JP2024094618A - Cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

A cleaning tool is provided that allows the inclination angle of an operating handle relative to a surface to be cleaned to be freely changed during cleaning, and also allows the load on the rotating shaft of the operating handle to be reduced.
[Solution] The cleaning tool 10 comprises a cleaning head body 1, a cleaning head 3 having a joint member 2 provided in the approximate center of the upper part of the cleaning head body 1, and an operating handle 4 connected to the joint member 2 of the cleaning head 3, and the joint member 2 comprises a pair of bearing members 5, 5 and a friction member 6 having a concave, approximately arc-shaped friction surface 6a on its upper surface. The operating handle 4 comprises a first rotating shaft 7, a rotating member 9 on the outer periphery of the first rotating shaft 7 on which a first pressing portion 8 having a pressing surface 8a that is approximately arc-shaped in side view is formed, and a gripping member 12 on which a second pressing portion 11 having a pressing surface 11a that is approximately arc-shaped in side view is formed.
[Selected figure] Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a cleaning tool that includes a cleaning head and an operating handle.

There is a known invention for a mop in which a wiper cloth made of paper, fabric, or the like is attached in an exchangeable manner to a wiper cloth attachment member connected to the end of a handle (Patent Document 1).

The mop described in Patent Document 1 is composed of a wiping cloth for sweeping, a flat and elongated wiping cloth mounting member for attaching the wiping cloth in an exchangeable manner, and a handle bar for operation connected to the wiping cloth mounting member. The handle bar is connected to the wiping cloth mounting member in a rotatable manner within a range of approximately 180 degrees in the longitudinal direction by inserting a connecting shaft provided in the width direction on the upper surface of the wiping cloth mounting member into a connecting hole provided in the handle bar, and the connecting hole is formed so that the diameter is smallest in the axial center and gradually increases at least in the axial direction of the handle bar toward both ends, allowing the mop to be tilted at least 15 degrees in the width direction of the wiping cloth mounting member.

Patent No. 3457402

However, the mop described in Patent Document 1 above has a problem in that the inclination angle between the operating handle bar and the wiping cloth attachment member in the short direction, which is the main cleaning direction, is fixed at a predetermined angle, and a large load is applied directly to the connecting shaft during cleaning, making the connecting shaft prone to breakage.

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional cleaning tool by providing a cleaning tool that allows the angle of inclination of the operating handle relative to the surface to be cleaned to be freely changed during cleaning, and reduces the load on the rotating shaft of the operating handle.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention of claim 1 provides a cleaning tool having a cleaning head having a cleaning head body of a substantially rectangular shape with the short side direction being the main cleaning direction and a joint member provided at approximately the center of the upper part of the cleaning head body, and an operating handle connected to the joint member of the cleaning head, the joint member comprising a pair of bearing members and a friction member formed between the pair of bearing members and having a substantially arcuate concave friction surface on the upper surface, and the operating handle is supported by the pair of bearing members. The operating handle includes a first rotating shaft that is rotated around the first rotating shaft, a rotating member on which a first pressing portion is formed on the outer periphery of the first rotating shaft and has a pressing surface that is approximately arc-shaped in side view, and a gripping member that extends approximately rod-shaped as one unit with the rotating member or separately and on which a second pressing portion is formed with a pressing surface that is approximately arc-shaped in side view, the pressing surface of the second pressing portion being formed on an extension of the pressing surface of the first pressing portion, and when the operating handle is rotated, the first pressing portion and/or the second pressing portion slide while abutting against the friction member.

In the invention of claim 1, the operating handle can be rotated around the first rotation axis while receiving resistance from the friction member, so that the inclination angle of the operating handle with respect to the surface to be cleaned can be freely changed during cleaning, and the operating handle can be used stably at an inclination angle that provides good operability. In addition, when the cleaning head is moved over the surface to be cleaned, the cleaning head can be prevented from floating up or turning over. In addition, when the operating handle is rotated, the first pressing portion and/or the second pressing portion slide while abutting against the friction member, so that the load on the first rotation axis of the operating handle can be reduced, and the rotation range of the operating handle can be designed to be large.

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that in the invention of claim 1, the friction surface of the friction member and the pressing surface of the first pressing portion of the rotating member and/or the second pressing portion of the gripping member are surfaces of approximately concentric circles centered on the first rotation axis. This allows the entire friction surface to be pressed by the pressing surface, increasing the frictional force. In addition, localized wear of the friction member can be prevented, and durability can be increased.

