Abstract:
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to devices and methods for cleaning, dusting or applying disinfectants to a surface. The device features a sheath having a first surface and a second surface. The sheath is capable of assuming two positions. In said first position the first surface faces inward toward itself defining a first opening and a first chamber. In the second position the second surfaces faces inward towards itself defining a second opening and a second chamber and the first surfaces faces outward. At least one pad element is affixed to the first surface for cleaning, dusting or applying disinfectants as said sheath assumes the second position. A seal is associated with at least one of the first and second surfaces to close said first chamber for storing the pad element before use and after use.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERAL SPONSORSHIP 
       [0002]    The present invention was not made or developed with Federal sponsorship. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    This invention relates to a disposable sheath with hygienic cleaning pad elements to be used in conjunction with specially designed floor mop heads. 
       BACKGROUND-DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
       [0004]    Numerous tools have been developed to clean floors and other surfaces of dirt, debris and other contaminants. Traditional mops with strands of yarn or rope can be effective in cleaning a floor but must be wetted by water in a container and then cleaned and rinsed afterwards by hand or by a squeeze mechanism typically located within a mop bucket. 
         [0005]    Cleaning floors in hospitals presents even more of a challenge. Not only do re-usable mops need to be laundered between use in some areas of a hospital, such an in operating rooms, they present a health hazard to the janitorial staff when being removed from the mop head and transported to the laundry. Mops are not even supposed to be returned to the bucket following cleaning of operating room floors, such is the need to avoid cross-contamination of different rooms. 
         [0006]    The need to improve the sanitary handling and ease of use of mops has led to such innovations as disposable cleaning elements that are simply discarded after use. Cleaning elements comprised of disposable pad elements or wipes eliminate the need to wash and rinse the mop itself. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,290 B2 describes an implement with a cleaning head to receive and retain a disposable pad element. An attachment mechanism is designed to hold the pad element securely in place as it is wrapped around the mop head. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,517 B1 describes a disposable series of pad elements that are attached to a mop head. These and other similar mop configurations benefit from having disposable pad elements that negate the need to clean the mop after use. However, many of these mops suffer from several serious drawbacks:
   (a) One of the most serious drawbacks is the need for the user to touch the pad elements during installation and removal. Consumers who abandoned traditional wet mops because they didn&#39;t want to clean the mop head of dirt and grime must still get their hand wet while attaching or detaching a disposable pad element. The need to touch the disposable pad element precludes the use of stronger cleaning chemicals than would otherwise be the case. In some environments, detaching soiled pad elements from a mop head represents a health hazard. For example, in hospitals there are large numbers of microorganisms that cause infections. It would not be safe for a maintenance worker to touch a soiled pad element directly with a bare hand after mopping a hospital room floor. With prior art disposable pad elements, a protective glove would have to be worn before detaching the soiled pad element. Once removed, prior art disposable pad elements can still represent a source of contamination, as the pad is not necessarily isolated.   (b) Chemicals to enhance the cleaning, dusting or disinfecting action of a floor mop or a dust mop are common. Disposable pad elements moistened with such chemicals are desirable but difficult to handle. A consumer may not want to touch a pad element moistened with a strong cleaning chemical because of potential irritation to the skin. This represents a paradox for the buyer of disposable cleaning pad elements: the more effective the chemically-treated pad elements are at cleaning dirty floors, the less willing the user is to handle the pad elements while directly attaching them and detaching them from the mop head. This leads manufacturers to use milder cleaning solutions than they otherwise would choose if the user did not have to touch the disposable pad elements. This is a particularly important issue for use of disposable pad elements in hospitals or other high-risk environments. Extra strong cleaning chemicals can help prevent the spread of nosocomial infections by reducing the general bacterial load on floor surfaces. However, with prior art devices, there has been a limitation on strength of such chemicals used to soak disposable pad elements unless users also wore gloves to protect themselves from the harsh effects of such chemicals during installation and removal of the pad elements from the mop head.   (c) Pre-moistened disposable pad elements have a propensity to dry out before use. While pad elements can be stored in a sealable, waterproof container, such pad elements can and do dry out if stored for long periods of time between use. A wet mop with a disposable pad element is of little benefit to the consumer once the pre-moistened pad elements have dried out. Even if the pad elements don&#39;t dry out, the container in which the pad elements are stored must be placed in a flat position on the floor, on a shelf or on a counter top, thus wasting valuable storage space.   (d) Current disposable pad elements have to resist tearing across their entire surface when placed on a mop head because they are most commonly attached to the mop head only at the four corners. This tear resistance across the entire mop head surface can lead to higher manufacturing costs compared to pad elements that can be attached to the mop head at multiple sites on the face of the mop head.   (e) Current disposable pad elements can be difficult to attach to the mop head. The element must be positioned centrally on the mop head while each of the four corners is tucked around to the opposite face and inserted into the attachment mechanism. The disposable pad element can dislodge during the installation procedure, making it difficult to line up the corners of the pad with the attachment mechanisms.   (f) Current disposable pad elements are stored separate from the mop head, sometimes getting lost in the clutter of objects stored in the cleaning closet or under the sink.   
