JP7614969B2 - Sponges and cleaning tools - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cleaning tool for cleaning beverage containers and a sponge used in the cleaning tool.

Conventionally, cleaning tools for cleaning containers that store beverages, such as water bottles, are known. Conventional cleaning tools are described, for example, in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

Patent Publication 2016-220724 Patent Publication 2019-10422

The cleaning tool of Patent Document 1 cleans the inner surface of a beverage container with a rectangular sponge with a net attached to the entire outer circumference (see paragraph 0007 of Patent Document 1). The cleaning tool of Patent Document 2 cleans the inner surface of a beverage container with a bent cylindrical or bag-shaped cleaning body (see paragraph 0009 of Patent Document 2). However, when cleaning a stoppered beverage container such as a water bottle or stainless steel bottle with the cleaning tools of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the thickness of the sponge is greater than the width of the groove of the stopper of the beverage container, making it difficult for the sponge to reach the back of the groove. Therefore, the cleaning tools of Patent Documents 1 and 2 have the problem of being unable to efficiently clean the stopper of the beverage container.

The present invention was developed in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a sponge and cleaning tool that can efficiently clean the inner surfaces and caps of beverage containers.

The sponge of the present invention has a body portion extending in the longitudinal direction and a protrusion portion protruding from the body portion, and the thickness of the protrusion portion in a thickness direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is thinner than the thickness of the body portion in the thickness direction.

According to the present invention, the grooves of the stopper of a beverage container can be cleaned using a protrusion that is thinner than the body portion. Therefore, the inner surface and stopper of the beverage container can be efficiently cleaned.

The protrusion preferably has a reinforcing portion that is more rigid than the body portion. This prevents the protrusion from bending when it is inserted into the groove of the stopper of the beverage container.

It is also preferable that the sponge has two overlapping sponge sheets, and the reinforcing portion is a welded portion in which the two sponge sheets are welded together. This makes it possible to reduce the number of parts in the reinforcing portion.

It is also preferable that the reinforcing portion extends linearly from the body portion toward the tip of the protrusion. This prevents the protrusion from bending when the cleaning tool is inserted into the groove of the stopper of the beverage container toward the tip of the protrusion.

It is also preferable that the protrusion protrudes in the width direction of the body portion and further has a curved portion that is concavely curved. This allows the curved portion to easily come into contact with the inner surface of the neck of the beverage container. Therefore, the inner surface of the beverage container can be cleaned more efficiently.

The cleaning tool of the present invention has the above-mentioned sponge and a rod-shaped handle extending in the longitudinal direction, the sponge has an insertion hole formed along the longitudinal direction, and the handle has an insertion portion that is inserted into the insertion hole.

This cleaning tool can efficiently clean the inner surfaces and caps of beverage containers.

According to the present invention, the grooves of the stopper of a beverage container can be cleaned using a protrusion that is thinner than the body portion. Therefore, the inner surface and stopper of the beverage container can be efficiently cleaned.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the cleaning tool. FIG. 2 shows the handle of the cleaning tool inserted into the sponge. FIG. FIG. 13 is a view of the sponge from the tip side. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating how a cap of a beverage container is cleaned using a cleaning tool. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating how the main body of a beverage container is cleaned with a cleaning tool.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

1. Configuration of cleaning tool
Fig. 1 is a front view of a cleaning tool 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cleaning tool 1 is a sponge with a handle for cleaning a container for storing a beverage, such as a water bottle (hereinafter referred to as a "beverage container"). As shown in Fig. 1, the cleaning tool 1 has a sponge 10 and a rod-shaped handle 20 extending in the longitudinal direction. A user of the cleaning tool 1 holds the handle 20 and inserts the sponge 10 into a cylindrical beverage container with a bottom to clean the inner surface of the beverage container.

Figure 2 shows the handle 20 inserted into the sponge 10. The handle 20 is a rod-shaped body extending in the longitudinal direction. The handle 20 is made of, for example, polypropylene resin. The handle 20 has a gripping portion 21 and an insertion portion 22. In Figure 2, the insertion portion 22 is indicated by a dashed line. The gripping portion 21 is the portion that is gripped by the user. The gripping portion 21 has a smaller width dimension as it approaches the insertion portion 22.

The insertion part 22 is a part that connects the handle 20 and the sponge 10 by being inserted into the sponge 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the insertion part 22 is formed so that the outer circumference of the middle part 222 is smaller than the outer circumference of the tip part 221A and the base part 221B. As a result, when the insertion part 22 is inserted into the sponge 10, the tip part 221A and the base part 221B are pressed against the inner surface of the sponge 10, thereby firmly fixing the sponge 10. Furthermore, when the handle 20 is made of a flexible material such as polypropylene resin, the flexibility of the middle part 222 can improve cleaning properties.

