US20060191092A1

US20060191092A1 - Multi-purpose mitt

Info

Publication number: US20060191092A1
Application number: US11/066,544
Authority: US
Inventors: Donna O'Reilly; Thomas Miller
Original assignee: EUROW & O'REILLY CORP
Current assignee: EUROW & O'REILLY CORP
Priority date: 2005-02-28
Filing date: 2005-02-28
Publication date: 2006-08-31

Abstract

A multi-purpose mitt includes microfiber loop chiffons sewn to the front and back portions of a cotton base so that, in general, adjacent edges of the microfiber loop chiffons are approximately 0.5 inch apart from one another. The multi-purpose mitt provides increased microfiber loop exposure to an area to be cleaned, and therefore greater capability for accumulating and retaining larger quantities of dirt, dust, pollen and other contaminants. At the same time, the multi-purpose mitt of the present invention with the above described configuration is configured with a microfiber loop density that provides a high degree of water absorbency.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wash and cleaning mitts, and specifically to a multi-purpose mitt covered with microfiber loops in a manner that maximizes the number of microfiber loops that can be exposed for contact with a surface to be cleaned, and in a manner that also maximizes the absorbency of the mitt.
Wash mitts are commonly used for cleaning exterior surfaces such as the bodies of cars and trucks. A user can dip such a wash mitt into a soapy solution so that the mitt absorbs some of the solution, and can then apply the solution via the mitt to portions of a surface to be cleaned. However, conventional wash mitts are made of material, such as terry cloth or cotton, that limits the mitts in both their durability and absorbency.
Cleaning mitts for cleaning, polishing and/or dusting dry surfaces may also be made from the above mentioned materials. However, if the material on the outer surface of such a mitt is too dense, the amount of the material that comes into contact with the surface area being cleaned is limited. To the contrary, if the material is not dense enough, the mitt is limited in the amount of contaminants that it can remove from the surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the above limitations by providing a multi-purpose mitt including a cotton base and microfiber loop chiffons sewn to the front and back of the cotton base so that, in general, adjacent edges of the microfiber loop chiffons are approximately 0.5 inch apart from one another.
More specifically, the microfiber loop chiffons are each approximately 2 inches wide and are sewn down a center thereof to the front and the back of the cotton base so that microfiber loops extend outwardly from each side thereof, and the microfiber loops, which are formed from two pieces of twisted microfiber yarn, are each approximately 1 inch in length.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the microfiber loop chiffons include a first continuous microfiber loop chiffon sewn to the front of the cotton base in a generally inwardly-spiraling pattern beginning at an outer edge of the front of the cotton base and ending at a central portion thereof, and a second continuous microfiber loop chiffon sewn to the back of the cotton base in a generally inwardly-spiraling pattern beginning at an outer edge of the back panel and ending at a central portion thereof. Regarding spacing, adjacent chiffon edges of both the first and second continuous microfiber loop chiffons, except for respective first and second terminating end portions located at the respective central portions of the front and back of the cotton base, and for sewing transition portions of the mitt where the direction of the chiffon stitching abruptly changes, are approximately 0.5 inch apart from one another.
The multi-purpose mitt of the present invention with the above described configuration provides increased microfiber loop exposure to an area to be cleaned, and therefore greater capability for accumulating and retaining larger quantities of dirt, dust, pollen and other contaminants. At the same time, the multi-purpose mitt of the present invention with the above described configuration is configured with a microfiber loop density that provides a high degree of water absorbency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a multi-purpose mitt according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows a portion of exemplary microfiber yarn of the type used to form the loops on the multi-purpose mitt in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows two pieces of twisted microfiber yarn such as the microfiber yarn shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 shows a chiffon of microfiber loops for attachment to the multi-purpose mitt shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is an inside-out elevation view of the multi-purpose mitt of FIG. 1 showing the stitching pattern used to attach the chiffon of microfiber loops shown in FIG. 4 to the multi-purpose mitt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described in detail in accordance with the drawings. Illustration and description of components are omitted where not necessary for one skilled in the art to understand the present invention.
FIG. 1 shows a multi-purpose mitt (mitt) 10 according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention. The mitt 10 includes a cotton base 12 (FIG. 5) including a front portion 14 and a back portion (not shown). The mitt 10 also includes a hand insertion collar 16, and is covered on both of its front and back portions by microfiber loops 18, which are each part of a microfiber loop chiffon (chiffon), such as the chiffon 20 in FIG. 4, that is sewn onto the front portion 14 and the back portion (not shown). It should be understood that only the front portion 14 of the mitt 10 is shown for ease of illustration, and that the back portion, while not shown, is essentially a mirror image of the front portion 14, and includes a microfiber loop chiffon sewn thereto just as the chiffon 20 is sewn to the front portion 14.
