WO1996033648A1

WO1996033648A1 - Scraper for a floor cleaning tool

Info

Publication number: WO1996033648A1
Application number: PCT/GB1996/001037
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tony Brooks; Yumi Brooks
Original assignee: Tony Brooks; Yumi Brooks
Priority date: 1995-04-27
Filing date: 1996-04-29
Publication date: 1996-10-31
Also published as: AU5507096A

Abstract

A scraper for a floor cleaning tool such as a broom or mop. The scraper comprises a scraping edge portion for scraping debris from a surface to be cleaned, and an attachment portion from which the scraping edge depends, the attachment portion being designed for engaging the broom. Typically, a broom has a broomstick, connected at one of which is head, which is turn carries a multiplicity of bristles for sweeping the floor. The attachment portion of the scraper is designed so that it can be readily attached to the head of the broom without any modification or alteration being necessary to the broom or broom head. In this way the scraper is attached to the broom, and extends out at an angle from the broom head. In one embodiment the engagement is effected by means of a gripping action. In another embodiment the engagement is effected by a fixture intermediate the broom and head. In a further embodiment the engagement is by virtue of the integral formation of the scraper with the broom head. In use, for removing debris that cannot be swept up by the broom, the broom is turned about the broomstick axis so that the scraper faces the debris, and in a scraping action scrapes, scrubs, or scuffs the stubborn debris from the floor so it can then the swept up.

Description

SCRAPER FOR A FLOOR CLEANING TOOL

This invention relates to a scraper, and more particularly but not exclusively to a scraper for use in combination with a cleaning tool for surfaces such as floors and ground.

Surface cleaning tools, such as mops and brooms have a head supporting an elongate handle from a top surface thereof and at least one cleaning element from an undersurface thereof. Such surface cleaning tools, in particular brooms, are routinely used for sweeping and cleaning surfaces, be it in a dwelling, in a garden or in a work place. It is a known practice for a broom user, on encountering a piece of debris bound to the surface to be cleaned, to invert or turn the broom head and scrape the surface with an edge of the inverted or turned broom head in order to dislodge the bound debris from the surface. Once the bound debris has been dislodged, the user returns the broom head to its upright, normal brushing position and continues with the task.

However, since the broom head is not specifically designed to exert a scraping action, it is not always possible to dislodge the bound debris without recourse to another separate implement, such as a wire brush, spatula or scourer. Use of such implements requires bending and stooping which can cause discomfort to the user and, but in any event, is also disruptive to the sweeping process.

Moreover, repeated use of the broom head as a scraper may damage the head to such an extent that the broom edges become rounded and not only useless for scraping but also the appearance of the broom head becomes unsightly. Furthermore, it is not unknown for use of the broom head as a scraper to so weaken the joint between the broom handle and the broom head that the broom head becomes detached from the handle, leaving the user with the annoying prospect of having to fix the broom head back to the handle before proceeding with the task.

Applicant is aware of a number of devices which have been proposed as scrapers to be used in combination with a floor cleaning tool such as a brush, broom or mop head with a view to overcoming the disadvantages of using the broom head as a scraper. For example, European patent publication no. 0 373 509 to de Argila Tassis, discloses a scraper for a mop which is of triangular shape and is connected to the mop at the junction of the mop handle and mop head projecting perpendicularly outwards therefrom. The scraper has a hexagonal ring-like portion for engaging the mop simply by means of a push fit with the complimentarily designed receiving shape of the mop head. A major drawback of this scraper, is that because there is no positive fixing of the scraper to the mop head, the connection therebetween will, through use, wear away, and consequently the scraper will become loose from the mop head, and hence disfunctional. Furthermore, due to the nature of the push fit connection of the hexagonal ring-like portion of the scraper and the complimentary receiving shape of the mop head, the shapes of the two parts are mutually dependent, which means that both parts must designed and manufactured to specified tolerances. This scraper suffers from the other disadvantages such as being too small and in consequence requiring too precise an application by a user to ihe area to be scraped, and of its view of the scraper being obscured by the head of the mop so that it is not possible easily to apply the scraper to the debris to removed. The scraper is also not robust enough for use with outdoor brooms to be used, for example, in the garden or the workplace, and could readily be snapped off at the junction point which is at the apex of the triangle. Moreover, if not used carefully, this scraper could damage an indoor floor surface to which it is applied. Adaption to prevent such damage, eg by covering the scraper with a floor cloth, is inconvenient and messy.

European patent publication no. 0 494 020 to Financiere Elysees Baizac is directed towards a purpose built broom comprising a shank and broom head which is rotatable about the broom handle axis to present either a bristled surface or an abrasive pad to the surface to be cleaned. The disadvantages of this construction are that the abrasive pad is not nearly so versatile as a scraper, it would quickly be worn away if used on a ground surface such as concrete, paving stones or asphalt and it is made and sold as a complete, non-adaptable, unit and so is not applicable to brooms that are already in a user's possession.

There is therefore a need for a scraper that can be simply and easily mounted on and optionally removed from the head of a floor cleaning tool, such as a broom, to provide a robust scraping edge which minimises the risk of the head being used as a scraper, which is versatile in that it is suitable for, or can readily be adapted for, both indoor and outdoor surfaces and yet does not interfere with the ordinary cleaning action. Put another way, there is a need for a scraper which is firmly mounted or fixed to the head of a cleaning tool, or is integral with the head, thereby providing reliable and effective scraping.

Accordingly, from one aspect, the present invention provides a scraper for a cleaning tool for a floor or ground surface, the cleaning tool having a handle and a head supporting at least one cleaning element, and a handle support for use in connecting the handle to the head, wherein the scraper is carried by the tool either by means of a gripping action on the head, or by means of the handle support which is adapted to be fixed through the scraper to the head, or by being integral with the head.

The invention also resides in a scraper for a cleaning tool for a floor or ground surface, the cleaning tool having a handle and a head supporting at least one cleaning element, wherein the scraper is mounted on the head by means of a gripping action.

By means of the gripping action, the scraper may be easily and simply mounted on the head of an existing cleaning tool without modifying or interfering with the integrity of the tool head in any way. Such modification would occur with fixing means such as screws or nails because the holes made in the head affect the integrity of the head particularly when the head is made of wood or of plastics. Indeed, the pressures exerted on such fixing means by scraping actions may cause loosening of the fixing means. Eventually, with repeated fixings, the material of the head is weakened so much that a secure fixing cannot be obtained and the head has to be replaced before what would normally be the end of its normal working life.

Conveniently, the scraper is adapted to be releasably mounted on the tool head without any modification of the tool head.

Preferably, the scraper has a support which is adapted to encircle the tool head and provide the gripping action. With such a construction, the gripping action may effectively be exerted around the broom head.

In one preferred form, the encirclement of the tool head by the scraper is such that the gripping action is applied to oppositely facing surfaces of the tool head.

In particular, the gripping action may be applied to front and rear surfaces or to the top and bottom surfaces of the tool head.

Alternatively, the scraper may encircle the tool head in such a way that the gripping action is exerted around the periphery of the tool head.

The gripping action may be effected by providing the support with a stationary gripping member having a scraping element and a moveable gripping means which is moveable with respect to the stationary gripping means to effect the gripping action.

When the scraper, including the stationary gripping member, is manufactured from a resilient material such as a suitable plastics material, the resilience of the plastics material contributes to the gripping action, which is achieved by the combined effect of the resilient stationary gripping member and the moveable gripping means.

The movable gripping means may be disposed adjacent the surface of the tool head from which the at least one cleaning element is supported and when there are a plurality of cleaning elements such as those on a broom or mop, the movable gripping means preferably extends between the cleaning elements when the scraper is mounted on the tool head without interfering in any way with their cleaning action.

In order to obtain a particularly effective gripping action which does not readily become loose with repeated use of the scraper, the gripping action is applied to the top and bottom surfaces of the tool head by causing the movable gripping means to bear against the surface of the tool head from which the at least one cleaning element is supported. The moveable gripping means preferably extends through at least one frontal aperture and one rear aperture in the stationary gripping members, with a bearing surface on the movable gripping means engaging with the stationary gripping member adjacent the frontal aperture.

The movable gripping means preferably includes an elongate member which carries the bearing surface and extends through the frontal and rear apertures, which are disposed on oppositely facing portions of the stationary gripping members..

When the scraper is manufactured of a rigid material, the frontal aperture may be in the form of a slot, the bearing surface in the form of a ramp and the rear aperture in the form of a hole. By tightening up the elongate means adjacent the hole, the action of the ramp progressively increases the pressure exerted on the surface of the tool head as the ramp moves up the stationary gripping means by virtue of the slot accommodating sliding movement of the bolt and the inclination of the ramp.

In another embodiment where the scraper is manufactured from a resilient material, the moveable gripping means does not bear against the surface of the tool head but the elongate member preferably extends through frontal and rear apertures in the stationary gripping means so that effective gripping action is applied to the front and rear surfaces of the tool head.

In such a construction, the moveable gripping means biases the resilient surfaces of the stationary gripping means towards a bearing surface of the tool head so as to exert the gripping action.

In a further embodiment which facilitates mounting on, and removal from, the tool head, the gripping action is exerted around the periphery of the tool head, for example by means of two elongate arms which extend substantially around the sides of the tool head and approach each other, without any contact between the moveable gripping means and the surface of the tool head. In such a scraper, the stationary gripping means preferably includes outwardly extending flanges, conveniently provided at the ends of the arms and having apertures through which an elongate member extends. This arrangement is suitable for household and other indoor applications where the scraper is not frequently required, in particular because the scraper can be removed from the tool head by a simple loosening of the elongate member.

The elongate member is conveniently a bolt of which the threaded free end is engaged by a nut, preferably a wing nut for ease of user manipulation, with the gripping action being put into effect by tightening the nut.

The stationary gripping means may include a plate-like frontal member of generally rectangular configuration which is adapted to extend along, and be supported by, a front side of said cleaning tool and has a scraping element projecting therefrom.

By providing support for the scraping element along its length particularly when it is made from a resilient material such as a plastics material, the robustness of the scraper element is increased and it is less likely to snap or break in use. Moreover the forces exerted on the scraping element and the cleaning tool head during a scraping action are more evenly distributed and both the cleaning tool and the scraper are less likely to become damaged or worn. Hence the working life of both is increased.

In its simplest form, the scraping element may comprise an edge portion of said elongate frontal element. Such a construction eliminates the need for a separate scraping element which has to be secured to the frontal member and is suitable for scrapers manufactured from a metal or a hard plastics material.

In order to increase the robustness of the scraper, said frontal members preferably has a longitudinally extending reinforced edge region from which the scraping element projects.

The reinforced edge region is preferably in the form of a step. Such a step can easily be formed during moulding when the scraper is manufactured from a plastics material. Alternatively, in some applications, in particular when the scraper is formed of a resilient material which is liable to become worn quickly, it may be desirable to provide a separate scraping element which is secured to the frontal member.

Provision of a separate scraping element in combination with a longitudinally extending reinforced edge region allows the scraping element to bear against the edge region and abut against the step during a scraping action so as to minimise the forces exerted on the rest of the scraper and on the tool head and hence the risk of damage to both.

Such a scraping element is preferably formed of a metal or of a hard plastics material.

The scraping element may be secured to the frontal member in any suitable way for example by sonic welding, an adhesive or rivets.

For applications where temporary attachment of the scraping element is required fixing as by bolts may be used. Such a scraping element can be easily replaced when worn or damaged without need to replace the entire scraper.

To facilitate mounting of scraper on the tool head the stationary gripping member is generally of inverted U-shaped cross-section and is provided with at least one arm which extends over the tool head from the frontal member to a rear side of the tool head.

To accommodate a handle supporting means which may be mounted on the tool head, the stationary gripping means may be provided with two spaced apart arms, the frontal member extending between the two arms and the handle supporting means fitting into the recess between the two arms.

In one form which is particularly suitable for scrapers formed from a rigid material, the arms are of generally inverted U-shape in cross-section and extend around the tool head from front to rear.

