MULTI-PURPOSE CLEANING TOOLS

Abstract

Multi-purpose cleaning tools may be provided to simplify removal of residue from surfaces. Such multi-purpose cleaning tools may include scraping and wiping portions, brush portions, a curved tip portion, a rounded tip portion, as well as hook and/or groove cleaning portions, and may be provided as an all-in-one tool and/or in a kit form. Multi-purpose cleaning tools may be strong and durable to provide the “elbow grease” and/or leverage that a user may need to remove and then discard residue that may form on a surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/681,517 entitled “Multi-Purpose Cleaning Tools,” filed Aug. 9, 2012, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to cleaning tools, and more particularly to multi-purpose cleaning tools for removal of residue from surfaces.

BACKGROUND

In a kitchen, such as on a dining table, a stove or countertop, residue may form when food or liquid dries on the surface. This residue is often difficult to clean once it dries on the surface. While several products have been available in the past specifically devoted to cleaning floors and bathrooms, there have not been similar products focused on cleaning surfaces such as dining tables, stoves and countertops, particularly in instances where residue forms that is hard to remove with a paper towel or rag/cloth alone. Further, a user may end up scraping the residue from a surface with a knife that may damage the surface or a user may use his/her fingernails to clean the surface and this may be unsanitary or otherwise undesirable.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide for multi-purpose cleaning tools to remove residue from surfaces. Multi-purpose cleaning tools according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include a scraping portion to remove residue on a surface. Multi-purpose cleaning tools also may include a wiping portion to scrub and wipe up residue that may have been removed from a surface using the scraping portion. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, multi-purpose cleaning tools may include a groove cleaning portion to clean grooves and/or a hook cleaning portion to scrape indentions. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a multi-purpose cleaning tool may include clips to affix various cleaning attachments, including but not limited to a groove cleaning portion, a hook cleaning portion, a brush portion, a curved tip portion and/or a rounded tip portion. It should be appreciated that various attachments or cleaning portions may be integrated into a multi-purpose cleaning tool according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, various components of multi-purpose cleaning tools may be included as part of a kit.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a multi-purpose cleaning tool comprising an upper portion including a scraping portion to remove residue on one or more surfaces and a wiping portion to scrub and wipe up residue from the one or more surfaces and a lower portion formed as a handle. The multi-purpose cleaning tool may further include a groove cleaning portion to clean grooves of the one or more surfaces. The multi-purpose cleaning tool also may include a hook cleaning portion to scrape indentions of the one or more surfaces. The groove cleaning portion and a hook cleaning portion may be integrated into the handle. The tool also may include at least one clip to affix one or more cleaning attachments selected from the group comprising a groove cleaning portion, a hook cleaning portion, a brush portion, a curved tip portion, and a rounded tip portion. The wiping portion may be formed of an absorbent material to scrub and wipe up residue removed from one or more surfaces using the scraping portion. The wiping portion may be removably attached to the tool. There also may be securing means to attach the wiping portion and/or one or more fasteners in an upper portion of the tool to receive the wiping portion. The tool may include a fastener to secure the lower portion to the upper portion. The tool may also may include a rotatable fastener to secure the lower portion to the upper portion, wherein the groove cleaning portion and the hook cleaning portion are used without separating them from the tool. The tool may include a snap fastener to secure the lower portion to the upper portion, wherein the groove cleaning portion or the hook cleaning portion is separable from the tool. A cleanser container may be fastened to the lower portion.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a multi-purpose cleaning tool kit comprising a multi-purpose tool having a scraping portion and a wiping portion, a brushing portion to remove fine dust from one or more surfaces, a rounded tip portion to clean grooves within the one or more surfaces, and a hook cleaning portion to clean the one or more surfaces. The wiping portion may be removably attached to the multi-purpose tool. The kit also may include at least one clip to affix one or more cleaning attachments selected from the group comprising the brushing portion, the rounded tip portion, and the hook cleaning portion to the multi-purpose tool. The multi-purpose tool also may include a handle having a groove cleaning portion. The groove cleaning portion may be integrated into the handle or it may be removably secured to the handle. The handle may include the hook cleaning portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1a depicts a multi-purpose cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1b depicts a multi-purpose cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 depicts a multi-purpose cleaning tool according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 depicts a further embodiment of a multi-purpose cleaning tool according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 depicts a multi-purpose cleaning tool according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 depicts embodiments of a multi-purpose cleaning tool wherein the tools may be used for various cleaning activities; and

FIG. 6 depicts a multi-purpose cleaning tool kit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide for multi-purpose cleaning tools that may simplify removal of residue from surfaces. Such multi-purpose cleaning tools may include scraping and wiping portions, brush portions, curved tip portions, rounded tip portions, as well as hook and/or groove cleaning portions without departing from the present disclosure. These various cleaning portions may be integrated as part of multi-purpose cleaning tools or may be included as part of a kit without departing from the present disclosure. Tools according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be strong and durable to provide the “elbow grease” and/or leverage that a user may need to remove and then discard residue that may form on a surface without harming the surface.

