US20140245551A1

US20140245551A1 - Surface treatment pad arrangement

Info

Publication number: US20140245551A1
Application number: US13/783,211
Authority: US
Inventors: David Jalbert; Brian F. Kaminer
Original assignee: Euro Pro Operating LLC
Current assignee: Sharkninja Operating LLC
Priority date: 2013-03-01
Filing date: 2013-03-01
Publication date: 2014-09-04
Also published as: WO2014134395A1

Abstract

A surface treatment pad arrangement for a cleaning appliance includes a first treatment pad, a second treatment pad, and one or more connectors which connect the first treatment pad to the second treatment pad. In some embodiments, the connectors maintain the pads in predetermined positions relative to one another when not attached to the appliance, and permit the pads to move relative to one another when attached to the appliance.

Description

FIELD

The invention relates generally to surface treatment such as the cleaning of household surfaces, and more specifically to a surface treatment pad arrangement which is attachable to an appliance.

DISCUSSION OF THE RELATED ART

Surface treatment appliances are used in the home and office to clean and treat floors and other surfaces. Various types of surface treating appliances are known, including reciprocating cleaning appliances, which use individual cleaning pads that are attached to the cleaning head of the appliance.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a surface treatment pad arrangement is disclosed. The pad arrangement includes a first treatment pad that has a surface-facing side configured to treat a surface and an attachment side adapted to attach to a surface treatment appliance. The pad arrangement also has a second treatment pad with a surface-facing side configured to treat a surface and an attachment side adapted to attach to the appliance. At least one connector connects the first and second pads and maintains the pads in a predetermined positive relative to each other when the attachment sides are situated for attachment to the appliance.
In another embodiment, a surface treatment pad arrangement is disclosed. The pad arrangement includes a first treatment pad with a surface-facing side configured to treat a surface and a second treatment pad with a surface-facing side configured to treat the surface. At least one connector connects the first and second pads and permits the pads to move towards and away from one another when the pads have their surface-facing sides in contact with the surface.
In still another embodiment, a surface treatment appliance is disclosed. The appliance includes an appliance head with two moveable members that move relative to one another. A surface treatment pad arrangement is removably attachable to the appliance head. The pad arrangement includes a first treatment pad with a surface-facing side configured to treat a surface, a second treatment pad configured to treat the surface, and at least one connector that connects the first and second pads. The connector(s) permit the pads to move relative to one another when the pads are attached to the moveable members on the appliance head.
In yet another embodiment, a method is disclosed. The method includes placing a surface treatment pad arrangement on a horizontal surface. The pad arrangement includes first and second treatment pads, each with a surface-facing side configured to treat a surface, and a least one connector that connects the first and second treatment pads. The method further includes attaching the pad arrangement to an appliance head by placing the appliance head on top of the pad arrangement.
It should be appreciated that the foregoing concepts, and additional concepts discussed below, may be arranged in any suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.
The foregoing and other aspects, embodiments, and features of the present teachings can be more fully understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a surface treatment appliance according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the top of a surface treatment pad arrangement according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom of the surface treatment pad arrangement according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the surface treatment pad arrangement attached to an appliance head;

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of an appliance head and the surface treatment pad arrangement in a first position;

FIG. 6 is a is a schematic side view of the appliance head and surface treatment pad arrangement in a second position;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bottom of the surface treatment pad arrangement according to one embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the bottom of the surface treatment pad arrangement according to one embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the bottom of the surface treatment pad arrangement according to one embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the bottom of the surface treatment pad arrangement according to one embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the bottom of a surface treatment pad arrangement according to one embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the bottom of the surface treatment pad arrangement according to one embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the bottom of the surface treatment pad arrangement according to one embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the bottom of the surface treatment pad arrangement according to one embodiment; and

