Cleaning member

Abstract

To provide a cleaning member that facilitates cleaning work even for a person whose grip strength or the like is not enough such as an elderly person and that is devised to improve user-friendliness.SOLUTION: A cleaning member includes: a body 2 in which a flat sponge 3 is covered with a bag body 4, and which can perform cleaning with a surface S1 on one side and with a surface S2 on the other side respectively; and a finger insertion pocket 5 provided in the bag body 4 for inserting an operator's fingers from an opening 5a. The finger insertion pocket 5 can be turned over from a state for covering a part of the surface S1 on one side in the body 2 to a state for covering a part of the surface S2 on the other side in the body 2. The depth dimension of the finger insertion pocket 5 may be set to be 45% or less of the total length of the body 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to cleaning members such as bath sponges and dish sponges. [Background technology]

[0002] Various cleaning devices are used, such as bath sponges used to clean bathrooms and dish sponges used in the kitchen to wash dishes, depending on the location of use and the object to be cleaned. However, when used by elderly people or people with disabilities who lack sufficient grip strength, it can be difficult to hold a bath sponge or the like in a stable manner. For this reason, cleaning devices have been proposed that include finger insertion pockets for inserting three fingers (index finger, middle finger, and ring finger) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). With the cleaning device described in Patent Document 1, inserting three fingers into the finger insertion pockets allows the cleaning device to be held stably, making it easy for even elderly people and others with limited grip strength to perform cleaning tasks. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Design Registration No. 1617192 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the cleaning member described in Patent Document 1 only uses one side for cleaning, and there is room for improvement in terms of ease of use.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a cleaning member that can facilitate cleaning work even for people with insufficient grip strength, such as the elderly, and that has been designed to improve usability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cleaning member of the present invention, which solves the above-mentioned object, comprises: a main body, which is a flat sponge covered with a bag body and can be cleaned on both sides; a finger insertion pocket provided in the bag body, into which an operator's fingers are inserted through an opening, The finger insertion pocket is characterized in that it can be turned inside out from a state in which it covers a portion of the surface on one side of the main body to a state in which it covers a portion of the surface on the other side of the main body.

[0007] Here, the cleaning member is not particularly limited in its use, and may be a bath sponge for cleaning a bathroom or a dish sponge for cleaning dishes, etc. The shape of the cleaning member is also not particularly limited, and may be rectangular, circular, or oval in plan view. Furthermore, the sponge may be a natural sponge or a synthetic sponge such as urethane foam. The bag body may be a polyester or acrylic pile mesh used in net sponges, or a pile-woven film material, microfiber, or nonwoven fabric.

[0008] According to the present invention, since the cleaning member can be held stably by inserting a finger into the finger insertion pocket, even elderly people and those with insufficient grip strength can easily perform cleaning work. Furthermore, since the finger insertion pocket can be flipped over from a state in which it covers a portion of one side of the main body to a state in which it covers a portion of the other side of the main body, work can be performed with a finger inserted into the finger insertion pocket on both the one side and the other side of the main body. This improves the usability of the cleaning member.

[0009] In the cleaning member of the present invention, the finger insertion pocket may have a depth dimension set to 45% or less of the overall length of the main body.

[0010] By adopting this aspect, for example, it becomes easy to fold the main body with four or three fingers (index finger, middle finger, and ring finger) other than the thumb inserted into the finger insertion pocket, which makes it easy to clean the main body while bending it to fit the corner of a bathtub, or to wash dishes or the like while bending it to grip the edges of the dishes or the like.

[0011] Here, it is preferable that the depth of the finger insertion pocket is set to 20% or more of the overall length of the main body. If the depth of the finger insertion pocket is less than 20% of the overall length of the main body, the position of the fingers inserted in the finger insertion pocket may become unstable or it may be difficult to apply force, making it difficult to work.

[0012] Furthermore, in the cleaning member of the present invention, it is preferable that the bag body is made of different materials with different cleaning effects for the portion located on the one side surface and the portion located on the other side surface.

[0013] For example, the portion of the bag located on one side may be made of pile mesh, and the portion of the bag located on the other side may be made of a film material knitted in pile. This allows the other side to be used to scrape off dirt from a bathtub or the like, and then the one side to be used to clean it.

