GB2352388A

GB2352388A - Stabilising handle arrangement for mop wringer

Info

Publication number: GB2352388A
Application number: GB9917523A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Robert Duncan; Michael Edward Gailes
Original assignee: Numatic International Ltd
Current assignee: Numatic International Ltd
Priority date: 1999-07-26
Filing date: 1999-07-26
Publication date: 2001-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 2019-07-26
Also published as: GB9917523D0; GB2352388B

Abstract

The present invention concerns the field of floor mopping and in particular relates to mop presses used to wring excess fluid from mop heads after rinsing. According to the present invention there is provided a mop press 10 comprising: a housing having a front wall 11, two side walls 12,13 and a rear wall, a pressing member 14 disposed inside the housing and adapted to be movable in the housing to effect squeezing of a mop head entered into the housing, a lever 20 for actuating the pressing member, which lever is located outside the housing and is connected to the housing via a pivot 22 disposed on one of the side walls so that the pressing member may be actuated by drawing the lever downwards through an arc substantially parallel to the side wall, wherein a distal end 24 of the lever is provided with a return portion directed back towards the housing and substantially parallel to the front wall, the arrangement being such that the lever may be moved by pressure applied on the return portion inboard of the lever pivoting connection.

Description

2352388 IMPROVEMENTS TO MOP PRESSES

The present invention concerns the field of floor mopping and in particular relates to mop presses used to wring 5 excess fluid from mop heads after rinsing.

Mop presses come in two basic configurations: (i) vertical presses in which a housing is provided with a pressing member which moves down vertically onto a mop head entered in to the housing in order to effect pressing and (ii) horizontal mop presses in which a pressing member moves laterally across the mop housing and squeezes the mop head against one wall of the mop housing in order to effect pressing. Both types are typically actuated by a lever mechanism in which the user moves the lever about a pivot point on the housing and a suitable mechanism moves the pressing member in response.

Two different lever configurations are common. In one configuration the lever is mounted on one side wall of the mop housing. This allows unfettered access of the mop to the interior of the housing, but means that if excessive loading is used on the lever the housing tends to tip towards the handle side under the leverage exerted by the user. In the other configuration the lever is pivoted at a point inside the mop press housing so that 2 there is less tendency for excessive force to cause tipping of the housing because the asymmetry of the loading is reduced. This mop lever arrangement suffers from the disadvantage that some of the housing volume is 5 taken up or obscured by the lever.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mop press in which has less tendency to tip under loading without obscuring the interior of the housing.

According to the present invention there is provided a mop press comprising: a housing having a front wall, two side walls and a rear wall, a pressing member disposed inside the housing and adapted to be movable in the housing to ef fect squeezing of a mop head entered into the housing, a lever for actuating the pressing member, which lever is located outside the housing and is connected to the housing via a pivot disposed on one of the side walls so that the pressing member may be actuated by drawing the lever downwards through an arc substantially parallel to the side wall, wherein a distal end of the lever is provided with a return portion directed back towards the housing and substantially parallel to the front wall, the arrangement being such that the lever may be moved by pressure applied on the return portion inboard of the lever pivoting connection.

3 The user can now operate the lever by drawing down of the lever from a position facing the front wall, rather than to one side of the housing. In this way any tipping moment tending to pull down the levered side wall and lift up the un-levered side wall is substantially reduced. The use -of a return portion allows tipping to be reduced without the use of an internal lever. The handle allows the. user to. produce a more effective pressing effect without worry of accidental tipping.

Preferably the lever has a generally L-shaped configuration. The return portion beneficially permits the user to apply load on the lever through a substantially vertical plane which passes inside of the housing sidewall upon which the lever is mounted. The return portion may be provided with a sleeve or grip.

Following is a description by way of example only and with reference to the drawings of a method of putting the present invention into effect.

The drawing is a perspective view from the front and one side of a mop press according to the present invention.

A mop press housing 10 is a moulded plastics article having a perforated base portion (not visible in the 4 drawing), an upstanding front wall 11, a right hand upstanding side wall 12 and a left hand upstanding side wall 13. A vertically oriented pressing member 14 is located adjacent an upstanding rear wall (obscured in the drawing) of the housing. In use squeezing of a mop head entered into the housing is effected by forwards translation of the pressing member in order to squeeze the mop head between an inside surface of the front wall and the pressing member itself. Water squeezed out drains away through perforations formed in the base and walls.

An actuation lever 20 is pivotally connected to the right hand sidewall of the housing. A standard prior art pressing member actuation mechanism is provided to translate pivoting movement of the lever forwards and downwards into forwards movement of the pressing member.

The actuation lever has a stem portion 21 which extends between the pivot 22 and as far as an elbow 23 in the lever. The elbow marks a perpendicular bend in the lever which defines a return portion 24 forming the distal end of the lever. The end region of the return portion is provided with a rubberized grip 25 which facilitates manual operation of the lever.

In use the user grips the return portion and draws the lever forwards and downwards in the direction of the arrow A shown in the drawing. Because the manual load is applied inboard of the stem portion of the lever, i.e. through a plane parallel to the plane of movement of the stem portion but displaced inboard towards or inside the housing, the tendency -for -the housing to tip under high loading is reduced.

Claims

6 Claims

1. A mop press comprising: a housing having a front wall, two side walls and a rear wall, a pressing member disposed inside the housing and adapted to be movable in the housing to effect squeezing of a mop head entered into the housing, a lever for actuating the pressing member, which lever is located outside the housing and is connected to the housing via a pivot disposed on one of the side walls so that the pressing member may be actuated by drawing the lever downwards through an arc substantially parallel to the side wall, wherein a distal end of the lever is provided with a return portion directed back towards the housing and substantially parallel to the front wall, the arrangement being such that the lever may be moved by pressure appfied on the return portion inboard of the lever pivoting connection.

2. A mop press as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the lever has a generally L-shaped configuration.

3. A mop press substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing.