CLEANING GLOVE WITH REMOVABLE CLEANING PAD

Abstract

A waterproof glove body has a palm portion and multiple, spaced apart finger and thumb portions extending from the palm portion. A sheet of hook or loop tape is attached to the glove body so as to cover the palm portion and at least one of the finger portions. A cleaning pad of scouring and sponge material is removably attached to the sheet of hook or loop tape.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/484,485, filed on Apr. 12, 2017.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to waterproof cleaning gloves. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cleaning and scouring glove having sponge and abrasive material removably attached thereto for cleaning purposes.

Many of today's existing technologies of scrubbing brushes and similar cleaning devices have awkward shapes and limited flexibility. Bathtubs, tiles in bathrooms, sinks, and even dishes, for example, have hard to reach spaces and often awkward shapes. Existing scrub brushes tend to have the bristles set on a hard surface which makes the overall brush inflexible, therefore very hard if not impossible to bend and flex to reach the awkward shapes and clean hard to reach spaces.

All of these cleaning devices require the user to grip them independently with their hands. A shortcoming associated with this is that the device has a tendency of slipping or falling out of the user's hand when cleaning. Another shortcoming with this is that when a user grips on to this device to clean a surface, extra pressure is required on the part of the user to scrub and clean the surface because of the added force needed to hold on to this device while at the same time applying sufficient pressure to clean a surface.

It is not uncommon when cleaning a surface, such as dishes and silverware, that there is hard and encrusted material to be removed. Often times, the user is cleaning the dish or other article with a washcloth, sponge or the like. In such a case, such material is not abrasive and will not remove such hardened residue. Thus, often times the user will scratch or pick at the debris so as to remove it, such as picking at debris on a dish to remove it. The user's fingers are quite small and can apply a fair amount of pressure so as to dislodge and remove such debris, and the fingernail is of sufficient hardness so as to perform the job. However, what will often times happen is that the fingernail will become broken in the process, or the debris lodged between the finger and the fingernail, both of which are highly undesirable.

In order to protect their skin from the soap, and other drying and harsh chemicals, many individuals wear waterproof gloves, such as gloves made out of latex or rubber material. However, such material is not abrasive nor does it retain the soapy water which is required to remove dirt, debris and hardened material from the article to be washed. Other disadvantages of such gloves are that it can be difficult for the individual to insert the latex or rubber material over his or her hand as the latex or rubber material catches upon the skin of the user's hand. Also, during use, the user's hands will typically become sweaty within the gloves, causing discomfort. It is not uncommon for these typical dishwashing gloves to have a limited life span of only up to a few weeks of daily usage before they tear or otherwise wear out.

Gloves having abrasive material thereon are not in and of themselves new. However, such gloves also have limitations. One of the primary limitations is that the abrasive material does not retain the soapy water. Thus, the full cleaning and scrubbing action of the abrasive material is not realized as it is well known that the water and cleaning agent (soap) is often times necessary to properly clean the item and remove the hard residue.

Another problem with gloves having abrasive material thereon in a fixed manner is that the cleaning material can become laden and clogged with the material which the scrubbing glove has removed, rendering the glove useless. Moreover, the cleaning material can wear out, or become dislodged from the waterproof rubber glove before the waterproof glove material is compromised, but still rendering the cleaning glove inoperable and useless.

Accordingly, there is a continuing need for a waterproof glove which has a cleaning pad, including water-absorbing sponge material as well as a scouring material. There is also a continuing need for a waterproof glove having a cleaning pad removably attachable thereto so that the cleaning pad may be independently cleaned and replaced as needed while still retaining the waterproof glove itself. The cleaning glove should be easy to insert over one's hand and comfortable during use. The present invention fulfills these needs, and provides other related advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a waterproof cleaning glove. The cleaning glove generally comprises a waterproof glove body having a palm portion and multiple, spaced apart finger portions and a thumb portion extending from the palm portion so as to receive a hand of the user therein. A fabric liner may be disposed within the glove body. A sheet of hook or loop tape is attached to the glove body and has a peripheral edge substantially surrounding the palm portion of the glove body and a front surface of at least one of the finger portions of the glove body. A cleaning pad has a configuration substantially matching the sheet of hook or loop tape. The cleaning pad comprises a scouring material and a sponge material adjacent to one another and a layer of hook or loop tape so as to removably attach the cleaning pad to the sheet of hook or loop tape attached to the glove body.

