Covered lint roller assembly

Abstract

A covered lint roller assembly is disclosed that incorporates a lint roller cover that protects the adhesive element of the present lint roller assembly and wherein the lint roller cover can also be used with other lint roller assemblies that do not have a cover. By protecting normally unprotected adhesive elements, the lint roller cover provides a suitable device that helps maintain the efficacy of the adhesive element of the lint roller assembly.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This disclosure relates to the field of lint rollers used to remove lint and other debris from cloth surfaces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This section provides general background information related to the present disclosure and the background information is not necessarily prior art.

There are a wide variety of various lint rollers that have been developed for removal of lint and generally unwanted debris from a cloth surface. Lint roller assemblies as earlier devised typically comprise a lint roller holder having a mount upon which a lint roller has been installed. These prior art examples usually include a handle portion that extends outwardly from one end of the lint roller holder support such that a user can grasp the handle in order to utilize the lint roller. A lint collector is installed onto the tubular mount and collects lint and other debris on the surface of the lint roller to remove it from the cloth surface.

The lint collector usually comprises some form of adhesive surface positioned on a lint roller tube that is sized and configured to match the mount of the lint roller handle. The most effective lint rollers appear to be those rollers that have lint collectors that include a very strong adhesive coating on the lint roller tube. This is to say, the greater the adhesive power of the lint roller component of the lint roller assembly, the better the lint roller assembly is at collecting larger amounts of unwanted lint and debris from the cloth.

However, while stronger adhesive characteristics may be desirable for collecting unwanted lint, this extreme level of adhesive can also present significant storage problems—especially if the lint roller assembly does not come equipped with a cover that can protect the adhesive surface of the lint collector. More specifically, after prolonged storage of a non-covered lint roller assembly in a handbag, pouch, or other temporary storage device, it can quickly become extremely contaminated with debris unintentionally collected on the adhesive surfaces of such storage devices. This can be particularly true when the lint roller collector includes the more preferred strong adhesive component. When this happens, it becomes necessary to either remove the outermost sheet of the adhesive roller to expose fresh adhesive on the next underlying sheet on the roller, or to take the time to carefully clean the debris from the adhesive surfaces of lint collectors that rely on the tackiness of certain types of sometimes gelatinous material. In the first instance, costly adhesive sheets can be wasted. In the second instance, the user must take the time to clean the lint collector—even when time can be at a premium.

In still other types of lint roller assemblies, the surface of the adhesive component of the lint roller can be rendered less effective if the surface of the lint collector is exposed to the atmosphere for extended periods of time. In those instances, the overall usefulness of the lint roller can be severely compromised when the adhesive component is not protected by a cover.

Although this problem is not uncommon, there are still a wide variety of lint roller assemblies that can be purchased that do not have lint roller covers as part of the entire lint roller device. Thus, it would be useful and desirable to have a lint roller assembly that includes a lint roller cover that can be used to protect a related lint roller, and to additionally cover other brands and types of lint rollers. It would also be desirable to have a lint roller cover that can be purchased as an accessory unit for use with lint roller assemblies that do not come equipped with covers to protect the adhesive surface of the lint roller assembly.

Therefore there is a need to provide a lint roller cover adaptable and generally configured for use with many common lint roller assemblies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

In accordance with the various embodiments of the present invention, this invention relates to a covered lint roller assembly having a plastic cover that snaps into place around the sticky roller head of a lint roller assembly designed to work with the cover, and to also provide a cover that can be used to cover the adhesive surfaces of other common lint roller assemblies that do not come equipped with their own lint roller cover. When installed, the cover prevents the adhesive component of the lint roller assembly from coming into contact with unintended objects. Thus, with the cover installed, the lint roller assembly can be placed in a drawer, purse, suitcase, or car without allowing the adhesive component of the lint roller assembly to unintentionally stick to other items that would result in the adhesive tape prematurely losing its tackiness or generally reducing the effectiveness of the adhesive component of the linter roller assembly.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope or the claims of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification:

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the handle of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a closed cover of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an open cover of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a front close-up view of the latching portion of the cover of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a vertical cross section view of a closed cover of one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6A shows a vertical cross section view of an open cover of one embodiment of the present invention.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding steps or parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

