US2648085A - Cleaning swab for toilet bowls and the like - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 1l, 1953 D F, RODGERS 2,648,085

CLEANING SWAB FOR TOILET BOWLS AND THE LIKE Filed May 2. 1950 FIG.| FIG. 2

ATfoRNEYs Patented Aug. 11, 1953 ,GLEANINGL'SWABFOR TOILET BUWLS* AND THE Dorothy F. Rodgers, New York, N. Y., assignor, by incsne'v assignments, to Personal Products Corporatiom-North Brunswick Township, N. Ji, a; corporation oflNew J ersey' Application Mayi, 1950, .Serial No, 159,503;l

2 Claims;

I This invention relatesv to a cleaning swab` for" use in cleaning toilet bowls; and the like, andf'particularly to; an improved disposable swab pad,

which byreason of itsvcomposition and structural: fern-ris 'simple' andv economical to manufact-ure'-in'l quantity production.

The device ofv the present invention is an improvement onthe cleaning device and swab pad of my priorPatent No; 2,40235'77, in that the structural formant my limproved. .disposable swab pad enablesit to be manufacturedmore simply. and economically than the swab pad of my` prior patent.4

I-nvaccordance with a preferredembodiment' of the invention, the disposableswab padl is made of'` water disintegratable cellulosicmaterial, such as paper or paper pulp, more or less compacted; of substantial thickness, andofi'-circular, oblong, or other 'flat shape. integralLstud-like generally cylindrical projecting portion is formed. A cavity is formed within the pad body opening on the flat side opposite that from which the stud-like portion projects.

For holding and manipulating the swab pad in the cleaning operation, there is provided a handle of plastic, wood, or other suitable material, which may be wholly or partially hollow. At one end thereof, internally arranged flat springs 9 in association with the internal surface of the hollow cylinder construction provide means for engaging and closely surrounding the stud-like projecting portion of the pad. By reason of the gripping action of the springs and the respective cooperation between the stud-like portion of the pad with the inside surface of the hollow handle, pad and handle are maintained in interconnection for the cleaning operation. But the arrangement is such as to permit ready disassociation of handle and pad upon completion of the cleaning operation without the necessity of handling the pad.

It will be understood that because of the composition structure and impregnation of the pad, per se, it will retain its shape for a sufficient length of time to permit of the cleaning operation to be performed, whereupon the action of the Water producing sufficient wetting, will reduce the pad to a state of deterioration and disintegration, so that after disassociaton from the handle it may be flushed down the toilet bowl.

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the handle and disposable swab pad elements of the improved device of my invention, disassociated;

On-` onedlat side thereof anA 2 Fig. 2 is*r a top view :of the improved disposable swab pad of circular form;

Fig. 3 .shows a. plurality of the disposableswab. padsof Figs. 1 and `2, stacked in nested-.contact relation, the entirel stud-like. portions ofthe` under adjacent pads being within. ther cavitiesy ofi adjacent pads; and

Fig. 4' is a top. view: of al1-.alternative formv ofl cavity 5 is formed withinthe body portionv 2 opening asshown at 6, .at theunder side. 1.

The conguration and depth of.l the cavity Slis selected and adapted to permit the ready ,entrance-y of van` entire stud-likeportion 3.-. of .alike-pad,- .and

to permit the compact packagingof axplurality of such pads inl nested andstacked. contactrela.-n tion as shown-in Fig. 3-.y n

The disposable swab pad I may be made of paper or partially compacted cellulosic material and may be impregnated with some suitable water-soluble material to maintain the swab pad sufficiently rigid in its shaped form.

The stud-like projecting portion 3 and the cavity 5 may be formed on and in the body portion 2 by pressing, molding, or casting, and the stud-like portion 3 may be treated or coated on its outer surface with a more dii'licultly watersoluble material to render it more rigid for interconnection with the handle 8.

The cellulosic material of which the swab pad I is made should have a relatively low resistance to wetting and should Abe readily disintegratable upon relatively prolonged contact with water. Material of this character is Well known and readily available.

The disintegratability of the cellulosic material upon prolonged contact with water, together with the water solubility of the impregnating material described renders the swab pad I readily disposable after a cleaning operation as by flushing down a toilet bowl. The more diflicultly Watersoluble impregnating material employed for the coating and formation of the stud-like projecting portion 3 renders the same more rigid and tends to prolong the disintegration time of the stud for a time sufficient to enable a cleaning operation to be carried out before disassociating the swab pad I from the handle 8.

The oblong shaped swab pad I0, of Fig. 4, like the swab pad I of Fig. 1, has a stud-like portion 3 and a cavity 5, and like pads of Fig. 1, may be stacked in nested contact relation and packaged.

but in a box or carton of corresponding oblong shape.

To interconnect the swab pad of Fig. 1, or Fig. 4, with the handle 8, it is only necessary to apply the open end of the handle over the projecting portion l and press the handle down upon the swab pad. To remove the handle 8 and disassociate it from the swab pad, the pad may be positioned and held at the edge of the toilet bowl, whereupon the handle may be withdrawn without the necessity of handling the pad. The pad may then be flushed down the toilet.

I claim:

1. A cleaning swab for toilet bowls and the like comprising the combination of a disposable cleaning swab pad formed of water disintegratable material and a readily dissociable handle, said disposable swab pad having a at body portion of substantial thickness, an integral studlike projecting portion disposed at one flat side of said body portion adapted to provide holding and connecting means for said handle, the body portion of said swab portion having a cavity formed therein at the other flat side thereof opposite said stud-like projection, the coniiguration and depth of said cavity being adapted to permit the ready entrance of the stud-like projecting portion of another like pad with the sides of adjacent pads in contact relation, and said handle having engaging means at one end thereof adapted to closely surround and hold the stud-like portion of said swab pad in interconnection with Said handle during a cleaning operation, and permitting ready disassociation upon completion of a cleaning operation without necessity of handling the swab pad, and said engaging end of the handle being so formed as to shield said stud-like portion against excessive wetting during a cleaning operation and thereby avoid premature disintegration thereof.

2. A cleaning swab for toilet bowls and the like comprising a, circular disk-like swab pad of water disintegratable material, said swab pad having an integral cylindrical stud-like projecting portion disposed at one flat side of said body portion adapted to provide holding means, said body portion having a cavity formed therein at the other flat side thereof opposite said studlike holding means, the conguration and depth of said cavity being adapted to permit the ready entrance of the stud-like projecting portion of another like pad with the sides of adjacent pads in contact relation. said cavity facilitating wetting and disintegration of the pad, and a hollow cylindrical handle having spring engaging means at one end thereof and adapted to closely surround and hold the stud-like portion of said pad and handle in interconnection for the cleaning operation, and ready disassociation upon completion of the cleaning operation without the necessity of handling the pad, said engaging end of the handle being so constructed as to shield the said stud-like projecting portion against excessive wetting during a cleaning operation thereby avoiding premature disintegration thereof.

DOROTHY F. RODGERS.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,897,365 Duey Feb. 14, 1933 2,261,058 Forbis Oct. 28, 1941 2,271,861 Harris Feb. 3, 1942 2,402,577 Rodgers June 25, 1946 2,488,611 Stallings Nov. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 832,243 France June 27, 1938

Images