Cleaning tool

• US 5,715,559 A
• Filed: 08/09/1996
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: George Mitri
• Original Assignee: George Mitri
• Inventors: Mitri, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/694,946
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 15/208, 15/209.1, 15/210.1, 15/223-226, 15/244.1, 15/118, 604/1
• US Class Current: 15/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/38 Swabs having a stick-type handle, e.g. cotton tips ear cleaners other than cotton tips A61F11/006; swabs containing a liquid, e.g. in a rupturable reservoir, A61M35/006
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/41 Cleaning of heads of record carriers G11B23/50

Abstract

A cleaning tool has a stick or rod supporting a length of rope twisted material wound in a spiral pattern. A first embodiment includes a rope twisted spiral of material applied directly to a stick. In a second embodiment, the rope twisted spiral is applied over a wound layer of material wound in the standard manner and at right angles to the axis of the stick. This embodiment is in effect a padded spiral with the rope twisted material being padded underneath and cushioned by the standard material winding. In a third embodiment, a tightly spaced length of rope-wound material is attached to a stick. In a fourth embodiment, the tightly spaced length of rope-wound material is spiral cut to provide custom shaping to the ridges of the spiral shape. In a fifth embodiment, an extruded length of material with a 30° angle is wrapped onto a rod. In a sixth embodiment, the cleaning surface and the rod are integrally formed. In a seventh embodiment, a length of cut sponge is applied to the rod. In an eighth embodiment, a conically shaped under layer of wound cotton supports an over layer of rope cotton having constant cross section. In a ninth embodiment, an integrated structure has an overall sharply taperted shape but with a constant angled spiral ridge outer surface.

Claims

1. A cleaning tool comprising:

an elongate rod having a first end and a second end;

a length of rope twisted material wrapped about said elongate rod near said first end.

2. The cleaning tool of claim 1 wherein said length of rope twisted material is made of cotton.

3. The cleaning tool of claim 1 wherein said length of rope twisted material forms a tight spiral and where adjacent lengths of said rope twisted material abut each other.

4. The cleaning tool of claim 3 wherein a spiral, rounded groove is cut along the spiral line of abutment of said adjacent lengths of said rope twisted material.

5. The cleaning tool of claim 4 wherein said length of rope twisted material has a first end and a second end and said length of rope twisted material has a first diameter near said first end of said length of rope twisted material and a second diameter near said second end of said length of rope twisted material larger than said first diameter, measured irrespective of said spiral groove.

6. The cleaning tool of claim 5 wherein said first end of said length of rope twisted material lies nearer said first end of said rod than said second end of said length of rope twisted material.

7. The cleaning tool of claim 1 wherein said length of rope twisted material forms a spiral interstitial space between adjacent lengths of said rope twisted material.

8. The cleaning tool of claim 1 wherein said length of rope twisted material has a first end and a second end and said length of rope twisted material has a first diameter near said first end of said length of rope twisted material and a second diameter near said second end of said length of rope twisted material larger than said first diameter.

9. The cleaning tool of claim 8 wherein said first end of said length of rope twisted material lies nearer said first end of said rod than said second end of said length of rope twisted material.

10. The cleaning tool of claim 1 wherein said length of rope twisted material is a first length of rope twisted material and further comprising a second length of rope twisted material wrapped about said elongate rod near said second end.

11. The cleaning tool of claim 1 and further comprising an under layer of material wrapped around said rod at right angles to a main axis of said rod and wherein said length of rope twisted material is wrapped about said elongate rod over said under layer of material.

12. The cleaning tool of claim 11 wherein said length of rope twisted material forms a loose spiral wherein portions of said underlayer between adjacent lengths of said rope twisted material is externally exposed.

13. The cleaning tool of claim 11 wherein said length of rope twisted material has a first end and a second end and said length of rope twisted material has a first diameter near said first end of said length of rope twisted material and a second diameter near said second end of said length of rope twisted material larger than said first diameter.

14. The cleaning tool of claim 13 wherein said first end of said length of rope twisted material lies nearer said first end of said rod than said second end of said length of rope twisted material.

15. A cleaning tool comprising:

an elongate rod having a first end and a second end;

a length of material tapered in two dimensions spirally wrapped about said elongate rod near said first end.

16. The cleaning tool of claim 15 wherein said length of tapered material has a triangular cross sectional area.

17. The cleaning tool of claim 16 wherein said length of tapered material'"'"'s triangular cross sectional area has a pair of equal length side surfaces and a base surface.

18. The cleaning tool of claim 16 wherein said length of tapered material has an circumferentially outermost edge having an angle of about 30°

.

19. The cleaning tool of claim 15 wherein said length of tapered material is made of sponge.

20. The cleaning tool of claim 15 wherein said length of tapered material has a first end and a second end of greater cross sectional area than said first end of said length of said tapered material and said first end of said tapered material is located nearer said first end of said rod than said second end of said length of tapered material.