Reversible scrubbing gloves

Abstract

Reversible scrubbing gloves include glove palms, back-hand surfaces, thumb and finger elements provided with scrub pads. In one glove configuration the bottom or gripping segments of the index, middle and ring fingers are provided with bristles, while the top or opposite portions of the index finger, middle finger and ring finger, as well as the thumb, little finger, glove palms and back-hand surfaces have scrub pads. The reversible scrubbing gloves can be worn with the finger bristles down in a first configuration for cleaning the insides of glasses, bowls, and the like using the bristles and the gloves can be reversed and worn in a second configuration to expose only the scrub pads for cleaning pots, pans and other cookware, as well as dishes, bathroom and kitchen sinks, tubs and toilets and the like.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and incorporates by reference U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/686,575, Filed Jun. 3, 2005.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to scrubbing gloves and more particularly, to reversible scrubbing gloves, each of which is fitted with a glove palm, back-hand portion or surface, thumb and finger elements having a scrub pad thereon, with the bottom or gripping areas of the index, middle and ring fingers provided with bristles in a first wearing configuration. The back portions or surfaces of the index, middle and ring fingers are also typically fitted with scrub pads and the gloves are designed to be reversible from the first wearing configuration to another and the right to the left hand, to selectively present the various scrubbing and bristle cleaning surfaces to glasses, pots, pans, dishes and cookware, as well as bathroom lavatories, kitchen sinks, bathtubs, toilet bowls and the like.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention the scrub pad elements or surfaces on the gloves are constructed of a material such as sponge rubber and like scrubbing surfaces, while the bristles may be constructed of rubber, plastic or other resilient material, all according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art. The bristles on the bottom or gripping portions of the index, middle and ring fingers in a first glove-wearing configuration are typically designed for engaging the inside surfaces of glasses, recessed dishes and other deep receptacles, as well as the food-encrusted surfaces of pots and pans. The bristles are also designed to contact and clean the underside of the rim of toilet bowls and various surfaces of the kitchen sink and bathroom lavatories, in non-exclusive particular. Moreover, the various scrub pad surfaces provided on the palm, back-hand portion or surface and the index fingers, middle fingers, ring fingers, little fingers and thumbs of the gloves in this configuration, serve as scouring surfaces for more intense cleaning of vessels such as pots, pans and other cookware and the like, where particulate matter such as food is typically stuck to the surface to be cleaned. Reverse-hand wearing of the gloves from this first configuration positions the finger bristles upwardly and presents the various finger and hand scrubbing surfaces to the vessels to be cleaned.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred first wearing configuration embodiment of the reversible scrubbing gloves of this invention with the palms facing upwardly; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the reverse side of the reversible scrubbing gloves illustrated in FIG. 1, with the palms facing downwardly in a second wearing configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawings, in a preferred embodiment the reversible scrubbing gloves of this invention are generally illustrated in a first wearing configuration by reference numeral 1. The reversible scrubbing gloves 1 are typically characterized by a glove palm 2, fitted with a palm scrub pad 3 defined by a palm scrub pad margin 3a and the glove fingers, and constructed of a material such as sponge rubber or like scrubbing material known to those skilled in the art which is suitable for scouring and cleaning the surfaces of pots, pans and other cookware, as well as dishes, plates, glasses and the like. A wrist section or portion 4 of selected material, flexibility and length extends from the glove palm 2 and includes a hand access 5 for inserting the right and left hands, respectively, into each of the reversible scrubbing glove 1. The thumb 7 of each of the reversible scrubbing gloves 1 includes a thumb scrub pad 8, typically extending from the bottom to the top surfaces thereof and the little finger 10 is likewise fitted with a little finger scrub pad 11, which typically extends over the entire surface of the little finger 10 in the same manner as the thumb 7.

