Household scrubbing brushes and methods of manufacture thereof

Abstract

Flexible household scrubbing brushes and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. The scrubbing brushes include a handle connected to a head. The head includes two opposing faces including a top face and a bottom face. The bottom face is connected to a plurality of bristles some or all of which are molded elastomer bristles. The top and bottom faces may also include a plurality of grooves to increase the flexibility of the head. The grooves are filled with elastomer material to improve the durability of the brush head without detracting from the flexibility thereof. The distal portion of the handle or the handle-head connection may also be slotted to enhance the flexibility of the brush. Brushes with thermal plastic bristles for cleaning cookware with non-stick coatings are also disclosed. Injection molded methods for fabricating the disclosed brushes are also disclosed.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A household scrubbing brush comprising: 
 a handle connected to neck which is connected to a head,    the head being connected to a plurality of bristles, at least some of which comprise molded elastomer bristles.    
     
     
         2 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 1  wherein 
 the head is connected to the handle by a neck, the neck providing an obtuse connected between the head and handle, the neck comprising at least one slot for enhancing flexibility of the head with respect to the handle.  
 
     
     
         3 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 1  wherein the slot in the neck is filled with elastomer.  
     
     
         4 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of slots in the neck that are filled with elastomer.  
     
     
         5 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 1  wherein the head comprises two opposing faces including a top face and a bottom face, 
 the bottom face being connected to a plurality of tufts of bristles and a plurality of molded elastomer bristles.  
 
     
     
         6 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 5  wherein the top and bottom faces comprising a plurality of grooves, each groove being filled with elastomer.  
     
     
         7 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 6  wherein the elastomer disposed in the grooves in the head are connected to molded elastomer bristles.  
     
     
         8 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 7  wherein portions of the bottom face of the head disposed between the grooves in the bottom face are connected to a plurality of tufts of bristles.  
     
     
         9 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 6  wherein the grooves of the top face and the grooves of the bottom face are in alignment with each other.  
     
     
         10 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 6  wherein the grooves of the top face and the grooves of the bottom face are staggered with respect to each other.  
     
     
         11 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 6  wherein the grooves of the top and bottom faces extend transversely across the top and bottom faces and generally perpendicular to the handle.  
     
     
         12 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 6  wherein the grooves of the top and bottom faces extend longitudinally along the top and bottom faces and generally parallel to the handle.  
     
     
         13 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 6  wherein some of the grooves of the top and bottom faces extend transversely across the top and bottom faces and generally perpendicular to the handle and other grooves of the top and bottom faces extend longitudinally along the top and bottom faces and generally parallel to the handle.  
     
     
         14 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 6  wherein some of the grooves of the top and bottom faces extend transversely across the top and bottom faces and generally perpendicular to the handle and at least one groove of the top face and at least one groove of the bottom face extend longitudinally along the top and bottom faces and generally parallel to the handle.  
     
     
         15 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 6  wherein some of the grooves of the top and bottom faces extend transversely across the top and bottom faces in a chevron pattern and at least one groove of the top face and at least one groove of the bottom face extend longitudinally along the top and bottom faces and generally parallel to the handle.  
     
     
         16 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 6  wherein some of the grooves of the top and bottom faces extend transversely across the top and bottom faces in a chevron pattern and one groove of the top face and one groove of the bottom face extend longitudinally along the top and bottom faces and generally in axial alignment with the handle.  
     
     
         17 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 16  wherein the elastomer disposed in the grooves of the bottom face is connected to a plurality of elastomeric bristles.  
     
     
         18 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 6  wherein the grooves of the bottom face extend between the tufts of bristles and the elastomer disposed in the grooves of the bottom face is connected to a plurality of molded elastomeric bristles.  
     
     
         19 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 6  wherein portions of the grooves of the top and bottom faces extend through the head to form slots extending through the head.  
     
