Pre-filled applicator or scrubber

Claim 2

An applicator for liquids which comprises an elongated hollow handle adapted to contain a supply of liquid, an applicator head made of absorbent material secured to and overlying a portion of one end of said handle, at least one opening formed in said one end of said handle in a position underlying said head to serve as a passageway for flow of liquid from said handle into said head, and an elongate flexible plug having a portion of its length extending with a friction fit through said opening into the interior of said handle to seal said passageway against flow of liquid therethrough, said plug having another portion of its length extending outside said handle beneath said head and outwardly from said head into a position where it may be grasped and pulled lengthwise by a user to unseal said passageway.

Claim 3

An applicator as set forth in claim 1 in which said plug is constituted by a length of plastic monofilament.

Claim 4

An applicator as set forth in claim 1 in which said handle is constituted by a length of semi-rigid plastic tubing flattened and sealed transversely at said one end to form a semi-rigid web upon which said head is secured.

Claim 5

An applicator as set forth in claim 3 in which said plug is constitued by a length of plastic monofilament.

Claim 6

An applicator as set forth in claim 2 in which said plastic monofilament is made of a plastic material which is substantially incompressible in planes normal to the lengthwise axis thereof and is highly resistant to elongation and in which said plastic monofilament when grasped and pulled lengthwise by a user is withdrawn from said opening to unseal said passageway.

Claim 7

An applicator in accordance with claim 1 in which said plug is constituted by a length of elastomeric material readily compressible in planes normal to the lengthwise axis thereof.

Claim 8

An applicator in accordance with claim 6 in which said plug when grasped and pulled lengthwise by a user is withdrawn from said opening to unseal said passageway.

Claim 9

An applicator in accordance with claim 1 in which there are two openings formed in said one end of said handle and in which one end of said plug extends through one of said openings into the interior of said handle and the other end of said plug extends through the other of said openings into the interior of said handle and in which said portion of the length of said plug which extends outwardly of said head is in the form of a loop.

Claim 10

An applicator in accordance with claim 8 in which said plug is constituted by a length of plastic monofilament.

Claim 11

An applicator in accordance with claim 8 in which said plug is constituted by a length of elastomeric material readily compressible in planes normal to the lengthwise axis thereof.

Claim 12

An applicator for liquids which comprises an elongated hollow handle adapted to contain a supply of liquid, an applicator head made of absorbent material secured to and overlying a portion of one end of said handle, at least one pair of openings of predetermined diameter formed in said one end of said handle in positions underlying said head to serve as passageways for flow of liquid from said handle into said head, and an elongate flexible plug made of stretchable and compressible elastomeric material which when relaxed has a diameter greater than said predetermined diameter of said openings, said flexible plug having a central portion of its length extending from outside said handle through one opening of said pair of openings into said handle and thence outwardly through the other opening of said pair of openings, the opposite end portions of said flexible plug both extending outside said handle beneath said head and outwardly from said head into a position in which they may be grasped and pulled lengthwise by a user, said flexible plug when relaxed serving to seal both of said passageways against flow of liquid therethrough, and said flexible plug when pulled lengthwise by a user will stretch in length and shrink in diameter to a diameter less than that of said openings thereby to unseal said passageways to permit a modulated flow of liquid from the interior of such handle through said passageways into said head.

Claim 13

An applicator for liquids which comprises an elongated hollow handle adapted to contain a supply of liquid, an applicator head made of absorbent material secured to and overlying a portion of one end of said handle, at least one pair of openings of predetermined diameter formed in said one end of said handle in positions underlying said head to serve as passageways for flow of liquid from said handle into said head, and an elongate flexible plug made of stretchable and compressible elastomeric material which when relaxed has a diameter greater than said predetermined diameter of said openings, said flexible plug having a central portion of its length extending from outside said handle through one opening of said pair of openings into said handle and thence outwardly through the other opening of said pair of openings, the opposite end portions of said flexible plug both extending outside said handle beneath said head and outwardly from said head into a position in which they may be grasped and pulled lengthwise by a user, said flexible plug when relaxed serving to seal both of said passageways against flow of liquid therethrough, and said flexible plug when pulled lengthwise by a user will stretch in length and shrink in diameter to a diameter less than that of said openings thereby to unseal said passageways to permit a modulated flow of liquid from the interior of such handle through said passageways into said head.