. By way of example only, the reinforcement strips 30 can be fabricated from cardboard, or some other material that is well known in this art. In alternative embodiments, reinforcement members can be discretely provided around the through holes 25. It will be appreciated that the reinforcement strips may facilitate application and removal of the attachment 20′.

The example attachment 20′ illustrated in FIG. 6 provides three cleaning surfaces. One cleaning surface is provided by the first cleaning medium 24 provided on the support 8, one cleaning surface is provided by the second cleaning medium 26 provided on the support 10, and one cleaning surface is provided by the second cleaning medium 26 provided on the support 12.

EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 7-9

In the previous example embodiments, the grill cleaning tool 2 may provide two cleaning surfaces (FIGS. 1-5) or three cleaning surfaces (FIG. 6). The invention is not, however, limited in this regard because the grill cleaning tool can include more than three cleaning surfaces.

Consider the grill cleaning tool 40 depicted in FIG. 7, for example. The grill cleaning tool 40 can include a body having a head 46 and a handle 44 extending from the head 46.

By way of example only, the head 46 can be block shaped, and can include five supports 47, 48, 49, 50, 51. The support 51 can be perpendicular to the handle 44. And each of the supports 47, 48, 49, 50 can extend from the support 51 and be perpendicular to the support 51. In this example embodiment, each of the supports 47-51 can have an outwardly facing, flat planar surface. In alternative embodiments, the supports can have outwardly facing, curved surfaces.

The outwardly facing surfaces of the supports 47-51 can be the same size. Of course the relative sizes of the supports may be varied. Also, the outwardly facing surfaces of the supports 47-51 may have a square shape, a rectangular shape, or any other geometric shape.

As in the previous embodiments, one or more of the supports 47-51 may be optionally covered with a foam pad (not shown).

The head 46 can include a plurality of members 54 that extend between and brace the supports. In this example embodiment, two members 54 are provided. But more or less than two members 54 may be provided.

As shown, the proximal sides of the supports 47-50 may be provided with a plurality of pegs 56. In this embodiment, two pegs 56 are provided on each support, but it will be readily apparent that more or less than two pegs may be provided.

The head 46 can be provided with an attachment having a plurality of cleaning media. An example attachment 60 is depicted in FIG. 8. The attachment 60 can include a base 62. The base 62 may include through holes 65 for receiving the pegs 56 provided on the head 46. The base 62 may include a tab 63 to facilitate handling of the attachment 60.

A first cleaning medium 64 may be mounted on a first section of the base 62 corresponding to the support 47. In this example embodiment, the first cleaning medium 64 can be in the form of a metal wire mesh pad. In alternative embodiments, the first cleaning medium 64 may be in the form of a scouring pad, a sponge, wire bristles, or a stone, for example.

A second cleaning medium 66 may be mounted on each of a second section of the base 62 corresponding to the support 48, a third section of the base 62 corresponding to the support 49, and a fourth section of the base 62 corresponding to the support 50. Although not shown, the second cleaning medium 66 may be additionally mounted on a section of the base 62 corresponding to the support 51. By way of example only, the second cleaning medium 66 can be in the form of a wipe pad.

The attachment 60 may be mounted on the head 46 as follows. The support 51 may be positioned on the back side (i.e., the opposite side of that shown in FIG. 8) of the central section of the base 62. The base 62 is then wrapped around the supports 47-50, such that the first cleaning medium 64 is exposed and superposed over the outwardly facing surface of the support 47, and the second cleaning medium 26 is exposed and superposed over the outwardly facing surface of each of the supports 48-50. The through holes 65 in the base 62 are then slipped over the corresponding pegs 16 provided on the supports 47-50.

The grill cleaning tool 60 may be used similar to that described with respect to the example embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1-6.

An alternative, example attachment may be suitably implemented. Consider the attachment 60′ depicted in FIG. 9. Here, the first cleaning medium 64 can be mounted on the second cleaning medium 66. That is, the second cleaning medium 66 can additionally serve as the base. Here, the first cleaning medium 64 may be mounted on the second cleaning medium 66 using conventional adhesives. Further, reinforcement strips 70 may be provided on the ends of the second cleaning medium 66 to reinforce the through holes 65 provided in the second cleaning medium 66.

EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 10-14

In the previous example embodiments, the cleaning media are provided together as a single attachment. The invention is not, however, limited in this regard because each cleaning medium can be separately provided, and thus separately mounted on the tool.

As shown in FIG. 10, for example, the grill cleaning tool 102 can include a body having a head 106 and a handle 104 extending from the head 106. The head includes two supports 108, 112. Each of the supports 108, 112 includes through holes 116 for receiving features of respective attachments. And the support 112 includes through holes 117 for receiving features of an elastically deformable pad.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example embodiment of an elastically deformable pad 115 that may be removably mounted on the support 112 of the tool 102. By way of example only, the elastically deformable pad 115 may be in the form of a foamed plastic layer of material and/or a silicon pad. As shown, the elastically deformable pad 115 can be provided on a base 119 with protrusions 117 respectively corresponding to the through holes 117 in the support 112. By way of example only, the base 119 can be fabricated from plastics and other materials that are well known in this art. The protrusions 117 on the base 119 can be inserted into the through holes 117 in the support 112 to mount the elastically deformable pad 115. In alternative embodiments, the elastically deformable pad 115 may be fixed to the support 112 using adhesives, or some other securing mechanism that is well known in this art. And in this case, the base 119 may be altogether dispensed with.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example embodiment of an attachment 120 that may be removably mounted on the support 112 of the tool 102. The attachment 120 includes a frame shaped base 122 that defines a through opening 124. The base 122 also includes a plurality hooks 125 respectively corresponding to the through holes 116 in the support 112. By way of example only, the base 122 can be fabricated from plastics and other materials that are well known in this art. The base 122 of the attachment 120 and the body of the tool 102 may be fabricated from the same material.

A cleaning medium 126 may be mounted on the base 122 to cover the through opening 124. By way of example only, the cleaning medium 126 can be in the form of a wipe pad.

The attachment 120 may be mounted on the support 112 as follows. The two shorter hooks 125 on the distal side of base 122 are inserted into the two corresponding through holes 116 on the distal side of the support 112. The longer hook 125 on the proximal side of the base 122 is then inserted into the corresponding through hole 116 on the proximal side of the support 112. The longer hook 125 will elastically deform as it inserted and seated in the corresponding through hole 116 to retain the attachment 120 in position on the tool 102. When the attachment 120 is mounted, the elastically deformable pad 115 extends through the opening 124 and abuts against the inward facing side of the cleaning medium 126. In this way, the elastically deformable pad 115 may push against the cleaning media 126 during use.

The attachment 120 may be removed by pushing against and elastically deforming the longer hook 125 to remove it from the corresponding through hole 116. The two remaining hooks 125 may then be removed from the corresponding through holes 116. The attachment 120 may then be discarded. Also, the elastically deformable pad 115 may can be discarded and replaced as needed.

The attachment to be mounted on the support 108 of the tool 102 can be somewhat similar to the one described with reference to FIG. 12. For example, the attachment may include a base with a plurality hooks that respectively correspond to the through holes 116 in the support 108. Here, however, the base may or may not define a through opening. Also, the base may support a cleaning medium such as a wire mesh pad, a scouring pad, a sponge, wire bristles, or a stone, for example.

FIG. 13 illustrates an alternative embodiment of an attachment 120′ that may be removably mounted on the support 112 of the tool 102 depicted in FIG. 10. The attachment 120′ includes a frame shaped base 122 with a through opening 124 and a plurality hooks 125. A cleaning medium 126 is mounted on the base 122. Here, however, an elastically deformable pad 130 is interposed between the cleaning medium 126 and the base 122. Thus, the elastically deformable pad 130 covers the through opening 124. By way of example only, the elastically deformable pad 130 may be in the form of a foamed plastic layer of material and/or a silicon pad. The elastically deformable pad 130 on the attachment 120′ and the elastically deformable pad 115 (FIG. 11) on the tool 102 may be fabricated from the same material or different materials.