A peripheral edge of the sheet of hook or loop tape may extend along the front surface of a plurality of the finger portions of the glove body, such as along the front surface of each of the finger portions of the glove body. The cleaning pad defines a palm portion and finger portions extending from the palm portion in spaced relation to one another so as to correspond to the configuration of the sheet of hook or loop tape attached to the glove body.

The sponge material is water and soap absorbent so as to retain water and soap therein and release the water and soap to the layer of scouring material upon application of pressure thereto. The sponge material may define a layer disposed between a layer of the scouring material and the layer of the hook or loop tape of the cleaning pad.

The scouring material may comprise unwoven synthetic fibers. The scouring material may comprise non-scratch material.

A second sheet of hook or loop tape may be attached to a front surface of the thumb portion of the glove body. A second cleaning pad has a layer of hook or loop tape for removably attaching the second cleaning pad to the second sheet of hook or loop tape on the thumb portion of the glove body. The second cleaning pad comprises scouring material and sponge material adjacent to one another. The sponge material of the second cleaning pad may define a layer disposed between the layer of hook or loop tape and a layer of scouring material of the second cleaning pad.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a cleaning glove embodying the present invention with cleaning pads attached thereto;

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view illustrating a waterproof glove body having a fabric insert and a sheet of hook or loop tape attached to a front surface thereof, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of cleaning pads used in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating attachment of the cleaning pads to corresponding sheets of hook and loop tape attached to the glove body, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 5-5 of FIG. 4, illustrating layers of a cleaning pad embodying the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 6-6 of FIG. 1, illustrating the removable connection of the cleaning pad to the glove body; and

FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of a brush for removing debris from a cleaning pad, in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in the accompanying drawings, for purposes of illustration, the present invention resides in a cleaning glove, generally referred to by the reference number 10. The cleaning glove 10 is generally comprised of a waterproof glove body 12 having one or more cleaning pads removably attached thereto. As illustrated, in a particularly preferred embodiment, there is a primary cleaning pad 14 and a secondary thumb cleaning pad 16 removably attachable to the glove body 12. The one or more cleaning pads 14 and 16 eliminate the need to use a waterproof glove, a scrubber, and a sponge separately to wash articles, such as dishes, household surfaces and the like.

With reference to FIG. 2, the cleaning glove 10 comprises a waterproof glove body 12, such as being comprised of rubber, latex or other similar materials typically used in association with dishwashing gloves and the like. Typically, the glove body 12 is comprised of a heavy-duty, high-quality latex glove that is meant to last a typical user several months with every day usage.

With reference again to FIG. 2, the glove body 12 in a particularly preferred embodiment, has an inner liner 18, such as being cotton or other fabric material lined so as to provide comfort to the user, as well as provide insulation and reduce the user's hand from sweating within the glove body 12. As illustrated, the glove body 12 may also include a cuff 20 having a loop 22 extending therefrom, such as by being attached by means of sewing or the like. The loop 22 can be used for hanging and drying purposes when the glove body 12 is not in use.

With continuing reference to FIG. 2, the glove body 12 includes a front surface and a back surface. The front surface, as illustrated in FIG. 2, includes a palm area 24 and typically a plurality, such as four, finger stalls or finger portions 26 extending therefrom into which the user inserts his or her fingers. Typically, the glove body 12 also includes a thumb stall or portion 28. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the glove body 12, palm area 24, finger and thumb portions 26 and 28 are formed as a unitary structure comprised of the latex or like material. The fabric liner 18 has a configuration substantially matching the inner surface of the glove body 12, and as such, as illustrated by the dashed lines in FIG. 2, also includes finger and thumb portions which extend into the finger and thumb portions 26 and 28 of the glove body.

