Patent Application
20080301852
The present invention relates generally to apparel and, more particularly, to hand or arm coverings such as gloves with attachments.
In the home, dishwashing is often performed by hand with few tools. Such tools include: sponges, scourers, cloths, brushes, and pads of steel wool. Dishwashing detergent is also generally used although, in reality, all that is required is water. To protect one's hands from detergent or hot water, rubber gloves can be worn when washing dishes.
A pot is thoroughly washed by following a few steps. First, the pot is scraped and rinsed to remove visible food particles. Next, the pot is briefly soaked in hot water to which a detergent has been added. Then, the pot is scrubbed with a brush and wiped out with a sponge or washcloth to remove any remaining food particles. Now, the pot is rinsed in clean water to remove the detergent. Finally, the pot is dried with a towel or is permitted to air dry.
Scrubbing and wiping pots with washcloths, brushes and the like tends to splash dirty water. Not only does the water fall on the floor, countertops and cabinetry surrounding the sink where washing is occurring but it typically hits the human dishwasher. Of course, this creates a mess and can spread germs.
In light of the problems associated with the method and apparatus typically employed to wash food preparing or serving implements like pots, pans, and dishes in a home that cause undesirable splashing of dirty dishwater, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a scrubbing glove that permits a user to remove food particles from a dirty pot, pan, or dish with a minimum of splashing and, simultaneously, protects the gloved hand of a user from harsh detergents and germs.
It is another object of the invention to provide a scrubbing glove of the type described that facilitates the initial scraping of food particles from a food preparing or serving implements as well as the later wiping of the implement to remove unseen or well adhered food particles.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved features and arrangements thereof in a scrubbing glove for the purposes described that is lightweight in construction to minimize fatigue in a wearer, inexpensive to manufacture, and dependable in use.
Briefly, the glove in accordance with this invention achieves the intended objects by featuring a glove body formed of latex rubber. Affixed to the front of the glove body are a number of finger pads and a palm pad formed of sponge rubber for wiping food particles from food preparing or serving implements. Affixed to the back of the glove body are a number of knuckle pads formed of a web-like matrix of fibers for scrubbing purposes. Affixed to one side of the glove body is an elongated pad, formed of the same material as the knuckle pads, for scraping purposes.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
The present invention may be more readily described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to the FIGS., a scrubbing glove in accordance with the present invention is shown at 10. Glove 10 includes a hollow body 12 adapted for receiving a hand, wrist, and forearm of a user. Body 12 has a tubular, palm portion 14 that encircles the base of the hand. From the top of palm portion 14 extend: a first finger portion 16 for receiving the thumb, a second finger portion 18 for receiving the index finger, a third finger portion 20 for receiving the middle finger, a fourth finger portion 22 for receiving the ring finger, and a fifth finger portion 24 for receiving the little finger or “pinky.” A tubular, cuff portion 26 extends from the bottom of palm portion 14 so as to cover the wrist and forearm.
Body 12 is made of latex rubber or other flexible, impermeable, and waterproof material such as PVC, vinyl, and neoprene. Forming body 12 in one piece minimizes the likelihood of leaks throughout the useful life of glove 10 thereby ensuring that the hand of a user stays dry. Thicker rubber better insulates the hand from temperature extremes, but makes body 12 somewhat less flexible. To accommodate hands of different dimensions, body 12 can be made in any size. Nevertheless, body 12 should be dimensioned to provide a loose fit with the hand of a user for optimum ventilation and to make it easier to donn and doff glove 10.
A palm pad 28 covers the front of palm portion 14. Palm pad 28 is formed of natural or synthetic foam rubber and is permanently affixed to palm portion 14 by means of a suitable adhesive like contact cement. Palm pad 28 is shaped like a human palm, tapering in width from its top adjacent finger portions 16-24 toward its bottom at cuff portion 26, so as to conform to the contours of the hand of a user and not impede the bending and flexing of the hand during the use of glove 10. The thickness of palm pad 28 is a matter of design choice.
