US20150351601A1

US20150351601A1 - Handheld cleaning device for use with disposable cleaning towel

Info

Publication number: US20150351601A1
Application number: US14/730,682
Authority: US
Inventors: Mark Butts; Jeff Tadin
Original assignee: Butler Home Products LLC USA
Current assignee: Butler Home Products LLC USA
Priority date: 2014-06-04
Filing date: 2015-06-04
Publication date: 2015-12-10
Also published as: CA2893773A1

Abstract

A cleaning device operable for use with a disposable cleaning towel is provided. A housing extends between a housing top portion and an opposing housing bottom portion. The housing bottom portion and the housing top portion define a first housing cavity. A platform is disposed at least partially within the first housing cavity. A pad is attached to the platform and defines a surface on which a disposable cleaning towel may be mated. The platform, and thus the pad, are selectively moveable relative to the housing, between a first position and a second position. In the first position, a housing mounting surface is at least substantially flush relative to the pad mounting surface. In the second position, the housing mounting surface is positioned within the pad aperture such that a distance extends between a plane defined by the housing mounting surface and a plane defined by the pad mounting surface.

Description

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/007,521 filed on Jun. 4, 2014, the contents of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a cleaning device, and more particularly relates to a handheld cleaning device for use with a disposable cleaning towel.
The cleaning of household surfaces (e.g., bathroom surfaces, kitchen surfaces, etc.) is often done using a disposable cleaning towel (e.g., a paper towel, a cloth towel, etc.). The cleaning towel can be provided in a dry condition, or it can be pre-wetted (e.g., pre-wetted with a cleaning solution). The cleaning towel can be effective at cleaning surfaces, but can be problematic in that its use can cause a user to experience skin irritation, fingernail irritation, and/or dry skin. Further, use of the cleaning towel typically requires the user to touch the cleaning towel after it has been soiled with materials that may be undesirable and/or unhealthy to touch. The present invention is directed to these and other problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, a cleaning device operable for use with a disposable cleaning towel is provided. The cleaning device includes a housing, a platform, and a pad. The housing extends between a housing top portion and an opposing housing bottom portion. The housing top portion is configured to be held by a user. The housing bottom portion defines a housing mounting surface to which the disposable cleaning towel may be removably attached. The housing bottom portion and the housing top portion at least partially define a first housing cavity there between. The platform is disposed at least partially within the first housing cavity. The pad is attached to the platform. The pad defines a pad aperture through which a part of the housing bottom portion extends. The pad also defines a pad mounting surface with which the disposable cleaning towel can be mated during use of the cleaning device. The platform, and thus the pad, are selectively moveable relative to the housing, between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the housing mounting surface is at least substantially flush relative to the pad mounting surface. In the second position, the housing mounting surface is positioned within the pad aperture such that a distance extends between a plane defined by the housing mounting surface and a plane defined by the pad mounting surface, which causes the disposable cleaning towel to disengage from the housing mounting surface.
In addition to, or as an alternative to, one or more of the features described above, further aspects of the present invention can include one or more of the following features, individually or in combination:

- a grip disposed relative to the housing top portion to aid a user in gripping the cleaning device;
- an ejector operable to effect movement of the platform between its first position and its second position;
- a mechanical fastener disposed relative to at least one of the housing and the pad to aid in positionally fixing the disposable cleaning towel relative to the cleaning device during use; and
- a scooper disposed relative to at least one of the housing and the pad to aid in collecting materials from a surface being cleaned during use of the cleaning device.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the drawings and detailed description provided below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a top-side isometric view of an embodiment of the present cleaning device.

FIG. 2 illustrates a right-side elevation view of the cleaning device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front-side elevation view of the cleaning device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom-side isometric view of the cleaning device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the cleaning device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 illustrates a right-side elevation view of another embodiment of the present cleaning device.

