GB2518449A

GB2518449A - Flat mop and mopping layer

Info

Publication number: GB2518449A
Application number: GB1316942.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Robert Duncan; Stephen Basil Phillips
Original assignee: Numatic International Ltd
Current assignee: Numatic International Ltd
Priority date: 2013-09-24
Filing date: 2013-09-24
Publication date: 2015-03-25
Also published as: GB201316942D0

Abstract

There is provided a flat mopping layer 35 for use with a flat mop, which mopping layer 35 comprises a first absorbent layer of generally planar elongate rectilinear form which provides an upper face of the mopping layer 35 and a second corresponding generally planar elongate rectilinear absorbent layer which provides a lower face of the mopping layer 35, thereby to provide a double-sided mopping layer 35 having first and second long sides and opposite short edges. The mopping layer 35 is preferably provided with flexible tongues (36, 37, fig 3) typically loops, one projecting from each opposite short edge of the mopping layer 35. Preferably these loops 36, 37, have a width greater than half the width of the short edge of the mopping layer 35. In this way a reversible detachable mopping layer 35 is provided. The mop head may comprise spigots 24, 25, e.g. C-plan clips, which engage with the flexible tongues (36, 37, fig 3). to hold the mopping layer 35 on the mop. The spigots 24, 25 are preferably resiliently biased inwardly away from the end region of the tongue (36, 37, fig 3).

Description

Flat mop and mopping layer The present invention concerns the field of floor treatment devices and in particular flat mops for mopping floor surfaces.

Flat mops typically have a generally elongate and planar back plate. An upper surface region of the back plate is provided with a pivoted connection to an elongate pole which serves as a handle. A lower surface region of the back plate carries a generally flat mopping layer. The mopping layer typically comprises a liquid-absorbent absorbent material which is suitable for mopping of a floor surface. The mopping layer may be formed of a felt web or woven web of material which is tailored for the floor surface to be cleaned, For example the material may be coarse so as to absorb large amounts of liquid/cleaning fluid, or mildly abrasive to assist dirty removal, or have fine fibres for good polishing performance. Generally the mopping layers have a water impermeable backing layer (or upper surface) to which the absorbent material is attached or woven.

The back plate may be foldable about a generally lateral pivot axis, so that in a folded state two opposite ends of the back plate depend from the handle so as to facilitate wetting and rinsing of the mopping layer. A latch is typically provided to release the back plate from its planar configuration to the folded configuration.

Known mopping layers typically have features which permit attachment of the layer to the underside of the back plate. W0201 1-089387 is a patent application of the present applicant which discloses mopping layers which have inwardly facing pockets formed on a mopping layer backing. The pockets receive opposite end regions of a folding back plate. Other arrangements exist, such as the provision of flexible webs at each end of the mopping layer, which webs are held in clamps at opposite end regions of the back plate upper surface.

The present invention is directed at providing an improved flat mop and mopping layer which is capable of extended periods of use before each mopping layer need to be discarded.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a flat mopping layer for use with a flat mop, which mopping layer comprises a first absorbent layer of generally planar elongate rectilinear form which provides an upper face of the mopping layer and a second corresponding generally planar elongate rectilinear absorbent layer which provides a lower face of the mopping layer, thereby to provide a double-sided mopping layer having first and second long sides and opposite short edges.

The mopping layer may be provided with flexible tongues, one projecting from each opposite short edge of the mopping layer.

The first and second absorbent layers may be provided by a single web of backing material having a second absorbent material provided on both the upper and lower surfaces thereof.

Alternatively the mopping layer comprises the first absorbent layer overlaid and attached back to back with the second absorbent material layer. Alternatively a single sheet of absorbent layer may be folded to provide a double-sided mopping layer. The flexible tongues may then each be retained at and inner end region thereof sandwiched between outer overlaid end regions of the first and second absorbent layers.

A distal end of each flexible tongue is preferably formed with a laterally extending recess or passage for receiving a corresponding elongate retaining spigot provided on each upper end region surface of the flat mop back plate.

