Brush with sliding collar

Abstract

A brush has a slidable collar that effectively shortens the bristles to a desired plurality of lengths. The collar preferably slides with respect to a support in a manner that effectively locks the collar in predetermined positions. The locking mechanism can be purely frictional, but preferably also used a detent, or any other suitable device that provides discrete stops. Such stops are preferably no more than 2 cm apart, and can advantageously be spaced no more than 1 cm apart. Contemplated devices can have 2, 3, 4, 5, or more stops. Collared brushes can advantageously be marketed specifically with respect to the slidable collar feature, and more specifically with respect to the applicability of such brushes to automotive use.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] A wide variety of brushes are known, for painting, dusting, and cleaning of a variety of objects from teeth, to sinks, flooring, and clothing. Different sizes of brushes are better adapted for different uses, as are different lengths and types of bristles. Although a given household may have numerous brushes, it is sometimes desirable to utilize a single brush for considerably different applications.

[0002] It is desirable, for example, to use a relatively soft brush for cleaning soft plastics, leather and the like, and a relatively harder bristled brush for cleaning among crevices in a tire rim or wheel, or along the rim of an automobile trunk. Since the perceived hardness (flexibility) of the bristles relates in part to the effective length of the bristles, it would be desirable to have a single brush in which the length can be adjusted.

[0003] British patent 614241 (“Improvements in Dabbing Brushes for Woolen Combs” addressed the problem of bristles being worn d...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0018] In FIGS. 1 and 2 a brush 10 generally comprises a handle 20, a heel portion (not shown) from which extend a plurality of bristles 30, and a slidable collar 40 disposed in a home position.

[0019] The handle 20 can comprise any suitable material, including wood, metal and / or hard plastic. In this particular example, the handle 20 is plastic about 1.5 cm thick, and has an ergonomically desirable soft touch material 22 on top and bottom to improve the “feel” of the brush. Handle 20 also has a hole 25 for hanging the brush 10, and an advertising medallion 27.

[0020] Bristles 30 can comprise any suitable material, depending on the application. For general automotive use the bristles are preferably nylon. In these scale drawing figures, the bristles have a longest effective length of about 2″ (≈5 cm).

[0021] Collar 40 is generally rhombohedral in shape, although it has an indented portion 42 to facilitate gripping by a user. There is also a medallion 44 that includes a logo or other...

BACKGROUND

[0001] A wide variety of brushes are known, for painting, dusting, and cleaning of a variety of objects from teeth, to sinks, flooring, and clothing. Different sizes of brushes are better adapted for different uses, as are different lengths and types of bristles. Although a given household may have numerous brushes, it is sometimes desirable to utilize a single brush for considerably different applications.

[0002] It is desirable, for example, to use a relatively soft brush for cleaning soft plastics, leather and the like, and a relatively harder bristled brush for cleaning among crevices in a tire rim or wheel, or along the rim of an automobile trunk. Since the perceived hardness (flexibility) of the bristles relates in part to the effective length of the bristles, it would be desirable to have a single brush in which the length can be adjusted.

[0003] British patent 614241 (“Improvements in Dabbing Brushes for Woolen Combs” addressed the problem of bristles being worn d...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0018] In FIGS. 1 and 2 a brush 10 generally comprises a handle 20, a heel portion (not shown) from which extend a plurality of bristles 30, and a slidable collar 40 disposed in a home position.

[0019] The handle 20 can comprise any suitable material, including wood, metal and / or hard plastic. In this particular example, the handle 20 is plastic about 1.5 cm thick, and has an ergonomically desirable soft touch material 22 on top and bottom to improve the “feel” of the brush. Handle 20 also has a hole 25 for hanging the brush 10, and an advertising medallion 27.

[0020] Bristles 30 can comprise any suitable material, depending on the application. For general automotive use the bristles are preferably nylon. In these scale drawing figures, the bristles have a longest effective length of about 2″ (≈5 cm).

[0021] Collar 40 is generally rhombohedral in shape, although it has an indented portion 42 to facilitate gripping by a user. There is also a medallion 44 that includes a logo or other...

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