Patent Application
20080263799
The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus and, more particularly, to a dish cloth with an attached scrubber.
Natural sponges and synthetic sponges have been used for washing or cleaning purposes due to their ability to hold water, soap emulsions, and detergents. Synthetic sponges are more commonly used due to the limited supply of natural sponges. Synthetic sponges are commonly formed of foamed synthetic or cellulose resins, such as polyurethane foams.
A common problem with sponges is that they tend to wear relatively rapidly and are easily broken or torn. Increasing the strength of synthetic sponges has been attempted by varying the foamed composition and the dimensions of the open cells. Wear problems remain, however, and even the best sponges deteriorate, especially when they are used for scrubbing or scouring. Fibrous abrasive pads, which are more effective for scrubbing or scouring but do not have the desirable sponge characteristics identified above, have been combined with sponges. Where sponge and abrasive pads are combined, the sponge portion absorbs and holds water and cleaning materials, and the fiber cloth provides an abrasive scouring pad, but each has an independently useful life.
Though the sponge and scouring pad arrangement has its advantages, such combinations are not typically as effective for polishing, drying, and cleaning in crevices as hand towels. Cloth hand towels are made of a wide variety of materials. Recently, cloth hand towels made of soft materials such as microfibers have become a popular choice for cleaning, drying, and polishing (microfibers are fibers with strands thinner than one denier, making these fibers even finer than silk).
There is a need in the art for a cleaning device that has the advantages of a soft towel as well as the advantages of scouring and scrubbing pads.
The present invention relates to a cleaning device and a method of manufacturing the same. The device according to the present disclosure is configured to be effectively used for cleaning, polishing, drying, scrubbing, and scouring. The cleaning device is constructed of a combination of materials wherein the different component materials are inherently better suited for different functions. The component materials are sized, arranged, and combined to provide a highly effective and versatile cleaning tool.
Advantages associated with some embodiments of the device according to the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, the ability to effectively clean with water alone, thereby helping to eliminate the need for harmful chemical cleaners and making this an environmentally friendly hypoallergenic cleaning tool; the ability of the device to lift and trap dirt particles and moisture far faster than prior art devices; the quick drying properties (e.g., some embodiments dry 10× faster than standard scouring devices); ultra strong and soft properties (e.g., some embodiments are 2× softer than silk and 3× softer than cotton); and the super absorbent properties (e.g., some embodiments hold 7× its weight in liquid, dust or dirt).
Referring to
The towel 10a is rectangular (a shape having one or more right angles), but it should be appreciated that many other shapes are also possible including, for example, circular, oval, triangular, or irregular shapes. In the depicted embodiment the towel 10a has a height H1 of approximately 10-14 inches and a width W1 of approximately 10-14 inches (e.g., 11×8.5 or 12×12). Preferably, the towel 10a according to this disclosure has a cross-sectional area of between 36 square inches and 250 square inches. More preferably, the towel 10a has a cross-sectional area of between 70 to 150 square inches.
In the depicted embodiment the abrasive portion 12a is square shaped with a height H2 and width W2 of approximately 3 inches. It should be appreciated that the abrasive portion can be of many other shapes and sizes. In preferred embodiments the abrasive portion 12a has an area 4 to 25 square inches. In more preferred embodiments the area of the abrasive portion is less than 20 percent of the area of the towel. The size of the abrasive portion 12a can have an effect on the overall effectiveness of the towel 10a. If the abrasive portion is too small, the towel may not be as effective for scrubbing and scouring. On the other hand if the abrasive portion is too large, the towel may not be as effective for drying and polishing.
In the depicted embodiment the abrasive portion 12a is roughly centered in the lower right quadrant 16 of the towel 10a. The arrangement prevents the abrasive portion 12a from interfering with the cloth portion 14a while the towel 10a is in use. According to the depicted arrangement the towel 10a can be conveniently folded to position abrasive portion 12a inside the towel 10a, which prevents the abrasive portion 12a from inadvertent contact with the object that is being cleaned, polished, or dried. However, it should be appreciated that the abrasive portion 12a could be positioned at other locations as well while still enabling the towel 10a to be selectively used as a cloth only.
Still referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The above specification provides examples of how certain inventive aspects may be put into practice. It will be appreciated that the inventive aspects can be practiced in other ways than those specifically shown and described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive aspects. In the description, like reference numbers have been used to identify like or similar parts.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/836,800, filed Aug. 10, 2006, which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60836800 | Aug 2006 | US |
