GB2178303A

GB2178303A - Liquid dispenser for floor cleaning appliances

Info

Publication number: GB2178303A
Application number: GB08618079A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Arthur Putt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-07-25
Filing date: 1986-07-24
Publication date: 1987-02-11
Also published as: GB8618079D0; GB2178303B; GB8518879D0

Abstract

A dispenser for liquid cleaning and/or polishing agents, is releasably attachable to a handle 12 of mop 10, brush, broom or like tool. The dispenser may comprise a support 14 attachable to the handle, and a container 16 mountable on the support. The container has an aperture 44 through which a liquid cleaning and/or polishing agent is dispensed and is provided with a spring-biased aperture-closing mechanism e.g. rod 52 which may be operated against the action of the spring 56 to permit passage of liquid through the aperture. The container may be retained on the support by a lock pin 72. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Dispensers The invention concerns dispensers for liquid cleaning and/or polishing agents.

Mops, brooms, cleaning pads and similar tools having extended handles enabling their use for cleaning floors and carpets by a standing person are well known. Hereinafter all such tools will be referred to as mops.

To apply a cleaning and/or polishing agent (hereinafter referred to as a cleanser) to a floor when using a mop has traditionally required that the cleanser be applied directly to the floor or to the mop head e.g. by immersing the mop head in a bucket containing the cleanser.

When cleaning a large floor difficulties can be met in carrying both the mop and a container (bottle or bucket) full of the cleanser.

To overcome this problem proposals have been made to provide the mop (usually in the form of a carpet cleaner) with an integral reservoir into which a quantity of cleanser is placed and from which it may be dispensed to the head of the mop as required.

The proposed tools known to me, however, have a number of disadvantages some of which are that they are considerably heavier than the mops they are intended to replace (making them difficult to use), they are difficult to operate (to cause a known measure of cleanser to be accurately dispensed), they are relatively expensive both to buy and maintain and they are difficult to clean after use.

An object of this invention is the provision of a dispenser for cleaning and/or polishing agents which overcomes or alleviates one or more of these disadvantages.

In one aspect the invention provides a dispenser for cleaning and/or polishing agents, which dispenser is releasably attachable to a handle of mop, brush, broom or the like and has an aperture through which in use a liquid cleaning and/or polishing agent therein may pass, the dispenser further including a mechanism normally biased to close said aperture and operable by release means mounted on the dispenser to move against the action of said bias to a position in which said cleaning and/or polishing agent may escape from the dispenser.

In a second aspect the invention provides a dispenser for cleaning and/or polishing agents, the dispenser comprising support means attachable to a handle of mop, brush, broom or the like and a container for the cleaning and/or polishing agent which is mountable on the support means, the container having an aperture through which in use a liquid cleaning and/or polishing agent may pass directly to a surface being treated, a closure mechanism carried by the container and normally resiliently biased to an aperture closing position, and release means carried by the container and coupled to the closure mechanism enabling a user to move the closure mechanism to an aperture opening position against the action of the biassing means.

The support means may comprise an elongate member having a first plate upon which in use the container rests and at least one further plate having a hole therein, wherein the container has at least one plate having a hole therein lying use in register with the hole in the or each further plate of the support means, and wherein the container is attached to the support means by passing a pin through said hole of the or each plate of the container and the or each further plate of the support means. The container may be held on the support means by having a part configured to cammingly engage and friction fit in a flanged part of the support.

In another embodiment the support means comprises a pair of members attachable to the handle of the mop, one of said members providing in use a support upon which the container rests and the other of said members being flanged and configured to cammingly engage and friction fit with part of said container. Said part of the container may comprise a bracket formed on a wall of the container having a pair of flanges shaped to conform with and be an interference fit within the flanged part of the support; alternatively said part of the container may comprise a wall of the container the sides of which are extended and shaped to form flanges conforming to and interference fitting within the flanged part of the support.

The closure means may comprise a rod lying within and supported on a wall of the container one end of which is adapted to fit within and close said aperture, the rod being spring biased to an aperture closing position and the end of the rod remote from the said aperture being coupled to said release means.