In a modified construction which is suitable for scrapers of a resilient material, the two arms are of generally inverted L-shape in cross section. Hence, there is an increased area of contact between the scraper and the tool head and increased support for the scraper is provided.

In another form of the above construction which is easier to manufacture and can be used where the tool head is provided with a handle supporting means in the form of a recess into which one end region of the handle fits, the frontal member of the stationary gripping means has a single arm extension.

In such a construction, a handle supporting means of the cleaning tool may be integral with or attached to the scraper. This allows the scraper to be used with a wide range of cleaning tools.

The frontal member is preferably provided with at least one frontal aperture while at least one oppositely disposed rear aperture is provided in the arm or arms of the stationary gripping means, there being at least one elongate member extending through the respective front and rear apertures so as to achieve the gripping action.

It is advantageous for the scraping element and the frontal member to be inclined at an angle with respect to the tool head to facilitate the scraping action and so as not to interfere with the cleaning action of the cleaning elemenl(s).

The form of the scraping element can be such that it is capable of carrying cleaning attachments such as a blade of plastics or of rubber material, a wire brush or a foam plastics or rubber strip. By this means, scrapers constructed in accordance with the invention have a versatility which has not to the best of the applicant's knowledge hitherto been achieved. This embodiment enables the scraper to be easily adapted for use on both indoor and outdoor surfaces.

The invention further resides in a scraper for a cleaning tool for a floor or ground surface, the cleaning tool having a head supporting at least one cleaning element, wherein the scraper is adapted to be releasably mounted on the tool head by a fixing and gripping action.

The invention also resides in a scraper for use with a cleaning tool, said cleaning tool having a head which supports at least one cleaning element, the scraper being mounted on the cleaning tool head by means of a frontal element which is integral therewith or fixed thereto, the frontal element being adapted to extend along a front side of the cleaning tool and having a scraping element projecting therefrom.

The invention also extends to a scraper for a cleaning tool for a floor or ground surface, the cleaning tool having a handle and a head supporting at least one cleaning element, and a handle support for use in connecting the handle to the head, wherein the scraper is carried by the tool by means of the handle support which is adapted to be fixed through the scraper to the head, preferably, by means of a frontal element which is adapted to extend along a front side of the cleaning tool with a scraping element projecting therefrom.

The invention further extends to a scraper for a cleaning tool for floor or ground surfaces, the cleaning tool having a handle and a head supporting at least one cleaning element, wherein the scraper is integral with the head, preferably, through a frontal element which is adapted to extend along a front side of the cleaning tool with a scraping element projecting therefrom.

In such constructions there is no gripping action between the scraper and the tool head, the scraper being held on the tool head solely by means of its integral nature or by a suitable fixing means.

A scraper which is integral with the cleaning tool is relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture from a plastics material as the scraper may be moulded in one piece with the cleaning tool head and the need for fixing or gripping.

Fixing of the scraper to the cleaning tool head is useful in applications where the scraper is frequently used. This construction requires a minimum of modification of the tool head and ensures that the scraper does not become loosened which may occur in constant use for heavy duty applications.

In one preferred embodiment, the frontal element has at least one plate like member which is adapted to extend rearwardly over the top surface of the tool head and is fixed thereto by any suitable means such as screws, an adhesive, rivets or staples.

Preferably, the scraper is fixed to the tool head through a cleaning tool handle supporting means which is mounted on the scraper.

The frontal element of the scraper provides support for the scraping element along its length, particularly when the scraper element is made from a resilient material such as a plastics material. Hence the robustness of the scraper element is increased and it is less likely to snap or break in use. Moreover the forces exerted on the scraping element and the cleaning tool head during a scraping action are more evenly distributed and both the cleaning tool and the scraper are less likely to become damaged or worn. Hence the working life of both is increased.

In its simplest form, the scraping element may comprise an edge portion of said frontal element. Such a construction eliminates the need for a separate scraping element which has to be secured to the frontal member and is suitable for scrapers manufactured from a metal or a hard plastics material.

In order to increase the robustness of the scraper, said frontal member preferably has a longitudinally extending reinforced edge region from which the scraping element projects.

