US3196475A

US3196475A - Dry mops

Info

Publication number: US3196475A
Application number: US309633A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sally N Brown
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-09-18
Filing date: 1963-09-18
Publication date: 1965-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 1982-07-27

Description

S. N. BROWN July 2 7, 1965 DRY MOPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 18, 19ss INVENTOR SALLY N. BROWN July 27, 1965 I s. N. BROWN 3, 7

DRY MOPS Filed Sept. 18, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR SA LLY N. BROWN BY MSW ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,196,475 Patented July 27, 1965 3,196,475 DRY MOPS Sally N. Brown, 1025 th Ave, New York, NY. Filed Sept. 18, 1963, Feet. No. 309,633 6 Claims. (Cl. 228) This invention relates to improved cleaning mops of the type known as dry mops for floors, walls and ceilmgs.

The various embodiments of the inventive concept have particular advantage for maintaining vinyl and other tile flooring between washings and/ or waxings.

Cleaning mops having designs too numerous to catalogue have been in use from the very beginning of recorded history. Presently for our type of household civilization, the one mop design which has received large scale general acceptance is the type having a large plurality of fabric strings attached to the underside of a mop head, the latter being pivotally connected to a handle. The theory of operation of such a mop head is that the strings pick up dirt and dust from the floor when a dusting motion is applied to the mop head and the picked up dirt and dust can be released by shaking the mop head out of a window. Actually, such a mop head moves around and spreads as much dirt and dust as it picks up so as to merely give a false clean appearance. In any case, the strings become dirty since they can never release all of the dirt and dust which they manage to pick up and the storage of such a mop is unpleasant to both sight and smell. Furthermore, and very important, it is generally illegal today to shake mops out of windows in populated areas.

Admittedly, patent offices throughout the world have been deluged, particularly in the last 50 years, with new mop designs to replace the accepted string type mop with other mops having removable and able to be laundered fabric covers. However, none of such new designs have received large scale acceptance because of the disadvantages inherent in such designs with the result that general usage of string type mops still prevails.

Broadly speaking, it, is an object of this invention to provide an improved cleaning mop for general large scale acceptance which will not have the disadvantages of the prior art designs, including the string type mop.

According to the invention there is provided a mop head comprising a frame member; a handle connector pivotally connected to the frame member; a substantially rectangular body member supported upon the frame member and having a resilient cushion bottom surface; and a soft enveloping mop cap member disposed over said body member; said mop cap member being longer along its side edges than said body member, closed along its two side edges and its front edge, and open along its rear edge to permit said mop cap member to be positioned upon and removed from said body member; said mop cap member having a longitudinal slit along its top surface extending from its rear edge, the edges of said slit enveloping said handle connector.

Other objects and features of the present invention will be set forth or apparent in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in a limited number of embodiments, the principle of the invention and structural implementations of the inventive concept.

In the drawings, in which like reference numbers designate like components in the several views:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly in cross section, of one embodiment of a mop head according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, partly in cross section, of the mop head shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom and rear end perspective view, partly in cross section, showing another embodiment of the mop head employing a plurality of mop caps according to the invention; and

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the bottom of the mop head of FIG. 4 in a vertical storage position showing the exterior mop cap folded upon itself so that the dirty bottom surface of the exterior mop cap is not exposed.

As shown in F163. 1 and 2, a mop head comprises a one piece wire frame It) having a substantially rectangular overall shape with

straight side edges

12, 12 each terminating rearwardly in separate spaced back loop portions 14, 14. The wire frame is bent to form spaced front curved portions 16, 16', the latter being connected by internal inwardly directed

portions

18, 18 to form a central transverse straight portion 20. A handle connector 22 has a bent over portion 24 for pivotal connection to portion 25) of frame 10 and a socket 26 for connection to a handle 23.

A substantially rectangular body member 30, having an aperture 32 in the top surface thereof through which the handle connector 22 extends, envelops frame 10. A resilient cushion member 34, such as sheepskin with its natural wool face, is attached to the bottom surface of the body member 34 Advantageously, the resilient cushion member 34 is provided with a free end 35 which extends rearward beyond the rear end 33 of the body member 30 for the reasons to be explained later.

A soft mop cap member 4-0, best shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is snugly fitted over the body member 30, the mop cap member being a rectangular glove or sack with closed sides 42, 42', a closed front edge 44 and an open rear portion 46 so that the mop cap 40 can be positioned upon and removed from the body member 30 to permit laundering as the mop cap becomes soiled. Mop cap 40 is somewhat longer than the bottom cushion member 34 so as to keep the latter covered and clean as the mop is moved in sweeping backward and forward movements. In order to accommodate the handle connector 22, the top surface of the mop cap 49 is slit to form adjacent longitudinal edges 48, 48' which extend from the open rear portion 46 to and around the handle connector 22. 7 Advantageously, the handle connector 22 can have a notch 47 so that the spreading of the longitudinal edges 48, 48' in the rear half of the mop cap can be minimized.