Alternatively the closure means may comprise a cranked lever pivotally mounted on a wall of the container one end of which is adapted to close said aperture, the lever being spring biased to an aperture closing position and the other end of the lever being coupled to said release means.

In another arrangement embodying the invention the closure means comprises a member constrained to slide across a wall of the container in which said aperture is formed between positions opening and closing said aperture, the member being spring biased to a position closing said aperture and being coupled to said release means.

The release means preferably comprises a cord one end of which is attached to the closure means and the other end of which is attachable to the mop handle at a height convenient to a user.

With the arrangements now proposed the container forming part of the dispenser for a cleanser for use on a mop or like tool may readily be mounted on the tool as and when desired, is lighter and less cumbersome than the arrangements known to me, is easier to operate as the volume of cleanser dispensed may readily be seen by the operator, is relatively less expensive both to buy and maintain than the proposals known to me and is simply cleaned~simply by removing the container from the tool.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:~ Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of one dispenser embodying the invention shown partly assembled, Fig. 2 illustrates at A a second form of dispenser embodying the invention, at B and C detailed plan views of parts of the arrangement in Fig. 2A, and at D a perspective view of the dispenser container shown in Fig. 2A, Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an alternative form of the container shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a scrap sectional view illustrating another dispenser embodying the invention.

Figure 1 shows a dispenser embodying the invention and in particular shows a mop 10 with a handle 12 to which the dispenser is fixed. The dispenser comprises a support member 14 and a container 16. One face of member 14 has two pairs of lugs 18 formed thereon which in use surround the handle 12 of mop 10. Lugs 18 are pierced by holes 20 through which bolts 22 pass to couple together each pair of lugs and secure the member 14 on the handle 12.

The other face of member 14 has integrally formed therewith side plates 24 and a bottom plate 26 which extend in a direction away from the lugs 18. Bottom plate 26 terminates in an upstanding flange 28 as shown.

Towards their upper ends the side plates 24 have holes 30 formed in them as shown and a small flange 32 extends between the side plates 24 just below the the level of the holes 30.

Container 16 comprises a box structure slightly narrower than the spacing between the side plates 24 of member 14. Walls of container 16 are extended to form side plates 34 which when the dispenser is in use extend towards handle 12 and lie between the side plates 24 of member 14. The container walls also extend to form a skirt 36 depending below the container bottom wall 40. Part 42 of skirt 36 lying beneath the the side plates 34 operatively cooperates with the upstanding flange 28 of the bottom plate 26 of member 14 to locate the container on member 14 and support the weight of the container.

The container side plates 34 have holes 42 which, as the container is mounted on member 14, are brought into register with the holes 30 in the side plates 24 of that member 14. Flange 32 aids the location of container 16 in this position.

The bottom wall 38 is apertured at 44 to allow liquid cleanser in the container to escape therefrom.

Container 16 carries a closure mechanism for aperture 44 which includes two guides 46 and 48 mounted one above the other within container 16 on the back wall 50 of the container. Whilst the lower guide 46 may be releasably or fixedly mounted on wall 50 (e.g. welded or bolted to it) the upper guide 48 is releasably fastened to wall 50 by bolts.

The guides 46 and 48 locate and guide a rod 52 which extends within container 16 along its length.

The bottom end 54 of rod 52 is conically shaped to fit in and close aperture 44 in the container bottom wall 38. A spring 56 is located in the upper guide 48 and acts between that guide and a pair of studs 58 on rod 52 to bias the end 54 of the rod into aperture 44 and prevent liquid in the container passing therefrom.

The upper part of rod 52 passes through a slit 59 in a removeable lid 60 for container 16. Lid 60 has a skirt 62 which conforms to the shape of the top of the container and enables lid 60 to be a friction fit thereon. The uppermost end 64 of rod 52 is pierced and receives a split ring 66 to which one end of a cord 68 is attached. The other end of cord 68 may be tied or otherwise releasably attached a collar 70 fixable on handle 12 at a height convenient to user.

