US20110209296A1

US20110209296A1 - Cleaning outfit

Info

Publication number: US20110209296A1
Application number: US12/675,008
Authority: US
Inventors: Yong Cheol Hong
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-09-06
Filing date: 2008-09-05
Publication date: 2011-09-01
Also published as: WO2009031847A3; KR100804219B1; WO2009031847A2; CN101873820A; CN101873820B

Abstract

Disclosed is a cleaning outfit, which enables us to perform a cleaning work even with a weak force by a structure for exerting a perpendicular force to the surface being cleaned, provides us with convenience by a shape and material of a board and a cushion material inside the pad, and also enables us to clean grooves or places difficult to clean and to perform an efficient cleaning work by using both surfaces of the pad.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a cleaning outfit, and more particularly to, a cleaning outfit, which enables us to perform a cleaning work even with a weak force by a structure for exerting a perpendicular force to the surface being cleaned, provides us with convenience by a shape and material of a board and a cushion material inside the pad, and also enables us to clean grooves or places difficult to clean and to perform an efficient cleaning work by using both surfaces of the pad.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, it is common to use a hand-held cleaning cloth for cleaning furniture such as tables or chests, windows, or window frames in a home or office.
The cleaning cloth is an unpleasant thing for a user to touch it. Particularly, when only a cleaning cloth is placed between a user's hand and the place being cleaned, the user's hand used to be carelessly injured from time to time by points or edges during a cleaning work.
Currently, in order to overcome such disadvantages, a mop type cleaning outfit has been developed for removing the user's unpleasant feeling and preventing injuries. The mop type cleaning outfit has: a cleaning pad corresponding to a cleaning cloth; a housing for fixing the pad; and a push stick having a rod shape mounted on the housing.
In the mop type cleaner, the housing and the push stick are rotatably jointed by a hinge to allow a user to turn a rubbing direction or to adjust a distance between the push stick and the surface being cleaned by controlling an inclination of the push stick.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

However, in the aforementioned mop type cleaning outfit, since the housing and the rod-shaped push stick used as a handle are rotatably combined, a user should inconveniently exert a concentrated force to the handle to wipe out old dirt. Particularly, since the conventional cleaning outfit does not have any implement for cleaning nooks or corners, a user should prepare a special implement, e.g., a special cleaning rag or cloth to wipe nooks or corners.
In addition, a cleaning cloth and a pointed tool should be cooperatively used to wipe windowsills or grooves.

Technical Solution

According to the present invention, there is provided a cleaning outfit comprising a pad and a board combined with the pad, wherein the board includes: a vertical support standing erect on the board to exert a force in a perpendicular direction against the surface being cleaned; and a handle having a hand grip mounted on an upper end of the vertical support, and wherein the pad includes: a bottom portion making contact with a lower surface of the board; a fitting portion which has a pocket shape matching with a front end of the board fitted into the fitting portion and is integrally extended from a front side of the bottom portion; and side covers which are integrally extended from both sides of the bottom portion and wrapped around both sides and partially a top face of the board in a longitudinal direction, so that the board and the pad are detachably assembled with each other.