FIGS. 1a and 1b depict multi-purpose cleaning tool 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1a depicts tool 10 in a closed position, and FIG. 1b depicts tool 10 in an open position. It should be appreciated that when tool 10 is in an open position, it is possible to see both groove cleaning portion 105a as well as hook cleaning portion 105b integrated into the handle of tool 10 as depicted in FIG. 1b.

Tool 10 may include scraping portion 101 that may be formed of a strong plastic, silicone or a similar material to remove residue on surfaces including but not limited to stainless steel, stone, wood, glass, and/or metal surfaces. It should be appreciated that scraping portion 101 may be formed from a material having at least the same degree of hardness as the body of tool 10. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, scraping portion 101 may be formed from the same material as the body of tool 10; however, in other embodiments of the present disclosure, scraping portion 101 may be formed from a different material than the body of tool 10. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, scraping portion 101 may be formed of more than one material or tool 10 may have more than one scraping portion 101 formed of materials such as metal and plastic. Scraping portion 101 may be of various widths and may span all or certain segments of the top portion of tool 10 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Tool 10 also may include wiping portion 102 that may be formed of an absorbent material to scrub and wipe up residue that may have been removed from a surface using scraping portion 101. Wiping portion 102 may be formed from a material including but not limited to terry cloth, chamois, or may even be a traditional paper towel. In embodiments of the present disclosure, wiping portion 102 may slip onto tool 10 when ready for use and then may be removed and either rinsed (if reusable) or discarded after having been used to wipe up residue. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, tool 10 may include securing means 103 that may be formed of elastic to retain wiping portion 102 on tool 10. In other embodiments, tool 10 may include holes or other fasteners within the upper portion of tool 10 to receive wiping portion 102. Embodiments of the present disclosure also may provide for a wiping portion that may be permanently affixed to tool 10 and may be rinsed while remaining affixed.

Tool 10 also may include fastener 104 that may be used to secure lower portion 105 to the upper portion of tool 10 that may house wiping portion 102 and scraping portion 101. Fastener 104 may be rotatable in embodiments of the present disclosure such that groove cleaning portion 105a and hook cleaning portion 105b may be used without separating them from the rest of tool 10. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, fastener 104 may be a snap that may allow groove cleaning portion 105a and/or hook cleaning portion 105b to be separated from the rest of tool 10 when in use and then they may snap back together as part of tool 10 when not in use.

It should be appreciated that lower portion 105 may form a wide handle when tool 10 is in a closed position (FIG. 1a). The width of lower portion 105 combined with the strength of the plastic or other material used to form lower portion 105 may aid in harder jobs that may require more “elbow grease” and/or leverage according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

As previously discussed, lower portion 105 may be formed of groove cleaning portion 105a as well as hook cleaning portion 105b according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Groove cleaning portion 105a may be used to clean grooves such as portions of a water or ice dispenser tray in a refrigerator, a George Foreman grill, the top of a coffee maker and other somewhat narrow spaces. Hook cleaning portion 105b may be used to scrape indentions such as on a microwave door. While lower portion 105 has been depicted as including groove cleaning portion 105a and hook cleaning portion 105b, it should be appreciated that other cleaning portions may be substituted to form lower portion 105 without departing from the present disclosure. The various cleaning portions may snap or click into the lower portion of the handle, or they may fold in to form the lower portion according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be appreciated that lower portion 105 may be a solid handle not containing cleaning portions.