Mop cap it) is preferably fabricated from a one piece substantially rectangular finished edge fabric member having a base and a looped cotton pile. Such material is generally known as toweling or terry cloth. However, other materials, including plastics, may be used.

Mop cap 41) is preferably fabricated by twice longitudinally folding the one piece fabric member to temporarily form a double open ended bag member with two closed sides 42, 42'. The two longitudinal edges 48, 48' are brought together in over-lapping relationship and stitches 50 (see PEG. 2) spaced from the

edges

48, 48 are made for a distance extending linearly from the front edge 44 of the mop cap 49 rearwardly towards the position which usual cleaning drudgery. Also, has beenfound that will be occupied by the handle connector 22, and in particular the notched portion 4'7 thereof. The double open ended bag member so formed is then closed at the front edge by stitches 54 after the lineof stitches 50 is centrall and longitudinally located along the top surface of the mop cap 40. V I

Mopcap 40, is selectively 'dimensioned so that it fits rather snugly over the body member 3% (and the frame toweling material or terry cloth, is a very effective dirt and dust pick-up medium'which far surpasses the cleaning power exhibited by the string type mop. The dirt and dust pick-up property of toweling or terry cloth mop caps is further improved when aplurality of mop capsare interfitted in piggyback manner of FIG. 4. It

member 10) and optionally in a manner to slightly comcap 40 as shown in FIG. 3, the longitudinal edges .48,

is believed that the slight relative motions of the plurality of the mop caps 49, 6t), 7t) generate static electricity which improves the ,dirt and dust pickup effectiveness of the mop cap according to this invention.

While. there has been described 'andpointed out the fundamental novel features of 'the invention as applied 48 rearward of the handle connector 22 will tendto lie either veryclose to each other or in over-lapping relationship as 'aresult ofthe stitches 50 which provide that the sum of the lengths of the, two separate rear edges of the top surface of mopcap 40 is greater than the length of front edgef44. 1 f

A particularly advantageous embodiment appears in FIG; 4 wherein a pluralityof mop caps 69, 76 are'placed 'over mop cap 40 in interfitting or piggyback relationship. When each mop cap it 60, and 7% is substantially identical in size and shape the outer mop cap 70. determines the maximum outside dimensions of the .mop head and the resilient cushion bottom member 34 can compress,

if necessary, to accommodate the material of the

inner mop caps

60 and 40 as well as 'a small'amount of folding thereof. 7 V I 7 7 Furniture which is encountered with forward sweeps of the mop head of FIG. 3 or 4 is protected from marringby the bridged unsupported stretched length of the body member 39 and the mop cap 40 between the two front 1..A cleaning mop to preferred embodiments, it will be understoodthat various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form 'anddetails of the'devices illustrated and its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Itis the intention, therefore,

to be limited only as indicatedby the scope of the following claims. What I claim is:

prising: a substantially rectangular resilient frame; a handle connector pivotallyconnected to the central section of said frame, said handle connectorbeing providedwith a socket in which a niop' handle is adapted to be removably..'secured;. a rectangular fabric body member'which tightly envelopes said frame, an aperture in the top wall of said body'member through which said handle. connector extends; a relatively thick soft fuzzy resilient cushion member secured tothe bottom wall of said body member,

said cushion member being provided with a free. end which extends rearwardly a substantial:distancebeyond the rear end of said body member; an enveloping bag-shaped cap member'whichis removably disposed about said body member and the said free end of said cushion member,

loops

16, 16, the wire frame receding therefrom to form a soft notch. On sweeping backward motions, furniture is protected from being ,fmarkedlas a result of the rearward over-hang of the resilient cushion member 3 beyond the two rear loops 1 14, the latter being spaced.

to also form a rear soft notch. Further, as furniture is encountered, the rearward over jhan'g portion will swing upwardly to completely cushion the wire portions 14, 14'.

Furniture is protected from the side wire portions l z, 12' as a result of the springiness of such long'straight'side portions enhanced by the lack of a complete back edge as a consequence of V the spaced rear loops 14, 14'. :Added springiness to the

side wire elements

12, 12 are provided by the rounded shape of the

front wire loops

16, 16. Op-i tionally, a thick soft material for mop cap 40 will' oifer.

additional protection to prevent marringof furniture.

