EP3569133B1 - Bucket - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a bucket according to the preamble of claim 1. Such buckets have a rectangular or oval cross-section, so that they have an elongated cross-section with a longer cross-sectional axis and a shorter cross-sectional axis. The longer cross-sectional axis is preferably about one and a half times or twice as long as the shorter cross-sectional axis.

A bucket mentioned above is out of the US 8 056 179 B2 known. This bucket has a handle for easier carrying, which is hinged to two handle articulations on the upper edge of the wall of the bucket. Because the handle runs along the longer cross-sectional axis, the risk of the bucket vibrating or even turning over when it is being carried is significantly reduced, even if it is full. Further buckets with pouring possibility over the edge of a narrower side are from the U.S. 1,698,915 A and the US 627 273 A known

Often, but not necessarily, such buckets are combined with a device for drying a mop or a mopping plate. An example of such a bucket with a rigid press sieve is in FR 2 730 626 A1 shown. The shows a bucket with a rotating drying sieve DE 20 2009 007 441 U1 Here, on one side of the elongated bucket, a drying screen that can be driven by a pedal drive is arranged, and on the opposite side there is a dunking area for rinsing out and moistening the wiping covering.

The disadvantage of the known buckets, however, is that they are very difficult to empty. To do this, the user must grasp the handle with one hand and swivel the bucket around the axis of rotation of the handle with the other hand, the liquid then flowing out over the wider side of the wall of the bucket. This results in a wide outlet flow or requires a pouring spout molded into the upper edge of the wall, even if the user if the bucket tilts too much, a wide discharge flow can occur, which then makes it difficult to empty it into a small sink or basin. In particular, if the rotatable drying screen for drying a mopping surface of a mopping device is also located on one side of the bucket, this also interferes with the draining flow of the dirty water, which can lead to unsatisfactory drainage, splashing or the formation of drops.

A bucket of the generic type that solves the above problem is from the DE 10 2015 014 122 B3 known. This bucket improves the drainage of the dirty water in that a pouring opening is provided on one side of the bucket below the handle linkage so that the user can pour out the bucket by turning the handle at right angles to the pivot axis of the handle linkage while lowering this pouring opening. This makes it possible, despite the handle running in the longitudinal direction of the bucket, to empty the bucket over the narrow side of the wall with a less wide outlet flow.

The disadvantage of this embodiment is that the pouring opening limits the filling level. In connection with a drying device integrated in the bucket, another disadvantage is that when the mopping surface is spun dry or when the mopping device is dipped into the liquid, a sloshing or wave movement can occur, so that the contents of the bucket slosh out of the pouring opening can if the fill level is relatively low.

Finally, from a manufacturing point of view, there is the problem that the area above the pouring opening to which the handle is hinged has to be made so massive that this area can absorb the weight of the bucket. Since buckets of this type are usually made of plastic, the material thickness must be increased significantly or the forces that occur stand in the way of the skilled person's efforts to reduce the wall thickness.

From the EP 1 013 214 A1 a bucket is known which, albeit to a lesser extent, also has an oval shape with a longer cross-sectional axis and a shorter cross-sectional axis, this bucket being able to be emptied via the narrower areas of the side wall. So that this is possible, the Bucket has two opposite handles, both of which can be gripped by the user. A similar solution is also in the DE 10 2015 014 122 B3 described as a further refinement. However, handles hinged laterally and opposite one another on the longer sections of the wall have the disadvantage that, on the one hand, four hinges must be provided for the two handles and, on the other hand, the wearing comfort suffers from the fact that the handles are hinged to the longer side walls. Furthermore, both handles must be folded down to use the bucket and then raised again with two hands for carrying.

The EP 2 702 920 A1 also describes a paired arrangement of handles for the bucket, the handle arrangement being set up in such a way that it can receive and hold a protruding handle of a cleaning device, for example a mop, which is received by the bucket, in the space between the two handles. The handle arrangement comprises two handles mounted on the narrow side of the wall in adjacent handle articulations, the handle arrangement and the wall (1) being designed such that sections of the two handles delimit the opening with a section of an upper edge of the bucket.

The object of the invention is therefore to create a bucket with an elongated bucket volume and a handle running along the longer cross-sectional axis, which can be carried as safely as possible, emptied as easily as possible and inexpensively produced with the greatest possible filling height available.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a bucket according to claim 1.

According to the invention, the handle arrangement is now selected and designed in such a way that the pouring opening is no longer provided in the wall of the bucket but in the handle arrangement. In the simplest case, a single handle is used as the handle arrangement, which, as in the case of the known buckets, initially runs along the longitudinal extension of the wall of the bucket. In a preferred embodiment, the handle can be articulated in the middle of the two narrow sides, so that the user can carry the bucket with a Hand lift the handle and then carry the bucket. In this embodiment, in contrast to the prior art, in which the pouring opening is arranged in the wall of the bucket, the bucket can now empty it with a pure tilting movement of the bucket without the handle standing in the way of the outflowing dirty water Pour opening provided in the handle. This makes it possible to arrange the pouring opening significantly higher, so that the entire part of the wall is available as a leakage protection for the liquid.

The handle thus has a kind of eye on at least one of its end regions that forms the pouring opening. The pouring opening can have any shape, in particular round, triangular or rectangular. In this embodiment, the bearing of the handle linkage is provided below the pouring opening. Starting from this handle linkage, the handle initially widens in order to create a width that enables the pouring opening. Above the pouring opening, the handle then becomes narrower again in order to achieve a convenient thickness.

In principle, the handle can have any shape that allows the flowing out dirty water to pass through. The basic idea of the invention is therefore the fact that the dirty water can run off above the edge of the wall and that the handle or the handle arrangement runs around the flow path of the dirty water.

In the case of a further embodiment, the handle is therefore designed in such a way that it does not define a pouring opening that is closed all around, but rather that it runs on one side around the flow path of the dirty water flowing off. For this purpose, the lower area of the handle is curved in a sickle shape. At the end of this sickle, this handle is also held in an articulated manner in the handle linkage. In this case, the handle is not closed all round at at least one of its ends, but the pouring opening (3) is open on one side. Of course, instead of the rounded sickle, any other geometry can be selected, for example rectilinear areas that are composed like an angular "U" open to the right or left to guide the lower area of the handle around the flow path.

In the simplest case, the wall of the bucket can be designed to be round with an edge lying in one plane, regardless of the position of the dirty water flowing out. Preferably, however, the wall is adapted to the flow at the point at which the dirty water is to be poured out. The formation of a pouring spout or a pouring spout is suitable for this purpose. However, a simple lowering of the upper edge can also be selected in order to create a defined drainage position from the bucket, so that it is ensured that the flow direction runs through the pouring opening. The upper edge can preferably be lowered by up to 50 mm, in particular by up to 30 mm and particularly preferably by 20 mm.

Instead of guiding a single handle around the flow path of the dirty water, two handles can be selected, which are articulated on both sides of the wall in such a way that after opening the handles they lie against each other along a center line so that the two are parallel to the longitudinal direction extending parts of the handle form the gripping area for the user. If these handles are then essentially U-shaped, a triangular pouring opening results, together with the upper edge of the wall of the bucket, when viewed from the front, through which the dirty water can be poured out over the edge. By mounting the handles on the longer broad sides of the bucket, the bucket can also be tilted with one hand in this embodiment so that the front narrow side lowers and the dirty water flows through the opening left open by the two handles.

In all cases, the movement of the handle can be limited by stops. This stop can be formed by a classic abutment edge, which is supported on a corresponding abutment edge of the other component when the stop is reached. However, it can also be implemented in the joint of the handle articulation itself, which then only allows a limited pivot angle. Furthermore, a tongue and groove connection in the manner of a link guide can also be used, so that a protruding stop bolt is guided in a guide groove and moves along the groove during the pivoting movement of the handle. The ends of this guide groove then represent the pivot angle limits.

The handle or handles do not have to run parallel to the longitudinal direction; they can also be arranged at an angle thereto. However, it will be essential for the function that the handle or possibly the handles extend from one narrow side to the opposite narrow side so that a pendulum movement can largely be avoided when the bucket is carried.

A preferred application of the invention is a bucket which on one side in the area of the narrow side has a rotatably mounted centrifugal screen that can be driven by a mopping device or is driven by a drive mechanism on the pail side for drying a mopping surface of the mopping device. In this embodiment, the pouring opening is provided on the opposite side.

Further features and advantages of the invention emerge from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1

eine erste Ausgestaltung eines Erfindungsgemäßen Eimers,

Fig. 2

den in Figur 1 dargestellten Eimer in einer Seitenansicht,

Fig. 3

eine zweite Ausgestaltung eines erfindungsgemäßen Eimers,

Fig. 4

eine Ausgestaltung eines aus dem Stand der Technik bekannten Eimers,

Fig. 5

eine vierte Ausgestaltung eines erfindungsgemäßen Eimers,

Fig. 6

eine Variante der in Figur 1 dargestellten Ausgestaltung des Eimers mit einer Schwenkwinkelbegrenzung des Henkels und

Fig. 7

eine andere Ausgestaltung der Schwenkwinkelbegrenzung.

In the drawings shows:

Fig. 1

a first embodiment of a bucket according to the invention,

Fig. 2

the in Figure 1 illustrated bucket in a side view,

Fig. 3

a second embodiment of a bucket according to the invention,

Fig. 4

an embodiment of a bucket known from the prior art,

Fig. 5

a fourth embodiment of a bucket according to the invention,

Fig. 6

a variant of the in Figure 1 illustrated embodiment of the bucket with a pivot angle limitation of the handle and

Fig. 7

another embodiment of the pivot angle limiter.

In Figure 1 a first embodiment of a bucket according to the invention is shown. This bucket has a wall 1, the bucket not being round, but essentially having a rectangular cross section with rounded corners. For this purpose, the wall of the bucket extends from a narrow side in a longitudinal direction to the opposite narrow side or from a broad side in a transverse direction to the opposite broad side. The longitudinal direction is approximately twice as large as the transverse direction, and the invention is not intended to be restricted to this size ratio.

In most cases, however, as shown here, a functional element will be provided in the bucket, so that two essential areas result: On the one hand, the centrifugal sieve holder 4, shown here as an example, into which a centrifugal sieve can be used for drying a mop cover of a mopping device. Separated from this area by a partition 5 is a front dunking area into which the user can dunk the mopping device for rinsing the mopping covering. This functional dichotomy will usually result in an expansion in the longitudinal direction that is about twice as large as in the transverse direction. Ultimately, however, this depends on your needs and the application.

The bucket has a handle 2 which extends from the center of the front narrow side to the center of the rear narrow side. The handle 2 is mounted on the wall 1 in its upper region about an axis of rotation D in handle articulations 6, which act as pivot bearings. So that the user does not have to empty the bucket over the broad side and no opening has to be provided in the wall, the handle 2 is provided with the mouth-like pouring opening 3 in the lower area of the front end. For this purpose, the width of the lower end of the handle 2 expands, so that space is created for the pouring opening 3. This is designed here essentially in the form of a triangle with rounded corners.

In the lower area, the handle linkage 6, which is designed as a joint, is provided, which connects the handle 2 to the wall 1 of the bucket so that it can pivot about the axis of rotation D. In the same way, the rear part of the handle 2, which has no pouring opening 3, is connected to the wall 1 on the rear side. In the upper area, the handle 2 has a handle receptacle 8 in which a style of a mopping device standing in the dunking area can be clamped.

Figure 2 shows the design Figure 1 in a front view. Here the position of the handle linkage 6 and the shape of the pouring opening 3 can be clearly seen. The bucket has a wall 1, which has a bucket edge 7 bent by 180 ° in the upper area, which increases the stability of the wall 1. In the lower area, a cross-section-reducing shoulder is formed in the wall 1, which, in addition to an optical function, also contributes to increasing the click stability. In particular, in Figure 2 also to see that the upper edge of the bucket 7 in Area of the pouring opening 3 is slightly lowered to create a defined drainage position. This lowered area of the bucket edge 7 directs the flow of the draining dirty water through the pouring opening 3 when the bucket is tilted. This is also the case Figure 3 can be seen, which, however, shows a somewhat different embodiment of the invention.