[0014] Furthermore, in the cleaning member of the present invention, the finger insertion pocket may be made of different materials with different cleaning effects on the surface that is exposed and covers a portion of the one side surface of the main body and on the surface that is exposed and covers a portion of the other side surface of the main body.

[0015] The cleaning member can also be used for cleaning using the finger insertion pocket. For example, the surface of the finger insertion pocket that covers a portion of one side of the main body can be made of a pile-knitted film material, and the surface that covers a portion of the other side of the main body can be made of microfiber. This allows the finger insertion pocket to be used in two ways: scraping off dirt with the pile-knitted film material and wiping off oil film with the microfiber.

[0016] Furthermore, in the cleaning member of the present invention, the finger insertion pockets are provided as a pair with the openings facing each other, The pair of finger insertion pockets may be configured so that the worker's thumb is inserted into one of them and all or any of the remaining fingers of the worker is inserted into the other of them.

[0017] By adopting this mode, cleaning work, particularly when the object to be cleaned is grasped, can be performed in a more stable state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The cleaning member of the present invention makes it possible to facilitate cleaning operations even for people with insufficient grip strength, such as the elderly, and provides a cleaning member that has been designed to improve usability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a bath sponge (cleaning member) showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bath sponge shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the bath sponge shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a cleaning operation using the bath sponge shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a dish sponge which is a modified example of the cleaning member (bath sponge) shown in FIGS. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining how to use the bath sponge shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 when cleaning using one side surface and when cleaning using the other side surface. [Figure 7] 2 is a perspective view of a bath sponge according to a second embodiment, corresponding to FIG. 1 showing the bath sponge according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how the bath sponge of the second embodiment is used. [Figure 9] 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining the difference between using one side of the bath sponge for cleaning and using the other side for cleaning in the bath sponge shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B and 8. FIG. [Figure 10] 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a bath sponge according to a third embodiment, corresponding to FIG. 1 showing the bath sponge according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The cleaning member of the present invention is not particularly limited, but can be suitably used as, for example, a bath sponge for cleaning a bathroom or a dish sponge for washing dishes in a kitchen.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bath sponge (cleaning member) 10 showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bath sponge 10 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the bath sponge 10 shown in FIG. 2 taken along line AA.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the bath sponge 10 has a main body 2 and a finger insertion pocket 5. The main body 2 includes a flat sponge 3 that is rectangular in plan view, and a pouch 4 that covers the sponge 3. As a result, the main body 2 is generally rectangular in plan view and flat. As an example, the dimensions of the main body 2 are set to approximately 15 cm to 20 cm in the longitudinal direction (the direction connecting the upper right and lower left diagonals in FIG. 1) and approximately 7 cm to 10 cm in the lateral direction (the direction connecting the upper left and lower right diagonals in FIG. 1). The shape and size of the main body 2 are not particularly limited, and may be circular, oval, or the shape of an animal or character in plan view.

[0023] The sponge 3 of this embodiment is made of, for example, urethane foam. In Figs. 1 and 2, the bag body 4 has one side portion 41 located on the front side made of a pile mesh made of polyester or acrylic, and the other side portion 42 located on the back side made of a pile-woven film material such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate). As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the one side portion 41 and the other side portion 42 are sewn together at approximately the middle of the flat main body 2 in the thickness direction TH. In the figures, the location where the one side portion 41 and the other side portion 42 are sewn together is indicated as a boundary portion 4a.

[0024] As a result, the main body 2 is configured so that it can be washed on one side surface S1, which is the surface of one side portion 41 of the bag body 4, and the other side surface S2, which is the surface of the other side portion 42 of the bag body 4. For example, using the other side surface S2 is suitable for cleaning by scraping off (scraping off) limescale and dirt in the bathroom.

[0025] Finger insertion pocket 5 is sewn to boundary portion 4a of bag body 4 at one end portion in the longitudinal direction of main body 2. FIGS. 1 to 3 show finger insertion pocket 5 covering a portion of one surface S1. Finger insertion pocket 5 of this embodiment is made of the same pile mesh as one side portion 41 of bag body 4, and opening 5a through which a finger is inserted is provided with a border portion 51. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, depth dimension T2, which is the depth to which a finger is inserted into finger insertion pocket 5, is set to about 30% of overall length T1 (longitudinal dimension) of main body 2.

[0026] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a cleaning operation using the bath sponge 10 shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Specifically, the diagram shows how a bathtub BT is cleaned.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, four fingers other than the thumb or three fingers (index finger, middle finger, and ring finger) can be inserted through opening 5a of finger insertion pocket 5 in bath sponge 10, and body 2 can be bent at a substantially right angle by pressing with the thumb to fit the shape of the corner of the bathtub BT, and then washing can be performed using surface S2 on the other side. Inserting the fingers into finger insertion pocket 5 makes it easier to hold bath sponge 10 (making it easier to apply force), which makes washing easier even for people with insufficient grip strength, such as the elderly.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, depth dimension T2 (see FIG. 2) of finger insertion pocket 5 is set to about 30% of overall length T1 (see FIG. 2) of main body 2, which makes it easy to fold main body 2 for cleaning. From the standpoint of facilitating cleaning work that is performed by folding main body 2, depth dimension T2 of finger insertion pocket 5 is preferably set to 45% or less of overall length T1 of main body 2. On the other hand, to stabilize the state of a finger inserted in finger insertion pocket 5, depth dimension T2 of finger insertion pocket 5 is preferably set to 20% or more of overall length T1 of main body 2.

[0029] Next, modified examples of the cleaning member shown in Figures 1 to 4 will be described. In the modified examples described below, differences from the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 will be mainly described, and components with the same names as those in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 will be described using the same reference numerals as used above, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a dish sponge which is a modified example of the cleaning member (bath sponge) shown in FIGS.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 5, the dish sponge 11 has a bag body 4 made of pile mesh on both one side portion 41 and the other side portion 42. This allows a user to insert four fingers other than the thumb through the opening 5a of the finger insertion pocket 5 of the dish sponge 11, press the thumb down as if grasping the edge of a dish TW such as a cup, fold the main body 2, and use the other side surface S2 to perform cleaning. In this way, the bag body 4 may be made of the same material for the one side portion 41 and the other side portion 42, or may be made of different materials with different cleaning functions as in the bath sponge 10 shown in Figs. 1 to 4, and the combination can be freely selected depending on the location of use and the object to be cleaned.

[0032] Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining the difference between using one surface S1 for cleaning and using the other surface S2 for cleaning in the bath sponge 10 shown in Figures 1 to 4. Specifically, Figure 6(a) shows the mode in which the other surface S2 is used for cleaning, and Figure 6(b) shows the mode in which the one surface S1 is used for cleaning.

[0033] As shown in Figure 6(a), when cleaning using the other side S2, the finger is inserted into the finger insertion pocket 5 with the finger insertion pocket 5 covering a part of the one side S1 of the main body 2. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6(b), when cleaning using the one side S1, the finger insertion pocket 5 is turned inside out and the finger is inserted into the pocket 5 with the finger covering a part of the other side S2 of the main body 2.

[0034] As described above, in this embodiment, finger insertion pocket 5 is sewn to boundary portion 4a of bag body 4. This boundary portion 4a is formed in the approximate middle of main body 2 in the thickness direction TH, so that it is easy to change the state between that shown in FIG. 6(a) and that shown in FIG. 6(b) (turning finger insertion pocket 5 inside out).

[0035] Next, other embodiments of the bath sponge 10 of the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 and 6 will be described. In the other embodiments described below, differences from the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 and 6 will be mainly described, and components with the same names as those in the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 and 6 will be described using the same reference numerals used up to now, and duplicate descriptions may be omitted.

[0036] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a bath sponge 12 of a second embodiment, corresponding to FIG. 1 showing the bath sponge 10 of the first embodiment.

[0037] 7, bath sponge 12 of this embodiment has second finger insertion pocket 6 at the end portion opposite finger insertion pocket 5 in the longitudinal direction of main body 2. That is, finger insertion pocket 5 and second finger insertion pocket 6 are provided with their respective openings 5a, 6a facing each other in the longitudinal direction (a pair of finger insertion pockets are provided with their openings facing each other). Second finger insertion pocket 6 is also provided by sewing to boundary portion 4a of bag body 4 in main body 2.

[0038] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing how the bath sponge 12 of the second embodiment is used.

[0039] 8, bath sponge 12 of this embodiment is used by inserting fingers other than the thumb into finger insertion pocket 5 and the thumb into second finger insertion pocket 6. This allows for more stable washing.

[0040] Figure 9 is a diagram for explaining the difference between cleaning using one side surface S1 and cleaning using the other side surface S2 of the bath sponge 12 shown in Figures 7 and 8. Specifically, Figure 9(a) shows a mode in which cleaning is performed using the other side surface S2, and Figure 9(b) shows a mode in which cleaning is performed using one side surface S1.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 9(a), when cleaning is performed using the other side S2, finger insertion pocket 5 and second finger insertion pocket 6 are each placed in a state where they cover a portion of one side S1 of main body 2. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 9(b), when cleaning is performed using one side S1, finger insertion pocket 5 and second finger insertion pocket 6 are each turned inside out and used in a state where they cover a portion of the other side S2 of main body 2. Note that the operator's hands (fingers) are omitted from Fig. 9.

[0042] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a bath sponge 13 of a third embodiment, corresponding to FIG. 1 showing the bath sponge 10 of the first embodiment.

[0043] In this embodiment, finger insertion pocket 5' is made of different materials with different cleaning effects on the surface that is exposed and covers a portion of one surface S1 of main body 2 as shown in Fig. 10, and the surface that is exposed and covers a portion of the other surface S2 (see Fig. 6, etc.) of main body 2 when finger insertion pocket 5' is turned inside out as shown in Fig. 6(b). Specifically, the surface that is exposed and covers a portion of one surface S1 of main body 2 is made of a film material knitted in a pile pattern, and the surface that is exposed and covers a portion of the other surface S2 of main body 2 is made of microfiber.

[0044] Although not shown in the figures, it is also possible to insert a finger into finger insertion pocket 5' so that the pad of the fingertip is positioned on the back side of finger insertion pocket 5' and use the exposed surface of finger insertion pocket 5' for cleaning. According to this embodiment, dirt can be scraped off with the surface of finger insertion pocket 5' made of a pile-knitted film material, and it is also possible to turn finger insertion pocket 5' inside out and use the surface made of microfiber to wipe off oil film and the like.

[0045] The bath sponges 10, 12, 13 and dish sponge 11 described above can facilitate cleaning work even for people with insufficient grip strength, such as the elderly, and can improve usability.

[0046] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. For example, in the above-described embodiment, pile mesh or a film material knitted in pile form is used as an example of the material constituting the bag body 4, but various materials that can be used as cleaning members can be used and can be combined as appropriate. Note that even if a constituent element is included only in the description of each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, that constituent element may be applied to other embodiments and modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10, 12, 13 Bath sponge (cleaning material) 11 Dish sponges (cleaning materials) 2 Main unit 3. Sponge 4 Bag body 41 One side part 42 Other side part 4a Boundary 5.5' finger pocket 5a,5a' opening 6. Second finger insertion pocket 6a opening S1 One side surface S2 Other side T1 body length T2 Finger insertion pocket depth

Claims

1. a main body in which a flat sponge is covered with a bag body and which can be cleaned on both sides; a finger insertion pocket provided in the bag body, into which an operator's fingers are inserted through an opening, The cleaning member is characterized in that the finger insertion pocket can be turned inside out from a state where it covers a portion of the surface on one side of the main body to a state where it covers a portion of the surface on the other side of the main body.

2. 2. The cleaning member according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the finger insertion pocket is set to 45% or less of the overall length of the main body.

3. The cleaning member according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bag body is made of different materials with different cleaning effects in the portion located on the one side surface and the portion located on the other side surface.

4. The cleaning member according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the finger insertion pocket is made of different materials with different cleaning effects on the surface that covers a portion of the one side surface of the main body and the surface that covers a portion of the other side surface of the main body.

5. The finger insertion pockets are provided as a pair with the openings facing each other, 3. The cleaning member according to claim 1, wherein the pair of finger insertion pockets are configured so that the operator's thumb is inserted into one of the pockets and all or any of the remaining fingers of the operator is inserted into the other pocket.

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