CLEANING GLOVE

Abstract

a glove body having a front surface, including a palm portion, and multiple finger stalls cooperatively joined together. A water-absorbent material is attached to a front surface of at least one finger stall and the palm portion of the glove body. Preferably, the water absorbent material is bonded onto the front surface of each finger stall. An abrasive scouring material is attached to the top surface of the water-absorbent material. Abrasive scouring material is also bonded onto a front surface of a thumb stall of the glove body.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001]The present invention generally relates to waterproof gloves of the type used for cleaning. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cleaning and scouring glove having sponge and abrasive material thereon for cleaning purposes.

[0002]Many of today's existing technologies of scrubbing brushes and similar cleaning devices have awkward shapes and limited flexibility. Bathtubs, tiles in bathrooms, sinks, and even dishes, for example, have hard to reach spaces and often awkward shapes. Existing scrub brushes tend to have the bristles set on a hard surface which makes the overall brush inflexible, therefore very hard if not impossible to bend and flex to reach the awkward shapes and clean hard to reach spaces.

[0003]All of these cleaning devices require the user to grip them independently with their hands. A shortcoming associated with this is that the device has a tendency of slipping or falling out of the user's hand when cleaning. Another shortcoming with this is that when a user grips on to this device to clean a surface, extra pressure is required on the part of the user to scrub and clean the surface because of the added force needed to hold on to this device while at the same time applying sufficient pressure to clean a surface.

[0004]It is not uncommon when cleaning a surface, such as dishes and silverware, that there is hard and encrusted material to be removed. Often times, the user is cleaning the article with a washcloth, sponge or the like. In such a case, such material is not abrasive and will not remove such hardened residue. Thus, often times the user will scratch or pick at the debris so as to remove it, such as picking at debris on a dish to remove it. The user's fingers are quite small and can apply a fair amount of pressure so as to dislodge and remove such debris, and the fingernail is of sufficient hardness so as to perform the job. However, what will often times happen is that the fingernail will become broken in the process, or the debris lodged between the finger and the fingernail, both of which are highly undesirable.

[0005]In order to protect their skin from the soap, and other drying and harsh chemicals, many individuals wear waterproof gloves, such as gloves made out of latex or rubber material. However, such material is not sufficiently abrasive, nor does it retain the soapy water, in order to remove dirt, debris and hardened material from the article to be washed. However, gloves having abrasive material thereon are not in and of themselves new.

[0006]For example, there are many United States patents which disclose gloves having abrasive material fixed thereon. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,386 to Grzyll discloses an abrasive hand apparel. U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,249 to De Brabander discloses a working glove having burring material thereon for grinding, sanding, polishing, etc. U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,787 to Bianchi discloses a glove having abrasive units fixed thereon. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,051,572; 3,151,333 and U.S. Publication 2005/0177965 A1 all disclose waterproof scrubbing gloves having abrasive material fixed thereon.

[0007]There are other prior art references which disclose gloves having removable abrasive material pads. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,956,770; 6,098,234; and 6,604,244 as well as United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2005/0060786 A1 all disclose gloves having fastening means such as hook and loop fasteners, for removably attaching an abrasive pad or the like.

[0008]However, such gloves have certain limitations. One of the primary limitations is that the abrasive material does not retain the soapy water. Thus, the full cleaning and scrubbing action of the abrasive material is not realized as it is well known that the water and cleaning agent (soap) is often times necessary to properly clean the item and remove the hard residue. Another problem with such gloves is that due to the fact that the abrasive pad is removably attached, during hard scrubbing and the like it can become dislodged from the glove with fairly minimal force.

[0009]Thus, the shortcomings of these prior art cleaning gloves has been the lack of physical flexibility, that is their incapacity to act as a sponge in order to accomplish the absorption and retention of detergents and solution, and the single cleaning purpose thereof, that is, cleaning of the surface for which a given cleaning abrasive glove may be used.