Advantageous Effects

Since the cleaning outfit according to the present invention is constructed to allow a perpendicular force to be exerted to the housing, a user does not need to apply an excessive force to clean windows, tables, or blackboards, thereby accommodating user's convenience.
Since the front end of the board of the housing has a pointed shape, even nooks or grooves can be easily cleaned. Particularly, since the contact surface of the board is streamlined and formed of a flexible material, it does not require an excessive force to be exerted by a user in a cleaning work, thereby accommodating user's convenience.
Since a top face, and left or right side faces as well as the lower contact surface can be used for cleaning in an assembled state of the housing and the pad, even hard to access areas can be cleaned.
In addition, since the pad combined with the housing can be used by reversing it, it is possible to keep cleaning by simply reversing it without washing the pad during a cleaning work, thereby accommodating effective cleaning.
Furthermore, since the first and second attachments are used to combine the housing and the pad with each other, the pad is hardly separated during the cleaning works.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cleaning outfit according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the housing of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an orthographic view illustrating the housing of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a disassembled perspective view illustrating the cleaning outfit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a cleaning outfit according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a disassembled perspective view illustrating a cleaning outfit according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a disassembled perspective view illustrating the housing of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view illustrating the housing handle of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view illustrating the housing board of FIG. 6.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, a construction according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a cleaning outfit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The cleaning outfit according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a cleaning pad 40 and a housing 30 detachably assembled with the pad 40. The housing 30 includes a board 10 fitted into the pad to exert a pressure to the surface being cleaned, and a handle 20 mounted on a top surface of the board 10 to allow a user to perpendicularly exert a force to the surface being cleaned.
The front end of the board 10 has a pointed shape forwardly tapered. The board 10 also includes a top face having a first attachment 11 for attaching the pad 40, and a bottom face having a contact surface 12 making contact with the bottom of the pad.
The contact surface 12 formed on the bottom face of the board 10 is streamlined with a gentle bulge in the center, and is formed of a flexible material that can be bent when it receives a pressure, so that it can function as a cushion for preventing an excessive force from being applied to a user's arm or wrist and allow a user to feel at ease when a user exerts a pressure. Particularly, due to the streamline with a gentle bulge in the center, it is possible to prevent dirt from being collected in only one side of the bottom face of the pad 40 and to use the entire bottom surface of the pad 40.
The handle 20 formed in the center of the top surface of the board 10 includes a vertical support 21 standing erect on the board 10 and a hand grip 22 formed on an upper end of the support 21.
The board 10 and the handle 20 of the housing 30 may be combined using a jointing member (not shown in the drawing). Preferably, they may be formed in a single body to effectively transfer a force and ensure robustness when a pressure is applied to the handle 20.
The pad 40 assembled with the housing 30 has an outer surface 43 and an inner surface 44 as shown in FIG. 4. The pad 40 also includes a bottom portion 45 resting on the contact surface 12 of the board 10, a fitting portion 41 which is integrally extended from the front side of the bottom portion 45 and has a pocket shape matching with the front end of the board 10, and side covers 46 which are integrally extended from both sides of the bottom portion 45 and wrapped around the side faces and partially the top face of the board 10 in a longitudinal direction.
It should be noted that both of left and right side covers of the pad 40 are cut open from the fitting portion 41 of the pad 40. Therefore, in order to insert the board 10 of the housing 30 into the pad 40, the front end of the board 10 is fitted into the fitting portion 41 having a pocket shape. Then, the both side covers 46 of the pad 40 are attached to the top face of the board 10 while both side covers 46 of the pad 40 are wrapped around the side faces and partially the top face of the board 10. For this purpose, a first attachment pair 11 is formed on both sides of the top face of the board 10 in a longitudinal direction. Also, a second attachment pair 42 is formed on both side covers 46 of the pad 40 in positions matching with the first attachment pair 11 and attached to the first attachment pair 11.
It should be noted that the second attachment pair 42 is formed on both ends of the side covers of the pad 40. Also, the second attachment pair 42 is formed on both inner and outer surfaces 44 and 43 of side covers so that it can be attached to the first attachment pair 11 formed on the board 20 of the housing 30 even when the pad 40 is reversed.
In this case, the inner and outer surfaces 44 and 43 of the pad 40 are formed on the same material, and a cushion material (not shown in the drawing) may be further provided the between inner and outer surfaces 44 and 43, so that the amount of water or cleaning solution can be retained, and a user's wrist or arm can be protected.
Furthermore, although the first and second attachment pairs 11 and 42 formed on the board 20 of the housing 30 and the pad 40, respectively, may be formed in a variety of types, Velcro fasteners can be preferably used to allow easy attachment and detachment.
Now, operations of the cleaning outfit having the aforementioned structure according to the present invention will be described.
