Cleaning tool with removable cleaning sheets

• US 20040031119A1
• Filed: 08/09/2003
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapid Brands Corp.
• Original Assignee: Rapid Brands Corp.
• Inventors: McKay, William D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,350,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/227
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/18 Gloves; Glove-like cloths
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/20 Mops
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/24 Frames for mops; Mop heads handles B25G
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/25 Wire frames
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/256 for mops made of cloth
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/29 having movable or detachable polishing or shining cloths
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/46 Securing scouring or polishing cloths or sponges to the handles by gripping means, tongs, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 25/005 using adhesive or tacky surfaces to remove dirt, e.g. lint removers

Abstract

A refill is designed for use with a cleaning tool, such as a mop or a cleaning mitt. The refill includes a mopping sheet, formed from a water absorbing material, and a dusting sheet. In one example, the dusting sheet is removed from the refill after dusting a surface to expose the mopping sheet. A single refill allows a surface to be dusted and then mopped using the same cleaning tool.

Claims

21. A cleaning refill, comprising:

a mopping sheet having a first side and a second side, the mopping sheet being formed from a non-woven web of water absorbing material;

a backing sheet attached to the second side of the mopping sheet; and

a dusting sheet, removably attached to the first side of the mopping sheet,

wherein the dusting sheet can be detached from the mopping sheet so as to expose a mopping area of the mopping sheet,

whereby the cleaning refill can be used to dust a surface using the dusting sheet, the dusting sheet then being removed and the cleaning refill subsequently used to mop the surface using the mopping area of the mopping sheet after the dusting sheet has been detached from the cleaning refill.

22. The cleaning refill of claim 21, wherein the dusting sheet includes a non-woven web of material, the dusting sheet being substantially non-water-absorbent.

23. The cleaning refill of claim 21, wherein the dusting sheet is removable from the mopping sheet by pulling on a tab extending from an edge of the dusting sheet.

24. The cleaning refill of claim 21, wherein the backing sheet is a water impermeable sheet.

25. The cleaning refill of claim 21, wherein the water impermeable sheet has a periphery having a generally rectangular shape, the water impermeable sheet being attached to the mopping sheet around the periphery of the water impermeable sheet so as to form a pocket, wherein a water absorbent layer is disposed within the pocket between the second surface of the mopping sheet and the water impermeable sheet.

26. The cleaning refill of claim 21, wherein the dusting sheet has a generally rectangular shape, and is attached to the mopping sheet along a pair of opposed edges.

27. The cleaning refill of claim 21, wherein the dusting sheet is rectangular and the approximate shape and dimensions of a mop head of the type designed to accept a mop refill, the cleaning sheet being useful as a mop refill.

28. The cleaning refill of claim 26, wherein the mopping sheet has tabs extending outwards, the tabs being grippable by a mop head so as to secure the cleaning sheet to a mop head.

29. A cleaning refill, comprising:

a mopping sheet, having a first side and a second side, the mopping sheet being water absorbent;

a dusting sheet, removably attached to the first surface of the mopping sheet, the dusting sheet being substantially rectangular and having a tab, the dusting sheet being removable from the mopping sheet by pulling on the tab;

a water absorbing layer, in contact with the second side of the mopping sheet; and

a backing sheet attached to the second side of the mopping sheet around the periphery of the backing sheet, so as to locate the water absorbing layer between the backing sheet and the mopping sheet.

30. The cleaning refill of claim 29, wherein the dusting sheet, the water absorbent sheet, and the backing sheet are each substantially rectangular, the edges of each substantially rectangular sheet being substantially parallel, the mopping sheet further having portions extending outwards so as to allow the cleaning sheet to be secured to a cleaning tool by gripping the portions of the mopping sheet.

31. The cleaning sheet of claim 29, wherein the backing sheet is a water impermeable sheet.

32. A refill for a mop of the type having a mop head, the mop head having grips for retaining the refill on the mop head, the refill comprising:

a mopping sheet, having a first side and a second side, the first side of the mopping sheet having a mopping area, the mopping sheet being water absorbent;

a dusting sheet attached to the first side of the mopping sheet, the dusting sheet being detachable from refill so as to reveal the mopping area of the mopping sheet, the dusting sheet including a non-woven web of hydrophobic polymer; and

a backing sheet attached to the second side of the mopping sheet, the backing sheet being water impermeable,

wherein the refill is securable to the mop head using the grips so as to expose the dusting sheet, the mop then operable to dust a surface using the dusting sheet,

the dusting sheet then being removable from the refill without removing the refill from the mop head,

the mop further being operable to mop a surface using the mopping area of the mopping sheet after the dusting sheet has been removed from the refill.

33. The refill of claim 32, wherein the dusting sheet is substantially rectangular, the backing sheet is substantially rectangular and approximately in register with the backing sheet, and the mopping sheet has a plurality of tabs being configured to be secured by the grips on the mop head.

34. The refill of claim 32, wherein the cleaning sheet further includes a water absorbing layer in contact with a portion of the second side of the mopping sheet, the water absorbing layer being located between the backing sheet and the mopping sheet.

35. The refill of claim 32, wherein the mopping sheet is a non-woven web of water-absorbing material.

36. The refill of claim 32, wherein the dusting sheet is a non-woven web of polyester microfibers, and further includes a scrim layer in the form of a mesh to enhance the mechanical strength of the dusting sheet.

37. A refill for a mop of the type having a mop head, the mop head having securing mechanism for securing the refill to the mop head, the refill comprising:

a dusting sheet, the dusting sheet being exposed when the refill is retained by the mop head; and

a mopping sheet, wherein the mopping sheet is disposed behind the dusting sheet when the refill is retained by the mop head, the dusting sheet being detachable from the refill so as to expose a portion of the mopping sheet,

wherein the dusting sheet is operative to remove dust from a surface using an electrostatic interaction,

and wherein the mopping sheet is a water absorbent sheet.

38. The refill of claim 37, further including a water absorbent layer, disposed behind the mopping sheet when the refill is secured by the mop head, and a backing layer.

39. The refill of claim 38, wherein the backing layer is a water impermeable layer.

40. The refill of claim 37, wherein the mopping sheet includes a plurality of tabs, the tabs being grippable by the securing mechanism of the mop head so as to secure the refill to the mop head.

41. The refill of claim 37, wherein the mop head and the mopping sheet have corresponding hook and loop fastening material for securing the refill to the mop head.

42-1. The method of claim 42, wherein dust is removed from the surface by an electrostatic interaction with the dusting sheet.

48. A method of cleaning a surface, the method comprising

providing a cleaning tool;

providing a cleaning refill, the cleaning refill including a dusting sheet and a mopping sheet, the mopping sheet having a mopping area;

securing the cleaning refill to the cleaning tool, so as to expose the dusting sheet;

dusting the surface with the dusting sheet so as to remove dust from the surface, both the surface and the dusting sheet being substantially dry during dusting;

at least partially detaching the dusting sheet from the cleaning refill without removing the cleaning refill from the cleaning tool, so as to expose the mopping area of the mopping sheet; and

wiping the surface with the mopping area of the mopping sheet, the surface or the mopping sheet being moist.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the dusting sheet includes a tab, wherein the dusting sheet is removed from the cleaning sheet by pulling on the tab.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the cleaning tool is a mop having a mop head, the cleaning sheet being secured to the cleaning tool by securing the cleaning sheet to the mop head.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein cleaning sheet is secured to the mop head using grippers on the mop head.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the grippers on the mop head are operable to grip portions of the mopping sheet, so as to secure the cleaning sheet to the mop head.

53. The method of claim 48, wherein the mopping sheet is pre-moistened.

54. The method of claim 48, wherein the cleaning tool is a cleaning mitt, the cleaning mitt accepting a hand of a user.

55. A cleaning mitt, comprising:

a hand receiving part, having an outer surface and an interior cavity into which at least part of a hand of a person can be placed; and

a cleaning refill, removably attached to the outer surface of the hand receiving part, wherein the cleaning refill includes;

a mopping sheet, having a first side and a second side, the second side facing the outer surface of the hand receiving part, the mopping sheet being water absorbent, and

a dusting sheet, attached to the first side of the mopping sheet so as to be initially exposed when the cleaning refill is attached to the hand receiving part, the dusting sheet including a substantial proportion of hydrophobic material,

wherein the dusting sheet is removable from the cleaning sheet so as to expose an exposed portion of the first side of the mopping sheet,

whereby the person can dust a surface using the dusting sheet, remove the dusting sheet, mop the surface using the exposed portion of the mopping sheet, and can then remove the remainder of the cleaning refill from the mitt.

56. The cleaning mitt of claim 55, further comprising a water impermeable sheet between the mopping sheet and the outer surface of the hand receiving part.

57. The cleaning mitt of claim 55, further comprising a water absorbing layer between the mopping sheet and the outer surface of the hand receiving part.

58. A mop, comprising:

a handle,

a mop head connected to one end of the handle, the mop head having a cleaning surface, the handle being supportable by a person so as bring the cleaning surface of the mop head proximate to a surface to be cleaned;

a mop refill, supported by the mop head;

wherein the mop refill includes a cleaning refill, the cleaning refill covering at least part of the cleaning surface,

wherein the cleaning sheet includes a dusting layer and a mopping layer, the dusting layer being exposed when the mop refill is supported by the mop head, the dusting layer further being removable from the cleaning sheet without removing the cleaning sheet from the mop head, at least part of the mopping layer being exposed when the dusting layer is removed,

and wherein the mopping layer is water absorbent, and the dusting layer is operative to remove dust from the surface using an electrostatic interaction.

59. A refill for a mop of the type having a mop head, the mop head having securing mechanism for securing the refill to the mop head, the refill comprising:

a plurality of dusting sheets, wherein each dusting sheet includes a non-woven web of hydrophobic material; and

a plurality of mopping sheets, wherein each mopping sheet is water absorbent sheet;

the dusting sheets and mopping sheets alternating within a stack of sheets within the refill, so as to allow alternating dusting and mopping of a surface.

60. A refill for a mop of the type having a mop head, the mop head having securing mechanism for securing the refill to the mop head, the refill comprising:

a first sheet, the first sheet being exposed when the refill is retained by the mop head; and

a second sheet, wherein the second sheet is disposed behind the first sheet when the refill is retained by the mop head, the refill being secured to the mop head by gripping portions of the second sheet; and

wherein the first sheet is detachable from the refill after the refill is secured to the mop head so as to expose a portion of the second sheet.

63. The refill of claim 60, wherein the first sheet is substantially rectangular, and has a tab by which the first sheet can be detached from the refill, and the second sheet has a cut out substantially in register with the tab.

64. The refill of claim 63, further comprising a backing sheet, the backing sheet being a water impermeable sheet.

61. The refill of 60, wherein the first sheet is substantially rectangular, and further has at least one tab by which the first sheet can be detached from the refill.

62. The refill of 60, wherein the second sheet is substantially rectangular, and further has at least one cut out, wherein a person can grasp a portion of the first sheet in register with the cut out so as to remove the first sheet.