Cleaning tool with removable cleaning sheets

• US 7,350,257 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2003
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rapid Brands Corp.
• Original Assignee: Rapid Brands Corp.
• Inventors: McKay, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich; Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/637,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20040031119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,697 Days
• Field of Search: 151/18, 152/08, 152/091, 152/23, 152/28, 152/27, 151/049.4
• US Class Current: 15/118
• 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

1. A cleaning refill for dusting and mopping a surface, the cleaning refill comprising:

a mopping sheet, having a first side and a second side, the mopping sheet comprising a non-woven sheet of water absorbent material; and

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

a water-impermeable backing sheet attached to the second side of the mopping sheet;

wherein the dusting sheet includes a non-woven web of hydrophobic polymer, the dusting sheet being removable from the mopping sheet so as to expose a mopping area on the first side of the mopping sheet;

whereby a person can dust an area using the dusting sheet, remove the dusting sheet from the mopping sheet, then mop the area using the mopping area of the mopping sheet.

2. The cleaning refill of claim 1, wherein the dusting sheet is substantially rectangular, and attached to the first side of the mopping sheet along a pair of opposed edges.

3. The cleaning refill of claim 1, wherein the dusting sheet includes a tab, the tab being graspable by a user to facilitate removal of the dusting sheet from the mopping sheet, so as to expose the mopping area of the mopping sheet.

4. The cleaning refill of claim 1, wherein the dusting sheet becomes electrostatically charged when wiped over a dry surface, so as to attract dust.

5. The cleaning refill of claim 1, further comprising a water absorbing layer.

6. The cleaning refill of claim 5, wherein the water impermeable sheet is attached to the second side of the mopping sheet around the periphery of the water impermeable sheet, the water absorbing layer being disposed between the second side of the mopping sheet and the water impermeable sheet.

7. The cleaning refill of claim 5, wherein the water absorbing layer includes a water absorbing gel.

8. The cleaning refill of claim 5, wherein the water absorbing layer includes a sponge layer.

9. The cleaning refill of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic material is a polyester.

10. The cleaning refill of claim 9, wherein the polyester is polyethylene terephthalate or a derivative thereof.

11. The cleaning refill of claim 1, wherein the mopping sheet is pre-moistened.

12. The cleaning refill of claim 1, wherein the mopping sheet is pretreated with a cleaning chemical.

13. The cleaning refill of claim 1, wherein the dusting sheet is pretreated with a dusting oil.

14. The cleaning refill of claim 1, wherein the mopping sheet has a plurality of tabs configured to be gripped by gripping means disposed on a mop head.

15. The cleaning refill of claim 1, wherein the cleaning refill is attached to a mitt, the mitt configured to be supported by a hand of a user.

16. The cleaning refill of claim 1, wherein the cleaning refill is attached to a mop head.

17. The cleaning refill of claim 1, wherein the cleaning refill is tearable from a roll including a plurality of cleaning refill.

18. The cleaning refill of claim 1, wherein the second side of the mopping sheet includes hook and look fastener material for attachment to corresponding material on a mop head.

19. 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 water-impermeable 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.

20. The cleaning refill of claim 19, wherein the dusting sheet includes a non-woven web of material, the dusting sheet being substantially non-water-absorbent.

21. The cleaning refill of claim 19, wherein the dusting sheet is removable from the mopping sheet by pulling on a tab extending from an edge of the dusting sheet.

22. The cleaning refill of claim 19, wherein the water impermeable backing sheet has a periphery having a generally rectangular shape, the water impermeable backing sheet being attached to the mopping sheet around the periphery of the water impermeable backing sheet so as to form a pocket, wherein a water absorbent layer is disposed within the pocket between the second side of the mopping sheet and the water impermeable backing sheet.

23. The cleaning refill of claim 19, wherein the dusting sheet has a generally rectangular shape, and is attached to the mopping sheet along a pair of opposed edges.

24. The cleaning refill of claim 23, wherein the mopping sheet has tabs extending outwards, the tabs being grippable by a mop head so as to secure the cleaning refill to a mop head.

25. The cleaning refill of claim 19, 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 refill being useful as a mop refill.

26. 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 the 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.

27. The refill of claim 26, wherein the dusting sheet is substantially rectangular, the backing sheet is substantially rectangular and approximately in register with the dusting sheet, and the mopping sheet has a plurality of tabs being configured to be secured by the grips on the mop head.

28. The refill of claim 26, further including 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.

29. The refill of claim 26, wherein the mopping sheet is a non-woven web of water-absorbing material.

30. The refill of claim 26, 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.

31. 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;

a water absorbent layer, disposed behind the mopping sheet when the refill is secured by the mop head;

a water-impermeable backing layer;

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.