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the bottom of the surface treatment pad arrangement according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Surface treatment appliances, such as cleaning appliances which include reciprocating cleaning heads, are used to clean and treat floors and other surfaces in the home, office, and so on. Known reciprocating appliances use individual cleaning pads that are separately attached to the cleaning heads.
Applicant has recognized that by providing two or more pads connected together, various advantages may be realized as compared to using individual pads. Embodiments disclosed herein include surface treatment pad arrangements and methods of using the pad arrangements to treat a surface, such as by one or more of cleaning, polishing, steam cleaning, scrubbing, and so on.
According to one aspect of the invention, a pad arrangement includes two pads that are connected by one or more connectors. In some embodiments, the connectors may be constructed and arranged to maintain the first and second pads in predetermined positions relative to each other—the pads in these positions being alignable with corresponding moveable members on the appliance heads on the appliance. The pad arrangement also may be configured such that the pads are alignable both when the moveable members are in their innermost and outermost positions on the appliance head. As a result, a user can simply place the pad arrangement on a horizontal surface and then place the appliance head on top of the pad arrangement to attach the pads to the appliance. The user does not need to separately position the pads on the floor in a specific arrangement. In fact, the user can simply toss the pad arrangement on the floor in some embodiments, which also streamlines the process of switching pads if a user wishes to treat the same or different surfaces with several different pads during a single cleaning session.
In some embodiments, the connector (or connectors) allows the first pad and the second pad to move relative to one another when the pad arrangement is attached to the appliance head and each pad's surface-facing side is in contact with the surface to be treated. For example, when the connected pads are attached to a cleaning appliance that has reciprocating cleaning members, the pad arrangement allows the pads to move toward and away from one another when the reciprocating members are moving.
Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 shows a surface treatment appliance 2 according to one embodiment, the appliance including an elongated appliance body 4 and an appliance head 6, such as a cleaning head. The appliance head includes two moveable members 8 to which the surface treatment pad arrangement 10 is removably attachable by an attachment side 12. The moveable members 8 may be used to provide reciprocating motion, and in some embodiments, the moveable members may move toward and way from one another. The reciprocating motion produced by the appliance 2 shown may be a linearly reciprocating motion. The appliance 2 also includes a liquid reservoir 13 on the appliance body 4 that communicates with a liquid applicator 15 on the appliance head 6 to apply a treatment or cleaning solution to a surface. Although the liquid applicator 15 is shown on only the front of the appliance head 6 in this embodiment, applicators 15 may be positioned on the sides of the appliance head 6 as well as the back of the appliance head 6 so as to allow multi-directional use of the treatment appliance 2. In some embodiments, the applicators 15 are positioned on the appliance body 4 or on an underside of the appliance head 6.
FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the pad arrangement 10 of the embodiment shown in
FIG. 1, which includes a first treatment pad 14 with an attachment side 12 a, a second treatment pad 16 with an attachment side 12 b, and connectors 18 that connect the first treatment pad 14 to the second treatment pad 16. In this embodiment, the connectors are attached to the top side, the attachment side 12, of the first and second pads 14, 16.
The attachment sides 12 a, 12 b are configured to removably attach the surface treatment pad arrangement 10 to the appliance head 6 in some embodiments. The attachment side may include a hook and loop fastening material, which attaches to complementary hook and loop fastening material on the appliance head 6. The attachment sides 12 a, 12 b instead may include any other suitable material for attaching the pad arrangement 10 to the appliance head 6 as this aspect of the disclosure is not limiting. In some embodiments, the pad arrangement and the moveable members may be configured such that the pad arrangement wraps around the sides of the moveable members for attachment. Fastening devices such as clips, screws, snaps or interference fit arrangement may be used to removably attach the pads to the moveable members such that the attachment sides are removably attached to the moveable members even though, in some cases, the attachment sides themselves do not play a direct role in their attachment to the moveable members.
Though the pads shown in this embodiment are rectangular, it should be appreciated that the first treatment pad 14 and the second treatment pad 16 may be any suitable shape. The first pad 14 and the second pad 16 also may be different sizes from one another, though they are shown to be the same size in the illustrated embodiment.
FIG. 3 shows the bottom of the surface treatment pad arrangement 10, which includes a first treatment pad 14 with a first surface-facing side 20 a, a second treatment pad 16 with a second surface-facing side 20 b, and connectors 18. In this embodiment, the connectors 18 maintain the first treatment pad 14 and the second treatment pad 16 toward predetermined positions relative to one another when each pad has its respective surface-facing side 20 a, 20 b contacting a horizontal surface. The positions of the first and second pads 14, 16 are complementary to the positions of the moveable members 8 on the appliance head 6, thereby allowing the pad arrangement 10 to be attached to the moveable members 8 when the appliance head 6 is placed on the attachment sides 12 a, 12 b of the pads 14, 16. In one embodiment, the size and position of the first and second pads 14, 16 are configured such that the pad arrangement 10 may be attached to the moveable members 8 either when the moveable members 8 are in their innermost position or in their outermost position on the appliance head 6, or anywhere in between. That is, the pads may be larger than the moveable members such that the pads can be attached to attachment areas on the moveable members regardless of the positions of the moveable members.
FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the surface treatment pad arrangement 10 is attached to the appliance head 6. In this embodiment, the attachment sides 12 a, 12 b of the first and second treatment pads 14, 16 are attached to attachment members 22 on the moveable members 8 of the appliance head 6. Although two moveable members 8 are shown here, each which two attachment members 22, a single attachment member 22 or more than two members 22 may be used to attach the pad arrangement 10 to the appliance head 6. Moreover, although the first and second pads 14, 16 are shown to be larger than the moveable members 8, the pads may be any suitable size. It should also be appreciated that the overall pad arrangement may be any suitable size, although in this embodiment the pad arrangement 10 is shown to extend beyond the perimeter of the appliance head 6.
The pad arrangement may be used with a reciprocating cleaning appliance. When such a cleaning appliance is in use, the moveable members on the appliance head reciprocate in the same straight line in opposite directions with each other. In one embodiment, the moveable members move toward and away from one another. When cleaning pads are attached to the moveable members, the pads reciprocate with respect to one another and clean the floor. Of course, the various pad arrangements disclosed herein may be used with cleaning appliances other than reciprocating cleaning appliances. In some embodiments, the connector 18 permits the first and second treatment pads 14, 16 to move relative to one another when the pads are attached to the moveable members 8 and each pad's surface-facing side 20 a, 20 b is in contact with the surface to be treated. In one embodiment, the first and second treatment pads 14, 16 move towards and away from one another when attached to the moveable members 8. FIG. 5 shows one embodiment, a first position, in which the first and second treatment pads 14, 16, attached to the moveable members 8, are moving toward one another. As shown in this figure, the position of the connectors 18 on the top side, the attachment side 12, of the pads 14, 16 minimizes gathering of the material of the connectors 18 between the pads 14, 16 when the pads 14, 16 are in this first position. Although the first and second treatment pads 14, 16 are not shown to be touching in in this embodiment, it should be appreciated that the pads may come in contact when they move toward one another.
FIG. 6 shows a second position in which the first and second treatment pads 14, 16 are positioned farther apart from another. Although the moveable members 8 do not move beyond the perimeter of the appliance head 6 in this second position, the first and second pads 14, 16 do move beyond appliance head's 6 perimeter. It should be appreciated, however, that the appliance head may be configured such that the moveable members 8 move outside the perimeter of the appliance head 6 in this second position. The connectors 18 may be made of elastic straps, elastic cords, or any other suitable material for connecting the pads and maintaining their relative positions. The connectors 18 also may be made of any other suitable material for permitting the first and second pads 14, 16 to move relative to one another when attached to the moveable members 8. In some embodiments the elasticity of the connectors 18 is greater than the elasticity of the first and second pads 14, 16. The elasticity of the connectors 18 also may be configured such that the first and second pads 14, 16 can move relative to one another, irrespective of the positions of the moveable members 8 when the pad arrangement 10 is attached to the appliance head 6.
In some embodiments, the connectors 18 may not necessarily pull the treatment pads 14, 16 toward one another. For example, the connectors may be made of a non-elastic material such as string. In embodiments where the connector(s) do not include elastic material, the pad arrangement 10, and in particular the connector(s) 18, may be sized such that the arrangement 10 is sufficiently long to remain attached to the moveable members 8 when the moveable members 8 are in their outermost position on the appliance head 6.
Although two connectors 18 are shown in these embodiments, it should be appreciated that there may be only one connector in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, or more than two connectors. As shown in FIG. 8, in some embodiments, the connectors 18 may be made of the same material as the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b of the first and second treatment pads 14, 16. The connector(s) 18 also may be integral to the first and second pads 14, 16.
The surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b of the first and second treatment pads 14, 16 may include any of a number of types of materials for treating a variety of surfaces. In some embodiments, the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b are configured to treat a hard surface, such as hardwood flooring, by cleaning and/or polishing. In some embodiments, such as the one shown in FIG. 3, the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b have the same configuration. In one embodiment, the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b include nylon loops. The nylon loops may be 2 mm long, though any suitable size may be used. The surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b also may include a microfiber material, which in some embodiments is a synthetic polyester or polyester blend microfiber. The surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b also may include a terry knit material, a lamb's wool material, or any other material suitable for treating a hard surface as this aspect of the disclosure is not limiting. In one embodiment, the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b include a sherpa material for polishing the floor. There also may be an inner layer of a non-woven material (not shown), which in some embodiments is a stiff material that provides the pad with structural stability.
