Abstract:
Polish applying and buffing glove ( 1 ) comprising at least two parts joined together detachably, namely a polish applying part ( 2 ) comprising a backing film ( 4 ) to which is affixed a pad ( 5 ) impregnated with polish and covered by a peel-off seal ( 6 ); and a buffing part ( 3 ) shaped like a glove and comprising a bag film ( 7 ) to which a buffing pad ( 8 ) is affixed.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/FR2008/001665 filed Dec. 1, 2008, claiming priority based on French Patent Application No. 0708406, filed Nov. 30, 2007, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
       [0002]    The invention concerns a polish applying and buffing glove for leather shoes. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The classical method, the oldest one—and, up to day, certainly the most common one—for polishing and buffing shoes consists of applying onto the leather a care product (i.e. polish) in a liquid or pasty form, spreading the product on all or part of the surface of the shoe with a fabric, and buffing the shoe with another fabric, or with a part of the preceding fabric. 
         [0004]    This ancient method is efficient but fastidious and dirty. This method is convenient for house care of shoes, since the material required (polish boxes or bottles, clean fabric squares, soap) is immediately available and may be stored no matter the room needed. However, this method reveals unadapted to travel polishing, where the hereabove mentioned material is unavailable and/or there is no time for achieving a polishing according to the ordinary method. 
         [0005]    The problem is not new, and attempts have been made as soon as in the early 20ieth century to find a satisfactory solution: one may for example refer to U.S. Pat. No. 1,502,798 dated 1923, which proposes a polishing and buffing glove-shaped device including, on one face, a disc which is impregnated with polish for applying onto the shoe and, on an opposite face, a buffing pad for making the shoe shine. In order to achieve polishing and buffing of the shoe, one impregnates the disc with polish (by means of a tube affixed on the glove), and rubs the shoe with the disc. One then turns the glove around in order to buff the shoe by means of the buffing pad. Although this device is satisfactory with respect of the hereabove mentioned problem, it nevertheless has a drawback: as the glove is meant to be used again, it is dirty since the polish impregnated disc may stain the user&#39;s clothes when the glove is stored after the first use thereof. 
         [0006]    A more modern version of this device is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,260, which discloses a shoe polishing and buffing glove, comprising two superimposed sheets, namely a first sheet impregnated with polish, and a second sheet glued to the first one and made of a buffing material. A peel-off seal covers the first sheet in order to preserve the polish before its first use. The polishing and buffing method is similar to that of U.S. Pat. No. 1,502,798 already cited. The device according to the U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,260, however, is usefully disposable, which eliminates the risk of staining between two successive polishings. Nevertheless, the very structure of the glove does not prevent all risks of staining during the use of the glove, and in particular during the buffing, since the polish impregnated sheet is exposed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    It is one object of the invention to remedy the hereabove mentioned drawbacks, by proposing a glove which permits practical and efficient shoe polishing and buffing, whereas minimizing the risk of staining. 
         [0008]    Thus the invention proposes a polish applying and buffing glove comprising at least two parts joined together detachably, namely:
       a polish applying part comprising a backing film to which is affixed a pad impregnated with polish and covered by a peel-off seal;   and a buffing part shaped like a glove and comprising a bag film to which a buffing pad is affixed.       
 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent of the following description of preferred embodiments, made is reference to the appended drawings in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a bottom plan view of a polishing and buffing glove, showing by transparency a part of its internal structure. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an upper plan view of the glove of  FIG. 1 , with no transparency. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a polishing and buffing glove according to a first embodiment, before it is used for a polishing a shoe. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing the polishing and buffing glove of  FIG. 3 , before it is used for buffing a shoe. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the glove of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of a glove according to a second embodiment. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a cut view (the thickness being voluntarily exaggerated), showing the structure of a glove according to a third embodiment. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a cut view similar to  FIG. 7 , showing the structure of a glove according to a fourth embodiment. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a cut view similar to  FIG. 7 , showing the structure of a glove according to a fifth embodiment. 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a cut view similar to  FIG. 7 , showing the structure of a glove according to a sixth embodiment. 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is a cut view similar to  FIG. 7 , showing the structure of a glove according to a seventh embodiment. 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  is a cut view similar to  FIG. 7 , showing the structure of a glove according to a eighth embodiment. 
           [0024]      FIG. 13  is a cut view similar to  FIG. 7 , showing the structure of a glove according to a ninth embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0025]    A polishing and buffing glove  1  is shown on the drawings. Glove  1 , of rectangular shape, comprises two detachable parts, namely:
       a first, polishing part  2  intended for polishing one (or more) shoe(s);   a second, buffing part  3 , intended for buffing the shoe(s).       