As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the chiffon 20 is formed by first weaving two individual strands of microfiber yarn, such as the yarn 22 shown in FIG. 2, into a chenille thread, such as the chenille thread 24 shown in FIG. 3. Each strand, which is approximately 0.2 cm, or approximately 0.08 inch, in diameter, is a blend of polyidimide and polyester fibers. When the yarn strands are woven into the chenille thread 24, gaps (not shown) are created within the chenille thread 24 that provide the strands of yarn 22 with greater water absorption capability than they would otherwise normally have. The chenille thread 24 is input into a chiffon machine (not shown) of the type well known in the art and is stitched together in a known manner to produce the chiffon 20. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, while some of the stitching performed by the chiffon machine must be cut to open the microfiber loops 18, such manufacturing details are not relevant to the scope of the present application and therefore will not be discussed.
The resulting chiffon 20 is approximately 2 inches in width or, according to one preferred embodiment, 2.08 inches in width, with microfiber loops of approximately 1 inch or, according to the aforementioned embodiment, 1.04 inches, extending from either side of the chiffon 20 to define the chiffon width.
Chiffons such as the chiffon 20 are sewn to the front and back portions of the cotton base 12 so that, in general, adjacent chiffon edges on the front portion 14 of the mitt 10 are approximately 0.5 inch apart from one another and adjacent chiffon edges on the back portion (not shown) of the mitt 10 are approximately 0.5 inch apart from one another. The chiffons are each sewn down a center thereof in a double-stitching pattern to the front and back portions of the cotton base 12 so that the microfiber loops 18 extend outwardly from two sides thereof. The approximately 0.5 inch spacing provides the mitt 10 with about 6-8 loops per side per inch of the chiffon, thereby resulting in a microfiber loop density of between about 12-16 loops per inch of the chiffon 20.
More specifically, the double-stitch stitching pattern 26 by which the chiffons are sewn to the cotton base 12 are shown in the inside-out view of the mitt 10 in FIG. 5, as well as the single stitch stitching pattern 28 used to assemble the front and back portions of the cotton base 12. Regarding the double-stitch stitching pattern 26, a first continuous chiffon is sewn to the front portion 14 of the cotton base 12 in a generally inwardly-spiraling pattern beginning at an outer edge of the front of the cotton base and ending at a central portion thereof. Identically, a second continuous chiffon (not shown) is sewn to the back portion (not shown) of the cotton base 12 in a generally inwardly-spiraling pattern beginning at an outer edge of the back portion (not shown) of the cotton base 12 and ending at a central portion thereof.
As shown by the stitching pattern 26 on the front portion 14 in FIG. 5, adjacent chiffon edges of both the first and second continuous chiffons are, in general, approximately 0.5 inch apart from one another. The adjacent chiffon edges are defined as being “in general” approximately 0.5 inch apart, as such spacing holds true generally except for at terminating end portions, such as the terminating end portion 30 in FIG. 5, of the chiffons that are located near the respective centers of the front and back portions of the cotton base 12, and for sewing transition portions, such as the sewing transition portions 32 in FIG. 5, where the direction of the stitching pattern 26 abruptly changes.
The approximately 0.5 inch spacing between adjacent chiffon edges enables the multi-purpose mitt 10 to provide increased microfiber loop exposure to an area to be cleaned, and therefore greater capability for accumulating and retaining larger quantities of dirt, dust, pollen and other contaminants. At the same time, the multi-purpose mitt of the present invention with the above described configuration is configured with a microfiber loop density that provides a high degree of water absorbency. These characteristics result because the chiffon spacing provides the correct balance between microfiber loop density and microfiber loop exposure to a surface to be cleaned.
It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that certain aspects of the multi-purpose mitt of the present invention may be modified without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, chiffon widths and spacing between adjacent chiffon edges when chiffons are sewn onto the mitt may vary slightly depending upon the skill of the sewing machine operator and the quality/condition of the sewing machine itself. Also, the chiffons on the front and back portions of the mitt need not be single continuous chiffons, and may also be sewn onto the mitt in any manner that enables the above discussed spacing and loop density to be achieved. In addition, a chiffon or chiffons may alternatively only be sewn onto one side of the multi-purpose mitt.
The disclosure is intended to explain how to fashion and use various embodiments in accordance with the invention and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated, and which fall within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims, and all equivalents thereof, when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.

