Abstract:
A lint roller which includes a handle, a roller, a roller support section located on an inner part of said handle, an adhesive tape roll and a cover arranged to interconnect with the handle. The cover provides protection for the adhesive tape roll preventing the adhesive tape roll from unintentionally sticking to anything other than an intended object or material.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention deals with lint rollers and more specifically, a lint roller assembly encased within a lint roller handle and cover.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Lint rollers are well known for use in removing micro-debris such as lint and pet hair, from furniture, linens and clothes. In use, such lint rollers are typically coated with adhesive masking tape sheets wound around a cylindrical core that rotates. When the adhesive tape becomes contaminated with micro-debris, the contaminated adhesive sheet is then peeled off and discarded, readying a subsequent adhesive sheet for more use.  
         [0003]     There are several known types and styles of lint rollers. These lint roller assemblies typically comprise a handle secured to a cylindrical lint roller support. A tubular cylindrical adhesive lint roller is then removably mounted to the support such that the adhesive roller is rotatable relative to the handle.  
         [0004]     Storing lint rollers when not in use presents a problem because the prior art designs do not provide a cover for the adhesive section. Usually, the adhesive part sticks to the surface on which the roller is resting, and usually to any surrounding objects it may bump into when being moved. The size and shape of typical lint roller also cause problems when storing these items.  
         [0005]     When storing these prior art rollers, usually, these rollers end up with either the roller falling over or the adhesive tape sticking to a nearby object. This then brings both the roller and the object it is stuck to, off the shelf upon which it rests. Or if it doesn&#39;t fall off the shelf, it will act as a domino and knock everything in the surrounding area over.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     A lint roller having a handle with a mirror-image cover both of which encase a lint roller assembly. In the preferred embodiment, the lint roller has an oval-shaped handle with a roller and a roller support section. The roller support section is located within the handle. An oval-shaped cover is provided which connects to the handle. The cover provides protection for the adhesive roller to prevent it from unintentionally sticking to anything and taking up less storage space.  
         [0007]     In further detail, the lint roller comprises a handle, a roller support section located within the handle, a roller and a cover. The cover is arranged to fit onto the handle and over the roller and roller support section.  
         [0008]     In accordance with further aspects of a preferred embodiment, the lint roller further comprises an adhesive tape roll that may be a number of adhesive sheets wound on a core, or a flexible washable plastic substrate of polyvinyl.  
         [0009]     The adhesive tape roll is changed by removing the roller support section from the handle and withdrawing the roller from said adhesive tape roll, thereby allowing a new tape roll to be sheathed on the roller.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a side view of a lint roller and cover in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  shows an alternate view of a lint roller and case in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  shows the lint roller of  FIGS. 1 and 2  with the cover in a closed position.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]      FIGS. 1-2  show a lint roller in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, generally indicated by reference numeral  10 . The lint roller  10  is generally in the shape of an egg. That is, the handle  30  is oval in shape and the cover  20  is oval in shape. The handle  30  and cover  20  fit and interlock with each other thereby forming an egg-shaped lint roller  10  when the lint roller is in a closed position. The egg-shape is an exemplary design and the roller is not limited to this design alone. Other designs may be spheres, cubes, or any other shape where a roller assembly may be encased within a handle.  
         [0014]     When the lint roller  10  is in an opened position, an adhesive tape roll  31  along with the roller  33  is rolled along and against a surface to pick up dirt and debris. When in a closed position, the cover  20  provides protection for the adhesive tape roll  31  from sticking to anything. Also, the egg-shaped design allows for easy and convenient storage.  
         [0015]     In this particular embodiment, the roller  33 , the adhesive tape roll  31  and the roller support section  34  fit within the handle  30  and cover  20 . In this way, as shown in  FIG. 3 , when not in use the handle  30  and cover  20  can receive and hold the roller so that the roller  10  takes up less storage space overall and the tape roll  31  is protected from contamination.  
         [0016]     The adhesive tape roll  31  and roller  33  are tubular and cylindrical in shape. The adhesive tape roll  31  is slidably received over the roller  33 . The roller  33  is retained to the handle  30  by being connected to the roller support section  34  in a manner subsequently described in greater detail.  