In use the member 14 and collar 70 are fixed on handle 12 at convenient positions and the mop may be used as normal without the container mounted thereon.

When it is desired to use the dispenser the container 16 is mounted on member 14 with part 42 of skirt 36 located between the upstanding flange 28 and the handle 12 and the plates 34 lying within the side plates 24 of member 14. The flange 32 of member 14 acts to bring the holes 30 and 44 into register and the container is fixed in position on member 14 by passing a lock pin 72 through the holes 30 and 44. After filling the container with a selected cleanser a user replaces the lid 60 and attaches the free end of cord 68 to collar 70.

The user then uses the mop with the container mounted on it and, when he wishes to dispense a measure of the cleanser, merely pulls the cord 70 in the direction of the arrow lifting the rod 52 against the action of the spring 56 opening aperture 44 so allowing cleanser to pass directly from the container to the floor adjacent the head 74 of the mop 10.

The member 14 and container 16 may be formed of any suitable metal (plastics or paint coated) plastics or fibres reinforced plastics material and may be made by moulding, welding, bolting, or gluing the various parts together. In preferred embodiments the member 14 and container 16 are made by moulding glass fibres reinforced resin materials or by injection moulding techniques using polypropelene.

It will be appreciated that with the arrangement described the cleanser is carried with the mop and not in a separate bucket or pail and the amount of cleanser dispensed is accurately controllable-the user being able to see the liquid cleanser as it is dispensed and able to control the volume dispensed by controlling the time for which the aperture 44 is open.

It will also be seen that the arrangement described overcomes the disadvantages of the known to me for carrying the cleanser in a container formed integrally with or permanently attached to the mop.

The cleanser is dispensed with the arrangement now described directly onto the floor being treated at the position at treatment is taking place and not onto the mop head or other intermediate part.

The container incorporating the closure mechanism is readily releasable from the mop handle so that the mop may be used without the container if desired and so without the need to carry the container on the mop when the dispenser is not in use.

The container may be easily removed from the mop for thorough cleaning when required process difficult with the proposals known to me in which the container is integral with the mop.

Another advantage that the described arrangement has over the proposals known to me is that one mop may readily be used with several different containers each containing different cleansers if required (e.g. for treatment of different surfaces) simply by removing one container from the member 14 and replacing it with another.

Various modifications may be made to the arrangement described above some of which are illustrated in the other Figures of the drawings.

One alternative arrangement shown in Figure 2 provides that a container 100 is mounted on a mop handle 102 by lower and upper support members 104 and 106 respectively.

The lower support 104 is a generally L-shaped member having side walls 108 shaped as shown to extend between and couple back and bottom walls 110 and 112 of the member 104. The free edge of wall 112 has a pair of upstanding flanges 114 formed on it spaced to either side of the centre line of the support 104. The face of wall 110 spaced from wall 112 has a pair of resilient straps 116 formed integrally therewith which pass in use around handle 102. A bolt 118 is then passed through holes in the straps 116 to fix support 104 on handle 102.

The upper support member 106 comprises a plate 120 having top and bottom edges 122 and 124 lying parallel to one another whilst its other two edges 126 are increasingly spaced apart moving in a downward direction as viewed in the Figure. The edges 126 of the plate 120 are extended (see particularly Fig. 2B) to form flanges 128 spaced in front of and overlying one face of plate 120. The other face of plate 120 has formed integrally therewith (either as a single moulding or by welding, gluing or bolting) a pair of resilient arms 130 of the shape shown, that is to say having central sections 132 adapted to conform the the shape of handle 102 and diverging end sections 134.

Container 100 is a generally square section box having a bottom wall 136. The sides of the container 100 extend below wall 136 to form a skirt 138 that part of which lies below the wall 140 of container 100 in use nearest the handle 102 has a rectangular aperture formed centrally therein as shown at 142.

Toward its upper end wall 140 carries a bracket 144 having a pair of flanges 146 lying parallel to and spaced from wall 140. The flanges 146 are shaped to cooperate with the flanged plate 120 of the upper support 106.