FIG. 2 depicts multi-purpose cleaning tool 20 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to tool 10, multi-purpose cleaning tool 20 may include scraping portion 201 to assist in removing residue from a surface. Tool 20 also may include wiping portion 202 to wipe up residue once it has been scraped off of a surface using scraping portion 201. Tool 20 may further include handle 204 that may incorporate one or more cleaning components, including but limited to a hook cleaning portion or a groove cleaning portion according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. However, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, tool 20 may include clips 203 wherein various attachment tools may be affixed, including but not limited to a hook cleaning portion and a groove cleaning portion. It should be appreciated that cleaning portions may be integrated into tool 20 as well as attached to tool 20 without departing from the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of multi-purpose cleaning tool 30. Tool 30 is similar to tool 20 depicted in FIG. 2 insofar as it includes clips 304a, 304b that be used to affix various cleaning attachments externally to tool 30; however, as previously discussed, other fastening mechanisms may be utilized without departing from the present disclosure. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, these attachments may include brush portion 306 that may be used to remove fine dust from a surface. Attachments also may include curved tip portion 303 that may be used to clean within small spaces. Other attachments may include rounded tip portion 305 that may be used to clean grooves in and around a surface, or a small putty knife to get into narrow spaces between the stove and the counter top. However it should be appreciated that other attachments may be affixed to tool 30 without departing from the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 depicts a multi-purpose cleaning tool according to another embodiment of this present disclosure. Tool 40 may include scraping portion 401 as well as handle 405 that may be similar to embodiments of multi-purpose cleaning tools that have been previously described. Handle portion 405 may be formed of a reinforced thick plastic-type material for durability over time when cleaning In this embodiment, however, holes 403 may be provided in the upper portion of tool 40 in the area around wiping portion 402 in order to fasten wiping portion 402 to tool 40. While two holes 403 may be depicted in FIG. 4, it should be appreciated that more or fewer holes may be provided in other embodiments of the present disclosure to attach wiping portion 402 to tool 40. Further, it should be appreciated that holes 403 may extend through all or a portion of the width of wiping portion 402 depending on the thickness of this portion of tool 40. While holes 403 have been depicted in FIG. 4, other attachment mechanisms may be used to attach wiping portion 402 to tool 40 without departing from the present disclosure.

Tool 40 also may include cleanser container 404 that may be strapped or otherwise fastened to the lower portion of tool 40 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, cleanser container 404 may be a spray bottle including a cleaning fluid. A user may unfasten cleanser container 404 from tool 40 when he/she is preparing to a clean a surface, and then refasten cleanser container 404 to tool 40 after spraying and/or cleaning the surface. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, cleanser container 404 may be formed as an integral part of the lower portion of tool 40. For example, the lower portion of tool 40 may be formed to hold cleaning fluids and may include a spray nozzle extending from the lower portion to allow a user to spray a surface without the need for a separate spray bottle, whether or not it may be fastened to tool 40. In other embodiment, the cleanser container may be permanently attached to tool 40.

FIG. 5 depicts embodiments of a multi-purpose cleaning tool wherein the tool may be used for various cleaning activities. For example, tool 50a depicts use of scraping portion 501 to release residue from a surface and wiping portion 502 to remove the residue from the surface once it has been released. Tool 50b depicts use of hook cleaning portion 503 to clean grooves and hard to reach areas on surfaces, appliances and other areas. It should be appreciated that both tool 50a and tool 50b may include an ergonomic handle that may be easy and comfortable for a user to grip in order to attack residue on a surface. The ergonomic nature of the nature may enable a user to apply leverage without straining his/her arm or wrist. For example, the user may attach the residue from a high angle when he/she uses scraping portion 501 of tool 50a and then lower his/her hand to bring wiping portion 502 into contact with the surface to remove residue from the surface.

FIG. 6 depicts kit 60 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, multi-purpose cleaning tools 601-604 may be combined into kit 60 so that a user may have each of tools 601-604 at his/her fingertips to tackle various cleaning tasks. Tool 601 may be a multi-purpose tool having a scraping portion and a wiping portion similar to those previously described (e.g., FIGS. 1a and 1b). Tool 602 may include a brushing portion that may be used to remove fine dust from a surface. Tool 603 may include a rounded tip portion to clean grooves within a surface or on an appliance. Tool 604 may include a hook cleaning portion that may be used to clean grooves and other hard to reach surfaces. It should be appreciated that more or fewer tools may be included in kit 60 without departing from the present disclosure. While not depicted in FIG. 6, it should be appreciated that kit 60 may come with disposable or reusable wiping portions to attach to tool 601 without departing from the present disclosure. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the towel or cloth forming a wiping portion may be integrated as part of tool 601.

While multi-purpose cleaning tools according to embodiments of the present disclosure have been described as being formed from plastic, it should be appreciated that various forms of plastic, silicone or other similar molded hardened materials may be used to form cleaning tools without departing from the present disclosure.

As previously discussed, wiping portions of cleaning tools according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be reusable or they may be disposable depending on the environment where the cleaning tool may be used and/or the needs of a user. It should be appreciated that there may be applications where a user may desire a disposable wiping portion, such as if the user does not have access to an area to clean a reusable wiping portion and/or if the user would not be able to transport more than one reusable wiping portion at a time. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, a user may utilize a reusable wiping portion in order to be more environmentally friendly. In some embodiments, it should be appreciated that the reusable wiping portion may be a cloth that is sturdy enough so that it can be washed in a washing machine. In other embodiments, the reusable wiping portion may be rinsed in a sink and then be wrung out for reuse, or it may be formed to be dishwasher safe and easy to sanitize. It also should be appreciated that even reusable wiping portions may have a limited life, such that it may need to be replaced after a certain number of uses or following more substantial cleaning tasks. Whether the wiping portion is reusable or disposable, it should be formed of a material that is sturdy enough to be clipped or otherwise fastened to the tool without destroying the integrity of the wiping portion prior to use. It also should be sturdy and absorbent enough to wipe up the residue from substantial cleaning tasks without losing its form. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the wiping portion may be formed from a paper towel, napkin or other material that a user may already have on hand. In further embodiments of the present disclosure, the wiping portion may be a scrub/abrasive pad or other type of pad, such as a Magic Eraser pad. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the wiping portion may be preloaded with a chemical or cleaner that may be useful for particular applications, or the chemical or cleaner may be sold along with the tool.

