Abstract:
The present disclosure provides an integrated spray and wipe system. A method of using such a system is also provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a fluid reservoir that extends through the center of a roll of cleaning material (e.g., paper towel roll). The tool houses cleaning fluid and cleaning wipes and therefore can be used to dispense liquid or cleaning wipes as needed.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/811,130 titled SPRAY N+ DRY PAPER TOWEL, TRIGGER SPRAYER, DISPENSER STAND AND/OR HOLDER filed on Jul. 5, 2006, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     A tool for spraying cleaning fluid and dispensing cleaning wipes and a method of using the same.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Spray bottles for spraying cleaning fluids are known. Cleaning wipe dispensers are also known. Typically, spray bottles and cleaning wipe dispensers are separate stand alone devices. Non-integrated spray and wipe devices can be difficult to transport and use in the field. An integrated spray and wipe system that would be easier to use and transport is desirable.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an integrated spray and wipe system. A method of using such a system is also provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a fluid reservoir that extends through the center of a roll of cleaning material (e.g., paper towel roll). The tool houses cleaning fluid and cleaning wipes and therefore can be used to dispense liquid or cleaning wipes as needed. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the cleaning tool in accordance with the present disclosure;  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  is a perspective assembly view of the cleaning tool of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  is a first side view of the housing of the cleaning tool of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0008]      FIG. 4  is a second side view of the housing of the cleaning tool of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0009]      FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of the housing of the cleaning tool of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0010]      FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective view of the housing of the cleaning tool of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0011]      FIG. 7  is a first side view of the reservoir of the cleaning tool of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0012]      FIG. 8  is a top perspective view of the reservoir of the cleaning tool of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0013]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of an embodiment of a cleaning device according to the present disclosure is shown. The cleaning device  10  includes a spray head  12  for distributing cleaning fluid, a housing  14  for housing a cleaning material  18  (e.g., a roll or cube of paper towels, glass wipes, cleaning cloths, etc.), and a reservoir  16  for containing fluid (e.g., cleaning chemicals).  FIG. 1  depicts the cleaning device  10  with the housing  14  loaded with a cleaning material  18 . The cleaning material in the depicted embodiment is a roll of paper towels. However, it should be appreciated that many alternative forms and types of cleaning material are also possible.  
         [0014]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the cleaning device  10  is shown in an exploded assembly view. To load the cleaning device  10  with cleaning materials  18  the spray head  12  and the reservoir  16  are disconnected. In the depicted embodiment the spray head  12  and the reservoir  16  are connected via threads. Disconnecting the spray head  12  from the reservoir  16  involves rotating the spray head  12  and reservoir  16  relative to each other. In the depicted embodiment the housing  14  is positioned between the spray head  12  and the reservoir  16 . The lower end of the housing  14  is shown contacting the base of the reservoir  16  and the upper end of the housing  14  is shown contacting the neck of the reservoir  16 .  
         [0015]     More particularly, in the depicted embodiment the neck of the reservoir  16  extends through an aperture  20  at the top end of the housing  14 . The neck of the reservoir  16  includes a channel  22  that supports the top end of the housing  14 . The channel  22  is one of many means to secure the housing  14 . For example, in an alternative embodiment the device  10  can be configured such that the housing  14  is secured by connecting the spray head  12  to reservoir  16 .  
         [0016]     In the depicted embodiment, the lower end of the housing  14  is seated in a radial shelf  24  disposed along the base of the reservoir  16 . The shelf includes a tab  26  that orients the housing  14  relative to the reservoir  16 . In the depicted embodiment the housing  14  and the lower end of the reservoir  16  are generally cylindrically shaped. Moreover, the outer diameter of the lower end of the housing  14  is generally the same as the diameter of the base of the reservoir  16 . It should be appreciated that in alternative embodiments the housing and the base can be of different shapes, and the housing and the base can connect in different ways. For example, the housing could thread to the base, fit within grooves on the base, or snap over the base.  
         [0017]     Referring to  FIGS. 3-6  an embodiment of the housing  14  is shown. In the depicted embodiment the upper end of the housing  14  is a single integrated component of the device  10 . It should be appreciated that in alternative embodiments the housing  14  could be integrally formed with the reservoir  16 , or the housing  14  could comprise a number of separate parts that can be connected together. For example, in alternative embodiments the upper end of the housing could be a separate cap that connects to the body of the housing  14 . In the depicted embodiment the upper portion of the housing  14  includes a generally domed-shaped portion having an aperture  20  therein for receiving the neck of the reservoir  16 . The body of the housing  14  includes a side opening  28  for dispensing cleaning materials (e.g., paper towels on a roll). The lower end of the housing  14  is open and includes a notch  30  that locates the housing on the base of the reservoir  16 .  
         [0018]     In the depicted embodiment the side opening  28  includes a portion of the side walls of the housing that overlap. The overlapping portion includes an aperture  32  that makes it easier to access the cleaning material within the housing  14 . The aperture  32  is configured such that a user can reach into the housing with his or her fingers and pull a portion of the cleaning material into the side opening  28 . The side opening  28  of the depicted embodiment is configured to enable the user to tear off portions of the cleaning material if the cleaning material is in the form of a continuous sheet of material. For example if the cleaning material is on a roll that unwinds by pulling the sheet in a counterclockwise direction, the user can pull the material swiftly against the overlapping portion in a clockwise direction to tear off a portion of the cleaning material. In some embodiments the overlapping portion can include serrations to facilitate the tearing.  
         [0019]     Referring to  FIGS. 7-8 , an embodiment of the reservoir  16  is shown. The reservoir  16  of the depicted embodiment includes a cylindrical base connected to a cylindrical neck. The upper end of the base includes an annular step that is configured to engage the bottom end of the housing  14 . The upper end of the neck includes threads  34  that are configured to engage the spray head. A portion of the neck also include a channel  22  configured to engage the upper end of the housing  14 . In the depicted embodiment the diameter of the largest portion of the neck is less than about 3 inches and the length of the neck is between 4-24 inches. The configuration enables the neck to slide into the center of rolls of cleaning materials. In the depicted embodiment the base of the reservoir has a diameter of between about 3 to about 12 inches. It should be appreciated that many alternative configurations and sizes of the reservoir  16  are possible.  
         [0020]     In one embodiment, the cleaning device  10  can be loaded by pouring cleaning fluid into the neck of a reservoir  16 , positioning cleaning material  18  (e.g., roll of cleaning drying wipes) around the neck of the reservoir  16 , positioning a housing  14  around the roll of cleaning material  18 , connecting a spray head to the neck of the reservoir (e.g., threading the spray head to the reservoir), and pulling a portion of the cleaning material  18  through an opening  28  in the housing  14 . Once the device is loaded, cleaning liquid can be dispensed when the user squeezes the spray head and the cleaning materials (e.g., paper towels) can be dispensed by pulling out a section of cleaning material and tearing it off.  
         [0021]     The above specification, examples, and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.