Abstract:
A cleaning tool for cleaning a surface is disclosed. The cleaning tool comprises a cleaning frame including a rigid body defining a perimeter surrounding an interior opening and at least one spacer arranged within the interior opening. The cleaning frame secures over a backing.

Description:
FIELD  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a floor cleaning system. In particular, the present invention relates to a cleaning tool including a cleaning frame that secures to a mop.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Cloths and other wipes are used over mop head for cleaning surface such as floors.  
         [0003]     Most wipes, are made from either a woven or nonwoven sheet, and are attached to a tool like a mop handle to move dirt and dust in a desired direction. Typically, most wipes products do not have the ability to effectively capture and retain small and large particles of dirt and debris. During cleaning, when the dirt or dust has been collected, the wipe may be removed from the mop and scrunched up by the user to try to capture the dirt or sand that has been collected so that it can be shaken out in the trash. This process is repeated during cleaning and often requires a user who is attempting to pick up larger particles such as sand to repeat the process several times to pick up all the sand or heavier particles that have been collected. In other cases, the user will use several wipes to entirely pick up the dirt and debris. Many times a user will pickup the debris with a broom and dust pan once it has been gathered into a pile with the wipe.  
         [0004]     Adhesive may be incorporated into a wipe to assist with retaining both small and large particle of dirt and debris within the wipe. However, there may not be sufficient quantities of adhesive to capture large particles. Use of an entirely coated adhesive sheet is impractical because due to the tack of the adhesive, the adhesive sheet cannot be easily slid over the surface to be cleaned. Therefore, sufficient spacing between the surface being cleaned and the adhesive layer is necessary to provide sufficient glide of the wipe while still providing sufficient pick-up of the dirt and debris.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0005]     The present invention relates to a cleaning tool. In one embodiment the cleaning tool comprises a cleaning frame including a rigid body defining a perimeter surrounding an interior opening and at least one spacer arranged within the interior opening. The cleaning frame secures over a backing.  
         [0006]     In another embodiment, a cleaning attachment for a mop head having a cleaning surface is disclosed. The cleaning attachment comprises a frame defining an interior opening, at least one spacer arranged in the interior opening, and a fastener for attaching the frame to the mop head. The spacer is a compliant material with structural integrity to provide distance between the surface to be cleaned and the mop head cleaning surface. When the attachment is attached to the mop head, the spacer is arranged adjacent the mop head cleaning surface; and  
         [0007]     In another embodiment, the cleaning tool for cleaning a surface comprises a cleaning frame including (a) a body defining a perimeter at least partially surrounding an interior opening and (b) at least one spacer within the interior. The spacer is linear with a first end connected to the perimeter and a second end connected to the perimeter. The cleaning tool further comprises a backing and a cleaning sheet having a substantially planar working surface. The cleaning frame secures over the backing and the sheet such that a portion of the sheet is between the backing and the cleaning frame.  
         [0008]     In another embodiment, the cleaning tool comprises a cleaning frame including (a) a body defining a perimeter surrounding an interior opening and (b) a plurality of parallel spacers within the interior opening. Each spacer is linear with a first end connected to the perimeter and a second end connected to the perimeter. The cleaning tool further comprises a mop head and a stack of cleaning sheets having a substantially planar working surface covering at least a portion of the mop head. The working surface is at least partially covered with adhesive. The cleaning frame removably secures over the mop head and the stack of cleaning sheets such that a portion of the adhesive of the working surface is covered by the spacers and a portion of the adhesive of the working surface is exposed by the interior opening.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a bottom perspective view of a mop.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of the mop of  FIG. 1  with a cleaning frame hingedly connected to the mop.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the mop of  FIG. 2  with the cleaning frame closed over the mop.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the mop and cleaning frame shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of an alternative embodiment of a cleaning frame.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective view of the mop of  FIG. 1  with an alternative cleaning frame.  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the mop of  FIG. 1  with a plurality of cleaning sheets. 