[0010]U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,014 discloses a waterproof flexible glove having reservoirs on the fingers and palms which act to retain cleansing solutions by the surface tension of the cleaning solutions. However, the formation of the reservoirs do not act as an abrasive material so as to scour and scrub, but rather are comprised of the same soft and flexible material of the glove itself.

[0011]U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,571 to Guzman et al. disclose a pair of waterproof gloves, wherein one of the gloves has an abrasive scrubbing material affixed on a front surface thereof, whereas the other glove has a sponge material affixed onto a front surface thereof. In this manner, the one hand can be used as a sponge to wipe and clean surfaces, while the other glove can be used as a scouring pad so as to remove more hardened and difficult residue. However, this arrangement also suffers drawbacks. First, similar to the gloves described above, the abrasive glove is not capable of retaining sufficient water and detergent therein, so as to properly clean. Moreover, the glove having the sponge material on the surfaces thereof renders it very difficult to grasp and hold on to items, such as glass dishes and the like.

[0012]U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,837 to Andreu discloses a cleaning and scouring glove wherein the fingers of the glove are coated with an abrasive material. A sponge material is affixed to the palm portion of the glove. However, once again, this glove suffers the same drawbacks as the gloves discussed above, namely, the failure to provide sponge material in immediate proximity to the scrubbing material so as to supply the scrubbing material with a source of water and detergent. Thus, while the palm portion of the glove can be used as a sponge to wipe away films and loose material, the abrasive fingers must be immersed in water or the like in order to properly clean and scour.

[0013]Accordingly, there is a continuing need for a waterproof glove which serves both as a water absorbing and providing device as well as a scrubbing and scouring device. The present invention fulfills these needs, and provides other related advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014]The present invention resides in a cleaning glove comprising a glove body. Typically, the glove body is comprised of a waterproof material, such as latex.

[0015]A palm portion of the glove body has a water-absorbent, sponge-like material attached thereto. An abrasive scouring material is bonded onto the water-absorbent material.

[0016]A thumb stall of the glove body has an abrasive scouring material attached onto a front surface thereof so as to extend substantially along a length thereof and over a tip thereof to a back surface of the thumb stall.

[0017]An index finger stall of the glove body has a water-absorbent, sponge-like material attached onto a front surface thereof so as to extend substantially along a length of the index finger stall and onto a tip of the index finger stall. An abrasive scouring material is attached onto the water-absorbent material and extends to a back surface of the index finger stall of the glove body.

[0018]In a preferred embodiment, the middle finger stall, ring finger stall, and pinky finger stall of the glove body also have water-absorbent material attached thereto with scouring material overlying the water-absorbent material. More particularly, the middle finger stall of the glove body has a water-absorbent, sponge-like material attached onto a front surface thereof so as to extend substantially along the length of the middle finger stall and onto a tip of the middle finger stall. An abrasive scouring material is bonded onto the middle finger stall water-absorbent material and extends to a back surface of the index finger stall of the glove body. The ring finger stall and pinky finger stall of the glove body both have a water-absorbent material attached onto a front surface thereof so as to extend substantially along a length of the finger stall. An abrasive scouring material is bonded onto the water-absorbent material of the ring finger and pinky finger stalls.

[0019]The water-absorbent, sponge-like material may comprise a single pad which is attached to a front surface of the body glove so as to extend from a palm portion of the body glove along a length to a tip of an index finger stall of the glove body, and extend from the palm portion along the length to a tip of a middle finger stall of the glove body, and extend from the palm portion of the glove body along a length of a ring finger stall of the glove body, and extending from the palm portion of the glove body along a length of a pinky finger stall of the glove body. A first abrasive scouring material pad is attached to a surface of the water-absorbent material pad generally opposite the glove body. This first abrasive scouring material pad extends over to a back surface of the index and middle finger stalls of the glove body. A second abrasive scouring material pad is attached to a front surface of a thumb stall of the glove body, so to extend substantially along the length thereof and over a tip thereof to a back surface of the thumb stall.

[0020]The cleaning glove having the water-absorbent material and abrasive scouring material attached thereto is typically a first glove of a pair. The second cleaning glove of the pair typically has a glove body with a plurality of finger stalls and a palm portion without absorbent or abrasive scouring material attached thereto.

[0021]Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022]The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

[0023]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of gloves embodying the present invention, the first glove thereof having water-absorbent material and abrasive scouring material attached thereto;

[0024]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the first glove of FIG. 1;

[0025]FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the back surface of the first glove of FIG. 1;

[0026]FIG. 4 is a first side elevational view of the first glove of FIG. 1;

[0027]FIG. 5 is an opposite side view of the glove of FIG. 4;

[0028]FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the first glove of FIG. 1;

[0029]FIG. 7 is a partially exploded perspective view of the first glove of FIG. 1, illustrating the water-absorbent material and abrasive scouring material exploded therefrom;

[0030]FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken generally along line 8-8 of FIG. 1;

[0031]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 9-9 of FIG. 1;

[0032]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 10-10 of FIG. 1; and

[0033]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 11-11 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034]As shown in the accompanying drawings, for purposes of illustration, the present invention resides in a cleaning glove, generally referred to by the reference number 100, which provides a waterproof absorbent, sponge-type material as well as an abrasive scouring material so as to eliminate the need of using a glove, a scrubber and a sponge, separately, to wash articles, such as dishes.

[0035]With reference now to FIG. 1, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the cleaning glove 100 of the present invention is offered as a glove of a pair of gloves, the second glove 200 not having any water-absorbent material or scouring material attached thereto. It will be appreciated that one of the gloves 100 or 200 will be a right-handed glove, and the other glove 100 or 200 will be a left-handed glove, so as to comprise a pair. It has been found by the inventor that it is more desirable to have a glove 200 of the pair without any water-absorbent material or scouring material thereon so as to assist the user in holding the article being washed, such as a dish. The other glove 100 can be used to scour and wash the dish. Although the glove 100 can be used to hold the article as well, the water-absorbent and scouring material attached thereto may impede the secure holding and handling of the article.

[0036]With continuing reference to FIG. 1, each glove 100 and 200 comprises a glove body, typically comprised of a waterproof material such as latex, rubber, or similar materials typically used in association with dishwashing gloves and the like. The glove body has a front surface and a back surface. A palm portion 102 and 202, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 7, defines a portion of the front surface of the glove bodies 100 and 200. The glove bodies 100 and 200 each include a thumb stall 104 and 204 in which the user places his or her thumb, and multiple finger stalls 106-112 and 206-212. The finger stalls include an index finger stall 106 and 206, a middle finger stall 108 and 208, a ring finger stall 110 and 210, and a pinky finger stall 112 and 212. These finger stalls 106-112 and 206-212 extend from the palm portion 102 and enable the user to place his or her fingers therein, as is well known in the art.

[0037]With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4-6, a water-absorbent material 114, such as a sponge material, is attached to at least a portion of the front surface of the glove 100. More particularly, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4-6, the water-absorbent, sponge-type material 114 is attached to the palm portion 102 of the glove body 100. Preferably, the water-absorbent material 114 covers substantially all of the palm portion 102 of the glove body 100, as illustrated.

[0038]With reference now to FIG. 8, a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 8-8 of the glove 100 of FIG. 1 illustrates the water-absorbent material 114 attached to the palm portion 102 of the glove body 100. As described above, the glove body 100 is typically comprised of a latex or similar waterproof material. An abrasive scouring material 116 is attached to the water-absorbent material 114. More particularly, a first surface of the water-absorbent material 114 is attached to the glove body material and a generally opposite, outer exposed surface is attached to the abrasive scouring material 116, as illustrated in FIG. 8.

