Covered lint roller assembly

Abstract

A covered lint roller assembly is disclosed that incorporates a lint roller cover that protects the adhesive element of the present lint roller assembly and wherein the lint roller cover can also be used with other lint roller assemblies that do not have a cover. By protecting normally unprotected adhesive elements, the lint roller cover provides a suitable device that helps maintain the efficacy of the adhesive element of the lint roller assembly.

1 . A lint roller assembly comprising:
 a lint roller having a lint roller handle; and   a lint roller cover.   
     
     
         2 . The lint roller assembly of  claim 1  wherein the lint roller handle includes a handle and a lint roller shaft that is disposed adjacent the lint roller handle in a location such that the longitudinal axis of the handle is in general co-axial alignment with the longitudinal axis of the lint roller shaft. 
     
     
         3 . The lint roller assembly of  claim 2  wherein the handle is generally cylindrical in shape and is sized and configured to fit within the hand of a user when the user grips the handle in preparation for use of the lint roller assembly to remove lint and unwanted debris from a contaminated surface. 
     
     
         4 . The lint roller assembly of  claim 3  wherein the lint roller handle includes a grip surface composed of a plurality of generally quadrilateral-shaped recesses that are positioned on a distal end of the handle to provide the user with a surface by which the user can generally control the lint roller assembly when in use. 
     
     
         5 . The lint roller assembly of  claim 4  wherein the lint roller handle includes a lint roller shaft located at a proximate end of the lint roller handle wherein the lint roller shaft is configured to retain a mounting roll of adhesive surfaces onto the lint roller retention portion. 
     
     
         6 . The lint roller assembly of  claim 5  wherein the lint roller retention portion incorporates a series of ribs running substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lint roller portion and wherein an outermost diameter established by the series of ribs is slightly smaller than a circular base on the proximate end of the lint roller retention portion. 
     
     
         7 . The lint roller assembly of  claim 6  wherein when the cover is in a closed configuration, the cover is generally in the form of a hollow cylinder having an end cap on each end of the hollow cylinder such that each end cap has a rounded edge where the end cap meets the hollow cylinder, and wherein each end cap has an opening located in about the center of the diameter of the end cap. 
     
     
         8 . The lint roller assembly of  claim 7  wherein each of the two openings exists as two semicircular openings located at each end of a first cover element and a second cover element of the cover. 
     
     
         9 . The lint roller assembly of  claim 8  wherein when the cover is placed in an open configuration and the lint roller retention portion is equipped with the mounting roll of adhesives, the lint roller retention portion of the lint roller handle can be placed into the cover such that a portion of the lint roller handle resides within one of the semicircular openings such that when the cover placed into the closed configuration, the portion of the lint roller handle is contained within at least one of the openings formed by a combination of two of the semicircular openings when the cover is closed. 
     
     
         10 . The lint roller assembly of  claim 9  wherein the cover is substantially retained within a closed configuration by a latch that comprises a snap portion disposed on the first cover element and a catch disposed on the second cover element. 
     
     
         11 . The lint roller assembly of  claim 10  wherein the snap includes an extended tab that generally protrudes from the outer surface of the first cover element, a locking element that extends from the underside of the first cover element, a first engagement surface that protrudes inwardly into the inside of the first cover element, and a second engagement surface perpendicular to the first engagement surface. 
     
     
         12 . The lint roller assembly of  claim 11  wherein the catch element has a first catch engagement surface, a second catch engagement surface generally perpendicular to the first catch engagement element, a second catch engagement surface, and a cutout that is adjacent to the second catch engagement surface wherein the cutout is sized and configured to generally retain the locking element into position within the cutout when the cover is in a closed configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The lint roller assembly of  claim 12  wherein the handle and the cover are manufactured using a plastic injection molding process. 
     
     
         14 . A cover comprising:
 a first cover element;   a second cover element;   a hinge element that operatively connects the first cover element to the second cover element such that when the cover is in a closed configuration the cover exists in the form of a hollow cylinder having an end cap on each end of the hollow cylinder such that each end cap has a rounded edge where the end cap meets the hollow cylinder, and wherein each end cap has an opening located in about the center of the diameter of the end cap;   an opening that occurs at each end of the cover when the cover is in the closed configuration, wherein when the cover is in an open configuration, the openings exists as two semicircular openings located at each end of a first cover element and a second cover element of the cover; and   a latch for substantially sustaining the cover in a closed configuration wherein the latch has a snap portion disposed on the first cover element and a catch disposed on the second cover element, wherein the snap includes an extended tab that generally protrudes from the outer surface of the first cover element, a locking element that extends from the underside of the first cover element, a first engagement surface that protrudes inwardly into the inside of the first cover element, and a second engagement surface perpendicular to the first engagement surface, and wherein the catch element has a first catch engagement surface, a second catch engagement surface generally perpendicular to the first catch engagement element, a second catch engagement surface, and a cutout that is adjacent to the second catch engagement surface wherein the cutout is sized and configured to generally retain the locking element into position within the cutout when the cover is in a closed configuration.   
     
     
         15 . The cover of  claim 14  wherein the opening is size and configuration to accept a portion of a lint roller handle so that the portion of the lint roller handle can reside within one of the semicircular openings such that when the cover is placed into the closed configuration, the portion of the lint roller handle is contained within the opening formed by a combination of two of the semicircular openings when the cover is closed. 
     
     
         16 . The cover of  claim 15  wherein the cover is manufactured from a plastic shaped by an injection molding process.