In the Figure 3 The variant shown does not have an eye-shaped pouring opening 3, here the handle 2 is curved so that the lower part can be pivoted on the wall 1 with the lower part in an opposite handle linkage 6 (not visible here) about the axis of rotation D. In this embodiment, too, despite the front articulation of the lever 2, there is the possibility of emptying the bucket towards the front without having to provide a window-like recess in the wall 1.

Figure 4 shows an embodiment of a bucket, as it is similar in FIG EP 2 702 920 A1 is shown. Two handles 2 are used here. In this embodiment, the two handles 2 are also articulated on the front narrow side, the handle articulations 6 being located in the outer area of the narrow sides in the area of the folded edge 7 of the bucket. The handles 2 essentially have the shape (not visible here) of a downwardly open U. As a result, straight central areas of the handles 2 lie parallel to one another in the illustrated erected position and form the gripping area for the user. In the front area, the downwardly protruding legs of the handles 2 together with the upper edge of the bucket 7 form a triangular pouring opening 3 through which the bucket can be emptied. In this embodiment, too, the front part of the bucket rim 7 is slightly lowered. Together with a pouring spout or pouring spout 12 molded into the wall 1, this results in a defined drainage position when the bucket is tilted for the dirty water to be poured out.

The pouring spout or the pouring spout 12 can also extend through the pouring opening 3, which is particularly important in connection with the in Figure 3 illustrated embodiment is easy to implement. In this case, the pouring spout can also simultaneously form the stop 9 for limiting the pivoting angle for the handle 2. In a further embodiment, on the upper edge of the bucket 7 a pouring spout 12 can also be provided, which can be connected to the upper edge of the bucket 7 via a film hinge and a similar articulated mounting and, when the bucket is tilted in the pouring position, lies down into the pouring opening 3, while it falls back into the interior of the bucket when the bucket is standing .

Figure 5 again shows another feature which can be used in connection with the invention. Here, a flow guide 11 in the form of a small channel stub is formed on the outer edge of the pouring opening 3 of the handle 2. This also facilitates emptying the bucket through targeted guidance of the flow. This flow guide 11 can, as shown here, be designed to be circumferential, but it is also possible that only the lower part of the pouring opening 3 is provided with a flow guide 11.

In the Figures 6 and 7 pivot angle limits for the handle 2 are again shown. In Figure 6 a stop 9 is provided which cooperates with an abutment edge on the handle 2 in the area of the pouring opening 3. The stop 9 is arranged here on the wall 1 of the bucket and protrudes forward. In this way, the pivot angle about the axis of rotation D of the handle 2 is limited in the left direction, so that the handle 2 can only lower to the right.

Figure 7 in turn, a somewhat different embodiment of the pivot angle limiter is shown, which is designed here as a link guide 10. This link guide 10 is formed by a guide pin which is guided in a groove, the ends of the groove each forming the limit of the pivot angle. The guide pin can be arranged protruding forward on the edge of the bucket 7, alternatively it can also be provided protruding on the handle 2 in the direction of the bucket. The guide groove must then be provided on the respective other component. As an alternative to the two pivot angle limitations shown here, the pivot angle limitation can also be provided in the joint of the bucket on the steering 6 itself, so that a joint with a limited pivot angle or rotation angle results here.

List of reference symbols:

1

Wall

2

handle

3

Pouring opening

4th

Centrifugal screen holder

5

partition wall

6th

Handle linkage

7th

Bucket edge

8th

Handle mount

9

attack

10

Scenery tour

11

Flow guidance

12

Pouring spout

D.

Axis of rotation of the handle

Claims (14)

1. Bucket with a wall (1) and with a handle arrangement for carrying the bucket formed by at least one handle (2) connected with the wall (1), pivotable in handle mountings (6) around an axis of rotation (D), wherein the wall (1) has an expansion extending in a longitudinal direction from one narrow side to an opposite narrow side as well as a an expansion in transverse direction from one wide side of the wall to an opposite wide side of the wall (1), wherein the expansion in longitudinal direction is greater than the expansion of transverse direction and the handle (2) extends in longitudinal direction with a grab area to be grabbed by the user and is mounted on the wall (1) in such a way that tilting the handle (2) around an axis that is parallel to the transverse direction applies a tilting moment to the bucket, characterised in that the handle (2) has a pouring spout (3) on at least one of its ends, wherein the handle arrangement and the wall (1) are designed in such a way that an outlet floor can flow through the outlet opening (3) in the handle (2) when the bucket is tilted at a right angle to the axis of rotation (D) in the direction of one of the handle mountings (6).
2. Bucket according to claim 1, characterised in that the handle (2) has a widened area transverse to the axis of rotation (D) on at least one side, in which the outlet opening (3) is provided, wherein the wall (1) is designed in such a way that the outlet flow can exit across the upper edge of the wall (1) through the outlet opening (3).
3. Bucket according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the handle (2) has an area for forming the outlet opening (3) on at least one side, which encloses the outlet opening (3) across its entire circumference, in particular in a circular manner, and it rotatably mounted on the handle mounting (6) in its lower area.
4. Bucket according to any one of the claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the handle (2) has an in particular bent end area running around the outlet opening (3) on at least one side for forming the outlet opening (3), which surrounds the outlet opening (3) on one side only and is rotatably mounted on the handle mounting (6) with its one end.
5. Bucket according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the upper edge of the wall (1) is lowered in the direction of a bucket floor in the area of the outlet opening.
6. Bucket according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the upper edge of the wall (1) is lowered by up to 50 mm, in particular by up to 30 mm, and preferably by 20 mm.
7. Bucket according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the wall (1) has a pouring spout (12) formed in a direction running from the bucket interior to the outside, which extends in the direction of the outlet opening (3) or through the outlet opening (3).
8. Bucket according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the handle (2) can be moved from a turned down position, in which it lies downward facing against the outer part of the wall (1) into an upright carrying position, wherein the pivot movement of the handle (2) is limited by a pivot angle limitation in the carrying position or when it exceeds the carrying position by a maximum of 20°.
9. Bucket according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pivot angle limitation is formed by a shoulder (9) protruding from the wall (1) in the direction of the handle (2), and comes into abutment against a shoulder edge of the handle (2) when the maximum pivot angle of the handle (2) is reached.
10. Bucket according to claim 8, characterised in that the pivot angle limitation is formed by a sliding block guide (10), which comprises at least one guide spigot moveable in a guide groove, wherein the guide spigot is arranged on the wall (1) and the guide groove on the handle (2) or the guide spigot on the handle (2) and the guide groove on the wall (1).
11. Bucket according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the outlet opening (3) has a channel- or pipe-like flow guide (11) at least in its lower area, which can deflect the outflowing dirty water in an outlet direction away from the handle (2) in the way of a gulley or a pipeline.
12. Bucket according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pivot bearing of the handle mounting (6) is designed in such a way that the bearing ends of the handle (2) can be moved upwards along a vertical path when the bucket is lifted and the turnability of the bearing ends is given only in the lowered position, and the handle (2) is fixed against rotating in the lifted position.
13. Bucket according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the bucket is divided into two part areas by a separation wall (5) running at an angle, in particular at a right angle to the longitudinal expansion, at least in a part area of the height of the internal volume, wherein a device for rinsing and/or cleaning a wiper cover of a wiper unit in the form of a centrifugal sieve receiver (4) or a brush or scraper arrangement is provided in a part area for scraping dirt from the wiper cover.
14. Bucket according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a rotatably mounted centrifugal sieve for drying a wiper cover of the wiper unit is arranged in the bucket with a driveable wiper unit or a driveable bucket-side drive mechanism, wherein the outlet opening (3) is provided on the opposite side.

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