Liquid dispensing brush

• US 20050063764A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hartz Mountain Corporation (Unicharm Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hartz Mountain Corporation (Unicharm Corporation)
• Inventors: McKay, William D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,309,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 401/138
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 13/002 Curry-combs; Brushes shearing sheep B26B19/24
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 19/0066 Coloring or bleaching
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 19/026 having brush or comb applicators A45D24/22 take precedence; brushes with reservoir or other means for applying substances A46B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/057 Spray nozzles; Generating atomised liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/1018 comprising a pad, i.e. a cushion-like mass of soft material, with or without gripping means
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0017 with pre-pressurised reservoirs, e.g. aerosols
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0058 with a metered dosage
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 17/06 Devices for cleaning brushes after use
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/104 Hair brush bristles arrangements for hair brushes A46B9/023
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1093 Brush for use on animal A46B2200/1086 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/10 Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus includes a substrate with outward projecting bristles. The substrate may be mounted on a support which may carry a handle or on a media dispensing container. The handle is hollow to carry a dispensable media from a dispenser mounted on the handle or has an open end to receive an aerosol or media dispensing container.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a cleaning element;

support means for carrying the cleaning element;

a handle coupled to the cleaning element support; and

dispensing means carried with the handle for dispensing media.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dispensing means comprises:

the handle having an interior chamber adapted for receiving a dispensable media; and

discharge means, carried on the handle, for discharging the media from the interior chamber.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the interior chamber extends at least partially through the support means.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the dispensing means comprises:

a movable plunger for discharging the media from the interior chamber in the handle through a discharge outlet carried on the plunger.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dispensing means comprises:

an open ended receptacle formed in the handle adapted for receiving a separate container carrying a dischargable media.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dispensing means further comprises:

an open ended receptacle formed in the handle; and

a container carrying a dispensable media, the container removably mountable in the receptacle.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the container is a pressurized container.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the container is a manual pump spray container.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the cleaning element comprises:

a mat having a exterior surface formed with cleaning members.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein:

the mat is removably mountable on the support means.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the cleaning members comprise:

a plurality of bristles extending from the mat.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:

the bristles are evenly spaced over the mat.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:

the bristles have one of the same height and different heights.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:

the bristles have one of the same degree of resiliency and different resiliency.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

a sheet disposed over the bristles.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the sheet is dry and absorbent.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the sheet is pre-moistened.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the sheet is dry and treated with a water activated material.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the sheet carries a cleaning medium.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the sheet carries a deodorizing medium.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the sheet carries a medicament.

22. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the sheet carries a conditioning medium.

23. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the sheet comprises:

a non-woven fabric sheet.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cleaning element comprises:

a plurality of bristles integrally extending from the support means.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the cleaning element further comprises:

a sheet having apertures mountable over the bristles on the mat.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein:

the bristles extend through the fabric sheet.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein:

the sheet is provided in a plurality of separable sheets wound in a roll.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein:

the sheet is a plurality of separate sheets in a stack.

29. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising:

clamp means, carried on one of the support means and the mat, for clamping the end of the sheet in a fixed position on the mat.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the clamp means comprises:

a pivotal member carried on one of the support and the mat, the pivotal member movable between a first position spaced from the sheet to a second position engaged with the sheet.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the clamp means comprises:

opposed ends of the mat spaced from each other when mounted about the support means; and

means, carried on the opposed ends of the mat and in the support means, for latchingly receiving the ends of the mat to secure the mat on one of the support means.

32. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the clamp means comprises:

opposed ends of the mat spaced from each other when the mat is mounted about the support means;

means, carried on the opposed ends of the mat, for releasably mounting in a slot in one of the support and a core; and

a clamp member releasably mounted in the slot for fixing the ends of the mat in the slot.

33. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the cleaning element further comprises:

a core, the core mountable over the support means; and

the mat mounted over the core.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 further comprising:

clamp means, carried on the core, for clamping the mat to the core.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein:

the clamp means is a clamp member pivotally mounted on the core.

36. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein:

the clamp means comprises a separate clamp member removably mounted on the core to fix the mat on the core.

37. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the mat comprises:

a substrate having opposed ends; and

means, carried on the core and the ends of the substrate for releasably locking the ends of the mat to the core.

38. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a protective cap mountable over the sheet to the support to sealingly encompass the sheet.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the protective cap comprises:

an open ended enclosure friction mountable to the support means to sealingly mount the protective cap to the support means.

40. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the protective cap comprises:

first and second hingedly coupled sections sealingly mountable about the sheet on the support means.

41. A cleaning apparatus comprising:

a brush including a handle;

bristles carried on the brush;

a sheet disposed about the bristles; and

dispensing means carried with the handle for dispensing media.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the dispensing means comprises:

the handle having an interior chamber adapted for receiving a dispensable media; and

discharge means, carried on the handle, for discharging the media from the interior chamber.

43. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the dispensing means comprises:

a movable plunger for discharging the media from the interior chamber in the handle through a discharge outlet carried on the plunger.

44. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the dispensing means comprises:

an open ended receptacle formed in the handle adapted for receiving a separate container carrying a dischargable media.

45. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein:

the sheet extends over at least one surface portion of the brush.

46. The cleaning apparatus of claim 41 wherein:

the sheet is wound a plurality of times around the bristles.

47. The cleaning apparatus of claim 41 wherein:

at least some of the bristles extend through the sheet.

48. The apparatus of claim 41 further comprising:

a sheet fixed over the bristles.

49. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein:

the sheet means is dry.

50. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein:

the sheet is pre-moistened.

52. A fluid dispenser apparatus comprising:

a container containing a hair treatment media dispensable from the container;

a bristle mat; and

means for mounting the bristle mat on the container.

53. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the mounting means comprises:

a hollow support, the support having an inner bore opened from one end, the bore having a diameter for slidably receiving one end portion of the container therein.

54. The apparatus of claim 53 wherein:

one end of the container projects outwardly from the support, after the container is mounted in the support, to act as a handle for use of the mat.

55. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the mounting means comprises:

a first collar mountable on the container at an intermediate position spaced from one end of the container;

at least one projection carried on the end of the container and spaced from the first collar; and

the mat mounted between the projection and the first collar over the container.

56. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the mounting means comprises:

a spindle having opposed first and second end collars; and

at least one of the first and second end collars having a through aperture for mounting of the spindle over a portion of the container.

57. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the mounting means comprises:

a cap mountable over a discharge end of the container; and

means, carried on the cap, for supporting the mat on the cap.