Although the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b of the hard- surface cleaning pads 14, 16 are shown to be identical in FIG. 3, in other embodiments, the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b are different from one another. In some embodiments, the first surface facing sides 20 a includes a different material than the second surface-facing side 20 b. In one embodiment, the first surface-facing side 20 a includes a shag material while the second surface-facing side 20 b includes a terry knit material. In some embodiments, the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b includes a combination of agitation portions 26 and absorbent portions 24. In one embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 9 for example, the first surface-facing side 20 a includes only absorbent portions 24 while the second surface-facing side 20 b includes an absorbent portion 24 with an agitation portion 26 positioned in the middle of the pad 16. In one embodiment, the absorbent portion 24 of the first surface-facing side 20 a is a mini-shag material, the absorbent portion 24 of the second surface-facing side 20 b is a terry knit material, and the agitation portion 26 of the second surface-facing side 20 b is olefin loops. In other embodiments, the agitation portion 26 may include polyester, polypropylene, or any other suitable material as this disclosure is not limited in this regard.
The surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b also may be configured to clean a carpet, in which a cleaning element is applied to a carpet and then agitated and/or absorbed by the pad arrangement 10. In some embodiments, as shown by way of example in FIG. 10, the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b include only agitation portions 26 to agitate the cleaning element. The agitation portions 26 may be a non-absorbent material. In some embodiments, the agitation portions 26 include monofilament loops. In one embodiment, the agitation portions 26 include olefin to agitate an encapsulant, and in another embodiment, the agitation portions 26 include a plastic material to agitate a polymer. The agitation portion 26 also may include any other suitable material for agitating a carpet, such as a material having a rake or teeth. In one embodiment, the olefin is 100% olefin, 489.9 g/m, with 16.5 wales by 27.0 courses per inch. In some embodiments, the wales are parallel to an edge of a longer side 23 of each pad 14, 16. In other embodiments, the wales are parallel to an edge of a shorter side 25 of each pads 14, 16. The olefin loops may be configured to be parallel to the edge of the longer side 23 of the pads 14, 16, or parallel to the edge of the shorter side 25 of the pads 14, 16. In some embodiments, the agitation portion 26 is quilted. In some embodiments, both the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b and the attachment sides 12 a, 12 b of the pad arrangement 10 include the same material. In one embodiment, the sides 12 a, 12 b, 20 a, 20 b include an abrasive material, e.g. a hook and loop fastener or any other abrasive material that is suitable for attachment and for agitation. In some embodiments, the agitation portions 26 may include an abrasive sanding material such as sandpaper. In some embodiments, a binding 21 extends around the edge of the shorter and longer sides 23, 25 of the pad. In other embodiments, the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b of the carpet-cleaning pad arrangement 10 include absorbent portions 24 and agitation portions 26. As shown in FIG. 11, the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b of the pads 14, 16 may include a quilted, absorbent portion 24 with an agitation portion 26 in the center of each pad 14, 16. Although only one agitation portion 26 is shown on each pad in this embodiment, the number of agitation portions 26 and the position of those portions 26 on each pad 14, 16 may vary.
In some embodiments, the agitation portions 26 and/or the absorbent portions 24 are stitched or quilted to further connect layers of the pad to one another and/or to provide a material surface with slightly varying height. In some embodiments, the stitching may form a pattern. The stitches may extend from the exterior edges of the first and second pads 14, 16 to the opposed fabric edges at a 30 degree angle, a 45 degree angle, a 60 degree angle, or any other suitable angle The stitches may cross to form a pattern. In one embodiment, the cross patterns form quadrilateral shapes such as diamonds, or other polygon shapes. In some embodiments, the stitching limits or prevents a sliding of the pad layers relative to one another. Such sliding, if not limited, may reduce a pad's effectiveness at transmitting motion to the carpet. In some embodiments, the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b include a glide portion to reduce friction while cleaning the carpet. For purposes herein, a glide portion is a portion of the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b which has a lower coefficient of friction than one or both of an absorbent portion 24 and a agitation portion 26. One type of glide portion is a glide strip 27, as shown in FIG. 12. For purposes herein, the term “glide strip” refers to a section on a surface-facing side of a pad which extends from near one edge of the pad to near an opposite edge. The glide strip does not necessarily have to reach the absolute edge of the pad to be considered a glide strip. For example, in some embodiments disclosed herein, glide strips extend only to the binding which runs along the perimeter of the pad. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b include glide strips 27 positioned adjacent to the agitation portion 26, extending along the shorter side 25 of the pads 14, 16, to reduce friction while cleaning the carpet. Although two glide strips 27 are shown in this embodiments, it should be appreciated that the number of glide strips 27 may vary in other embodiments. It should also be appreciated that while the glide strips are shown adjacent the shorter side 25 of the pads 14, 16 in this embodiment, the glide strips also may be positioned adjacent the longer side 23 of the pads 14, 16 or positioned on any other suitable location. The glide strips 27 may include polyester taffeta, 100 g/m²and 70 Denier yarn. In one embodiment, there are a series of linings below the taffeta (not shown). In some embodiments, the glide strips 27 are quilted. In one embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 13, the pads 14, 16 include an absorbent portion 24 in the middle of the pad, agitation portions 26 surrounding the absorbent portion 24 on two sides, and glide strips 27 positioned adjacent to the agitation portions 26. The absorbent portion 24 may include nylon loops, although absorbent portion 24 may be any other material suitable for absorption.
In one embodiment, the absorbent portion 24 is a mini-shag material with a plurality of strands or loops having a pile length of at least 5 mm. In some embodiments, the strands or loops may have a pile length of between 2 mm and 10 mm. In still further embodiments, the strands or loops may have a pile length of between 1 mm and 15 mm. In one embodiment, the mini-shag material is 100% polyester, 15.45 oz/yd2, with 20 wales by 26 courses per inch. In some embodiment, the mini-shag material is weft terry knit on a course gauge machine 8 to 14 gauge. In some embodiments, the mini-shag material is weft terry knit on a course gauge machine 8 to 14 gauge. In one embodiment, the mini-shag material is 100% microfiber polyester, 8 oz/yd². In some embodiments, the microfiber lengths are twisted together to form strands or loops. In some embodiments, the mini-shag material may be configured such that when the pad is placed on a surface for treating, the shag material is compressed such that the shag height is even with the height of the glide strips 27. In some embodiments, this configuration would result in the compressed mini-shag material being between 4 mm and 5 mm lower than the extent of the olefin or other non-absorbent scrubbing section(s). In some embodiments, the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b of the pads 14, 16 are configured differently from one another. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the first surface-facing side 20 a includes only agitation portions 26 and the second surface-facing side 20 b includes an absorbent portion 24 and an agitation portion 26. As depicted in this figure, the second surface-facing side 20 b includes an absorbent portion 24 with an agitation portion 26 extending down the center of the of the pad. It should be appreciated that the number of agitation portions 26 and the position of those portions 26 on the second surface-facing side 20 b may vary. It also should be appreciated that the pad arrangement 10 could have an inverted configuration to the one shown in the figure. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, the first surface-facing side 20 a includes an absorbent portion 24 surrounded by glide strips 27 on two sides and the second surface-facing side 20 b includes an agitation portion 26 surrounded by glide strips 27 on two sides. In one embodiment, the absorbent portion 24 is a terry knit material and the agitation portion 26 is olefin loops.
In some embodiments, the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b include absorbent portions 24. The absorbent portion 24 may include an absorbent material that has any suitable density, for example a density of between 0.01 grams per cm³and 0.2 grams per cm³, though any suitable density may be used. The density of the material may be constant throughout each pad, or may vary through the pad thickness and/or along the width and/or length of the pad. In other embodiments, the surface facing sides 20 a, 20 b include abrasive portions 26, which may include polyester, polypropylene, or any other suitable material. In still other embodiments, the surface-facing sides 20 a, 20 b include a combination of absorbent portions 24 and abrasive portions 26. It should be appreciated that the absorbent portions 24 and abrasive portions 26 on the pads 14, 16 show in FIGS. 3 and 7-15 may include different materials. The first and second pad 14, 16 also may have a backing layer (not shown) included on the pads to provide structural stability.
In some embodiments, the absorbent portions 24 are separate from the agitation portions 26. For purposes herein, a separate portion does not necessarily mean that a first portion is distanced from a second portion. Instead, separate portion, such as portions 24 and 26 in one embodiment, may be immediately adjacent to one another and be considered separate portions.
In some embodiments two types of material overlap one another, but if each material has a section that does not overlap with the material, there would still be considered to be two separate portions.
The surface treatment pad arrangement 10 also may include a tab 28 that extends outwardly from either or both of the first treatment pad 14 and the second treatment pad 16 to allow a user to remove the pad arrangement 10 from the appliance head 6. It should be appreciated that the tab 28 can be located on any of the exterior edges of the pad arrangement 10 and that the pad arrangement 10 can have more than one tab 28. As shown in FIG. 4, the tab 28 is shown to extend beyond the perimeter of the appliance head 6, however, it should be appreciated that the tab 28 may have any suitable arrangement to allow the user to remove the pad arrangement 10 from the appliance head 6. In one embodiment, the tab 28 may be integrated as part of the pad itself. The pad arrangement 10 also may be oversized to provide an area on which a user can step. In such an embodiment, a portion of either or both the first and second pad 14, 16 extends beyond the appliance head 6 to allow a user to remove the pad arrangement 10 from the appliance by grasping or stepping on the portion.
Examples of other pads that can be used to treat a surface in combination with embodiments disclosed herein are described in a U.S. non-provisional application filed Mar. 1, 2013, entitled “Cleaning Pad Arrangement”, under attorney docket number E0465.70235US00, and in a U.S. non-provisional application filed Mar. 1, 2013, entitled, “Surface Treatment Pad and Appliance”, under attorney docket number E0465.70236US00, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
According to some embodiments, a method of attaching the pad arrangement 10 to the appliance includes placing the surface treatment pad arrangement 10 on a horizontal surface with the surface-facing side 20 a, 20 b of each pad 14, 16 in contact with the surface to be treated, and placing the appliance head 6 on top of the attachment sides 12 a, 12 b of the pad arrangement 10 to attach the pad arrangement 10 to the appliance 2. The method also may include treating the surface with the appliance 2 once the pad arrangement 10 is attached to the appliance head 6, and removing the pad arrangement 10 from the appliance head 6 once the user finishes treating the surface. In one embodiment, treating the surface includes applying a treatment or cleaning solution to the surface and/or pads prior to treatment with the pads.
In yet another embodiment, a method of removing the surface treatment pad arrangement 10 from the appliance 2 includes stepping on the tab 28 of the pad arrangement 10 and pulling up on the appliance 2 to remove the pad arrangement 10 from the appliance head 6. The method for removing the surface treatment pad arrangement 10 also may include inverting the appliance 2 to expose the pad arrangement 10, grasping the tab 28, and pulling on the tab 28 to remove the pad arrangement 10 from the appliance head 6.
A method of manufacturing various surface treatment pad arrangements disclosed herein includes providing two pads and connecting the two pads with at least one elastic connector.
While the present teachings have been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments or examples. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A surface treatment pad arrangement comprising:

a first treatment pad with a surface-facing side configured to treat a surface, and an attachment side adapted to be removably attached to a surface treatment appliance;

a second treatment pad with a surface-facing side configured to treat the surface, and an attachment side adapted to be removably attached to a surface treatment appliance; and

at least one connector connecting the first treatment pad to the second treatment pad, wherein the at least one connector maintains the first treatment pad and the second treatment pad in predetermined positions relative to one another when each pad has its respective attachment side situated for attachment to the surface treatment appliance.

2. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one connector comprises an elastic material.

3. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first treatment pad attachment side and the second treatment pad attachment side are configured to removably attach the surface treatment pad arrangement to an appliance head of the surface treatment appliance.

4. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 3, wherein the attachment sides comprise a hook and loop fastening material to attach to complementary hook and loop fastening material on attachment members of the appliance head.

5. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a tab which extends outwardly from one of the first treatment pad and the second treatment pad, the tab being sized and configured such that a user can step on the tab when the pad is attached to an appliance head of the surface treatment appliance.

6. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first treatment pad and the second treatment pad are the same size.

7. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 1, wherein the surface-facing side includes a microfiber material.

8. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 1, wherein the surface-facing side includes olefin loops.

9. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 1 in combination with the surface treatment appliance.

10. The combination of claim 9, further comprising at least one moveable member positioned on an appliance head of the surface treatment appliance, wherein the surface treatment pad arrangement is removably attachable to the at least one moveable member, and the at least one moveable member is moveable relative to the appliance head.

11. The combination of claim 10, wherein the at least one moveable member comprises at least two moveable members, and the at least one connector permits the first treatment pad and the second treatment pad to move relative to one another when the first and second treatment pads are attached to the at least two moveable members of the appliance head.

12. The combination of claim 11, wherein each treatment pad has a larger surface area than its associated moveable member of the appliance head.

13. A surface treatment pad arrangement comprising:

a first treatment pad with a surface-facing side configured to treat a surface;

a second treatment pad with a surface-facing side configured to treat the surface; and

at least one connector connecting the first treatment pad to the second treatment pad, wherein the at least one connector permits the first pad and the second pad to move toward and away from one another when each pad has its respective surface-facing side contacting the surface to be treated.

14. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 13, wherein:

the first treatment pad has an attachment side adapted to be removably attached to a surface treatment appliance;

the second treatment pad has an attachment side adapted to be removably attached to a surface treatment appliance; and

the at least one connector maintains the first treatment pad and the second treatment pad in predetermined positions relative to one another when each pad has its respective attachment side situated for attachment to the surface treatment appliance.

15. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 14, wherein the at least one connector comprises an elastic material.

16. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 13, wherein the first treatment pad and the second treatment pad each have an attachment side configured to removably attach the surface treatment pad arrangement to an appliance head of a surface treatment appliance.

17. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 16, wherein the attachment sides comprise a hook and loop fastening material to attach to complementary hook and loop fastening material on attachment members on the appliance head.

18. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 16, wherein the surface treatment appliance is a cleaning appliance having reciprocating members to which the pad arrangement is attachable.

19. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 13, further comprising a tab which extends outwardly from one of the first treatment pad and the second treatment pad, the tab being sized and configured such that a user can step on the tab when the pad is attached to an appliance head of a surface treatment appliance.

20. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 13, wherein the first treatment pad and the second treatment pad are the same size.

21. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 13, wherein the surface-facing side includes a microfiber material.

22. The surface treatment pad arrangement of claim 13, wherein the surface facing side includes olefin loops.

23. A surface treatment appliance comprising:

an appliance head having two moveable members which are moveable relative to one another; and

a surface treatment pad arrangement removably attachable to the appliance head;

wherein the surface treatment pad arrangement comprises a first treatment pad with a surface-facing side configured to treat a surface, a second treatment pad with a surface-facing side configured to treat the surface, and at least one connector connecting the first treatment pad to the second treatment pad; and

wherein the at least one connector permits the first treatment pad and the second treatment pad to move relative to one another when the first and second treatment pads are attached to the moveable members of the appliance head.

24. The surface treatment appliance of claim 23, wherein the moveable members move toward and away from one another and the at least one connector permits the first and second treatment pads to move toward and away from one another.

25. The surface treatment appliance of claim 23, wherein the at least one connector maintains the first treatment pad and the second treatment pad in predetermined positions relative to one another when the pad arrangement is not attached to the appliance head and the pad arrangement is laying on a horizontal surface.

26. The surface treatment appliance of claim 24, wherein the at least one connector comprises an elastic material.

27. The surface treatment appliance of claim 23, wherein the first treatment pad and the second treatment pad each have an attachment side configured to removably attach the surface treatment pad arrangement to the moveable members of the appliance head.

28. The surface treatment appliance of 27, wherein the attachment sides comprise a hook and loop fastening material.

29. The surface treatment appliance of claim 23, further comprising a tab which extends outwardly from one of the first treatment pad and the second treatment pad, the tab being sized and configured such that a user can step on the tab when the pad is attached to an appliance head of a surface treatment appliance.

30. The surface treatment appliance of claim 23, further comprising at least one liquid applicator positioned on the appliance head to apply a cleaning solution to the surface.

31. A method comprising:

placing a surface treatment pad arrangement on a horizontal surface, wherein the surface treatment pad arrangement comprises a first treatment pad with a surface-facing side configured to treat a surface, a second treatment pad with a surface-facing side configured to treat the surface, and at least one connector connecting the first treatment pad to the second treatment pad; and

attaching the treatment pad arrangement to an appliance head by placing the appliance head on top of the surface treatment pad arrangement.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the at least one connector permits the first treatment pad and the second treatment pad to move toward and away from one another when each pad has its respective surface-facing side contacting the surface to be treated.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the at least one connector comprises an elastic material.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

stepping on a tab of the surface treatment pad arrangement which extends outwardly from one of the first treatment pad and the second treatment pad; and

pulling up on the surface treatment appliance to remove the surface treatment pad arrangement from the appliance head.