GB2497363A - Brush with attached scraper - Google Patents

Abstract

The scraper brush comprises a long handle, a brush head and a scraper fixed on the rear of the head. The scraper may be built into the head of the brush or may be removeably attached to a conventional brush. The end of brush head may also be fitted with a thumping pad which may be used to dislodge any stubborn lumps of dirt. The brush may be fitted with strengthening webs to reinforce the joint of the handle to the brush head, and the bristles of the head may be arranged in a 'twin row'. The brush head may also comprise a reservoir which may be filled with water to increase the weight and efficiency of the device. In use, the brush may serve to loosen and break up dried soil, mud or ice, scrape and sweep it up.

Description

Scraper Brush

Description

The Inventor has identified the need for a device or devices to loosen baked on or trodden in mud or deposits from hard standing areas prior to sweeping them up.

Rather than have to use separate implements for this task the following invention provides a multi-purpose solution to these needs in the way of a single piece of apparatus. This invention is a completely new design of brush that can be used for all jobs, is to loosen dirt, ice etc, scrape and sweep it up.

The device incorporates a scraper blade manufactured as part of a conventional long handle brush where the rear of the brush head itself has integrated into it the shape of a scraper blade.

The practice of turning the brush upside down and utilising the back of a conventional brush head to loosen deposits stuck to concrete, slabs or hard standing prior to sweeping is commonplace.

However, this is guaranteed to cause damage to a standard brush head which is generally made of wood or plastic and does not constitute an efficient result in terms of the task, due to the fact that brush heads are not currently manufactured or purposely designed as multi-purpose.

Whilst this invention has two design options in terms of how it could be made with the same concept, idea and use, the first is always preferable:-The first being a newly shaped brush head with the scraper blade moulded or integrated into the shape of the rear of it, the second a separate scraper blade that can be attached to the back of a standard wooden or plastic long handle brush head.

The former and preferable way of manufacture would require the brush head to be moulded from plastic which could be solid or hollow. A type of plastic which would not damage or leave marks on a yard or patio. A dear polypropelene is an example of the type of plastic that could be used and would not mark but there are many different types of plastic that would be durable and suitable.

The same or similar material could be used to make a separate scraper that could be attached by screws to any brush.

This type of hard wearing plastic material will guarantee that the life of the scraper will extend to that of the bristles and handle of the brush itself.

If a purchaser wishes to purchase a separate attachable scraper it is quite likely the scraper will outlast the life of the brush itself due to its more occasional use hence it could be removed and refitted to a new brush at any time using a screwdriver.

An additional use of the Scraper Brush would be to help move large deposits of water from an area of hard standing, far superior to using the bristles when brushing water away. With inclement weather becoming more common than ever it is nice to keep your drive or path free from puddles or snow when approaching a nicely carpeted home.

It is anticipated that the cost of manufacture of the newly designed Scraper Brush head with its integrated scraper would be very similar to that of a conventional brush head, hence this design offers many benefits to the user at very little or no extra cost over a conventional design.

In addition, the newly designed brush head has other unique features providing a re-invention' of the long handled brush. The inventor considers this is long overdue! The overall new design overcomes all of the short comings of what is basically an age old design' that is still currently being manufactured.

This invention includes a support tube' moulded into the head of the brush head for the handle to slip into with integrated moulded webbed supports.

This provides for less flex and greater strength to allow a high level of the effort exerted on a brush handle to be transmitted into effective use of the brush.

This will also offer longer life due to less chance of the brush head flexing or breaking where the bending forces are exerted on it at this point.

Twin row' bristles where the bristles in each row point towards each other to meet at the contact area with the floor and provide two sweeping edges' as opposed to the one bulk of bristles of a standard brush are part of this design (See drawing).

This gives many advantages ie. Increased friction between the bristles and floor with any given weight applied downwards on the brush handle due to a greater load produced by the smaller contact area. (Load = Weight divided by Area ie smaller Area = greater Load with the same Weight).

The two rows of bristles also give the benefit that any debris passing under the first row can be collected and moved by the second. Two sweeps in one. . .Double action.

The two rows of bristles give far less opportunity for debris to become trapped between the bristles which is commonplace on a standard brush. This makes a standard brush heavy and inefficient whereas our design remains light and efficient.

A further feature is the Thumping Pad' at each end of the brush head.

The user can turn the head sideways and tap it on the ground without damage to it.

Tapping it on the ground safely can remove any deposits trapped in the bristles or stuck to the blade of the brush.

In addition this action with the Thumping Pad can be utilised to dislodge or break up a lump of dried soil, mud etc to make it possible for these to be moved as previously described by the scraper and then swept up with the brush itself. Multi Action.

The brush head will be manufactured in plastic and can be made hollow.

This provides for a water reservoir in the head of the brush which could be left empty for transportation, for sale and for light use or filled to give the brush more weight hence friction with the ground and even more efficient sweeping for heavy use.

Even with all of these features included in this invention for a new brush design there is no extra cost or weight added to a brush when employing the design in manufacture.

Once again the difference in cost of producing this completely new design of Scraper Brush is negligible over that of producing a standard brush, hence this design can only offer advantages without any draw backs.