Patent Publication Number: US-8528150-B1

Title: Foot operated scrubbing device

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/366,308, filed on Jul. 21, 2010. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Disclosed are devices for cleaning, particularly devices for cleaning floors, and related methods of cleaning. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Floors and similar walkway surfaces can be difficult to clean, particular when one has difficulty kneeling down on the floor to scrub and clean the floor. 
     To make it easier to clean the floor without kneeling, a number of floor scrubbing devices have been developed that strap onto or receive one&#39;s foot. Such floor scrubbing devices have an outer surface forming a mop or made of an abrasive member that contacts the floor and scrubs the floor. 
     Although such foot-adhering devices enable the floor to be scrubbed and cleaned without kneeling, they do have disadvantages. 
     Straps can be difficult to put on or remove from the foot, and have to be adjusted for the size of foot. Often the user must kneel in order to adjust the straps—thus defeating the “no kneeling” advantage supposedly offered by such devices. 
     Foot-adhering devices that utilize a slipper or other foot-receiving enclosure that extends around the entire foot can be difficult to put on or take off, and will accept only a limited range of foot sizes. Slipper-type floor scrubbers are also relatively expensive and are almost equivalent to a shoe when it comes to required storage space. 
     Thus there is a need for an improved scrubbing device that enables a user to scrub the floor without kneeling, does not have straps and is easy to put on and take off, takes up only a small amount of storage space, and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Disclosed is an improved foot operated scrubbing device that enables a user to scrub a floor without kneeling, does not have straps, and is easy to put on and take off. The scrubbing device takes up only a small amount of storage space and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. 
     The foot operated scrubbing device in accordance with the present invention is a rigid, generally “U”-shaped member that receives a user&#39;s foot between the legs of the “U”. The foot presses against an upper surface of the U-shaped member to press an abrasive member against the floor. The upper surface of the U-shaped member has a textured surface that resists slipping of the foot along the upper surface of the member. 
     The interface between the foot and the “U”-shaped member is the only source of force transferred to the abrasive member for moving the abrasive member against the floor. There is no need for straps, and no enclosures that surround the entire foot. 
     In preferred embodiments the “U”-shaped member is formed from injection molded plastic and so can be manufactured in high volumes at low cost. The abrasive member can be a separate member or can be permanently attached to the lower surface of the “U”-shaped member. 
     Other objects and features will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying four drawing sheets illustrating an embodiment of the scrubbing device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a foot operated scrubbing device and an abrasive member for use with the scrubbing device; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the scrubbing device shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of the scrubbing device shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view similar to that shown in  FIG. 1  but including hidden lines; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the scrubbing device shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the abrasive member. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIGS. 1-5  illustrates an embodiment of a foot operated floor scrubbing device  10 . The device  10  is used to press and move an abrasive member  12  against a floor or other surface using one&#39;s foot as described in greater detail below. 
     The device  10  is formed as an integral, one-piece, substantially “U”-shaped plastic member, preferably manufactured by injection molding. The illustrated device  10  is approximately five inches wide, six inches long, and about one-tenth of an inch thick. 
     The plastic member  10  includes a generally rectangular plate or plate portion  14  and a pair of side members  16 ,  18  extending away from the plate  14 . The plate  14  has convex, rounded ends  20 ,  22  separated by the length of the plate, and upper and lower sides  24 ,  26  respectively separated by the thickness of the plate. 
     The side members  16 ,  18  form the legs of the “U”-shaped member and are separated by the width of the plate  14 . The side members  16 ,  18  each extend away from the upper side  24  and extend along the length dimension of the plate  14 . Each side member  16 ,  18  has an inner face or planar surface  28  perpendicular to the plate  14 , the surfaces  28  facing and parallel with one another. 
     The upper side  24  of the plate  14  is formed as a textured surface, with a number of pointed projections  30  spaced in linear rows and columns extending away from the upper side  24 . The projections  30  can cover the entire side  24  as illustrated or may be limited to just between the side members  16 ,  18 . 
     The lower side  26  of the plate  14  may be substantially flat, but the illustrated embodiment includes parallel projections or tabs  32  projecting from the lower side  26  and extending the length of the plate  32  as best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The tabs can fit in corresponding slots (not shown) in the abrasive member  12 . Other patterns of cooperating tabs and slots can be used in other embodiments to assist in resisting relative movement between the plate  14  and the abrasive member  12  during use. 
     Use of the scrubbing device  10  to scrub a floor is described next. 
     The abrasive  12  is placed on the floor. The device  10  is then placed over the abrasive member  12 , the lower side  26  against the abrasive  12 . As best seen in  FIGS. 1 and 6 , the outer periphery of the abrasive  12  is preferably shaped to conform to the outer periphery of the device  10 . 
     In other possible embodiments, the abrasive member  12  is permanently attached to the lower side  26  of the member  10 , and so placing the abrasive member  12  on the floor would automatically place the device  10  over the abrasive  12 . 
     A user&#39;s foot is then inserted into the “U” shaped member  10 , with the sides of the foot between the surfaces  28  of the side members  16 ,  18  and the foot pressing against the upper side  24  of the plate  14 . The length of the member  10  is less than the length of most adult feet, and so the toes and/or heel of the foot would normally be located outwardly from the device  10 . 
     The projections  30  provide a mechanical connection between the device  10  and the foot pressing against the device  10  that resists relative movement or slipping of the foot along the top plate side  24 . 
     The user then moves his or her foot along the floor while the foot is engaged against the device  10  to move abrasive  12  relative to the floor for scrubbing the floor with the abrasive. The engagement of the foot with the device  10  is the only transfer of force between the foot and the device  10 ; it is not necessary for straps, slippers or any other auxiliary devices to be attached to the device  10  or to the user&#39;s foot when scrubbing the floor. 
     It is expected in commercial embodiments that different sizes of the device  10  may be manufactured for use by persons of differing foot sizes. Since the devices  10  are inexpensive and easy to store, users may wish to have multiple numbers of the devices  10  available for use and may wish to have devices  10  in different rooms of the house. 
     The abrasive member  12  can be formed from any of the abrasive or cleaning materials used for scrubbing or cleaning surfaces known to a person of ordinary skill in the cleaning arts. The abrasive member  12  would of course be compatible with the type of surface being cleaned and the material forming the device  10 . Examples of such materials include, but are not limited to, cloth, chamois, sponge, microfibers, grit or lava particles, and the like. 
     The term “foot” as used herein is meant to include a user&#39;s foot whether barefoot or not barefoot. 
     While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my device invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.