JP7538669B2 - Cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cleaning tool suitable for use in cleaning toilets and the like.

Cleaning tools used to clean wet areas such as toilets and bathrooms include brushes with a large number of bristles made from various animal hairs, plant fibers, or synthetic resins attached to the handle or board, and mops with a sponge or nonwoven fabric attached to the end of a long handle. Most of these cleaning tools have a handle for the user to grip and a cleaning body for wiping off dirt from the surface to be cleaned.

Some of these cleaning tools have replaceable or even disposable cleaning bodies. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cleaning tool in which the ends of a rectangular cleaning body made of a water-decomposable material are attached to a pair of parallel fastening parts at the tip of the handle, making it possible to remove the cleaning body.

Cleaning bodies made of water-decomposable materials impregnated with this agent will not clog pipes, etc., even if they are flushed down the toilet after cleaning the toilet bowl, etc.

Patent Publication No. 2007-530081

However, in the cleaning tool of Patent Document 1, the wiping ability of the cleaning body varies depending on the direction of movement, and there is a problem that, in particular, when the cleaning body is moved in a direction parallel to the fastening part, the wiping ability decreases and the cleaning body is easily detached from the fastening part.

Furthermore, in order to attach this cleaning body to the fastening part, it is necessary to grip the cleaning body, which creates the problem that the chemicals impregnated in the cleaning body may adhere to the hands.

The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a cleaning tool that allows the cleaning body to be attached to the handle without touching it with the hands, and allows the cleaning body to be easily attached to and detached from the handle.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the cleaning tool of the present invention comprises a handle portion having a cylindrical attachment portion at its tip which is open in one direction, and a cleaning body having a cleaning portion at one end and a cylindrical insertion portion at the other end which is inserted into the attachment portion , the outer tube portion of the handle portion having a hollow portion which is continuous with the attachment portion and runs along the longitudinal direction of the handle portion, a sliding portion which can slide back and forth is disposed within the hollow portion, and a clamping portion provided at the tip of the sliding portion clamps or unclamps the insertion portion of the cleaning body inserted into the attachment portion depending on whether the sliding portion moves forward to a forward position or backward to a rear position .

The cleaning tool of the present invention allows the cleaning body to be attached to the handle without touching it with the hands, and the cleaning body can be easily attached and detached from the handle.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cleaning tool with the cleaning element detached from the handle. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cleaning body attached to the handle. 13 is a perspective view of the cleaning body attached to the handle, seen from another direction. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the handle with the sliding portion positioned forward. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the handle with the sliding portion positioned rearward. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing, in a transparent manner, the outer cylinder part in a state in which the cleaning element is to be attached; 11 is an explanatory diagram of an engagement state between the clamping portion and the cleaning body. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing, in a transparent manner, the outer cylinder part with the cleaning element attached; FIG. 2 is a transparent perspective view of the outer cylinder with the cleaning element removed. FIG. 11 is a perspective view transparently illustrating an outer cylinder part in a state in which a cleaning element of another embodiment is attached.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cleaning tool with the cleaning body detached from the handle, FIG. 2 is a perspective view from another direction, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cleaning body attached to the handle, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view from another direction.

The cleaning tool 1 is composed of a rod-shaped handle 2 made of a hard synthetic resin material or the like, and a cleaning body 3 that can be attached to the tip of the handle 2 and removed. The handle 2 is hollow, and the tip 2a is provided with an attachment part 2b that opens obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the handle 2 and is used to attach the cleaning body 3.

The opening direction of the attachment portion 2b of the tip 2a of the handle 2 may be in one direction relative to the longitudinal direction of the handle 2, or in any direction such as a direction perpendicular to or parallel to the longitudinal direction of the handle 2. A locking hole 2c is formed at the rear end of the handle 2 so that it can be locked to a hook or the like during storage.

The cleaning body 3 is in the form of a roll of water-soluble sheet material that is easily dissolved in water, wound into a spiral shape and layered. Examples of materials for this sheet material include paper and nonwoven fabric, with nonwoven fabric being preferred. There are no particular limitations on the material of the sheet material as long as it is water-soluble.

