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 figure 1 but showing the mop with the abrasive pad engaging the floor; Fig. 3 is a side view of figure 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 figure 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 figure 4 with the abrasive pad of the present invention attached thereto;

Fig. 7 is a front view of the yacht mop of figure 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 figure 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 figure 8 with the abrasive pad of the present invention attached thereto;

Fig. 11 is a front view of the strip mop of figure 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 figure 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 figure 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 figure 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 figure 21 ;

Fig. 23 is a back view of the steam mop of figure 22; Fig. 24 is a back view of the steam mop of figure 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 figure 28 without an abrasive pad attached thereto;

Fig. 30 is a bottom view of the head of the vacuum cleaner of figure 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 figure 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 figures 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 figures 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 yams, 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" x 4", 2" x 5", 2" x 6". However it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that another user may choose a different size.

Referring to figures 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 figure 4). Typically the pad 10 for a yacht mop 20 will be plus or minus 1 1/2" x 1 1/2", 2" x 2" or 2 1/2" x 2 1/2". 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.

Figures 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 1 1/2" x 2", 1 1/2" x 2 1/2", 1 1/2" x 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 1/8", 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" and 1 ", as shown in figures 12 and 13. As shown in figures 14 to 16 the pad 10 may have one rib 40 (figures 14 and 15) or a plurality of ribs 40 (figure 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 1/8", 1/4", 1/2" to 5/8". 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 14O ⁰ F (60 ⁰ C) for general applications and up to the boiling point of water (212°F or 100 ⁰ 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 polyvinylchlohde 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 figure 17 at 50 or hand held car wash gloves as shown in figures 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 figure 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 figures 21 to 27 or a vacuum cleaner 66 as shown in figures 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 figure 23 or it may be smaller than the head 68 of the steam mop 64 as shown in figure 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 figure 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 figure 26 or one that is generally the same shape as the microfiber cover as shown in figure 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 figure 30 an abrasive pad 62 is shown attached to a vacuum cleaner head 74 shown in figure 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. Figure 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 figure 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 figure 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.