2. Structure of the sponge
Fig. 3 is a front view of the sponge 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a view of the sponge 10 as viewed from the tip side (as viewed in the direction of the white arrow in Fig. 3). As shown in Fig. 3, the sponge 10 has a body portion 13, a protrusion portion 14, a welded portion 15, and an insertion hole 16. As described above, the sponge 10 is used in a state where it is attached to the handle 20 of the cleaning tool 1.

As shown in FIG. 4, the sponge 10 is formed from one unfilmed sponge sheet 11 and one filmed sponge sheet 12. The filmed sponge sheet 11 is a sponge sheet that has been treated to remove the film that constitutes the air bubbles of the sponge. As a result, the filmed sponge sheet 11 has excellent breathability and water permeability, and is easy to drain and hygienic. On the other hand, the filmed sponge sheet 12 is a sponge sheet that has not been treated as described above. The filmed sponge sheet 12 retains the film that constitutes the sponge bubbles, so it is easy to hold detergent and water, and has excellent foam retention during cleaning.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the membrane-coated sponge sheet 12 has a corrugated shape with unevenness over almost the entire surface. This makes it possible to increase the contact area between the membrane-coated sponge sheet 12 and the unevenness of the beverage container when cleaning small uneven parts of the beverage container. This makes it easier to wash the uneven parts of the beverage container and improves foaming.

When manufacturing the sponge 10, the uncoated sponge sheet 11 and the coated sponge sheet 12 are overlapped, and the peripheries of the body portion 13 and the protrusions 14 of both sponge sheets are high-frequency welded together so that only one longitudinal end is open. Then, both sponge sheets are integrated via the welded portion 15, which is the welded portion of both sponge sheets. This forms the bag-shaped sponge 10. The opening of the sponge 10 becomes the insertion hole 16 into which the handle 20 of the cleaning tool 1 is inserted.

However, the material of the sponge 10 is not limited to a membrane-containing sponge sheet or a membrane-free sponge sheet, and may be any porous material that is stretchable. Furthermore, the sponge 10 is not limited to being made up of two sponge sheets, and may be a single sponge sheet with an insertion hole 16 formed therein. For example, polyurethane is used as the material of the sponge 10.

The body 13 has a generally cylindrical outer shape that extends along the longitudinal direction. This allows the body 13 to easily come into contact with the curved surface of the beverage container when cleaning the curved surface of the beverage container. This allows the beverage container to be cleaned more efficiently. The tip of the body 13 also has a curved shape with no corners.

The insertion hole 16 is a hole into which the handle 20 of the cleaning tool 1 is inserted. The insertion hole 16 is formed on the inside of the above-mentioned welded portion 15 in the body portion 13. The insertion hole 16 is also formed along the longitudinal direction of the handle 20. The insertion hole 16 opens only at one end of the sponge 10 in the longitudinal direction that does not have the protrusion portion 14.

The protrusion 14 protrudes from the tip of the body 13 in the width direction of the body 13. When cleaning a beverage container, the protrusion 14 can be used to clean the inner surface of the body of the beverage container. The protrusion 14 is particularly useful when cleaning the stopper 8 of the beverage container. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the state when cleaning the stopper 8 with the cleaning tool 1. In FIG. 5, the stopper 8 is shown in cross section. The stopper 8 has a cylindrical cover portion 81 and a convex portion 82 located inside the cover portion 81. The stopper 8 also has a narrow annular groove 83 between the cover portion 81 and the convex portion 82. The thickness of the protrusion 14 in the thickness direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the width direction is thinner than the thickness of the body 13 in the thickness direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the user of the sponge 10 can easily insert the protrusion 14 into the groove 83. Therefore, by sliding the protrusion 14 inserted into the groove 83, the groove 83 can be efficiently cleaned.

The tip of the protrusion 14 is roughly rectangular. This makes it easier for the tip of the protrusion 14 to reach the back of the groove 83 compared to when the protrusion 14 is arc-shaped. This allows the groove 83 to be cleaned more efficiently.

However, the position from which the protrusion 14 protrudes is not limited to the tip of the body 13, and may protrude from, for example, the base end or center of the body 13. Furthermore, when the protrusion 14 protrudes from the tip of the body 13, it may protrude in the longitudinal direction of the body 13.

3, the protrusion 14 of this embodiment has three reinforcing parts 141. The reinforcing parts 141 are formed by high-frequency welding of the sponge sheet constituting the protrusion 14, which extends linearly from the body part 13 toward the tip of the protrusion 14. Here, the sponge sheet is enhanced in rigidity by being high-frequency welded. Therefore, the reinforcing parts 141 have a higher rigidity than the body part 13. As a result, the reinforcing parts 141 can prevent the protrusion 14 from bending when the protrusion 14 is inserted into the groove 83. Therefore, by providing the reinforcing parts 141, it becomes easier to insert the protrusion 14 into the groove 83, and the groove 83 can be cleaned more efficiently. The linear reinforcing parts 141 also serve as a marker indicating the insertion direction when inserting the protrusion 14 into the groove 83.

