Surface cleaner

Abstract

A surface cleaner and a method for using the surface cleaner are disclosed. The surface cleaner comprises a cleaner body with a lid, a hand gripping post and a thumb rest, The cleaning may be performed by a pad attached to the bottom of the cleaner body. Alternatively a sheet, such as a cloth or a paper towel, folded into the inside of the surface cleaner may be used. To hold the surface cleaner, the hand gripping post is inserted between the middle and ring fingers and the thumb is rested on the thumb rest.

1 . A surface cleaner comprising:
 a planer cleaner body having a first side and a second side, wherein the first and second sides are provided on opposite sides of the cleaner body;   a pad coupled to the second side of the cleaner body;   a Planar lid coupled to the cleaner body by a hinge, the lid having a first side and a second side, wherein the first and second sides are provided on opposite sides of the lid;   a gripping assembly coupled to the first side of the lid, the gripping assembly having a post connected to a thumb rest, the post having a variable radius wherein the radius of the post is greater in a first direction than the radius of the post in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and   a latch assembly which selectively engages the cleaner body to the lid, wherein the first side of the cleaner body engages the second side of the lid.   
     
     
         2 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the latch assembly includes a latch lock which selectively receives a latch clamp. 
     
     
         3 . The surface cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the latch lock is provided on the first side of the cleaner body and the latch clamp is provided on the second side of the lid. 
     
     
         4 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising a sheet support tab provided on an edge of the first side of the cleaner body. 
     
     
         5 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising a first sheet support tab and a second sheet support tab provided on a first side of the cleaner body, wherein the first sheet support tab is provided on a first edge of the cleaner body and the second sheet support tab is provided on a second edge of the cleaner body. 
     
     
         6 . The surface cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein the first edge of the cleaner body is parallel to the second edge of the cleaner body. 
     
     
         7 . The surface cleaner of  claim 6 , wherein the distance between the first and second. sheet support tabs is greater than a width of the lid, such that when the lid engages the cleaner body, the lid is received between the first and second sheet support tabs. 
     
     
         8 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising a sheet locking assembly adapted to retain a cleaning sheet, the sheet locking assembly having a first locking portion provided on the first side of the cleaner body and a second locking portion provided on the second side of the lid, wherein the first and second locking portions engage to retain a cleaning sheet. 
     
     
         9 . The surface cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein the first locking portion is a locking strip and the second locking portion is a locking groove, the locking groove is adapted to receive the locking strip. 
     
     
         10 . A surface cleaner comprising:
 a cleaner body having a first side, a second side, a first edge, and a second edge, wherein the first and second sides are provided on opposite sides of the cleaner body, and the first edge is provided parallel to the second edge;   a pad coupled to the second side of the cleaner body;   a lid connected to the cleaner body by a hinge, the lid having a first side and a second side, wherein the first and second sides are provided on opposite sides of the lid;   a gripping assembly coupled to the first side of the lid, the gripping assembly having a post connected to a thumb rest, the post having a variable radius wherein the radius of the post is greater in a first direction than the radius of the post in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and   a cleaning sheet coupled to the surface cleaner, the cleaning sheet having a first edge opposite a second edge, wherein the cleaning sheet is provided about the pad and the first and second edges are retained between the first side of the cleaner body and the second side of the lid.   
     
     
         11 . The surface cleaner of  claim 10 , further comprising a latch assembly which selectively engages the cleaner body to the lid, wherein the first side of the cleaner body engages the second side of the lid. 
     
     
         12 . The surface cleaner of  claim 10 , further comprising a first sheet support tab and a second sheet support tab provided on the first side of the cleaner body, wherein the distance between the first and second sheet support tabs is greater than a width of the lid, such that when the lid engages the cleaner body, the lid is received between the first and second sheet support tabs. 
     
     
         13 . The surface cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein the first sheet support tab is provided along the first edge of the cleaner body, and the second sheet support tab is provided along the second edge of the cleaner body. 
     
     
         14 . The surface cleaner of  claim 10 , further comprising a cleaning sheet locking assembly having a first locking portion provided on the first side of the cleaner body and a second locking portion provided on the second side of the lid, wherein a portion of the cleaning sheet is retained between the engagement of the first locking portion and second locking portion. 
     
     
         15 . The surface cleaner of  claim 10 , further comprising a cleaning sheet locking assembly having a first locking portion and a second locking portion provided on the first side of the cleaner body and a third locking portion and a fourth locking portion provided on the second side of the lid, wherein a first portion of the cleaning sheet is retained between the engagement of the first locking portion and the third locking portion, and a second portion of the cleaning sheet is retained between the engagement of the second locking portion and the fourth locking portion. 
     
     
         16 . The surface cleaner of  claim 15 , wherein the first locking portion is parallel to the second locking portion, and the third locking portion is parallel to the fourth locking portion. 
     
     
         17 . The surface cleaner of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a first sheet locking strip and a second sheet locking strip provided on the first side of the cleaner body; and   a first sheet locking groove and a second sheet locking groove provided on the second side of the lid, wherein a first portion of the cleaning sheet is retained between the engagement of the first sheet locking strip and the first sheet locking groove, and a second portion of the cleaning sheet is retained between the engagement of the second sheet locking strip and the second sheet locking groove.   
     
     
         18 . The surface cleaner of  claim 17 , wherein the first sheet locking strip is parallel to the second sheet locking strip, and the first sheet locking groove is parallel to the second sheet locking groove. 
     
     
         19 . A surface cleaner comprising:
 a cleaner body having a first side, a second side, a first edge, and a second edge, wherein the first and second sides are provided on opposite sides of the cleaner body, and the first edge is provided parallel to the second edge;   a pad connected to the second side of the cleaner body;   a lid hingedly connected to the cleaner body, the lid having a first side and a second side, wherein the first and second sides are provided on opposite sides of the lid; and   a gripping assembly coupled to the first side of the lid, the gripping assembly having a post connected to a thumb rest, the post having a variable radius wherein the radius of the post is greater in a first direction than the radius of the post in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction such that the post is adapted to be received between the fingers of a user.   
     
     
         20 . The surface cleaner of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a first sheet support tab provided on the first side of the cleaner body along the first edge;   a second sheet support tab provided on the first side of the cleaner body along the second edge, wherein a first distance extends between the first and second sheet support tabs, and the lid has a width which is less than the first distance; and   a latch assembly which selectively engages the cleaner body to the lid, wherein the first side of the cleaner body engages the second side of the lid such that the lid is received between the first sheet support tab and the second sheet support tab.