Abstract:
A steam pad for use with a steam mop is provided. The steam pad includes at least one layer of fabric having at least one fastener that corresponds to at least one fastener on the steam mop. In another embodiment, the steam pad comprises a first layer of fabric, a corresponding second layer of fabric, where the first and second layer are joined around the perimeter and where the second layer of fabric has at least one fastener that corresponds to at least one fastener on the steam mop.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/769,521, filed Jun. 27, 2007. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to steam mops, and more particularly to a fabric steam pad for use with a steam mop. 
     Conventional mops have been widely used for cleaning floors. However, conventional mops have not been effective at cleaning dirt in small crevices and floor gaps. In addition, conventional mops require frequent rising since mops can only effectively clean a small surface area at a time. 
     Steaming devices used to apply steam to household objects are well known. The uses of the devices vary widely, and may include the application of steam to drapes or other fabrics to ease wrinkles, and the application of steam to objects to assist in cleaning the objects. 
     Typical steam devices have a reservoir for storing water that is connected to an electrical water pump with an on/off switch. The exit from the electric water pump is connected to a steam boiler with a heating element to heat the water. The heated water generates steam, which may be directed towards its intended destination through a nozzle which controls the application of the steam. Variation of the shape and size of the nozzle allows for preferred distribution of generated steam to an object to be cleaned. The nozzles may be disconnectable from the steam generator to allow different nozzles to be utilized, based on the object to be steamed. The nozzle may be either closely coupled to the steam generator, or located at a distance from the steam generator, requiring tubing or other steam transfer structures to be interconnected between the steam generator and the discharge nozzle. Typically, it is beneficial to provide suitable connectors between the steam generator and the nozzle to allow either the nozzle to be connected to the steam generator, or to allow the interpositioning of transfer tubes or hoses between the steam generator and the nozzle. 
     In general, the nozzles used with the steam cleaners do not have large surface areas and a cloth to absorb the liquid condensate of the steam. Often steam injected behind the cloth passes through the cloth at the points the bristles contact on the cloth. This tends to wet the cloth and reduce the cleaning effectiveness of the steam. In addition, the cloth covers must be carefully attached so as to not to cover the front or back of the brush attachment. 
     Notwithstanding the wide variety of steam generating appliances available, there exists the need to provide an easy to use steam mop and steam mop pad. That will effectively improve the effective steaming surface area of the steam cleaners. It is desirable to provide this device with the ability for a user to clean a larger surface area easily without worrying about wiping up the liquid condensate of the steam when cleaning flooring, furniture and other household items. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a fabric steam pad to be mounted on the steam pad frame of a steam mop to provide an improved cleaning surface. The fabric steam pad provides a substantially outer planar surface for cleaning and has on the opposed inner surface at least one fastener for removeably attaching it to the steam frame. The fastener may be a conventional hook-and-loop fastener, commonly known as “Velcro.” 
     In one embodiment, the fabric steam pad is formed from two fabric layers that are joined at their edges. Fasteners on the inner surface of the pad for fastening to corresponding fasteners on the steam frame for easy installation and removal. The pad may be any geometric shape, such as rectangular, circular or triangular. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a fabric steam pad that is easily mounted on and removed from a steam pad frame. 
     Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a steam pad frame attachment for a fabric pad that does not allow steam to escape as occurs at points of contact with brush bristles. 
     Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification. 
     The invention accordingly comprises a product possessing the features, properties, and the relation of components which will be exemplified in the product hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing(s), in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of steam mop housing and steam frame including a fabric steam pad constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the outside cleaning surface of the fabric steam pad in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the upper surface of the fabric steam pad of  FIG. 2  showing hook-and-loop fastening bands on the upper surface; 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the bottom cleaning surface of the steam frame of the mop in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a push-pull floor steam mop with a steam frame as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a front plan view of the steam mop housing and showing a reservoir, pump and boiler; 
         FIG. 7  is a section view of the principal elements of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the mop of  FIG. 1  with a fabric steam pad mounted on the steam frame; and 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view of the fabric pad of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a steam mop  11  having an elongated housing  12  with a connecting handle  13  at one end and a steam frame  14  at the opposite end. Steam frame  14  has an upper surface  14   a  and an opposed bottom cleaning surface  14   b . A fabric steam pad  16  is removeably fastened to bottom cleaning surface  14   b.    
     Steam pad  16  has a bottom cleaning surface  16   a  shown in  FIG. 2  and an upper fastening surface  16   b  shown in  FIG. 3 . Fastening surface  16   b  has a pair of hook and loop fastening bands  17  mounted thereon. Bands  17  attach to steam frame bottom surface  14   b  as described below in connection with  FIG. 4 . 
     Mop housing  12  includes a water container or tank  21  as shown in  FIG. 6  connected to a boiler  22  by a pump  23  having a one-way outlet valve  24 . Any type of mechanical pump or some other means of transporting the water to the boiler may be used with steam mop  11 . Preferably, pump  23  is a mechanical pump, such as a bellows pump or a piston pump, that is actuated by movement of mop  11  by a user pushing and pulling handle  13 . 