The cleaning body 3 has a diameter of 2 to 5 cm at the bottom and a height of about 4 to 10 cm, and the size can be adjusted according to the object to be cleaned.

Also, an embossed sheet material can be used as the sheet material. This embossed sheet material has uneven portions spaced apart on its front or back surface or on both surfaces. The shape of the uneven portions may be linear or curved, and may be rectangular or circular, but a circular or rectangular shape is preferable to improve wiping properties. For example, when two sheets of sheet material are stacked and rolled, the sheet materials may be stacked and then embossed, or the embossed sheet materials may be stacked.

To improve wiping and cleaning properties, the sheet material can be impregnated with a detergent such as a surfactant, or a powdered detergent can be applied to the surface. Methods for applying the powdered detergent include, for example, simply sprinkling it on the surface of the rolled sheet material, folding the sheet material in half and sandwiching it between the sheets, or applying it via a water-soluble adhesive.

The cleaning body 3 has a flexible, frustum-shaped cleaning portion 3a at one end, and a cylindrical insertion portion 3b at the other end that is inserted into the mounting portion 2b of the handle portion 2. The insertion portion 3b is fixed by squeezing the sheet material, and a circular step portion 3c is formed in multiple steps around the insertion portion 3b. Note that the circular step portion 3c may have only one step.

The insertion portion 3b is molded, for example, by compression using a mold of a press machine. In order to keep the roll body of the insertion portion 3b in a squeezed state, the periphery of the insertion portion 3b is fixed with a water-soluble adhesive. In addition to adhesive, for example, it may be wrapped or tied with a water-soluble string, or these means may be combined with adhesive.

By narrowing the insertion portion 3b in this way, the shape of the cleaning portion 3a of the main part becomes roughly bell-shaped, and the layer density of the insertion portion 3b becomes much greater than the layer density of the cleaning portion 3a, improving the attachment strength. Note that the shape of the cleaning portion 3a can be any suitable shape other than the bell shape, such as a truncated cone or a rectangle.

The flat end surface 3d of the cleaning part 3a is the cleaning surface, and since the stacked layers of sheet material are structured so that the layers support each other, the end surface 3d is not easily crushed even when a load is applied, and maintains its shape, making it highly durable and easy to wipe. Dirt is wiped off from the surface to be cleaned by rubbing this end surface 3d against the surface to be cleaned.

As shown in the cross-sectional views of Figures 5 and 6, the inside of the outer tube 2d of the handle 2 is a hollow section 2e that is continuous with the mounting section 2b of the tip 2a, and a rod-shaped sliding section 2f that can slide back and forth within this hollow section 2e is disposed. The handle 2 can be appropriately divided so that the sliding section 2f and other parts can be installed and assembled. Note that Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the handle 2 with the sliding section 2f advanced, and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the sliding section 2f advanced backward.

A spring 2g is disposed at the rear end of the hollow portion 2e to bias the sliding portion 2f forward, and a clamping portion 2h is provided at the front end of the sliding portion 2f to secure the cleaning body 3. A cylindrical operating button 2i protrudes from the rear of the sliding portion 2f to the outside of the outer tube portion 2d through a long hole-shaped operating hole 2k provided on the surface of the outer tube portion 2d. The operating hole 2k is composed of a main hole 2l on the tip side and a groove portion 2m on the rear side that is continuous with this main hole 2l.

A gap 2j is formed in the sliding portion 2f directly below the operation button 2i. When the operation button 2i is pressed downward, the gap 2j deforms as shown in FIG. 6, and the operation button 2i sinks downward while being biased upward.

The body of the operating button 2i has notches (not shown) that run along the longitudinal direction of the handle 2. These notches engage with the strips on both sides of the groove 2m of the operating hole 2k only when the operating button 2i is pressed, allowing the operating button 2i to slide within the groove 2m.

When the operation button 2i is pressed with a finger to deform the gap 2j and move it into the groove 2m against the biasing force of the spring body 2g to the state shown in FIG. 6, when the finger is released from the operation button 2i, the biasing force of the spring body 2g automatically returns it to the state shown in FIG. 5. Note that because the operation button 2i is caught in the main hole 2l, the sliding part 2f does not protrude further forward.

The notch of the operation button 2i that has returned to the main hole 2l moves upward due to the restoring force of the gap 2j, so unless the operation button 2i is pressed, the notch of the operation button 2i does not engage with the strips on both sides of the groove 2m. As a result, the operation button 2i maintains its engagement with the main hole 2l, and the sliding part 2f cannot move backward and is locked.

Figure 7 is a transparent perspective view of the outer tube when the cleaning body is attached, and the clamping portion 2h at the tip of the sliding portion 2f is composed of a pair of plate-shaped clamping pieces 2n and an engagement piece 2o arranged between these clamping pieces 2n. Note that it is sufficient for the clamping portion 2h to be provided with at least the clamping pieces 2n, and it is not necessary to provide the engagement piece 2o.

The pair of clamping pieces 2n are curved outward, and when the sliding part 2f is moving backward, the curved shape is narrowed and accommodated in the hollow part 2e of the outer tube part 2d. When the sliding part 2f moves forward and the pair of clamping pieces 2n move from the hollow part 2e to the mounting part 2b, the restoring force of the clamping pieces 2n causes the tips of the clamping pieces 2n to return to their curved shape with the tips separated from each other.

On the inner surface of the clamping piece 2n, multiple protruding engagement parts 2p are provided along the opening direction of the mounting part 2b, and as shown in Figure 8, these engagement parts 2p have a horizontal part 2q at the upper end and a sloped part 2r at the lower end. Note that although two engagement parts 2p are shown in Figure 7, one or three or more may be provided.

The engaging piece 2o, which is disposed between the pair of clamping pieces 2n, has a slanted plate shape aligned with the opening direction of the mounting part 2b, and a stepped portion is formed on the surface.

When attaching the cleaning body 3 to the handle 2 in order to use the cleaning tool 1, the handle 2 is moved in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. 7, and the insertion portion 3b of the cleaning body 3 placed on the floor surface F is pushed into the mounting portion 2b. When attaching the cleaning body 3, with the operation button 2i shown in FIG. 5 engaged with the main hole 2l, the handle 2 is operated to insert the insertion portion 3b of the cleaning body 3 into the mounting portion 2b.

As shown in Fig. 7, the clamping portion 2h at the front end of the sliding portion 2f protruding into the mounting portion 2b of the handle portion 2 is in a state where the tips of the clamping pieces 2n are separated and open to the left and right, and when the insertion portion 3b of the cleaning body 3 is pressed into the clamping pieces 2n in this state, the clamping pieces 2n further open to the left and right. Then, as the clamping pieces 2n open to the left and right, the step portion 3c of the insertion portion 3b engages with the engagement portion 2p of the clamping pieces 2n as shown in Fig. 8.

When the upper corner of the step 3c of the insertion part 3b comes into contact with the sloped part 2r of the engagement part 2p, the step 3c moves upward while sliding along the sloped part 2r. Once the step 3c has moved upward, the lower corner of the step 3c gets caught on the horizontal part 2q of the engagement part 2p, so even if it is pulled strongly downward by the cleaning body 3, the engagement between the step 3c and the engagement part 2p is not easily released.

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the outer tube 2d in a transparent state with the cleaning body 3 attached, and Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the outer tube 2d in a transparent state with the cleaning body 3 removed. As shown in Figure 9, the handle 2 is pressed against the cleaning body 3 placed on the floor surface F or the like until the insertion portion 3b is completely housed in the attachment portion 2b, and the step portion 3c of the insertion portion 3b is engaged with the engagement portion 2p and engagement piece 2o of the clamping piece 2n, completing the installation of the cleaning body 3.

The user grasps the handle 2 of the cleaning tool 1 to which the cleaning body 3 is attached, and uses the cleaning body 3 to wipe off dirt from the surface to be cleaned. Gripping the handle 2, the end face 3d and peripheral side of the cleaning body 3 are brought into contact with the surface to be cleaned, and the cleaning body 3 is moved so as to rub against the surface to be cleaned. At this time, particularly at the end face 3d of the cleaning body 3, the layers of sheet material that form a spiral trajectory and the gaps that form between these layers and similarly form a spiral trajectory provide excellent wiping properties, and the wiping properties do not change regardless of the direction in which the end face 3d is moved. In addition, because the sheet material is stacked in a spiral shape, the layers support each other, so that it is difficult to be crushed even when a load is applied to the end face 3d.

For example, when cleaning dirt stuck to the toilet bowl, if a conventional cleaning tool is pressed hard against the toilet bowl while rubbing it, the sheet material spreads too much, resulting in poor wiping performance. In contrast, even if the cleaning body 3 of the embodiment is pressed hard against the toilet bowl, it does not spread too much and can retain its shape while entangling the dirt in the gaps between the sheet materials.

When removing the cleaning body 3 from the handle 2 after cleaning the toilet, etc., press the operating button 2i with a finger as described above to release the engagement between the operating button 2i and the main hole 2l, and then slide the operating button 2i into the groove 2m as described above.

By sliding the operating button 2i backward, the pair of clamping pieces 2n narrow, that is, as the sliding portion 2f moves from the front end to the rear end, the tips of the clamping pieces 2n, which are spaced apart, close from the open state to the left and right and approach each other, causing the step portion 3c to separate from the engaging portion 2p and the engaging piece 2o, and thus releasing the engagement state.

As a result of this release, as shown by the arrow in Figure 10, the cleaning body 3 falls under its own weight, for example, into the toilet bowl, where the disposable cleaning body 3 dissolves in water and is discharged into the sewer. When removing the cleaning body 3 from the attachment part 2b that opens in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the handle 2, the operation button 2i is pressed with a finger to release the engagement between the operation button 2i and the main hole 2l, and then the operation button 2i is slid into the groove 2m, whereby the engagement part 2p that is engaged with the step 3c moves backward, destroying the step 3c. Therefore, more force is required to slide the operation button 2i into the groove 2m than with the attachment part 2b that opens in an oblique direction.

The clamping portion 2h provided at the tip of the sliding portion 2f can clamp or unclamp the insertion portion 3b of the cleaning body 3 inserted into the attachment portion 2b according to the movement of the sliding portion 2f to the tip or rear end. The user can attach and detach the cleaning body 3 without touching the cleaning body 3 with his or her hands.

In addition, in this embodiment, a water-soluble cleaning body 3 has been described, but it does not necessarily have to be water-soluble. A cleaning body 3 made of a non-water-soluble sheet material can be attached to a handle of a handy type, for example, and used to clean a kitchen sink or other object. In this case, after use of the cleaning body 3, it is discarded in a trash can or the like.

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing in transparent form the outer tube 2d of the cleaning tool 1 in another embodiment in the state in which the cleaning body 3 is attached, and a pair of plate-shaped clamping pieces 2n each have one protruding engagement portion 2p. The insertion portion 3b of the cleaning body 3 consists of a cylindrical neck portion 3e that continues to the cleaning portion 3a, and a cylindrical head portion 3f that continues to this neck portion 3e and has a diameter larger than that of the neck portion 3e, and a slope portion 3g is provided at the upper corner of the head portion 3f.

When attaching the cleaning body 3 to the handle 2, the handle 2 is moved in the direction of the arrow as shown in Figure 11, and the insertion part 3b of the cleaning body 3 placed on the floor surface F is pushed into the attachment part 2b. Then, when the engagement part 2p of the clamping piece 2n abuts against the sloped part 3g of the cleaning body 3, the engagement part 2p moves downward while sliding along the sloped part 3g.

The engagement part 2p that has moved to the neck part 3e is caught by the head part 3f, so even if it is pulled strongly downward by the cleaning body 3, the engagement between the insertion part 3b and the engagement part 2p is not easily released.

In this way, the cleaning tool 1 according to the present invention allows the cleaning body 3 to be attached to the handle 2 without touching it with hands. In addition, the clamping portion 2h provided at the tip of the sliding portion 2f can clamp or unclamp the insertion portion 3b of the cleaning body 3 inserted into the attachment portion 2b by operating the operating button 2i to move the sliding portion 2f to the tip or rear end, so the cleaning body 3 can be easily attached and detached from the handle 2. In addition, by using a cleaning body 3 that is not easily crushed even when a load is applied, excellent wiping properties can be achieved during cleaning.

1 Cleaning tool 2 Handle part 2a Tip part 2b Mounting part 2d Outer cylinder part 2e Hollow part 2f Sliding part 2g Spring body 2h Clamping part 2i Operation button 2k Operation hole 2l Main hole 2n Clamping piece 2p Engagement part 2q Horizontal part 2r, 3g slope part 3 cleaning body 3a cleaning part 3b insertion part 3c step part 3e neck part 3f head

Claims (10)

The cleaning body is provided with a cleaning part at one end and a cylindrical insertion part at the other end, and the cleaning part is provided with a handle part at the tip of the handle part and a cylindrical attachment part that is open in one direction.
The cleaning tool is characterized in that the outer tube of the handle has a hollow portion that is continuous with the mounting portion and runs along the longitudinal direction of the handle, a sliding portion that is capable of sliding back and forth is disposed within the hollow portion, and a clamping portion provided at the tip of the sliding portion clamps or unclamps the insertion portion of the cleaning body inserted into the mounting portion depending on whether the sliding portion moves forward to a forward position or backward to a rear position . 2. The cleaning tool according to claim 1, characterized in that an operation button is provided behind the sliding portion, the operation button protruding to the outside of the outer tube portion through an operation hole provided in a surface of the outer tube portion, and the sliding portion is moved to the forward position or the rearward position by operating the operation button. 3. The cleaning tool according to claim 2, wherein the operation hole has a main hole at a tip side , and when the sliding portion is in the forward position , an engagement state between the operation button and the main hole is maintained, and the sliding portion cannot be moved rearward unless the operation button is pressed. 4. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein a spring is disposed at a rear end of the hollow portion to bias the sliding portion forward. The cleaning tool of any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the clamping portion has a pair of clamping pieces, and when the sliding portion is in the forward position , the tips of the clamping pieces are spaced apart and open to the left and right, and as the sliding portion moves from the forward position to the rear position , the tips of the clamping pieces that are spaced apart close together from the open to the left and right state. The cleaning tool according to claim 5, characterized in that the inner surface of the clamping piece is provided with one or more protruding engagement portions, and one or more annular steps are formed around the insertion portion, and the cleaning body is attached to the handle portion by engaging the engagement portions and the steps. The engagement portion has a horizontal portion at an upper end and a sloped portion at a lower end,
7. The cleaning tool according to claim 6 , wherein when an upper corner of the step of the insertion portion abuts against the inclined surface of the engagement portion, the step moves upward while sliding along the inclined surface. The clamping piece has an inner surface provided with a protruding engagement portion,
The insertion portion includes a cylindrical neck portion that is continuous with the cleaning portion, and a cylindrical head portion that is continuous with the neck portion and has a diameter larger than that of the neck portion,
The cleaning tool according to claim 5, wherein the cleaning body is attached to the handle by hooking the engagement portion onto the head portion, thereby bringing the engagement portion and the insertion portion into an engaged state. The head has an upper corner provided with a sloped surface,
9. The cleaning tool according to claim 8 , wherein when the engaging portion comes into contact with the inclined surface, the engaging portion slides downward along the inclined surface. The cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the attachment portion opens in a diagonal direction with respect to a longitudinal direction of the handle portion.

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