FIG. 7 illustrates a right-side elevation view of the cleaning device of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the present disclosure describes a handheld cleaning device 10 operable for use with a disposable cleaning towel (not shown). The disposable cleaning towel may be any type of material used for cleaning surfaces, such as for example a paper towel, a cloth towel, or a towel made from a non-woven material.
The present disclosure describes aspects of the present invention with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings; however, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings.
The present disclosure uses the terms “mate,” and variations thereof, to describe one or more features. The term “mate,” and variations thereof, are used herein to indicate that a first feature is disposed relative to a second feature (e.g., fit on or together with a second feature).
Referring still to FIGS. 1-5, the cleaning device 10 includes a housing 12, a pad 14 (see FIGS. 1-4), and a platform 16 (see FIG. 5). The housing 12 extends between a housing top portion 18 and an opposing housing bottom portion 20 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The housing top portion 18 is configured to be held by a user. The housing bottom portion 20 defines one or more housing mounting surfaces 22 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) that are used to removably attach a disposable cleaning towel (not shown). The housing 12 further includes a first housing cavity 24 (see FIG. 5) that is defined on three sides by the inner walls of the housing top and bottom portions 18, 20. The platform 16 is disposed at least partially within the first housing cavity 24. The pad 14 is attached to the platform 16. The pad 14 defines one or more pad apertures 26 (see FIG. 4) through which one or more parts of the housing bottom portion 20 extend, and a pad mounting surface 28 (see FIG. 4) on which the disposable cleaning towel can be mated during use of the cleaning device 10. The platform 16 (and thus the pad 14) are selectively moveable relative to the housing 12, between a first position (see FIGS. 1-5) and a second position (not shown). In the first position, the one or more housing mounting surfaces 22 are at least substantially flush (i.e., co-planar) relative to the pad mounting surface 28. In the second position, the housing mounting surfaces 22 are positioned within respective pad apertures 26, such that a distance extends between each of the respective planes defined by the housing mounting surfaces 22 and a plane defined by the pad mounting surface 28.
In some embodiments, including the illustrated embodiment, the cleaning device 10 additionally includes a grip 30 disposed relative to the housing top portion 18 to aid a user in gripping the cleaning device 10, and/or an ejector 32 operable to effect movement of the platform 16 between its first position and its second position. In some embodiments not shown in the drawings, the cleaning device 10 additionally includes one or more mechanical fasteners (e.g., clamps, clips, hooks, etc.) disposed relative to the housing 12 and/or the pad 14 to aid in positionally fixing the disposable cleaning towel (not shown) relative to the cleaning device 10 during use. In some embodiments, including the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the cleaning device additionally includes a scooper 60 disposed relative to the housing 12 and/or the pad 14 to aid in collecting materials (e.g., crumbs, dirt, etc.) from the surface being cleaned during use of the cleaning device 10.
Referring to FIG. 5, the housing 12 can be configured in various different ways. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing top portion 18 includes a generally rectangular-shaped housing 12, and a housing handle 36 extending from the housing top portion 18 in a heightwise direction. The housing handle 36 is ergonomically shaped so as to make the housing handle (and thus the cleaning device 10 as a whole) comfortable to hold in one hand during use. The housing bottom portion 20 includes two (2) housing legs 38 that each extend in a heightwise direction away from the housing top portion 18. The housing legs 38 each define a housing mounting surface 22 that is operable to be removably attached to a disposable cleaning towel (not shown). The housing mounting surfaces 22 can include one or more materials (e.g., adhesive materials) and/or or one or more structures (e.g., hook and loop structures such as Velcro) that are disposed on the housing mounting surfaces 22 to enable a disposable cleaning towel to be removably attached to the housing mounting surfaces. In one embodiment, the housing mounting surfaces 22 each have a Velcro material disposed on their respective surfaces. In this embodiment, the disposable cleaning towel (not shown) includes a towel cleaning surface and an opposing towel mounting surface, and the towel mounting surface includes a Velcro material configured to mate with the Velcro material of the housing mounting surfaces 22.
The housing 12 can be made of one or more materials that are known in the art, such as plastics. The materials can be selected such that the housing 12 is relatively rigid, and thus suitable for translating movement of the housing 12 to the disposable cleaning towel (not shown) disposed relative to the pad 14 and the housing mounting surfaces 22. In one embodiment, the housing is made from polypropylene.