The bottom surface of the index finger 13 is provided with index finger bristles 15 that project from the surface of the index finger 13, typically 1/16 to ⅛ of an inch, and are constructed of a material such as rubber, plastic or like resilient material known to those skilled in the art. The index finger bristles 15 may be arranged on the index finger 13 in a desired pattern, but are typically constructed in rows as illustrated in FIG. 1, for the purpose of loosening particulate matter such as food from the inside surfaces of vessels such as pots, pans and other cookware, as well as dishes, glasses and plates. The index finger bristles 15 particularly facilitate the cleaning of open top, deep vessels such as glasses, bowls, deep pots and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom surface of the middle finger 17 is provided with middle finger bristles 19 in the same manner as the index finger 13, for the same purpose. Furthermore, in yet another preferred embodiment of the invention the bottom surface of the ring finger 21 is likewise provided with ring finger bristles 23 which may be manipulated along with the middle finger bristles 19 and the index finger bristles 15, to thoroughly clean the inside and outside surfaces of various types of cookware and other vessels, such as glasses, bowls and the like, by manipulation of the index, ring and little fingers in the respective index finger 13, middle finger 17 and ring finger 21 of each of the removable scrubbing gloves 1. The palm scrub pad 3 on the glove palm 2 of the reversible scrubbing gloves 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 also serves to more securely grip vessels such as glasses, bowls, cookware plates and other articles which are breakable and facilitates cleaning the outside surfaces of such articles during the scrubbing action while handling and cleaning the inside surfaces using the index finger bristles 15, middle finger bristles 19 and the ring finger bristles 23, or any one or two of them, as described above. Accordingly, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the action of cleaning the inside surfaces of various vessels such as glasses using the index finger bristles 15, the middle finger bristles 19 and the ring finger bristles 23, or any one of these, also cleans the outside surface of the vessel by the scrubbing action of the thumb scrub pad 8, little finger scrub pad 11 and the palm scrub pad 3. It will also be appreciated that selected ones or combinations of the index finger bristles 15, middle finger bristles 19 and ring finger bristles 23 can be provided on the respective index fingers 13, middle fingers 17 and ring fingers 21, as desired.

Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings in another preferred embodiment of the invention the reversible scrubbing gloves 1 are characterized in a second wearing configuration by a back-hand surface or portion 25, typically fitted with a back-hand portion scrub pad 26, such that the hands may be reversed from the position in the reversible scrubbing gloves 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, to the position illustrated in the reversible scrubbing gloves illustrated in FIG. 2. This exchange of the reversible scrubbing gloves 1 from the hand positions in FIG. 1 to that in FIG. 2 facilitates more intense scrubbing, typically of vessels such as pots, pans and other cookware and vessels having encrusted food particles, using the respective index finger 13, having an index finger scrub pad 14 thereon; the middle finger 17, with a middle finger scrub pad 18; and the ring finger 21, provided with a ring finger scrub pad 22, or any of these elements individually.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the reversible scrubbing gloves 1 of this invention are characterized by great facility for cleaning a wide variety of surfaces in addition to cookware, plates, bowls, glasses, and the like. These typically include wood, porcelain, ceramic, glass, plastic and the like, and are cleaned using individual and various combinations of the index finger bristles 15, middle finger bristles 19 and ring finger bristle 23, along with the thumb scrub pad 8, little finger scrub pad 11 and palm scrub pad 3, in a first orientation of the reversible scrubbing glove 1 on the hands, as illustrated in FIG. 1. In the second reversible scrubbing glove orientation on the hands illustrated in FIG. 2, the back-hand portion scrub pad 26, along with the index finger scrub pad 14, middle finger scrub pad 18 and the ring finger scrub pad 22 become useful, in combination with the thumb scrub pad 8 and little finger scrub pad 11, for cleaning such surfaces and particularly, in removing encrusted or baked-on particulate food and other material from various cookware and serving vessel surfaces to be cleaned. These scrub pads become particularly important in removing food that has been cooked onto flying pans and other cooking utensils and cookware, as well as food stuck to plates, bowls, saucers, cups and the like.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the various finger bristles and scrub pads, surfaces or areas delineated on the reversible scrubbing gloves illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings can be shaped, formed or molded integrally with the typically rubber gloves, such as latex gloves. Alternatively, the bristles and/or scrub areas can be separately molded, shaped or otherwise manufactured and glued in the places or areas delineated above. Moreover, the gloves can be constructed of a hypoallergenic material and may be molded to fit tightly on the hands, as in the case of surgical gloves, and provided in one or more sizes and colors, as desired.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made in the invention and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Reversible scrubbing gloves comprising scrub areas provided on the thumb, index: fingers, middle fingers, ring fingers, little fingers, palm and back hand surfaces of said gloves and comprising index finger bristles provided on the index fingers of said gloves.