[0039]The water-absorbent, sponge-like material 114 extends substantially a length of the index and middle finger stalls 106 and 108 and onto a tip or end of the index and middle finger stalls 106 and 108, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 5, 6, and 9. The tip or end 118 of the finger stalls 106 and 108 is defined herein as meaning the boundary between the front surface and the back surface of the finger stalls 106 and 108. As can be clearly seen in FIG. 9, the water-absorbent sponge-type material 114 extends onto the tip or end 118 of the finger stalls 106 and 108 of the index and middle fingers.

[0040]With continuing reference to FIG. 9, the abrasive scouring material 116 is bonded onto the opposite, or top, surface of the water-absorbent material 114 so as to also extend substantially along the length of the index and middle finger stalls 106 and 108, onto the tip of the finger stalls 118, and over to a back surface of the finger stalls 106 and 108. The back surface of the finger stall in FIG. 9 is illustrated as being the top portion of the finger stall 106 and 108. It will be seen that the water-absorbent material 114 typically does not extend over onto the back surface. The abrasive scouring material 116 extending over to a back surface of the index and middle fingers is also clearly shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6. Typically, the abrasive scouring material extends over a fraction of the length of the back side of the index and middle finger stalls 106 and 108, such as to cover what would be at least the fingernail of the index and middle finger of the user.

[0041]With reference now to FIG. 10, the abrasive scouring material 116 is attached to a front surface of the thumb stall 104 of the glove body 100 and extends substantially along a length thereof and over a tip 118 thereof and onto the back surface (illustrated as the top surface of the finger stall 104 in FIG. 10). It will be seen that the abrasive scouring material 116 is bonded directly onto the glove body material of the thumb stall 104. That is, there is no water-absorbent material 114 therebetween.

[0042]It has been found by the inventor that users will typically use their index finger and also their middle finger and thumbs to scrape off, scrub and scratch debris to be removed from the article. Extending the scouring material 116 from a front surface of the thumb stall 104 and index and middle finger stalls 106 and 108 onto a tip 118 of the glove body of the stalls 104-108 and onto a back surface thereof enables the user to use the top end of the front surface, end, and fingernail portion area of his or her thumb, index finger and middle finger to scrub, dig and remove debris effectively. Providing the water-absorbent sponge material 114 at the front surface and tip 118 of the index and middle finger stalls 106 and 108 allows cleaning liquid, such as soapy water, to be conveyed through the scouring abrasive material 116 to effectuate cleaning. However, the abrasive scouring material 116 extending onto the back surface of the index and middle finger stalls 106 and 108 so as to be attached directly onto the glove body material thereof has been found to reduce the possibility of the sponge material 114 and abrasive scouring material 116 from being torn away from the glove body at the tip 118 of the stalls 106 and 108. Since the user's thumb, and thus the thumb stall 104 is used to vigorously scrub, scrape, scratch and clean, there is no water-absorbent sponge material 114 disposed between the glove body material of the thumb stall 104 and the abrasive material 116.

[0043]With reference now to FIGS. 1, 4 and 6, the water-absorbent sponge-type material 114 extends substantially along a length of the ring finger and pinky finger stalls 110 and 112. However, in the preferred embodiment, the water-absorbent material 114 does not extend onto a tip or end of the ring and pinky stalls 110 and 112. The abrasive scouring material 116 is attached to an outer surface, or the surface of the water-absorbent material 114 generally opposite the material of the glove body 100, as illustrated in FIG. 11. Neither the water-absorbent, sponge-type material 114 nor the abrasive scouring material 116 need to extend onto the tip 118 of the finger stalls 110 and 112 as the ring and pinky fingers are not often as used to scrub and scrape as the thumb, index, and middle fingers of the user.