While one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the above referenced drawings and in the following description, it is understood that the embodiment shown is merely one example of a single preferred embodiment offered for the purpose of illustration only and that various changes in construction may be resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that the present invention may be utilized to the best advantage according to circumstances which may arise, without in any way departing from the spirit and intention of the present invention, which is to be limited only in accordance with the claims contained herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of some preferred embodiments, specific components, devices, methods, in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that these specific details need not be employed, and should not be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In the development of any actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints. Such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but is nevertheless a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the drawings and figures contained within this specification. More specifically, preferred embodiments of the present invention are generally disclosed in FIGS. 1-6A.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a covered lint roller assembly A that comprises a lint roller handle assembly B and a lint roller cover C. The lint roller handle assembly B includes a handle 1 and a lint roller shaft 3 that is disposed adjacent to the handle in a location such that the longitudinal axis of the handle is in general co-axial alignment with the longitudinal axis of the lint roller shaft. A circular base 9 is disposed on one end of the lint roller shaft 3.

The handle 1 is generally cylindrical in shape and is sized and configured to fit within the hand of a user when the user grips the handle in preparation for use of the device as a lint remover from a contaminated surface. A series of generally quadrilateral-shaped recesses 5 are positioned on a distal end of the handle 1 to provide a user with a grip surface by which the user can obtain control of the of the lint roller assembly A when in use. It will be understood that while this embodiment includes a series of quadrilateral-shaped recesses 5 to generate the grip surface, yet other configurations may be employed to result in other styles of grip surfaces. In fact, those of skill in the art will understand that any style design may be used to generate the grip surface 5 and remain within the intended scope of the present invention as long as the style of the grip surface selected allows the user to sufficiently grip the handle 1 of the covered lint roller handle assembly A in a manner that allows the user to control the direction of the lint roller and the amount of pressure applied by the user on the lint roller to allow the adhesive surface of the lint roller to contact and retain unwanted lint and other material from a surface to be cleaned by the lint roller assembly A.

The lint roller shaft 3 (FIG. 2) is located at a proximate end of the lint roller handle assembly B. The purpose of the lint roller shaft 3 is to provide a method of mounting a roll of adhesive surfaces (not shown) onto the proximate end of the lint roller handle assembly B. In the present embodiment, the lint roller shaft 3 incorporates a series of ribs 7 running substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lint roller shaft. The series of ribs 7 provide some structural rigidity to the lint roller shaft 3. It is noted that in the present embodiment, the series of ribs 7 have an outside diameter that is less than the inside diameter of the mounting roll of adhesives. Because that configuration allows a gap between the outside diameter of the series of rib 7 and the inside diameter of the mounting roll of adhesives, the mounting roll of adhesives fits loosely on the lint roller shaft 3 thus allowing the mounting roll of adhesives to rotate around the lint roller shaft.

The retention of the mounting roll of adhesives on the lint roller shaft 3 is generally accomplished by the fit of the circular base 9 in relation to the inside diameter of the mounting roll of adhesives. More specifically, the outside diameter of the circular base 9 is sized to be sufficiently larger than the inside diameter of the mounting roll of adhesives such that the mounting roll of adhesives will just be able to slide over the circular base 9. It is understood that there is some general flexibility in the mounting roll of adhesives such that the inside diameter can be momentarily stretched to allow the mounting roll of adhesives to slide over the outside diameter of the circular base 9. It is understood that after the mounting roll of adhesives has slid over the circular base 9, that the mounting roll of adhesives is held in place on the lint roller shaft 3 because the larger diameter of the circular base substantially prevents the mounting roll of adhesives, that has now returned to its original inside diameter, from sliding off the end of the lint roller shaft 3.

In yet other embodiments, the series of ribs 7 are replaced by other configurations. For example, the series of ribs 7 in some embodiments may be circular and be axially oriented and in coaxial alignment with the lint roller shaft 3. Other configurations may also be used in place of the series of ribs 7 as long as the alternate configuration allows the mounting roll of adhesives to be supported by the lint roller shaft 3 while still allowing the mounting roll of adhesives to rotate on the lint roller shaft. When the lint roller assembly is in operation, the mounting roll of adhesives is usually allowed to rotate to allow the adhesive surface of the circumference of the mounting roll of adhesives to roll across the surface which is being cleaned.

