Abstract:
A lint roller dispensable fluid container apparatus includes a support for mounting a lint roll on a dispensable fluid container. The support may be a hollow tubular member rotatably carrying the lint roll and which is releasably mountable over one end of the container. The support may also be formed on the container cap which covers a discharge nozzle or outlet in the cap.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 10/329,717, filed Dec. 16, 2002, which claims the benefit of the priority filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/426,589, filed Nov. 15, 2002, and which is also a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/302,038, filed Nov. 22, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/143,396, filed May 10, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,626, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein in their entirety. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to cleaning apparatus for removing debris or dirt from surfaces and, more particularly, to lint roller assemblies.  
           [0003]    There are many previously known lint roller assemblies. These previously known lint roller assemblies typically comprise a handle secured to a cylindrical lint roller support. A tubular cylindrical adhesive lint roller is then removably mounted to the support such that the adhesive roller is rotatable relative to the handle. In use, the adhesive lint roller is rolled along a surface to remove unsightly particles, lint, pet hair, etc.  
           [0004]    The previously known lint roller assemblies have used a number of different options to rotatably secure the lint roller support to the handle. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,923, the lint roller support and handle are separately constructed and then rotatably secured together. One disadvantage of this type of previously known lint roller assembly, however, is that the rotatably connection between the handle and lint roller support is subject to mechanical failure. Another drawback is that a directional lint fabric cannot be attached to the rotatable support section and still be operable. It rotates with the support and is not stationary to provide for brushing motion.  
           [0005]    A further disadvantage to this type of assembly is that both the lint roller support and the handle are separately molded from plastic and then assembled together requiring two separate molds, one for each part.  
           [0006]    Still other types of lint roller assemblies, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,695, the lint roller handle includes a pair of elongated housing parts, which are substantially identical to each other. A disadvantage to this type of assembly is that each housing part must be snapped exactly into the other perfectly registering using pins and sockets. A further disadvantage is that the handle section being integral to the support section is manufactured with rigid plastic material and uncomfortable to grip and does not provide for a customized plastic decorative top or hanger.  
           [0007]    Still other types of previously known lint roller assemblies, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,5577,0111, utilize a unitary lint roller handle and lint roller support. These previously known lint roller assemblies, however, require a complex and, therefore, expensive mold design in order to mold the lint roller handle and support. Furthermore, a relatively large frictional engagement between the lint roller and the lint roller support often times interferes with the desired free rotation of the lint roller about the lint roller support.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0008]    The present invention is a cleaning apparatus which addresses the abovementioned disadvantages of the previously known art.  
           [0009]    In many cleaning situations, the removal of dirt or debris can be made more efficient by the application of a liquid cleaner to the surface being cleaned. Aerosol or pump containers are widely employed to dispense cleaning fluid in a spray onto a surface to be cleaned.  
           [0010]    Thus, it would be desirable to provide the cleaning ability of an adhesive lint roller with the cleaning ability of a liquid spray for enhanced cleaning capability.  
           [0011]    In one aspect of the invention, a lint roller/fluid dispenser apparatus includes a container containing a fluid dispensable from the container, a lint roll having an adhesive outer surface, and means for mounting the lint roll on the container.  
           [0012]    The mounting means may be a hollow support, having an inner bore open from one end. The bore has a diameter for slidably receiving one end portion of the container therein. One end of the container projects outwardly from the support, after the container is mounted in the support, to act as a handle for use of the lint roll.  
           [0013]    Means are also provided for rotatably mounting the lint roll on the support. In one aspect, the rotatable mounting means is a pair of spaced bearing surfaces formed on the support, the lint roll rotatably mounted on the bearing surfaces.  
           [0014]    In another aspect, the mounting means includes a first collar mountable on the container at an intermediate position spaced from one end of the container, and at least one projection carried on the end of the container and spaced from the first collar. The lint roll is mounted between the projection and the first collar over the container.  
           [0015]    In another aspect, the mounting means is a spindle having opposed first and second end collars, and at least one of the first and second end collars having a through aperture for mounting of the spindle over a portion of the container.  
           [0016]    In another aspect, the mounting means includes a tubular support, means, carried on the support, for rotatably mounting the lint roll on the support, and means, carried on the support, for releasibly mounting one end of the support to the container.  