The reinforced edge region is preferably in the form of a step. Such a step can easily be formed during moulding when the scraper is manufactured from a plastics material.

Alternatively, in some applications, in particular when the scraper is formed of a resilient material which is liable to become worn quickly, it may be desirable to provide a separate scraping element which is secured to the frontal member.

Provision of a separate scraping element in combination with the longitudinally extending reinforced edge region allows the scraping element to bear against said edge region and abut against the step during a scraping action so as to minimise the forces exerted on the rest of the scraper and on the tool head and hence the risk of damage to both.

Such a scraping element is preferably formed of a metal or of a hard plastics material. The scraping element may be secured to the frontal member in any suitable way for example by sonic welding, adhesive or riveting.

For applications where temporary attachment of the scraping element is required fixing as by bolls may be used. Such a scraping element can be easily replaced when worn or damaged without need to replace the entire scraper.

The invention still further resides in the combination of a cleaning tool with any of the scrapers hereinbefore defined, wherein the scraper is releasably mounted on the tool head.

The invention also consists in a kit of parts comprising a cleaning tool, such as a broom and any of the scrapers hereinbefore defined, with or without the provision of a separate scraping element.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, some embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Ihe same reference characters are used to designate the same or similar parts:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a scraper for a cleaning tool for a floor or ground surface and constructed in accordance with the present invention, with one of the moveable gripping means being removed and shown to one side,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the head of one of the moveable gripping means of Fig. 1, Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are front, rear, plan and side views respectively of the scraper of Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the scraper of Fig. 1 releasably mounted on ihe head of a cleaning tool, ready for use,

Fig. 8 is a side view of the scraper and cleaning tool shown in Fig. 7,

Figs. 9 and 10 are side views of two further embodiments of scraper releasably mounted on differently shaped heads of cleaning tools, ready for use, and

Figs. 11 , 12 and 13 are accessories (shown with parts broken away) for attachment to any of the scrapers of Figs. 1 to 6, 9 and 10.

Figs 14 and 15 are perspective views from the front side and above and the rear side and above respectively, of a further embodiment of scraper releasably mounted on the head of a cleaning tool, ready for use,

Figs 16 and 17 are perspective views from a front side and above and from a rear side and above respectively, of a still further embodiment of scraper where scraper is both fixed to and gripped by the tool head,

Fig 18 is a side view of the scraper and cleaning tool shown in Figs 16 and 17,

Figs 19 and 20 are perspective views from a front side and above and a rear side and above respectively, of a yet further embodiment of scraper releasably mounted on the head of a cleaning tool, ready for use,

Fig 21 is a perspective view from a front side and above of an alternative embodiment of scraper fixedly mounted on the head of a cleaning tool, ready for use,

Fig 22 is a perspective view from a front side and above of an embodiment of a scraper which is integral with the cleaning tool,

Fig 23 and 24 are perspective views from a front side and above and a rear side and above of a further embodiment of a scraper which is integral with the cleaning tool,

Referring to Figures 1 to 8 of the drawings, there is shown a scraper 10 for use with a floor cleaning tool in the form of a broom 11, having a head 12 of generally semi- cylindrical shape which supports, from its flat undersurface 14, a plurality of cleaning elements in the form of bristles 15. The broom head has a curved lop surface 16 from which a broom handle 17 projects. The scraper 10 is adapted to be releasably mounted on the broom head 12 as can be seen from Figs 7 and 8 without any modification of the head, eg by fixing holes for screws, by means of a gripping action.

The gripping action is imparted by a support 18 forming part of the scraper 10, which support is adapted to be mounted on, and encircle, the head 12 to provide the gripping action.

