GB2429633A - Mop with integral wringer - Google Patents

Abstract

A mop features an integral wringer mechanism comprising a pair of opposed arms 14 carrying wringer mechanisms 18, 24 such as a rollers 18, 24. A plate based mop head 22 is drawn between the rollers for wringing, as can be seen in the transition from fig.2a to fig. 2g.

Description

The present invention relates generally to a mop for cleaning floors and

other surfaces, and more particularly to a mop comprising a sponge on a plate at the end of an elongate stem with an integral wringing mechanism.

Mops with integral wringing mechanisms are well know in the art and take various forms. One known type of mop comprises a two-part sponge, the two parts being hingedly mounted relative to each other at the end of an elongate stem. A lever is provided to effectively "fold" the sponge about the hinge so that the two parts are squeezed together and water and dirt are purged therefrom. In an alternative arrangement, a foldable one-part sponge is provided, together with a mechanism to fold the two haves of the sponge together so as to squeeze water and dirt therefrom.

Mops having a wringing mechanism comprising two wringer rollers mounted in a U-shaped roller head are also known, and have associated advantages including the fact that the design tends to be robust and compact, the mop can be used at any angle and the expelled water drains away early. However, disadvantages include the fact that the sponge is wide and short and the wringing rollers cannot get to the extreme end of the sponge, such that the wringing action is not that effective, the amount of sponge surface touching the floor is fairly small, and the wringing mechanism is not suitable for use with soft, high absorbent sponges like cellulose, which are prone to damage.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mop with an integral wringing mechanism that is able to efficiently purge a large amount of water contained in a mop sponge that may be provided as a single unit without moving parts.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a mop comprising an elongate stem having an upper and lower end, and a mop head including an absorbent cleaning member mounted at the lower end of said stem, the mop further comprising a wringing mechanism for purging said absorbent cleaning member of liquid absorbed thereby, the wringing mechanism comprising a pair of opposing arms defining a channel therebetween, a pressure-applying member being provided on at least one of said arms, the wringing mechanism being mounted in a direction along the length of the stem, so as to enable relative movement of said wringing mechanism and said mop head such that said mop head enters and passes through said channel and the absorbent cleaning member passes over said pressure-applying member such that pressure is applied thereto and liquid is purged therefrom.

Thus the above-mentioned object is achieved by the present invention by providing a roller- based water purging mechanism that linearly compresses the mop sponge during operation, ensuring that water is removed from all areas of it, and is controlled by means of a simple pushlpull movement between the head assembly and the mop stem.

The present invention allows for effective wringing action as the single pressure-applying member (preferably a roller) works against a flat mop head surface, providing a high pressure localised squeeze; the faces in the structure are minimised as the "squeeze area" is limited to the line of the roller which sweeps over the sponge surface. Expelled water drains away easily from the exposed surface of the sponge (it does not have to pass through the supported face of the sponge or the periphery.

The mop head is preferably hingedly mounted at the lower end of the stem, such that, as said mop head is drawn towards said channel, the upper surface of said mop head contacts a distal end of said wringing mechanism. This feature can also improve the mopping action. If the hinge axis is near to the floor and the line of thrust of the handle slightly to the rear of the centre of the sponge, the sponge will travel flat over the floor without tipping. Adjusting the position at which the line of thrust hits the floor in relation to the sponge and the height of the hinge above the floor alters the pressure distribution of the sponge on the floor, applying more to the front or rear as required. These parameters are ideally set so that the sponge compresses equally across its surface.

The wringing mechanism is preferably slidably mounted on the stem such that it can slide back and forth along a proportion of its length relative to said mop head. The wringing mechanism may comprise a roller assembly that contains a water-purging roller that comes into contact with and compresses the absorbent cleaning member as it passes thereover. Preferably a small upper guidance roller, preferably smaller than said water-purging roller and opposite thereto, comes into contact with the top of the mop head and stops it fouling during a wringing cycle.

Beneficially the mop further comprises means for selectively adjusting the width of the channel between the pressure applying member and the arm opposite thereto, so as to selectively adjust the pressure applied to the absorbent cleaning member during a wringing action. More particularly, the mop comprises means for selectively raising and lowering at least one of the guidance roller and the water-purging roller relative to the channel so as to selectively adjust the pressure applied to the absorbent cleaning member during a wringing action.

At least one of the water-purging roller and guidance roller are preferably cam-shaped wherein a portion of the roller has a greater depth from the pivot point to the perimeter of the roller than an adjacent portion, such that rotation of the roller causes a corresponding adjustment of the channel width. This is beneficial in that a user may select the level of wringing action required. A lever is preferably provided attached to the roller for ease of adjustability.

Alternatively, the means for selectively raising and lowering at least one of said guidance and said water-purging roller may comprise a dial which is arranged and configured to be rotated and selectively apply pressure onto at least one of the guidance and the purging roller.

In another aspect of the present invention the shape of the roller assembly is such that when a hand is used to secure its position and another is used to pull the handle towards the user, in effect pulling the handle through the roller assembly, the top side of the head fixed to the end of the handle comes into contact with the nose' at the front of the assembly. Contact forces the mop head into an orientation relative to said wringing mechanism so as to allow the mop head to be drawn into said channel. In a preferred embodiment, as the mop head is drawn into the channel, it is lifted at its rear until it is over the water-purging roller (this prevents damage to the cleaning member), following which, as the mop head is drawn further through the channel, it is forced into the water-purging roller.

In an alternative embodiment, the water-purging roller is permanently in contact with the absorbent cleaning member, wherein the mop head is curved or angled at a proximal end thereof When the mop is in use, the water-purging roller is located at or adjacent the curved proximal end of the mop head. In order to effect the wringing action, the absorbent cleaning member is drawn over the water-purging roller until it reaches a point at or adjacent the distal end of the cleaning member.

Beneficially, the sponge or mop head is readily removable for replacement, as required.

Preferably, stop means are provided to limit movement of the roller head beyond a predetermined point on the stem.

The mop may further comprise a scouring means fixed to the surface of the head opposing the surface to which the sponge is connected. The scouring means may be a plurality of protrusions, and may be joined integrally with the head or separately attached thereto.

These and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from, and elucidated with reference to, the embodiment described herein.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a localised perspective partial view of a mop according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figures 2a - 2g illustrate the position(s) of the sponge relative to the wringing assembly and the mop stem of the mop of Figure 1 at various stages as the wringing mechanism is operated; * Figure 3 illustrates the various components of the mop in Figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the roller head of the mop in Figure 1; Figure 5 illustrated schematically the manner in which the guide roller of the mop in Figure 1 is assembled relative to the roller head in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 illustrates schematically the manner in which the water-purging roller of the mop in Figure 1 is assembled relative to the roller head in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 illustrates schematically a roller for use in a wringing mechanism in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the invention; and Figure 8 is a schematic side view of a roller head according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention, illustrating how the roller of Figure 9 is mounted thereon.

Figures 9a and 9b arc partial close-up views of the roller head of the mop of Figure 1, illustrating the pressure adjustment means; Figure 10 is a schematic view of a roller head of the mop of Figure 1, illustrating an alternative pressure adjustment means.

Figure 11 is a schematic illustration of a roller head and mop head arrangement according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention; Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, a mop according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises an elongate stem 12 which could be made from plastic, plastic coated metal, powder paint coated metal aluminium, wood or treated aluminium. The stem 12 has an upper end and an opposing lower end wherein a mop head is pivotally mounted at the lower end of the stem 12 by means of extending brackets 16. The bracket 16 comprises a generally tubular sleeve with which the lower end of the stem 12 engages, for example by means of a threaded portion or some form of adhesive, and/or drive fit onto splines in the tubular sleeve. Along its length, the bracket 16 flattens out into a dove-tail shape, with a means of pivotal connection, via an axle, to the mop head (the axle running perpendicular to the length direction of the handle, laterally through the end point of the dove-tail'). The pivoted head enables all of the sponge face to be applied to the floor at any handle angle in back and forth mopping. Looking down the stem 12 as a user would hold it in use, the dove- tail fans out away from the user in a horizontal plane, resulting in a cotmection to the mop head 20 such that it can pivot up and down with respect to the direction of the stem 12 but not laterally. The mop head 20 comprises a sponge plate to which a sponge 22 is fixed. The plate preferably comprises a rigid moulding, wherein the face of the back moulding is flat, not ribbed. The sponge 22 is preferably an absorbent and relatively soft foam, of any desired porosity, e.g. cellulose or any suitable synthetic material. However, any suitable absorbent material may be used. Preferably, the mop head 20, or at least the primary structural points thereof, are generally rectangular in shape, although any suitable shape may be used.

A scouring means (not shown) may be located on the surface of the mop head opposing the surface to which the sponge 22 attaches. The scourer may be used to loosen difficult deposits is on the floor for continued cleaning. The scourer may be integrally moulded with the mop head 20, or affixed as an additional feature in any other known way. In use, the mop is used backwards, preferably within the head 20 in the "purge" position. This ensures rigidity when in use.

The mop 10 further comprises a wringing mechanism consisting of a roller head 14 mounted on the stem 12 and comprising a forked member with an upper guide roller 18 and an opposing lower roller 24 mounted at respective distal ends of the head 14.

Figures 2a to 2g illustrate how the wringing mechanism works. Figure 2a illustrates the mop 10 in its cleaning mode of operation, wherein the mop head 20, and thus the sponge 22, can be placed flat on the ground. The bracket 16 allows pivotal movement of the stem 12 relative to the mop head 20 such that the stem 12 is always angled ergonomically towards the user during use.

Referring to Figure 2b of the drawings, when it is required to purge the mop sponge 22 of water, the wringing mechanism is activated by applying forward pressure to the roller head 14 whilst at the same time pulling the stem handle 12 back relative to the head 14. As a result, the roller head 14 slides forward along the stem 12 towards the mop head 20, and engages with the bracket 16 so as to cause the mop head 20 to pivot relative to the stem 12 from its angled orientation to one in which the plane thereof is substantially in line with the stem 12.

Further operation of the wringing mechanism causes the mop head 20 to be drawn between the rollers 18,24 as shown in Figures 2c to 2g of the drawings, the top roller 18 being arranged to ensure that such movement is relatively smooth and no fouling occurs. It can be seen in Figures 2c to 2e that the rear of the sponge 22 is initially lifted to a position above the roller 24. As the mop head 20 is drawn further between the rollers, the bottom roller 24 applies pressure to the sponge 22 and purges water therefrom (see Figures 2f and 2g). Ideally, the roller 24 is mounted in such a position and/or is of such dimension that a tangent on its circumference, at the point where a line normal to the circumference would intersect the centre of the top roller, is of approximately the same displacement from the underside of the mop head 20 as is the thickness of a fully compressed sponge 22. This will ensure efficient wringing out, without making the transition tight and hence requiring more effort by the user.

Means are preferably provided for setting the wringing pressure applied to the sponge 22 (as describe further later), by raising or lowering the upper guide roller 18 relative to the mop head 20, so as to vary the degree of dryness of the sponge 22 after the wringing action has been effected.

In order to begin mopping again, the roller head 14 is pulled back from the mop head 20 and the stem 12 is pushed forward such that the mop head 20 is pushed back and forward between the rollers 18, 24 and, in doing so the sponge again passes over the bottom roller, 24 so as to purge therefrom any remaining water from the initial wringing action.

The wringing action described above is suitable for soft, absorbent, high shrinkage materials like cellulose, because the material is not folded during the action, and the action applies the roller 24 to the sponge 22, without tearing it, because the rear of the sponge is lifted by the action to a position over the roller 24, the roller 24 pushes down onto the surface of the sponge rather than driving the roller into an edge. This feature also allows the use of a smaller diameter squeeze roller.

Preferably, the mop 12 stem will be of length great enough such that an above-average height person can use the mop in an ergonomic fashion, without having to lean over or hunch. Note that the bracket 16 is provided with a groove I 6a in the upper surface, at the proximal end thereof, in which the nose of the roller housing 14 locates when the mop head is ready for use, so as to hold the roller body up and out of the way.

The sponge 22 will beneficially be of great enough size and porosity to enable a desirable quantity of water to be absorbed before wringing out is necessary.

Preferably, most parts of the assembly will be formed from a cost effective polymer to keep individual unit prices as low as possible.

Ideally the roller 24 will be positioned such that the wringing mechanism efficiently purges around 90% of the water contained in the sponge in a single action, whilst retaining a unhindered, fluid motion.

Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the mop in Figure 1, illustrating the principle individual components thereof From top to bottom they are identifiable as: the bottom end of the stem 12; the roller housing 14; the upper guide roller 18; the pivotal bracket 16; the bottom roller 24; the mop head 20; an axle 26 for enabling the bracket 16 to be connected to the mop head 20; and the mop sponge 22.

Referring to Figure 4 of the drawings, an enlarged view of the roller head 14 is illustrated. An aperture 144 is provided for accepting the guide roller 18 and two apertures are provided on the same axis 142 for mounting the water-purging roller 24. Referring to Figure 5, in one embodiment, the top guide roller 18 may be manufactured in two halves, such that it can be pushed together from either side and fixed in the hole provided 144. Referring to Figure 6, the bottom roller 24 may be formed of 3 separate pieces, comprising two identical end pieces 241, 242 - solid cylindrical protrusions, each with a further much thinner protrusion, crosssectionally central and of a length approximately 1/6th of the total length of each solid cylindrical end protrusion. A further middle section 243 of equal diameter to the end pieces and with a hole on either face, approximately equal to the dimensions of said further protrusions on said end protrusions 241,242, to receive and hold said further protrusions from either side of the mounting holes 142 on the roller assembly 14, creating effectively a single roller 24.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings, in an alternative embodiment, the rollers 18, 24 may comprise respective one-piece roller assemblies, formed in three parts with shaft portions 19 therebetween. The roller assembly 14 comprises upper and lower resiliently flexible slots 142, 144 which flex when the roller assembly is pushed in and close around the diameter of the shaft portions 19 to hold the roller assembly in place.

Means may be provided to selectively raise and lower the upper guide roller assembly to adjust the pressure applied to the sponge during a wringing action. Referring to Figures 9a and 9b of the drawings in one embodiment a lever 23 may be provided for selectively raising and lowering the guide roller 18 relative to the roller head 14, by rotating the lever 23 so as to adjust the pressure applied to the sponge 22 during a wringing action. The guide roller 18 may have a tear-drop shape or ellipse cross-sectional dimension, therefore acting as a cam when rotated. A user may therefor rotate the lever 23 to a desired position, thereby adjusting the position of rotation of the guide roller 18 thus adjusting the gap between the guide roller 18 and bottom roller 24 and thus varying the wringing pressure. It will be appreciated that the guide roller 18 may have a varying cross sectional shape and/or area through its longitudinal length, for example as shown in Figure 5.

Alternatively, as shown schematically in Figure 10, a dial 30 is arranged and configured to effect movement of the guide roller 18 to reduce the channel width between guide and bottom roller (18, 24). The dial 30 is located in the front face (when in use) of the roller housing 14, and in a preferred embodiment, is rotated along a thread into the housing 14 contacting against (either directly or indirectly) the guide roller 18 causing movement of the guide roller 18. In a fully rotated clockwise position the guide roller 18 is enabling a minimum channel between the guide roller 1 8 and bottom roller 24. Rotation anticlockwise releases the guide roller 18 thereby increasing the channel width. It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that there are numerous mechanisms by which the guide roller 18 may be adjusted relative to the bottom roller 24. It is also noted that is may also be possible to adjust the bottom roller 24 relative to the guide roller 18.

Referring to Figure 11 of the drawings, a mop according to an alternative exemplary embodiment of the invention has a mop head 20 and sponge 22 that is curved at the proximal edge (and no articulation means are provided), and the water-purging roller 24 is always in contact with the sponge 22, so that it never drives against the edge of the sponge 22. The roller 24 is out of the way during normal use and holds the mop head 20 in place. The curved section 22a of the sponge 22 allows the mop to be used at different angles.

it should be noted that the above mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and those skilled in the art will be capable of designing many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed in parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claims. The word "comprising" and "comprises", and the like, does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in any claim or the specification as a whole. The singular reference of an element does not exclude the plural reference of such elements and viceversa. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims (17)

1. CLAIMS: 1. A mop comprising an elongate stem having an upper and lower

   end, and a mop head including an absorbent cleaning member mounted at the lower end of said stem, the mop further comprising a wringing mechanism for purging said absorbent cleaning member of liquid absorbed thereby, the wringing mechanism comprising a pair of opposing arms defining a channel therebetween, a pressure-applying member being provided on at least one of said arms, the wringing mechanism being mounted in a io direction along the length of the stem, so as to enable relative movement of said wringing mechanism and said mop head such that said mop head enters and passes through said channel and the absorbent cleaning member passes over said pressure- applying member such that pressure is applied thereto and liquid is purged therefrom.
2. 2. A mop according to claim 1, wherein said mop head and/or absorbent cleaning member is removable for replacement as required.
3. 3. A mop according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising stop means to limit movement of the wringing mechanism beyond a predetermined point on the stem.
4. 4. A mop according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said absorbent cleaning member comprises an absorbent sponge.
5. 5. A mop according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mop head is pivotally mounted at the lower end of the stem.
6. 6. A mop according to any one of claims Ito 5, wherein the wringing mechanism is slidably mounted on the stem such that it can slide back and forth along at least a proportion of its length relative to said mop head.
7. 7. A mop according to any one of claims I to 6, wherein, as the mop head is drawn into the channel, the rear of the absorbent cleaning member is raised until it is over the pressure applying member.
8. 8. A mop according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the wringing mechanism comprises a roller assembly consisting of a water-purging roller that comes into contact with and compresses the absorbent cleaning member as it passes thereover.
9. 9. A mop according to claim 8, wherein said roller assembly further comprises a io guidance roller opposite said water-purging roller.
10. 10. A mop according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising means for selectively adjusting the width of said channel between said pressureapplying member and the arm opposite thereto, so as to selectively adjust the pressure applied to said absorbent cleaning member during a wringing action.
11. 11. A mop according to claim 9, comprising means for selectively raising and lowering at least one of said guidance roller and said water-purging roller relative to said channel so as to selectively adjust the pressure applied to said absorbent cleaning member during a wringing action.
12. 12. A mop according to claim 11, wherein at least one of said waterpurging roller and guidance roller is rotatable and cam-shaped.
13. 13. A mop according to claim 11, wherein said means for selectively raising and lowering at least one of said guidance and said water-purging roller comprises a dial arranged and configured to be rotated and selectively apply pressure onto at least one of the guidance and the purging roller.
14. 14. A mop according to claim 1, wherein said pressure-applying member is permanently in contact with said absorbent cleaning member and wherein said absorbent cleaning member passes over said pressure-applying member during a wringing action such that said pressure-applying member applies pressure to said absorbent cleaning member progressively from a proximal to a distal edge thereof.
15. 15. A mop according to claim 14, wherein said mop head and absorbent cleaning member are curved or angled at said proximal edge thereof.
16. 16. A mop according to any preceding claim further comprising a scouring means fixedly attached to the surface of the head opposing the surface to which the sponge connects.
17. 17. A mop substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.