As shown in FIG. 2, a connector in the form of a sheet of hook or loop tape material 30 is attached to a front surface of the glove body 12 to facilitate removable attachment of the cleaning pad 14 to the glove body 12. The sheet 30 of hook or loop tape material is permanently attached to the glove body 12, such as by an appropriate bonding agent or adhesive. The surface of the sheet of hook or loop tape which is adhered or otherwise bonded onto the front surface of the glove body 12 is generally flat and smooth. However, the exposed and outer surface has the hook or loop characteristics so as to detachably receive a corresponding piece of hook or loop tape thereto, as is known in the art.

With continuing reference to FIG. 2, the sheet of hook or loop tape 30 has an outer peripheral edge 32 which defines its configuration such that it has a palm portion 34 which substantially extends across and surrounds the palm portion 24 of the glove body 12. The peripheral edge 32 also defines at least one finger portion 36 which is configured to extend across substantially a length of a front surface of a finger portion 26 of the glove body 12. Typically, the sheet of hook or loop tape material 30 defines a plurality of spaced-apart finger portions, preferably a finger portion 36 corresponding with each finger portion or stall 26 of the glove body 12 so as to extend substantially along a front surface thereof when attached to the glove body 12, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Similarly, a separate second sheet of hook or loop tape material 38 may be bonded or otherwise attached to a front surface of the thumb stall or portion 28 of the glove body 12 so as to removably receive the cleaning pad 16 thereto.

The sheets 30 and 38 of hook or loop tape material should have the characteristics of securely attaching to a corresponding hook or loop tape layer of the cleaning pads 14 and 16 such that the cleaning pads 14 and 16 are securely held in place in use. However, the sheets 30 and 38 of hook and loop tape material should be as thin as possible in order to retain flexibility of the glove body 12. As such, the invention preferably uses what is referred to as mini or micro, or even ultra-micro hook and loop tape material which is much thinner than traditional Velcro™ or hook and loop tape material but still provides adequate removable attachment characteristics while being flexible.

With reference now to FIG. 3, exploded perspective views of the cleaning pads 14 and 16 used in accordance with the present invention are shown. A lowermost layer comprises a layer of hook or loop tape 40 having either the hook or the loop material so as to be removably attached to the corresponding hook or loop material of sheet 30 on the front of the glove body 12. The layer of hook or loop tape material 40 of the cleaning pad 14 has a configuration substantially matching that of the configuration of the sheet of hook or loop tape material 30 attached to the glove body 12. Typically, the entire cleaning pad 14 has a configuration substantially matching the sheet of hook or loop tape material 30. As such, the cleaning pad 14 defines a palm portion 42 and at least one, and typically a plurality, such as four, finger portions 44 extending therefrom so that the cleaning pad 14 substantially overlies the sheet of hook or loop material 30 bonded to the glove body 12 and substantially covering the palm portion 24 and finger stalls or finger portions 26 of the glove body and the sheet of hook or loop tape 30. In this manner, the resulting cleaning glove 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1, will have the disposable cleaning pad 14 extending from approximately a base of a palm area 24 of the glove body 12 to substantially along a length of the finger portions 26 towards a tip thereof, which will enable a large coverage area as well as selective finger portion uses for cleaning large surfaces to be cleaned as well as reaching into indentations, small crevices and other areas which are not readily accessible by the entire hand or large scrubbers, sponges, or the like.

With continuing reference to FIG. 3, the cleaning pad 14 also has a sponge material 46 and a scouring material 48 which are disposed adjacent to one another. In a particularly preferred embodiment, as illustrated, the sponge material 46 is disposed intermediate the layer of hook or loop tape 40 and the scouring material 48. The hook or loop material layer 40, sponge layer 46, and scouring material layer 48 typically have a similar configuration which matches that of the hook or loop sheet 30 disposed on the glove body 12, which typically is in the form and shape of a palm portion having finger portions extending therefrom, as illustrated. A generally smooth surface of the hook or loop layer 40 and the layer of scouring material 48 are each bonded, such as by adhesive or the like, to generally opposite sides of the sponge layer 46. It will be understood that different configurations could be provided so long as the sponge material 46 and scouring material 48 are disposed adjacent to one another to provide the benefits thereof. Having the scouring material 48 on the outermost surface, however, has advantages in that the scouring material 48 is readily available for scouring and scrubbing material off of dishes or other objects to be cleaned and also provides a degree of protection to the sponge material 46 which would tend to rip or otherwise wear out at a faster rate than the scouring material 48.

The sponge material 46 is comprised of a material which is capable of retaining soap and/or water, typically a soapy water mixture, and releasing at least a portion of the soapy water mixture upon application of pressure thereto. For example, the sponge material 46 may be comprised of an open-cell sponge material or the like similar to cleaning sponges used in the kitchen. The sponge material 46, particularly when used as an intermediate layer for the cleaning pad 14 maintains flexibility of the cleaning pad 14 which is important as the user must be able to open and close his or her hand in order to grab and hold objects which are to be cleaned. Furthermore, the sponge material 46 retains moisture for the continuous generation of soap suds when cleaning, which are transferred to and through the scouring layer 48 and to the article to be cleaned.

The scouring pad 48 is comprised of a material which can be used to scrub or scour a surface and facilitate the removal of hardened dirt and debris therefrom. The scouring material 48 typically comprises sparse unwoven synthetic fibers, such as cellulose, nylon, or spun polypropylene fiber. The base polymers are generally soft and may have non-scratch characteristics so as to prevent scratching of dishes and other sensitive surfaces. However, the scouring material 48 may include variations of hardening and abrasive materials, such as alumina titanium dioxide, resins and the like to enhance its abrasive powers. The cleaning pad 14 may thus have a generally non-scratch scouring pad material, a normal use somewhat abrasive material, or be heavy-duty so as to provide enhanced scrubbing and scouring properties. The scouring material 48 may be comprised of a non-woven reticulated (fibrous) polyester foam material, such as that commonly known as Scotch-Brite™, which functions well in scrubbing and scouring caked-on grime and grit, owing to its generally course open-cell texture (75%-90% interstitial void areas, variable by manufacturing process). Thus, for example, the scouring pad may be a non-scratch (white), normal (green) or heavy-duty (black) scouring pad or material as part of the cleaning pad, depending upon the needs of the user. Of course, other similar scrubbing and scouring abrasive materials may be incorporated into the invention.

Preferably, however, the scouring material 48 permits soap and water to pass from the sponge material therethrough either to or from the sponge material 46. As the scouring material 48 does not retain water and is less flexible than the sponge material 46, as mentioned above it has been found advantageous to attach the scouring material 48 to an intermediate sponge layer 46. The scouring material 48 typically comes into direct contact with the object or surface to be cleaned, and is useful for cleaning many types of surfaces around the house, including dishes, pots, pans, silverware, countertops, cabinets, stoves, etc.

