Patent Issued for Grout Cleaning Hand Tool (USPTO 10,561,231)

2020 FEB 28 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx journalists, a patent by the inventor Cicia, Raymond (Springfield, MA), filed on January 9, 2017, was published online on March 2, 2020.

The assignee for this patent, patent number 10,561,231, is Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (Springfield, Massachusetts, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “A tiled surface commonly comprises a matrix of pre-cut pieces that have been permanently secured to an underlying support surface. The individual pieces are spaced apart and the spacing is typically filled with grout joints. The grout joints give stability to the matrix of tiles and helps keep the individual pieces from working loose over time. Grout is installed in the gaps between the installed tile to seal the surface and to provide a finished appearance. Grout is generally white in color and recessed below the surface of the tile. For example, a typical floor tile installation consists of a plurality of tiles bonded to an underlying subfloor by bonding material, including mortar and grout.

“Grout is typically a porous cement and sand mixture. Due to the fact that moisture, and consequently dirt, tends to collect and be retained in the grout covered spaces between tiles, and due to the white color of the grout, the grout often requires cleaning. Because the surface of the grout is recessed below the surface of the tile, conventional cleaning implements may not effectively clean the grout. Accordingly, there has been a need in the art to devise an effective cleaning method for grout lines in tiled floors.

“The grout cleaning process can be made somewhat easier by specialized brushes shaped to fit into individual lines of grout. To be effective, however, the heads of these brushes must be appropriately sized for the grout lines to be cleaned, and maintain this characteristic during use. A width-ways spread of the bristles can results in a brush that is too wide for effective cleaning of a grouted groove. Even when an appropriately-sized brush is chosen, cleaning the multitude of grout lines associated with most tiled surfaces is a daunting task. The lines of grout must still be cleaned one at a time.

“There are a variety of cleaning brushes commercially available for grout cleaning. However, cleaning the grout lines using currently available brushes typically involves labor intensive scrubbing and brushing in a posture that is uncomfortable to a user including, for example, crouch, prone, leaning, or bending over. These awkward positions, in combination with the muscle strength required to reciprocally and repetitively move the brushes, severely limit a person’s ability to clean the grout lines because of his or her limited stamina. Also, ergonomic difficulties of conventional grout cleaning activities increase the probability of causing or inducing injuries associated with engaging in such activities.

“It is known to clean grout using tools that are designed for use by operators in a standing position. An example is a long-handled tool with an angled handle similar to a broom handle, including a brush attachment such as a nylon brush. These brush attachments greatly deform as the device is pressed down, and thus may not clean or strip the grout efficiently as more robust tools. Another example is a tool including a rigid rectangular plate, with an elongated handle connected to the upper surface of the plate. A tile scrubbing pad made of a fibrous material is connected to the bottom surface of the plate. When pressed down and moved using the elongated handle, this scrubbing pad may not clean or strip lines of grout as precisely and robustly as tools designed specifically for cleaning grout joints.

“In summary, conventional grout scrubbing tools, even long-handled tools designed for use by an operator in a standing position, have various ergonomic and efficiency limitations as applied to the physically demanding task of cleaning or scrubbing grout joints.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventor’s summary information for this patent: “What is needed is a tool for stripping or cleaning grout, such as grout joints on tile floors, that is comfortable to use. As a related matter, operator use of the tool should not unduly tax the operator’s stamina, or create a risk of injuries. An additional goal is that the tool be well adapted to cleaning and stripping grout, such as grout joints of tile floors, in an efficient manner.

“Additionally, it is desirable to provide a hand-held tool embodying an ergonomically sound design for use by an operator use in a standing posture. A further goal is to provide a hand-held floor treatment tool configured to be held in a standing posture in carrying out floor treatment operations that require pressing down a work-head against a floor surface.

“Disclosed herein is grout cleaning hand tool that includes a grout cleaning head assembly with a removable brush subassembly. An elongate handle extends upwardly from the grout cleaning head assembly and is held by an operator in a standing posture. In an embodiment, the elongated handle includes a handle rod and a T-grip handle, for two-handed engagement by the operator. In an embodiment, the handle rod and a T-grip handle provide ergonomic positions for the standing operator to exert downward compression forces on the grout cleaning head assembly to facilitate cleaning grout lines in tiled floors.