FIG. 2-6A discloses a preferred embodiment of the lint roller cover C of the present invention. In this embodiment, when the lint roller cover C (FIG. 3 and FIG. 4) is in a closed configuration, the lint roller cover is generally in the form of a hollow cylinder having an end cap 49 on each end of the cylinder. Each end cap 49 has a rounded edge 47 where the end cap meets the outside wall of the cylindrical shape. Additionally, each end cap 49 has an opening 51 located in about the center of the diameter of the end cap. A first cover element 11 and a second cover element 13 are operatively connected by a hinge 25 running parallel to the longitudinal surface of the lint roller cover. In the present embodiment, a preferred hinge 25 is the hinge known in the art as a “living hinge.” A living hinge is generically identified as a thin flexible web of material that joins two rigid bodies together. A living hinge is commonly a molded hinge made from polypropylene or polyethylene and can provide a very long operative life. In alternative embodiments where the life of the hinge is not as critical, the hinge 25 can also be made of engineering resins, such as nylon and acetal. The mechanics of the living hinge design are well-known and are exemplified in the book “Designing Plastic Parts for Assembly 2nd, Revised Edition” by Paul A. Tres.

It is understood that the purpose of the opening 51 is to allow the lint roller cover C to be installed upon the lint roller handle assembly B to protect the mounted roll of adhesives when the lint roller assembly is not in use and is being stored for later use. More specifically, the opening 51 exists only when the lint roller cover C is in a closed orientation as shown in FIG. 3. When the lint roller cover C is in an open orientation as shown in FIG. 4, the opening 51 does not exist. Instead, each of the two openings 51 exists as two semicircular openings located at each end of the first cover element 11 and the second cover element 13. This is to say, one of the openings 51 exists as a first semicircular opening 17 in the first cover element 11 and as a fourth semicircular opening fourth 23 in the second cover element 13. Similarly, the other opening 51 exists as a second semicircular opening 19 in the first cover element 11 and as a third semicircular opening 21 in the second cover element 13. Thus, while the two openings 51 exist as four semicircular openings 17, 23, 19, and 21 when the lint roller cover C is in an open position, the two openings 51 occur when the lint roller cover C is placed in its closed position when first semicircular opening 17 aligns with fourth semicircular opening 23, and when second semicircular opening 19 aligns with third semicircular opening 21.

When the lint roller cover C is to be installed onto the lint roller handle B or upon a non-related lint roller assembly that was not originally equipped with a cover, the cover is placed in its open position as shown in FIG. 4 and the lint roller retention portion 3 equipped with the mounting roll of adhesives is placed in the lint roller cover C such that a portion of the lint roller assembly is residing within one of the semicircular openings (17, 23, 19, or 21). The lint roller cover C is then operated to be placed into the closed configuration as shown in FIG. 3. When the lint roller cover C is closed, a portion of the lint roller assembly is thus contained within at least one of the openings 51. When the lint roller cover C is fully closed, the latch 15 is engaged and the lint roller cover remains in its closed configuration until a user disengages the latch 15 to open the lint roller cover.

It is appreciated that the lint roller cover C of the current embodiment is generally intended to be used with the lint roller handle assembly B as shown herein. However, it is understood that the design of the lint roller cover C is intended to allow the cover to be used with the handle assemblies of other lint roller assemblies. In other words, because some lint rollers assemblies are purchased without any cover to protect the adhesive elements of the lint roller, the lint roller cover C can be obtained as a separate item that can be used as a cover for use with individually obtained lint rollers that do not come equipped with a cover and thus protect the adhesive element of that other type of lint roller. With this in mind, it is understood that the overall length and diameter of the lint roller cover C, as well as the size, configuration, and location of the opening 51, can be adjusted as needed to fit an alternative lint roller handle and still remain within the intended scope of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, it is preferred that the lint roller handle assembly B and the lint roller cover C be manufactured using a plastic injection molding process, however, any other manufacturing process may also be used as long as the configuration and function of the embodiment and the components of the embodiment are found in the end item lint roller device. For example, the preferred embodiments may also be made from either polypropylene, polyethylene, or engineering resins like nylon and acetal.

