Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Attachments – Covers and cover holders
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-05
2004-03-09
Warden, Sr., Robert J. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Attachments
Covers and cover holders
C015S209100, C015S228000, C015S104930
Reexamination Certificate
active
06701567
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For years now, brooms have been used for both interior and exterior floor cleaning procedures. Brooms come in all types and sizes, but the most common is the type that looks like an oversized paint brush (with corn bristles) and the long handle. In particular, the most widely used type broom today on interior floor surfaces is a plastic bristled broom having bristles cut on an angle to facilitate sufficient floor sweeping and has a long handle so the user can stand upright.
A disadvantage of brooms is that they can only sweep up dry soil of a rather large size and have no absorbative ability on dry or wet soils. Recently, new products have been introduced into the “handled goods” market. These products are essentially disposable dust mops that will absorb dust and pet hair on hard surface flooring. These new implements use disposable, dry, nonwoven cloths sized approximately 10″ by 12″. These dry wipes are attached to a hard, flat, rectangular plastic mop head with an elongated handle. The cloths are discarded when dirty and a new one is attached. A recent variation is a wet wipe version for mopping kitchen and bathroom floors.
If one wants to damp mop or wash the floor the most common thing to do is to purchase another cleaning implement such as a “string mop” or sponge mop to be used with detergent, water and a bucket. Mopping wood flooring requires additional and different cleaning agents.
Copending application Ser. No. 09/917,069 filed Jul. 27, 2001 describes a simple attachment that could be used with a broom or other implement to accommodate disposable wipes for use with virtually all hard surface flooring, dusting, and mopping jobs. That application describes various versions of the attachment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a variation of the types of attachments described in application Ser. No. 09/917,069.
A further object of this invention is to provide various wipe structures which would be particularly usable with such attachments.
In accordance with this invention a cleaning attachment includes a cover having end sections interconnected by a central section. Fastening structure secures the end sections together so that the cover may be placed around a cleaning head of a cleaning implement such as a broom to form an enclosure around the cleaning head with the central section disposed below the bottom of the cleaning head. The central section is divided into a pair of support surfaces which are disposed at an angle to each other to form a V. A wipe is detachably mounted to the central section.
In a preferred practice of this invention the central section includes a wing extending outwardly from each support surface to increase the effective size of the support surfaces.
Various types of wipes could be mounted to the central section. One particularly advantageous form of wipe would be a laminate comprising a pair of outer non-woven layers interconnected by a thin hydrophilic polyurethane foam located between the layers over only a portion of the area of the layers so that other portions of the layers are located outwardly of the foam layer. The foam layer could function as an adhesive for connecting the outer layer together. In addition, the foam layer could incorporate various cleaning ingredients to facilitate using the wipe for cleaning purposes. The portions of the wipe outwardly of the foam layer could function as a rinsing side of the wipe. If desired, the wipe could have at least one of its layers at a location outwardly of the foam layer cut into strips to function as a string mop.
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Cole Laura C
Connolly Bove & Lodge & Hutz LLP
Warden, Sr. Robert J.
Watch Hill Harbor Technologies
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