In the example of FIG. 3, the protrusion 14 has three reinforcing parts 141 consisting of a first reinforcing part 141A, a second reinforcing part 141B, and a third reinforcing part 141C. The three reinforcing parts 141 are formed by high-frequency welding of the sponge sheet constituting the protrusion 14, which linearly extends from the body part 13 toward the tip of the protrusion 14. Specifically, the first reinforcing part 141A extends in the width direction of the body part 13 from the edge part of the protrusion 14 that is closest to the tip of the body part 13 to the tip of the protrusion 14. The second reinforcing part 141B extends in the approximately normal direction of the body part 13 from the center of the bottom of the protrusion 14 to the tip of the protrusion 14. The third reinforcing part 141C extends along the contour of the protrusion 14 from the edge part of the protrusion 14 that is closest to the grip part 21 to the tip of the protrusion 14. The first reinforcement portion 141A, the second reinforcement portion 141B, and the third reinforcement portion 141C are connected to each other at their respective tips. In particular, the first reinforcement portion 141A and the third reinforcement portion 141C are connected to each other at their respective tips substantially perpendicularly.

However, the number of reinforcing parts 141 provided on the protrusion 14 may be one or two, or may be four or more. Furthermore, the reinforcing parts 141 are not limited to those formed by high-frequency welding of sponge sheets, but may be formed from plastic resin or wire. However, as described above, if the reinforcing parts are welded parts formed by welding two sponge sheets together, the number of parts in the cleaning tool 1 can be reduced compared to when separate parts are used for the reinforcing parts.

As shown in FIG. 3, the protrusion 14 of this embodiment has a curved portion 142. The curved portion 142 is a concavely curved portion at the edge of the protrusion 14 closest to the gripping portion 21. The side edge of the body 13 and the tip of the protrusion 14 are connected via the curved portion 142.

Figure 6 shows how the main body 9 of a beverage container is washed. In Figure 6, the main body 9 of the beverage container is shown in cross section. The main body 9 of the beverage container has a cylindrical shape with a bottom. As shown in Figure 6, the main body 9 has a neck 90 with a reduced diameter at the upper end.

As shown in FIG. 6, when cleaning the inner surface of a beverage container, the sponge 10 is inserted into the main body 9 from the opening at the top of the main body 9. The sponge 10 is then slid against the inner surface of the main body 9 to clean the inner surface of the main body 9. In this case, the curved portion 142 can easily come into contact with the inner surface of the neck 90. Therefore, dirt adhering to the inner surface of the neck 90 can be easily scraped off, and the inner surface of the beverage container can be efficiently cleaned.

In other words, the cleaning tool 1 can clean every part of a beverage container, including the inner surface of the beverage container, the cylindrical exterior, the gaps in the stopper 8, and even the inner surface of the neck 90 of the beverage container, providing excellent cleaning capabilities.

3. Modifications
In the above embodiment, the protrusion 14 is provided at the tip of the body portion 13. However, the protrusion 14 does not necessarily have to be provided at the tip of the body portion 13.

In the above embodiment, the protrusion 14 has three reinforcing portions 141. However, the protrusion 14 does not necessarily have to have the reinforcing portions 141.

In the above embodiment, the reinforcing portion 141 is formed to extend linearly in a direction toward the tip of the protrusion 14. However, the reinforcing portion 141 may extend in a direction different from the tip. In addition, the shape of the reinforcing portion 141 does not have to be linear.

In the above embodiment, the protrusion 14 has a curved portion 142. However, the protrusion 14 does not necessarily have to have a curved portion 142.

The detailed shapes of the sponge and cleaning tool may differ from those shown in the drawings of this application. In addition, the elements appearing in the above embodiments and variations may be combined as appropriate to the extent that no contradictions arise.

1 Cleaning tool 8 Plug 9 Main body 10 Sponge 11 Film-free sponge sheet 12 Film-coated sponge sheet 13 Body 14 Projection 15 Welded portion 16 Insertion hole 20 Handle 21 Grip 22 Insertion portion 81 Cover 82 Convex 83 Groove 90 Neck 141 Reinforcement 141A First reinforcement 141B Second reinforcement 141C Third reinforcement 142 Curved portion 221A Tip 221B Base 222 Middle

Claims (2)

A sponge for use in a cleaning tool for cleaning beverage containers, comprising:
A body portion extending in a longitudinal direction;
A protrusion protruding from the body portion;
having
a thickness of the protrusion in a thickness direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the width direction is smaller than a thickness of the body in the thickness direction;
The protrusion protrudes in the width direction of the body portion and further has a curved portion that is concavely curved.
sponge. A cleaning tool for cleaning beverage containers, comprising:
A sponge according to claim 1 ;
A rod-shaped handle extending in the longitudinal direction,
The sponge has an insertion hole formed along the longitudinal direction,
The handle has an insertion portion that is inserted into the insertion hole.
Cleaning tools.

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