 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    This invention is based on the novel and surprising concept of using a disposable sheath with a first surface and a second surface to attach one or more pad elements to a specially designed mop head. In the first position, one or more pad elements attached to the first surface face inward, either for storage prior to initial use or for touch-free disposal following use. In the second position, one or more pads attached to the first surface face outward and can be used to apply a cleaning, dusting or disinfecting solution to a floor surface. The disposable sheath is placed into each of the two positions by means of moving the sheath over a specially designed mop head that inverts the sheath as it moves from the first position, in which it is initially stored, to the second position where it is used on a floor surface and then back to the first position where it can be disposed of in a sanitary fashion. 
         [0014]    In one embodiment the mop head takes the shape of a partially flattened cylinder with an interior surface and an exterior surface. A disposable sheath in the first position, with one or more pad elements facing inward, is placed inside the hollow mop head. The one or more pad elements attached to the first surface of sheath in the first position can be wetted with a cleaning, dusting or disinfecting solution and sealed within a first chamber to prevent evaporation of the solution during storage. Upon opening of the first chamber, one end of disposable sheath is pulled out and over the edge of the mop head, inverting the sheath in the process. Following complete inversion of the sheath as it is drawn down the length of the mop head, the one or more moistened pad elements attached to the first surface are now located in the second position with the pad elements facing outward. When the disposable sheath is in the second position, the second surface of the disposable sheath faces inward and contacts the mop head on its exterior surface. 
         [0015]    In the preferred embodiment, a tether element is attached to one end of the disposable sheath. After the one or more moistened pad elements in the second position have been used to clean, dust or disinfect a floor surface, the tether element attached to the interior surface of the mop head can be pulled out from the interior of the mop head, returning the pad elements to the first position facing inward where they can then be discarded. Returning the soiled pad elements to the first position without the user having to touch the contaminated surface leads to easy disposal of the sheath and is one of the many novel aspects of this invention. 
         [0016]    In the preferred embodiment the mop head and attachment rod are configured to facilitate the easy placement of the disposable sheath on the mop head. The mop head can be placed in a mostly vertical position by resting the entire mop head assembly on a loading plate attached to a rod, with the rod angled to place the mop head directly over the loading plate. The stand provided by means of the loading plate makes both hands of the user available to invert the sheath over the mop head. 
         [0017]    In another embodiment, multiple disposable sheaths are placed in a storage cartridge that can be easily loaded into the mop head. In yet another embodiment, multiple disposable sheaths can be stored in a disposable mop head that can be discarded after all the individual sheaths have been used. 
