Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Implements – Fabric
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-13
2004-07-27
Spisich, Mark (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Implements
Fabric
C015S209100, C015S244100, C015S244200, C015S244300, C015S244400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06766552
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This application relates to a cleaning implement useful in removing soils from hard surfaces. The application particularly relates to a cleaning implement comprising a handle and a removable absorbent cleaning pad. The cleaning pad is designed so as to provide multiple cleaning surfaces.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The literature is replete with products capable of cleaning hard surfaces such as ceramic tile floors, hardwood floors, counter tops and the like. In the context of cleaning floors, numerous devices are described comprising a handle and some means for absorbing a fluid cleaning composition. Such devices include those that are reusable, including mops containing cotton strings, cellulose and/or synthetic strips, sponges, and the like. While these mops are successful in removing many soils from hard surfaces, they typically require the inconvenience of performing one or more rinsing steps during use to avoid saturation of the material with dirt, soil, and other residues. These mops therefore require the use of a separate container to perform the rinsing step(s) and typically these rinsing steps fail to sufficiently remove dirt residues. This may result in redeposition of significant amounts of soil during subsequent passes of the mop. Furthermore, as reusable mops are used over time, they become increasingly soiled and malodorous. This negatively impacts subsequent cleaning performance.
To alleviate some of the negative attributes associated with reusable mops, attempts have been made to provide mops having disposable cleaning pads. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,559, issued Mar. 10, 1992 to Rivera et al., describes a mop that includes a disposable cleaning pad comprising a scrubber layer for removing soil from a soiled surface, a blotter layer to absorb fluid after the cleaning process, and a liquid impervious layer positioned between the scrubber and blotter layer. The pad further contains a rupturable packet means positioned between the scrubber layer and the liquid impervious layer. The rupturable packets are so located such that upon rupture, fluid is directed onto the surface to be cleaned. During the cleaning action with the scrubber layer, the impervious sheet prevents fluid from moving to the absorbent blotter layer. After the cleaning action is completed, the pad is removed from the mop handle and reattached such that the blotter layer contacts the floor. While this device may alleviate the need to use multiple rinsing steps, it does require that the user physically handle the pad and reattach a soiled, damp pad in order to complete the cleaning process.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,015, issued May 30, 1995 to Garcia, describes a mop having removable, washable work pads. The pad is described as comprising an upper layer which is capable of attaching to hooks on a mop head, a central layer of synthetic plastic microporous foam, and a lower layer for contacting a surface during the cleaning operation. The lower layer's composition is stated to depend on the end-use of the device, i.e., washing, polishing or scrubbing. While the reference addresses the problems associated with mops that require rinsing during use, the patent fails to provide a cleaning implement that sufficiently removes the soil deposited on typical household hard surfaces, in particular floors, such that the surface is perceived as essentially free of soil. In particular, the synthetic foam described by Garcia for absorbing the cleaning solution has a relatively low absorbent capacity for water and water-based solutions. As such, the user must either use small amounts of cleaning solution to remain within the absorbent capacity of the pad, or the user must leave a significant amount of cleaning solution on the surface being cleaned. In either situation, the overall performance of the cleaning pad is not optimal.
While many known devices for cleaning hard surfaces are successful at removing a vast majority of the soil encountered by the typical consumer during the cleaning process, they are inconvenient in that they require one or more cleaning steps. The prior art devices that have addressed the issue of convenience typically do so at the cost of cleaning performance. As such, there remains a need for a device that offers both convenience and beneficial soil removal.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning implement that comprises a removable cleaning pad, which alleviates the need to rinse the pad during use. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an implement that comprises a removable cleaning pad with sufficient absorbent capacity, on a gram of absorbed fluid per gram of cleaning pad basis, that allows the cleaning of a large area, such as that of the typical hard surface floor (e.g., 80-100 ft
2
), without the need to change the pad. It is a further object to provide such a cleaning implement where the pad offers beneficial soil removal properties. In this respect, it is an object to provide a cleaning pad having multiple widths in the pads z-dimension (i.e., thickness). These multiple widths provide the cleaning pad with a plurality of surfaces or edges that contact the soiled surface during the cleaning operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the present invention relates to an implement for cleaning a surface, the implement comprising:
a. a handle; and
b. a removable cleaning pad having an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the cleaning pad has multiple widths in the z-dimension, and wherein the pad has a t
1200
absorbent capacity of at least about 5 g/g.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to an implement comprising:
a. a handle; and
b. a removable cleaning pad having an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the cleaning pad has multiple widths in the z-dimension, and wherein the cleaning pad comprises:
i. a scrubbing layer; and
ii. an absorbent layer.
In preferred embodiments, the cleaning implement will comprising:
a. a handle; and
b. a removable cleaning pad having a length and a width, the pad comprising
i. a scrubbing layer; and
ii. an absorbent layer comprising a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer is located between the scrubbing layer and the second layer and has a smaller width than the second layer.
Depending on the means used for attaching the cleaning pad to the cleaning implement's handle, it may be preferable for the cleaning pad to further comprise a distinct attachment layer. In these embodiments, the absorbent layer would be positioned between the scrubbing layer and the attachment layer.
The implement of the present invention is designed to be compatible with all hard surface substrates, including wood, vinyl, linoleum, no wax floors, ceramic, Formica®, porcelain, glass, wall board, and the like.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2842791 (1958-07-01), Statler
patent: 3038188 (1962-06-01), Rebernak
patent: 3040353 (1962-06-01), Gray
patent: 3199136 (1965-08-01), George
patent: 3732652 (1973-05-01), Furgal et al.
patent: 3761991 (1973-10-01), Moss
patent: 3778860 (1973-12-01), Thielen
patent: 3991431 (1976-11-01), Thielen
patent: 4050111 (1977-09-01), Mallory
patent: 4300920 (1981-11-01), Grove
patent: 4349933 (1982-09-01), Thompson
patent: 4603069 (1986-07-01), Haq et al.
patent: 4614679 (1986-09-01), Farrington, Jr. et al.
patent: 4733774 (1988-03-01), Ping, III et al.
patent: 4745021 (1988-05-01), Ping, III et al.
patent: 4769267 (1988-09-01), Hoyt
patent: 4784892 (1988-11-01), Storey et al.
patent: 4797310 (1989-01-01), Barby et al.
patent: 4852210 (1989-08-01), Krajicek
patent: 4902544 (1990-02-01), Kim et al.
patent: 4961242 (1990-10-01), Kresse et al.
patent: 4995133 (1991-02-01), Newell
patent: 5071489 (1991-12-01), Silvenis et al.
patent: 5080517 (1992-01-01), Lynn
patent: 5090832 (1992-02-01), Rivera et al.
patent: 5093190 (1992-03-01), Kwok et al.
patent: 5094559 (1992-03-01), Rivera et al.
patent: 5104728 (1992-04-01), Obermeyer et al.
patent: 5115535 (1992-05-01), Casademunt Ferre et al.
patent: 5177831 (1993-01-01), W
Fereshtehkhou Saeed
Holt Steven Allen
Policicchio Nicola John
Fayette Thibault
Spisich Mark
LandOfFree
Cleaning implement comprising a removable cleaning pad... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Cleaning implement comprising a removable cleaning pad..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cleaning implement comprising a removable cleaning pad... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3254304