US20110041276A1

US20110041276A1 - Cleaning article

Info

Publication number: US20110041276A1
Application number: US12/546,212
Authority: US
Inventors: Cheri Edwards; Sara Mao
Original assignee: MOONSOFT INTERNATIONAL Inc; O'DELL Corp
Current assignee: MOONSOFT INTERNATIONAL Inc; O'DELL Corp
Priority date: 2009-08-24
Filing date: 2009-08-24
Publication date: 2011-02-24

Abstract

A cleaning and polishing article broadly includes a body fitted for either a left hand or a right hand, and including at least two reversible coverings, each having opposing faces for treating a surface, the reversible coverings being attached to the body to form a plurality of pockets disposed on the body of the cleaning article, the reversible coverings being configured to be individually reversed to an opposing side of the body to expose an opposite side of one of the other reversible coverings for treating the surface.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Gloves and mitts for hands are known for cleaning and polishing furniture, automobiles and the like. These conventional cleaning gloves suffer from various drawbacks. For instance, as explained in U.S. Pat. No. 6,275,995, once a cleaning membrane of the described glove is soiled, a user must switch hands to use a fresh side of the cleaning membrane. Furthermore, once the other side of the cleaning membrane is soiled, the cleaning glove must be washed or replaced to continue the task at hand. If the surfaces to be cleaned are large or numerous, the user will have to employ numerous cleaning gloves, pausing at inconvenient intervals to switch hands.
A cleaning article is needed in the industry which provides users with multiple cleaning segments in order to clean and polish large, multiple areas without having to constantly change the cleaning article or switch hands. The prior art has failed to provide such a cleaning article, which is economical to manufacture and is sufficiently durable to be cleaned and reused multiple times.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is directed in general to a cleaning article for use with either a left hand or a right hand. The components of the cleaning article are simple to manufacture and use.
As used herein, the term cleaning may mean, but is not limited to, cleansing, scrubbing, wiping, washing, sanitizing, dusting, polishing, waxing and like applications. Also as used herein, the term article may mean a glove, a mitten or the like that may be universally worn on either the left hand or the right hand.
In general, the cleaning article may be formed of a microfiber material, and more specifically, may be non-woven, woven, spunbond, synthetic or natural material. These materials may be relatively soft and smooth for polishing applications, or the materials may be stiffer and textured for scrubbing and heavier cleaning applications.
The cleaning article broadly includes more than one reversible layer or covering. At least two of these reversible layers are attached to a mitten-like body of the cleaning article, except that the reversible layers will be unattached at one point on the cleaning article in order to be reversed to expose additional layers, as explained in detail herein.
More particularly, in one aspect of the disclosure, a cleaning article includes a body having a first side, a second side, a terminal end and a proximal end. The proximal end has an opening through which a hand may be inserted. The cleaning article also includes a reversible covering assembly, which consists of at least two reversible sheets. Each reversible sheet includes opposing faces for treating a surface without having to change hands. The reversible sheets are attached to the body to form pockets on the body of the cleaning article. The reversible sheets are reversable to an opposite side of the body to expose one of the faces of one of the other reversible sheets for treating the surface. In this example, the cleaning article is shaped to fit a left hand or a right hand.
In another embodiment, a cleaning article includes a mitten-shaped body, which consists of at least two reversible sheets disposed on the body. The reversible sheets overlap each other and are independently reversible to expose, in total, at least four faces.
In a further embodiment, a cleaning article includes a universal body adapted for either a left hand or a right hand, and includes means for sequentially exposing at least six cleaning faces. The means for sequentially exposing are attached to the universal body and may be moved from one side of the body to another side of the body to expose the cleaning faces without having to move the cleaning article to another hand. The means for sequentially exposing may include at least three cleaning sheets, each having opposing faces, in which the three cleaning sheets are attached to the body to form pocket areas.
In yet another embodiment, a cleaning article is shaped to fit a left hand or a right hand and for provides multiple cleaning layers. In this example, at least three cleaning sheets are stacked proximate each other and attached by at least one common point to the cleaning article. Each of the three cleaning sheets have a first face and a second face and are configured to be individually adjusted from a first side of the cleaning article to a second side of the cleaning article to expose the first face followed by the second face without having to move the cleaning article to another hand.
The various embodiments of the cleaning article, and equivalents thereof, may also includes a gripping cushion disposed within the body, such removably in a pocket in the body, or sewn or permanently attached therein.
The reversible sheets of the various embodiments may be made of a microfiber material, cotton, a non-woven material, a woven material and combinations of these and other materials having a variety of textured surfaces; e.g., relatively smooth for dusting and polishing, or stiffer and more abrasive for tougher cleaning jobs
Other advantages of various embodiments of the cleaning article will be apparent from the following description and the attached drawings, or can be learned through practice of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure, including the best mode thereof to one skilled in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, including reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a cleaning article according to an aspect of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cleaning article as shown in FIG. 1, particularly showing a cushion in phantom within the cleaning article according to an aspect of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the cleaning article as in FIG. 1, particularly showing the article in an intended use according to an aspect of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cleaning article shown in intended use;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a user reversing a covering of the cleaning article according to an aspect of the disclosure; and