“In an embodiment, the removable brush subassembly includes a brush handle to be held by an operator for cleaning grout with the brush subassembly when removed from the head assembly. In an embodiment, the brush subassembly is configured, when removed from the grout cleaning head assembly, for detail-work grout cleaning by the operator holding the long narrow brush subassembly in a sitting, kneeling, squatting, or crouching posture.

“In an embodiment, the grout cleaning head assembly includes a support member with an insertion axis. The brush subassembly configured to be inserted to and removed from the support member along the insertion axis. In an embodiment, the brush subassembly includes a brush body extending along the insertion axis, and a long narrow bundle of bristles secured to the brush body. In an embodiment, the brush body is slidably mounted to a channel of the support member along an insertion axis. In an embodiment, the support member includes first and second ribs defining the channel. In one embodiment, the brush body is configured as the pin of a dovetail joint, and the channel of the support member is configured as the tail of the dovetail joint.

“In an embodiment, the removable brush subassembly includes stiff bristles that resist collapsing when pressed against the grout lines in the tiled floor. In an exemplary embodiment, a long narrow bundle of bristles includes metal bristles configured to conform to grout lines in a tiled floor surface.

“In an embodiment, the elongate handle of the grout cleaning hand tool includes a handle rod including a primary grip position to be held by a first hand of the operator in the standing posture, and an auxiliary handle joined to the handle rod to be held by a second hand of the operator. In one embodiment, the auxiliary handle includes a sleeve, and a T-grip joined to the sleeve and extending substantially perpendicular to the sleeve. The sleeve may be releasably secured to the handle rod to permit either or both axial and radial repositioning of the sleeve along the handle rod. In an embodiment, the elongate handle extends upwardly from the grout cleaning head assembly at an angle between 40.degree. and 60.degree. from a primary axis of the grout cleaning head assembly. In another embodiment, the elongate handle extends upwardly from the grout cleaning head assembly at an angle between 45.degree. and 55.degree. from a primary axis of the grout cleaning head assembly.

“In another embodiment, a hand tool includes a work head, with a support member and a floor treatment implement secured to the support member. The floor treatment implement is adapted to floor treatment operations that require pressing down the floor treatment implement against a floor surface. The hand tool further includes an elongate handle that extends upwardly from the support member and is configured to be held by the operator in a standing posture. The elongate handle incorporates a handle rod and an auxiliary handle joined to the handle rod. The handle rod provides a primary grip position for a first hand of the operator, and the auxiliary handle includes a T-grip member that extends substantially perpendicularly to the handle rod and that provides a secondary grip position for a second hand of the operator. The handle rod and the auxiliary handle provide ergonomically sound grip positions for the operator to exert downward compression forces during floor treatment operations.

“In an embodiment, a grout cleaning hand tool comprises a grout cleaning head assembly, comprising a support member including an insertion axis, and a brush subassembly configured to be inserted to and removed from the support member along the insertion axis for removable mounting to the support member, the brush subassembly including a long narrow bundle of bristles; and an elongate handle joined to the support member, extending upwardly from the grout cleaning head assembly; wherein the grout cleaning hand tool is configured for cleaning grout in a floor surface by an operator holding the elongate handle in a standing posture; and wherein the brush subassembly is configured, when removed from the grout cleaning head assembly, for cleaning the grout in the floor surface by the operator holding the brush subassembly close to the floor.

“In an embodiment, a grout cleaning hand tool, comprises a grout cleaning head assembly, comprising a support member and a brush subassembly removably mounting to the support member; the brush subassembly comprising a base, a long narrow bundle of bristles secured to the base configured to clean grout lines in a tiled floor surface, and a brush handle joined to the base; and an elongate handle joined to the support member, extending upwardly from the grout cleaning head assembly, wherein the elongate handle comprises a handle rod and an auxiliary handle joined to the handle rod; wherein the grout cleaning hand tool is configured for cleaning the grout lines in the tiled floor surface by an operator holding the handle rod and the auxiliary handle while in a standing posture; and wherein the brush subassembly is configured, when removed from the grout cleaning head assembly, for cleaning the grout lines in the tiled floor surface by the operator holding the brush subassembly close to the tiled floor surface.