In FIGS. 5-6A it can be seen that the latch 15 of the present embodiment comprises a snap portion 31 on the first cover element 11 and a catch 33 on the second cover element 13. The snap 31 includes an extended tab 35 (FIG. 6) that generally protrudes from the outer surface of the first cover element 13. A locking element 37 (FIG. 6A) extends from the underside of the protrusion 35. The locking element includes a first engagement surface 39 and a second engagement surface 41 that is generally perpendicular to the first engagement surface. It is understood that the locking element and the first engagement surface 39 protrude inwardly into the inside of the lint roller cover C.

The catch element 33 has a first catch engagement surface 53 and a second catch engagement surface 43 that is generally perpendicular to the first catch engagement element 53. Adjacent to the second catch engagement surface 43 is a cutout 55. The purpose of the cutout 55 is to generally retain the locking element 37 into position within the cutout when the lint roller cover C is in a closed configuration. When the locking element 37 is retained within the cutout 55, the lint roller cover C is held in a closed configuration.

It is understood that when the lint roller cover C is in an open configuration and it is desired that the lint roller cover be reconfigured into a closed configuration, the first cover element 11 is rotated toward the second cover element 13 by pivoting at a hinge 25 (FIG. 4) until the locking element 37 (FIG. 6 and FIG. 6A) comes into sliding contact with the first catch engagement element 53. As the first cover element 11 is further moved to the lint roller cover C, the locking element 37 eventually slides past first catch engagement element 53 until the locking element 37 snaps into the cutout 55 thereby allowing the locking element to fit into the cutout. It is understood that when the locking element 37 is residing in the cutout 55, the second engagement surface 41 is in contact with the first catch engagement element 53, and the first engagement surface 39 is in contact with the second catch engagement surface 43. The contact between these elements, coupled with the resilient characteristic of the material used to manufacture the first cover element 11 and the second cover element 13 work to retain the snap portion 31 with the catch element 33.

It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present invention include making these embodiments in various sizes for various purposes. For example, if the covered lint roller assembly A is to be stored in small compartmentalized devices such as small purses, the overall dimensions of that particular embodiment would be small enough to allow the lint roller assembly to be stored in the small purse. In alternative embodiments where a larger lint roller assembly A would be needed to clean lint and debris from larger surface areas, the overall dimensions of the lint roller assembly would be larger. However, it is still understood that regardless of the overall size of the covered lint roller assembly A, the general proportions, arrangement of components, and function of the components is substantially the same and still within the scope of the present invention.

In the preceding description, numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, methods, in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that these specific details need not be employed, and should not be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In the development of any actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints. Such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but is nevertheless a routine undertaking of design, fabrication and manufacture for those of ordinary skill. The scope of the invention should be determined by any appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

Additionally, it will be seen in the above disclosure that several of the intended purposes of the invention are achieved, and other advantageous and useful results are attained. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above descriptions or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Terms such as “proximate,” “distal,” “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “outer,” “inwardly,” “outwardly,” “exterior,” “interior,” and the like when used herein refer to positions of the respective elements as they are shown in the accompanying drawings, and the disclosure is not necessarily limited to such positions. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context.

When introducing elements or features and the exemplary embodiments, the articles “a,” “an,” “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of such elements or features. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements or features other than those specifically noted. It is further to be understood that the method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “operatively connected,” “connected,” “coupled,” “engaged,” or “engageable” to and/or with another element, it can be directly connected, coupled, engaged, engageable to and/or with the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected,” “directly coupled,” “directly engaged,” or “directly engageable” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.).

Claims

1. A lint roller assembly comprising:

a lint roller having a lint roller handle; and

a lint roller cover.

2. The lint roller assembly of claim 1 wherein the lint roller handle includes a handle and a lint roller shaft that is disposed adjacent the lint roller handle in a location such that the longitudinal axis of the handle is in general co-axial alignment with the longitudinal axis of the lint roller shaft.

3. The lint roller assembly of claim 2 wherein the handle is generally cylindrical in shape and is sized and configured to fit within the hand of a user when the user grips the handle in preparation for use of the lint roller assembly to remove lint and unwanted debris from a contaminated surface.

4. The lint roller assembly of claim 3 wherein the lint roller handle includes a grip surface composed of a plurality of generally quadrilateral-shaped recesses that are positioned on a distal end of the handle to provide the user with a surface by which the user can generally control the lint roller assembly when in use.

5. The lint roller assembly of claim 4 wherein the lint roller handle includes a lint roller shaft located at a proximate end of the lint roller handle wherein the lint roller shaft is configured to retain a mounting roll of adhesive surfaces onto the lint roller retention portion.

6. The lint roller assembly of claim 5 wherein the lint roller retention portion incorporates a series of ribs running substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lint roller portion and wherein an outermost diameter established by the series of ribs is slightly smaller than a circular base on the proximate end of the lint roller retention portion.

7. The lint roller assembly of claim 6 wherein when the cover is in a closed configuration, the cover is generally in the form of a hollow cylinder having an end cap on each end of the hollow cylinder such that each end cap has a rounded edge where the end cap meets the hollow cylinder, and wherein each end cap has an opening located in about the center of the diameter of the end cap.

8. The lint roller assembly of claim 7 wherein each of the two openings exists as two semicircular openings located at each end of a first cover element and a second cover element of the cover.

9. The lint roller assembly of claim 8 wherein when the cover is placed in an open configuration and the lint roller retention portion is equipped with the mounting roll of adhesives, the lint roller retention portion of the lint roller handle can be placed into the cover such that a portion of the lint roller handle resides within one of the semicircular openings such that when the cover placed into the closed configuration, the portion of the lint roller handle is contained within at least one of the openings formed by a combination of two of the semicircular openings when the cover is closed.

10. The lint roller assembly of claim 9 wherein the cover is substantially retained within a closed configuration by a latch that comprises a snap portion disposed on the first cover element and a catch disposed on the second cover element.

11. The lint roller assembly of claim 10 wherein the snap includes an extended tab that generally protrudes from the outer surface of the first cover element, a locking element that extends from the underside of the first cover element, a first engagement surface that protrudes inwardly into the inside of the first cover element, and a second engagement surface perpendicular to the first engagement surface.

12. The lint roller assembly of claim 11 wherein the catch element has a first catch engagement surface, a second catch engagement surface generally perpendicular to the first catch engagement element, a second catch engagement surface, and a cutout that is adjacent to the second catch engagement surface wherein the cutout is sized and configured to generally retain the locking element into position within the cutout when the cover is in a closed configuration.

13. The lint roller assembly of claim 12 wherein the handle and the cover are manufactured using a plastic injection molding process.

14. A cover comprising:

a first cover element;

a second cover element;

a hinge element that operatively connects the first cover element to the second cover element such that when the cover is in a closed configuration the cover exists in the form of a hollow cylinder having an end cap on each end of the hollow cylinder such that each end cap has a rounded edge where the end cap meets the hollow cylinder, and wherein each end cap has an opening located in about the center of the diameter of the end cap;

an opening that occurs at each end of the cover when the cover is in the closed configuration, wherein when the cover is in an open configuration, the openings exists as two semicircular openings located at each end of a first cover element and a second cover element of the cover; and

a latch for substantially sustaining the cover in a closed configuration wherein the latch has a snap portion disposed on the first cover element and a catch disposed on the second cover element, wherein the snap includes an extended tab that generally protrudes from the outer surface of the first cover element, a locking element that extends from the underside of the first cover element, a first engagement surface that protrudes inwardly into the inside of the first cover element, and a second engagement surface perpendicular to the first engagement surface, and wherein the catch element has a first catch engagement surface, a second catch engagement surface generally perpendicular to the first catch engagement element, a second catch engagement surface, and a cutout that is adjacent to the second catch engagement surface wherein the cutout is sized and configured to generally retain the locking element into position within the cutout when the cover is in a closed configuration.

15. The cover of claim 14 wherein the opening is size and configuration to accept a portion of a lint roller handle so that the portion of the lint roller handle can reside within one of the semicircular openings such that when the cover is placed into the closed configuration, the portion of the lint roller handle is contained within the opening formed by a combination of two of the semicircular openings when the cover is closed.

16. The cover of claim 15 wherein the cover is manufactured from a plastic shaped by an injection molding process.