Surface-abrading tool configured for mounting to an extension pole

Abstract

A surface-treating tool is configured for coupling to an extension pole with opposed proximal and distal pole ends. The tool comprises a tool head including a rigid tool support having mutually opposed tool-support upper and lower surfaces. A pole coupling configured for selectively coupling the tool support to the pole distal end is affixed to the tool-support upper surface such that a coupled extension pole is pivotable relative to the tool support about mutually orthogonal first and second pivot axes. A tool pad includes a rigid plate with plate top and bottom surfaces and a resilient layer permanently adhered the plate bottom surface. The resilient layer includes an attachment surface to which a working material may be removably attached without tools. A pad fastener introduced through the resilient layer attaches the tool pad to the tool-support lower surface with the rigid plate between the tool support and the resilient layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hand manipulated surface-treating tool configured for coupling to an extension pole having longitudinally opposed proximal and distal pole ends, the surface-treating tool comprising:
 a tool head including a rigid tool support having mutually opposed tool-support upper and lower surfaces bounded by a common tool-support periphery, and further including a tool-support center;   a pole coupling affixed to the tool-support upper surface and configured for selectively coupling the tool support to the pole distal end, the pole coupling being affixed to the tool-support upper surface and further configured such that an extension pole coupled to the tool head by the pole coupling is pivotable relative to the tool support about mutually orthogonal first and second pivot axes; and   a tool pad including (i) a rigid plate having mutually opposed plate top and bottom surfaces bounded by a peripheral plate edge extending between the plate top and bottom surfaces and (ii) a resilient layer with a resilient-layer upper surface permanently adhered to the plate bottom surface and an attachment surface that is opposite the resilient-layer upper surface and configured for releasably retaining a working material, wherein   (a) the tool pad is attached to the tool head with the plate top surface in contacting engagement with the tool-support lower surface;   (b) the tool pad includes a tool-pad center;   (c) there is a plate-center hole through the rigid plate and a resilient-layer-center hole extending through the resilient layer and aligned with the plate-center hole at the tool-pad center; and   (d) the tool pad is attached to the tool-support lower surface by a pad fastener introduced into at least the resilient-layer-center hole and secured to the tool-support center.   
     
     
         2 . The surface-treating tool of  claim 1  wherein the pad fastener is a permanent fastener such that the tool pad is permanently attached to the tool head with the plate top surface in contacting engagement with the tool-support lower surface. 
     
     
         3 . The surface-treating tool of  claim 2  wherein the permanent pad fastener is a threaded fastener that has applied to the threads an adhesive before being threadably joined with the tool support such that, when the adhesive cures, the subsequent unthreading of the fastener and removal of the tool pad from the tool support are prevented. 
     
     
         4 . The surface-treating tool of  claim 1  wherein the pad fastener is a removable fastener such that the tool pad is removably attached to the tool head with the plate top surface in contacting engagement with the tool-support lower surface. 
     
     
         5 . The surface-treating tool of  claim 4  wherein the removable pad fastener is a threaded fastener. 
     
     
         6 . The surface-treating tool of  claim 5  wherein the pad fastener is a tool-less fastener. 
     
     
         7 . A hand manipulated surface-abrading tool configured for coupling to an extension pole having longitudinally opposed proximal and distal pole ends, the surface-abrading tool comprising:
 a tool head including a rigid tool support having mutually opposed tool-support upper and lower surfaces bounded by a common tool-support periphery, and further including a tool-support center within the tool-support periphery;   a pole coupling affixed to the tool-support upper surface for selectively coupling the tool support to the pole distal end, the pole coupling being affixed to the tool-support upper surface and configured such that an extension pole coupled to the tool head by the pole coupling is pivotable relative to the tool support about mutually orthogonal first and second pivot axes; and   a tool pad including (i) a rigid plate having mutually opposed plate top and bottom surfaces bounded by a peripheral plate edge extending between the plate top and bottom surfaces and (ii) a resilient layer with a resilient-layer upper surface permanently adhered to the plate bottom surface and an attachment surface that is opposite the resilient-layer upper surface and configured for releasably retaining an abrading material, wherein   the tool pad and the tool-support lower surface are cooperatively configured to enable removable attachment of the tool pad to the tool head with the rigid plate between the resilient layer and the tool-support lower surface.   
     
     
         8 . The surface-abrading tool of  claim 7  wherein
 (a) the tool pad includes a tool-pad center; 
 (b) there is a plate-center hole through the rigid plate and a resilient-layer-center hole that extends through the resilient layer and is aligned with the plate-center hole at the tool-pad center; and 
 (c) the tool pad is removably attached to the tool-support lower surface by a pad fastener introduced into at least the resilient-layer-center hole and secured to the tool-support center. 
 
     
     
         9 . The surface-abrading tool of  claim 8  wherein the rigid plate and the tool-support lower surface are complementarily keyed such that, when the tool pad is removably attached to the lower surface of the tool support, and the pad fastener is secured, the tool pad is prevented from rotating relative to the tool support. 
     
     
         10 . The surface-abrading tool of  claim 9  wherein the complementary keying comprises at least one off-center key aperture in the rigid plate and at least one key protrusion extending downwardly from the tool-support lower surface and into the at least one off-center key aperture, thereby establishing an interference fit between the tool-support and the rigid plate. 
     
     
         11 . A surface-treating tool configured for coupling to an extension pole having opposed proximal and distal pole ends, the surface-treating tool comprising:
 a tool head including a rigid tool support having mutually opposed tool-support upper and lower surfaces;   a pole coupling configured for selectively coupling the tool support to the pole distal end and affixed to the tool-support upper surface such that a coupled extension pole is pivotable relative to the tool support about mutually orthogonal first and second pivot axes;   a tool pad including a rigid plate with plate top and bottom surfaces and a resilient layer permanently adhered to the plate bottom surface, the resilient layer including an attachment surface to which a working material can be removably attached without tools; and   a pad fastener for attaching the tool pad to the tool-support lower surface, wherein   the pad fastener is introduced through the resilient layer and secured to tool-support lower surface in order to attach the tool pad to the tool-support lower surface with the rigid plate between the tool support and the resilient layer.   
     
     
         12 . The surface-treating tool of  claim 11  wherein the working material is an abrading material in the form of one of (i) a sheet and (ii) a pad. 
     
     
         13 . The surface-treating tool of  claim 12  wherein the abrading material is attached to the resilient-layer attachment surface by a plurality of hook-on-loop fasteners.