Referring to FIG. 5, the platform 16 can be configured in various different ways. In the illustrated embodiment, the platform 16 is a generally rectangular-shaped member that extends in a heightwise direction between a platform bottom surface 40 and a platform top surface 42. The platform 16 is disposed within the first housing cavity 24, which is defined by respective inner surfaces of the housing legs 38, and respective inner surfaces of the housing 12 and the housing handle 36. The platform 16 slidably engages the respective inner surfaces of the housing legs 38.
The platform 16 can be made of one or more materials that are known in the art, such as a plastic. The materials can be selected such that the platform 16 is relatively rigid, and thus suitable to enable movement of the platform 16 relative to the housing 12. In one embodiment, the platform is made from polypropylene.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the pad 14 can be configured in various different ways. In the illustrated embodiment, the pad 14 has a generally-rectangular shape that is similar to that of the platform 16. The pad 14 extends in a heightwise direction between its pad mounting surface 28 and an opposing pad top surface (not shown). The pad top surface is attached to the platform bottom surface 40. The pad 14 may be permanently attached or removably attached to the platform bottom surface.
The pad 14 can be made of one or more materials that are known in the art. The materials can be selected such that the pad 14 is operable to provide a cushion between the housing 12 and platform 16 of the cleaning device 10, on the one hand, and the surface being cleaned, on the other hand. The materials can additionally or alternatively be selected such that the pad 14 is operable to absorb excess liquid that flows from the disposable cleaning towel (not shown) during and/or after use of the cleaning device 10. Examples of materials that may be used for the pad include: a sponge material, a foam material (e.g., urethane foam, EVA foam, PVC foam, latex foam, synthetic rubber foam, neoprene foam, etc.), an array of synthetic fibers (e.g., cellulose fibers, absorbent fibers, etc.). In some embodiments, the pad 14, or a portion thereof, can be at least partially impregnated with a resin (e.g., a melamine resin).
In embodiments in which the cleaning device 10 includes a grip 30, the grip 30 can be made of one or more materials that are known in the art. The materials can be selected such that the grip 30 (and thus the housing top portion 18 that is held by a user) is comfortable to hold during use of the cleaning device 10, and/or is slip resistant when wet with a liquid. An example of an acceptable material is a rubber material.
Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, in embodiments in which the cleaning device 10 includes a scooper 60, the scooper 60 can be configured in various different ways. In the illustrated embodiment, the scooper 60 includes a scooper housing 62 that is removably attached to the housing 18. The scooper housing 62 defines a scooper chamber 64 within which materials (e.g., crumbs, dirt, etc.) can be collected during use of the cleaning device 10. The scooper 60 is positioned relative to the pad 14 such that the base 66 of the scooper 60 is at least substantially flush (i.e., co-planar) relative to the pad mounting surface 28. The scooper 60 includes a scooper door 68 that is selectively moveable between a closed position (see FIG. 6) and an open position (see FIG. 7).
Referring to FIG. 5, the movement of the platform 16 (and thus the pad 14) relative to the housing 12, between its first position (see FIGS. 1-5) and its second position (now shown), can be achieved in various different ways. As indicated above, in the illustrated embodiment the cleaning device 10 includes an ejector 32 that is connected to the platform 16 such that movement of the ejector 32 (or a portion thereof) causes corresponding movement of the platform 16 (and thus corresponding movement of the pad 14).
In the illustrated embodiment, the ejector 32 includes an ejector button 48, an ejector biaser 50 (e.g., a spring), and an ejector shaft 52. The ejector 32 is positioned at least partially within a second housing cavity 54 that extends in a heightwise direction into the housing handle 36 and the housing body 34. The ejector button 48 extends in a heightwise direction between an ejector button top surface 56 and an ejector button bottom surface 58. The ejector button 48 slidably engages the surfaces of the housing handle 36 and the housing body 34 that define the second housing cavity 54. The ejector button 48 is moveable relative to the second housing cavity 54, between a first position (see FIGS. 1-5) and a second position (not shown). In the first position, the ejector button 48 is positioned relative to the second housing cavity 54 such that the ejector button top surface 56 is at least substantially flush with an outer surface of the grip 30. In the second position, the ejector button 48 is positioned at least substantially within the second housing cavity 54, such that a distance extends between a plane defined by the ejector button top surface 56 and a plane defined by the outer surface of the grip 30. The ejector biaser 50 extends between the ejector button bottom surface 58 and a surface of the housing 12 that defines the second housing cavity 54. The ejector biaser 50 thereby biases the ejector button 48 toward its first position. The ejector shaft 52 extends between the ejector button bottom surface 58 and the platform top surface 42 to thereby connect the ejector 32 and the platform 16. The ejector shaft 52 extends through an aperture that connects the first and second housing cavities 24, 54.
In the illustrated embodiment, movement of the ejector button 48 from its first position (referred to hereinafter as the “operational configuration” of the cleaning device 10) to its second position (referred to hereinafter as the “eject configuration” of the cleaning device) causes heightwise movement of the ejector shaft 52, which in turn causes movement of the platform 16 from its first position to its second position. The ejector button 48 is configured to be moved from its first position to its second position by a user, for example, using a finger of the hand that is holding the cleaning device 10. The ejector biaser 50 will cause the ejector button 48 to automatically return to its first position after a user removes his or her finger from the ejector button 48.
The cleaning device 10 may initially be provided to a user in its operational configuration, without a disposable cleaning towel disposed thereon. To use the cleaning device, the user can mate a disposable cleaning towel (not shown) to the pad mounting surface 28, which in turn will cause the disposable cleaning towel to become removably attached to the one or more housing mounting surfaces 22. The removable attachment of the disposable cleaning towel to the one or more housing mounting surfaces 22 will prevent the disposable cleaning towel from coming loose from the cleaning device 10 during use. After use of the cleaning device 10, the user can dispose of the soiled cleaning towel by moving the cleaning device 10 from its operational configuration to its eject configuration, which will cause the platform 16 (and thus the pad 14 attached thereto) to move relative to the housing 12. The housing mounting surfaces 22 will, in effect, retract into the pad apertures 26, causing the housing mounting surfaces 22 to become unattached from the soiled cleaning towel. The soiled disposable cleaning towel may then simply fall off (i.e., become unmated from) the pad mounting surface 28. In some instances, the user may need to provide a small force (e.g., a small shaking force) to free (i.e., unmate) the disposable cleaning product from the housing mounting surfaces 22. In either event, the user will avoid the need to touch the soiled cleaning towel during the disposal process.
While several embodiments have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that aspects of the present invention include many more embodiments and implementations. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. It will also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that variations and modifications can be made without departing from the true scope of the present disclosure. For example, in some instances, one or more features disclosed in connection with one embodiment can be used alone or in combination with one or more features of one or more other embodiments.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning device for use with a disposable cleaning towel, comprising:

a housing having a housing top portion and a housing bottom portion, the housing top portion being configured to be held by a user, the housing bottom portion defining one or more housing mounting surfaces, and the housing bottom portion and the housing top portion partially defining a first housing cavity;

a platform disposed at least partially within the first housing cavity;

a pad attached to the platform, the pad defining a pad aperture through which the one or more housing mounting surfaces extend;

wherein the platform and pad, are selectively moveable relative to the housing, between a first position and a second position;

wherein in the first position, the one or more housing mounting surfaces are substantially flush relative to the pad mounting surface; and

wherein in the second position, the one or more housing mounting surfaces are positioned within the pad aperture such that a distance extends between a plane defined by the housing mounting surface and a plane defined by the pad surface.

2. The cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a grip disposed on the housing top portion.

3. The cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising an ejector operable to effect movement of the platform between its first position and its second position.

4. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the on or more housing mounting surfaces include means to releasably fix a disposable cleaning towel to the cleaning device.

5. The cleaning device of claim 4, wherein the means is Velcro.

6. The cleaning device of claim 4, wherein the means is an adhesive.

7. The cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a scooper fixed to the housing.