“In an embodiment, A grout cleaning hand tool comprises a grout cleaning head assembly, comprising a support member including an insertion axis, and a brush subassembly configured to be inserted to and removed from the support member along the insertion axis for removable mounting to the support member, the brush subassembly comprising a base extending along the insertion axis and long narrow bundle of bristles secured to the base, wherein the base is slidably mounted to a channel of the support member along the insertion axis; and an elongate handle joined to the support member, extending upwardly from the grout cleaning head assembly; wherein the grout cleaning hand tool is configured for cleaning grout lines in a tiled floor surface by an operator holding the elongate handle in a standing posture.

“In an embodiment, a hand tool comprises a work head comprising a support member and a floor treatment implement secured to the support member, the floor treatment implement being adapted to a floor treatment operation comprising pressing down the floor treatment implement against a floor surface, and an elongate handle joined to the support member and extending upwardly from the support member and configured to be held by the operator in a standing posture, wherein the elongate handle comprises a handle rod including a primary grip position configured to be held by a first hand of the operator, and an auxiliary handle joined to the handle rod and including a T-grip member extending substantially perpendicularly to the handle rod and configured to be held by a second hand of the operator.

“In an embodiment, a hand tool comprises a work head comprising a support member and a floor treatment implement secured to the support member, the floor treatment implement being adapted to a floor treatment operation comprising pushing and pulling the floor treatment implement along a floor surface, and an elongate handle joined to the support member and extending upwardly from the support member and configured to be held by the operator in a standing posture, wherein the elongate handle comprises a handle rod including a primary grip position configured to be held by a first hand of the operator, and an auxiliary handle joined to the handle rod and including a T-grip member extending substantially perpendicularly to the handle rod and configured to be held by a second hand of the operator.

“In an embodiment, a hand tool comprises a work head comprising a support member and a floor treatment implement secured to the support member, and an elongate handle joined to the support member and extending upwardly from the support member and configured to be held by the operator in a standing posture, wherein the elongate handle comprises: a handle rod including a primary grip position configured to be held by a first hand of the operator, and an auxiliary handle comprising a sleeve, and a T-grip member joined to the sleeve and extending substantially perpendicularly to the handle rod and configured to be held by a second hand of the operator, where the sleeve is releasably secured to the handle rod to permit either or both axial and radial repositioning of the sleeve along the handle rod, wherein the sleeve joins the T-grip member to the handle rod.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“What is claimed is:

“1. A grout cleaning hand tool, comprising: a grout cleaning head assembly comprising a support member including an insertion axis, and a brush subassembly configured to be inserted to and removed from a channel of the support member along the insertion axis for removable mounting to the support member; wherein the brush subassembly comprises a brush body including a long narrow bundle of bristles extending along the insertion axis between a first end and a second end of the brush body, and a brush handle joined to and extending from the first end of the brush body; wherein the brush subassembly is configured to be inserted to the channel of the support member with the handle joined to the brush body beyond the channel of the support member; wherein the brush body has a tapered cross section and the channel has a complementary cross section to the cross section of the brush body; and an elongate handle joined to the support member, extending upwardly from the grout cleaning head assembly.

“2. The grout cleaning hand tool of claim 1, wherein the channel of the support member along the insertion axis is configured to slidably receive the brush body.

“3. The grout cleaning hand tool of claim 2, wherein the channel is a tapered slot and the support member includes first and second rails defining the tapered slot.

“4. The grout cleaning hand tool of claim 1, wherein the brush body is configured as a pin of a dovetail joint, and the channel of the support member is configured as a tail of the dovetail joint.

“5. The grout cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein the long narrow bundle of bristles comprise bristles that are configured to resist collapsing when pressed against grout lines in a tiled floor surface.

“6. The grout cleaning tool of claim 5, wherein the long narrow bundle of bristles comprise metal bristles configured to conform to the grout lines in the tiled floor surface.

“7. The grout cleaning hand tool of claim 1, wherein the elongate handle comprises a handle rod including a primary grip position configured to be held by a first hand of an operator in the standing posture, and an auxiliary handle joined to the handle rod configured to be held by a second hand of the operator in the standing posture.

“8. The grout cleaning hand tool of claim 7, wherein the auxiliary handle comprises a sleeve and a T-grip joined to the sleeve and extending substantially perpendicular to the sleeve, wherein the sleeve is releasably secured to the handle rod to permit either or both axial and radial repositioning of the sleeve along the handle rod.

