US2772430A - Dish cleaning device with detergent feed - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 4, 1956 J. MORITT DISH CLEANING DEVICE WITH DETERGENT FEED Filed July 13, 1955 INVENTO R IRVING J. MORLITT ATTORNE United States Patent DISH CLEANING DEVICE WITH DETERGENT FEED Irving J. Moritt, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application July 13, 1953, Serial No. 367,469

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-133) This invention relates to devices for use in washing dishes of various types and kinds, so that the hands may be kept free, or relatively free, from contact with detergents used in the cleaning of dishes. More particularly, the invention deals with a tubular device of the character described having a brush head with a manually actuated plunger in the handle portion of the device for operating a piston controlling intermittent discharge of detergent into the brush head for application to the dishes being cleaned.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan and sectional view of a device made according to my invention, with parts of the construction broken away and diagrammatically illustrating positioning of the device in a hand.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal partial sectional view of the structure, as shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the use of the scraper portion of the head in removing particles adhering to a pot or pan.

In the drawing, represents the tubular body portion of my device which is slightly tapered from a flanged end portion 11 to the head 12 of the device. The flanged end has a projecting collar portion 13, having a keyway, as at 14, for receiving a key 15 on a tubular handle member 16. The contracted end portion of the body 10 has a tapered bore 17, in which a tapered end portion 18 of the head 12 is adapted to frictionally fit. A transverse wall 19 is formed at the base of the bore 17 with a small aperture 20 therein, the latter being normally closed by a ball 21, having a light spring 22 acting thereon, the spring seating on the tapered end 18 and normally supporting the ball in position to close the opening 20. The head 12 is made of two detachably coupled parts, which can be referred to as the scraper part 23 and the brush part 24. The scraper part 23 has an angularly extending tubular portion 25, centrally of the base of which is a body 26 having a small discharge opening 27 therein, which communicates with a bore 28 extending longitudinally of the head and through the tapered portion 18, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The outside diameter of the tubular portion is tapered to receive a correspondingly tapered bore 29 of the brush head, this brush head carrying circumferentially spaced bristles 30, forming what may be termed a tubular brush for use in cleaning dishes, to which a detergent has been applied through action of the device, as later described.

The handle member 16 has a longitudinally ribbed gripper surface 31 for securely holding the device in the hand. The outer end portion 32 of the handle member is opened for admission of detergent into the storage chamber 33 formed in the handle member and this open end is closed by a cover 34, having threaded engagement with the end 32, as indicated at 35.

The other end portion of the handle member has a transverse piston cylinder 36 arranged therein and joining the walls of the handle member in a Web, as indicated at 37. The tubular handle member 16 has common diameter bores at end portions thereof, which are divided or partitioned by the cylinder 36 and web 37. One of these bores forms the storage chamber 33; whereas the other bore opens into the tubular body 10. The cylinder opens outwardly through the wall of the handle member 16 and this opening is closed by a ring 38, in which the plunger portion 39 of a piston 40 operates, the plunger 39 being normally extended beyond the collar 38 by a spring 41 arranged in the cylinder 36.

The cylinder 36, adjacentthe wall of the handle member, has a vent passage 42 for breaking vacuum back of the cylinder in outward movement of the piston. The inner end of the cylinder has a reduced small housing 43, in which a ball 44 is mounted, the ball acting as a valve closing an admission aperture 45, placing the cylinder 36 in communication with the chamber 33. The side of the cylinder 36, adjacent the inner end thereof, has a discharge port 46, from which detergent can be pressure discharged in controlling discharge through the aperture 27 into the brush head, as will be apparent. Considering Fig. 2 of the drawing, it will appear that the spring 41 has a radial end41f, which retains the ball 44 against displacement from the housing 43.

At this time, it might be said that the detergent which is in a liquid or substantially liquid state is free to flow from the chamber 33 into the tubular body 10 and is held in this body or the chamber 10 thereof by the ball valve 21. However, when the piston 40 is actuated, for example, by the thumb of a hand, as diagrammatically indicated in Fig. l of the drawing, the action of the piston will pressure discharge :a predetermined amount of the detergent into the head for application to the dish, pan or the like being cleaned. In operation, the device is reciprocated over a surface in a scrubbing or scouring fashion and dishes, pans or the like can be cleaned by simply holding the same under a stream of water, or by intermittent dipping into a pan filled with water, whichever procedure is found to be desirable.

From time to time and, particularly pots and pans, these utensils have a collection of congealed matter ad hering to their surfaces. This matter can be freed by the use of the scraper blade 47 on the head 12, or the part 23 of said head. The scraper blade preferably flares outwardly to form a wide scraper edge 48, which is preferably contracted to form a relatively sharp edge, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The entire device can be made of any desired material, or combinations of materials, and I have found it particularly desirable to use certain types and kinds of plastic materials which simplify the cost of producing the device, in that the plastic parts can be readily moulded. However, in other instances, portions of the tool may be made from metal with plastic parts associated therewith. While ditferent types of bristles can be provided in the brush head 30, I have found that the plastic or nylon type of bristles are suitable for the intended purpose.