Pivotally mounted at 148 on bottom wall 136 of container 100 is a cranked closure member 150 one end of which is conically shaped to fit in close an aperture 152 in wall 136. Aspring 154 is mounted on wall 136 and acts between the closure member 150 and that wall to bias closure member 150 to close aperture 152. The other end of closure member 150 extends through aperture 142 in skirt 138 as shown and has one end of a cord 156 attached to it. The other end of the cord 156 is attachable to a collar 158 mounted on the handle 102. The container has a sealed lid 160 similarto the lid described above with reference to Figure 1.

The lower support 104 is normally fixed to handle 102 --straps 116 passing around handle 102 and a bolt 134 being used to fix the support 104 at a convenient height for the user. The collar 158 is also normally fitted to handle 102 to receive the end of cord 156 when the container is fitted on the mop.

To fit container 100 on handle 102 the arms 130 of the upper support 106 are prised apartto allow their central sections 132 to pass around handle 102 and loosely fit the upper support 106 thereon. The user then locates container 100 on lower support 104 with skirt 138 lying between the leading edges of the side walls 108 and the upstanding flanges 114 of the lower support. The particular shape of the side walls 108 shown aids the positive location oftheskirt 138 in this position in which the end of the closure member 150 passes between the two flanges 114 of the lower support member 104.

The upper support 106 is moved axially along handle 102, away from the lower support, to a position clear of container 100, and then along handle 102 towards the lower support whilst the container is supported so that the flanges 146 of bracket 144 are brought into a position lying between the face of plate 120 and the flanges 128.

Further movement of the upper support towards the lower support causes camming engagement between these two sets of flanges and the container 100 is securely supported on handle 102.

The upper support 106 is then fixed in position by passing a rubber band 160 about the arms 130 between their sections 132 and 134 as shown.

The free end of cord 156 is then passed between the handle and the container and fixed to collar 158.

To dispense cleanser a user merely pulls cord 156 to bias the cranked closure member 150 against the action of spring 154 to a position opening aperture 152 in the bottom wall 136 of container 100.

As with the first described embodiment the supports 104 and 106, collar 158 as well as container 100 may be formed of any suitable metal or plastics material, however, I prefer that these parts be made by moulding a suitable polymer material such as polypropelene.

It will be appreciated that arrangement described with reference to Figure 2 has the noted advantages of the first described embodiment and furthermore provides that only the lower support 104 and collar 158 are mounted on handle 102 when it is not desired to use the dispenser. As these parts are preferably formed of low weight plastics material they do not add significantly to the weight of the mop when it is used without the container 100.

The arrangement described with reference to Figure 2 may be further modified as shown in Figure 3 in which the bracket 144 has been removed and the edges of the wall 140 are extended as shown to either side of the container body of to form flanges 162 suitably shaped to cammingly engage with the upper support 106 as that support is moved along the handle 102 towards the lower support 104.

It will be appreciated that other modifications may be made to the arrangements described, for example the container lid may be of any suitable form the closure for the container in Figure 3 being a screw cap engaging a threaded neck piece as shown.

In each of the described arrangements the operative end of the closure member has a conical form which enters within the aperture being closed.

This may be replaced by a flat flexible (e.g. rubber) pad which overlies the aperture.

In the arrangements described the aperture permitting cleanser to flow from the container is in the bottom wall of the container, however, it will be seen that this aperture may be in a side wall of the container if desired. In this case the closure member will be provided on the side of the container and may take other forms such as ihat shown in Figure 4.

In the arrangement of Figure 4 the aperture 200 permitting cleanser to be dispensed from the container 202 is formed in the wall of the container spaced in use away from the mop handle and is normally closed by a closure member in the form of a slider 206 conforming to the shape of the container and constrained to move along its surface by having spigots 208 formed thereon located in grooves 210 formed in the surface the container 202.

The slider 202 is biased to a position closing aperture 200 by a spring 212 acting between a spur 214 of the slider 206 and a fixed boss 216 on the surface of the container 200. To enhance sealing in this arrangement the slider 206 is provided with a rubber blade 218 which is carried across the aperture 200 as the closure is moved between opening and closing positions. The wiping action of the blade 218 as it passes across the aperture 200 tends to remove excess cleanser and aids the free flow of liquid from the container- particularly if a viscous liquid polish is being used.