A secondary thumb cleaning pad 16, as mentioned above, may also be used. It has layers of hook or loop tape 40 and sponge material 46 and scouring material 48, as mentioned above. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the sponge material 46 may be disposed as an intermediate layer between the hook or loop layer 40 and scouring material layer 48. These layers are bonded together to form a single cleaning pad 16. The cleaning pad 16 generally has an oval configuration so as to match the thumb hook or loop tape sheet 38 and the front surface area of the thumb portion or stall 28 of the glove body 12, as illustrated. Having a separate thumb cleaning pad 16 increases the flexibility or dexterity of the user when using the cleaning glove 10 as the user's thumb is more easily able to be bent and articulated by having the cleaning pads 14 and 16 separate and spaced apart from one another. This also provides a space 50 between the cleaning pads which the user can place and hold objects, such as a rim of a plate, dish or the like in order to securely hold it while cleaning that dish, plate, or other article. The user may also determine whether or not to utilize the thumb cleaning secondary cleaning pad 16, taking in account factors such as better grasping ability of objects and the like.

With reference now to FIGS. 4-6, the user is provided with a glove body 12 having the sheets 30 and 38 of hook or loop tape affixed thereto. The cleaning pads 14 and/or 16 are removably detachable from the hook or loop tape sheets 30 and 38, as described above. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of area 5-5 of FIG. 4 through a finger portion 44 of the cleaning pad 14 and shows the hook or loop tape layer 40, intermediate sponge layer 46 and outer layer of scouring material 48. When the hook or loop layer 40 is brought into contact with the hook or loop sheet 30, the hook and loop fibers of the respective sheets 30 and 40 releasably interconnect and grasp one another so as to retain the cleaning pad 14 onto the body glove 12, and more particularly the hook or loop sheet 30 bonded thereto. This will occur over the entire interface between the sheet 30 of the hook or loop tape material and the hook or loop layer 40 of the cleaning pad 14. Similarly, the same interconnection will occur with the secondary thumb cleaning pad 16 to the secondary sheet of hook or loop tape 38 on the front of the thumb portion or stall 28 of the glove body 12 when the thumb cleaning pad 16 is attached thereto.

The user may then clean dishes, household surfaces, etc. as needed. A sufficiently tight and secure grip is held between the cleaning pads 14 and 16 and the sheets of hook or loop tape material 30 and 38 to retain the cleaning pads 14 and 16 on the glove body 12. However, after the cleaning job is finished, the user may remove the cleaning pads 14 and 16 by forcibly peeling away the cleaning pad 14 or 16 from its corresponding sheet of hook or loop material 38, as is well known. This enables the cleaning pads 14 and 16 to be separately washed and cleaned or rinsed, and then to dry. A separate mini-Velcro™ sticker that directly sticks to the cleaning pad on another surface, such as a kitchen wall, cabinet, etc. may be provided when not in use for storage purposes.

It is anticipated that with normal use each detachable cleaning pad 14 and/or 16 may last as few as a single application and use, but more typically one or two weeks of daily use. At that point, it is possible that the scouring material layer 48 may be filled with fibers, grit or the like which are difficult to remove. Thus, the invention contemplates the use of a brush 52, such as that illustrated in FIG. 7, which has a handle 54 and bristles 56 which can be raked through the scouring material 48 to remove such embedded fibers, grit and the like in order to prolong the useful life of the cleaning pad 14 and/or 16. The brush 52 may be comprised of a plastic material having metal bristles 56. At some point, however, even with the use of the brush 52, the cleaning pads 14 and/or 16 will rip, wear out, or become laden with embedded fibers, grit, etc. This will typically occur within a few weeks or less. As mentioned above, the glove body 12 is of a heavy-duty type of material or thickness and meant for many months, such as six to eight months, of regular use. An advantage of the present invention is that instead of having to replace the entire cleaning glove 10, only the cleaning pad 14 and/or 16 needs to be replaced, which can provide a cost savings to the end user.

Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cleaning glove, comprising:

a waterproof glove body having a palm portion and multiple, spaced apart finger portions and a thumb portion extending from the palm portion so as to receive a hand of a user therein;

a sheet of hook or loop tape attached to the glove body and having a peripheral edge substantially surrounding the palm portion of the glove body and a front surface of at least one of the finger portions of the glove body;

a cleaning pad comprising a scouring material and a sponge material adjacent to one another and a layer of hook or loop tape having a configuration substantially matching the sheet of hook or loop tape so as to removably attach the cleaning pad to the sheet of hook or loop tape attached to the glove body.