It will be apparent that the purpose of the key 15 is to maintain the head 12 in predetermined position with respect to the plunger 39. In the accompanying drawing, the plunger .is shown at one side of the handle member and this has been found to be a practical arrangement. However, in some devices, the keying can be so controlled as to dispose the plunger in other positions with respect to the'head. It will also be understood that the angular arrangement of the head with respect to the handle member is such as to enable the brush 30 to get into corners of. a pot or pan and also to maintain the hand .in a raised position with respect to a dish or pan or other type ofmember being cleaned.

In the use of the device, it will be understood that the plunger 39 is intermittently actuated to bring into the head 12 sufficient detergent to perform the operation of cleaning dishes, pots and pans. In this connection, it will be understood that one charge of the detergent into the head may be 'sufiicient to clean several dishes but, in any event, the control is available for supplying the required amount of detergent from time to time. It will also be understood that, between uses, the device can be stored in any suitable manner and the detergent is maintained sealed within the device until such time as further use'thereof is required. A single filling of the chamber 33 will, in normal instances, care for several dish washing operations.

V For purposes of description, the scrubbing and scraping device may be referred to as a tool or implement and the tubular body, including thehan-dle member, may be considered the shank of the tool, at one end of which is the combination brush and scraper head and, at the other end of which is the cap, controlling refilling of the chamber in the handle member of the shank. In like manner, the plunger and piston unit as a whole may be regarded as a pump, including the ball check valve. Still further, the spring seated valve .in the tubular body of the shank and the port controlled thereby may be referred to as a valve controlled port.

It will be noted, from a consideration of Fig. 2 of the drawing, that the head 12 has a projecting key 49 to key the head in definite position with respect to the tubular body'portion 10.

It is also preferred that the tapered portion 18, as well as the collar 13, be cemented into position so that the handle member 16, as well as the head 12, become integral with the tubular body 10.

It will be understood that the closing of the ball valve 21 facilitates the flow of liquid from the chamber 33 into the cylinder 36. This also prevents liquid from being sucked back from the chamber when the plunger 39 is moved outwardly bythe spring 41. In this connection, it will be understood that the plunger is sealed by the collar 38 and, in this outward movement of the plunger, the material that may-be sucked .in, back of the piston 40 through the passage 42, will be forced back into the chamber 33 through said passage.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dish cleaning device of the character described, comprising a tapered tubular body, a brush head at the contracted end of said body, a one-piece moulded tubular handle member at the other end of said body, said handle member having one-diameter bores opening through both ends, the bore at one end of said member forming a storage chamber for a liquid detergent, a detachable cap for closing said chamber, said bores being divided by a Web and an integral hollow cylinder traversing the bores adjacent the other end of said member, the integral structure of said handle member facilitating moulding thereof, said cylinder having a port communicating with the bore at the second named end of said member, the cylinder having a valve controlled aperture opening into said chamber, a manually and spring operated pump in said cylinder and accessible outwardly of said member, a collar mounted in said member and cylinder for retaining the pump against displacement from said cylinder, said head having a discharge passage, through which detergent passes into the brush of said head, and operation of said pump controlling transfer of detergent from said chamber through said cylinder and into said tubular body for pressure feed through the discharge passage of said head into the brush of said head.

2. A dish cleaning device of the character described, comprising a tapered tubular body, a brush head at the contracted end of said body, a one-piece moulded tubular handle member at the other end of said body, said handle member having one-diameter bores opening through both ends, the bore at one end of said member forming a storage chamber for a liquid detergent, a detachable cap for closing said chamber, said bores being divided by a web and an integral hollow cylinder traversing the bores adjacent the other end of said member, the integral structure of said handle member facilitating moulding thereof, said cylinder having a port communicating with the bore at the second named end of said member, the cylinder having a valve controlled aperture opening into said chamber, a manually and spring operated pump in said cylinder and accessible outwardly of said member, a collar mounted in said member and cylinder for retaining the pump against displacement from said cylinder, said head having a discharge passage, through which detergent passes into the brush of said head, operation of said pump controlling transfer of detergent from said chamber through said cylinder and into said tubular body for pressure feed through the discharge passage of said head into the brush of said head, and a valve controlling passage of detergent through the tubular body to said head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,392,369 Stoewsand Oct. 4, 1921 1,676,857 Cheron July 10, 1928 2,163,979 Judson June 27, 1939 2,224,644 Ellis Dec. 10, 1940

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