         [0017]     The roller  16  is generally cylindrical in shape and has a predetermined axial or longitudinal length  20 . The support section  34  has two sides  34   a  and  34   b  which are permanently affixed to the inside of the handle  30 . The roller  33  has elongated protrusions  35 , which extend from the roller, on each end of the roller  33 . These protrusions  35  are removably connected to the roller support section  34 . The connection is made by placing the protrusions  35  within the roller support section  34  and locking the protrusions  35  into place.  
         [0018]     More specifically, the protrusion  35  has a bottom portion  41  located at its base and a circular portion  42  located on the opposite end. The bottom portion  41  is connected to the roller  33  at point A. The bottom portion&#39;s thickness decreases as the shaft  44  of the protrusion approaches the circular portion  42 .  
         [0019]     The support section  34  is configured so as to accept the bottom portion of the protrusion  41 . That is, the bottom portion  41  is received into a groove  43  of the support section  34 . The groove  43  is configured to move a certain distance thereby allowing the bottom section of the protrusion  41  to fit into the bottom of the groove  43 . Once in place, the groove  43  moves to its original position thereby firmly locking the roller  33  into the support section  34 .  
         [0020]     By locking the protrusions  35  within the roller support section  34  a user can roll the roller  33  along an article for its intended use without the roller  33  becoming unattached from the handle  30 .  
         [0021]     With reference now particularly to  FIG. 1  and  2 , the lint roller  18  includes a tubular and cylindrical core  32  having an adhesive roll  31  wound about the core  32 . This adhesive roll  31  is conventional in construction and includes a backer sheet coated with an adhesive on one side. The adhesive roll  31  may be either continuous or perforated into single sheets wherein the width of each sheet substantially equals the circumference of the adhesive roll  31 .  
         [0022]     The longitudinal length of the core  32  is substantially the same or slightly less than the longitudinal length of the roller  33 . Furthermore, the inside diameter of the core  32  is substantially the same or slightly less than the outside diameter of the roller  33  as defined by the outer surface of the roller  33 .  
         [0023]     In order to mount the adhesive roll  31  to the roller, the roller  33  is removed from the handle  30  as discussed above. The adhesive roll  31  is then pushed over the roller  33 . The diameter of the roller  33  is smaller than the circumference of the adhesive roll  31  but of a size as not to allow free rotation of the adhesive roll  31  relative to the roller  33 .  
         [0024]     In accordance with further aspects of a preferred embodiment, the roller  33  is removed from the support section  34  so that the adhesive roll  31  can be more easily slid on and off the support section  34 . With this embodiment, the roller and adhesive tape roll  31  are removed from the handle  30  so that a new adhesive roll may be inserted on the roller. The roller is then put back into the handle.  
         [0025]     The adhesive tape roll  31  is a pressure sensitive adhesive tape and can consist of a saturated release coated crepe paper, pulled out paper, flat back paper or can be fabricated utilizing a flexible washable plastic substrate of poly vinyl or other suitable washable plastic sheet material having a washable pressure sensitive adhesive coating provided on one side thereof. The adhesive coating provided on the flexible plastic substrate can also be a water base poly vinyl acetate so as to be washable so that each layer of tape can be used several times before being detached and discarded as hereinafter described.  
         [0026]     In use, the lint remover assembly  10  is selectively rolled over the surface to be cleaned so that the outer adhesive surface of the tape roll  30  removes the lint, dust and foreign particles therefrom as they adhere thereto. After the outer surface becomes saturated through repeated use, the outer used layer can be removed. This is initially accomplished by lifting the corner of the leading edge of the tape roll  30  and pulling the used layer away from the tape roll  30  so as to expose the unused adhesive tape layer therebelow.  
         [0027]     After the used layer is thus removed, the lint remover  10  is ready for use until the newly exposed tape layer is similarly saturated. The foregoing process is repeated until the entire tape roll is expended. A new refill tape roll is selectively installed on the roller assembly as desired.  
         [0028]     In the preceding specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative manner rather than a restrictive sense.