The other modification to be noted with the arrangement of Figure 4 is the provision within the container and mounted on a wall thereof of a cutting or piercing element 220. It is envisaged that the liquid cleanser may be placed in the container in a sealed plastics bag which is ruptured by the element 220 as it comes into contact with it allowing the cleanser therein the escape into the container. In this way the cleanser may more readily be placed in the container.

The container202 shown in Figure 4 is mounted on the handle of a mop in either of the ways described above and will not further be described.

It will be seen that the arrangements described above are merely examples of the invention and that features of the embodiments described with reference to the Figures may be combined, if desired, to produce an arrangement falling within the scope of this invention. As noted above it is preferred that the container and support means be made of lightweight plastics materials, however, it is envisaged that if the dispenser is to be used to dispense corrosive (e.g. acidic) cleaning agents the container may be formed of other materials such as stainless steel.

In addition to such variations other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the container may be releasably held directly on the handle of the mop without the intervention of the support means-the handle itself being configured to support the container. Additionally, other ways of biassing the closure member to a closing position may be utilised and in one arrangement it is envisaged that the closure member be located on the wall of the box structure spaced from the handle of the mop and biased to a closing position by a resilient band or strap acting to hold the box structure on the handle.

Claims

IA A dispenser for cleaning and/or polishing agents, which dispenser is releasably attachable to a handle of mop, brush, broom or the like and has an aperture through which in use a liquid cleaning and/ or polishing agent therein may pass, the dispenser further including a mechanism normally biased to close said aperture and operable by release means mounted on the dispenser to move against the action of said bias to a position in which said cleaning and/or polishing agent may escape from the dispenser.
2. A dispenser for cleaning and/or polishing agents, the dispenser comprising support means attachable to a handle of mop, brush, broom orthe like and a container for the cleaning and/or polishing agent which is mountable on the support means, the container having an aperture through which in use a liquid cleaning and/or polishing agent may pass directly to a surface being treated, a closure mechanism carried by the container and normally resiliently biased to an aperture closing position, and release means carried by the container and coupled to the closure mechanism enabling a user to move the closure mechanism to an aperture opening position against the action of the biassing means.
3. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the support means comprises an elongate member having a first plate upon which in use the container rests and at least one further plate which has a hole therein, wherein the container has at least one plate having a hole therein lying use in register with the hole in the or each further plate of the support means, and wherein the container is attached to the support means by passing a pin through said hole of the or each plate of the container and the or each further plate of the support means.
4. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the container is held on the support means by having a part configured to cammingly engage and friction fit in a flanged part of the support.
5. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the support means comprises a pair of members attachable to the handle of the mop, one of said members providing in use a support upon which the container rests and the other of said members being flanged and so configured to cammingly engage and friction fit with part of said container.
6. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said part of the container comprises a bracket formed on a wall of the container having a pair of fianges shaped to conform with and be an interference fit within the flanged part of the support.
7. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said part of the container comprises a wall of the container the sides of which are extended and shaped to form flanges conforming to and interference fitting within the flanged part of the support.
8. A dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure means comprises a rod lying within and supported on a wall of the container one end of which is adapted to fit within and close said aperture, wherein the rod is spring biased to an aperture closing position, and wherein the end of the rod remote from the said aperture is coupled to said release means.
9. A dispenser as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 7, wherein the closure means comprises a cranked lever pivotally mounted on a wall of the container one end of which is adapted to close said aperture, wherein the lever is spring biased to an aperture closing position, and wherein the other end of the lever is coupled to said release means.
10. A dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the closure means comprises a member constrained to slide across a wall of the container in which said aperture is formed between positions opening and closing said aperture, wherein the member is spring biased to a position closing said aperture, and wherein said member is coupled to said release means.
11. A dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the release means comprises a cord one end of which is attached to the closure means and the other end of which is attachable to the mop handle at a height convenient to a user.
12. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3 or Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.