Abstract:
A cleaning implement is disclosed with a support sheet having a first surface, a second surface, and a longitudinal axis. A plurality of detachable cleaning sheets, each having an outwardly facing cleaning surface and an inwardly facing attachment surface, may be supported by the support sheet in a stacked configuration. A plurality of folded portions included with the support sheet and the cleaning sheet extend generally radially from the longitudinal axis of the cleaning implement. The outermost cleaning sheet may be removed from the stacked cleaning sheet to expose a new, fresh cleaning sheet.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE(S) TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application claims a benefit of priority based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/661,192, filed Jun. 18, 2012, the entire contents of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference into the present application. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a cleaning implement, and more specifically to a cleaning implement that may be used for household dusting. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a novel cleaning implement that enables the user to refresh the cleaning implement multiple times without the need to dispose of or replace the cleaning implement, and further provides a method relating to use of the cleaning implement. 
     The cleaning implement may include a support having a longitudinal axis, a plurality of cleaning sheets each having outward facing cleaning face and an inward facing attachment face, removably attached to the support, and a plurality of folded portions extending from the cleaning sheets and generally radially from the longitudinal axis of the support. The support may be any one of a flexible sheet, a pocket, a cleaning sheet, and an intermediate attachment sheet. A series of slits in the support and the cleaning sheets may be further included that form a plurality of loops in the folded portions of the support and the cleaning sheets. Alternatively, a series of slits may be included only in each cleaning sheet that forms a plurality of loops in the folded portions of the cleaning sheets. The plurality of cleaning sheets may be attached to the support with any one of an adhesive, a stitching, a fusion bonding, and a heat sealing bond. The support may also be attached to the cleaning implement with a pocket structure formed from a separate, nonwoven sheet. 
     The plurality of cleaning sheets are preferably layered in a stacked configuration such that only the outwardly facing cleaning face is exposed to ambient. The cleaning sheets are also preferably configured to allow detachment of a cleaning sheet, thus exposing to the ambient an additional cleaning sheet in the stacked configuration as a cleaning sheet is removed from the stack. A cleaning solution may be impregnated into the cleaning sheets to assist in dust removal and surface cleaning or disinfecting. In order to visually identify that the cleaning sheets are running out, a final cleaning sheet in contact with the support may include an indicia visually distinguishing it from the plurality of cleaning sheets. The indicia of the final cleaning sheet may also include a color distinct from a color of the plurality of cleaning sheets. To assist a user in cleaning with the cleaning implement, a holding space may be included in the support and configured to receive a handle. 
     In another embodiment, the cleaning implement may include a support sheet having a first surface, a second surface, and a longitudinal axis. The cleaning implement may include a plurality of detachable cleaning sheets, each having an outwardly facing cleaning surface and an inwardly facing attachment surface supported by the support sheet in a stacked configuration. A plurality of folded portions included with the support sheet and the cleaning sheet may extend generally radially from the longitudinal axis of the cleaning implement. A means to allow detachment of the inwardly facing surface of each cleaning sheet, allows a user to expose an additional cleaning sheet in the stacked configuration to the ambient. A final cleaning sheet may be included in the stack of cleaning sheets in contact with the support sheet, and one cleaning sheet may include indicia visually distinguishing it from the plurality of cleaning sheets, for alerting a user to refill the cleaning sheets. A cleaning solution may be impregnated into the cleaning sheets to assist in dusting, cleaning, and disinfecting. 
     A holding space may also be included in the support sheet and configured to receive a handle. To help increase contact area with the surface to be cleaned, a series of slits may be included in the support sheet and the cleaning sheets that form a plurality of loops in the folded portions of the support and the cleaning sheets. The cleaning sheet may be attached to each other with one of an adhesive, a stitching, a fusion bonding, and a heat sealing bond to attach the plurality of cleaning sheets to each other and the support sheet. 
     Also disclosed is a method of cleaning. The steps may include providing a cleaning implement that has a support sheet and a plurality of additional removable sheets, wherein the sheets have a plurality of folded portions that radially extend from a longitudinal axis of the cleaning implement. The steps may also include contacting an outermost sheet with a surface to be cleaned, using the outermost sheet to trap dust or other debris that is on the surface to be cleaned, and removing the outermost sheet from the cleaning implement to expose an unused sheet until just the support sheet remains. Lastly, the steps may include attaching the cleaning implement to a handle via the support sheet. 
     These and other aspects and objects of the present invention will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following description, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, is given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout. 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a bottom view of one embodiment of the cleaning implement of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the cleaning implement of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of a pocket that may be a component of the cleaning implement of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the pocket of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an end view of the cleaning implement of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is another end view of the cleaning implement of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a partial top view of a cleaning sheet that may be a component of the cleaning implement of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the cleaning sheet of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  shows another embodiment of the cleaning implement of the present invention along with a cleaning sheet that is a component of the cleaning implement; 
         FIG. 10  shows another embodiment of the cleaning implement of the present invention, where a cleaning sheet is being removed from the cleaning implement; 
         FIG. 11  shows a plurality of cleaning sheets being secured together with an attachment member; and 
         FIG. 12  shows a closer view of a plurality of cleaning sheets being secured together with an attachment member. 
     
    
    
     In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific terms so selected and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. For example, the words “connected”, “attached”, or terms similar thereto are often used. They are not limited to direct connection but include connection through other elements where such connection is recognized as being equivalent by those skilled in the art. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments described in detail in the following description. 
     A cleaning implement  10  is shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, and 10 . The cleaning implement  10  includes a support  20 , e.g., a support sheet  20 , and a plurality of cleaning sheets  30  that are supported by the support  20 . The support  20  is preferably in the form of a sheet, though the support  20  could have any form suitable for supporting the cleaning sheets  30  during the dusting operation. For purposes of this application, the support  20  will be referred to as a support sheet  20 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the support sheet  20  and the cleaning sheets  30  are arranged about a longitudinal axis  11  of the cleaning implement  10 . In this way, the support sheet  20  and cleaning sheets  30  form the body of the cleaning implement  10 . The support sheet  20  and the cleaning sheets  30  may be rectangular in shape and have generally the same dimensions. Conversely, the support sheet  20  and cleaning sheets  30  may have different dimensions. Regardless, the support sheet  20  and cleaning sheets  30  are preferably sized so as to be effective for use as a hand-held cleaning implement. For example, in one embodiment the cleaning sheets may be about 50 cm by about 16 cm and weigh about 4 grams. In another embodiment, the cleaning sheets may be about 75 cm by about 18 cm and weigh about 7 grams. 
     The plurality of cleaning sheets  30  is attached to and supported by the support sheet  20 . The plurality of cleaning sheets  30  may be attached directly to the support sheet  20 , whereby the final cleaning sheet  34 , that is most radially inwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis  11 , is attached to the support sheet  20 . The outer-most cleaning sheet  35  is the sheet available for contacting a surface to be cleaned. The cleaning sheet  30  may be attached via any suitable method such as by adhesive, stitching, fusion bonding, or heat sealing. The cleaning sheets  30 include a cleaning face  31  and an attachment face  33 . The cleaning face  31  of each cleaning sheet  30  is the surface intended to contact a surface to be cleaned. The attachment face  33 , shown in  FIG. 10 , contacts the cleaning face  31  of the next radially inward cleaning sheet  30  and is held to it with one of the adhesive, stitching, fusion bonding, or heat sealing. Alternatively, the plurality of cleaning sheets  30  may be attached to an intermediate attachment structure (not shown) that is in turn attached to the support sheet  20 . In such a configuration, the intermediate attachment structure would be considered to form part of the support sheet  20 . 
     The cleaning sheets  30  are configured so that the outermost cleaning sheet  30  is removable from the plurality of cleaning sheets  30 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . Thus, during use, a user may remove the outermost cleaning sheet  35  once that cleaning sheet  30  has become soiled and has an undesirable level of efficacy with respect to dust removal. The user may simply peel away the outermost cleaning sheet  30  to expose the next, unused cleaning sheet  30 . 
     The ease with which the cleaning implement  10  may be refreshed is desirable to the user. In other words, the user may refresh the cleaning implement  10  numerous times without the need to completely replace the cleaning implement  10  or the need to clean the cleaning implement  10  itself, e.g., in the washing machine or the sink, or shaking the cleaning implement  10  outside. Thus, the removable cleaning sheets  30  of the cleaning implement  10  enable a user to clean for a greater period of time with minimal interruption, the minimal interruption being the removal of the outermost cleaning sheet  30  when it becomes too soiled and/or experiences reduced cleaning efficacy. Put another way, comparing a conventional cleaning implement to an embodiment of the cleaning implement  10  having ten cleaning sheets  30 , a user would have to replace the conventional cleaning implement ten times once the cleaning implement became soiled and/or experienced reduced cleaning efficacy, which is time consuming and costly, as opposed to simply removing a cleaning sheet  30  from the cleaning implement  10 , which is far more efficient and less time consuming. 
     The cleaning sheets  30  may be secured together using any suitable means that provides for the easy removal of the cleaning sheets  30  from the cleaning implement  10  while at the same time preventing inadvertent removal of the cleaning sheets  30  under the typical forces experienced during household dusting. For example, the cleaning sheets  30  may be attached to one another via stitching, adhesive, fusion bonding or heat sealing. In one embodiment, the sheets are attached to one another via a plurality of attachment members  24 , described in further detail below. See  FIGS. 11 and 12 . Each of the cleaning sheets  30  may further include a removal member  32 , e.g., a tab, that facilitates removal of a cleaning sheet  30  from the plurality of cleaning sheets  30 . 
     The cleaning sheets  30  are made from a material that is flexible and that has properties enabling the cleaning sheet  30  to collect and retain dust and other debris. In one embodiment, the cleaning sheets  30  are nonwoven sheets, for example a 35-55 gsm spunlace nonwoven material. Such material may be 100% polyester, or it may be substantially polyester with microfiber of nylon. In another embodiment, the innermost cleaning sheet  30  could be made of a thicker material, such as 90-110 gsm spunlace nonwoven, to provide additional support and structure to the cleaning implement  10  and to the plurality of cleaning sheets  30 . Moreover, the cleaning sheets  30  may be impregnated with a cleaning solution to further facilitate dust removal. Additionally, the cleaning sheets  30  may include an adhesive to further improve dust removal and retention. In one embodiment, the adhesive could be applied to valleys  42 . Further, the cleaning sheets  30  and support sheet  20  may be different colors. Thus, when a user has reached the last cleaning sheet  30 , the support sheet  20  may serve as an indicator of the last cleaning sheet  30 . Alternatively, the final cleaning sheet  30  could be colored differently than the other cleaning sheets  30  or contain some other indicia notifying the user that it is the last cleaning sheet  30 . 
     The support sheet  20  and cleaning sheets  30  are configured about the longitudinal axis  11  of the cleaning implement  10  so as to form a plurality of folded portions  40 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the folded portions  40  generally extend along the longitudinal axis  11  of the cleaning implement  10 . The folded portions  40  may be configured in alternative arrangements that do not extend along the longitudinal axis  11  of the cleaning implement  10 . For example, the folded portions  40  may be configured to spiral around the longitudinal axis  11 . In any event, the folded portions  40  extend radially away from the longitudinal axis  11  to facilitate dust removal and dust retention during the dusting process. For example, folded portions  40  may be used to clean hard-to-reach places that are not easily accessible using a conventional cleaning implement such as a dusting rag. In between the folded portions  40  are valleys  42 . Thus, looking at an end view of the cleaning implement  10 , the folded portions  40  and valleys  42  of the support sheet  20  and cleaning sheets  30  generally follow a wave-like pattern around the longitudinal axis  11  of the cleaning implement  10 . See  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
     Moreover, the folded portions  40  create a three-dimensional cleaning surface area as opposed to the generally two dimensional cleaning surface areas of conventional fiber bundle dusters. The three-dimensional surface area of the cleaning implement  10  can easily and quickly be refreshed by removing the outermost cleaning sheet  30 , whereas a conventional fiber bundle duster cannot be refreshed—it must be replaced or cleaned in some other way. Moreover, the height of the folded portions  40  corresponds to the resiliency, or “floppiness,” of the cleaning implement  10 . The greater the height of the folded portions  40 , the floppier the cleaning implement  10  will be. Conversely, the shorter the height of the folded portions  40 , the stiffer the cleaning implement  10  will be. 
     The support sheet  20  may be made of a flexible, resilient material that will substantially maintain its shape after exposure to typical forces of normal household dusting. In one embodiment, the support sheet  20  is made from 15-25 gsm polypropylene spunbond. Thus, the folded portions  40  of the support sheet  20  will similarly be flexible and resilient during the dusting process while maintaining its shape. The overall shape of the cleaning implement  10  will be substantially unchanged after dusting, which extends the longevity and effectiveness of the cleaning implement. The resilient nature of the cleaning implement  10  is a desirable quality to consumers as consumers do not like when a cleaning implement quickly loses its shape. 
