Abstract:
The invention is a cleaning device comprising of a shaft with two or more apertures. The shaft also has two or more slits. The user will place one or more pieces of fabric through the two apertures and then pulled through the slits. This severs to provide a user with a taut piece of fabric along the shaft to be used for cleaning. The user is then able to apply pressure to the cleaning fabric via the shaft to the area being cleaned.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates to tools that employ paper towels, cloths, flexible materials designed for cleaning and/or other suitable fabric in the art of cleaning. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    In today&#39;s households, many people employ cleaning devices that aid in using fabrics for cleaning and dusting. These cleaning devices allow the user to apply the cleaning fabric to the soiled area without having to awkwardly bend over to scrub the floor or use a stool to reach the ceiling. For example if one were to employ a fabric to clean the floor without such a cleaning device, that person would have to either bend over or get down on their hands and knees to clean the soiled floor. However, recent cleaning devices now allow the user to apply the cleaning fabric to the floor and other areas out of the users&#39; reach. 
         [0005]    Many of these cleaning devices require that the user purchase specific disposable fabric sheets to employ the device. These sheets can be much more expensive than just ordinary paper towels. They also do not provide for use of non-disposable cloths or ordinary rags. These cleaning devices do not allow for those who are environmentally conscious to use the devices, they cause more cost to the consumer and they are responsible for harm to the environment in the form of increased waste. 
         [0006]    Many of theses devices are also of relatively complicated design with many moving parts. Manufacturing of the individual parts and assembling those parts into the final product takes time and increases cost. More parts of a device, moving and non-moving, increase the chances of malfunction. An increase in complexity comes with a decrease in reliability. 
         [0007]    The current invention alleviates the stated deficiencies of the prior art. The invention allows users to employ paper towels, fabrics, non-disposable cloths and any fabric suitable for cleaning for dusting and cleaning without having to bend over to reach the floor or stand on a stool to reach the ceiling. It is also of simple design and operation, saving both time and money during manufacturing and use. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    A cleaning device comprises of a shaft. The shaft comprises a hollow section and a lower end with a rim. The rim defines an opening at the proximate end of the shaft, and the opening is located about the longitudinal axis and is in communication with the hollow section. The shaft also has one or more apertures that extend through the side of the shaft and are in communication with said hollow section. The apertures maybe in direct communication with one of the one or more slits. The slit(s) run parallel to the longitudinal axis and may terminate before reaching the rim. 
         [0009]    The design of the cleaning device allows the user to secure any fabric or cleaning material in the device and use that fabric or cleaning material for cleaning with greater ease than devices of the prior art. It enables the user to clean without having to apply pressure with their hands, lean over or reach up to get to spaces, use non disposable rags and/or have to purchase specific designed cleaning materials. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of the invention where the fabric is twisted and inserted through the bottom and locked in place solely by the frictional engagement with the projections. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  shows an embodiment that employs a sleeve, in addition to the projections, help secure the fabric. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  shows one side of another embodiment designed to secure two ends of the fabric. 
           [0013]      FIGS. 4 and 4   a  show different designs for the reverse side of the  FIG. 3 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  shows how the fabric maybe secured in a taut position. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  shows an embodiment with fanning slits. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  shows fabric using the fanning slits. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    An embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . The embodiment has a shaft  1  with a handle end  10  for having a handle (not shown) and an open end  6  for receiving fabric  7 . The open end is defined by the rim of shaft  1 . The shaft  1  is at least hollow from the open end  6  to the two apertures  2  and  3 . The shaft  1  also has one or more slits, illustrated as reference numeral  4 , that run down the sides of the shaft  1  from the apertures  2  and  3  toward the open end  6  for a length  9 . At least one of the apertures  2  and  3  has a slit  4 . The slit(s)  4  may have projections  5  that are used to help secure the twisted end  8  of the fabric  7 . Fabric  7  can include, but is not limited to: paper towels; terry cloths, rags, flexible materials designed for cleaning; wet wipes; any flexible material suitable for cleaning; or any combination thereof. 
         [0018]    Another embodiment is shown in  FIG. 2 . This embodiment is closely related to that shown in  FIG. 1 , and the like parts are labeled as such. The difference between the two embodiments is the sleeve  11 . The sleeve  11  will slide over lower part of the shaft after the fabric is inserted through the open end  6 , through an aperture  2  or  3  and pulled down through a slit  4  and between the projections  5 . The sleeve&#39;s  11  diameter will be larger than that of the lower part of the shaft  1  so that it will slide over the lower part of the shaft  1  and the twisted end  8  of the fabric  7 . When the sleeve  11  is slid into the secured position, over the twisted end  8 , it will further help secure the fabric to the shaft  1 . The sleeve  11  can either slide completely off the shaft  1  or be designed in such a way that it can move along the shaft but prevent from coming entirely off. The sleeve  11  may also comprise of one or more parts that are secured about the shaft by any suitable means. 
         [0019]    The sleeve  11  will be in the secured position when a portion of the sleeve  11  is secured over a portion of the aperture(s),  2  and/or  3 , and/or over a portion of the slit(s)  4 . The sleeve  11  can be secured by frictional engagement and/or mechanical means. 
         [0020]    While the sleeve  11  is shown as having a conical end, any shape that will serve spread out and/or apply pressure to the fabric  7  when cleaning is contemplated. The sleeve  11  can be flexible or ridged, designed to fit specific applications such as cleaning corners and/or designed to spread out the pressure applied to the fabric  7 . The sleeve  11  may also have a joint and a section that pivots about that joint. 