The support 18 comprises a stationary gripping means having two spaced apart arms 19 and a movable gripping means constituted by two elongate members in the form of bolts

20. An elongate scraping element 21 in the form of a blade extends between, and is supported by, the arms 19. As can be best seen in Fig. 8, the scraping element 21 projects outwardly at an angle to the broom head so that the scraping edge of the scraping element 21 is clear of the bristles 15. Each of the arms 19 is generally of inverted U-shape in cross-section and has a respective slot 22 and hole 23 located in the two sides a and b respectively of the U. As will be apparent from Figs 7 and 8 the shape of the arms 19 is adapted to, or matches, that of the top surface 16 of the broom head

12 which contributes to ihe efficacy of ihe gripping action, as a substantial part of each of the arms 19 is in contact with the broom head. The bolts 20 have heads 24 and threaded shanks 25 which are adapted to extend through the slots 22 and holes 23 in the two arms 19 respectively and be secured in position by tightening wing nuts 26 on the free ends of the threaded shanks 25 projecting outwardly through the holes. As can be seen more particularly from Fig. 2, the heads 24 of the bolts 20 have rear faces which are in the form of ramps 27 which, as the wing nuts 26 are tightened, slide up the surfaces of the arms 19a by virtue of the bolt shanks moving in the slots 22 and the inclination of the ramps 27 thereby arresting the movement of the scraper element 21 by the threaded shanks 25 bearing against the undersurface 14 of Ihe broom head 12, i.e in the direction indicated by the arrows 28 in Fig. 8, and releasably mount the scraper 10 on the broom head 12 by means of a gripping action.

As well as permitting adaption to a wide range of broom head shapes, the slots 22 also facilitate alignment of the free ends of the bolt shanks 25 with the respective holes 23.

The broom is now ready for use. If during sweeping a yard for example, some bonded- on debris is resistant to being removed by the brushing action, it is a simple matter to invert Ihe broom head and engage the scraping element with the debris to remove it from the ground surface with a minimum of additional effort and disruption to the sweeping action.

If it is desired to remove the scraper 10 from the broom head 12, eg for cleaning or to sharpen the free edge of the scraping element 21, all that needs to be done is to unscrew the wing nuts 23, remove the bolts 20, and lift the stationary gripping means comprised by the arms 19 and scraping element 21 off the broom head.

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 9 differs from that shown in Figs. 1 to 8 in that the stationary gripping means of the scraper 10a has a shape which is adapted to that of a cylindrical broom head 12a of rectangular configuration, in that the opposed top and bottom surfaces 16a and 14a are flat as well as the opposed side surfaces 30 and 31. Also, the arms 19c carrying the scraping element do not contact the adjacent side 30 of the broom head 12a.

In Ihe embodiment of Fig 10, the arms 19e of the scraper 10b contact a front part of a generally curved top surface 16b which extends outwardly at a slightly greater angle or has a slightly greater radius of curvature than the remainder of the curved top surface. The stationary gripping means of ihe scrapers 10, 10a and 10b are conveniently made of a rigid metal such as steel but may be made of aluminium or of plastics or of any other suitable material. Any suitable method of manufacture may be employed, eg the stationary gripping means may be formed in one piece by a stamping or a pressing operation.

The accessories 40, 41 and 42 shown in Figs. 11 to 13 respectively each comprise an elongate supporting strip formed with attachment lips 43 and 44 for use in fitting the accessories onto the scraping element 21. The accessory 40 in Fig 11 is of rubber or of plastics and has a flexible blade 45. In the accessory 41 , the supporting strip carries an elongate wire brush 46 and in Fig. 13 carries an elongate foam pad 47.

The embodiment shown in Figs 14 and 15 is also adapted to that of a flat surfaced broom head 60 of rectangular configuration and is formed from a plastics material. This scraper 62 differs from that shown in Fig 9 in that the stationary gripping means 64 has a plate-like frontal member 66 which extends along the front side of the broom head 60.

The frontal member 66 is of generally rectangular shape and is provided with a longitudinally extending reinforced edge region in the form of a step 68. The scraping element in the form of a separate scraping blade 72, is inserted into the recess 74 provided by the step 68 and is secured to thereto by sonic welding. Therefore, in use the scraping blade 72 bears the inner surface 76 of the step.

Two spaced apart arms 78a and 78b of generally inverted L-shape in cross section extend rearwardly over the top surface of the broom head 60, a broom handle supporting plate 80 which is secured to the broom head 60 by screws 82 being accommodated in a recess 84 between the two arms 78a and 78b.