     Steam pad frame  14  shown in  FIG. 4  is substantially rectangular in shape and includes a central steam opening  26 . Steam generated in steam boiler  22  dispenses steam into frame  14  through central steam opening  26  of frame  14 . Steam frame bottom  14   b  includes four hook-and-loop fastening elements  18  for cooperating with fastening bands  17  on pad  14 . 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view of the bottom cleaning surface  14   b  of the steam frame  14  of the mops in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . Here, bottom of steam frame  14  includes hook-and-loop fastening elements  18  to be attached to fastening bands  17  on upper surface  14   a  of steam pad frame  14 . Steam frame  14  includes a front wall  81 , a rear wall  82 , a right side wall  83  and a left side wall  84 . Also, steam frame  14  includes a plurality of vanes  86  to help disperse the steam uniformly throughout frame  14  and a plurality of grooves  87  to help release extra steam from steam pad  16  when steam pad  16  is attached to steam frame  14  as shown in  FIG. 1 . A plurality of baffles  88   a  in a square grid formation may be disposed over steam opening  26 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, steam pad  16  is a cloth or towel. It may be formed of any suitable fabric such as cotton or a synthetic fabric, such as polyester or polyolefin fiber. Generally, steam pad  16  is formed from two layers of fabric stitch about the perimeter. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, steam pad bottom surface  16   a  is a velour microfiber material and a mesh fabric  16   b  is joined to upper surface  16   c  of the velour microfiber material. A cross section is shown in  FIG. 9 . Upper mesh fabric surface  16   b  is stitched to pad  16  by a seam  16   d . Preferably, the fabric of pad  16  is a microfiber. Most preferably, the microfiber is a synthetic polyester microfiber. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  are a front plan and section views, respectively, of the elements in housing  12  of steam mop  11 . This includes water container or tank  21 , one-way pump  23  and boiler  22 . A pump water supply hose  25  is connected to a one-way inlet valve  30 . A pump water outlet  24  is connected to boiler  22  through a boiler water supply hose  27 . Water container  21  includes an opening  21   a  that may be easily opened and closed for the user to fill mop  11  with water. 
     Water pump  23  includes a pump body  31  having a pump cavity  32 . A piston  33  connected to a push rod  34  is positioned in cavity  32 . As mop handle  13  is pulled by a user, push rod  34  and piston  33  create a negative pressure in cavity  32 . This draws water from tank  21  into pump water supply hose  25  and into one-way inlet valve  30 . As handle  13  is pushed during use, water in cavity  32  is expelled through one-way outlet valve  24 . This pumped water then passes to boiler  22 . Water in boiler  22  is heated by a heating element  22   a  in a boiler cavity  36  and steam generated is fed through a steam valve  37  into a steam chamber  38 . Heating element  22   a  is connected to electrical connectors  22   b  and  22   c . Steam is then expelled through a steam outlet  39  to a steam hose  41  and to frame nozzle  16 . 
     One-way inlet valve  30  and one-way outlet valve  24  are formed of a flexible elastomeric material, such a rubber. The valves are conical in shape so that when handle  13  is pulled, water is drawn through inlet valve  30  while outlet valve  24  remains closed. Similarly, when handle  13  is pushed, water is forced out through outlet valve  24  and inlet valve  30  remains closed and water is fed into boiler  22 . 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the mop of  FIG. 1  as a floor mop with fabric steam pad  16  mounted on steam frame  14 . Fabric steam pad  16  is attached to steam pad frame  14  by fasteners (not shown). Also, in this example, fabric steam pad is larger than steam pad frame to provide increased steam cleaning surface area. 
     In the preferred embodiment, fabric steam pad  16  is made of an upper layer  16   b  and a bottom cleaning layer  16   a  of fabric that are joined by stitching  16   d  around the perimeter. Upper layer  16   b  has at least one fastener  17  that corresponds to at least one fastener for mounting on steam mop frame  14 . This fabric steam pad is substantially rectangular; however, it may be any convenient geometric shape, such as a triangle or circle. Bottom cleaning layer  16   a  of fabric may be formed of a microfiber, such as a polyester microfiber. Upper layer  16   b  of fabric may be form of a mesh fabric and fasteners  17  are a Velcro-type fastener. 
     Steam floor mop  11  provides many advantages for ease of use because it eliminates the need for an electric water pump and an on/off switch to activate the electric water pump. Here, the user has more control over the amount of water needed to be discharged into the boiler and consequently, how much steam is needed by moving the mop forward and backwards. In addition, steam mop is designed as a low pressure or non-pressurized system so it is safer for the user to use. Further, since the amount of water routed to the boiler is controlled, the boiler can create steam in a short amount of time. 
     It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above product without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
     It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes of the invention. Accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention. A steam pad frame attachment with a fabric pad cover in accordance with the invention provides a vast improvement over placing a towel onto a bristle attachment for a steam cleaned. It avoids puncture of the cloth by the bristles. Moreover, the fabric cover is easily installed and replaced.