As the bottom surface of the troop cap 46 becomes f soiled, it can easily be removed and laundered. Shrinkthe rear end of said capmember being open andthe top wall thereof having alongitudinal. slit which extends.

from the rear end thereo fto substantially the mid-section thereof to. permit the application of said cap member. to said body member and the removal thereof from. said body member, 3 y 2. A cleaning mop of thecharacter described comprising: a substantially rectangular resilient frame formed.

from a single length of spring wire and comprising a "pair of longitudinally extending spaced parallel side sections, the rear end of each of said sidesections being formedintoa loop, the forward ends of said side sections age of the'mop cap material will not be seriously vdisa'dvantageous since the resilient cushion bottom surface 34* can accommodate changing dimensions.

When a plurality of mop caps areemployeionly the bottom surface of the exterior cap will become soiled with use of the mop- As the external mop cap becomes dirty,

it can be peeled off for laundering and the next innermost mop cap is ready for cleaning immediately.

dering the dirty mop cap, the'rearward half of the exterior mop cap, shown as in FIG. 5,; can be foldedback over the front half. When this is done, the entiredii ty bot-v tom surface of the exterior mop cap '78 is folded into itself and no part of the'dirty bottom surface is exposed to view.

The mop caps, particularly when fabricated from toweling material or terry cloth can be made very attractive by employing colors and patterns so' as to brighten up the cleaning chore and relieve the housewife from the beingbent inwardly into semi-circular sectionsand connected to a pair of spaced 're-entr ant sections which iterminate substantially mid-way between the said'loops and said semi-circular sectionsand are connected together by a transverse sectiom a handle connector pivotally connected-to said transverse section, said handle connector being provided with a socket-in which'a'mop handle is adapted to be removably secured; .a rectangular fabric body member which tightly envelopessaid frame, anaperture'in the top wallof saidbody member through which said handle-connector extends; a relatively thick soft fuzzy resilient cushion'mernber. secured to thebottom wall of said body member, said cushion memberbeing provided with a free end which'extends rearwardly is substantial distancebeyond the rear end of said body mem When the exterior mop cap is only partially dirty so that itbe co m'es convenient to store themop wlthout launher; an enveloping bag-shaped cap member which 'is re- 1novably disposed about said bodysmember and the said free end'of said cushion member, the rear end of said cap' member being open and the'topfwall thereof having 7 -applieation of said cap member to said body member and alongitudinal slit which extends from the rear end therethe removal thereof from said bodymember.

3. A cleaning mop as defined by claim 1 in which the open rear end of said cap member is spaced. rearwardly from the free end of said cushion member.

4. A cleaning mop as defined by claim 1 in whichsaid of the. character described com 5 6 cap member is dimensioned to compress said resilient 2,669,741 2/54 Jelliife 15-41292 cushion member. 2,690,661 10/54 Briggs 15--229.1 XR 5. A cleaning mop as defined by claim 1 in which said 2,815,521 12/57 Winckler 15247 XR cap member is fabricated from terry cloth. 2,831,207 4/58 Thompson et a1. 15-228 6. A cleaning mop as defined by claim 5 in which said 5 3,166,775 1/65 Cushman 15228 cushion member is fabricated from sheepskin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,186,960 6/16 Wells. 10 DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner.

1,313,184 8/19 Hayden 15-229.1 2,431,502 11/47 Podolak 15-2292 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Examiner,

FOREIGN PATENTS 731,569 5/32 France.

Claims

1. A CLEANING MOP OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING: A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR RESILENT FRAME; A HANDLE CONNECTOR PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE CENTRAL SECTION OF SAID FRAME, SAID HANDLE CONNECTOR BEING PROVIDED WITH A SOCKET IN WHICH A MOP HANDLE IS ADAPTED TO BE REMOVABLY SECURED; A RECTANGULAR FABRIC BODY MEMBER WHICH TIGHTLY ENVELOPES SAID FRAME, AN APERTURE IN THE TOP WALL OF SAID BODY MEMBER THROUGH WHICH SAID HANDLE CONNECTOR EXTENDS; A RELATIVELY THICK SOFT FUZZY RESILIENT CUSHION MEMBER SECURED TO THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID CUSHION MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH A FREE END WHICH EXTENDS REARWARDLY A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BEYOND THE REAR END OF SAID BODY MEMBER; AN ENVELOPING BAG-SHAPED CAP MEMBER WHICH IS REMOVABLY DISPOSED ABOUT SAID BODY MEMBER AND THE SAID FREE END OF SAID CUSHION MEMBER, THE REAR END OF SAID CAP MEMBER BEING OPEN AND THE TOP WALL THEREOF HAVING LONGITUDINAL SLIT WHICH EXTENDS FROM THE REAR EMD THEREOF TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE MID-SECTION THEREOF TO PERMIT THE APPLICATON OF SAID CAP MEMBER TO SAID BODY MEMBER AND THE REMOVAL THEREOF FROM SAID BODY MEMBER.