Cooking grill cleaning brush

Abstract

A bristle member for a cleaning includes a coiled section and a bristle section that extends from the coiled section. The coiled section permits lateral movement of the bristle section along at least one of a first axis and a second axis that are perpendicular to each other. A cleaning brush that includes a plurality of the bristle members is also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bristle member for a cleaning brush, comprising:
 a coiled section and a bristle section that extends from the coiled section, wherein the coiled section permits lateral movement of the bristle section along at least one of a first axis and a second axis that are perpendicular to each other.   
     
     
         2 . The bristle member of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first axis and the second axis are coplanar in a plane; and   the coiled section permits lateral movement of the bristle section in any direction in the plane.   
     
     
         3 . The bristle member of  claim 1 , wherein the coiled section is frustoconical and tapers inwardly towards the bristle section. 
     
     
         4 . The bristle member of  claim 1 , wherein the bristle section includes at least one first brushing surface and at least one second brushing surface, the first brushing surface angled with respect to the second brushing surface at an angle. 
     
     
         5 . The bristle member of  claim 4 , wherein the angle is approximately 90°. 
     
     
         6 . The bristle member of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the bristle section includes a first leg and a second leg that meet at a corner;   the first leg provides the first brushing surface; and   the second leg provides the second brushing surface.   
     
     
         7 . The bristle member of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the bristle member has a proximal end and a distal end, the coiled section terminating at the proximal end; and   the coiled section and bristle section are formed by a curved bar, a first end of the curved bar comprising a post that extends from the proximal end towards the distal end outside of the coiled section.   
     
     
         8 . The bristle member of  claim 7 , wherein respective central longitudinal axes of the post, the coiled section, and the first leg of the bristle section are separate from and generally parallel to each other. 
     
     
         9 . The bristle member of  claim 6 , wherein the bristle member includes at least one retrograde curve between the bristle section and the coiled section. 
     
     
         10 . The bristle member of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the second leg comprises a first portion and a second portion that are generally parallel to each other, and that meet at a curved elbow;   the first portion provides the first brushing surface; and   the second portion, which is closer to the coiled section than the first portion, connects to the coiled section through at least one retrograde curve.   
     
     
         11 . The bristle member of  claim 9 , wherein the bristle section and the at least one retrograde curve are coplanar. 
     
     
         12 . A cleaning brush, comprising:
 a head having a plurality of first openings; and   a plurality of bristle members that extend through the first openings, each bristle member comprising a coiled section and a bristle section that extends from the coiled section, wherein each coiled section permits lateral movement of its respective bristle section along at least one of a first axis and a second axis that are perpendicular to each other.   
     
     
         13 . The cleaning brush of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the first axis and the second axis are coplanar in a plane; and   the coiled section permits lateral movement of the bristle section in any direction in the plane.   
     
     
         14 . The cleaning brush of  claim 12 , comprising a plurality of mating locking features on the head and the plurality of bristle members that interlock to limit rotation of the plurality of bristle members with respect to the head. 
     
     
         15 . The cleaning brush of  claim 14 , wherein:
 each coiled section extends through a respective one of the first openings; and   the plurality of mating locking features includes a plurality of second openings that are separate from the first openings and include a plurality of posts that extend through the plurality of second openings; and   each post is outside of the coiled section of its respective bristle member.   
     
     
         16 . The cleaning brush of  claim 15 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of second openings is an opening in the head and is associated with a respective one of the first openings; and   each of the plurality of posts extends from a respective one of the bristle members through its respective second opening.   
     
     
         17 . The cleaning brush of  claim 15 , comprising:
 an elastomeric layer; and   a cover that compresses the elastomeric layer onto the bristle members, and thereby keeps the locking members in their respective additional openings and limits axial movement of the bristle members along respective central longitudinal axes of their respective coiled sections.   
     
     
         18 . The cleaning brush of  claim 12 , wherein the coiled section is frustoconical and tapers inwardly towards the bristle section. 
     
     
         19 . The cleaning brush of  claim 12 , wherein the bristle section includes a first brushing surface and a second brushing surface, the first brushing surface angled with respect to the second brushing surface at an angle. 
     
     
         20 . The cleaning brush of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the bristle section includes a first leg and a second leg that meet at a corner;   the first leg provides the first brushing surface; and   the second leg provides the second brushing surface.