Broom comprising bristles of multiple lengths

Abstract

A broom comprising bristles of multiple lengths. The broom can include a head having a bottom major surface and a longitudinal axis. The head can define a sweeping direction in which the broom is configured to be swept. The broom can further include a plurality of tufts of bristles coupled to the bottom major surface of the head and protruding downwardly therefrom. The plurality of tufts of bristles can include a first tuft type having a first length, and a second tuft type having a second length that is longer than the first length. The plurality of tufts of bristles can further include a diagonal row comprising at least two adjacent tufts of either the first tuft type or the second tuft type arranged at a non-zero and non-right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis and/or the sweeping direction.

1 . A broom comprising:
 a head having a bottom major surface and a longitudinal axis; and   a plurality of tufts of bristles coupled to the bottom major surface of the head and protruding downwardly therefrom, the plurality of tufts of bristles comprising:
 a first tuft type having a first length, and 
 a second tuft type having a second length that is longer than the first length, 
   wherein at least some of the plurality of tufts of bristles are arranged in a plurality of diagonal rows disposed along the bottom major surface of the head, each diagonal row comprising at least two adjacent tufts of either the first tuft type or the second tuft type,   wherein each diagonal row is oriented at a non-zero and non-right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the head, and wherein each diagonal row is separated from an adjacent diagonal row by at least one tuft of the other tuft type.   
     
     
         2 . The broom of  claim 1 , wherein the diagonal row comprises at least two adjacent tufts of the second tuft type, wherein the plurality of diagonal rows is oriented at the same angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, and wherein each diagonal row is separated from an adjacent diagonal row by at least one tuft of the first tuft type. 
     
     
         3 . The broom of  claim 1 , wherein the head defines a sweeping direction in which the broom is configured to be swept, and wherein the diagonal row includes at least two adjacent tufts of either the first tuft type or the second tuft type arranged at a non-zero and non-right angle with respect to the sweeping direction. 
     
     
         4 . The broom of  claim 3 , wherein the sweeping direction is oriented orthogonally to a plane defined by a height of the plurality of tufts of bristles. 
     
     
         5 . The broom of  claim 1 , wherein each diagonal row includes only tufts of either the first tuft type or the second tuft type arranged linearly. 
     
     
         6 . The broom of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tufts of bristles includes a chevron configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The broom of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of diagonal rows includes a first plurality of diagonal rows wherein each diagonal row is oriented at a first angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the plurality of diagonal rows further includes a second plurality of diagonal rows wherein each diagonal row is oriented at a second angle with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         8 . The broom of  claim 7 , wherein each diagonal row in the first plurality of diagonal rows is oriented at a first angle a with respect to the longitudinal axis, and wherein each diagonal row in the second plurality of diagonal rows is oriented at a second angle −α with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         9 . The broom of  claim 8 , wherein the absolute value of α is at least 20 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The broom of  claim 7 , wherein the broom includes a line of symmetry, and wherein the plurality of first diagonal rows is separated from the plurality of second diagonal rows by the line of symmetry. 
     
     
         11 . The broom of  claim 10 , wherein the line of symmetry is oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         12 . The broom of  claim 10 , wherein the line of symmetry is located centrally with respect to the bottom major surface of the head. 
     
     
         13 . The broom of  claim 1 , wherein each diagonal row includes at least two adjacent tufts of the second tuft type. 
     
     
         14 . The broom of  claim 13 , wherein some of the plurality of diagonal rows further include at least two adjacent tufts of the first tuft type. 
     
     
         15 . The broom of  claim 1 , wherein some of the plurality of diagonal rows include three pairs of tufts arranged in either:
 a first pattern comprising a first pair of the first tuft type, a second pair of the second tuft type and a third pair of the first tuft type, or   a second pattern comprising a first pair of the second tuft type, a second pair of the first tuft type and a third pair of the second tuft type.   
     
     
         16 . The broom of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of diagonal rows including three pairs of tufts are arranged in an alternating configuration such that a diagonal row comprising the first pattern is positioned adjacent a diagonal row comprising the second pattern. 
     
     
         17 . The broom of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the diagonal rows include a total of six tufts arranged in either:
 a first pattern comprising three tufts of the first tuft type, two tufts of the second tuft type, and a single tuft of the first tuft type   a second pattern comprising a single tuft of the second tuft type, three tufts of the first tuft type, and two tufts of the second tuft type, or   a third pattern comprising two tufts of the second tuft type, three tufts of the first tuft type, and a single tuft of the second tuft type.   
     
     
         18 . The broom of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tufts of bristles includes a plurality of horizontal rows oriented substantially parallel with respect to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the first tuft type and the second tuft type are arranged in the plurality of horizontal rows in an alternating configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The broom of  claim 1 , wherein the second length is longer than the first length by a differential length, and wherein the differential length is greater than 0.2 cm and less than 1.3 cm. 
     
     
         20 . The broom of  claim 1 , wherein the first tuft type has a first optical property, and wherein the second tuft type has a second optical property that is different from the first optical property.