GB2233882A

GB2233882A - Cleaning Implement

Info

Publication number: GB2233882A
Application number: GB8915305A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Fatma Meissner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-07-04
Filing date: 1989-07-04
Publication date: 1991-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 2009-07-04
Also published as: GB8915305D0; GB2233882B

Abstract

An implement for cleaning floors comprises a carrier for holding a sheet having an adhesive surface, which, in use, is moved over the surface to be cleaned. The carrier may be provided with a handle. A pack of sheets each having an adhesive surface may be located in the carrier. The carrier may hold a removable mandrel on which is mounted a roll of sticky paper. <IMAGE>

Description

CLEANING APPARATUS AND METHOD This invention relates to cleaning apparatus and to a method of cleaning which are particularly suitable for, although they are not limited to, cleaning floors, and especially tiled floors.

Kitchen and bathroom floor tiles are generally cleaned by means of a vacuum cleaner, a broom, or a brush and pan.

Vacuum cleaners are comparatively heavy to handle and are not used each time that some unwanted material has to be removed from a floor. Brooms and brushes merely move unwanted material around on a floor. It is necessary to carry out some further action in order to remove the unwanted material.

Apparatus and a method will be described below that enable unwanted material to be collected and removed from a floor with comparative ease.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view from above of a cleaning apparatus, Fig. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows a pack of sheets for-Bse with the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 4 is a side view of a second embodiment of apparatus in accordance with the invention and Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of the apparatus of Fig. 4.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, there is shown a handle 1 attached to a carrier 2 having sides 3. The carrier 2 holds a rectangular container 4 made of a plastics material or of cardboard, within which there is a pack consisting of layers of paper 5 having a sticky surface.

The container 4 is slid into the carrier 2 between its slightly sprung sides 3, which grip and hold the pack.

The sticky surfaces of the layers of paper 5 are arranged so that they face away from the handle 1.

The apparatus is used in a similar way to known floor cleaning equipment. The handle 1 is used to pass the sticky face of the first layer of paper 5 over the floor so that it collects dust, hair fluff and other unwanted materials that are caused to adhere to the surface of the first layer of paper 5. When it has been used the first layer of paper 5 can be torn off revealing a clean sheet.

Adhesive paper that could be used for the purpose is available and is sold particularly for removing lint from clothing. It will be appreciated that other adhesive sheets than those presently available could be formulated for the purposes of the invention.

The embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5 shows cleaning apparatus having a handle 1 and a carrier 2 which is designed to hold a roll. The carrier 2 holds a mandrel 6 which is removable from the carrier 2 by means of spring loaded clips 7, and when the mandrel is removed from the carrier a roll of sticky paper can be placed on the mandrel which is then replaced in the carrier 2.

The apparatus of Figs. 4 and 5 has the advantage that it occupies an even smaller area than that of Figs.

1 - 3. It may be easily rolled over a floor or other surface by means of the handle 1 in order to collect unwanted material.

It will be understood that, although the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, variations and modifications can be made.

For example, instead of a pack of flat sheets of sticky paper or a sheet arranged as a cylinder on a roller, it is possible to have a continuous sheet of sticky paper in the form of a roll mounted on top of the carrier 2 and for the sheet to extend along the underside of the carrier 2, so that it can be passed over the floor by means of the handle 1. The used portion of the sheet may be pulled out of the carrier 2 and be torn off against a serrated edge or other cutting edge on the carrier and a new portion of the sheet be caused to be positioned for use beneath the carrier 2 automatically. In such an arrangement, a housing may easily be provided on top of the carrier in order to support and protect the roll of paper.

Suitable guides and fixings beneath the carrier may be provided for the exposed sheet.

Claims

1. Cleaning apparatus including a carrier for holding a sheet which has an adhesive surface, the sheet being held by the carrier in such a way that the adhesive surface can be exposed, and means for holding the carrier, whereby the adhesive surface can be passed over an area to be cleaned.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the carrier is constituted by a container having sides that grip a pack of sheets which have an adhesive surface.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sheet is formed into a roll and the carrier includes means for holding the roll.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the carrier provides means for mounting a continuous length of the sheet in the form of a roll and for exposing a given length of the sheet, as required.

5. A method of cleaning employing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which includes the steps of exposing an adhesive surface of a sheet, the sheet being held by a carrier and passing the adhesive surface over an area to be cleaned.

6. Cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1 substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 1-3, or Figs. 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A method of cleaning employing apparatus as claimed in claim 6 substantially as described herein.