“9. The grout cleaning hand tool of claim 7, wherein the handle rod and the auxiliary handle provide ergonomic positions for the operator holding the elongate handle in the standing posture to exert downward compression forces on the grout cleaning head assembly.

“10. The grout cleaning hand tool of claim 1, wherein the elongate handle extends upwardly from the grout cleaning head assembly at an angle between 40.degree. and 60.degree. from the insertion axis.

“11. The grout cleaning hand tool of claim 1, wherein the elongate handle extends upwardly from the grout cleaning head assembly at an angle between 45.degree. and 55.degree. from the insertion axis.

“12. The grout cleaning hand tool of claim 1, wherein the grout cleaning hand tool is configured for cleaning grout in a floor surface by an operator holding the elongate handle in a standing posture; and wherein the brush subassembly is configured, when removed from the grout cleaning head assembly, for cleaning the grout in the floor surface by the operator holding the brush handle substantially parallel to horizontal.

“13. A grout cleaning hand tool comprising: a grout cleaning head assembly comprising a support member configured to removably receive a brush subassembly, wherein the brush subassembly comprises a brush body, a long narrow bundle of bristles secured to the brush body and configured to resist collapsing when pressed against grout lines in a tiled floor surface, and a brush handle; wherein a channel of the support member is configured to slidably receive the brush body, the brush body is configured as a pin of a dovetail joint, and the channel of the support member is configured as a tail of the dovetail joint; wherein the brush subassembly is configured to be inserted to the channel of the support member with the handle joined to the brush body beyond the dovetail joint between the channel and the brush body; and an elongate handle extending upwardly from the grout cleaning head assembly, wherein the elongate handle comprises a handle rod and an auxiliary handle joined to the handle rod, wherein the support member comprises a compression attachment configured to removably receive the handle rod.

“14. The grout cleaning hand tool of claim 13, wherein the handle rod includes a primary grip position configured to be held by a first hand of an operator in the standing posture, and wherein the auxiliary handle includes a secondary grip position configured to be held by a second hand of the operator in the standing posture.

“15. The grout cleaning hand tool of claim 13, wherein the auxiliary handle comprises a sleeve and a T-grip joined to the sleeve and extending substantially perpendicular to the sleeve, wherein the sleeve is releasably secured to the handle rod to permit either or both axial and radial repositioning of the sleeve along the handle rod.

“16. The grout cleaning hand tool of claim 13, wherein the channel is a tapered slot and the support member includes first and second rails defining the tapered slot.

“17. The grout cleaning hand tool of claim 13, wherein the brush subassembly is configured, when removed from the grout cleaning head assembly, for cleaning the grout lines in the tiled floor surface by an operator holding the brush handle joined to the one end of the base substantially parallel to horizontal.

“18. A grout cleaning hand tool, comprising: a grout cleaning head assembly comprising a support member including a channel extending along an insertion axis, and a brush subassembly configured to be inserted to and removed from the channel in the support member for removable mounting to the support member; wherein the support member includes first and second rails defining the channel and the channel is a tapered, substantially trapezoidal slot; wherein the brush subassembly comprises a brush body and a brush handle joined to and extending from one end of the brush body, wherein the brush subassembly is configured to be inserted to the channel of the support member with the handle joined to the brush body beyond the channel of the support member; and a long narrow bundle of bristles secured to the brush body and configured to resist collapsing when pressed against grout lines in a tiled floor surface; and an elongate handle joined to the support member, extending upwardly from the grout cleaning head assembly at an angle between 40.degree. and 60.degree. from the insertion axis, wherein the brush subassembly is configured, when removed from the grout cleaning head assembly, for cleaning the grout lines in the tiled floor surface by an operator holding the brush handle substantially parallel to horizontal.

“19. The grout cleaning hand tool of claim 13, wherein the compression attachment comprises a compression sleeve of the support member configured to be secured to the handle rod via a compression force.”

For more information, see this patent: Cicia, Raymond. Grout Cleaning Hand Tool. U.S. Patent Number 10,561,231, filed January 9, 2017, and published online on March 2, 2020. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,561,231.PN.&OS=PN/10,561,231RS=PN/10,561,231

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