First, the board 20 of the housing 30 should be assembled with the pad 40 to use the cleaning outfit 50 according to the present invention.
The assembling is performed such that the pointed end of the board 20 of the housing 30 is inserted into the pad 40 from the other end of the fitting portion 41 of the pad 40 and then fitted into the fitting portion 41 of the pad 40.
Then, the second attachment pair 42 formed in ends of the pad 40 is attached to the first attachment pair 11 formed in the board 20 of the housing 30 to complete the assembling process.
The cleaning outfit 50 assembled as described above according to the present invention is placed in the surface being cleaned to clean tables, office furniture, or windows. When the cleaning outfit 50 is moved in a selected direction by exerting a force using a hand grip 22 of the handle 20, the force from the handle 20 perpendicularly angled with the board 10 of the housing 30 is directly applied to the board 10. Therefore, a cleaning work can be easily performed even with a weak force. Particularly, a user can readily wipe even hard to remove dirt in the surface being cleaned due to the perpendicularly exerted force.
While the board 10 of the housing 30 may be made of a flexible material, the contact surface 12 is streamlined with a gentle bulge. Therefore, it functions as a cushion even when a user excessively exerts a force. Thus, it is possible to improve user's convenience.
On the other hand, in the cleaning outfit 50 according to the present invention, the pad 40 is wrapped around the contact surface 12, the left and right side faces, and the top face of the board 10. Therefore, the left and right side faces and the top face as well as the contact surface 12 of the board 10 can be used in the cleaning work. It is possible to clean even areas hard to be accessed by the contact surface 12, e.g., a bottom surface of a table, or grooves hard to insert the contact surface 12. Particularly, the pointed shape of the board 10 may be effectively used to wipe windowsills or grooves.
In addition, in the cleaning outfit 50 according to the present invention, the pad 40 can be assembled with the board 10 by reversing its outer and inner surfaces 43 and 44. Therefore, when any one of the surfaces is dirty, a user can reverse the outer and inner surfaces 43 and 44 of the pad 40 and keep using without washing the pad 40. Accordingly, it is possible to improve efficiency of cleaning.
The cleaning outfit 50 according to the present invention can be selected in a variety of usages. For example, it can be used as an eraser for a blackboard.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a cleaning outfit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Similar components to those of the first embodiment will not be described hereinafter.
Referring to FIG. 5, the cleaning outfit according to the second embodiment of the present invention has a rectangular shape in the board 10 of the housing 30 as well as the pad 40. If they are assembled using the first and second attachment pairs 11 and 12, similar effects can be obtained. Unlike the above structure, the pad 40 may be manufactured without the fitting portion 41 while the shape of the board 10 of the housing 30 is not changed.
When the pad 40 is manufactured without the fitting portion 41, the first attachment pair 11 can be extended to the pointed portion of the front end of the housing 30 to robustly assemble the housing 30 with the pad 40.
FIGS. 6 to 9 are perspective views illustrating the cleaning outfit according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Similar components to those of the first embodiment will not be described hereinafter.
Referring to FIG. 6, the cleaning outfit according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes a pad 40 having the same structure as that of the first embodiment. However, the fitting portion 41 and the side covers 46 of the pad 40 are sewed together so that it provides an overshoes-like shape.
In this structure, the board 10 of the housing 30 is inserted into the overshoes-like pad 40 from the rear side to the front side to secure the pointed portion of the front end of the board 10 in the fitting portion 41 of the pad 41. In this state, the first attachment 11 of the board 10 and the second attachment 42 of the pad 40 are combined with each other to prevent the board 10 from being separated from the pad 40. Therefore, it is possible to secure the board 10 of the housing 30 into the pad 40 in a simpler manner.
It should be noted that the first attachment 11 of the board 10 is extended in a lateral direction on the top face at the rear side of the board 10, and the second attachment 42 is formed on both side covers 46 at the rear side of pad 40 to match with first attachment 11 when the pad 40 is perfectly assembled with the board 10. Preferably, the second attachment 42 is formed on both surfaces of the pad 40 to keep using by reversing the inner and outer surfaces.
Referring to FIG. 7, the handle 20 includes a pair of vertical supports 21 facing to each other and standing erect on the board 10 with a constant interval. A pair of vertical supports 21 may be integrally mounted on the board 10 by an ultrasound bonding or the like. A hand grip 22 for providing a user with a hand held portion is horizontally extended to connect upper ends of the pair of vertical supports 21 to each other. In this case, the hand grip 22 may be detachably installed to the pair of vertical supports 21 using screws fastened to a pair of holes formed in the ends of the pair of vertical supports 21.
Referring to FIG. 8, the hand grip 22 preferably a lower concave surface having several consecutive recesses 22 a matching with user's fingers to provide a conformal fit and prevent user's fingers from being slipped when a user holds the grip to exert a pressure.
Referring to FIG. 9, the bottom face of the board 10 may have a plurality of projections 11 a uniformly embossed to prevent the board 10 from skidding on the pad 40 when a user holds the grip 22 and exerts a force in a perpendicular direction against the surface being cleaned to remove dirt or dusts in an assembled state of the board 10 and the pad 40.
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cleaning outfit comprising:

a pad and a board combined with the pad,

wherein the board includes:

a vertical support standing erect on the board to exert a force in a perpendicular direction against the surface being cleaned; and

a handle having a hand grip mounted on an upper end of the vertical support, and

wherein the pad includes:

a bottom portion making contact with a lower face of the board;

a fitting portion which has a pocket shape matching with a front end of the board fitted into the fitting portion and is integrally extended from a front side of the bottom portion; and

side covers which are integrally extended from both sides of the bottom portion and wrapped around both sides and partially a top face of the board in a longitudinal direction, so that the board and the pad are detachably assembled with each other.

2. The cleaning outfit according to claim 1, wherein the front end of the board has a pointed shape forwardly tapered.

3. The cleaning outfit according to claim 2, wherein first and second attachments are provided on the pad and the board to secure the pad into the board while the pad is fitted into the pad.

4. The cleaning outfit according to claim 3, wherein both side covers are cut open from the fitting portion of the pad, the first attachment is formed in both sides of the top face of the board to attach the side covers to the top face while the front end of the board is inserted into the fitting portion, and the second attachment is formed on both side covers of the pad.

5. The cleaning outfit according to claim 3, wherein the fitting portion and both of the side covers are integrally combined with each other to provide an overshoes-like shape.

6. The cleaning outfit according to claim 5, wherein the first attachment is extended in a lateral direction on a top face at a rear side of the board, and the second attachment is formed on the side covers at a rear side of the pad.

7. The cleaning outfit according to claim 4, wherein the pad has inner and outer surfaces that can be reversed and are made of the same material.

8. The cleaning outfit according to claim 7, wherein the second attachment is formed on both of the inner and outer surfaces of the pad.

9. The cleaning outfit according to claim 1, wherein a contact surface which is a lower face of the board is streamlined with a gentle bulge.

10. The cleaning outfit according to claim 9, wherein the board is made of a flexible material that can be bent when receives a pressure.

11. The cleaning outfit according to claim 1, wherein a contact surface which is a lower face of the board has a plurality of projections embossed to prevent the board from skidding on the pad.

12. The cleaning outfit according to claim 1, wherein the handle includes a pair of vertical supports standing erect to face each other with a constant interval in the center of the board, and a hand grip connecting upper ends of the vertical supports to each other.

13. The cleaning outfit according to claim 12, wherein the vertical supports are integrally connected to the board, and the hand grip is detachably installed to the vertical supports.

14. The cleaning outfit according to claim 13, wherein the hand grip has a lower surface having several consecutive recesses matching with user's fingers to prevent fingers from being slipped when a pressure is exerted by a user's hand.

15. A cleaning outfit comprising:

an housing having a board which is rectangular and has a first attachment on its top face and a contact surface on its bottom face and a handle standing erect in the center of the board; and

a pad having a second attachment matching with the first attachment formed on the board of the housing.