CLEANING ARTICLE
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.
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 DISCLOSUREThe 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.
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:
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.
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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.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 24, 2009
Publication Date: Feb 24, 2011
Inventors: Cheri Edwards (Newman Lake, WA), Sara Mao (Mica, WA)
Application Number: 12/546,212
International Classification: A47L 13/10 (20060101);