Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L13/00—Implements for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
  • A47L13/10—Scrubbing; Scouring; Cleaning; Polishing
  • A47L13/20—Mops
  • A47L13/24—Frames for mops; Mop heads
  • A47L13/254—Plate frames
  • A47L13/256—Plate frames for mops made of cloth
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L13/00—Implements for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
  • A47L13/10—Scrubbing; Scouring; Cleaning; Polishing
  • A47L13/16—Cloths; Pads; Sponges
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L13/00—Implements for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
  • A47L13/10—Scrubbing; Scouring; Cleaning; Polishing
  • A47L13/20—Mops

Definitions

• the invention relates to a flat mop device with the features of the introductory part of claim 1. Further, the invention relates to a mop head cover for use with such a flat mop device.
• a usual flat mop device comprises a mop frame, a handle joined to the upper side of the mop frame, preferably by means of a universal joint, and a removable flat mop cover from woven or non-woven textile material with attachment means on the upper side thereof for attachment to the mop frame.
• the mop frame as such is either a metal frame-construction or a plate-like construction from metal or plastics, mostly of a fold-away type (WO 03/020100 Al).
• Modern flat mop covers which are widely used in practice consist entirely of a synthetic microfiber material, preferably of polyester-microfibers.
• a synthetic microfiber material preferably of polyester-microfibers.
• a microfiber material with microf ⁇ bers of less then 1 dtex is indeed suitable for wet cleaning, because such material has a substantial water retention capacity.
• An alternative approach to a flat mop device uses a fully disposable, single-use material of synthetic microfibers.
• This prior art combines a mop head cover designed as a simple, thin, cloth-like material of woven or non-woven fabric with a cushioning pad on the underside of the mop frame (GB 2 031 039 A).
• a cushioning pad forms the backing structure for the mop head cover and provides a substantial retention capacity for cleaning liquid.
• This cushioning pad is made from synthetic sponge material fixedly attached to the underside of the plate-like mop frame.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a flat mop device that combines the advantages of both systems and gives full flexibility to the user.
• a corresponding mop head cover is the subj ect matter of claim 13.
• the main idea of the present invention is to combine the folly disposable or semi-disposable mop head cover with a removable standard flat mop cover from woven or non-woven textile material, i.e. to use a removable standard flat mop cover in place of the cushioning pad of the prior art flat mop device (GB 2 031 039 A).
• the features of the back-up cushioning pad on the one hand and the water retention properties on the other hand are provided by a flat mop cover, whereas the fully disposable or semi-disposable mop head cover from thin sheet- like material is used to take up all dirt and soil from the floor.
• the flat mop cover remains rather clean for a long time, but can then be removed from the mop frame, too, to be washed for further use.
• the flat mop device can also be used without the folly disposable or semi-disposable mop head cover just as a traditional flat mop device with standard flat mop cover. The user can choose between two alternative ways to clean the floor.
• the removable standard flat mop cover that is used in place of the cushioning pad has a substantially smooth underside.
• a planar surface as a back-up surface for the fully disposable or semi- disposable sheet-like material that forms the mop head cover leads to the required even cleaning results on the floor.
• the flat mop cover comprises, forming the main cleaning surface or trimming of the flat mop cover, a synthetic microfiber material with microfibers cut to a rather uniform average fiber-length of about 10 mm to 15 mm or less. Examples for such material can be obtained from the prior art mentioned in the introductory part of the descriptions and incorporated herein by reference. A preferred range of microfiber-size is given in claim 4.
• the usual attachment means for flat mop covers can be used.
• the simple sheet-like material for the mop head cover allows that the piece of sheet-like material forming the mop head cover is cut off or otherwise separated from a supply of sheet-like material, in particular from a supply roll.
• a supply of sheet-like material can be carried along with a cleaning trolley so that the person using this flat mop device has always the possibility to use a fresh mop head cover.
• the mop head cover is made from a semi-disposable material, namely a thin, washable textile material, preferably a synthetic mircofiber material.
• a semi-disposable material namely a thin, washable textile material, preferably a synthetic mircofiber material.
• This material provides a high cleaning efficiency, because the semi-disposable mop head cover can be washed and re- used many times up to 600 to 700 times.
• the complete weight of such mop head cover of a suitable size will be around 20 g for a small mop frame (40 cm x 10 cm) and about 30 g for a larger mop frame (55 cm x 20 cm).
• Fig. 1 shows the three items forming a full flat mop device according to the invention
• Fig. 2 shows the items of Fig. 1 combined
• Fig. 3 shows a supply roll of cloth, this cloth forming the mop head cover of the flat mop device according to this embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 1 shows all items of a flat mop device of a preferred embodiment of the invention.
• a socket 2 for a handle is joined to the upper side of the mop frame 1 by means of a universal joint 3 which allows movement of the mop frame 1 backwards or forward in all directions.
• a cushioning pad is indicated that is adapted to be positioned on the underside of the mop frame 1 and will be explained later.
• the third item shown in Fig. 1 is an easily removable mop head cover 4 that, in practice, covers the underside of the cushioning pad and is adapted to be attached to the mop frame 1 during floor cleaning.
• the mop head cover 4 is designed as a simple, thin sheet-like material. In Fig. 1 it is a cloth of non-woven fabric of synthetic microfiber material. This will be explained later, too.
• the cushioning pad to be seen in the middle of Fig. 1 is formed as a removable standard flat mop cover 5 from woven or non- woven textile material.
• This kind of flat mop cover 5 is well known by prior art, in particular US 5,887,311 A and WO 03/020100 A. Here, however, it has the main function of a cushioning pad for the mop head cover 4 and also the function of retaining cleaning liquid if wet cleaning is desired. Soil-removing, however, is done by the mop head cover 4.
• the standard flat mop cover 5 has the usual attachment means 6 on the upper side thereof for attachment to the mop frame 1.
• the flat mop cover 5 has a substantially smooth, planar underside.
• the flat mop cover comprises, forming the main cleaning surface, synthetic microfiber material with microfibers cut to a rather uniform average fiber-length of about 10 mm to 15 mm or less.
• the flat mop cover 5 comprises microfiber material with microfibers of about 0,5 dtex to about 0,9 dtex, preferably of about 0,6 dtex.
• the microfiber material is made from polyester- microfibers.
• Fig. 2 shows the three items of Fig. 1 now combined to a complete flat mop device ready to use.
• the flat mop cover 5 of an average size of the main cleaning surface of about 40 cm in length and about 10 cm in width is used and has a weight of about 60 g to about 100 g, preferably of about 80 g.
• This kind of product is on the market by the applicant of the present patent application under the brand "Rasantec mono”.
• the microfiber material of this flat mop cover 5 provides a water retention capacity of up to 500 %, even up to 700 % of the dry weight of the flat mop cover 5.
• This flat mop cover 5 of microfiber material is therefore particularly suitable as the cushioning pad of a flat mop device according to the invention.
• Another version for a larger mop frame 1 of 55 cm x 20 cm has a weight of up to 160 g with a preferable weight of about 100 g.
• attachment means 6 are narrow holding strips running across the plate like mop frame 1.
• Fig. 3 shows a specific embodiment of the invention where a piece of sheet-like material forming a mop head cover 4 is cut off or otherwise separated from a supply of sheet-like material, in particular from a supply roll 7.
• Fig. 3 shows the particular attachment means 6 of this mop head cover 4, namely a single, lengthwise extending insertion pocket 8.
• Fig. 2 shows how the mop frame 1 with the flat mop cover 5 attached to the mop frame 1 by the attachment means 6 can be slid into the insertion pocket 8 at the edge of the mop head cover 4.
• Fig. 3 the supply roll 7 of sheet-like material provides a fully disposable, single-use material, in particular a strong paper. It has already been explained that it is particularly convenient for the user to carry such supply roll 7 along on a transportation trolley.
• Fig. 3 shows a cut-off line that can be indicated optically or by a perforation.
• a mop head cover 4 made from a semi-disposable material, namely a thin, washable textile material, in particular a synthetic microfiber material.
• Those semi-disposable mop head covers 4 can be washed at 6O 0 C many times, up to about 700 times. Washing costs are low, because of the low weight which is about 20 g to 30 g or even only 10 g for a standard piece of cloth forming such semi-disposable mop head cover 4.

Landscapes

• Cleaning Implements For Floors, Carpets, Furniture, Walls, And The Like (AREA)
• Filters For Electric Vacuum Cleaners (AREA)
• Refuse Collection And Transfer (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Related Child Applications (1)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=34960287

Family Applications (2)

Family Applications Before (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (6)

Family Cites Families (11)

• 2005
  • 2005-01-11 PL PL05706858T patent/PL1835836T3/pl unknown
  • 2005-01-11 DK DK05706858.7T patent/DK1835836T3/da active
  • 2005-01-11 AT AT05706858T patent/ATE546082T1/de active
  • 2005-01-11 EP EP11002425.4A patent/EP2359732B1/fr active Active
  • 2005-01-11 EP EP05706858A patent/EP1835836B1/fr active Active
  • 2005-01-11 WO PCT/EP2005/000169 patent/WO2006074687A1/fr active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events