     The cleaning sheets  30 , when attached to the support sheet  20 , substantially conform to the shape of the support sheet  20 . Prior to assembly into the cleaning implement  10 , the support sheet  20  may be rectangular in shape. The plurality of cleaning sheets  30  may also be rectangular in shape and attached to the support sheet  20  when the cleaning implement  10  is in an unassembled form. When assembled into the cleaning implement  10 , the support sheet  20  is configured about the longitudinal axis  11  of the cleaning implement  10  to form the folded portions  40 , a configuration that is similarly adopted by the cleaning sheets  30 . The parts of the support sheet  20  may be secured, for example to other parts of the support sheet  20 , in order to maintain the folded portions  40 . Alternatively, the support sheet  20  may be formed or processed to maintain the folded portions  40 , in other words, so that the final shape of the support sheet  20  that forms the cleaning implement  10  is the natural state of the cleaning sheet  20 . 
     In one embodiment, a plurality of attachment members  24  is used to maintain the shape of the cleaning implement  10  and also to secure the cleaning sheets  30  to one another. The attachment members  24  may be stitching, a heat seal, a fusion bond, a pin, or any other structure capable of holding the support sheet  20  and cleaning sheets  30  together so as to maintain the shape of the cleaning implement  10 . Alternatively, the attachment members  24  that hold the cleaning sheets  30  together may be separate from attachment members  24  that secure the cleaning sheets  30  to the support sheet  20 . There may be further attachment members  24  that hold various portions of the support sheet  20  together. In sum, there are three functions performed by attachment members  24 : (1) securing the cleaning sheets  30  to one another in a way that individual cleaning sheets  30  are removable from the stack of cleaning sheets  30 , (2) securing the plurality of cleaning sheets  30  to the support sheet  20  (3), and securing portions of the support sheet  20  to one another to form the overall shape of the cleaning implement  10 . The attachment members  24  may serve one, all, or any combination of these functions. 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , each valley  42  has a series of attachment members  24 , in this case three, spaced apart through the valley  42  along a line that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis  11  of the cleaning implement  10 . The attachment members  24  are in the form of pins or rods, and each attachment member  24  has head portions  25  on either end of the attachment member that secure the plurality of cleaning sheets  30  between the respective head portions  25 . Accordingly, when the outermost cleaning sheet  30  is peeled away, force is not exerted on the adjacent cleaning sheet  30  because adjacent cleaning sheets  30  are not directly bonded to one another. Thus, the only the outermost cleaning sheet  30  will be removed and the remaining cleaning sheets  30  will stay secured together. Alternatively, the attachment members  24  could be in the form of a string with knotted ends, which would function similarly to the pin/head configuration described above. 
     In the embodiment shown, for example in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the support sheet  20  is bonded to itself at various locations to maintain the shape of the cleaning implement  10 . In this embodiment, the bonds  26  are separate from the attachment members  24  described above. For example, there are a plurality of bonds  26 , with each bond  26  occurring at the neck of each folded portion  40 . The bonds  26  may be continuous and run along the length of the folded portion  40  along the longitudinal axis  11  (see  FIGS. 1, 2 ) of the cleaning implement  10 , or there may be intermittent bonds  26 , so long as the intermittent bonds  26  are capable of maintaining the shape of the cleaning implement  10 . The bonds  26  may be of any form suitable for bonding the support sheet  20  to itself, such as adhesive, heat sealing, fusion bonding, or stitching. Further, in this embodiment, the attachment members  24  also secure the cleaning sheets  30  to the support sheet  20 . 
     As discussed above, the support sheet  20  provides the shape and structure of the cleaning implement  10 , which includes the plurality of folded portions  40 . There may be any number of folded portions  40 , but preferably a number of folded portions  40  is such that facilitates effective dusting and ease of use. In the embodiment shown, the cleaning implement  10  has eight folded portions  40 , which has been proven to facilitate effective dusting while at the same time enabling easy removal of the cleaning sheets  30 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 6 , the support sheet  20  and cleaning sheets  30  may include a plurality of cuts or slits  50 . The slits  50  may be positioned so that they correspond to the folded portions  40 . More specifically, in one embodiment the slits  50  are substantially parallel to one another and are oriented in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  11  of the cleaning implement  10 . The slits  50  preferably do not extend into the bottom of the valleys  42  because such a configuration may compromise the ability of the attachment members  24  to hold the cleaning sheets  30  together. In other words, extending the slits  50  too far into the valleys  42  may cause the cleaning sheets  30  to separate from one another, which is undesirable. 
     Accordingly, each folded portion  40  is separated into a series of adjacent loops  53  that are arranged along the folded portion  40 . As with the folded portions  40 , the loops  53  extend radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis  11 , (see  FIGS. 1, 2 ) of the cleaning implement  10 . Adjacent loops  53  are therefore capable of moving independent of one another, thus increasing the dusting efficacy of the cleaning implement  10 . In the embodiment shown, the slits  50  do not extend into or through the valleys  42  of the support sheet  20  or the cleaning sheets  30 . 
     Put another way, when the support sheet  20  and cleaning sheets  30  are in a rectangular form, the slits  50  are arranged into slit groups  52 , with each slit group  52  organized along a line that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis  11  of the cleaning implement  10 . See  FIGS. 7 and 8 . The slit groups  52  are spaced apart in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  11 , with the spaces between the slit groups  52  corresponding to the valleys  42  of the support sheet  20  and cleaning sheets  30 . 
     The pocket structure  54 , shown in  FIG. 4  is configured in such a way that it forms a holding space  22 , for receiving a handle  12 , e.g., a duster handle, see  FIGS. 9, 10 . Thus, the cleaning implement  10  may be inserted onto or removed from the handle  12 . The handle  12  may have one or more support members  13  that are received by the cleaning implement  10 . The pocket structure  54  may be configured in such a way that the holding space  22  comprises multiple spaces to receive multiple support members  13 . It is also possible for the support sheet  20  to be configured to form holding spaces  22  to receive a handle  12  having two support members  13 , similar to the pocket structure  54  described above. Moreover, the support sheet  20  or pocket structure  54  may be configured to receive the support members  13  on either side, in other words, the support members  13  may be inserted into either end of the cleaning implement  10 . In an alternative embodiment, the cleaning implement  10  may include a pocket structure  54  within the holding space  22  to receive the support members  13 . For example, the pocket structure  54  may be formed from a separate nonwoven sheet (or sheets) secured together to form the pocket structure. Thus, the support sheet  20  may be formed around the pocket structure  54 . 
     The configuration of the cleaning implement  10  to include folded portions  40  and valleys  42  increases the cleaning surface area of the cleaning implement  10 . The cleaning surface area is defined as the surface area of the cleaning implement  10  that is used to clean. Here, the cleaning surface area is the area of one of the cleaning sheets  30 . Moreover, taking into consideration the multiple removable cleaning sheets  30 , the cleaning surface area of the cleaning implement  10  is multiplied by a factor of however many cleaning sheets  30  there are. Thus, the cleaning implement  10  has a far greater cumulative cleaning surface area than conventional dusters that must be replaced once they become soiled and/or lose cleaning efficacy, as opposed to the cleaning implement  10  that is simply and quickly refreshed by removing the outermost cleaning sheet  30 . 
     The present invention further includes a method of cleaning using a cleaning implement  10  as described above. The method includes providing a cleaning implement  10  as described above, and contacting the cleaning implement  10  with a surface to be cleaned. Then, the cleaning implement  10  is used to trap dust or other debris that is on the surface to be cleaned. The outermost cleaning sheet  30  is then removed from the cleaning implement  10  to expose the next, unused cleaning sheet  30 . The cleaning process may then be repeated until there are no more unused cleaning sheets  30  left. 
     Although the best mode contemplated by the inventors of carrying out the present invention is disclosed above, practice of the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be manifest that various additions, modifications and rearrangements of the features of the present invention may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept. There are virtually innumerable uses for the present invention, all of which need not be detailed here. All the disclosed embodiments can be practiced without undue experimentation. 
     Moreover, the individual components need not be formed in the disclosed shapes, or assembled in the disclosed configuration, but could be provided in virtually any shape, and assembled in virtually any configuration. Furthermore, all the disclosed features of each disclosed embodiment can be combined with, or substituted for, the disclosed features of every other disclosed embodiment except where such features are mutually exclusive. 
     Various alternatives and modifications are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention. It is intended that the appended claims cover additions, modifications and rearrangements of the invention. Expedient embodiments of the present invention are differentiated by the appended claims.