Absorbent broom cover

• US 6,389,637 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2000
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leona Hurell
• Original Assignee: Leona Hurell
• Inventors: Hurell, Leona
• Primary Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US09/518,018
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 152/47, 152/28
• US Class Current: 15/247
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/20 Mops
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/44 Securing scouring-cloths to the brush or like body of the implement

Abstract

An absorbent broom cover for use with a household broom, particularly for cleaning surfaces. The cover comprises a sheet of doubled-over material and a securing portion. Portions of the doubled-over sheet are attachable and together define a proximal opening. The securing portion has a pair of elastically resilient strips attached to opposite faces of the tapered ends. The first strip folds up and over the second strip during engagement, thereby securely fastening the cover in place.

Claims

1. An absorbent broom cover for use with a broom, the cover comprising:

a) a sheet of material folded to form a double-over sheet, portions of the sheet being attachable so that a proximal edge of the sheet defines an opening, the double-over-sheet having an internal surface and an external surface; and

b) a securing portion located adjacent the opening of the doubled-over sheet, the securing portion having an elastically resilient strip, the strip being attached to the external surface adjacent to the opening, the strip having a proximal edge which is attached to at least a portion of the proximal edge of the proximal opening, the strip being attached to the proximal edge of the sheet at circumferentially spaced apart end locations, the strip being attached to the external surface at vertically spaced apart positions at each of the end locations so that the securing portion defines a pocket on the external surface, the strip having a pair of end locations which are attached to the sheet by an attachment, the attachment being generally vertically spaced adjacent the proximal edge of the proximal opening, the attachment having an upper portion, a lower portion, and the strip having a distal edge which is attached to at least a portion of the proximal edge of the proximal opening, at least a portion of the distal edge being unattached.

2. The cover as claimed in claim 1 in which:

a) the sheet of material has a pair of tapered halves adjacent each other in the doubled-over sheet, each half having an end portion, the end portions being attached to each other to define the opening therebetween, the end portions having the proximal edge adjacent a proximal opening, the opening having a size and flexibility sufficient to permit insertion of a broom head; and

b) the doubled-over sheet is generally of sufficient size and flexibility to cooperate with the broom head.

3. The cover as claimed in claim 2 in which the doubled-over sheet has:

a) an intermediate edge portion which defines a pair of side openings, the side openings being generally perpendicular the proximal opening; and

b) a distal edge portion which is continuous between each of the tapered halves.

4. The cover as claimed in claim 1 in which:

a) the combination of the attached proximal edge, the attached side portions and the unattached distal edge portion defines the pocket; and

b) the pocket being positioned generally opposite the distal edge attached to the proximal edge of the proximal opening.

5. The cover as claimed in claim 4 in which:

a) the pocket is located on an outer portion of the tapered end, the pocket being interchangeable between a non-engagement position, an engagement position; and

b) the lower portion of the attachment moves up and over the upper portion of the attachment, such that the lower portion becomes the upper portion and the upper portion becomes the lower portion in the engagement position.

6. The cover as claimed in claim 1 in which the securing portion further comprises:

a) a pair of elastically resilient strips, the first strip being located on the external surface adjacent to the opening, the second strip being located on the internal surface adjacent the opening, both strips being generally opposite each other.

7. The cover as claimed in claim 6 in which each strip has:

a) a proximal edge which is attached to the proximal edge of the proximal opening;

b) a pair of side edges, each edge being attached to the tapered halves by an attachment, the attachment being generally vertically spaced adjacent the proximal edge of the proximal opening, the attachment having an upper portion, a lower portion; and

c) a distal edge which is unattached, the edge being adjacent the tapered half.

8. The cover as claimed in claim 7 in which:

a) the side edges are each attached to the proximal edge portions of each tapered half, the proximal edge portions being attachable to each other along the same edge as each of the side edges.

9. The cover as claimed in claim 7 in which each strip;

a) the combination of the attached proximal edge, the attached side edges and the unattached distal edge defines a pair of pockets.

10. The cover as claimed in claim 9 in which:

a) the first pocket is located on an outer surface adjacent the opening, the second pocket is located on the inner surface adjacent the opening, both pockets being generally opposite each other; and

b) the first pocket being interchangeable between a non-engagement position and an engagement position.

11. The cover as claimed in claim 7 in which:

a) the lower portion of the attachment moves up and over the upper portion of the attachment, such that the lower portion becomes the upper portion and the upper portion becomes the lower portion in the engagement position.