       Objects and Advantages 
       [0018]    Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
   (a) to provide a disposable sheath with at least one pad element moistened with cleaning, dusting or disinfecting solution sealed in chamber one. The placement and inversion of the disposable sheath upon the mop head can be achieved without the user ever directly contacting the moistened pad elements;   (b) to provide a means of safely using stronger cleaning, dusting or disinfecting chemicals to treat the pad elements for enhanced efficacy in removing debris and grime from the floor surface without endangering the user;   (c) to provide a packaging system that prevents the moistened or treated pad elements from drying out before use;   (d) to provide the means of cleaning twice the floor surface area with the installation of a single disposable sheath by positioning moistened or chemically treated pad elements simultaneously to both the top and bottom surfaces of a mop head in one operation, which surfaces can be interchanged during the mopping operation;   (e) to provide a means of easily flipping the mop head over to facilitate the use of cleaning pad elements located on both outside surfaces of the mop head;   (f) to provide a means of easily loading the disposable sheath onto the mop head;   (g) to provide a means of firmly attaching the disposable sheath to the mop head so that the cleaning pads are held firmly in place and don&#39;t become loosened with vigorous cleaning action on the floor surface;   (h) to provide a means to easily and quickly remove the disposable sheath with the attached cleaning pad elements from the mop head and dispose of them without the user ever having to touch a dirty, wet or chemically treated pad element surface;   (i) to provide a means for isolating the dirty surfaces of cleaning pad elements to be disposed of after use;   (j) to provide a convenient storage location for multiple disposable sheaths with attached pad elements inside the mop head itself;   (k) to provide a convenient cartridge containing multiple disposable sheaths that can be loaded easily and quickly into the mop head;   (l) to provide a disposable mop head that contains multiple disposable sheaths.   (m) to provide a means to easily place the disposable sheath on the mop head by positioning the mop head at an angle approximately  15  degrees off vertical as it rests on a loading plate attached to the rod; and   (n) to provide a means to use lower cost raw materials in manufacturing the pad elements and packaging.   
 
         [0033]    Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing descriptions. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0034]    While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the invention, it is believed that the present invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0035]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the disposable sheath with attached cleaning pad elements and a tether that is fully extended. The extended tether is for illustration purposes. In its original storage position the tether is folded as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0036]      FIG. 2  is a cross section side view of the disposable sheath with attached pad elements facing inward, with a folded tether attached to the distal end. 
           [0037]      FIG. 3  is a cross section end view of the disposable sheath with attached moistened cleaning d elements facing inward. 
           [0038]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the mop head and handle according to the present invention. 
           [0039]      FIG. 5  a cross section end view of the mop head and handle of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0040]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the mop head and handle of  FIG. 4  standing upright on its loading plate with the disposable sheath from  FIG. 1  located in the interior of the mop head. 
           [0041]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the disposable sheath of  FIG. 6  partially inverted over the mop head of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0042]      FIG. 8  is a cross section side view of the mop head in a mostly vertical loading position attached to a rod resting on a loading plate. 
           [0043]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a cartridge containing multiple disposable sheaths partially loaded into the mop head. 
           [0044]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a disposable mop head containing multiple disposable sheaths and a separate attachment rod. 
       
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMBERS IN DRAWINGS 
       [0045]      1  Disposable sheath with pad elements. 
         [0046]      2  Upper pad element attached to the first surface of the disposable sheath. 
         [0047]      3  Second surface of disposable sheath. 
         [0048]      4  Permanent seal at distal end of first storage chamber of disposable sheath. 
         [0049]      6  Temporary seal at proximal end of first storage chamber of disposable sheath. 
         [0050]      8  Lower tab at proximal end of disposable sheath that is drawn out and over the mop head to invert the disposable sheath. 
         [0051]      10  Upper tab at proximal end of disposable sheath that is drawn out and over the mop head to invert the disposable sheath. 
         [0052]      12  Tether attached to the distal end of the disposable sheath. 
         [0053]      14  Lower pad element attached to the first surface of the disposable sheath. 
         [0054]      16  First surface of the disposable sheath. 
         [0055]      20  Flattened cylinder shape mop head with an interior and an exterior surface. 
         [0056]      22  Rounded end edge of the mop head. 
         [0057]      24  Rod which attaches mop head to connector. 
         [0058]      26  Hinge joint at which connector is attached to rod. 
         [0059]      28  Connector used to attach rod to a mop handle. 
         [0060]      30  Molded section where rod attaches to mop head. 
         [0061]      32  Cavity or hole into which rod is placed, connecting rod to mop head. 
         [0062]      34  Flat upper exterior surface of mop head. 
         [0063]      35  Flat lower exterior surface of mop head. 
         [0064]      36  Interior surface of mop head. 
         [0065]      38  Loading plate attached to rod which is used to support mop head in a substantially vertical position during inverting of the disposable sheath. 
         [0066]      40  Distal end of mop head. 
         [0067]      42  Bent rod with an angle of approximately  75  degrees. 
         [0068]      44  Disposable loading cartridge containing multiple disposable sheaths. 
         [0069]      46  Disposable mop head containing multiple disposable sheaths 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0070]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of disposable sheath  1 . Disposable sheath  1  can be fabricated from plastic, metal foil or any other pliable material that is impervious to penetration by water, cleaning solution or chemical that may be used for cleaning, dusting or disinfecting. Disposable sheath I is sealed with a temporary seal  6  to form a closed first chamber with moistened pad elements on the inside that won&#39;t dry out or release chemicals before use. Sealing of individual moistened pad elements  2  and  14  helps prevent the drying out of other pad elements, a major drawback to other mop systems that include disposable moistened pad elements packaged in bulk. Tab  10  corresponds to the upper portion of disposable sheath I while tab  8  corresponds to the lower portion of the sheath. Permanent seal  4  is provided at the distal end of the first sealed chamber of disposable sheath  1 . This permanent seal  4  and the temporary seal  6  provide an enclosed first chamber to prevent the moistened pad elements  2  and  14  from drying out. Tether  12  which extends past permanent seal  4  is used to move disposable sheath  1  from the second position to the first position, or turning it outside in once cleaning, dusting or disinfecting operations have been completed and disposable sheath  1  is ready to be discarded. 
         [0071]      FIG. 2  shows a cross section side view of disposable sheath  1 . Second surface  3  faces outward. First surface  16  faces inward. Pad elements  2  and  14  are attached to first surface  16  and face each other. Temporary seal  6  connects the top and bottom first surfaces of sheath  1 . Tabs  8  and  10  extend past temporary seal  6 . Tether  12  is folded in half to contact a portion of the upper second surface  3  of disposable sheath  1 . 
         [0072]      FIG. 3  shows a cross section end view of disposable sheath I with second surface  3  facing outward when disposable sheath I is in the first position. Pad elements  2  and  14  are attached to first surface  16  and face inward when in the first position, as configured when being stored inside the mop head prior to use. Pad elements  2  and  14  can be provided in the form of woven or non-woven natural or synthetic material or from a paper towel-like material. Sponge-like materials are also possible. Pad elements  2  and  14  are attached to the first surface  16  of disposable sheath I by means of adhesive, heat sealing, sonicating or any other method that will ensure sufficient strength of attachment. The method is not as important as simply binding pad elements  2  and  14  to the first surface  16  of disposable sheath I so that said pad elements stay in place while a floor or other surface is vigorously cleaned, dusted or disinfected. The folding of the wall of disposable sheath  1  between pad elements  2  and  14  on both sides provides the necessary additional circumference to the sheath to be drawn out and over a mop head that effects a change in position of the pad elements from the first position where they face inward to the second position where they face outward. The folding configuration of disposable sheath  1  and pad elements  2  and  14  facilitate the placement and storage of disposable sheath  1  inside a mop head prior to use. 
         [0073]      FIG. 4  shows a preferred embodiment of the mop head  20 . Mop head  20  is shaped like a partially flattened cylinder having a flat upper exterior surface  34  and a flat lower exterior surface  35  on the opposite side of the mop head  20 . Two rounded sides  22  connect top surface  34  to bottom surface  35  of mop head  20 . Mop head  20  may be fabricated from plastic, metal or any other suitable material that can be formed into the preferred shape of a flattened cylinder. While the flattened cylindrical shape is the preferred shape, other shapes, such as a head with non-parallel upper and lower surfaces, non-flat surfaces, a triangular shape, non-parallel sides or even curved sides may be used. The essential requirement is that mop head  20  provide a stabilizing base to which second surface  3  of disposable sheath  1  can contact and be held in place. 
         [0074]    A mop handle is attached to the mop head at connector  28 . Connector  28  is attached to rod  24  at pivot joint  26 . Rod  24  is bent at several locations and is attached to the inside of mop head  20  through hole  32  in molded section  30 . Rod  24  is similar in shape to the rod portion of a paint roller except that connector  28  is attached to rod  24  at hinge  26 . Rod  24  is secured to mop head  20  along the length of molded section  30 , providing a pivot point between the mop head  20  and rod  24 . This allows mop head  20  to remain flat on the floor or other surface as the mop handle attached at connector  28  is raised or lowered and so that upper surface  34  can be flipped to exchange position with lower surface  35  of mop head  20 . This provides the means for both exterior surfaces of mop head  20  to contact the floor once disposable sheath  1  is attached and the mopping operation is commenced. Rod  24  is placed in hole or cavity  32  of molded section  30  at distal end  40  of mop head  20 . 
         [0075]    Loading plate  38  is attached to rod  24  to provide a means upon which mop head  20  can be placed in a vertical position to easily effect a change of disposable sheath  1  from the first position with pad elements facing inward to the second position with pad elements facing outward. 
         [0076]    The dimensions of mop head  20  depend on the intended use. For typical consumer use, the upper surface  34  of mop head  20  would preferably be ten inches in length and five inches in width. The distance between the upper exterior surface  34  and the lower exterior surface  35  could be as little as a half inch or as much as several inches. The preferred depth of the interior chamber of the mop head is such as to allow storage of the desired number of disposable sheaths  1  in the interior space. This is preferably ten or more. Mop head  20  designed for commercial applications may have larger dimensions to facilitate coverage of larger floor surface areas in less time. The wall thickness of mop head  20  should be adequate to provide structural stability during use and to facilitate the process of inverting disposable sheath  1  from the first position to the second position for cleaning and back to the first position for disposal. The wall thickness is preferably  1 / 4  inch. 
         [0077]      FIG. 5  shows a cross section end view of mop head  20 , rod  24 , loading plate  38 , molded section  30  and connector  28 . Rod  24  is attached to the interior surface of mop head  20  by molded section  30 . The end view of the mop head  20  illustrates the upper exterior surface  34  and bottom exterior surface  35  of mop head  20 . Mop head  20  pivots around the axis formed by rod  24  where attached through cavity  32  by molded section  30 . 
         [0078]      FIG. 6  illustrates storage of disposable sheath  1  inside mop head  20  as it is placed in a vertical position that facilitates the movement of disposable sheath from the first position to the second position, or in other words, the movement of pad elements facing inward toward each other to where the pad elements face outward. 
         [0079]      FIG. 7  shows the process of turning disposable sheath  1  inside out by moving the disposable sheath  1  from the first position to the second position. Tabs  8  and  10  are used to pull disposable sheath  1  out and over proximal end  22  of mop head  20 . This effects a change of disposable sheath  1  from the first position to the second position. As disposable sheath  1  is everted, temporary seal  6  is broken, facilitating the movement of disposable sheath  1  from the first position to the second position along the length of mop head  20 . Tab  8  is drawn out, over and back along lower exterior surface  35  of mop head  20  while tab  10  is drawn out, over and back along upper exterior surface  34 . The circumference of disposable sheath  1  is slightly larger than the circumference of the exterior surface of mop head  20 , providing a tight fit between disposable sheath  1  and mop head  20 . Pad elements  2  and  14  must be pliable enough to be drawn out and over rounded proximal end  22  of mop head  20 . Tabs  8  and  10  are drawn down the length of mop head  20  until they reach distal end  40 . Disposable sheath  1  can only be inverted to the point where permanent seal  4  is pulled even with proximal end  22  of mop head  20 . Permanent seal  4  also maintains disposable sheath  1  in place around mop head  20 . Without permanent seal  4 , disposable sheath  1  could slide freely around mop head  20 . However permanent seal  4  prevents the movement of sheath  1  around the mop head  20 . Tether  12  is slightly longer than the length of mop head  20 . When disposable sheath  1  is turned completely inside out into the second position over mop head  20 , tether  12  should still be in a position to be grasped inside distal end  40  of mop head  20 . After the floor is cleaned, dusted or disinfected by passing the moistened pad elements over it, mop head  20  is rotated  180  degrees around the axis formed by hole  32  where rod  24  is inserted. The pad element on the opposite outside surface of the mop head is then available for use. The simple step of installing one disposable sheath  1  onto mop head  20  by turning it inside out provides for two moistened pad elements  2  and  14  to be used to treat double the floor surface area. 
         [0080]    Upon completion of the cleaning, dusting or disinfecting operation, after both moistened pad elements  2  and  14  are dirtied, tether  12  is grasped from within distal end  40  of mop head  20  and pulled out and away from mop head  20 . This reverses the earlier process of placing disposable sheath  1  on the exterior surface of mop head  20 . It moves the disposable sheath from the second position where pads  2  and  14  face outward back to the first position where the pads  2  and  14  face inward. Tether  12  is then used to pull the disposable sheath in the first position from inside mop head  20  for disposal. The simple operations of installing and removing disposable sheath  1  without ever having to touch a wet surface with ones hands accomplishes two of the main objectives of the invention. This makes it possible to moisten pad elements  2  and  14  with stronger chemical cleaners than would otherwise be the case if the user were required to touch the wet surface of pad elements  2  and  14  with his or her fingers. In addition, the disposal operation is not only safer for the consumer it is more hygienic because the user never has to touch the soiled pad elements  2  and  14 . They are isolated in the first position within the disposable sheath that has been turned outside in. 
         [0081]      FIG. 8  shows mop head  20  inclined approximately  15  degrees from the vertical plane as it is attached to rod  24 . The fixed open angle in the bend of rod  24  is approximately  75  degrees in the bend nearest to the mop head  20  and  105  degrees in the bend away from the mop head  20 . This places the center of gravity of the proximal end of mop head  20  directly over loading plate  38 . The free-standing mop head  20  positioned over loading plate  38  frees both hands of the user to invert disposable sheath  1  over mop head  20 . 
         [0082]      FIG. 9  shows the mop head  20  being loaded with a disposable cartridge  44  in which multiple disposable sheaths I are stored. The disposable cartridge  44  is the purchasing unit pre-loaded with multiple disposable sheaths  1 . Disposable cartridge  44  can be easily and quickly loaded into mop head  20 , providing a handy storage space for the disposable sheaths  1 . 
         [0083]      FIG. 10  shows multiple disposable sheaths  1  loaded into a disposable mop head  46 . The disposable mop head  46  becomes the purchasing unit and storage unit for the multiple sheaths  1  before being attached to attachment rod  24 . After attachment rod  24  is inserted into hole  32  of disposable mop head  46 , disposable mop head  46  functions in the same manner as mop head  20  that can be used to clean floors and other surface. 
         [0084]    Combining two chemicals, such as an activator and a base solution, and applying it to the disposable mop head just before use can lead to enhanced microbicidal activity. Another embodiment of this invention would be to apply the base chemical to the pad elements at time of manufacture and store the activator in the tether. Just before use, the activator could be transferred, all under a closed system, from the tether through a breakable seal to compartment one containing the pad elements where it could activate the base chemical for maximum disinfecting power. This extreme design feature would likely only be required in hospital applications where germicidal activity in cleaning floors is of the utmost importance. 
         [0085]    The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications or variations are possible and contemplated in light of the above teachings by those skilled in the art, and the embodiments discussed were chosen and described in order to best illustrate the principles of the invention and its practical application. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.