     
         20 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 6  wherein the bristles are elastomer bristles which are molded to an elastomeric body which is connected to a lower surface of the head.  
     
     
         21 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 20  wherein the elastomer body is glued to the head.  
     
     
         22 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 20  wherein the elastomer body is molded onto the head and held in place by a tongue-in-groove connection.  
     
     
         23 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 20  wherein a top surface of the head is connected to at least one tuft of bristles.  
     
     
         24 . A household scrubbing brush comprising: 
 a handle connected to a head,    the head comprising a shaft connected to and extending away from the handle,    the shaft comprising a plurality of enlarged transverse bodies that are spaced apart from each other and the handle and a plurality of narrow sections to provide a plurality of transverse slotted openings one either side of the narrow sections of the shaft and between the handle and one of the enlarged transverse bodies and between the enlarged transverse bodies, each enlarged transverse body comprising two opposing faces including a top face and a bottom face,    the bottom face of each enlarged transverse body being connected to a plurality of tufts of bristles,    the transverse slotted openings being filled with elastomer material, the elastomer material being molded to form a plurality of molded elastomer bristles.    
     
     
         25 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 24  wherein the transverse slotted openings extend between the tufts of bristles.  
     
     
         26 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 24  wherein the top face of each transverse body comprises a longitudinal groove that is generally parallel with the handle, the longitudinal grooves of the top faces being filled with elastomer.  
     
     
         27 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 24  wherein 
 the head is connected to the handle by a neck, the neck providing an obtuse connected between the head and handle, the neck comprising at least one slot for enhancing flexibility of the head with respect to the handle.  
 
     
     
         28 . The scrubbing brush of  claim 27  wherein the neck comprises a plurality of slots filled with elastomer.  
     
     
         29 . A household scrubbing brush comprising: 
 a handle comprising a distal end connected to a head,    the head comprising a shaft connected to and extending away from the distal end of the handle,    the shaft comprising at least three spaced apart transverse bodies including a proximate body that is spaced apart from the distal end of the handle, a middle body that is spaced apart from the proximate body and disposed between the proximate body and a distal body, the distal body being spaced apart from the middle body, the shaft further comprising narrow sections connecting the proximate body to the handle, the middle body to the proximate body and the distal body to the middle body, the narrow sections of the shaft defining a plurality of slotted openings on either side of narrow sections of the shaft and between the distal end of the handle and proximate body, between the proximate and middle bodies and between the middle and distal bodies, each body comprising two opposing faces including a top face and a bottom face,    the bottom face of each transverse body being connected to a plurality of tufts of bristles, the slotted openings extend between the tufts of bristles,    the slotted openings being filled with elastomer material at least some of which is connected to a plurality of elastomeric bristles.    
     
     
         30 . A method of manufacturing a household scrubbing brush, the method comprising: 
 injection molding a first structure comprising    a handle connected to a head,    the head comprising a shaft connected to and extending away from the handle,    the shaft comprising a plurality of enlarged transverse bodies that are spaced apart from each other and the handle and a plurality of narrow sections linking the handle to one of the enlarged transverse bodies and the other enlarged transverse bodies together to provide a plurality of slotted openings one either side of the narrow sections of the shaft and between the handle and one of the enlarged transverse bodies and between the enlarged transverse bodies, each enlarged transverse body comprising two opposing faces including a top face and a bottom face, the top face of each transverse body comprising a longitudinal groove that is generally parallel with the handle,    injection molding a second elastomeric structure in the slotted openings, around the narrow sections of the shaft and in the longitudinal grooves of the first structure, the second structure further comprising a plurality of bristles extending downward between the bottom faces of the enlarged transverse bodies of the first structure,    attaching a plurality of tufts of bristles to the bottom faces of the enlarged transverse bodies of the first structure.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the first structure is molded from a material selected from the group consisting of low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethyleneterepthalate, polyvinylchloride, polycarbonate and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the second structure is molded from one or more thermal plastic elastomers.