2. The cleaning glove of claim 1, wherein the sponge material defines a layer disposed between a layer of the scouring material and the layer of the hook or loop tape.

3. The cleaning glove of claim 2, wherein the sponge material is water and soap absorbent so as to retain water and soap therein and release the water and soap to the layer of scouring material upon application of pressure thereto.

4. The cleaning glove of claim 1, wherein the scouring material comprises unwoven synthetic fibers.

5. The cleaning glove of claim 1, wherein the scouring material comprises non-scratch or a heavy-duty scouring material.

6. The cleaning glove of claim 1, wherein the peripheral edge of the sheet of hook or loop tape extends along the front surface of a plurality of the finger portions of the glove body.

7. The cleaning glove of claim 6, wherein the sheet of hook or loop tape extends substantially across the palm portion and the front surface of each of the finger portions of the glove body.

8. The cleaning glove of claim 7, wherein the cleaning pad defines a palm portion and finger portions extending from the palm portion in spaced relation to one another so as to correspond to the configuration of the sheet of hook or loop tape.

9. The cleaning glove of claim 1, including a second sheet of hook or loop tape attached to a front surface the thumb portion of the glove body and a second cleaning pad having a layer of hook or loop tape for removably attaching the second cleaning pad to the second sheet of hook or loop tape on the thumb portion of the glove body.

10. The cleaning glove of claim 9, wherein the second cleaning pad comprises scouring material and sponge material adjacent one another.

11. The cleaning glove of claim 10, wherein the sponge material of the second cleaning pad defines a layer disposed between the layer of hook and loop tape and a layer of the scouring material of the second cleaning pad.

12. The cleaning glove of claim 1, including a fabric liner disposed within the glove body.

13. A cleaning glove, comprising:

a waterproof glove body having a palm portion and multiple, spaced apart finger portions and a thumb portion extending from the palm portion so as to receive a hand of a user therein;

a sheet of hook or loop tape attached to the glove body and having a peripheral edge substantially surrounding the palm portion of the glove body and a front surface of a plurality of the finger portions of the glove body;

a cleaning pad defining a palm portion and finger portions extending from the palm portion in spaced relation to one another so as to have a configuration substantially matching the sheet of hook or loop tape, the cleaning pad comprising a scouring material and a sponge material adjacent to one another and a layer of hook or loop tape so as to removably attach the cleaning pad to the sheet of hook or loop tape attached to the glove body.

14. The cleaning glove of claim 13, wherein the sponge material defines a layer disposed between a layer of the scouring material and the layer of the hook or loop tape.

15. The cleaning glove of claim 14, wherein the sponge material is water and soap absorbent so as to retain water and soap therein and release the water and soap to the layer of scouring material upon application of pressure thereto.

16. The cleaning glove of claim 13, wherein the scouring material comprises unwoven synthetic fibers.

17. The cleaning glove of claim 16, wherein the scouring material comprises non-scratch or heavy-duty scouring material.

18. The cleaning glove of claim 13, wherein the sheet of hook or loop tape extends substantially across the palm portion and the front surface of each of the finger portions of the glove body.

19. The cleaning glove of claim 13, including a second sheet of hook or loop tape attached to a front surface the thumb portion of the glove body and a second cleaning pad having a layer of hook or loop tape for removably attaching the second cleaning pad to the second sheet of hook or loop tape on the thumb portion of the glove body.

20. The cleaning glove of claim 19, wherein the second cleaning pad comprises scouring material and sponge material adjacent one another.

21. The cleaning glove of claim 20, wherein the sponge material of the second cleaning pad defines a layer disposed between the layer of hook and loop tape and a layer of the scouring material of the second cleaning pad.

22. The cleaning glove of claim 13, including a fabric liner disposed within the glove body.