The flexible tongues may each be provided as a loop of material, each loop defining a sleeve. Each tongue has a width that is greater than about 50% of the lateral width of the mopping layer. The material may be a woven plastics material such as nylon. Each projecting tongue may be provided as a folded web of material, the fold being disposed at a distal end region of each tongue.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a flat mop comprising a generally elongate and planar back plate, an upper surface region of the back plate being provided with a pivoted connection to an elongate pole which serves as a handle and wherein a lower surface region of the back plate carries a generally flat mopping layer. The mopping layer may be one as hereinbefore described.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a flat mop comprising a generally elongate and planar back plate, an upper surface region of the back plate being provided with a pivoted connection to an elongate pole which serves as a handle and wherein a lower surface region of the back plate carries a generally flat mopping layer as hereinbefore described.

Each projecting tongue may be wrapped around a respective short side of the back plate so as to overlay upper surface end region thereof, and wherein the mopping layer is attached to the planar back plate by the engagement of a distal end region of each projecting tongue with a corresponding retaining feature provided on the upper surface end region of the back plate.

Each retaining feature may be a spigot which is directed laterally across the mop head, which spigot is located in a recess or passage provided in a distal end region of the corresponding projecting tongue.

The spigot may be resilient biased inwardly away from the end region of the tongue, so as to maintain the mopping layer taut between the two spigots and against the lower surface region of the back plate.

In one embodiment, each retaining feature comprises a generally C-plan clip, a lower region of which clip is pivotably attached to the upper surface respective end region of the back plate to permit pivoting of the clip about a lateral axis. An upper region of the C-clip is generally parallel to, and spaced apart from, the lower region so as to provide a lateral spigot which engages with the corresponding tongue of the mopping layer.

The flat mop may be a folding mop, as is known in the art, which is foldable about a lateral pivot or pivots located generally centrally across the mop back plate.

The flat mop above, provided with the alorementioned C-clips may be used with a single-sided mopping layer, provided that the mopping layer has suitable retaining loops. Such an arrangement may be regarded as yet another aspect of the invention.

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

In the drawings:-Figure 1 is a perspective view from above of a flat mop in accordance with one aspect of the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view three quarter view of the flat mop in a folded configuration.

Figure 3 is a perspective view from above of a mopping layer in accordance with another aspect of the invention.

Figure 4 is a close-up view of one end region of the mopping layer.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the mopping lay, diagonally folded to show both sides thereof.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the attachment of one tongue of the mopping layer to a clip provided on the folded mop back plate.

A flat mop is shown generally in figure 1. The flat mop comprises an elongate generally rectilinear planar back plate 10. The back plate has an upper central region formed with a two-axis pivot 11 via which an elongate handle pole (only lower region 12 shown) is attached. The pivot and pole are of conventional construction and design. The back plate has a lever latch 13 which permits release of two leaves 14, 15 of the back plate so that the back plate can adopt the folded configuration shown in figure 2.

The back plate has long sides 16, 17 and opposite end regions 18,19. At each end region top surface a cylindrical laterally extending pipe 20, 21 is integrally formed into a top surface of the back plate. One end 22 of the pipe is open so as to permit entry of a base end of a generally C-form metal clip 24, 25. The clip has a return portion 26, 27 which leads to a laterally extending spigot portion 28, 29 which is generally parallel to the base end. A distal end region 30, 31 of the spigot portion is kinked back towards the base end of the clip.

An underside region of the back plate is placed on an absorbent mopping layer 35. The mopping layer is slightly over-sized with respect to the back plate, as shown in figure 1. At each edge region of the mopping layer a flexible web tongue projects from the layer. The tongue is formed as a loop 36, 37 which is wrapped around the back plate edge and drawn towards the C-form clips. The clip spigots are threaded into the loops, which serve as a sleeve for each spigot. In this way the mopping layer is retained on the underside of the back plate of the mop.

In figure 2 the mop is shown in a folded configuration with depending back plate leaves 1415. The moping layer hangs down suspended from the clips. In this configuration the mopping layer may be dipped into a mop press for expressing of dirty mopped water, or for recharging of the mopping layer with a cleaning solution by dipping onto a mop bucket. This configuration also permits easy detachment of the mopping layer from the respective two clip spigots.

