Patent Publication Number: US-2013232715-A1

Title: Abrasive pad releasably attachable to cleaning devices

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to abrasive pads and in particular abrasive pads that are releasably attachable to cleaning devices. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     There is a wide variety of cleaning devices available in the market. They range from commercial mops to yacht mops to brushes to car wash gloves to dishwashing gloves. Typically these cleaning devices are not designed to be abrasive per se and accordingly abrasive pads are frequently used to complement the cleaning efficiency of these cleaning devices. 
     There have been some attempts to combine these cleaning devices with an abrasive component. Such combinations include mops with abrasive pads sewn thereto or laminated thereto. However for these combinations typically when the abrasive component is no longer effective the only option is for the user to replace the cleaning device and abrasive component combination. As an alternative a mop has been suggested wherein a hook portion of a hook and loop type fastener is sewn to the mop head and an abrasive pad is attachable directly to the hook potion. However, the problem with this design is that when a hook and loop type fastener comes in contact with water the attachment is weakened and the abrasive pad pulls off the mop. As well, if the mop is used without a pad attached to the hook portion, the hook portion will be damaged and thereafter it will be very difficult to attach an abrasive pad thereto. In addition, the mop will be difficult to wring out with the abrasive pad attached to the hook portion and if the abrasive pad is not attached to the hook portion the mop itself will get tangled in the hook portion rendering the mop unusable. 
     Accordingly it would be advantageous to provide an abrasive pad that can be releasably attached to a cleaning device that will stay attached to the cleaning device even when it is wet and then can be removed from the cleaning device so that a new abrasive pad can be attached thereto. Alternatively it would be advantageous to provide an abrasive pad that can be attached on top of an existing abrasive pad on a cleaning device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an abrasive pad which is adapted to be removably attachable to a device. The abrasive pad has one side adapted for scrubbing and the other side has a water resistant adhesive attached thereto. A removable cover is releasably attached to the adhesive whereby the removable cover is adapted to be removed and the adhesive attached to the abrasive pad is thereafter attached to the device. 
     Further features of the invention will be described or will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a commercial type mop with the abrasive pad constructed in accordance with the present invention attached thereto; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view similar to that shown in  FIG. 1  but showing the mop with the abrasive pad engaging the floor; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of a yacht mop in an upright position and showing the abrasive pad constructed in accordance with the present invention attached thereto and a second abrasive pad above in position to be attached; 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the yacht mop of  FIG. 4  with the abrasive pad of the present invention attached thereto; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the mop portion of the yacht mop of  FIG. 4  with the abrasive pad of the present invention attached thereto; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of the yacht mop of  FIG. 4  with the abrasive pad of the present invention attached thereto and showing the mop in use; 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of a strip mop in an upright position and showing the abrasive pad constructed in accordance with the present invention attached thereto and an abrasive pad is also shown above in position just prior to being attached thereto; 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of the strip mop of  FIG. 8  with the abrasive pad of the present invention attached thereto; 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of the mop portion of the strip mop of  FIG. 8  with the abrasive pad of the present invention attached thereto; 
         FIG. 11  is a front view of the strip mop of  FIG. 8  with the abrasive pad of the present invention attached thereto and showing the mop in use; 
         FIG. 12  is a top perspective view of the abrasive pad constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a bottom perspective view of the abrasive pad of  FIG. 12  and having the peel back portion partially peeled off; 
         FIG. 14  is a top perspective view of the abrasive pad of the present invention and having a rib formed therein; 
         FIG. 15  is a bottom perspective view of the abrasive pad of  FIG. 14  and having the peel back portion partially peeled off; 
         FIG. 16  is a top perspective view of an abrasive pad of the present invention and having a plurality of ribs formed therein; 
         FIG. 17  is a front view of a window or car brush with an abrasive pad attached thereto; 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view of a hand held car wash glove with an abrasive pad of the present invention attached thereto; 
         FIG. 19  is a side view of the hand held car wash glove of  FIG. 18  with an abrasive pad attached thereto; 
         FIG. 20  is a front view of a pair of rubber gloves with abrasive pads of the present invention attached to fingers of each glove; 
         FIG. 21  is a side view of a steam mop with an abrasive pad of the present invention attached thereto; 
         FIG. 22  is a front view of the steam mop of  FIG. 21 ; 
         FIG. 23  is a back view of the steam mop of  FIG. 22 ; 
         FIG. 24  is a back view of the steam mop of  FIG. 22  but showing an alternate abrasive pad attached thereto; 
         FIG. 25  is a front view of a prior art microfiber attachment for a steam mop; 
         FIG. 26  is a front view of a microfiber attachment for a steam mop with a generally rectangular abrasive pad attached thereto; 
         FIG. 27  is a front view of a microfiber attachment for a steam mop with an alternate abrasive pad attached thereto; 
         FIG. 28  is a side view of a vacuum cleaner with an abrasive pad attached to the head of the vacuum cleaner an example being a crevice tool shown herein; 
         FIG. 29  is a bottom view of the head of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG. 28  without an abrasive pad attached thereto; 
         FIG. 30  is a bottom view of the head of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG. 29  with an alternate abrasive pad of the present invention attached thereto; 
         FIG. 31  is a side perspective view of a scrub sponge with an abrasive pad of the present invention attached thereto; 
         FIG. 32  is a side perspective view similar to that shown in  FIG. 31  but showing the abrasive pad partially attached thereto; and 
         FIG. 33  is a front view of a sponge mop with an abrasive pad of the present invention attached thereto. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3  the abrasive pad  10  of the present invention is shown attached to a commercial mop  12 . The abrasive pad  10  is releasably attached directly to the mop head. The abrasive pad  10  has an adhesive attached thereto and a peel back cover  14  (shown in  FIGS. 13-16  and described in more detail below) is releasably attached to the adhesive. Therefore the user can easily peel back the cover and attach the abrasive pad to the mop. When the mop handle  16  is perpendicular (90 degrees) to the floor with the mop head upright, the abrasive pad  10  is attached to near the top of the mop head  19 , parallel to the component  18  that holds the mop head. This ensures that when in use the end of the elongate handle  16  can be used to apply pressure to the abrasive pad  10 . If the abrasive pad  10  is attached lower down it is difficult to apply pressure with the handle to the abrasive pad. If it is too high up it is similarly difficult to apply pressure from the handle to the pad. A commercial wet mop  12  includes a mop head  19 . The mop head  19  may be made from a variety of materials, for example string cotton, synthetic yarns, cotton yarns, rayon yarns, yarn blends or sponge material attached together. The mop head  19  may have the material sewn together or bound together with another piece of material. Mop head  19  is attached to the handle  16  with component  18 . A commercial wet mop  12  is arranged such that the mop head  19  can be easily released from component  18  and changed. Typically with a commercial wet mop  12  the pad  10  will be one of approximately 2″×4″, 2″×5″, 2″×6″. However it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that another user may choose a different size. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 to 7  a yacht mop is shown generally at  20 . A yacht mop is similar to the commercial mop  12  except that the component  22  that holds the mop head  24  in place generally forms part of the mop head  24 . The mop material is attached to component  22  and component  22  is typically releasable from handle  16 . The yacht mop  20  is generally considered disposable and when it is worn out typically the entire mop would be replaced or it would be detached from the handle and all but the handle would be replaced. A yacht mop may be made from a variety of materials similar to those used in a commercial mop, however, typically a yacht mop has a lighter weight mop head than a commercial mop. As in the case of the commercial wet mop  12  the abrasive pad  10  is attached directly to the mop head  24 . When the mop handle  16  is perpendicular (90 degrees) to the floor, the abrasive pad  10  is attached to the top of the mop head  24 , preferably the strands should be gathered prior to attaching the abrasive pad (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). Typically the pad  10  for a yacht mop  20  will be plus or minus 1½″×1½″, 2″×2″ or 2½″×2½″. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the abrasive pad  10  may be removed before attaching a new abrasive pad or alternatively the new abrasive pad maybe attached to the abrasive pad already attached to the mop. 
       FIGS. 8 to 11  show a strip mop  30  with an abrasive pad  10  of the present invention attached thereto. The strip mop  30  is similar to the yacht mop  20  described above. Typically the strip mop  30  is releasable from the handle  16 . The strip mop is typically made from cotton, synthetic, micro fibre or a combination thereof. Typically the pad  10  used with a strip mop  30  will be plus or minus 1½″×2″, 1½″×2½″, 1½″×3″. When the mop handle  16  is perpendicular (90 degrees) to the floor, the abrasive pad is attached to 1-3 consecutive strips (depending on the width of these strips) to the top of the mop head  32 , centered horizontally to the handle  16 . 
     The abrasive pad  10  of the present invention could be made in a variety of different colours. Typically in regard to abrasive pads the colour of the pad indicates the coarseness of the pad. The dimensions of the pad can vary and would be dependent on the intended use of the pad. Typically the thickness of the pad  10  may range from approximately ⅛″, ¼″, ½″, ¾″ and 1″, as shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 . As shown in  FIGS. 14 to 16  the pad  10  may have one rib  40  ( FIGS. 14 and 15 ) or a plurality of ribs  40  ( FIG. 16 ) formed therein. The ribs are particularly useful for cleaning the grout between tiles. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that it may be used on floor tiles, wall tiles or countertops. It is particularly useful for those hard to reach places such as corners, seams, and around the toilet. The rib is dimensioned to fit into grout whereby pressing on the pad allows the user to scrub tile and grout simultaneously. The Width of the ribs  40  may vary and are typically ⅛″, ¼″, ½″ to ⅝″. The pads  10  are typically manufactured from nylon or polyester or a combination thereof. The nylon and polyester may be virgin or recycled or a combination thereof. 
     The abrasive pad  10  has adhesive on one side thereof and a peel and stick cover  14  is releasably attached to the adhesive side of the abrasive pad. The adhesive is water proof or water resistant; and preferably can tolerate or withstand heat up to at least 140° F. (60° C.) for general applications and up to the boiling point of water (212° F. or 100° C.) for steam applications. As well, typically if the adhesive is water resistant and heat resistant it is also chemical tolerant or resistant for water solvent based chemicals. That is, the hot water or the chemicals will not cause the adhesive to release and thus abrasive pad will be continue to be attached to the device even if it is submersed in hot water or water solvent based chemicals. 
     The peel and stick cover attached to the adhesive is preferably a silicone coating on one of a plastic or paper carrier thereon such that the peel and stick cover is releasably attached to one side thereof. The peel and stick or releasable cover is designed to be removed prior to the abrasive pad being attached to a device. The plastic or paper carrier with a silicone release is a sheet that is released as part of the peel and stick attachment means. The adhesive may be laminated to the abrasive pad using double sided tape that is laminated to one side of the abrasive pad. The double sided tape may be laminated by way of heat, laser or roller. One side of the double sided tape is laminated to the abrasive pad preferably by way of cold rolling. The double sided tape may have a polyvinylchloride back or carrier, polyester back or carrier or other type of plastic back or carrier. The adhesive may alternatively be directly attached to the abrasive pad by way of spraying, dipping or rolled thereon. In use, the peel and stick cover is removed from the adhesive and the abrasive pad with the adhesive exposed is pressed onto the cleaning device of choice. Preferably the abrasive pad is attached when the surface to which it is being attached is dry. When the abrasive pad is no longer effective or a new abrasive pad is desired the abrasive pad is pulled off the cleaning device and disposed of. Preferably the abrasive pad is pulled off when it is wet. 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the user may choose any specific size for the abrasive pad. The size that will be chosen will depend on the particular application. 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the abrasive pad of the present invention may also be used in association with other cleaning devices. The abrasive pad could also be used in conjunction with an automotive brush as shown in  FIG. 17  at  50  or hand held car wash gloves as shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19  at  54 . The automotive brush  50  has a handle  52  that is adapted to be attached to a hose (not shown). The hose is attached to a water source and thus water is provided to the brush during use. 
     As well, as shown in  FIG. 20 , smaller portions of the abrasive pad  56  could also be attached to the tips of right  58  and left  60  rubber gloves to help to get into those hard to reach areas when cleaning. The abrasive pad  56  may be round as shown on right glove  58  or oval as shown on left glove  60 . Further, the abrasive pads  56  may be attached to two fingers as shown on right glove  58  or all fingers as shown on left glove  60 . 
     The abrasive pad  62  of the present invention may also be used in association with a steam mop  64  as shown in  FIGS. 21 to 27  or a vacuum cleaner  66  as shown in  FIGS. 28 to 30 . It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that there are a wide variety of shapes that may be used in association with these devices. For example a simple abrasive pad  62  may be adapted to cover the majority of the head  68  of steam mop  64  as shown in  FIG. 23  or it may be smaller than the head  68  of the steam mop  64  as shown in  FIG. 24 . Typically the abrasive pad  62  will be provided with a plurality of holes  70  that are adapted to be in registration with the holes of the steam mop when attached to the head of the steam mop. Alternatively there may be provided a microfiber cover  72  that is attachable to the steam mop head. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many of the steam mops available in the market have microfiber covers (as shown in  FIG. 25 ) adapted to be attached to the head of the steam mop. Typically they are attached by way of an elastic or cord/rope perimeter such that the microfiber cover can be easily removed and washed or replaced. The microfiber cover  72  may have an abrasive pad  62  of the present invention attached thereto by way of the peel and stick adhesive described above. The abrasive pad may be a generally rectangular pad as shown in  FIG. 26  or one that is generally the same shape as the microfiber cover as shown in  FIG. 27 . 
     An abrasive pad  62  may be attached to a vacuum cleaner head  74  in a similar fashion as described above with regard to a steam mop. In  FIG. 30  an abrasive pad  62  is shown attached to a vacuum cleaner head  74  shown in  FIG. 29 . The abrasive pad includes a plurality of holes  70  formed therein to facilitate the air and/or water being sucked into the head  74 . In the embodiment shown herein head  74  is a crevice tool. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the size and number of holes  70  may vary depending on the head used and the suction. 
     The abrasive pad  76  of the present invention could also be used in association with hand scrub sponge  78 .  FIG. 31  shows the abrasive pad partially attached to the sponge  78  on top of the integrally attached scrub pad  79 . Abrasive pad  76  would be attached after scrub pad  79  was worn out to extend the life of the scrub sponge  78  and  FIG. 32  shows the abrasive pad partially attached to the sponge  78 . This is a handheld scrub sponge. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the abrasive pad of the present invention could also be used in association with a sponge mop shown in  FIG. 33  at  80 . 
     It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the use of the abrasive pad disclosed herein enhances the usability of cleaning devices. Further it extends the use of the cleaning device because once the abrasive pad is no longer effective it can be removed and replaced thus extending the useful life of the cleaning device. Accordingly from an environmental perspective the abrasive pad of the present invention will add considerable life to the devices to which it is attached. 
     Generally speaking, the systems described herein are directed to mops and more specifically abrasive pads that are releasably attached to mops. As required, embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary, and it should be understood that the invention may be embodied in many various and alternative forms. The Figures are not to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular elements while related elements may have been eliminated to prevent obscuring novel aspects. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. For purposes of teaching and not limitation, the illustrated embodiments are directed to mops and abrasive pads for releasable attachment thereto. 
     As used herein, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed as being inclusive and opened rather than exclusive. Specifically, when used in this specification including the claims, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or components are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.