 
         [0028]    The polishing part  2  comprises at least a backing film  4  made of a flexible, liquid and gas tight plastic material; a polishing pad  5  impregnated with polish, fixed on the backing film  4 ; a peal off seal covering the polishing pad  5 . 
         [0029]    The buffing part  3 , which is glove-shaped, comprises at least a bag film  7  made of a resilient plastic material, and a buffing pad  8  fixed to the bag film on part of its periphery, leaving a backing edge  9  free of any fixation, thereby defining an opening  10  allowing one or more fingers of a hand to be inserted therein (as illustrated in dashed line on  FIG. 1 ). 
         [0030]    The buffing part  3  is fixed to the polishing part in a removable manner, by means of a welding or a gluing applied to at least part of their perimeter. 
         [0031]    Using the glove  1  is simple. After having slipped one hand into the glove  1 , one peels off the seal  6  ( FIG. 3 ). The polish impregnated pad  5  is therefore uncovered. One applies the polish onto the shoe(s) by rubbing the shoe by means of the polishing pad  5 . Once this operation is over one detaches the polishing part  2  from the buffing part  3  ( FIG. 4 ), possibly after having covered the polishing pad  5  again by means of the peel-off seal  6 . The polishing part  2  may be disposed of. With the hand slipped in the buffing part  3 , one may rub the shoe(s) by means of the buffing pad  8 . Once this operation is over the buffing part  3  may be disposed of. 
         [0032]    As depicted on  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the perimeter of the glove  1  is asymmetric, in order to facilitate its manual handling, and in order to facilitate peeling off the seal  6  and detaching the polishing and buffing parts  2 ,  3 . 
         [0033]    Several embodiments may be considered. Nine embodiments—to which the invention is not limited—will now be disclosed. 
       Example 1 
     FIG.  1 - 5   
       [0034]    The polishing part  2  comprises the backing film  4 , the polishing pad  5  fixed onto its perimeter (or onto all of its surface) onto the backing film  4 , and the peel-off seal  6  fixed to the backing film  4  on an area  11  extending on the perimeter around the polishing pad  5 . 
         [0035]    The backing film is preferably made of a resilient liquid- and gas-tight material such as a triple complex of two layer of polyethylene (PE) (welding layers) sandwiching a layer of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or EVOH (barrier layer). The polishing pad  5  is preferably made of a non-woven PET, fixed to the backing film  4  on the PE side by means of a thermal welding before it is impregnated with polish. 
         [0036]    The peel-off seal  6  is made of a resilient gas-tight and water proof material (in order to prevent liquid or gaseous polish leaks), e.g. a PET/PE or EVOH/OE complex, and fixed to the backing film  4  on the PE side by means of a liquid- and gas-tight thermal welding on area  11 , possibly doubled with a gluing allowing for a repositioning of the peel-off seal  6  after having polished the shoe(s). 
         [0037]    The buffing part  3  comprises the bag film  7  and the buffing pad  8 , fixed to the bag film on a U-shaped area  12  which extends on three edges: two lateral edges  13 ,  14  and a front edge  15 , except the backing edge  9  where the absence of fixation frees, between the bag film  7  and the buffing pad  8 , the opening  10  allowing for finger insertion. 
         [0038]    The bag film  7  may be made of PE or, preferably, in a complex including a PE layer onto which is fixed a reinforcement layer made of another material e.g. PET; it is fixed to the polishing part  2  (more precisely onto the backing film  4 ) on the PE side (i.e. on the side opposite the polishing pad  5 ), on an area  16  extending along at least both the lateral edges  13 ,  14  (and possibly along the front edge  15 ), outside the area  12  of fixation of the buffing pad  8 . The buffing pad  8  is preferably made of a non-woven PET, fixed to the bag film  7  by means of a thermal welding. 
         [0039]    In another embodiment, the backing film  4  is made of a PE/PET dual-layer, and the edges thereof are folded, whereby the PE layer is turned toward the bag film  7 , in order to permit welding of the latter on the backing film  4  on the PE side. 
         [0040]    In order to use the glove  1 , one slips the fingers in the glove formed by the buffing part  3 , through the opening  10  formed between the bag film  7  and the buffing pad  8 . 
         [0041]    One then detaches the peel-off seal  6 , and applies the polish onto the shoe(s) by rubbing it with the polishing pad  5 . 
         [0042]    Once this operation is over, with the fingers stills within the buffing part  3 , one detaches the polishing part  2  from the buffing part  3 , possibly after having repositioned the peel-off seal  6 . The polishing part  2  may be disposed of. 
         [0043]    One may achieve the buffing of the shoe(s), by rubbing it with the buffing pad  8 . Once this operation is over, the buffing part  3  may be disposed of. 
       Example 2 
     FIG.  1 , FIG.  2 , FIG.  6   
       [0044]    The  1  glove is mostly identical to the glove of example 1. It however differentiates through the presence, in the polishing part  2 ; of a finishing film  17  made of a liquid- and gas-tight material interposed between the backing film  4  and the peel-off seal  6 . The finishing film  17  has a central cut-out  18 , the surface of which is lower than the surface of the polishing pad  5 . The finishing film  17  is fixed both on the backing film  4 , on a area  19  encompassing the polishing pad  5 , and to the polishing pad  5  the perimeter of which it covers. The presence of the finishing film  17 , which covers the edges of the polishing pad  5 , minimizes the risks of tearing off during the polishing of the shoe(s). 
         [0045]    The finishing film  17  can be made of PE, preferably in a PE/PET complex or EVOH/PE; it is fixed on the one hand to the backing film  4  thanks to a liquid- and gas-tight welding, and on the other hand on the polishing par by a thermal welding made before impregnating the polishing pad  5 . 
         [0046]    The peel-off seal  6  is fixed to the finishing film  17  by means of a liquid- and gas-tight thermal welding all along its perimeter, possibly combined with a gluing allowing repositioning of the peel-off seal  6  after having polished the shoe(s). 
         [0047]    The use of the glove is identical of that of example 1. 
       Example 3 
     FIG.  1 , FIG.  2 , FIG.  7   
       [0048]    The glove  1  distinguishes from the glove of example 1, on the one hand, by the presence of a gusset  20  onto the buffing pad  8 , in order to increase the volume available for the fingers, and, on the other hand, by the presence on the polishing part  2  of a bag film  21 , fixed to the backing film  4  on the side opposite the polishing pad  5  (i.e. on the side of the buffing part  3 ), such that the polishing part  2  is, as well as the polishing part  3 , glove-shaped. 
         [0049]    More precisely, the bag film  21 , made of PE or, preferably, in a PE/PET complex, is fixed to the baking film  4 —preferably by a thermal welding on the PE side—on a U shaped area  22  which extends in a concentric manner inside the area  16  of fixation of the bag film  7  onto the polishing part  2 . The back edge  9  is free of any fixation, so that it is defined between the bag film  21  and the backing film a second opening  23  allowing slip of the fingers. 
         [0050]    As depicted on  FIG. 7 , the bag film  21  preferably includes a gusset  24  allowing for an increase of available volume for the fingers between the bag film  21  and the backing film  4 . 
         [0051]    As illustrated on  FIG. 7 , the peel-off seal  6  may be formed of a complex, by the sticking of two superimposed films, namely a barrier film  25  which achieves the sealing of the polishing pad  5 , and a backing film  26  impregnated with glue, which protrudes from the barrier film  25  on the perimeter thereof. The barrier film  25  is fixed on its perimeter by means of a welding  27 , around the polishing pad  5 , onto the backing film  4 . The backing film  26  is glued both to the barrier film  25 , which it fully covers and, on its perimeter  28 , to the backing film  4 . The barrier film  25  and the backing film  26  are stick together during the peeling of the seal  6 , the welding  27  breaking in a definitive manner whereas it remains possible to reposition the seal  6  by means of the glued perimeter  28  of the backing film  26 . 
         [0052]    In another embodiment, as shown in an exploded manner on  FIG. 7 , the peel-off seal  6  may be made of a sole film fixed to the backing film  4  by means of a liquid- and gas tight welding  27 , combined with a gluing on its perimeter  28 . 
         [0053]    In addition, the alternate embodiment which is disclosed in example 1 may apply in example 3: the backing film  4  may be formed of a dual-layer PE/PET complex, with folded edges, such that the PE layer be turned toward the bag films  7  and  21 , in order to allow welding onto the backing film  4  on the PE side. 
         [0054]    The glove  1  is used as follows. 
         [0055]    First, one detaches the polishing part  2  from the buffing part  3 . Then one slips the fingers within the glove formed by the polishing part  2 , between the bag film  21  and the backing film  4 . 
         [0056]    One then detaches the peel-off seal  6 , and applies the polish onto the shoe(s) by rubbing it by means of the polishing pad  5 . Once this operation is over, the polishing part  2  may be disposed of, possibly after having repositioned the seal  6 . 