[0044]In a particularly preferred embodiment, the water-absorbent, sponge-type material 114 is a continuous and single member in the form of a pad which covers a substantial portion of the palm area 102 of the glove body 100, and extends therefrom to the front surface and onto the tips or ends 118 of the index and middle finger stalls 106 and 108, as described above. The water-absorbent, sponge-type material 114 also extends from the palm portion 102 along the substantial length of the front surface of the ring and pinky stalls 110 and 112 of the glove body. A first pad of the abrasive scouring material 116 is attached to the outer, exposed surface of the sponge material 114, and preferably is contiguous therewith respect to the palm portion, pinky finger portion, ring finger portion, and extends over to the back side of the index finger and middle finger stalls 106 and 108, as previously described above. This is particularly illustrated in FIG. 7. The thumb stall 104, having no water-absorbent material attached thereto instead has a second abrasive scouring material pad 116' attached thereto.

[0045]This arrangement facilitates easy manufacturing of the glove, and also provides a generally continuous and substantially large surface area wherein the palm 102 and front surface of the finger stalls 106-112 can be used to clean areas of the article. For example, when washing a casserole dish or the like, the large flat surfaces of the casserole dish can be cleaned by moving the palm portion and front surface portion of the finger stalls over the generally flat surfaces of the casserole dish. However, in the crevices and corners of the casserole dish the user's thumb stall 104, index finger stall 106 and middle finger stall 108 can be used to reach and scratch and scrub such areas to clean debris from the corners and other areas not accessible to the palm portion 102 and generally front surface portions of the finger stalls 106-112.

[0046]The abrasive scouring material 116 used in accordance with the present invention may comprise many materials, but in a particularly preferred embodiment comprises a Scotch-Brite® cleaning pad material or the like. Such material is comprised of woven strands of plastic material, so as to be able to scrub and scratch baked-on grime and grit and dirt and the like from the surface to be cleaned. The water-absorbent material typically comprises a sponge-type material. Due to the fact that the sponge material 114 is directly adjacent to the scouring material 116, soapy suds and cleaning solution can be imparted to the abrasive scouring material 116 so as to more effectively clean the article. This is due to the fact that the abrasive scouring material, due to its large intersticial void areas, does not retain water. However, when pressure is applied to the water-absorbent material 114, it releases cleaning solution to the abrasive scouring material 116, and thus the article to be cleaned.

[0047]Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cleaning glove, comprising:a glove body;a palm portion of the glove body having a water absorbent material attached thereto and an abrasive scouring material attached onto the water absorbent material;an index finger stall of the glove body having a water absorbent material attached onto a front surface thereof so as to extend substantially along a length of the index finger stall and onto a tip of the index finger stall, and an abrasive scouring material attached onto the water absorbent material and extending to a back surface of the index finger stall of the glove body; anda thumb stall of the glove body having an abrasive scouring material attached onto a front surface thereof so as to extend substantially along a length thereof and over a tip thereof to a back surface of the thumb stall.

2. The cleaning glove of claim 1, including a middle finger stall of the glove body having a water absorbent material attached onto a front surface thereof so as to extend substantially along a length of the middle finger stall and onto a tip of the middle finger stall, and an abrasive scouring material attached onto the middle finger stall water absorbent material and extending to a back surface of the index finger stall of the glove body.

3. The cleaning glove of claim 1, including a ring finger stall of the glove body having a water absorbent material attached onto a front surface thereof so as to extend substantially along a length of the ring finger stall and an abrasive scouring material attached onto the ring finger stall water absorbent material.

4. The cleaning glove of claim 1, including a pinky finger stall of the glove body having a water absorbent material attached onto a front surface thereof so as to extend substantially along a length of the pinky finger stall and an abrasive scouring material attached onto the pinky finger stall water absorbent material.

5. The cleaning glove of claim 1, wherein the water absorbent material is a single continuous member extending from the palm portion of the glove body to the front surface of the index finger stall of the glove body so as to extend substantially along a length of the index finger stall and onto the tip of the index finger stall, and extending from the palm portion to a front surface and along a length of and onto a tip of a middle finger stall of the glove body, and extending from the palm portion substantially along a length of a front surface of a ring finger stall and a pinky finger stall of the glove body.

6. The cleaning glove of claim 5, wherein the abrasive scouring material attached onto the index finger stall extends over a top surface of the single continuous water absorbent material member.

7. The cleaning glove of claim 1, wherein the glove body is comprised of a waterproof material.

8. The cleaning glove of claim 1, wherein the cleaning glove is a first glove of a pair, the second cleaning glove of the pair having a glove body with a plurality of finger stalls and a palm portion without absorbent or abrasive scouring material attached thereto.

9. A cleaning glove, comprising:a glove body having a plurality of finger stalls;a palm portion of the glove body having a water absorbent material attached thereto and an abrasive scouring material attached onto the water absorbent material;an index finger stall of the glove body having a water absorbent material attached onto a front surface thereof so as to extend substantially along a length of the middle finger stall and onto a tip of the middle finger stall, and an abrasive scouring material attached onto the middle finger stall water absorbent material and extending to a back surface of the index finger stall of the glove body;a middle finger stall of the glove body having a water absorbent material attached onto a front surface thereof so as to extend substantially along a length of the middle finger stall and onto a tip of the middle finger stall, and an abrasive scouring material attached onto the middle finger stall water absorbent material and extending to a back surface of the index finger stall of the glove body;a ring finger stall of the glove body having a water absorbent material attached onto a front surface thereof so as to extend substantially along a length of the ring finger stall and an abrasive scouring material attached onto the ring finger stall water absorbent material;a pinky finger stall of the glove body having a water absorbent material attached onto a front surface thereof so as to extend substantially along a length of the pinky finger stall and an abrasive scouring material attached onto the pinky finger stall water absorbent material; anda thumb stall of the glove body having an abrasive scouring material attached onto a front surface thereof so as to extend substantially along a length thereof and over a tip thereof to a back surface of the thumb stall.

10. The cleaning glove of claim 9, wherein the water absorbent material is a single continuous member extending from the palm portion of the glove body to the front surface of the index finger stall of the glove body so as to extend substantially along a length of the index finger stall and onto the tip of the index finger stall, and extending from the palm portion to a front surface and along a length of and onto a tip of a middle finger stall of the glove body, and extending from the palm portion substantially along a length of a front surface of a ring finger stall and a pinky finger stall of the glove body.

11. The cleaning glove of claim 10, wherein the abrasive scouring material attached onto the index finger stall extends over a top surface of the single continuous water absorbent material member.

12. The cleaning glove of claim 9, wherein the glove body is comprised of a waterproof material.

13. The cleaning glove of claim 9, wherein the cleaning glove is a first glove of a pair, the second cleaning glove of the pair having a glove body with a plurality of finger stalls and a palm portion without absorbent or abrasive scouring material attached thereto.

14. A cleaning glove, comprising:a glove body;a water absorbent material pad attached to a front surface of the glove body and extending from a palm portion of the glove body along a length to a tip of an index finger stall of the body glove, and extending from the palm portion along a length to a tip of a middle finger stall of the body glove, and extending from the palm portion of the body glove along a length of a ring finger stall of the body glove, and extending from the palm portion of the body glove along a length of a pinky finger stall of the body glove;an first abrasive scouring material pad attached to a surface of the water absorbent material pad generally opposite the body glove, the first abrasive scouring material pad extending over to a back surface of the index and middle finger stalls of the body glove; anda second abrasive scouring material pad attached to a front surface of a thumb stall of the glove body so as to extend substantially along a length thereof and over a tip thereof to a back surface of the thumb stall.

15. The cleaning glove of claim 14, wherein the glove body is comprised of a waterproof material.

16. The cleaning glove of claim 14, wherein the cleaning glove is a first glove of a pair, the second cleaning glove of the pair having a glove body with a plurality of finger stalls and a palm portion without absorbent or abrasive scouring material attached thereto.

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