As can be seen from Figs. 14 and 15, two apertures in the form holes 86 are provided in the frontal member 66 and in the arms 78a and 78b through which the threaded shanks of bolts 88 extend. On tightening wing nuts 90 on the free ends of the threaded shanks, ihe heads of the bolls 88 bear against the surface of the frontal member 66 to effect a gripping action to the front and rear surfaces of the broom head 60.

The embodiment shown in Figure 16, 17 and 18 differs from that shown in Figs 14 and 15 in that the scraper 62 is mounted on the broom head 60 by means of both a fixing and gripping action. The frontal member 66 has a single arm 78c which extends to the rear of the broom head 60, the broom handle supporting plate 80 being fixed to scraper and the broom head by screws 82 which extend through the scraper 62 and the material of the broom head 60.

The scraper 112 shown in Figs 19 and 20 differs from that shown in Figures 14 and 15 in that the two arms 78a and 78b extend from either side of the frontal member 66 around the periphery the broom head 60 without contacting its top surface. The arms 78a and 78b approach each other at the rear of the broom head 60 and have end flanges 92a and 92b which extend outwardly away from the rear surface of the broom head 60. Each end flange 92a and 92b is provided with an aperture in the form of a hole 96 through which a single elongate bolt 88 extends and is held in position at its free end by a wing nut 90 so as to exert a gripping action around the periphery of the broom head 60. The scraper 62 can easily be mounted on and removed from the broom head 60 by tightening and loosening the wing nut 90 without removal of the bolt 88.

The embodiment shown Fig 21 differs from that shown in Figures 1 to 10 and Figures 14 to 20, in that no gripping action is exerted on the broom head 100. The scraper 102 is fixed to the broom head 100 by the screws 104 which extend through the broom handle supporting plate 106 and into the material of the broom head 100. An arm 107 extends over the top surface of the broom head 100 but stops short of the edge.

The embodiment of Figure 22 differs from those shown in Figures 21 in that the broom head 100 and scraper 102 are manufactured in a single moulding process so that the scraper is integral with the broom head 100. Hence the frontal portion 108 is integral with and extends from the top surface of the broom head 100.

Figures 23 and 24 shows a modification of Figure 22, where no longitudinally extending reinforced edge region is provided on the frontal element 108 of the scraper 102 and the edge 110 of the frontal element 108 acts as the scraping element.

Various modifications of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention. For example, the shape of the scraper can be varied as desired to adapt it to many different forms and shapes of cleaning tools. In the case of a circular mop head, the scraping member may be of arcuate extent instead of being elongate. Moreover, for use with a sponge type mop, it will be necessary to insert the bolts 20 between the sponge and the mop head.

Claims

CLA1MS

1. A scraper for a cleaning tool for a floor or ground surface, the cleaning tool having a handle and a head supporting at least one cleaning element, and a handle support for use in connecting the handle to the head, wherein the scraper is capable of being carried by the tool either by means of a gripping action on the head, or by means of Ihe handle support which is adapted to be fixed through the scraper to the head, or by being integral with ihe head.

2. A scraper for a cleaning tool for a floor or ground surface, the cleaning tool having a handle and a head supporting at least one cleaning element, wherein the scraper is adapted to be mounted on the head by means of a gripping action.

3. A scraper for a cleaning tool for a floor or ground surface, the cleaning tool having a handle and a head supporting at least one cleaning element, and a handle support for use in connecting the handle to the head, wherein the scraper is capable of being carried by the tool by means of the handle support which is adapted to be fixed through the scraper to the head.

4. A scraper for a cleaning tool for floor or ground surfaces, the cleaning tool having a handle and a head supporting at least one cleaning element, wherein the scraper is integral with the head.

5. A scraper according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the scraper is adapted to be releasably mounted on the tool head without any modification of the tool head.

6. A scraper according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and having a support and a scraping element depending therefrom.

7. A scraper according to claim 6 when appendant to claim 1 or 2, wherein said support includes a stationary gripping member having, the scraping element, and a moveable gripping means which is moveable with respect to the stationary gripping member to effect the gripping action.

8. A scraper according to claim 7, wherein the support is adapted to encircle the tool head such that the gripping action is applied to oppositely facing surfaces of the tool head.