The mopping layer of this embodiment is shown in figure 3. The mopping layer comprises a web of textile material provided with an array of soft absorbent loops (not resolved in the image) woven into one surface/side of the web. The mopping layer is formed of two such web sheets placed back to back (see figure 6) and attached together by sewing of perimeter seams (not visible), The two loops are each a folded web of material which is sandwiched between end regions of the two sheets and held in place by the seams. The fold is thus at a distal end region of the loop, as shown in figure 4. Figure 5 shows the same mopping layer, with the underside visible.

Figure 7 shows a mopping layer semi-detached from the flat mop, with one spigot in place in one loop. When the other end is attached, and the flat mop is unfolded to a planar configuration, the mopping layer is dawn taut between the opposite edges of the back plate. The clips hold the loops in place and are positioned to maintain a tension in the mopping layer, even when wet.

Once mopping has been carried out for an extended period, the user can refresh the mopping layer by folding the back plate and releasing the mopping layer.

Rather than discard the mopping layer, the present invention permits the use of the other side of the mopping layer, so that the service life of the mopping layer may potentially be doubled.

Claims

Claims 1. A flat mopping layer for use with a flat mop, which mopping layer comprises a first absorbent layer of generally planar elongate rectilinear form which provides an upper face of the mopping layer and a second corresponding generally planar elongate rectilinear absorbent layer which provides a lower face of the mopping layer, thereby to provide a double-sided mopping layer having first and second long sides and opposite short edges.
2. A flat mopping layer as claimed in claim 1 provided with flexible tongues, one projecting from each opposite short edge of the mopping layer.
3. A flat mopping layer as a claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the first and second absorbent layers are provided by a single web of backing material having a second absorbent material provided on both the upper and lower surfaces thereof.
4. A flat mopping layer as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the mopping layer comprises the first absorbent layer overlaid and attached to the second absorbent material layer with flexible tongues provided which are each retained at and inner end region thereof sandwiched between outer overlaid end regions of the first and second absorbent layers.
5. A flat mopping layer as claimed in claim any of claims 2 to 4 wherein a distal end of each flexible tongue is formed with a laterally extending recess or passage for receiving a corresponding elongate retaining spigot provided on each upper end region surface of the flat mop back plate.
6. A flat mopping layer as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5 wherein the flexible tongues are each provided as a loop of material, each loop defining a sleeve.
7. A flat mopping layer as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6 wherein each tongue has a width that is greater than 50% of the lateral width of the mopping layer.
8. A flat moping layer as claimed in any of claims 2 to 8 wherein each projecting tongue comprises a folded web of material, the fold being disposed at a distal end region of each tongue.
9. A flat mop comprising a generally elongate and planar back plate, an upper surface region of the back plate being provided with a pivoted connection to an elongate pole which serves as a handle and wherein a lower surface region of the back plate carries a generally flat mopping layer in accordance with any of the preceding claims.
10. A flat mop comprising a generally elongate and planar back plate, an upper surface region of the back plate being provided with a pivoted connection to an elongate pole which serves as a handle and wherein a lower surface region of the back plate carries a generally flat mopping layer in accordance with any of claims 2 to 8, wherein each projecting tongue is wrapped around a respective short side of the back plate so as to overlay upper surface end region thereof, and wherein the mopping layer is attached to the planar back plate by the engagement of a distal end region of each projecting tongue with a corresponding retaining feature provided on the upper surface end region of the back plate.
11. A flat mop as claimed in claim 10 wherein each retaining feature is a spigot which is directed laterally across the mop head, which spigot is located in a recess or passage provided in a distal end region of the corresponding projecting tongue.
12. A flat mop as claimed in claim 11 wherein the spigot is resilient biased inwardly away from the end region of the tongue, so as to maintain the mopping layer taut between the two spigots and against the lower surface region of the back plate.
13. A flat mop as claimed in any of claims 10 to 12 wherein each retaining feature comprises a generally C-plan clip, a lower region of which clip is pivotably attached to the upper surface respective end region of the back plate to permit pivoting of the clip about a lateral axis, and wherein an upper region of the C-clip is generally parallel to, and spaced apart from, the lower region so as to provide a lateral spigot which engages with the corresponding tongue of the mopping layer.
14. A flat mop as claimed in any of claims 9 to 13 which is foldable about a lateral pivot or pivots located generally centrally across the mop back plate.