It should be appreciated that multi-purpose cleaning tools according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be used on any type of surface that may have residue that is hard to release from the surface. Surfaces may include but are not limited to ceramic, stone, glass, wood, and stainless steel. Multi-purpose cleaning tools also may be used for automotive applications, such as to remove bumper stickers or registration/inspection stickers as well as to clean tire rims or polish a motorcycle. Bartenders or wait staff in restaurants may use multi-purpose cleaning tools for various applications according to embodiments of the present disclosure, including but not limited to removing gum from underneath a table, cleaning grooves on a bar, and removing labels from glassware. Tools according to embodiments of the present disclosure also may be used in kitchens, craft rooms, bedrooms, playrooms or anywhere else where there may be sticky or hard to remove residues to be cleaned without causing damage to the surface. Further, having a multi-purpose or all-in-one tool according to embodiments of the present disclosure may help to address the issue of lack of storage space and/or portability that may be desired by a user.

Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

Claims

1. A multi-purpose cleaning tool comprising:

an upper portion including a scraping portion to remove residue on one or more surfaces and a wiping portion to scrub and wipe up residue from the one or more surfaces; and

a lower portion formed as a handle.

2. The multi-purpose cleaning tool of claim 1 further comprising:

a groove cleaning portion to clean grooves of the one or more surfaces.

3. The multi-purpose cleaning tool of claim 1 further comprising:

a hook cleaning portion to scrape indentions of the one or more surfaces.

4. The multi-purpose cleaning tool of claim 1 further comprising:

a groove cleaning portion and a hook cleaning portion integrated into the handle.

5. The multi-purpose cleaning tool of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one clip to affix one or more cleaning attachments selected from the group comprising a groove cleaning portion, a hook cleaning portion, a brush portion, a curved tip portion, and a rounded tip portion.

6. The multi-purpose cleaning tool of claim 1 wherein the wiping portion is formed of an absorbent material to scrub and wipe up residue removed from one or more surfaces using the scraping portion.

7. The multi-purpose cleaning tool of claim 1 wherein the wiping portion is removably attached to the tool.

8. The multi-purpose cleaning tool of claim 7 further comprising securing means to attach the wiping portion.

9. The multi-purpose cleaning tool of claim 7 further comprising:

one or more fasteners in an upper portion of the tool to receive the wiping portion.

10. The multi-purpose cleaning tool of claim 1 further comprising:

a fastener to secure the lower portion to the upper portion.

11. The multi-purpose cleaning tool of claim 4 further comprising:

a rotatable fastener to secure the lower portion to the upper portion, wherein the groove cleaning portion and the hook cleaning portion are used without separating them from the tool.

12. The multi-purpose cleaning tool of claim 4 further comprising:

a snap fastener to secure the lower portion to the upper portion, wherein the groove cleaning portion or the hook cleaning portion is separable from the tool.

13. The multi-purpose cleaning tool of claim 1 further comprising:

a cleanser container fastened to the lower portion.

14. A multi-purpose cleaning tool kit comprising:

a multi-purpose tool having a scraping portion and a wiping portion;

a brushing portion to remove fine dust from one or more surfaces;

a rounded tip portion to clean grooves within the one or more surfaces; and

a hook cleaning portion to clean the one or more surfaces.

15. The multi-purpose cleaning tool kit of claim 14 wherein the wiping portion is removably attached to the multi-purpose tool.

16. The multi-purpose cleaning tool kit of claim 14 further comprising:

at least one clip to affix one or more cleaning attachments selected from the group comprising the brushing portion, the rounded tip portion, and the hook cleaning portion to the multi-purpose tool.

17. The multi-purpose cleaning tool kit of claim 14, the multi-purpose tool further comprising:

a handle having a groove cleaning portion.

18. The multi-purpose cleaning tool kit of claim 17 wherein the groove cleaning portion is integrated into the handle.

19. The multi-purpose cleaning tool kit of claim 17 wherein the groove cleaning portion is removably secured to the handle.

20. The multi-purpose cleaning tool kit of claim 17 wherein the handle includes the hook cleaning portion.