EP2218388B1 - Apparatus for wringing cleaning implements - Google Patents

Description

Technical area

The invention relates to a device for pressing out liquid-absorbing cleaning elements, in particular textile mop covers such as mops.

State of the art

For cleaning floors, walls or moving objects wiping elements such as mops are used. In wet cleaning, the wiping elements are repeatedly immersed in a cleaning liquid and then dewatered by squeezing or wringing to achieve the desired degree of wetness for cleaning. This ensures that the moisture absorbed by the mop cover is at least partially squeezed out of it before cleaning is continued or started.

In addition to manual dewatering, a variety of presses are known in the art to facilitate and accelerate dewatering. However, it has been shown that many prior art presses offer only limited drainage of the cleaning elements even at high applied forces.

In the art Mopbe pull-out devices are known, which are equipped both with separate mop covers and are suitable for mop covers in the clamped state on a holder. The latter are mainly used for rectangular mop holders and covers.

The devices typically comprise one or more dies between which a mop cover is squeezed out. The pressing jaws or pressing jaws can move between an open position and a closed position in which the squeezing is performed.

From the EP 1 138 246 B1 a mop press is known which has two pressing jaws, wherein the first pressing jaw is articulated to the second pressing jaw. The device is actuated via a press lever articulated to the first press jaw. In order to enable a uniform squeezing of a wiper body under reduced force, a clamping device is additionally provided on the pressing lever. This makes it possible that with a corresponding actuation of the pressing lever and with the clamping device closed, a force is transmitted to the pressing jaw, which brings it into the closed position and thus squeezes the mop with clamped mop cover. Due to the relatively long press lever while a reduced effort is required. In addition, the pressing jaws are arranged vertically when pressed parallel to each other and with appropriate placement of the squeezing on a vessel, so that a uniform squeezing a mop cover can be achieved on both sides of a mop holder.

An alternative way to reduce the force applied manually is to provide an electrically operated mop press, as shown in the DE 20 2006 007 491 U1 is described. The press jaws of the mop press are operatively connected to a rack, which is driven by an electric motor via a reduction gear. The advantage of this mop press is that for different sizes of mop covers a uniform Auspresswirkung can be achieved because a certain extrusion pressure indirectly over a Current measuring sensor can be measured so that the device can be controlled accordingly to produce a uniform discharge pressure over a predetermined period. The further advantage of an electrically operated mop press is that sufficient drainage of the mop covers can be ensured, which is often not performed by the cleaning personnel due to the force required for mechanically operated mop presses force. The disadvantage of an electrically operated mop press, however, is that it must be provided for a sufficient supply of energy and the electric motor and the energy storage significantly increase the weight of the mop.

The US 2,337,319 A discloses a device for squeezing a mop with a container in which pressing jaws are arranged, which are movable in a slotted guide, wherein an actuating rod is connected via a four-stage joint with a sliding element coupled to the pressing jaws, and the sliding element by rotation of the actuating rod between two Positions back and forth is movable. Also, this device is expensive to manufacture, and cleaning personnel must apply relatively much force to bring the actuating rod in a position in which a mop can be wrung out. The US 2,337,319 A represents the closest prior art.

Presentation of the invention

The invention has for its object to propose a device for squeezing of cleaning elements, which allows in a simple way to drain cleaning elements sufficiently strong and over a reasonable period of time.

This object is achieved by a device for pressing liquid-absorbing cleaning elements with the Characteristics of claim 1 solved. Advantageous embodiments follow from the remaining claims.

According to the invention, a device for pressing out liquid-absorbent cleaning elements, in particular textile mop covers such as mops, comprises a pressing basket which can be placed on a collecting container, in which pressing jaws are arranged which are movable in slide guides, wherein the pressing jaws are in each case operatively connected to a displacement element, which in one direction of movement between a first end position and a second end position is movable. The device further comprises a rotatable actuating element, which is connected via a hinge lever with the displacement element, wherein the displacement element in the first end position can be fixed by an arrangement of the articulated lever beyond its dead center.

In other words, pressing jaws, which are known from the prior art, can be moved in slide guides, are moved by way of a self-guided sliding element which is moved by way of an articulated lever. In this case, the kinematics of the displacement element relative to the rotatable actuating element and the articulated lever arranged between it is adjusted so that in the first end position of the displacement element according to the position when pressing cleaning elements of the articulated lever is in an over-dead center position and in this position in an end position reaches, in which no further rotation of the two articulated lever elements relative to each other is possible, so that the displacement element and thus the pressing jaws are fixed in the correct position for pressing out of the cleaning element. A cleaning force thus not only recognizes when the correct position for pressing the cleaning element is reached, but must spend in this position no significant force more. This leads to experience that the device longer in the Pressing position is left, as this would be the case with the requirement of a steady, high expenditure of force. In this way, not only a better drainage effect is achieved, but also reduces the required effort for the cleaning personnel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the direction of movement of the displacement element extends linearly, whereby the entire kinematics is simplified and in particular the leadership of the displacement element can be configured simpler.

Preferably, the pressing jaws with the displacement element are both rotatable and slidably coupled relative to the displacement element. In this way, more complex movements of the pressing jaws can be realized and in particular realize a large opening cross-section for introducing the cleaning element and in particular a mop holder with attached mop cover. The additional degree of freedom, which is due to the possibility of displacement of the pressing jaws relative to the sliding element in addition to their pivotability is unproblematic because the pressing jaws are movable in slide guides, while the sliding element is movable in a defined direction of movement between the first end position and the second end position. In this way, the movement of the pressing jaws is guided and defined.

In this context, it is advantageous and possible to design the slotted guides so that they are curved in their upper section in the area of the second position of the displacement element, while the slotted guides are straight in the remaining section. In this way, pressing jaws can be moved close to the second position of the displacement element, ie, when the pressing jaws are open, to produce a large opening cross section between the pressing jaws.

At the same time, the pressing jaws are rotatably guided in link guides, whereby the pressing jaws can better adapt to the mop cover due to the possibility of their inclination and can squeeze them out more effectively.

Preferably, the pressing jaws can be used via form-locking elements in longitudinal slots of the displacement element. In this way, the pressing jaws can be comfortably "buttoned" during assembly of the device in the displacement element, while preventing the positive connection between the pressing jaws and the displacement element, a release of the connection between the pressing jaws and sliding element.

Preferably, the actuating element is provided with a hand-operated lever, which makes it possible to exert a low force on a high force on the actuator.

According to a preferred embodiment, the lever has a stop element, which is arranged to be brought to the housing of the press basket in abutment. For untrained cleaning personnel is thus easily recognizable how far the hand-operated lever must be pivoted to squeeze out a cleaning element.

Preferably, the lever is rotatable about its longitudinal axis by 180 °. The term longitudinal axis should not be understood here in the strictly mathematical sense, but designate the essential longitudinal extension of the lever, which may also be curved. By rotating the lever about the longitudinal axis of the lever fixedly arranged stop element, for example in the form of a stop lug, from the position in which the stop element comes into abutment against the housing of the press cage, are brought into the opposite position on the lever, thereby a different end position of the lever, the Actuator, the articulated lever, the displacement element and ultimately the pressing jaws in the press basket results. Depending on the shape of the lever and the stop element thus different stop geometries can be provided for different cleaning elements.

The rotation of the actuator, e.g. by the operation of the lever, but is not limited to the above-described extreme positions or stop positions.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device for pressing further comprises a tension spring between the press basket and the displacement element whose restoring force is greatest in the first end position. Such a tension spring makes it possible that even in the over-dead-center position of the articulated lever in the first end position, the displacement element is pulled in the direction of the second end position and thus the displacement element does not remain autonomously in the first end position when an operator does not specifically in the Pressing position stops. The characteristic of the tension spring should be set so that an operator, e.g. equipped with an operating lever Auspressvorrichtung with very little effort in the pressing position according to the first position of the sliding element can hold to continue to exploit the effect described above of the substantial reduction of the force required by the pivoting of the toggle lever beyond its dead center.

Preferably, at least one pressing jaw on its surface adjoining perpendicular to the pressing surface has a recess which is dimensioned to receive a holder of a mop. In this way, when wiping the mop cover of a mop the mop cover must can not be separated from the mop, which facilitates the work and repeated squeezing of the mop cover.

Brief description of the figures

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Gesamtansicht der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung zum Auspressen von Reinigungselementen;

Fig. 2

eine Seitenansicht im Schnitt der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung in dem Zustand, in dem ein Reinigungselement eingeführt werden kann;

Fig. 3

eine Ansicht entsprechend Fig. 2 jedoch in einem Zustand, in dem ein Reinigungselement ausgepresst werden kann; und

Fig. 4

eine Ansicht ähnlich der Fig. 3 jedoch mit einem 180° um seine Längsachse rotierten Betätigungshebel.

In the following figures shows

Fig. 1

an overall perspective view of the device according to the invention for pressing out cleaning elements;

Fig. 2

a side view in section of the device according to the invention in the state in which a cleaning element can be inserted;

Fig. 3

a view accordingly Fig. 2 however, in a state in which a cleaning member can be squeezed out; and

Fig. 4

a view similar to the one Fig. 3 but with a 180 ° rotated about its longitudinal axis operating lever.

Ways to carry out the invention

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the designated reference numeral 10 device for squeezing liquid-absorbing cleaning elements. The device consists essentially of a, on a suitable receptacle, such as bucket, attachable press basket 12, which may be provided for ease of placement on a receptacle with a hanging nose 14, which, such as in Fig. 2 can be seen, a groove-shaped receiving space 16 limited, which serves to receive a correspondingly sized edge of a collecting container. For better fixation two suspension lugs 14 are preferably provided. The press basket has perforations in its bottom and preferably also in the wall region near the bottom, through which liquid pressed out of a cleaning element can flow away into the collecting container, not shown in the figures.

The squeezing device 10 is operated by means of a manually operated lever 18, the lever 18 being connected in a torsionally rigid manner to a shaft 20 which, via a mechanism explained in more detail below, presses two pressing jaws 22 from a position in which a pressing space is open to introduce a cleaning element Position can be moved, in which the pressing chamber has a small pressing volume between the pressing jaws and side walls and bottom walls of the press basket. In this regard, the dispensing device of the present invention operates like other prior art devices using dies which reduce the pressing volume by rotation of an actuator.

In order to enable the squeezing of a mop holder attached to a mop holder, recesses 24 are provided at a suitable location, through which the operating handle of the mop holder is received, so that the holder still loosely mounted on a mop cover does not hinder the squeezing process in the device 10 according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a side view of in Fig. 1 shown device with removed side housing cover.

As based on the Fig. 1 has been explained, the manually operated lever 18 is rigidly connected to the shaft 20, which is connected via a suitable frictional connection or positive connection, in the present case by a form-fitting serrated profile, with a hinge lever 28. The articulated lever consists of a first lever portion 28a and a second lever portion 28b, which in turn are hinged together. To make a firm connection between To ensure the shaft 20 and the hinge lever 28 in the axial direction of the shaft, a Sicherungssplint 30 is provided. The second lever portion 28b is both pivotally connected to the first lever portion 28a and pivotally connected at its axially opposite end with a sliding element 32 which is additionally displaceable in a vertical position in the operating position 34. The manner in which the guide 34 takes place between the displacement element 32 and the press basket 12 is insignificant, so that all known alternatives for producing the curved guide are also possible.

The pivotally connected to the articulated lever 28 sliding element 32 has fastening openings 36 which allow the passage of positive locking elements 38 which are fixed to the in Fig. 2 not visible pressing jaws 22 are connected. It is important that in the kinematics of the device described below depending on the operation of the lever 18, the interlocking elements 38 can not escape from the mounting holes 36 of the displacement element 32.

The interlocking elements 38 and, correspondingly, the pressing jaws rigidly attached thereto can both be pivoted relative to the displacement element 32 and also displaced in the longitudinal direction of the fastening openings 36. In order to achieve guidance of the pressing jaws, pins which are rigidly connected to the pressing jaws and which are formed integrally with the interlocking elements 38 can be moved in sliding guides 40, the sliding guides comprising a first, straight first section 40a running parallel to the guide 34 of the sliding element 32 as well as a directly adjoining curved second section 40b. The curved portions 40b serve near the in Fig. 2 shown position the press jaws away from each other to a enlarged opening for easy insertion of a cleaning element to form.

In the in Fig. 2 illustrated, open position, the lever 18 is in a provided in pivot direction A stop position, which leads to a position of the lever portions 28 a and 28 b of the toggle lever, in which they have a minimum angle α ₁ between their longitudinal axes.

If the operating lever 18 is moved in the direction of arrow B, the sliding element 32 in the guide 34 is moved downwards via the rotation of the shaft 20 and the pivot lever connected to the shaft 28 and accordingly also the jaws on the rigidly connected to these pins in the Slotted guides 40 and the interlocking elements 38 moves down with, so that the pressing volume between the pressing jaws and side walls and bottom walls of the press basket by the operation of the lever 18 adjustable and the in Fig. 4 shown arrow direction B is steadily heraberbar.

At the in Fig. 4 shown position, the two hinge lever portions 28a and 28b are in a position in which the angle α ₂ between the longitudinal axes of the two hinge lever sections is almost 180 °.

In the Fig. 4 shown position can be set by a user targeted, by comparison with the in Fig. 2 illustrated arrangement of the lever 18, provided on the lever 18 stop lug 42 is brought by rotating the lever by 180 ° about its longitudinal axis L in a position in which the stop lug 42 abuts against a corresponding stop 44 on the press basket 12 and thus a further rotation in Direction of arrow B prevented.

If the stop lug 42, however, in the in Fig. 2 position is left by the user does not specifically rotate the lever 180 ° about the longitudinal axis L, the lever 18 can be pivoted so far in the direction of arrow B until it abuts directly on the stop 44 of the press cage 12. In this case, the lever portions 28a and 28b are arranged with respect to their longitudinal axes so that the angle, in Fig. 3 represented by α ₃ , is over 180 ° and thus the toggle lever 28 is in an over-dead position. In this, in Fig. 3 shown position, no further pivoting between the first lever portion 28a and second lever portion 28b take place, since the displacement element 32 is arranged in its guide 34 and can not be moved automatically upwards. At the same time, for a user through the over-dead-center position, the required amount of force is needed in the Fig. 3 Pressing position shown reduced to a minimum with minimal pressing volume.

In FIGS. 2 to 4 in each case a tension spring 48 is shown, which is connected on the one hand to the press basket 12 and on the other hand to the displacement element 32 and in the in Fig. 3 shown over-dead center position is maximally stretched. Therefore, if the lever 18 is released by the operator, the tension spring 48 causes the sliding element 32 to be pulled upwards and the toggle lever 28 to leave the over-dead-center position. In this way, no effort is required for an operator to the squeezing out of the in Fig. 3 shown pressing position with minimal volume back into the in Fig. 2 attributed represented fully opened position.

Some of the specific, in FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrated embodiment can be arbitrarily changed, such as the course of the slide guides 40, as long as the mounting holes 36 in the displacement element 32 allow the corresponding movement and the desired positive connection between the elements 38 and the displacement element 32 is maintained. It is crucial, however, that the displacement element is operatively connected to the hand-operated lever via a hinge lever, which is in the position with minimum pressing volume of the squeezing in its over-dead center position to reduce the force required for a user as much as possible.

Claims (11)

1. Apparatus for squeezing out liquid-absorbing cleaning elements, in particular textile mops, comprising:

   - a pressing cage (12) which can be mounted on a collecting receptacle and in which are disposed pressing jaws (22) which are movable in slotted guides (40; 40a; 40b), wherein

   - the pressing jaws (22) are in each case operatively connected to a displacement element (32) which is movable in a direction of movement between a first end position and a second end position, wherein
   the apparatus further comprises:

   - the displacement element (32) can be fixed in the first end position by disposing the articulated lever (28; 28a, 28b) beyond its dead centre.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the direction of movement of the displacement element (32) is linear.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the pressing jaws (22) are coupled to the displacement element (32) so as to be both rotatable and displaceable relative to the displacement element (32).
4. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the slotted guides (40) are curved in their upper section (40b) in the region of the second position of the displacement element (32), while the slotted guides (40) are straight in the remaining section (40a).
5. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pressing jaws (22) can be inserted by means of form-locking elements (38) in longitudinal slots (36) of the displacement element (32).
6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the actuating element (20) is provided with a manually operated lever (18).
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterised in that the lever has a stop element (42) which is arranged to be brought into abutment (44) against the housing of the pressing cage (12).
8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or claim 7, characterised in that the lever (18) is rotatable through 180° about its longitudinal axis (L).
9. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pressing volume between the pressing jaws (22) and the side walls and bottom walls of the pressing cage (12) is adjustable by rotation (B) of the actuating element (20).
10. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a tension spring (48) between pressing cage (12) and displacement element (32), of which the return force is greatest in the first end position of the displacement element (32).
11. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one pressing jaw (22) has, on its surface perpendicularly adjoining the pressing surface, a recess which is dimensioned to receive a holder for a mop.

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