Claims

1. A multi-purpose mitt, comprising:

a cotton base including a front portion and a back portion;

microfiber loop chiffons sewn to the front and back portions of the cotton base so that, in general, adjacent edges of the microfiber loop chiffons are approximately 0.5 inch apart from one another.

2. The multi-purpose mitt of claim 1, wherein the microfiber loop chiffons are each approximately 2 inches wide and are sewn down a center thereof to the front and back portions of the cotton base so that microfiber loops extend outwardly from each side thereof.

3. The multi-purpose mitt of claim 1, wherein microfiber loops on the microfiber loop chiffons are each approximately 1 inch in length.

4. The multi-purpose mitt of claim 3, wherein each of the microfiber loops is formed from two twisted pieces of microfiber yarn each being approximately 0.08 inch in diameter.

5. The multi-purpose mitt of claim 1, wherein the microfiber loop chiffons are approximately 2 inches wide.

6. The multi-purpose mitt of claim 1, wherein the microfiber loop chiffons comprise:

a first continuous microfiber loop chiffon sewn to the front portion of the cotton base in a generally inwardly-spiraling pattern beginning at an outer edge of the front portion of the cotton base and ending at a central portion thereof; and

a second continuous microfiber loop chiffon sewn to the back portion of the cotton base in a generally inwardly-spiraling pattern beginning at an outer edge of the back portion of the cotton base and ending at a central portion thereof.

7. The multi-purpose mitt of claim 6, wherein

adjacent chiffon edges of both the first and second continuous microfiber loop chiffons, except for respective first and second terminating end portions located at the respective central portions of the front and back portions of the cotton base, are approximately 0.5 inch apart from one another.

8. The multi-purpose mitt of claim 7, wherein

adjacent chiffon edges of both the first and second continuous microfiber loop chiffons, except for sewing transition portions where a direction of chiffon stitching abruptly changes, are approximately 0.5 inch apart from one another.

9. The multi-purpose mitt of claim 1, wherein the microfiber loop chiffons are sewn to the front and back portions of the cotton base to provide a microfiber loop density of about 12-16 loops per inch of the microfiber loop chiffons.

10. A wash and cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a cotton mitt including front and back portions;

a first microfiber loop chiffon sewn to the front portion of the cotton mitt in an inwardly-spiraling pattern to cover the front portion of the cotton mitt in microfiber loops; and

a second microfiber loop chiffon sewn to the back portion of the cotton mitt in an inwardly-spiraling pattern to cover the back portion of the cotton mitt in the microfiber loops,

wherein, in general, adjacent edges of the first microfiber loop chiffon are approximately 0.5 inches apart from one another, and, in general, adjacent edges of the second microfiber loop chiffon are approximately 0.5 inches apart from one another.

11. The wash and cleaning apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first and second microfiber loop chiffons are each approximately 2 inches wide and are respectively sewn down a center thereof to the front and the back portions of the cotton mitt so that microfiber loops extend outwardly from each side thereof.

12. The wash and cleaning apparatus of claim 10, wherein microfiber loops on the first and second microfiber loop chiffons are each approximately 1 inch in length.

13. The wash and cleaning apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first and second microfiber loop chiffons are each approximately 2 inches wide.

14. The wash and cleaning apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first and second microfiber loop chiffons are respectively sewn to the front and the back portions of the cotton mitt to provide a microfiber loop density of about 12-16 loops per inch of the first and second microfiber loop chiffons on the front and back portions of the cotton mitt.

15. A wash and cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a cotton mitt including front and back portions; and

a microfiber loop chiffon sewn to one of the front and back portions of the cotton mitt in an inwardly-spiraling pattern to cover the one of the front and back portions of the cotton mitt in microfiber loops, wherein

in general, adjacent edges of the microfiber loop chiffon are approximately 0.5 inches apart from one another.