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the cleaning article similar to FIG. 3, but showing a fresh reversible covering of the cleaning article according to an aspect of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Detailed reference will now be made to the drawings in which examples of the present disclosure are shown. The detailed description uses numerical and letter designations to refer to features of the drawings. Like or similar designations of the drawings and description have been used to refer to like or similar parts of the disclosure.
The drawings and detailed description provide a full and written description of examples of the disclosure, and of the manner and process of making and using these examples, so as to enable one skilled in the pertinent art to make and use them, as well as the best mode of carrying out the disclosure. The examples set forth in the drawings and detailed description are provided by way of explanation only, and are not meant as limitations of the disclosure. The present disclosure thus includes any modifications and variations of the following examples as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
The figures that are about to be described in detail generally show a cleaning article that broadly includes a mitten-like body having multiple reversible coverings attached thereto in layers. The mitten-like body is generally soft and flexible for manipulation by a user when the user's hand is inserted in the body. The multiple reversible coverings generally are of a soft, microfiber or cotton-like material and/or a textured and stiffer material for robust cleaning of surfaces such as wood and metal surfaces. Due to the mitten-like body and multiple reversible coverings, the cleaning article may be used on either left hand or right hand for multiple cleaning and/or polishing tasks without having to change cleaning or polishing materials or hands. These and other advantages and benefits of the disclosure will be better understood from the following description and exemplary methods of operation.
Turning to FIG. 1, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning article is designated in general by the element number 10 and generally includes a body 12 with a proximal or wrist end 14 and a distal or terminal end 16. As shown in FIG. 1, the body has a first side 18 and an opposing or second side 20. Attached to the body 12 are multiple reversible coverings, layers or sheets; i.e., a reversible covering assembly 22. In this example, the body 12 includes three reversible sheets 22A, 22B, and 22C. As shown, each of the sheets 22A, 22B, 22C are attached about the body 12 in a layered fashion relative to each other but are unattached at one area, generally designated as unattached pocket area 23. Briefly, unattached pocket area 23 permits the user to reverse the sheets 22A, 22B, 22C, i.e., to move them to an opposing side of the body 12, to expose fresh sides of the coverings 22A, 22B, and 22C, as explained in greater detail below.
FIG. 1 further shows that the reversible sheet 22A includes a first layer or face 26 and an opposing or second layer or face 28. The other coverings 22B,C have similar opposing faces. As explained below, the multiple faces of the multiple sheets may be reversed for continuous cleaning and polishing of underlying surfaces without having to constantly substitute the cleaning article 10.
Also shown in FIG. 1 is a strap or loop 30 which the user may employ to help ease pulling or sliding the wrist end 14 over the user's hand. As shown in this example, the wrist end 14 is sleeve-like and may have elastomeric material sewn, embedded or weaved into a cloth-like material such that the cloth-like material projects about a user's wrist to protect the user's hand and wrist from irritation. The elastomeric material also gathers or urges the wrist end 14 about the user's wrist so that the cleaning article 10 fits comfortably without sliding off the user's hand.
With reference now to both FIGS. 1 and 2, a cushion 24 may be attached or insertable within the body 12, as indicated by a bold directional arrow in FIG. 1. The cushion 24 may provide additional structure for a user to grip while using the cleaning article 10 and/or the cushion 24 may serve as additional structure such that the cleaning article 10 has a greater point bearing surface area for cleaning an intended object (not shown). The cushion 24 may therefore be a sponge-like material or it may be less flexible material such as a hard rubber item, depending on the desired application. In this example, the cushion 24 is circular in shape to complement the generally circularly shaped cleaning article 10. However, the cushion 24 may be a variety of shapes to suit a variety of shapes that the cleaning article 10 may be.
More particularly, in the example shown in FIG. 3, a user's hand H is inserted through an opening 32 in the wrist end 14 of the cleaning article 10, using the loop 30 as shown in FIG. 2 to pull the cleaning article 10 onto the hand H. As clearly shown in FIG. 3, the first face 26 of the reversible sheet 22A is now positioned for cleaning or polishing a surface.
Turning to FIG. 4, after the first face 26 of reversible sheet 22A has become soiled, or the user decides that one of the other reversible sheets 22B,C—which may be made of a different material or textured differently—may be needed, the user may then grip the cleaning article 10 internally by bending fingers of the hand H in a direction indicated by the bold directional arrow and as shown. In this example, the bent fingers of the hand H temporarily secure the cleaning article 10 to provide leverage to reverse the reversible sheet 22A as described in detail below with respect to FIGS. 5 and 6.
FIG. 5 shows that the user has gripped the reversible sheet 22A at the unattached pocket area 23 and is pulling the reversible sheet 22A in a direction indicated by a directional arrow. Here, an end of the reversible sheet 22A at the pocket area 23 is brought towards and over the terminal end 16. Thus in this example, the soiled face 26 of the covering 22A is placed against the body 12 and the fresh face 28 is exposed. Also shown, the clean reversible sheet 22B is also exposed, and as shown in FIG. 6, either a face of the sheet 22B or the face 28 of sheet 22A may be used for additional cleaning, polishing, or other applications, depending upon the type of material from which covering 22B is made. For instance, the cleaning article 10 may be rotated about the hand H to employ the face 28 of sheet 22A, as shown by the directional arrow, after which the article 10 may again be rotated to use the face of the sheet 22B. Alternatively, each first face of each of the sheets 22A, 22B, and 22C may be used, flipped sequentially as described above until all are first faces are used, then the second faces of each of the sheets 22A, 22B, and 22C may be utilized in turn. Those skilled in the art will instantly appreciate that the number of sheets are not limited to three sheets having a total of six faces. For instance, a fourth sheet or additional sheets may be added to the article 10 to provide, e.g., eight or more faces.
While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will recognize that other changes and modifications may be made to the foregoing examples without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. For instance, various durable materials can be used for the various components of the cleaning article described herein, additional sheets or coverings (more than three) may be employed, and the cleaning article may be formed in a variety of shapes such as oblong, circular, star, or rectangular. It is intended to claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cleaning article, comprising:

a body having a first side, a second side, a terminal end and a proximal end, the proximal end defining an opening therein through which a hand may be inserted; and

a reversible covering assembly consisting of:

at least two reversible sheets, each including opposing faces for treating a surface without having to change hands, the reversible sheets being attached to the body, thereby forming a plurality of pockets disposed on the body of the cleaning article, the reversible sheets each configured to be reversed to an opposite side of the body to expose one of the faces of one of the other reversible sheets for treating the surface.

2. The article as in claim 1, wherein the cleaning article is shaped to fit a left hand or a right hand.

3. A cleaning article, comprising:

a mitten-shaped body consisting of at least two reversible sheets disposed on the body, the reversible sheets overlapping each other and being independently reversible to expose, in total, at least four faces.

4. The cleaning article as in claim 3, wherein the cleaning article further comprises a gripping cushion disposed within the body.

5. The cleaning article as in claim 3, wherein the reversible sheets are made of a microfiber material.

6. The cleaning article as in claim 3, wherein the reversible sheets are made of cotton.

7. The cleaning article as in claim 3, wherein the reversible sheets are made of a non-woven material.

8. The cleaning article as in claim 3, wherein the reversible sheets are made of a woven material.

9. A cleaning article, comprising:

a universal body adapted for either a left hand or a right hand; and

means for sequentially exposing at least six cleaning faces, the means for sequentially exposing being attached to the universal body and configured to move from one side of the body to another side of the body to expose the cleaning faces without having to move the cleaning article to another hand.

10. The cleaning article as in claim 9, wherein the six cleaning faces are made of one of a microfiber, a non-woven material, a woven material or combinations thereof.

11. The cleaning article as in claim 9, wherein the means for sequentially exposing include at least three cleaning sheets, each having opposing faces, the three cleaning sheets being attached to the body to form pocket areas.

12. A cleaning article, shaped to fit a left hand or a right hand, for providing multiple cleaning layers, wherein the improvement comprises:

at least three cleaning sheets stacked proximate each other and attached by at least one common point to the cleaning article, each of the three cleaning sheets having a first face and a second face and being configured to be individually adjusted from a first side of the cleaning article to a second side of the cleaning article to expose the first face followed by the second face without having to move the cleaning article to another hand.