Sponge rubber of the sort contemplated for use in pad 28 is open-celled and highly porous. It is also permeable and is capable of retaining substantial quantities of a liquid like water and suspended or dissolved solids, typically greater than thirty percent of the volume of pad 28, with which it may come into contact. Once loaded with liquid, however, sponge rubber is readily compressed under minor loads to discharge the liquid held within its interlocked pores to regain its natural lightness. Interestingly, the pore structure of sponge rubber provides a rough surface that firmly grips items like pots and pans thereby ensuring that few, if any, items slip from the grasp of a user wearing a wetted glove 10.
Finger pads 30, 32, 34, and 36 are affixed to body 12 so as to respectively cover the fronts of finger portions 18, 20, 22, and 24. Pads 30-36 are formed of natural or synthetic foam rubber of the sort used to form palm pad 28 and are permanently affixed to portions 18-24 by means of a suitable adhesive. Pads 30-36 are shaped like human fingers, extending as narrow strips from the tops or free ends of portions 18-24 to their bottoms at palm portion 14. Thus, pads 30-36 conform to the contours of the fingers of a user and not impede the bending and flexing of the fingers during the use of glove 10.
Knuckle pads 38, 40, 42, and 44 are affixed to glove body 12 so as to respectively cover the backs of finger portions 18, 20, 22 and 24. Pads 38-44 are formed of a web-like matrix of natural or synthetic fibers that can be more or less abrasive depending upon their composition and bonding agent(s). Pads 38-44 are permanently affixed to portions 18-24 by means of a suitable adhesive. Pads 38-44 are shaped somewhat like human fingers, extending as narrow strips from about the midpoints of portions 18-24 to the bottoms of portions 18-24 at palm portion 14. Thus, pads 38-44 are located between the second and third joints of the fingers of a user with the third joint being located at the knuckles of the hand of a user. Because of the location of pads 38-44, when a user forms a fist for cleaning a surface, pads 38-44 align to form a relatively large, flat surface suitable for scrubbing.
An elongated, side-hand pad 46, formed of the same web-like matrix as pads 38-44, is adhesively affixed to glove body 12. As shown, pad 46 extends about halfway down the side of glove body 12 remote from first finger portion 16. Preferably, pad 46 has a width that is substantially the same as that of pads 38-44 and a length sufficient to extend from the free end or top of finger portion 24 to the bottom of palm portion 14. With pad 46 being about twice the length of pads 30-36, and being located along the side of the hand of a user remote from the thumb, it provides a surface capable of taking a substantial, first swipe at foreign matter clinging to a surface being cleaned by glove 10.
It is a straightforward matter to clean a dirty surface with glove 10. First, glove 10 is donned by positioning the thumb and remaining fingers of the hand of the hand of a user into the corresponding finger portions 16-24 of glove body 12. Now, with the hand, wrist and forearm of a user covered by glove 10, glove 10 is dipped into hot water to which a detergent has been added. Glove 10 is then permitted to soak in the detergent liquid for a period of time necessary to become saturated with the liquid, usually a few seconds. Next, the glove 10 is lifted from the liquid, and is moved to the target surface where side-hand pad 46 is initially rubbed to remove the bulk of the dirt. Afterward, finger pads 30-36 are employed to reach into small crevices and around irregular shapes to get rid of the remaining dirt and grime. Should finger pads 30-36 be unsuccessful at removing the dirt, the user can form his hand into a fist and employ knuckle pads 38-44 as a powerful backup. It has been found that substantial pressure can be generated by a user on knuckle pads 38-44 with little exertion. After rinsing the dirty surface, a few moments after initiating the cleaning process, the surface will be found to be sparkling and dirt free. Little, if any detergent liquid will have been splashed during cleaning.
Glove 10 can be washed to remove any dirt or grime that may accumulate on glove body 12, finger pads 30-36, knuckle pads 38-44, and side-hand pad 4. Placing glove 10 in a microwave oven set on “high” for about two minutes will effectively sterilize glove 10. After washing, glove 10 can be immediately reused or placed in a drawer or other small, storage space for use at a later time. Of course, glove 10 is formed of inexpensive and readily available materials and can be discarded when it becomes worn or when it has served its usefulness.
While glove 10 has been described with a high degree of particularity, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications can be made to it. Therefore, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited merely to glove 10 described above, but encompasses any and all gloves within the scope of the following claims.