         [0057]    One then slips the fingers within the glove formed by the buffing part  3 , between the bag film  7  and the polishing pad  8 . One then buffs the shoe(s) by rubbing it with the buffing pad  8 . Once this operation is over, the buffing part  3  may be disposed of. 
       Example 4 
     FIG.  1 ,  2 ,  8   
       [0058]    The glove  1  is mostly identical to that of example 3; it however distinguishes by the absence of bag film on the polishing part. 
         [0059]    In other words, the glove  1  is mostly identical to that of example 1, from which it distinguishes by the presence of a gusset  20  on the polishing pad  8 . 
         [0060]    The use is identical to that of the glove of example 1. 
       Example 5 
     FIG.  1 ,  2 ,  9   
       [0061]    The glove is mostly identical to that of example 2, from which it distinguishes by the presence of a gusset  20  on the polishing pad  8 . 
         [0062]    In other words, the glove  1  is mostly identical to that of example 4, from which it distinguishes by the presence of a finishing film as disclosed in example 2. 
         [0063]    The use is identical to that of the glove of example 1. 
       Example 6 
     FIG.  1 ,  2 ,  10   
       [0064]    The glove  1  is mostly identical to that of example 5; it however distinguishes, on the one hand, by the fact that the finishing film  17  protrudes from the backing film  4  and, on the other hand, by the fact that the bag film  7  of the buffing part  3  is fixed to the finishing film  17  and not to the backing film  4 . 
         [0065]    The use is identical to that of the glove of example 1. 
       Example 7 
     FIG.  1 ,  2 ,  11   
       [0066]    The glove  1  distinguishes in two ways from the glove of example 6. 
         [0067]    First, the mutual orientation of the polishing part  2  and the buffing part  3  is reversed, since the buffing part  2  is located, with respect of the finishing film  17  to which the bag film  7  is fixed, on the side of the polishing pad  5  and not opposite thereto as in the glove of example 6 (and of the preceding examples). 
         [0068]    Secondly, the polishing part  2  is glove-shaped, and comprises therefore a bag film  21  fixed onto the finishing film  17  on the side opposite the buffing part  3 , along a U-shaped area  22  which frees, onto a back edge, a second opening  23  allowing fingers slipping. 
         [0069]    The use is identical to that of the glove of example 3. 
       Example 8 
     FIG.  1 ,  2 ,  12   
       [0070]    The glove  1  is mostly identical to that of example 7; it however distinguishes by the fact that, instead of being fixed to the finishing film  17 , the bag film  21  of the polishing film  2  is fixed to the backing film  4 . 
         [0071]    The use is identical to that of the glove of example 7. 
       Example 9 
     FIG.  1 ,  2 ,  13   
       [0072]    The glove  1  distinguishes from that of example 8 by the absence of finishing film. In other words, the glove  1  distinguishes from that of example 4, on the one hand, by the reversed mutual orientation of the polishing part  2  and the buffing part  3 , since the latter is located, with respect to the backing film  4 , on the side of the polishing pad  5  and not on the opposite side and, on the other hand, by the fact that the buffing part  2  is glove-shaped, and therefore comprises a bag film  21  fixed to the backing film  4  on the side opposite the polishing pad  5  (and therefore on the side opposite to the buffing part  3 ) along a U-shaped area  22  allowing for finger slipping. 
         [0073]    Use is identical to that of gloves according to examples 3, 7 and 8. 
         [0074]    It can therefore be seen that, whatever the embodiment, the use of the glove  1  is simple. In examples 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, the hand remains inserted in the buffing part  3  during the polishing and buffing operations, and the polishing part  2  is separated from the buffing part  3  after the polishing of the shoe(s) is over. In examples 3, 7, 8 and 9, the hand may be inserted in the polishing part  2  as in the buffing part  3 . Therefore, it is possible to separate both parts  2 ,  3  before proceeding with the polishing and buffing of the shoe(s). In both cases, the risks of dirt are low, since by the time of buffing the polishing part  2  is already separated from the buffing part  3  in order to be disposed of (possibly after the peel-off seal  6  has been repositioned over the polishing pad  5 ). In addition, the glove is small in size, which allows for a use in any place, anytime. Moreover, the tightness of the materials (which may be multi-layered) and weldings ensures tightness of the polishing part, and avoids liquid leaks and evaporation of the polish. Accordingly, the glove has a long life, and may during this period of time, before it is used, be stored in the pocket or in the bag of the user, with no risk of stain, and without any odor. The tightness of the polishing part also allows for an impregnation of the polishing pad  5  in a quantity sufficient for allowing the polishing of several shoes, and more precisely a pair of shoes.