     
    
       [0016]     While the above-identified drawings and figures set forth embodiments of the invention, other embodiments are also contemplated, as noted in the discussion. In all cases, this disclosure presents the invention by way of representation and not limitation. It should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art, which fall within the scope and spirit of this invention. The figures may not be drawn to scale.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  is a bottom perspective view of a mop  200 . The mop  200  includes a handle  210  that pivotally connects to a backing  220 . The mop  200  includes a working surface  230 . Typically, mops  200  such as the one shown in  FIG. 1  are used to clean a flat surface such as a floor. A wipe, either cloth or a nonwoven, is attached over the working surface  230  and wrapped up and around the backing  220  to secure to the mop  200 . The wipe may be wet or dry and assists with collection and picking up the dirt, dust, hair and other debris on the surface to be cleaned. Mops  200  such as the one shown in  FIG. 1  often have a rigid backing  220  and at the working surface have a relatively compliant surface (not shown). The compliant surface may be of such materials as foam and in particular closed-cell foam.  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of the mop  200  of  FIG. 1  with a cleaning attachment  400  hingedly connected to the mop  200  in an open position.  FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the mop  200  of  FIG. 2  with the cleaning attachment  400  closed over the mop  200 .  FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the mop  200  and cleaning attachment  400  shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0019]     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2-4 , the cleaning attachment  400  includes a cleaning frame  410  having a first side  412 , a second side  414 , a third side  416 , and a fourth side  418  that define a perimeter surrounding a central opening  420 . The hinge  442  may be a separate mechanical attachment or may be a living hinge between the mop  200  and the cleaning frame  410 . The cleaning frame  410  attaches to a portion of the mop  200  so that the cleaning frame  410  can hinge between an open position as shown in  FIG. 2  and a closed position as shown in  FIG. 3 . The cleaning frame  410  shown includes a perimeter surrounding the entire opening  420 . It is understood that the cleaning frame  410  is a support structure, that only requires at least one side adjacent the opening  420 , and therefore not surrounding the entire opening  420 .  
         [0020]     A cleaning sheet  300  is attached to the working surface  230  of the backing  220 . The cleaning sheet  300  may be a woven, nonwoven, wet or dry wipe. Preferably, the cleaning sheet  300  includes adhesive  312  at its working surface  314 . The adhesive  312  may be continuous, discontinuous or interrupted. The cleaning sheet  300  may or may not be fixedly attached to the working surface  230  of the mop  200 . To fixedly attach the cleaning sheet  300  to the mop  200 , the working surface  230  of the mop may include an adhesive that allows for securing the cleaning sheet  300  but also allows for removal or repositioning of the cleaning sheet  300 . A single sheet or a stack of sheets may be used.  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  shows a stack  320  of cleaning sheets  300 . A plurality of sheets  300  are stacked one on top of the other such that the adhesive  312  on one sheet contacts the top (reference  FIG. 7 ) surface of a subsequent sheet  300  to form a stack  320 . The stack  320  is attached to the working surface  230  of the mop  200  such that the adhesive  312  and working surface  314  of the cleaning sheet now form the working surface of the mop  200 .  
         [0022]     Typically, the top (reference  FIG. 7 ) of the cleaning sheet  300  does not include an adhesive. In some embodiments the top surface of the cleaning sheet  300  may include a release treatment such as flame treatment, corona treatment, roughening, release liner, or release coatings such as silicones, fluorochemicals, acrylates, polyurethanes, and polyvinylacetates that can be cured via thermal, ultraviolet, or electron beam mechanisms to facilitate removal from the adhesive on the cleaning sheet above it or to facilitate removal from the working surface  230  of the mop  200 .  
         [0023]     Examples of suitable material for the cleaning sheet backing include a woven, a nonwoven, paper, polymeric and plastic film materials including polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, copolymers of ethylene or propylene, halogenated polymers such as poly(vinyl chloride) and poly(vinylidene chloride) polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethanes, and poly(vinyl acetate) and vinyl acetate copolymers. Polypropylenes can include monoaxially oriented polypropylene, biaxially oriented polypropylene, simultaneously biaxially oriented polypropylene, and untensilized polypropylene including untensilized isotactic polypropylene. Various types of nonwoven synthetic polymeric backings including spun-bond polyethylene could be used. The sheet material can be compostible or degradable, can be colored, can be printed, can be fragranced, and can be of different surface textures or embossed. Each sheet may include a textured adhesive surface having raised portions and recessed portions. A textured adhesive surface is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,865,765 the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.  
         [0024]     Suitable adhesives for the layer of adhesive  312  include hot melt-coated formulations, transfer-coated formulations, solvent-coated formulations, and latex formulations. Preferably, the layer of adhesive is a pressure-sensitive adhesive. General categories of pressure-sensitive adhesives can be based on natural rubber, styrene butadiene, butyl rubber and polyisobutylene, styrenic block copolymers, ethylene-vinyl acetate and related copolymers, poly-alpha olefins, acrylic adhesives, silicone, butadiene-acrylonitrile, polychloroprene, polybutadiene, atactic polypropylene, or repulpable pressure-sensitive adhesive. (From the  Handbook of Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Technology , Third Edition, Edited by Donatas Satas, Satas &amp; Associates, 1999.) However, other pressure-sensitive adhesives may be used for adhesive layer  320 , such as those with the properties described in  Adhesion and Adhesives Technology an Introduction , p. 216, Alphonsus V. Pocius, Hanser Gardner Publications, Inc., 1997. The Pressure-Sensitive Tape Council has defined pressure-sensitive adhesives as materials with the following properties: 1) aggressive and permanent tack; 2) adheres with no more than finger pressure; 3) requires no activation by any energy source; 4) has sufficient ability to hold onto the adherend; and 5) has enough cohesive strength to be able to be removed cleanly from the adherend.  
         [0025]     Examples of adhesives useful for the layer of adhesive  312  include those based on general compositions of polyacrylates; polyvinyl ethers; diene-containing rubbers such as natural rubber, polyisoprene, and polyisobutylene; polychloroprene; butyl rubber; butadiene-acrylonitrile polymer; thermoplastic elastomers; block copolymers such as styrene-isoprene and styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymers, styrene-diene type block copolymers such as SBS, SIBS, SEBS, and SEPS, or styrene-ethylene-butylene, hydrogenated SBS, hydrogenated SIS, styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene, ethylene-propylene-diene polymers, and styrene-butadiene polymer; poly-alpha-olefin; amorphous polyolefins; silicones; ethylene-containing copolymers such as those prepared from ethylene vinyl acetate, ethylacrylate, and ethyl methacrylate; polyurethanes; polyamides; epoxies; polyvinylpyrrolidone and vinylpyrrolidone copolymers; polyesters; and mixtures of the above. Additionally, the adhesives can contain additives such as tackifiers, plasticizers, fillers, antioxidants, stabilizers, pigments, diffusing particles, curatives, fragrance, and solvents.  
         [0026]     Within a portion of the central opening  420  is at least one spacer  430 . The spacer  430  is a compliant material that maintains spacing between the surface to be cleaned and the working surface of the mop  200 . The spacer  430  functions to capture and collect dirt and debris and prevents total contact of the adhesive  312  with the surface to be cleaned.  
         [0027]     If the adhesive  312  completely contacts the surface to be cleaned, then the mop  200  will not effectively glide on the surface to be cleaned. Without the spacer  430 , the cleaning sheet  300  is slid on the surface to be cleaned and essentially just the leading edge is available for picking up dirt and debris. When dirt and debris only collects at the leading edge, then only a limited the amount of dirt and debris can be picked up.  
         [0028]     Lifting the cleaning sheet  300  from the surface to be cleaned exposes more surface area of the cleaning sheet  300  for picking up dirt and debris. The dirt and debris are raised from the surface to be cleaned and so the top of the dirt and debris can be retained by the cleaning sheet  300 . Therefore, when the working surface  230  of the mop or in particular the working surface  314  of the cleaning sheet  300  is removed from the surface to be cleaned by the spacer  430  more dirt and debris is capable of being captured, collected, and retained on the cleaning sheet.  
         [0029]     The spacer  430  provides an open structure that the cleaning sheet  300  can glide on and may be provided in any number of arrangements and materials. One particular embodiment of the spacer  430  will be discussed with respect to  FIGS. 2, 3 , and  4 . Each spacer  430  shown in the embodiment of  FIGS. 2, 3 , and  4  includes a first end  432  and a second end  434 . The first end  432  is attached to a portion of the cleaning frame  410  and the second end  434  is attached to a portion of the cleaning frame  410 . The resulting arrangement of the spacer in this embodiment is linear and arranged generally diagonal with respect to the first side  412  of the cleaning frame  410 . Although the spacers are shown to be linear and diagonally arranged a variety of other arrangement may be included such a grid or scrim, waves, zig-zag, spiral, etc.  
         [0030]     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2, 3 , and  4 , a plurality of spacers  430  are included and the spacers  430  are parallel. It is not necessary to have a plurality of spacers. It is only necessary that there is at least one spacer  430  structure in the central opening  420 . Also, it is understood that the spacer  430  would not cover the entire central opening  420 . Further, if a plurality of spacers  430  is included, the spacers  430  need not be parallel. The spacers  430  may be nonparallel, randomly arranged or arranged in another nonparallel pattern.  
         [0031]     The spacer  430  is preferably a compliant material so that itself may capture and retain dirt and debris. Preferably, the spacer is at least 5 mils thick. Because the spacer is in direct contact with the surface to be cleaned, preferably, the spacer is of a material that will not damage the surface to be cleaned. Therefore, preferably, the spacer is a compliant material without sharp edges and rough surfaces. However, if the surface to be cleaned is a fabric-like surface like carpet, then the spacer should be smooth to allow for a smooth glide on the surface to be cleaned.  
         [0032]     Suitable material for the spacer  430  may be a natural or synthetic material. Examples of material that may be used are nonwovens, wovens, knitted material, foams, sponges, yarns, rows of bristles, extruded polymers, or a fabric surrounded metals, i.e. pipe cleaner. For an extruded strand, suitable materials include polypropylene, polyethylene or olefin copolymers and other thermoplastics. The cross section of the spacer strand may be shaped such as round, oval, star shaped, rectangle, or hollow (i.e., capillary). The plastic may be foamed to make it lighter or more flexible.  