9. A scraper according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the tool head carries a plurality of cleaning elements between which the movable gripping means extends when the scraper is mounted on the tool head.

10. A scraper according to claim 9, wherein the movable gripping means extends through at least one frontal aperture and one rear aperture in the stationary gripping member, with a bearing surface on the movable gripping means engaging with the stationary gripping member adjacent the frontal aperture.

11. A scraper according to claim 10, wherein the movable gripping means includes an elongate member which carries the bearing surface in the form of a ramp.

12. A scraper according to claim 11 , wherein in the stationary gripping member the at least one frontal aperture is a slot, and the at least one rear aperture is a hole oppositely facing said slot.

13. A scraper according to claim 12, wherein said elongate member extends through said slot and said hole.

14. A scraper according to claim 13, wherein the elongate member is a bolt with the head of the bolt including the ramp and the threaded free end of the bolt extending through Ihe hole and being engaged by a nut.

15. A scraper according to claim 14, wherein the stationary gripping member is generally of inverted U-shaped cross-section and wherein the hole and slot are located in the two sides respectively of the U.

16. A scraper according to claim 15, wherein the stationary gripping member comprises two spaced apart arms, each of which is generally of inverted U-shape in cross-section and has a respective said hole and said slot located in the sides of the U, and wherein there are two said elongate members which extend through the said two slots and holes respectively in said arms.

17. A scraper according to claim 16, wherein the scraping element extends between said arms.

18. A scraper according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the stationary gripping member is made of a resilient material with which the movable gripping means cooperates to effect the gripping action.

19. A scraper according to claim 18, wherein the movable gripping means biases oppositely facing surfaces of the stationary gripping member towards the surfaces of the tool head so as to exert the gripping action thereon.

20. A scraper according to claim 19, wherein the movable gripping means extends through frontal and rear apertures in the stationary gripping member.

21. A scraper according to claim 20, wherein the movable gripping means includes an elongate member, and the frontal and rear apertures in the stationary gripping members are respective holes.

22. A scraper according to any one of claims 18 to 21 , wherein the stationary gripping member includes a plate like frontal member which is adapted to extend along, and be supported by, a front side of the cleaning tool.

23. A scraper according to any one of claims 22, wherein the frontal member is adapted to extend rearwardly over, and in contact with, the top surface of the tool head.

24. A scraper according to claim 6 when appendant to claim 1, 3 or 4, wherein the support includes a frontal member which is adapted to extend along, and be supported by, the front side of the cleaning tool.

25. A scraper according to any one of claim 24 as appendant to claim 1 or 3, wherein the frontal member is adapted to extend rearwardly over, and in contact with, the top surface of the tool head.

26. A scraper according to claim 25, wherein the rearward extension is adapted to be interposed between the handle support and the head, and the handle support is attachable to the head through the rearward extension.

27. A scraper according to claim 26, wherein the handle support is attachable to the head by the rearward extension by means of fixing means such as screws, nails, adhesive, rivets or staples.

28. A scraper according to any one of claims 22 to 27, wherein the frontal member has a longitudinally extending reinforced edge region.

29. A scraper according to claim 27, wherein the reinforced edge region is in the form of a step.

30. A scraper according to claim 28 or 29, wherein the scraping element projects from the reinforced edge region.

31. A scraper according to claim 28 or 29, wherein a separate scraping element is secured to the frontal member and bears against said longitudinally extending reinforced edge region, in abutment with the step.

32. A scraper according to claim 6 or any claim dependent thereon, wherein the scraper element is capable of carrying cleaning attachments such as a blade of plastics or of rubber material, a wire brush or a foam plastics or rubber strip.

33. A scraper according to claim 6 or claim dependent thereon, wherein the scraping element projects outwardly of and is inclined with respect to, the tool head when the scraper is carried by the tool.

34. The combination of a cleaning tool with a scraper according to any one of claims 1 to 33.

35. A kit of parts including a scraper as claimed in any one claims 1 to 33, and a cleaning tool, with or without at least one cleaning attachment and/or separate scraping element.