GB2469895A

GB2469895A - Rotatable and pivotal attachment of a mop head to a handle

Info

Publication number: GB2469895A
Application number: GB1002363A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hsiao-Hung Chiang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-04-29
Filing date: 2010-02-12
Publication date: 2010-11-03
Also published as: MY155319A; AU2010200289A1; ZA201002559B; DE202010005204U1; RU100891U1; GB201002363D0; CA2694695A1; FR2944954A3; BRMU9000135U2; ITTO20100018U1; ES1073065U; CH700834A2; ES1073065Y

Abstract

A mop head is made from a wide upper plate 4 and a smaller lower plate 34 clipped together. An annular strand holder 5, with holes which retain the mops fabric, clips to the upper plate. There is sufficient space between the upper plate and lower plate to receive a disc 3. There is a yoke 33 projecting up from the middle of the disc formed of two members with a slot 31 therebetween, the yoke fits through central hole 41 in upper plate 4. A coupling 22 fits into slot 31 to form a hinge type arrangement relative to disc 3. This coupling includes a spigot 21 and sleeve 20 which form an annular recess there between. The tubular lower portion 11 of an elongate handle 1 slots into this annular recess. By this arrangement the mop head is able to rotate relative to the handle by the rotation of disc 3 between the plates, and hinge relative to the handle via interaction between coupling 22 and yoke 33. There are projections 222, 331 on the yoke and couplings to resist pivoting when the mop is vertical.

Description

MOP

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The invention relates to mops and more particularly to such a mop with an improved characteristics.

2. Description of Related Art

A conventional strand mounting assembly 6 is shown in FIG. 5. The strand mounting assembly 6 is shaped as a ring and comprises a plurality of apertures 61 equally spaced around a circumferential edge thereof. The aperture 61 has a reduced diameter section 62 open to the bottom. In an assembly process of the strand mounting assembly 6, a bundle of loose rags (not shown) is inserted through the reduced diameter section 62 into an upper portion of the aperture 61 prior to fastening.

But this is unsatisfactory for the purpose for which the invention is concerned for the following reasons: The assembly process of the bundles of loose rags in the apertures 61 is low in efficiency. Further, the fastening of the bundles of loose rags in the apertures 61 is not reliable. Thus, the need for improvement still exists.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a mop comprising an elongate handle; a plastic end joint including an intermediate, cylindrical main body, an upper sleeve having a diameter smaller than that of the main body, and a lower coupling having a downward protrusion; a rotatable cover comprising an annular trough on an underside, a central through hole, and a plurality of spaced apart latches disposed between the trough and the through hole; a hinge comprising a disc, a yoke projecting upward from the disc and including a channel and two top projections, and a circular plate for containing the disc, the circular plate having a plurality of spaced apart slits adjacent a circumferential edge thereof wherein the yoke passes the through hole to pivotably fasten the joint in the channel with the latches contacting a circumferential edge of the disc and inserting through the slits to secure the circular plate, the disc, and the cover together; and a ring-shaped strand mounting assembly comprising a plurality of arcuate sections each including at least one aperture each having at least one protuberance, and a plurality of sets of strands, wherein each set of strands has one end fastened in the arcuate section after inserting through the aperture to be retained by the at least one protuberance; wherein the strand mounting assembly is secured to the cover by snapping the arcuate sections into the trough; wherein the handle is releasably fastened between the upper sleeve and the main body; wherein the protrusion is urged against a bottom of the channel, and the projections are urged against joining portions of the coupling and the joint when the handle stands upright; and wherein the cover and the strand mounting assembly together are adapted to rotate about the yoke with both the handle and the yoke being motionless during the rotation.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of main components of a mop incorporating a preferred embodiment of strand mounting assembly according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lower portion of the mop assembled with strands; FIG. 3 is a top view of the strand mounting assembly with the strands being removed; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the strand mounting assembly assembled with the strands; and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional strand mounting assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a mop incorporating a preferred embodiment of strand mounting assembly according to the invention is shown. The mop comprises the following components as discussed in detail below.

An elongate handle I has a lower portion II. A joint 2 is formed of plastic and comprises an upper sleeve 21 having a diameter smaller than that of a cylindrical, intermediate main body 20 of the joint 2 and the diameter of the upper sleeve 21 is precisely selected. Hence, the lower portion 11 can be disposed in an annular complementary gap (not numbered) between the upper sleeve 21 and the main body and fastened by pinching the lower portion 11 and the upper sleeve 21 together in the manufacturing process. As a result of the pinching, two parallel arc-shaped grooves 110 are formed on the outer surface of the lower portion 11, two corresponding parallel arc-shaped protrusions 111 are formed on the inner surface of the lower portion 11, and two parallel arc-shaped troughs 210 are formed on the outer surface of the upper sleeve 21 with the protrusions 111 tightly urged thereagainst (see FIG. 2). The joint 2 further comprises a projecting lower coupling 22 including a protrusion 222 on its lowest position, an intermediate transverse hole 221, and two shoulders 223 each formed between either side of the coupling 22 and the upper sleeve2l.

A rotatable cover 4 comprises a central through hole 41, a downward annular outer flange 42, a downward annular inner flange 43 with an annular trough 45 on the underside defined between the outer flange 42 and the inner flange 43, and a plurality of (e.g., four) equally spaced apart latches 44 on the underside between the inner flange 43 and the through hole 41.

A hinge 3 comprises a bottom disc 35, a yoke 33 having two opposite yoke arms (not numbered) projecting upward from the disc 35 with a channel 31 defined therebetween, two projections 331 each formed on the arc top of the yoke arm of the yoke 33, a pin 32, and a circular plate 34 having an upward annular flange (not numbered) and a plurality of (e.g., four) equally spaced apart slits 341 adjacent the flange thereof. The disc 35 is disposed in the circular plate 34. The yoke 33 is shaped to loosely pass the through hole 41 to engage the disc 35 with the underside of the cover 4. At the same time, the latches 44 contact and pass the circumferential edge of the disc 3 to insert through the slits 341 to secure the circular plate 34, the disc 35 and the cover 4 together. The coupling 22 is disposed in the channel 31 with the protrusion 222 urged against a flat bottom of the channel 31 when both the handle 1 and the joint 2 are upright (i.e., inoperative position). The pin 32 can be inserted through a through aperture (not numbered) of one yoke arm, the transverse hole 221, and a through aperture (not numbered) of the other yoke arm to pivotably secure the joint 2 and the hinge 3 together. At an upright state of both the handle 1 and the joint 2 (i.e., inoperative position), the projections 331 are urged against the shoulders 223.

A ring-shaped strand mounting assembly 5 comprises an outer annular groove 51, an inner annular flange 56, a plurality of ribs 512 for dividing the groove 51 into a plurality of arcuate sections 511, each arcuate section 511 comprising two cross-shaped apertures 52 each having four equally spaced sharp protuberances 521 and four equally spaced enhancement members 522 each adjacent the protuberance 521, and a plurality of sets of strands 54 in which each set of strands 54 has one end fastened in the arcuate section 511 after inserting through the aperture 52 to be retained by the protuberances 521. The strand mounting assembly 5 is secured to the cover 4 by snapping the arcuate sections 511 into the bottom trough 45 of the cover 4.

The cover 4 and the strand mounting assembly 5 together are adapted to rotate about the yoke 33 with the handle 1 and the yoke 33 being motionless during the rotation. In a mopping operation, a user may pivot the joint 2 a predetermined angle about the yoke 33 by turning the handle 1 with the protrusion 222 clearing the bottom of the channel 31.

Alternatively, the apertures 52 may be star-shaped or any other shapes in other embodiments.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A mop comprising: an elongate handle (1); a plastic end joint (2) including an intermediate, cylindrical main body (20), an upper sleeve (21) having a diameter smaller than that of the main body (20), and a lower coupling (22) having a downward protrusion (222); a rotatable cover (4) comprising an annular trough (45) on an underside, a central through hole (41), and a plurality of spaced apart latches (44) disposed between the trough (45) and the through hole (41); a hinge (3) comprising a disc (35), a yoke (33) projecting upward from the disc (35) and including a channel (31) and two top projections (331), and a circular plate (34) for containing the disc (35), the circular plate (34) having a plurality of spaced apart slits (341) adjacent a circumferential edge thereof wherein the yoke (33) passes the through hole (41) to pivotably fasten the joint (2) in the channel (31) with the latches (44) contacting a circumferential edge of the disc (35) and inserting through the slits (341) to secure the circular plate (34), the disc (35), and the cover (4) together; and a ring-shaped strand mounting assembly (5) comprising a plurality of arcuate sections (511) each including at least one aperture (52) each having at least one protuberance (521), and a plurality of sets of strands (54), wherein each set of strands (54) has one end fastened in the arcuate section (511) after inserting through the aperture (52) to be retained by the at least one protuberance (521); wherein the strand mounting assembly (5) is secured to the cover (4) by snapping the arcuate sections (511) into the trough (45); wherein the handle (1) is fastened between the upper sleeve (21) and the main body (20); wherein the protrusion (222) is urged against a bottom of the channel (31), and the projections (331) are urged against joining portions of the coupling (22) and the joint (2) when the handle (1) stands upright; and wherein the cover (4) and the strand mounting assembly (5) together are adapted to rotate about the yoke (33) with both the handle (1) and the yoke (33) being motionless during the rotation.
2. The mop of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one aperture (52) has a multi-angular shape.
3. The mop of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one aperture (52) has a cross shape.
4. The mop of claim 3, wherein the at least one protuberance (521) comprises four protuberances (521), and wherein the protuberances (521) are disposed around a center of the cross-shaped aperture (52).
5. The mop of claim 4, further comprising four enhancement members (522) each disposed adjacent the protuberance (521).
6. The mop of claim 1, wherein the fastening of the handle (1) between the upper sleeve (21) and the main body (20) is done by pinching the handle (1) and the upper sleeve (21) together.