CLEANING IMPLEMENT

• US 20070220693A1
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Charles A. Curtiss, David Mallard, Jason C. Billig, Stuart M. Leslie
• Original Assignee: Charles A. Curtiss, David Mallard, Jason C. Billig, Stuart M. Leslie
• Inventors: Mallard, David, Leslie, Stuart M., Curtiss, Charles A., Billig, Jason C.
• Application Number:
  US11/689,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20070220693A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/104.940
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 1/08 with provision for supplying liquids, e.g. cleaning agents A47L1/095, A47L1/13, A47L1/15 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/12 Implements with several different treating devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/22 with liquid-feeding devices

Abstract

A cleaning implement is disclosed that provides multiple functions useful in cleaning windows and similar surfaces. There is a support head that has three sides, one being a cleaning liquid applicator side and two presenting an absorbent sheet. The liquid applicator side can apply a cleaning liquid to a surface to be cleaned and optionally can provide scrubbing to the surface. The sheet can perform rough drying followed by finish drying, and/or other functions. Replacement liquid applicator cartridges and replacement sheets, or stacks of sheets, are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A cleaning implement for cleaning a surface, comprising:

a handle;

a support head mounted on the handle for rotation, the support head having at least two sides that can be selectively positioned adjacent the surface;

an absorbent sheet removably covering at least one of the sides of the support head; and

a substrate forming one of said sides of said support head and being impregnated with a cleaning fluid and also being removably mountable to the support head, the substrate being suitable to deliver cleaning fluid to the surface.

2. The cleaning implement of claim 1, wherein the support head has at least three sides that can be selectively positioned adjacent the surface.

3. The cleaning implement of claim 2, wherein the absorbent sheet removably covers two of the sides of the support head.

4. The cleaning implement of claim 3, wherein the absorbent sheet is part of a stack of such absorbent sheets, the stack being removably mounted to the support head along two of the sides such that a first sheet of the stack can be tom off from the stack after use to expose a second sheet of the stack.

5. The cleaning implement of claim 4, wherein the first sheet of the stack has weakenings to facilitate tearing off the first sheet from the stack.

6. The cleaning implement of claim 4, wherein at least one absorbent sheet of the stack comprises an outer absorbent layer linked to an inner barrier layer.

7. The cleaning implement of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a fibrous material selected from the group consisting of polyester fiber, polypropylene fiber, cellulose acetate fiber, and bonded polyolefin fiber, and the substrate is impregnated with a cleaning fluid.

8. The cleaning implement of claim 1, wherein the substrate can be removed from a remainder of the support head independently of removal of the absorbent sheet from that remainder of the support head.

9. The cleaning implement of claim 1, further comprising a removable cover suitable to cover the substrate prior to use, and the support head is essentially triangular in cross section.

10. The cleaning implement of claim 1, wherein the support head is capable of freely rotating along its longitudinal axis, but not for a complete 360 degrees of rotation.

11. The cleaning implement of claim 1, wherein the absorbent sheet has at least one slot adjacent an end of the sheet that can hook onto a projection of the support head.

12. The cleaning implement of claim 1, wherein a side of the support head is pivotably hinged to another side of the support head to facilitate mounting of the absorbent sheet.

13. The cleaning implement of claim 1, wherein the substrate is mounted to a cartridge housing, and the cartridge housing is mounted to the support head.

14. The cleaning implement of claim 1, wherein a cartridge housing houses a plurality of separated porous material that are impregnated with cleaning fluid.

15. A refill cartridge for a cleaning implement, the cleaning implement being of a type suitable to clean a hard surface, the cartridge comprising:

a cartridge housing; and

a porous substrate mounted to the housing, wherein the substrate is impregnated with a cleaning liquid and the substrate is suitable to deliver the cleaning fluid to the surface.

16. The refill cartridge of claim 15, wherein the substrate comprises a fibrous material is selected from the group consisting of polyester fiber, polypropylene fiber, cellulose acetate fiber, and bonded polyolefin fiber, and the substrate is impregnated with a window cleaner.

17. The refill cartridge of claim 15, wherein the substrate comprises an applicator portion and a reservoir portion.

18. The refill cartridge of claim 17, wherein the reservoir portion is positioned in at least two separated wells, the two separated wells each holding a separate piece of a porous absorbent material impregnated with a cleaning liquid.

19. The refill cartridge of claim 17, wherein the applicator portion is divided into segments.

20. The refill cartridge of claim 15, wherein the substrate is sized so as to avoid gravity alone causing the cleaning liquid to drool out of the substrate.