Grout Tool

Abstract

A tile grout brush for cleaning grout stain comprising a main body having a handle portion and a brush head with a plurality of brush bristles extending from said brush head and a scraper structured for applying force and motion to said bristles against grout and tile and removing excess grout stain, residue and other unwanted substances there from.

Description

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/973,941, filed Sep. 20, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a tile grout tool having:

a. a main body having a handle portion and a brush head;
b. a plurality of brush bristles fitted to and extending from said brush head; and
c. a scraper on said main body for scraping engagement with tile to remove excess grout stain, residue and other unwanted substances therefrom; said tool structured for applying force and motion to said bristles against grout and tile.

In one embodiment, the brush portion is removably attached to the brush head. The brush head has brush bristles which are disposed in a plurality of bristle bundles, said bristle bundles being positioned and arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows along said brush head.

The brush of the present invention has a handle portion including a brush head support portion. In one embodiment, the brush head support portion is co-linear with the handle. In another embodiment, the brush head support portion has an angular inflection. In a preferred embodiment, the angular infection of the brush head support is between 180°-90°.

The tool has a squeegee or scraper on the main body for scraping engagement with tile to remove excess grout stain, residue and other unwanted substances therefrom.

In one embodiment, the squeegee is integral with the main body.

In one embodiment, the handle portion, brush head, and squeegee are formed as a unitary structure.

Additionally, the brush may have one or more cavities that facilitates manufacture as a single unitary structure. One preferred embodiment provides for a cavity within the handle portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the grout tool.

FIG. 1A is a partial side view of the brush head support of the grout with the detachable brush head disengaged.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the grout tool showing bristles mounted on the end of a brush head.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the grout tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The grout tool 10 of the present invention has a handle 11 and a brush head support 12. Handle 11 has scraper support 13 which has scraper 14 and a tip 15. Scraper support 13 has a first surface 13a and a second surface 13b. Brush head support 12 has a brush head 16 with bristles 17 substantially perpendicular to brush head 16.

The grout tool 10 has a handle 11 for grasping grout tool 10. Brush head 16 is moved back and forth so that when applying motion and pressure, bristles 17 contact a surface in which grout stain is to be brushed or applied.

Handle 11, is an elongated rectangular prism. The shown embodiment is for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to limit the configuration of handle 11. Handle 11, one embodiment, is solid on the interior region. In another embodiment, handle 11 has an interior cavity. In other embodiments, handle 11 is constructed and arranged in other configurations that may include, but would not be limited to various curvatures to facilitate grasping and surface relief on at least part of handle 11 to assist in maintaining a grip on handle 11.

Grout tool 10 is used to remove excess grout stain and other unwanted residue after grout stain has been applied to tile grout. Application of grout stain often involves application of excess stain on tile grout to ensure complete coverage of stain on the grout. When excess grout stain is present on a tile surface in which grout is applied, grout tool 10 is positioned along the line where stained grout is positioned. Bristles 17 are passed in a back and forth manner along stained grout and the passing of bristles 17 moves stained grout to either side of the line of stained grout between tiles. Handle 11 of grout tool 10 is then rotated 180° along the longitudinal axis of handle 11 so squeegee tip 15 is facing the tile. Squeegee tip 15 is moved along a tile surface in the direction away from brush head 16 subsequently removing excess grout stain when grout stain on tile is contacted by moving squeegee tip 15.

Tool 10 is also used in the manner described to remove excess grout cleaner when the cleaner is applied to the tile grout.

Squeegee tip 15 and first surface 13a of scraper support 13 intersect to form an angular vertex and create angle “y.” Angle “y” is an acute angle preferably less than 60°.

Scraper portion 14 has an angular configuration based on the measure of angle “y” and a substantially trapezoidal shape whereby grout that is scraped by tip 15 travels when grout tool 10 is moved in a direction away from tip 15. The brush head support portion 18 may be co-linear with handle portion 11 or may have an angular inflection “x” as shown in FIG. 1. In a preferred embodiment, the angular infection is between 180°-90°.

Brush head 16 is detachable and is configured such that bristles 17 are of varying size, shape, and hardness. Grout tool 10 can be used with different sized tiles and gouts of various compositions. Removable brush head 16 is connected to brush head support 12 at brush head support end 18 and is secured such that when pressure is applied by a user to engage bristles 17 on grout stain, brush head 16 does not dislodge from brush head support 12. A preferred engagement is a snap fit type arrangement. However, any acceptable attachment arrangement may be incorporated into the present invention.

Brush head 16 attaches to main body 11 in end region 18 that is the terminal portion of brush head support 12. The attachment is effectuated by any means as is commonly known in the art. In the embodiment depicted in the attached figures, the attachment is through an incorporated interlock/attachment mechanism whereby proximal clip 19 and distal clip 20 insert into proximal brush head receiving cavity 21 and distal brush head receiving cavity 22 respectively.

The attachment depicted is accomplished by initially placing brush head 16 in an angular orientation as depicted in FIG. 1A below end region 18. Proximal clip 19 is then placed within proximal brush head receiving cavity 21. Brush head 16 is then moved into locking position as shown by an arrow in FIG. 1A. Distal clip 20 then engages brush head 16 through insertion into distal brush head receiving cavity 22.

While the invention has been described in its preferred form or embodiment with some degree of particularity, it is understood that this description has been given only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction, fabrication, and use, including the combination and arrangement of parts, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A tile grout tool comprising:

a. a main body having a handle portion and a brush head;

b. a plurality of brush bristles fitted to and extending from said brush head; and

c. a scraper on said main body for scraping engagement with tile to remove excess grout stain, residue and other unwanted substances therefrom; said tool structured for applying force and motion to said bristles against grout and tile.

2. The brush of claim 1 wherein said brush portion is removably attached to said head.

3. The brush of claim 1 wherein said brush bristles are disposed in a plurality of bristle bundles, said bristle bundles being positioned and arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows along said brush head.

4. The brush of claim 1 wherein said handle portion comprises a brush head support portion.

5. The brush of claim 1 wherein said squeegee or scraper is integral with said main body for scraping engagement with tile to remove excess grout, residue and other unwanted substances therefrom.

6. The brush of claim 1 wherein said handle portion, said brush head, and said scraper are formed as a unitary structure.