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...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] Restricting of the bristles in this manner is thought to be particularly useful where the effective length of the bristles is reduced by at least 50%, and more preferably at least 75%. Thus, a collar operating on a brush with bristles averaging about 10 cm in length when the collar is in a home position could effectively reduce the length of the bristles to only 5 cm, or even down to 2.5 cm or less.

[0008] Among the benefits is that the effective shortening of the bristles increases the effective stiffness of the bristles. A single brush could therefore be well adapted to both brushing dust off of a GPS (Global Satellite Positioning) display screen, and removing debris from around the rim of a tire.

[0010] Preferred brushes have a handle that includes a least one ergonomic adaptation. An exemplary ergonomic adaptation is a soft touch material that improves the “feel” of the brush.

Problems solved by technology

Although a given household may have numerous brushes, it is sometimes desirable to utilize a single brush for considerably different applications.

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