         [0021]    The slits  4  and apertures  2  and  3  are shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  to be on both sides of the shaft. However it is hereby disclosed that the embodiments can have two apertures and one slit or one aperture and one slit. Also, while it is shown in the figures that the slit  4  has projections, it is hereby disclosed that many means can be used to secure the twisted end  8  of the fabric  8 . Those means include but not limited to projections that are jagged, a slit that starts to narrow at a certain point, a slit with a constant width, projections that are offset or any combination thereof. 
         [0022]    In operation of the invention, the user will first select one or more sheets of fabric  7 . For explanation purposes, the use of multiple paper towels will be discussed here with the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 . The user would align the paper towels how they choose and then twist the sheets into a point as shown as the twisted end  8 . The user would then push the twisted end  8  through the open end  6  so that the twisted end  8  would reach the apertures  2  and  3 . The user would then push and/or pull the twisted end  8  through the apertures  2  and  3 . The user may then pull the twisted end  8  up in order to pull more fabric  7  through the open end to increase the thickness of the cloth in the slit(s)  4 . The user would then pull the twisted end  8  down through the slit  4  and pass the projections  5  so that the twisted end  8  would then become secure. The user would then move the sleeve  11  to the secured position, over the twisted end  8 , to help secure the twisted end  8  of the fabric  7 . The invention is then ready to use. 
         [0023]    When the user wants to change out the paper towels, the user first slides the sleeve  11  out of the secured position, pulls up the twisted end  8  up through the projections  5  and the slit  4 , and then pulls the twisted end  8 , by the lower end of the fabric  7 , back through the lower end  6 . The user would then replace the fabric  7  and repeat the steps above. 
         [0024]    In another embodiment with a sleeve  11 , the sleeve will spread out and apply pressure to the fabric  7 . For example, if the user where to use the cleaning device to clean the floor, the sleeve would spread out the fabric  7  and increase the area upon which force is being applied to the floor. This will increase the cleaning effectiveness of the device and help prevent tearing of the fabric  7 . 
         [0025]    When using a long version of the cleaning device, the user can use it to clean the floor or ceiling fans. When using a shorter version the user can use it to clean the tub or toilet. The uses of the cleaning device of various lengths and angles are obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art and within the sprit of the invention. 
         [0026]    In another embodiment of the invention the fabric  7  will be secured at two different locations. Referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , a shaft with an opened end  6  is shown.  FIG. 3  shows the a first side of the embodiment and  FIGS. 4 and 4   a  show alternative designs for the opposite side. The first side,  FIG. 3 , shows a slit  4  with projections  5  and an aperture  2 . The second side,  FIG. 4  and in the alternative  FIG. 4   a , shows a slit  4  and an aperture  3 . The slit  4  may or may not intersect with the aperture  3 . The slit may or may not have projections  5  (shown in  FIG. 4   a ) or maybe of a constant or varying width as disclosed above. Any combination of slit length, shape with or without projections is hereby contemplated. This embodiment can have a handle that is transverse or along the shaft  1 . This embodiment may or may not have a hollow end. At the very least slit  4  must extend through the shaft. 
         [0027]    This embodiment allows for the fabric  7  to be secured at two separate locations. For the purposes of this example we will use multiple paper towels placed on top of one another and the fabric  7  and formed to have a twisted end  8 . Once the twisted end  8  is inserted through the aperture  3  and out of aperture  2 , the fabric  7  is drawn through the apertures to the point the desired resistance it created. The resistance will occur because of the thickness of the fabric  7  being pulled through the apertures. The user will then take the twisted end  8  (or the unraveled twisted end) and pull it toward the open end  6 , leave the desired amount of slack, and either pull the twisted end  8  through the slits  5  or pull the twisted end below and about the open end  6  and then force the fabric  7  through both slits  4  at approximately the same time. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , the fabric  7  is shown as very taut, but can be of any tension the user so desires. The advantage of having two locations of the fabric  7  secured is that it allows for more control of the location of the fabric  7  during cleaning. This allows the user to better apply force used in cleaning to the areas that are soiled. 
         [0029]    Another embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . This embodiment has fanning slits  14  that are not in communication with the apertures  2  and  3 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , this allows the fabric  7  to spread out through the fanning slits  14 . This allows more of the fabric to be used in the cleaning process by allowing it to start fanning out at a much earlier point that if there where no fanning slits. It also helps keep the fabric fanned out, keeping a defined application surface, by positioning and keeping the fabric in the fanning slits  14   t . There can be one or more fanning slits  14  and can be of any orientation relative to one or more other fanning slits  14 . 
         [0030]    This embodiment can employ a sleeve  11  (not shown) like the one described above. The sleeve for this embodiment can also have slits that correspond to the fanning slits  14 . The sleeve  11  will assist in fanning out the fabric  14  and securing the twisted end  8  of the fabric. The sleeve can run on a set path so that the fanning slits  14  will correspond to the slits in the sleeve. 
         [0031]    The embodiment can also have slits  4  (shown in shadow in  FIG. 7 ) in the manner discussed above. The slits  4  may also have projections as discussed above. 
         [0032]    Embodiments with alternative designs for the same identified parts are contemplated to be employed or interchanged with all other embodiments. 
         [0033]    Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and the present invention is intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the present invention has been described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function, manner of operation, assembly, and use may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein.