Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Attachments – Covers and cover holders
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-03
2002-05-21
Till, Terrence R. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Attachments
Covers and cover holders
C015S228000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06389637
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a broom cover for use with common household brooms, the cover being particularly adapted for use with a variety of broom configurations.
Household brooms comprise a handle member cooperating with a broom head that extends proximally from the handle. For normal use, brooms are limited to brushing and sweeping and the adaptation of the broom for use as an absorbent cleaning device requires the use of a broom head cover. This simple approach has many limitations and there are many patents disclosing the use of covers which cooperate with the conventional broom head to allow for adaptation of the broom for use in other cleaning adaptations.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,790 (Lingle) discloses a soft nap cloth cover for a broom. The cover includes gathered elasticized ends which are secured together by means of snap fasteners. The cover includes open sides for covering broom heads of various sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,963,731 (Hoots) discloses a broom cover that includes a fabric sleeve that has a stretchable band at the upper end thereof. The stretchable band relies its inherent elasticity to hold the fabric sleeve in position. The band merely slips over the broom head and when in combination with the fabric sleeve, hold the cover in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,360,926 (Glenn) discloses an open-sided mop cover for a broom. The cloth covers of conventional brooms are designed to be attached to the broom head using conventional fasteners.
It is often difficult to maintain an adequate mounting of the broom cover on the broom head by use of the conventional fasteners.
Thus, there is a need for a broom head cover or accessory that can be used with household brooms, that can be easily attached and secured in place, and be used in a variety of household cleaning applications,
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention reduces the difficulties and disadvantages of the prior art by providing a simple absorbent broom cover that can be manufactured using conventional materials at relatively low cost and is easily adaptable for a variety of household applications. The cover is small, lightweight, soft and very absorbent, durable, inexpensive and provides reliable firm retention on the broom head. The cover provides a secure and simple means of attachment to a household broom and thus reduces relative movement of the cover therebetween. In addition, the invention provides a novel method of attachment of the cover to the broom frame in such a way that the cover engages the broom head more tightly than previously described covers and thus enhances its versatility. The previously described relative movement between the cover and the broom frame is thus reduced considerably or essentially eliminated, thus reducing time spent readjusting the broom cover.
The cover may be constructed of different types of material, for example spandex with non-woven, (e.g., polar fleece, acrylic lambswool) or spandex with woven, (e.g., terry cloth). This cover when made of polar fleece (acrylic) is electrostatic and may be used for dry mopping dust on a variety of surfaces.
By changing the covering fabric, the broom may be used for light mopping to heavy duty mopping of floors and other surfaces that range from smooth surfaced to rough surfaced (e.g., lino, hardwood, ceramic tile, vehicle interiors and windows). The size of the cover would be advantageous where storage of cleaning devices is a problem, for example, in recreational vehicles, boats, cabins, home-cleaning crews, and hotel room cleaning carts.
The cover is attached to the broom head by means of spandex strips sewn to the fabric. The spandex strips are sewn at the ends to create pockets which, when they are engaged, overlap the broom head to firmly secure the broom in place. As an alternative, a one-way stretch elastic strip may be substituted for the multi-dimensional elastic spandex. The sides of the cover are left open and unstitched to allow very easy insertion of the broom. Because the broom bristles are flexible within the fabric pouch, more fabric surface is allowed to have contact with the surface to be cleaned. The broom inside the cover allows for a “mopping/sweeping” motion in which a pile of small debris can be picked up by simply pressing the fabric onto the debris, thereby dispensing with the use of dustpans. Furthermore, the fabric cover does not push dirt around like a conventional sponge mop, but picks it up in the fabric. Moreover, there is no handle for squeezing out the cover on the broom therefore the risk of damaging to the bottom of cabinets, is substantially reduced, if not eliminated. The ease of attachment/detachment of the cover allows it to be removed, rinsed and replaced onto the broom head.
In addition to covering the bristles, the cover also covers the broom head. This has the added advantage of protecting surfaces from scratches when the broom head is used to remove stubborn dirt or “hard spots”. With the cover in place, the mop remains in “skinny” and can be used in between cabinets and stationary appliances (e.g. refrigerator and stove).
An absorbent broom cover according to the invention is for use with a broom and comprises a sheet of material and a securing portion. In the first embodiment, the sheet of material is folded to form a doubled-over sheet, portions of the sheet being attachable so that a proximal edge of the sheet defines an opening, the doubled-over sheet having an internal surface and an external surface. The securing portion is located adjacent the opening of the doubled-over sheet, the securing portion having an elastically resilient strip, the strip is being attached to the external surface adjacent the opening. The strip is attached to the proximal edge of the sheet at circumferentially spaced apart end locations, the strip being attached to the external surface at vertically spaced apart positions at each of the end locations so that the securing portion defines a pocket on the external surface.
Preferably, the sheet of material has a pair of tapered halves adjacent each other in the doubled-over sheet, each half having an end portion, the end portions being attached to each other to define the opening therebetween, the end portions having the proximal edge adjacent a proximal opening. The doubled over sheet is generally of sufficient size and flexibility to cooperate with the broom head.
Preferably, the doubled-over sheet has an intermediate edge portion and a distal edge portion. The intermediate edge portion defines a pair of side openings, the openings being generally perpendicular the proximal opening. The distal edge portion is continuous with each of the tapered halves.
Preferably, the elastically resilient strip has a proximal edge, a pair of end locations and a distal edge. The proximal edge is attached to at least a portion of the proximal edge of the proximal opening. The end locations are attached to the tapered halves by an attachment, the attachment is generally vertically spaced adjacent the proximal edge of the proximal opening, the attachment having an upper portion, a lower portion. The distal edge is attached to at least a portion of the proximal edge of the proximal opening and has at least a portion of the distal edge unattached. The combination of the attached proximal edge, the attached side portions and the unattached distal edge portion defines a pocket. The pocket is positioned generally opposite the distal edge attached to the proximal edge of the proximal opening. The pocket is located on an outer portion of the tapered end, the pocket being interchangeable between a non-engagement position and an engagement position. The lower portion of the attachment moves up and over the upper portion of the attachment, such that the lower portion becomes the upper portion and the upper portion becomes the lower portion in the engagement position.
More preferably, the securing portion further comprises a pair of elastically resilient strips. The first strip is located on the external surface adjacent the opening. The second strip is located on the inter
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Till Terrence R.
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