Patent Application
20220378186
The present invention relates to a toilet bowl brush. More specifically, the present invention relates to toilet bowl brush that is motorized to provide hand-free cleaning of an interior of a toilet bowl.
Common toilet bowl brushes are hand-held and require a user to scrub away the grime and scum from the porcelain. This continuous movement can lead to fatigue and discourage people from cleaning their toilets as often as needed. Further, the manual movement of pushing and pulling the handle of the brush causes liquid from the toilet to splash out of the bowl, leading to additional mess on the floor and contamination to the user. Therefore, there exists a need for a toilet bowl brush that is mechanically operated for hands-free cleaning and includes a splash guard to prevent liquid from leaving the toilet bowl while the toilet bowl is being cleaned.
In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements and methods from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement for a powered toilet bowl brush. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of powered toilet bowl brushes now present in the known art, the present invention provides a powered toilet bowl brush for mechanically cleaning the interior of a toilet bowl.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide an embodiment of a powered toilet bowl brush comprising a splash guard member having a brush assembly disposed on a first side and a housing extending from a second side of the splash guard member, wherein the splash guard member is sized to rest atop a perimeter of a toilet bowl. A shaft extends from the housing and through the splash guard member, wherein a distal end of the shaft is secured to the brush assembly. The shaft is configured to mechanically move the brush assembly along a vertical axis.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide an embodiment of the powered toilet bowl brush wherein the brush assembly is rotatably secured to the shaft and configured to rotate 360 degrees about the vertical axis.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide an embodiment of the powered toilet bowl brush having a pair of clamping fasteners configured to secure the splash guard member to the toilet bowl.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide an embodiment of the powered toilet bowl brush wherein the brush assembly comprises a first layer and a second layer of scrubbers extending in a horizontal plane when secured to the shaft. The first layer and the second later of scrubbers are parallel to one another and each comprise a different diameter.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved powered toilet bowl brush that has all of the advantages of the known art and none of the disadvantages.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for automatically cleaning the interior of a toilet bowl in a hands-free manner. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiment (s) of the invention. References to “one embodiment,” “at least one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “one example,” “an example,” “for example,” and so on indicate that the embodiment(s) or example(s) may include a feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in an embodiment”, “first embodiment”, “second embodiment”, or “third embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.
Referring now to
In the illustrated embodiment, the splash guard member 1100 is a circular plate 1130 sized to rest atop a perimeter of the toilet bowl so as to entirely cover an opening of the toilet bowl. The splash guard member 1100 serves to not only prevent liquid from leaving the toilet, but also supports the brush assembly 1200 is an upright configuration to allow hands-free cleaning of the toilet bowl. The plate 1130 is composed of any suitable material, such as plastic. In some embodiments, the plate 1130 is composed of a water-resistant material to prevent warping or other types of damage caused by moisture. In the illustrated embodiment, the plate comprises a circular shape, wherein the upper and lower surfaces are planar. In other embodiments, the splash guard member comprises any suitable shape configured to prevent liquid from leaving the toilet bowl, such as an elliptical or oval shaped cross section. In the illustrated embodiment, the plate 1130 comprises a width between 5 inches to 20 inches and a length between 5 inches to 20 inches to fit over many conventional sized toilets. However, in other embodiments, the plate comprises any suitable width and length to fit on to other sized toilets.
In the illustrated embodiment, the powered toilet bowl brush 1000 comprises a fastener adapted to secure the splash guard member 1100 to the toilet bowl. In the shown embodiment, the fastener is a pair of clamps or hook members 1400 configured to secure the splash guard member 1100 to the toilet bowl by engaging a rim of the toilet bowl. The hook members 1400 face outward in the illustrated embodiment to engage with the interior rim of the toilet bowl. In alternate embodiments, the hook members face inward to engage with an exterior rim of the toilet bowl. The hook members 1400 comprise an elastic or flexible material adapted to compress as the splash guard member is being positioned on the perimeter of the toilet bowl and expand as the hook members 1400 pass into the rim. The hook members 1400 can be easily removed or detached from the rim by opening the hook member 1400 in the opposite direction of the rim and lifting the splash guard member 1400 away from the toilet bowl. In some embodiments, the powered toilet bowl brush does not include a fastener. In other embodiments, the fastener comprises any suitable structure configured to secure the splash guard member to the toilet bowl, such as a strap.
Referring now to
In the illustrated embodiment, a first layer and a second layer of scrubbers 1220 extends in a horizontal plane when in use. In some embodiments, the brush assembly comprises only a single layer of scrubbers. In other embodiments, the brush assembly comprises more than two layers of scrubbers. In some embodiments, each layer of scrubbers 1220 comprises a same diameter when fully extended. In other embodiments, each layer 1210 comprises a different diameter when fully extended. In the illustrated embodiment, each layer of scrubbers 1220 are separated approximately one half of an inch so that while as the brush assembly 1200 is rotated within and cleaning the toilet bowl, the scrubbers 1220 are simultaneously being cleaned. In some embodiments, a length and width of the layer of scrubbers is slightly smaller than the length and width of the splash guard member 1100 (as seen in
In the illustrated embodiment, the brush assembly 1200 is removably secured to the shaft to allow the brush assembly 1200 to be cleaned separate from the housing 1300 and the splash guard member 1100. The brush assembly 1200 is removably secured to the shaft in any suitable manner, such as a locking push pin securement illustrated in
Referring now to
In the illustrated embodiment, the shaft 1350 is operably connected to and moved via a motor 1500 disposed within the housing 1300. The motor 1500 is operably connected to the shaft 1350 via a gear 1380 and belt 1390 system, wherein the gear and belt system cooperatively operated to move the shaft 1350 up and down. In one embodiment, the gear and belt system comprise an arm mounted to the gear 1380 that is radially offset, wherein the arm is pivoted to the shaft. In this way, the rotation of the gear allows for vertical motion of the shaft. In one embodiment, the shaft 1350 includes a gear mounted perpendicular and meshed with the gear 1380, such that rotation of the gear 1380 causes rotation of the shaft 1350. Some embodiments comprise an idle tensioner to maintain tension in the belt, as well as an idle tensioner slide 1395 to allow the tension of the belt to be adjusted.
The shaft 1350 is configured to move up and down along the vertical axis to allow the brush assembly to move between a raised position to a lowered position. In the raised position, the brush assembly 1200 is closest to the splash guard member 1100 and configured to allow cleaning of the upper end of the toilet bowl. In the lowered position, the brush assembly 1200 is further away from the splash guard member 1100 and capable of contacting the bottom most area of the toilet bowl. In some embodiments, the brush assembly 1200 is pivotally connected to the shaft 1350 to allow the brush assembly to tilt from side to side as the brush assembly is moved over changing surface levels of the toilet bowl.
In the illustrated embodiment, the brush assembly 1200 is configured to rotate 360 degrees about the vertical axis of the shaft 1350. In some embodiments, the brush assembly 1200 is rotatably connected to the shaft 1350 to permit rotation thereof while the shaft 1350 is moving along the vertical axis.
The powered toilet bowl brush comprises a power source to power the motor when in use. In the illustrated embodiment, a first power source is electrical plug 1600 extending from the housing 1300 that is configured to plug into an electrical outlet. The illustrated embodiment further comprises a second power source, which is a battery 1610 removably secured to an upper end of housing 1300 and operably connectable to the motor. The second power source can be used if an outlet is not readily accessible adjacent to the toilet to be cleaned. A switch 1620 or other type of actuator is positioned on an exterior of the housing and operably connected to the motor 1500
Referring now to
It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 63/205,663 filed on May 25, 2021, the above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63205663 | May 2021 | US |