The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that in the invention of claim 1 or 2, the friction surface of the friction member and the pressing surface of the first pressing portion of the rotating member and/or the second pressing portion of the gripping member are substantially identical curved surfaces that coincide when they are brought into contact. This allows the entire friction surface to be pressed by the pressing surface, increasing the frictional force. In addition, localized wear of the friction member can be prevented, and durability can be increased.

The invention of claim 4 is the invention of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the operating handle has a rotating member that can rotate in the short direction of the cleaning head, and the gripping member has a second rotating shaft relative to the rotating member, and the gripping member can rotate in the long direction of the cleaning head. This improves the operability of the operating handle and makes it possible to clean narrow spaces.

The invention of claim 5 is characterized in that in the invention of claim 4, the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft are formed on approximately the same plane. This allows smooth switching between rotation in the short direction of the cleaning head and rotation in the long direction of the cleaning head, further improving the operability of the operating handle and allowing cleaning of narrow spaces.

The invention of claim 6 is characterized in that in the invention of claim 1 or 2, the first pressing portion is formed within a range of approximately 180 degrees including the tip of the operating handle, centered on the first rotation axis. This makes it possible to reliably reduce the load on the first rotation axis of the operating handle, and to reliably bring the pressing surface of the first pressing portion into contact with the friction member.

The invention of claim 7 is the invention of claim 1 or 2, in which the cleaning head has a biasing means for pressing the friction member toward the operating handle, and the biasing means is composed of a first pressing body that directly presses the friction member and a second pressing body that indirectly presses the friction member by pressing the first pressing body, and is characterized in that the first pressing body and the second pressing body are formed of different materials. This makes it possible to further increase the friction force between the friction member and the first pressing portion and/or the second pressing portion.

The invention of claim 8 is characterized in that in the invention of claim 7, the first pressing body is a resin member formed integrally with the cleaning head, and the second pressing body is a metal member formed separately from the cleaning head. This allows the first pressing body to be stably contacted with the friction member, and the friction member can reliably press the first pressing portion of the rotating member and/or the pressing surface of the second pressing portion of the gripping member. It also prevents a decrease in frictional force due to wear of the friction member.

The invention of claim 9 is characterized in that in the invention of claim 7, the first pressing body is formed so that one end is fixed to the cleaning head and the other end is a rotatable free end, and the second pressing body presses the other end of the first pressing body. This allows the first pressing body to be stably abutted against the friction member, and the friction member can reliably press the first pressing portion of the rotating member and/or the pressing surface of the second pressing portion of the gripping member. In addition, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the pressing force on the other end side of the first pressing body, and further increase the friction force between the friction member and the first pressing portion and/or the second pressing portion.

The invention of claim 10 is the invention of claim 7, characterized in that the second pressing body is removably fixed to the cleaning head. This makes it easy to replace the second pressing body when its pressing force decreases.

The invention of claim 11 is characterized in that in the invention of claim 1 or 2, the first pressing portion of the rotating member and/or the second pressing portion of the gripping member are in line contact or surface contact with the friction member. This makes it possible to further increase the frictional force between the friction member and the first pressing portion and/or the second pressing portion, as well as to prevent local wear of the friction member and increase its durability.

The invention of claim 1 allows the operating handle to be rotated while receiving resistance from the friction member during cleaning, allowing the angle of inclination relative to the surface to be cleaned to be freely changed, and allows stable use at an inclination angle that is easy to operate. It also reduces the load on the first rotation axis of the operating handle. The inventions of claims 2 and 3 allow the entire friction surface to be pressed by the pressing surface, increasing the frictional force, preventing localized wear of the friction member, and increasing durability. The inventions of claims 4 and 5 increase the operability of the operating handle, allowing cleaning of narrow spaces.

The invention of claim 6 can reliably reduce the load on the first rotating shaft of the operating handle, and can reliably bring the pressing surface of the first pressing part into contact with the friction member. The inventions of claims 7, 9, and 11 can further increase the frictional force between the friction member and the first pressing part and/or the second pressing part.

The invention of claim 8 allows the first pressing body to be stably abutted against the friction member, and the friction member can reliably press the first pressing portion of the rotating member and/or the pressing surface of the second pressing portion of the gripping member. It also prevents a decrease in frictional force due to wear of the friction member. Furthermore, the invention of claim 10 allows the second pressing body to be easily replaced when the pressing force of the second pressing body decreases.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cleaning tool according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1A is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a cleaning tool according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2A; FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C are cross-sectional views showing a state in which the operating handle is movable; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cleaning tool according to a first embodiment during storage; FIG. 1A is a right side view showing the cleaning tool of the first embodiment during storage; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cleaning tool of the first embodiment with the cleaning head body disassembled; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a cleaning tool according to a second embodiment;

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a cleaning tool of a first embodiment. Fig. 2(a) is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the cleaning tool of the first embodiment, Fig. 2(b) is a front view, and Fig. 2(c) is a right side view. Fig. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 2(a), and Figs. 3(b) and (c) are cross-sectional views showing a state when the operating handle is movable. The following describes the first embodiment of the cleaning tool according to the present invention with reference to these figures.

The cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment has a cleaning head body 1 that is generally rectangular and whose main cleaning direction is the short side direction, a cleaning head 3 having a joint member 2 provided in the approximate center of the upper part of the cleaning head body 1, and an operating handle 4 that is connected to the joint member 2 of the cleaning head 3.

The joint member 2 includes a pair of bearing members 5, 5 and a friction member 6 formed between the pair of bearing members 5, 5 and having a concave, approximately arc-shaped friction surface 6a on the upper surface.

The operating handle 4 includes a first rotating shaft 7 supported by a pair of bearing members 5, 5, a rotating member 9 on the outer periphery of the first rotating shaft 7 on which a first pressing portion 8 having a pressing surface 8a that is approximately arc-shaped in side view is formed, and a gripping member 12 that extends approximately rod-shaped integrally with or separately from the rotating member 9 and on which a second pressing portion 11 having a pressing surface 11a that is approximately arc-shaped in side view is formed.

The pressing surface 11a of the second pressing portion 11 is formed on an extension of the pressing surface 8a of the first pressing portion 8, and when the operating handle 4 is rotated, the first pressing portion 8 and/or the second pressing portion 11 slides while abutting against the friction member 6.

The cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment configured as described above can rotate the operating handle 4 around the first rotation axis 7, so that the inclination angle of the operating handle 4 relative to the surface to be cleaned can be freely changed during cleaning. In addition, since an inclination angle that provides good operability can be maintained, the cleaning head 3 can be prevented from floating up or turning over when moving it over the surface to be cleaned, and can be used stably. In addition, when the operating handle 4 rotates, the first pressing portion 8 and/or the second pressing portion 11 slide while abutting against the friction member 6, so that the load on the first rotation axis 7 of the operating handle 4 can be reduced and the rotation range of the operating handle 4 can be designed to be large.

Here, FIG. 3(a) shows the case where the operating handle 4 extends in a direction of 90 degrees to the surface to be cleaned against which the bottom surface of the cleaning head 3 abuts, and the friction surface 6a of the friction member 6 abuts against the pressing surface 8a of the first pressing portion 8 of the rotating member 9. FIG. 3(b) shows the case where the operating handle 4 extends in a direction of 45 degrees to the surface to be cleaned, and the friction surface 6a of the friction member 6 abuts against both the pressing surface 8a of the first pressing portion 8 of the rotating member 9 and the pressing surface 11a of the second pressing portion 11 of the gripping member 12. FIG. 3(c) shows the case where the operating handle 4 extends in a direction tilted toward the surface to be cleaned, and the friction surface 6a of the friction member 6 abuts against the pressing surface 11a of the second pressing portion 11 of the gripping member 12.

In addition, it is preferable that the friction surface 6a of the friction member 6 and the pressing surfaces 8a, 11a of the first pressing portion 8 of the rotating member 9 and/or the second pressing portion 11 of the gripping member 12 are approximately concentric surfaces centered on the first rotation axis 7. In addition, it is preferable that the friction surface 6a of the friction member 6 and the pressing surfaces 8a, 11a of the first pressing portion 8 of the rotating member 9 and/or the second pressing portion 11 of the gripping member 12 are approximately the same curved surfaces that match when abutted. In addition, it is preferable that the first pressing portion 8 of the rotating member 9 and/or the second pressing portion 11 of the gripping member 12 are in line contact or surface contact with the friction member 6. As a result, the entire friction surface 6a can be pressed by the pressing surfaces 8a, 11a, which can increase the frictional force and prevent local wear of the friction member 6, thereby increasing durability. Furthermore, when the operating handle 4 is rotated, the resistance experienced by the user is approximately constant, improving operability and reducing the burden on the user.