           [0017]    In another aspect, a cap is mountable over a discharge end of the container, and means, carried on the cap, are provided for supporting the lint roll on the cap.  
           [0018]    The supporting means may be a pair of spaced arms carried on the cap, the lint roll rotatably disposed between the pair of arms.  
           [0019]    In another aspect, a discharge nozzle is carried on one end of the container. The mounting means includes a support mounted on one end of the container. A pair of arms projecting from the support and rotatably carrying the lint roll therebetween. An aperture is formed in the support adjacent to the discharge nozzle to allow dispensing of the contents of the container through the discharge nozzle and the support.  
           [0020]    The unique lint roll/fluid dispensable container apparatus of the present invention uniquely combines an adhesive faced lint roll with a dispensable fluid container to enable a dispensable fluid, such as a cleaning fluid, to be dispensed over a surface to be cleaned prior to or at the same time that the outer adhesive surface of the lint roll is being moved across the surface to enhance the cleaning and removal of dirt, debris and hair from the surface. The invention utilizes a plurality of different unique support means for rotatably mounting the lint roll on the container or on a cap releasably mountable over the discharge outlet or nozzle of the container. Substantially of these supports do not require modification to existing container designs. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0021]    The various features, advantages and other uses of the present invention will become more apparent by referring to the following detailed description and drawing in which:  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1 is an exploded, side elevational view of one aspect of the present invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the assembled apparatus of FIG. 1;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a modified apparatus similar to FIGS. 1 and 2;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 4 is an exploded, perspective view of another aspect of the present invention;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIGS. 5 and 6 are exploded, side elevational views showing other aspects of the present invention;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIGS. 7 and 8 are side elevational view showing yet other aspects of the present invention;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another aspect of the present invention; and  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 10 is a partial, perspective view of yet another aspect of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0030]    Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is depicted a lint roller container assembly  10  constructed in accordance with the teachings of one aspect of the present invention.  
         [0031]    A tape roll  12  may be any commercially available tape roll having outwardly facing adhesive sheets or strips, generally arranged in a plurality of sheets wound in a roll wherein the outermost sheets are peelable from the roll, one at a time, along perforated edges of each sheet. The tape roll  12  is mounted on a support  14  in the form of a plastic or other suitable material, cylindrically shaped tubular member having an enlarged flange  16  at one end and one or more projections  18  at a second end. The support  14  is hollow and has an inner diameter sized to snugly, but releasibly received an aerosol or pump spray can  20  having a complementary outer diameter.  
         [0032]    The support  14  is formed with first and second bearing surfaces  22  and  24 , at opposite ends which rotatably support a lint roll  12 . Further, a directional fabric  26  may be mounted between the bearing surfaces  22  and  24  on the cylindrical portion of the support  14 .  
         [0033]    As shown in FIG. 2, the can  20  is inserted into the hollow interior  21  of the support  14 . The can  20  preferably has a length sufficient so that one end of the can projects outwardly from the flange  16  on the support  14  so as to function as a handle during use of the tape roll  12 .  
         [0034]    It can be seen in FIG. 2, that the spray nozzle  30  of the aerosol can  20  can be used independent of the tape roll  12 .  
         [0035]    In a modification shown in FIG. 3, the directional fabric  26  is eliminated along with the first and second bearing surfaces  22  and  24 . In this aspect of the invention, the tape roll  12  rotates about the outer surface of the can  20  between a first collar  17  and a second collar  19  which are mounted on or formed on the can  20 . The collars  17  and  19  trap the roll  12  from axial movement.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 4 depicts an alternate support  40  in the form of a cylindrical spindle. The support  40  includes a first collar  42  having an enlarged diameter flange  44  at one end. The opposite end of the support  40  defines a second collar  46  having a plurality of radially extending projections  48  extending therefrom. The collars  42  and  46  are rigidly interconnected by means of a plurality of slats  50 .  
         [0037]    The lint roll  12  is forced over the projections  48  and onto the first and second collars  42  and  46  wherein it is capable of rotation. The enlarged diameter end  44  and the projections  48  axially trap the lint roll  12  on the support  40 .  
         [0038]    An aperture  52  is formed in the flange  44  and is sized to snugly receive the outer diameter of the can  20 . One end of the can  20  extends outwardly from the flange  44  after the can  20  has been fully inserted into the support  40 , in much the same manner as shown in FIG. 2, to enable the exposed end of the can  20  to act as a handle for the lint roll  12 .  
         [0039]    Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, there is depicted other aspects of the present invention in which a lint roll is rotatably mounted on an can  20 . As shown in FIG. 5, a lint roll support  60  is in the form of a hollow, cylindrical body formed of a suitable plastic for example only. The support  60  includes a bearing surface  62  located between two enlarged collars  64  and  66  formed at opposite ends of the support  60 . The collars  64  and  66  axially trap a lint roll  12  therebetween for rotation of the lint roll  12  about the bearing surface  62  of the support  60 .  
         [0040]    The collar  64  has an open ended recess which is releasibly engagable via a snap-on fit with a flange  68  formed at one end of the aerosol can  20  immediately adjacent the nozzle  30 . In this manner, the support  60  may be snapped onto the aerosol can  20  for use of the lint roll  12 . When it is desired to dispense the contents of the can  20  through the nozzle  30 , the support  60  is removed from the aerosol can  20 .  
         [0041]    In FIG. 6, the axial orientation of the support  60  is reversed from that shown in FIG. 5 in that the collar  66 , which also has an open ended recess, is releasibly engaged with flange  68  on the aerosol can  20 .  
         [0042]    Referring now to FIG. 7, there is depicted another aspect of the present invention in which a lint roll  12  is mounted on a cap  80  releasibly mountable over the discharge nozzle of an aerosol can or pump dispenser container  82 .  
         [0043]    The lint roll  12  is supported by a pair of arms  84  which are attached to or integrally molded on the cap  80 . The arms  84  project upwardly and laterally from the top surface of the cap  80 . A hinge or spindle assembly  86  is mountable between the arms  84  for rotatably supporting the lint roll  12 .  
         [0044]    This configuration enables the lint roll  12  to be employed in a normal manner to remove lint, dust and hair from an article or human. At the same time, the cap  80  which carries the lint roll  12  may be disengaged from the container  82  to enable the contents of the container  82  to be dispensed through a discharge nozzle mounted on one end, not shown, from the container  82 .  
         [0045]    In the aspect shown in FIG. 7, the cap  80  snaps over an end flange of the container  82 . In the aspect of the invention shown in FIG. 8, a container  90  has a smaller diameter cap  92  snapped or threaded onto one end thereof A support  94  is attached to or integrally formed with the cap  92  and carried a pair of spaced arms  96  which have a spindle or shaft  98  extending therebetween. The lint roll  12  is mounted about the shaft  98  for rotation.  
         [0046]    The aspect shown in FIG. 8 functions in the same manner as that shown in FIG. 7 in that the lint roll  12  which is positioned laterally from the outer diameter of the container  90  can be used independent of the discharge of the contents of the container  90 . The cap  92  may be removed from the container  90  to enable the discharge of the contents of the container  90  through an outlet in the container or through a discharge nozzle mounted on one end of the container and removably covered by the cap  92 .  
         [0047]    The aspect of the invention shown in FIG. 9 is similar to that depicted in FIG. 7 except that the arms  84  extend from a base  100  which is integrally molded or attached to the cap by suitable fasteners, adhesive, etc.  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 10 depicts yet another aspect of the present invention in which an aerosol can  20  has a discharge nozzle  122  mounted on one end and surrounded by a suitably formed gripping cap  124 . In this aspect, a lint roll  12  is rotatably supported on pivot points  126  extending inward from a pair of spaced arms  128 . The arms  128  extend from a support  130  integrally formed or otherwise attached by adhesive, fasteners, etc., to the cap  124 . An aperture  132  is formed in the support  130  adjacent to the outlet of the discharge nozzle  122 . This enables the discharge nozzle  122  to be depressed to dispense the contents of the container  120  through the aperture  132  independently or at the same time that the lint roll  12  is being moved across a surface.  
         [0049]    The supports  14 ,  17 ,  19 ,  40  and  60  described above for the tape roll  12  could also be attached to or mounted on a cylindrical cap, such as caps  80  or  90 .