FIG. 14 illustrates another alternative embodiment of an attachment 120″ that may be removably mounted on the support 112 of the tool 102 depicted in FIG. 10. The attachment 120″ includes a base 122″ with a plurality of hooks 125. A cleaning medium 126 is mounted on the base 122″, and an elastically deformable pad 130 is interposed between the cleaning medium 126 and the base 122″. The base 122″ does not include any through opening. Thus, even if the elastically deformable pad 115 (FIG. 11) is dispensed with, the elastically deformable pad 130 may push against the cleaning media 126 during use.

EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 15-18

In the attachments depicted in FIGS. 12-14, the base and the cleaning medium may be discarded each time the attachment is discarded. The invention is not, however, limited in this regard because the base and the cleaning medium can be separately provided. In this way, the base can be reusable with replacement cleaning media.

As shown in FIG. 15, for example, the frame shaped base 222 includes a plurality of pegs 216. And the cleaning medium 226 includes a plurality of through holes 225. The cleaning medium 226 may be removably mounted on the base 222 by inserting the pegs 216 through the corresponding through holes 225, as shown in FIG. 16. The cleaning medium 226 is provided on the inward facing side (or tool side) of the base 222.

The assembly shown in FIG. 16 can be mounted on the support 112 of the grill cleaning tool 102 depicted in FIG. 10 by inserting the pegs 216 into corresponding features provided in the support 112 (not shown in FIG. 10). By way of example only, such corresponding features may be in the form of slots, blind holes, through holes, etc. Also, the through holes 116 in the support 112 may be altogether dispensed with. In this regard, the pegs 216 may serve to retain the cleaning medium 226 on the base 222, and retain the base 222 on the tool 102.

When the assembly of FIG. 16 is mounted on the tool 102, the elastically deformable pad 115 (see FIG. 11) abuts against the inward facing side of the cleaning medium 226, and pushes the cleaning medium 226 through the opening 224 provided in the base 222. The elastically deformable pad 115 is of sufficient thickness, such that the outward facing side of the cleaning medium 226 extends beyond the outward facing side (or grill side) of the base 222.

FIG. 17 illustrates an alternative assembly that is somewhat similar to the one depicted in FIG. 16. Here, however, the cleaning medium 226 is provided on the grill side of the base 222. Further, the cleaning medium 226 is of sufficient size, such that the lateral edges of the cleaning medium 226 wrap around the lateral edges of the base 222.

The assembly of FIG. 17 can be mounted on the support 112 of the grill cleaning tool 102 depicted in FIG. 10, in a similar fashion as that described above with respect to FIG. 16. Here, however, the elastically deformable pad 115 extends through the opening 224 and abuts against the inward facing side of the cleaning medium 226.

FIG. 18 illustrates another alternative assembly that may be removably mounted on the support 112 of the tool 102 depicted in FIG. 10. Here, the base 222 does not include any through opening, and an elastically deformable pad 230 is mounted on the grill side of the base 222. By way of example only, the elastically deformable pad 230 may be fixed to the base 222 via an adhesive. Further, the cleaning medium 226 can be removably mounted on the outward facing side of the elastically deformable pad 230. The cleaning medium 226 is of sufficient size, such that the lateral edges of the cleaning medium 226 wrap around the lateral edges of elastically deformable pad 230 and the base 222.

The assembly of FIG. 18 can be mounted on the support 112 of the grill cleaning tool 102 depicted in FIG. 10, in a similar fashion as that described above with respect to FIG. 16. Here, however, the elastically deformable pad 115 (see FIG. 11) can be altogether dispensed with.

In the assemblies depicted in FIGS. 15-18, the pegs 216 on the base 222 removably secure the cleaning medium 226 to the base 222, as well as the base 222 to the grill cleaning tool. The invention is not, however, limited in this regard because numerous and varied features may be provided (instead of the pegs 216). For example, the tool side of the base 222 may be provided with slots having retaining protrusions. The lateral edges of the cleaning medium 226 can be respectively inserted into the slots and secured in place by the retaining protrusions. In addition, the base 222 may be provided with a plurality of hooks that serve to removably secure the base 222 to the grill cleaning tool. The hooks can be similar to the hooks 125 depicted in FIGS. 12-14.

Additional Modifications:

As shown in FIGS. 1-9, the cleaning media can be secured to the tool via pegs on the head cooperating with through holes in the attachment. And as shown in FIGS. 10-13, the cleaning media can be secured to the tool via hooks on the attachment cooperating with through holes in the head. But the invention is not limited in this regard. For example, numerous and varied securing mechanisms may be suitably implemented, including hook and loop fasteners, clamps, pins, screws, and/or clips, which are well known in this art.

In the illustrated embodiments, the second cleaning medium (or wipe pad) may have an active surface (i.e., the surface that contacts the grill surface to be cleaned) that is larger than the active surface of the first cleaning medium. However, the invention is not limited in this regard. For example, the active surface of the first cleaning medium can be larger than that of the second cleaning medium. This can be accomplished by increasing the size of the first cleaning medium. Alternatively, the first cleaning medium can be provided on more than one side of the head.

The active surfaces of cleaning media can be planar or contoured to correspond to the shapes of the grill surface to be cleaned. For example, the active surface of a cleaning medium may be grooved to receive the grates of a grill surface.

In the illustrated embodiments, two different cleaning media may be provided. In alternative embodiments, more than two cleaning media can be provided. By way of example only, the attachment may include one section with a wipe pad, one section with a wire mesh pad, and one section with wire bristles.

In the illustrated embodiments, the head can be of a hollow body construction. In alternative embodiment, the head can be of a solid body construction. The head can be fabricated from plastic, wood, metal, or other materials that are well known in this art.

It will be readily apparent that features of the various embodiments may be used in combination. For example, the reinforcement members 30 depicted in FIG. 6 can be applied to the attachment 20 depicted in FIG. 5.

Claims

1. A grill cleaning tool comprising: a handle;a head connected to the handle;a metal cleaning medium mounted on the head;a wipe pad mounted on the head; andan elastically deformable pad interposed between the wipe pad and the head.

2. The grill cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the elastically deformable pad is at least one of a foam pad and a silicon pad.

3. The grill cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the elastically deformable pad includes a lower pad mounted on the head.

4. The grill cleaning tool according to claim 3, wherein the elastically deformable pad includes an upper pad interposed between the wipe pad and the lower pad.

5. The grill cleaning tool according to claim 4, wherein the lower pad is harder than the upper pad.

6. The grill cleaning tool according to claim 5, wherein the lower pad is a silicon pad and the upper pad is a foam pad.

7. The grill cleaning tool according to claim 3, wherein the lower pad is fixed to the head by an adhesive.

8. The grill cleaning tool according to claim 3, wherein the lower pad is removably mounted on the head.

9. The grill cleaning tool according to claim 8, comprising: a plastic base fixed to the lower pad, the plastic base having protrusions;wherein the head includes apertures respectively receiving the protrusions of the plastic base.

10. The grill cleaning tool according to claim 1, comprising: a plastic base fixed to the wipe pad, and interposed between the wipe pad and the head.

11. The grill cleaning tool according to claim 10, wherein the plastic base includes a through opening; and wherein the elastically deformable pad is inserted into the through opening.

12. The grill cleaning tool according to claim 10, wherein the elastically deformable pad is interposed between the plastic base and the wipe pad.

13. An attachment for a grill cleaning tool, the attachment comprising: a framed shaped base defining an opening; anda wipe pad mounted on the frame shaped base and covering the opening.

14. The attachment according to claim 13, comprising an elastically deformable pad inserted into and protruding from the opening of the frame shaped base.

15. The attachment according to claim 14, wherein the elastically deformable pad is at least one of a foam pad and a silicon pad.

16. The attachment according to claim 13, further comprising: a mounting structure provided on the frame shaped base, the mounting structure configured to removably secure the attachment to the grill cleaning tool.

17. An attachment for a grill cleaning tool, the attachment comprising: a base;a wipe pad mounted on the base; andan elastically deformable pad interposed between the wipe pad and the base.

18. The attachment according to claim 17, wherein the elastically deformable pad is a foam pad.