The operating handle 4 of the cleaning tool 10 has a rotating member 9 that can rotate in the short direction of the cleaning head 3, and the gripping member 12 has a second rotating shaft 13 relative to the rotating member 9, so that the gripping member 12 can rotate in the long direction of the cleaning head 3. This improves the operability of the operating handle 4 and allows cleaning of narrow spaces.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), the cleaning tool 10 has the first rotating shaft 7 and the second rotating shaft 13 formed on approximately the same plane X. This allows the cleaning head 3 to be smoothly rotated in the short direction and the long direction, further improving the operability of the operating handle 4 and allowing cleaning of narrow spaces. In addition, it is preferable that the first pressing part 8 is formed within a range of approximately 180 degrees including the tip of the operating handle 4, centered on the first rotating shaft 7. This ensures that the load on the first rotating shaft 7 of the operating handle 4 can be reliably reduced, and the pressing surface of the first pressing part can be reliably abutted against the friction member. In addition, the second rotating shaft 13 can be positioned lower than the first rotating shaft 7, and by setting the rotating operation position at a lower position, stable rotating operation can be performed. In this case, the pressing surface 8a of the first pressing part 8 forms an angle of less than 180 degrees around the first rotation axis 7, but because the pressing surface 11a of the second pressing part 11 is formed on an extension of the pressing surface 8a of the first pressing part 8, the operating handle 4 can be smoothly rotated approximately 180 degrees.

As shown in Figures 3(a) to (c), the cleaning head 3 of the cleaning tool 10 has biasing means 14, 15 that press the friction member toward the operating handle, and these biasing means 14, 15 are composed of a first pressing body 14 that directly presses the friction member 6, and a second pressing body 15 that indirectly presses the friction member 6 by pressing the first pressing body 14. In addition, the first pressing body 14 and the second pressing body 15 are formed of different materials. This makes it possible to further increase the friction force between the friction member 6 and the first pressing portion 8 and/or the second pressing portion 11.

The first pressing body 14 is a resin member formed integrally with the cleaning head 3, and the second pressing body 15 is a metal member formed separately from the cleaning head 3. Specifically, the first pressing body 14 adopts a U-shaped spring made of resin, and the second pressing body 15 adopts a compression coil spring made of metal. As a result, even if the wear of the friction member 6 progresses and the first pressing body 14 exceeds the range in which it can be biased with a substantially constant pressing force, the second pressing body 15 can compensate for the pressing force, so that a decrease in frictional force can be prevented. Furthermore, since the first pressing body 14 is formed integrally with the cleaning head 3, the first pressing body 14 can be stably abutted against the friction member 6, and the friction member 6 can reliably press the first pressing portion 8 of the rotating member 9 and/or the pressing surfaces 8a, 11a of the second pressing portion 11 of the gripping member 12. In addition, the second pressing body 15 is removably fixed to the cleaning head 3. This allows the second pressing body 15 to be easily replaced when the pressing force of the second pressing body 15 decreases.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the cleaning tool of the first embodiment during storage. Also, Figure 5(a) is a right side view showing the cleaning tool of the first embodiment during storage, and Figure 5(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the same part. Using these figures, the manner of use of the cleaning tool 10 of the first embodiment will be explained.

When the cleaning tool 10 is stored leaning against a wall, the bottom surface of the cleaning head 3 can be abutted against the wall, the side surface can be placed on the floor, and the operating handle 4 can be tilted down toward the wall. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the friction surface 6a of the friction member 6 abuts against the pressing surface 11a of the second pressing portion 11 of the gripping member 12. In addition, the first pressing body 14, which is the biasing means, abuts against the surface of the friction member 6 opposite to the friction surface 6a and presses it toward the second pressing portion 11. In addition, the second pressing body 15, which is the biasing means, presses one end of the first pressing body 14 toward the friction member 6. This allows the cleaning tool 10 to be stored stably leaning against the wall without the operating handle 4 falling down toward the opposite side of the wall.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the cleaning tool of the first embodiment with the cleaning head body disassembled. As shown in this figure, the cleaning members 1a, 1a to which the cleaning body, such as a napped cloth, is fixed are configured to be detachable from the cleaning head body 1. Specifically, the structure is such that the cleaning member 1a is detachably fixed by engaging a locking piece formed on the cleaning member 1a with a locking groove formed on the cleaning head body 1. This allows the cleaning member 1a to be removed and washed or replaced when the cleaning body becomes soiled.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a cleaning tool of the second embodiment. In the cleaning tool 20 of the second embodiment, the first pressing body 24 is fixed to the cleaning head 23 at one end by the shaft body 16 so as to be rotatable, and the other end is formed as a rotatable free end, and the second pressing body 25 is configured to press the other end of the first pressing body 24. This allows the first pressing body 24 to be stably abutted against the friction member 26, and ensures that the friction member 26 can press the pressing surface of the first pressing part 28 of the rotating member and/or the second pressing part 31 of the gripping member. In addition, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the pressing force on the other end side of the first pressing body 24, and further increase the friction force between the friction member 26 and the first pressing part 28 and/or the second pressing part 31.

The cleaning tool of the present invention is used as a cleaning tool for removing dirt, dust, etc. from floors, walls, stairs, etc. indoors.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 cleaning head body 1a cleaning member 2 joint member 3, 23 cleaning head 4 operation handle 5 bearing member 6, 26 friction member 6a friction surface 7 first rotating shaft 8, 28 first pressing portion 8a pressing surface 9 rotating member 10, 20 cleaning tool 11, 31 second pressing portion 11a pressing surface 12 gripping member 13 second rotating shaft 14, 24 first pressing body (biasing means)
15, 25 Second pressing body (urging means)
16 Axis body X plane

Claims (11)

A cleaning head having a substantially rectangular cleaning head body whose short side direction is the main cleaning direction and a joint member provided at substantially the center of an upper portion of the cleaning head body;
and an operating handle connected to the joint member of the cleaning head,
The joint member is
a pair of bearing members; and a friction member formed between the pair of bearing members and having a concave, generally arc-shaped friction surface on an upper surface thereof,
The operating handle is
a rotating member including a first rotating shaft journaled by the pair of bearing members and a first pressing portion located on an outer circumferential side of the first rotating shaft and having a pressing surface that is substantially arc-shaped in side view;
a gripping member extending in a generally rod-like shape integrally with or separately from the rotating member, and including a second pressing portion having a pressing surface that is generally arc-shaped in side view;
The pressing surface of the second pressing portion is formed on an extension of the pressing surface of the first pressing portion,
a first pressing portion and/or a second pressing portion that slides against the friction member when the operating handle is rotated; The cleaning tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the friction surface of the friction member and the pressing surface of the first pressing part of the rotating member and/or the second pressing part of the gripping member are surfaces of approximately concentric circles centered on the first rotating shaft. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the friction surface of the friction member and the pressing surface of the first pressing part of the rotating member and/or the second pressing part of the gripping member are substantially the same curved surface that coincides when they are brought into contact. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the operating handle has a rotating member that can rotate in the short direction of the cleaning head, and the gripping member has a second rotating shaft relative to the rotating member, and the gripping member can rotate in the long direction of the cleaning head. The cleaning tool according to claim 4, characterized in that the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft are formed on approximately the same plane. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first pressing part is formed within a range of approximately 180 degrees including the tip of the operating handle around the first rotation axis. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cleaning head has a biasing means for pressing the friction member toward the operating handle, the biasing means being composed of a first pressing body that directly presses the friction member and a second pressing body that indirectly presses the friction member by pressing the first pressing body, and the first pressing body and the second pressing body are formed of different materials. The cleaning tool according to claim 7, characterized in that the first pressing body is a resin member formed integrally with the cleaning head, and the second pressing body is a metal member formed separately from the cleaning head. The cleaning tool according to claim 7, characterized in that the first pressing body is formed so that one end is fixed to the cleaning head and the other end is a rotatable free end, and the second pressing body presses the other end of the first pressing body. The cleaning tool according to claim 7, characterized in that the second pressing body is removably fixed to the cleaning head. 3. The cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the first pressing portion of the rotating member and/or the second pressing portion of the gripping member are in line contact or surface contact with the friction member.

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