HK1092035A - Broom with scuff remover - Google Patents

Description

Broom with scuff remover

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application serial No.60/439244 entitled "broom with scuff (scuff) remover" filed on month 1 and 10 2003, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to cleaning implements for industrial or domestic use, and more particularly to a conventional broom including an implement that can be used to remove scuff marks from a floor.

Statement regarding federally funded survey

The invention is made neither by an agency of the united states government nor by an agency contractually agreed with an agency of the united states government.

Background

Brooms and mops are common cleaning devices that have been commercially available for many years. The usefulness and effectiveness of such cleaning implements is undoubted, and many examples of changes made in the basic design of such brooms and mops have been found in the prior art. Various versions of mops comprising a mop head (fiber, sponge, or other material) and a separate scrubbing pad are also found in the prior patents. While these devices may be useful for cleaning certain surfaces, such scrubbing pads are not very effective or suitable for use on surfaces such as hardwood or laminate floors.

Hardwood or laminate flooring is often particularly susceptible to scuff marks left by the rubber soles. These scuff marks are unsightly and are often difficult to remove, even when a mild cleaner or solvent is applied to the scuff mark. A typical broom or mop is ineffective for scuff removal purposes, so after all loose material has been removed, the person cleaning the floor must look for another means for removing all scuff marks that have remained on the surface being cleaned. Thus, removing scuff marks can prove to be a very difficult and often frustrating task. Accordingly, there is a need for a single integrated cleaning device that includes a conventional cleaning head, such as a broom head, and a secondary cleaning surface for removing scuff marks.

Disclosure of Invention

These and other deficiencies of the prior art are overcome by the present invention which provides a multi-purpose cleaning implement that functions as both a broom and as a scuff cleaning device. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a plastic base that serves as an attachment point for a number of other components. A plurality of bristles are preferably attached to the bottom side of the base in a wedge-shaped configuration. Typically, an elongated handle is attached to the uppermost or top end of the base. Thus, the cleaning implement of the present invention includes the basic features required as a standard broom. However, the present invention also includes a second cleaning implement, i.e., a scuff removing device, for removing scuff marks from a floor.

A first general embodiment of a scuff removing device includes a friction forming substance, such as a piece of tennis ball material, that has been attached to a base or support that includes a rounded or curved front surface. The assembly may be permanently attached to the front of the broom base, in this exemplary embodiment, the assembly is specifically shaped to receive the scuff remover assembly, or alternatively, the scuff remover may be clipped or removably attached to the front, back, or sides of the broom base. A second general embodiment of the scuff removing device includes a removable scuff removing device that includes a piece of friction forming material, such as the outer material of a tennis ball, mounted on a base that can be clamped to the end of a broom handle opposite the broom head.

Still further advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more exemplary embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one side of the combination broom and scuff remover of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one side of the combination broom and scuff remover of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the combination broom and scuff remover of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the combination broom and scuff remover of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the combination broom and scuff remover of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the combination broom and scuff remover of FIG. 1.

Fig. 7a is a perspective view of an end of a broom handle.

Fig. 7b is a perspective view of a broom handle including an attachment for hanging the broom from a hook, nail, or similar device.

FIG. 7c is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention including a scuff removing device that may be mounted on the end of the broom handle of FIG. 7a or 7 b.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the scuff remover attachment of figure 7 c.

Detailed description of the invention

An exemplary embodiment of a multi-purpose cleaning implement includes a conventional broom head and a second cleaning head or device for removing scuff marks from a surface being cleaned. Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one side of an exemplary embodiment of the various components of a cleaning tool 10. Cleaning implement 10 includes a base 12 that houses broom handle 40, bristles 50, and scuff remover subassembly 30.

As best shown in fig. 1, 2 and 5, the base 12 further includes a first leg 14, a second leg 16, and a central leg 18 that are integrally formed with the body 21 and provide structural support to the base 12. Collar 20 is integrally formed with central support 18 and, as shown in fig. 6, may be internally threaded to a corresponding thread (not shown) formed on broom handle 40. Thus, in the exemplary embodiment, broom handle 40 is threadably connected to collar 20 and tightened to provide a mechanism by which an end user of cleaning implement 10 may operate the device.

In addition to providing a point of attachment for the broom handle, base 12 also provides a surface to which a plurality of bristles 50 are attached. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, top edge 52 of bristles 50 is connected to first attachment surface 24 and second attachment surface 26, both of which are formed on the underside of body 21. In this exemplary embodiment, the attachment surfaces are slightly angled with respect to each other in order to produce the wedge-shaped body of bristles shown in the figures. The slightly upturned surface of second attachment surface 26 allows the front edge of the bristle group or body to angle outwardly, thereby increasing the overall length of bottom edge 54. Likewise, the smaller angle of first attachment surface 24 allows the rear edge of the bristle group or body to be angled outwardly from the central axis of cleaning tool 10 to further increase the overall length of bottom edge 54.

Bristles 50 may be fabricated and attached to base 12 by any known process, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art. Bristles 50 may be made from a variety of materials including, for example, vinyl, plastic, and straw. The base 12 is typically a molded plastic or polymer and may be manufactured using a variety of known manufacturing techniques.

Referring again to fig. 1 and 2, the exemplary embodiment of base 12 further includes a neck 29 whose end face is shaped to receive scuff remover subassembly 30. As better shown in fig. 2, scuff remover subassembly 30 may be attached to or mounted on neck 29. Neck 29 is formed to conform to the outer shape of collar 33 and scuff remover subassembly 30 is mounted to base 12 by engaging the two structural members. Scuff remover subassembly 30 is properly mounted on body 21 when it is pushed forward into contact with ridge 28. Scuff remover subassembly 30 may be permanently or removably mounted to base 12. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, scuff remover subassembly 30 may be attachably disposed on rear portion 22 of body 21 (see FIG. 3). In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, scuff remover subassembly 30 is a replaceable component that may be replaced when it is no longer effective at removing scuff marks.

Scuff remover subassembly 30 includes base 32, collar 33, and cleaning surface 34. As shown in fig. 1-2 and 5-6, an exemplary embodiment of the base 32 includes a forward facing arcuate surface area that serves as a substrate to which the cleaning surface 34 is attached. Cleaning surface 34 is typically a separate piece of material that is glued or otherwise bonded to the arcuate surface of base 32. Preferably, the material of the cleaning surface 34 is polyester, acrylic, polymer, or synthetic rubber impregnated with wool fibers, similar or identical to the material used for tennis balls. However, other combinations of natural or synthetic fibers attached to a flexible, rubberized backing may also be used as the cleaning surface 34. As best shown in fig. 2 and 4, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a piece of tennis ball material is cut to size and adhered to the arcuate surface area of base 32. However, it should be noted that any material that creates a frictional force sufficient to remove scuff marks from a floor or other surface to be cleaned is suitable for the present invention.

The cleaning implement 10 provides the user with two separate but integrated devices or tools for cleaning surfaces such as hardwood, laminate, tile, linoleum, or concrete floors. The user can remove loose dust and dirt through the sweeping surface in a typical manner. To remove scuff marks from a surface, the user simply rotates the handle of cleaning tool 10 to rotate base 12 so that cleaning surface 34 of scuff remover subassembly 30 contacts the surface to be cleaned. Scuff marks can be removed by applying force in a downward and back and forth or side to side manner.

An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in fig. 7a-c and fig. 8. This embodiment of the present invention includes an attachment 70 formed to be secured to the end of the broom handle opposite the base 12. Attachment 70 includes a cleaning surface 72 for removing scuff marks and a bracket 74 and first and second arms 76 and 78, respectively, for securing attachment 70 to the broom handle. This detachable embodiment is suitable for bare wood handles, as shown in fig. 7a, and broom handles that include a hanger assembly 60, as shown in fig. 7 b. An exemplary embodiment of the hanger assembly 60 includes a collar 62, a swivel collar 64, and a hole 66 for receiving a nail, hook, or other device for hanging a broom. As shown in fig. 8, attachment 70 is simply clamped to handle 40 and is securely fixed to the top of hanger assembly 60 as shown.

Attachment 70 is used to simply clamp the device to the broom handle and turn the entire broom over so that cleaning surface 72 contacts the surface to be cleaned. Scuff marks can be removed by applying force in a downward, forward, backward, or side-to-side manner.

While the above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as exemplifications of certain preferred embodiments. Many other variations of the invention are possible and not all possible equivalents or ramifications of the invention are intended to be mentioned here. Various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the scope or spirit thereof.

Claims (13)

1. A cleaning implement, comprising:

(a) a base;

(b) a plurality of bristles attached to the base; and

(c) a scuff removing device attachable to the base, the scuff removing device further including a friction forming device for removing scuff marks from floors and other surfaces.

2. The cleaning implement of claim 1, further comprising a handle connected to said base.

3. The cleaning implement of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bristles are attached to the base substantially in a wedge shape.

4. The cleaning implement of claim 1, wherein said friction forming means further comprises a base, and wherein said base further comprises an arcuate portion on which said scuff removing means is formed or mounted.

5. The cleaning implement of claim 1, wherein said friction forming means further comprises a flexible substrate, and wherein at least one side of said substrate is covered with natural or synthetic fibers.

6. The cleaning implement of claim 1, wherein said friction forming means is attached to the front of said base, the rear of said base or either side of said base.

7. A cleaning implement, comprising:

(a) a base, wherein the base further comprises a top, a bottom, a front, and a rear;

(b) a plurality of bristles attached to the bottom of the base; and

(c) a scuff removing device attachable to the front or rear of the base, the scuff removing device further comprising a friction forming device for removing scuff marks from floors and other surfaces.

8. The cleaning implement of claim 7, further comprising a handle connected to said top portion of said base.

9. The cleaning implement of claim 7, wherein the plurality of bristles are attached to the base substantially in a wedge shape.

10. The cleaning implement of claim 7, wherein said friction forming means further comprises a base, and wherein said base further comprises an arcuate portion on which said scuff removing means is formed or mounted.

11. The cleaning implement of claim 7, wherein said friction forming means further comprises a flexible substrate, and wherein at least one side of said substrate is covered with natural or synthetic fibers.

12. A scuff mark removing device comprises

(a) A base;

(b) a cleaning surface attached to or formed on the base, the cleaning surface further comprising a friction forming device for removing scuff marks from a floor or other surface; and

(c) a clamp for attaching the base to the handle of a broom, mop or the like.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said scuff removing means further comprises a flexible substrate, and wherein at least one side of said substrate is covered with natural or synthetic fibers.