2. The reversible scrubbing gloves of claim 1 comprising middle finger bristles provided on the middle fingers of said gloves.

3. The reversible scrubbing gloves of claim 1 comprising ring finger bristles provided on the ring fingers of said gloves.

4. The reversible scrubbing gloves of claim 1 wherein said index finger bristles are provided on the gripping surfaces of the index fingers of said gloves when said gloves are worn in a first configuration.

5. The reversible scrubbing gloves of claim 2 wherein said middle finger bristles are provided on the gripping surfaces of the middle fingers of said gloves when said gloves are worn in a first configuration.

6. The reversible scrubbing gloves of claim 3 wherein said ring finger bristles are provided on the gripping surfaces of the ring fingers of said gloves when said gloves are worn in a first configuration.

7. The reversible scrubbing gloves of claim 1 wherein said index finger bristles are provided on the gripping surfaces of the index fingers of said gloves when said gloves are worn in a first configuration and comprising middle finger bristles provided on the gripping surfaces of the middle fingers and ring finger bristles provided on the gripping surface of the ring fingers of said gloves when said gloves are worn in said first configuration.

8. The reversible scrubbing gloves of claim 1 comprising an index finger scrub area provided on the non-gripping surfaces of said index fingers when said gloves are worn in a first configuration.

9. The reversible scrubbing gloves of claim 2 comprising a middle finger scrub area provided on the non-gripping surfaces of the middle fingers when said gloves are worn in a first configuration.

10. The reversible scrubbing gloves of claim 3 comprising a ring finger scrub area provided on the non-gripping surfaces of the ring fingers when said gloves are worn in a first configuration.

11. A pair of reversible scrubbing gloves, each having four fingers and a thumb, comprising bristles and first scrubbing pads provided on selected ones of said fingers and second scrubbing pads provided on selected non-finger areas of said gloves.

12. The pair of reversible scrubbing gloves of claim 11 wherein said fingers of each of said gloves include an index finger, a middle finger, a ring finger, and a little finger and wherein said bristles are provided on first selected areas of said index finger, said middle finger and said ring finger of said gloves.

13. The pair of reversible scrubbing gloves of claim 12 wherein said first scrubbing pads are located on said thumb and said little finger and on second selected areas of said index finger, said middle finger and said ring finger of said gloves.

14. The pair of reversible scrubbing gloves of claim 11 wherein the gloves each have a palm and a back hand portion or surface opposite the palm and said second scrubbing pads are located on the palm and the back hand portion or surface of the palm.

15. The pair of reversible scrubbing gloves of claim 14 wherein said first scrubbing pads are located on said thumb, said little finger and on second selected areas of said index finger, said middle finger and said ring finger of said gloves.

16. Reversible scrubbing gloves, each having an index finger, a middle finger, a ring finger, a little finger and a thumb, comprising bristles provided on the gripping area of said index finger, said middle finger and said ring finger and scrub areas provided on the non-gripping area of said index finger, said middle finger and said ring finger and on said little finger and said thumb, in a first glove-wearing configuration.

17. The reversible scrubbing gloves of claim 16 comprising scrub areas provided on the palm and on the reverse side of said palm of said gloves when said gloves are worn in said first glove-wearing configuration.