         [0033]     The spacer  430  may be permanently secured to the frame  410  or may be removable from the frame  410 . If permanently secured to the frame  410 , when the spacer  430  has worn then the entire mop  200  is discarded or if the cleaning attachment  500  shown and described with respect to  FIG. 6  is included, just the cleaning attachment is replaced over a consistent mop. Alternatively, the spacer  430  may be removable and replaceable and when worn only the spacer is replaced.  
         [0034]     Overall, the cleaning attachment  400  hingedly connects to the backing  220  of the mop. This allows the cleaning attachment  400  to be partially removable from the backing  220  of the mop  200  so that a cleaning sheet  300  can be placed between the working surface  230  of the mop  200  and the cleaning attachment  400 . The cleaning frame  400  attaches to a portion of the mop  200  so that the cleaning frame  400  can hinge between an open position as shown in  FIG. 2  and a closed position as shown in  FIG. 3 . In an arrangement such at this shown in the embodiments of  FIG. 2-4 , the frame  410  of the cleaning attachment  400  secures to the working surface  230  of the mop  200 . The hinge may be a separate mechanical attachment or may be a living hinge between the mop  200  and the cleaning frame  410 .  
         [0035]     When the cleaning attachment  400  is in a closed position,  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a portion of the cleaning sheet  300  is covered by the spacers  430 , but a portion of the cleaning sheet is exposed through the central opening  420 . The exposed portion of the cleaning sheet provides the surface that will pick up dirt and debris from the surface to be cleaned and therefore become the working surface  314 . The thickness of the frame  410  can be set to accommodate a stack  320  of sheets  300  if included.  
         [0036]     To use the mop  200  having the cleaning attachment  400 , a cleaning sheet  300  is provided between the working surface  230  of the mop  200  and the cleaning attachment  400 . The mop  200  is maneuvered over the surface to be cleaned which may include such surfaces as floors, walls having materials such as wood, tile, laminates, and carpet. Dirt and debris are collected and trapped by the spacers  430  and secured to the cleaning sheet  300 , and in particular secured to the adhesive  312  if included. When finished, the cleaning attachment  400  is opened and the cleaning sheet  300  may be removed. If a stack  320  of cleaning sheets  300  is included, the next cleaning sheet  300  will be in place and ready for use when the cleaning attachment  400  is closed.  
         [0037]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of an alternative embodiment of a cleaning attachment having an alternative arrangement of the spacers  430 . Each spacer  430  shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 5  includes a first end  436  and a second end  438 . The first end  436  is attached to a portion of the cleaning frame  410  and the second end  438  is attached to a portion of the cleaning frame  410 . The resulting arrangement of the spacer  430  in this embodiment is linear and arranged generally perpendicular with respect to the first side  412  of the cleaning frame  410 .  
         [0038]      FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective view of the mop of  FIG. 1  with an alternative cleaning attachment  500 . The cleaning attachment  500  includes a cleaning frame  510  having a first side  512 , a second side  514 , a third side  516 , and a fourth side  518  that define a perimeter surrounding a central opening  520 . Extending in the central opening is at least one spacer  530 , which includes a first end  532  attached to the cleaning frame  510  and a second end  534  attached to the cleaning frame  510  to form a generally linear spacer  530 . In this embodiment, a plurality of spacers  530  are included and are parallel.  
         [0039]     As was discussed above with respect to  FIG. 2-6 , a cleaning sheet  300  is positioned between the working surface  230  of the mop  200  and the cleaning attachment  500 . In this embodiment, the cleaning sheet  300  includes an adhesive  312  that is partially covered by the spacer  530  and partially exposed through the central opening  520 .  
         [0040]     In contrast to the cleaning attachment  400  shown in  FIG. 2  that hingedly connects to the mop  200 , the cleaning attachment  500  shown in  FIG. 6  is entirely removable from the mop  200 . This allows the cleaning attachment  400  to be entirely removed from the backing  220  of the mop  200  so that a cleaning sheet  300  can be placed between the working surface  230  of the mop  200  and the cleaning attachment  500 . In this arrangement, the cleaning attachment  500  could be used with any existing mop  200  and would not need to be designed to be an integral part of the mop  200 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 6  show that mechanical fasteners  542  could be included as part of the cleaning attachment  500  to secure the cleaning attachment to the mop  200 . Such mechanical fasteners  542  could be spring-loaded hinges to wrap up and around the mop  200 , snap-fit, or a sliding channel having grooves. Alternatively, hook and loop, adhesive, magnets, or other such fasteners may be used to connect the cleaning frame  510  to the mop.  
         [0042]     Although specific embodiments of this invention have been shown and described herein, it is understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the many possible specific arrangements that can be devised in application of the principles of the invention. Numerous and varied other arrangements can be devised in accordance with these principles by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the structures described in this application, but only by the structures described by the language of the claims and the equivalents of those structures.