The consumer market for quick disposable products that provide high quality polishing results is arowvlIlQ. The demand is areat for a product that provides a high quality polish without the need for time consumina clean-up in a varietv of environments such as shining shoes, waxina an automobile, applying plastic protectants to an automobile, polishing silverware stainina furniture. cleanina furniture. oven cleanina, medical equipment cleanup. washina windows, cleanina and conditionina leather and even for wiping and clean-up of babies.

Many products on the market todav promise to instantly polish an object. However, many of these products do not actuallv apply a polish but rather onlv clean or shine the object and then do not provide a proper. long lasting polish because of the limitations on the choice of polish which result from the disposable character thereof.

Polishing mitts are well known. Typically. they utilize the same material for applying the polish and buffing and. require reversina of the mitt on the hand between the application of the polish and buffina of the polish. Often this allows polish to be absorbed into the polish application laver durina the polishina step resultina in the need for a areat quantitv of polish and stainina the hand. In addition. the polish application laver surface is exposed during buffing and often results in soilina ol the hands or clothes of the person doina the polishing % Ian%, also require cleanup after use.

Accordinaly it is the object of the present invention to provide novel devices and methods which obviate manv of the deficiencies of known disposable polishers.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel disposable polish applying and buffing mitt and a polish applying and buffing kit for use in applying a polish to an object and buffing the polish into the object.

It is still a another object of the present invention to provide a novel disposable polish applying and buffing kit that contains a polish.

It is yet a another object of the present invention to provide a novel disposable polish applying and buffing mitt and kit that includes a first layer that can be used to clean the object before the polish is applied.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel disposable polish applying and buffing mitt and kit that can be used for two different applications.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a polish applying and buffing mitt and a novel method of applying polish to an object using the mitt.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a polish applying and buffing kit and a novel method of applying polish to an object using the kit.

These and many other obj ects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawings, and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a pictorial view of a hand sized embodiment of the mitt of the present invention with a polish impervious layer on one side.

Figure 2 is a section taken throuah lines 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure is a pictorial view of a finger shaped embodiment of the mitt of the present invention in a partial section illustratin cleaning, polish applying, and buffing lavers.

Figure 4 is a pictorial view of a first embodiment of a hand sized kit illustrating a polish containing compartment adjacent the distal end thereof.

Figure is a section taken through lines 5-5 of Figure 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2, one embodiment of the disposable polish applying and buffing mitt 10 of the present invention is dimensioned and configured to receive a human hand. The polish applying and buffing mitt can also be dimensioned and configured to receive one. two. three. or four fingers ; or have a thumb sleeve : or be gloved shaped. The configuration and dimension of the buffing mitt is desirablv selected based on the object to be polished. For example, to apply a car wax a large mitt would be preferred. while to polish smallerobjects like silverware. a one-finger or two-finger shaped mitt would be preferred.

The polish applying and buffing mitt 10 is a multilayered mitt that comprises a buffing mitt 19 ouf a material pervious to the polish to be applied to the object suitable for buffing. The material pervious to the polish may be any material suitable for buffing the object to be polished, e. g., cotton. cotton flannel. fabric, terry cloth, chamois, or paper product. The mitt 10 further comprises a layer of material 14 impervious to the polish that is removably secured to the buffing mitt 12 on one side of the polish applying and buffing mitt 10. The laver 14 may be any material suitable for applying polish to the object, e. g. plastic or polvmer film. The size of the polish impervious layer on the buffing mitt is dependent on the obiect to be polished. For example. to apply wax to a car the polish impervious laver mav cover at least one side of the mitt. while for shining a shoe the polish impervious laver mav cover approximately one third of the closed end of the mitt one side thereof.

The polish impervious laver 14 is removably secured to the buffing mitt 12 such that the laver 14 can be removed from the buffing mitt 12 once the polish has been applied to the object. In the present embodiment a tab 16, attached to the layer 14, is pulled to remove the laver 14 from the buffing mitt 12. The layers of the mitt and kit can be removably secured to each other bv any suitable means, e. g., the layer is removably secured to the buffing mitt by plastic perforation that can be released by pulling a tab attached to the layer ; a tab attached to the laver that comprises a plastic sealing ring can be pulled to remove the laver from the buffing mitt : or a tab attached to the laver can be pulled to remove the laver from the buffing mitt by breaking the seal between the laver and the buffing mitt. The seal between the layer and the buffing mitt mav be anv conventional seal such as a heat seal or pressure sensitive seal.

The mitt 10 is dimensioned and configured to receive a human hand into the open pocket of the buffing mitt and ma% be dipped into a polish so that the polish impervious layer 14 receives the polish and the laver 14 is used to apply the polish to the object by the hand within the buffing mitt 10. After the proper amount of polish has been applied to the object the laver 14 can be removed exposing the buffing mitt 12. The laver 14 can be removed from the buffing mitt 12 by pulling the tab 16 attached to the laver 14. The buffing mitt 12 can then be used to buff the polish into the object by the hand within said buffing mitt. When the buffing is completed the buffing mitt 12 can be removed from the hand for disposal.

In another embodiment of the disposable polish applying and buffing mitt. separate polish impervious lavers may be removably secured on opposite sides of the buffing mitt to the buffing mitt such that the buffing mitt can be used on two separate occasions for application of polish.

With reference to Figure 3. polish applying and buffing mitt 30 is dimensioned and configured to receive a finger and to include a layer of cleaning material 32 removably secured to the polish impervious laver 34. The cleaning material layer can be comprise of any material suitable for the cleaning of the object to be polished. e. g., cotton. cotton flannel. fabric, terry cloth. or paper product. Pulling the tab 38 attached to the cleaning layer 32 removes the cleaning layer 32 from the polish impervious layer 34. The layer 34 is removably secured to the buffing mitt 36 bv a tab 40 which is attached to the laver 34 thereof such that pulling the tab 40 removes the polish impervious layer 34 from said buffing mitt 36 as described in connection with the mitt of Figure 1.

A finger can be inserted into the open end of the mitt 30 and the cleaning layer 32 may be used to clean the object to be polished. When the object has been cleaned, the cleaning layer 32 can be removed bv pulling the tab 38 attached to the cleaning layer 32 which removes the cleaning laver 32 from the polish impervious laver 34. The layer 34 may then be dipped into a polish so that the layer 34 is used to apply the polish to the object by the finger within the buffina mitt 36. After the proper amount of polish has been applied to the object. the layer 34 can be removed from the buffing mitt 36 by pulling on the tab 40 attached to laver 34 to remove the layer 34 and expose the buffing mitt 36. The mitt 36 can then be used to buff the polish into the object by the finger within said buffing mitt 36.

After the buffing of the object is completed, the finger shaped buffing mitt 36 can be removed for disposal.

With reference now to Figure 4 and Figure, a disposable polish applying and buffing kit 40 is dimensioned and configured to receive a human hand which is inserted into the open pocket of the kit 40. The kit 40 has a first laver of material 42 impervious to the polish to be applied to the object. The first layer 42 is removably secured to a second layer of material 48 impervious to the polish and forms a sealed compartment 44 between said first and second layers. The sealed compartment 44 contains a quantitv of polish 46 sufficient to cover the object to be polished. The polish can be any material suitable for polishing an object, e. g.. shoe polish. car wax. furniture wax. silver polish. plastic and vinyl protectants. leather cleaner, window cleaner and other general types of cleaners (e. g., solvents. degreasers. disinfectants, and soaps).

The first layer 42 is removably secured to the second layer 48 and can be removed from the second layer to expose the polish 46 by pulling the tab 52 attached to the first layer 42. The second layer 48 is removably secured to the buffing mitt 50 and can be removed from the buffing mitt 50 by pulling the tab 46 attached to the second layer 48.

The polish applying and buffing kit 40 can be used bv placing a hand inside the open end of the kit 40. The first layer 42 is removed from the second layer 48 by pulling tab 52 which removes the first laver 42 and exposes the polish 46. The layer 48 is then used to apply the polish 46 to the object by the hand within the buffing mitt 50. When the proper amount of polish 46 has been applied to the object to be polished the second layer 48 can be removed from the buffing mitt 50 by pulling tab 54 attached to the second layer 48.

Pulling tab 54 removes the second layer 48 from the kit 40 and exposes the buffing mitt 50.

The buffing mitt 50 can then be used to buff the polish 46 into the object by the hand within the buffing mitt 50. After buffing of the object is completed, the buffing mitt 50 can be removed for disposal.

In another embodiment of the polish applying and buffing kit. a laver of cleaning material can be removably secured to the first layer of polish impervious material so that the layer of cleaning material can be used to clean the object to be polished prior to applying a polish. The cleaning laver is removably secured to the first laver and is removed from the kit after the object has been cleaned by pulling a tab attached to the cleaning layer.

In yet another embodiment, the disposable polish applying and buffing kit has separate first laveurs. polish. and second layers on opposite sides of the buffing kit to allow for the kit to be used twice. The first and second layers are removably secured such that they are separately removed from one side of the kit.

In a further embodiment, the disposable polish applying and buffing kit is comprises a glove-shaped buffing mitt that is maintained in the shape of a mitt by the second polish impervious layer. When the second laver is removed from the buffing mitt. the buffing mitt can be formed into a glove shape by moving the fingers with the glove shaped buffing mitt.

This embodiment is effective for polishing objects that have smaller pockets into which the polish needs to be buffed such as finely crafted furniture with embossed ornamentations on the surface thereof.

ADVANTAGES AND SCOPE OF THE INVENTION The advantages of the present inventions are numerous. The polish applying and buffing mitt and the polish applying and buffing kit can be designed to optimize the polishing of an object bv selecting a polish impervious layer and pervious material for the buffing mitt based on the object to be polished and the polish to be used. The same object can require different polish operations. For example, a boot could require a design to apply shoe polish and another design to apply water proofina material.

The use of a polish impervious material in the design allows for less polish required for the polish applying step. Since less polish is required in the design. manufacturing costs will be reduced without a aecrease in polishing results.

The polish applying and buffing mitt and the polish applying and buffing kit can be dimensioned and configured to ensure the object is polished correctlv. Basing the configuration of the mitt and kit on the object to be polished ensure a higher qualitv polish. The mitt and kit can be shaped to receive a hand. have a thumb sleeve in the mitt. receive one to four fingers. be round or square. However the possible configurations of the mitt and kit are not based on size and shape alone. Additional features can be added to the mitt and kit to optimize the polishing of an object. An outer cleaning laver can be added to the mitt or kit. For example the cleaning laver may comprise an absorbent material. An additional buffing strap can be included inside the mitt or kit. In some cases two buffing layers removably secured to each other will be required to properly polish the object. The two buffing layers can even be made of different materials resulting in a higher quality polish than just one buffing laver. The same holds true for the polish impervious layers where in some cases two layers may be needed to apply the polish to the object with a first specific laver of polish impervious material and a second polish impervious laver to further aid the application of the polish prior to buffing.

The polish applying and buffing mitt is suitable for any operation that benefits from the application of a polish to an object bv a polish impervious layer and buffing of the polish into the object bv a pervious layer, including wiping, washing, cleaning or dusting of an object. Such operations include but are not limited to cleaning and polishing mechanical equipment. The cleaning layer mav be used to remove substances such as excess grease from mechanical equipment. After cleaning. the cleaning layer may be removed and the polish impervious layer may be used to applv deoreaser to the equipment. After application of the degreaser. the polish impervious layer may be removed and the pervious material of the buffing mitt may then be used to buff the degreaser into the equipment. When buffing is completed the buffing mitt can be removed for disposal. The result is clean equipment without the soiling of the hands.

Further bv wav of example, the polish applying and buffing mitt mav be useful in the cleanup of medical equipment if utilized with hospital gloves. The cleaning layer may be used to wipe the medical wastes from medical equipment. such as an operating table. After cleaning, the cleaning laver may be removed and the polish impervious layer may further wipe any excess medical wastes from the table if required. and then may be used to apply a disinfectant or cleaner to the medical equipment. After application of the disinfectant or cleaner the polish impervious layer may be removed and the pervious material of the buffing mitt may then be used to buff the disinfectant or cleaner into the equipment. When the buffing is completed the buffing mitt may be removed for disposal. The use of medical gloves in conjunction with the polish applying and buffing mitt would protect the user from the medical wastes.

The polish applying and buffing mitt and the polish applying and buffing kit allow for the consumer to polish an obj ect without requiring cleanup. There is no need to reverse orient the mitt on the consumer's hand while polishing an object which could result in soiling of the hand or fingers. The removable layers are designed so that the consumer will never come in contact with the polish. Often the polish impervious layer is removed after the polish is applied so that there is not an exposed laver of polish during buffing. This cleanup free feature lends itself to travelers or to consumers in a hurry to complete the polishing of an object.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, it is to be understood that the embodiments described are illustrative only and the scope of the invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims when accorded a full range of equivalence, many variations and modifications naturally occurring to those of skill in the art from a perusal hereof.