WO1997040736A1

WO1997040736A1 - Tiltable mop frame for cleaning floors, etc.

Info

Publication number: WO1997040736A1
Application number: PCT/SE1997/000681
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rudolf Nordin; Jan-Erik Nordin
Original assignee: Actuelle Tricot i Borås AB
Priority date: 1996-04-30
Filing date: 1997-04-23
Publication date: 1997-11-06
Also published as: ES2222512T3; ATE269658T1; DK1014844T3; JP2000508945A; NO985018L; EP1014844B1; DE69729665T2; CA2252819A1; SE506669C2; AU2719697A; NO985018D0; SE9601651L; EP1014844A1; DE69729665D1; SE9601651D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a tiltable mop frame for cleaning floors, etc., which comprises a preferably elongated plate, which is provided with a cleaning cloth on the underside and is intended to be pushed forward and pulled backwards over the surface, which is to be cleaned and has an elongated handle (2) which is hingeably (3) fastened to the upper side of the plate (1). The mop is characterized in that the underside of the plate (1) is provided with an elongated protrusion (6) which extends crosswise to the forward and backward direction of the mop during use and is arranged in the middle of the plate (1).

Description

TITLE: Tiltable mop frame for cleaning floors, etc.

TECHNICAL FIELD:

The present invention relates to a tiltable mop frame for cleaning floors, etc. of the kind which is commonly used especially for cleaning of surfaces in homes, in workplaces, public buildings, stairs, etc.

PRIOR ART:

Mops for above-mentioned purposes are well known and they consist principally of a plate on the underside of which the cleaning arrangement itself, for example a piece of fabric, is arranged, which plate on the upper side is hingeably joined to an elongated handle. The mops are usually used dry or in such a way that they are humidified or dipped into water and are pulled or pushed over a floor, whereby the dirt is partly dissolved and partly absorbed by the mop. The plate usually consists of aluminium or a similar light material, such as plastic. Hook and loop fastener "males" are usually inserted in grooves on the underside thereof. Before the mop is used, the plate with the hook and loop fasteners on the underside is pushed against the cleaning fabric which is to be used and the assembly is thereby finished. If the cleaning element is to be removed, one can press one's foot against it and tear off the aluminium plate without further inconvenience. The handle which is hingeably joined to the plate is usually a telescopic tube of such a length that the person who is to handle the mop can use both hands while in an upright position.

When the mop is used, it is pushed and pulled alternately over the surface that is to be cleaned. A certain pressure must be put on the mop by the person who is holding the mop handle but the main pressure is created by the weight of the mop. A certain friction arises between the mop fabric and the surface to be cleaned, which friction is necessary for the purpose but must not be too great so that the user of the mop becomes exhausted or develops injuries. This friction is dependent on the fabric which is arranged on the underside of the mop. One example of such a fabric is disclosed in the Swedish patent 9403398-2.

TECHNICAL PROBLEM:

When a mop with a plane underside is moved forwards or backwards on a dirty surface, that part of the cleaning fabric which is at the front in the direction of the movement will loosen and collect the dirt, whereas that part which is further or furthest to the rear collects a smaller part of the dirt and carries out no real cleaning work. When the direction of movement is reversed, the same occurs in reverse order. This means that a mop which has a certain width is used less for that part which lies between the dirt-collecting surfaces, which part can be close to half of the total lower surface of the mop. This is, of course, not desirable and gives a poor utilisation of the mop fabric.

The friction between the underside of the mop and the surface to be cleaned may sometimes also be larger than is desirable, which leads to the above-mentioned disadvantages. This friction is greater the greater contacting surface the mop has.

SOLUTION: To remedy the above disadvantages and solve the problems which are connected with mops having a plane underside, a mop frame has been created according to the present invention for cleaning floors, etc. comprising a preferably elongated plate which, with its other side provided with a cleaning cloth, is intended to be pushed forwards and pulled backwards over the surface which is to be cleaned, and an elongated handle hingeably joined to the upper side of the plate, which mop is characterized in that the underside of the plate is provided with an elongated protrusion which extends crosswise to the forwards and backwards direction of the mop during use and is arranged in the middle of the mop plate.

According to the invention, it is suitable that the elongated protrusion consists of an edge between angled parts of the plate, whereby the angle suitably can be up to 10°.

According to the invention, the elongated protrusion can also consist of a bulge.

The elongated protrusion can further consist of a combination of an edge between angled parts of the plate and a bulge on the edge.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES:

The invention will now be described more in detail with reference to the attached figures, where:

Fig. 1 in a perspective view shows a conventional mop, where

Fig. 2 shows the conventional mop according to Fig.1 from the underside, where

Fig. 3 shows from the underside the mop plate according to the present invention, where

Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show a mop according to the invention seen from the short side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

Fig. 1 shows a mop of conventional kind having a plane plate 1 to which a handle in the form of a telescopic tube is joined. The telescopic tube is joined on the upper side of the plate 1 by means of a joint 3 and the plate 1 can accordingly by swung around this joint. When the mop is used, it is pushed forwards or pulled backwards with one of the longer sides to the front.

Fig. 2 shows the underside of the plane plate 1 to which a cleaning cloth is attached and after this cleaning cloth has been used for a certain time. As appears from the figure, the dirt 4 is collected at the long sides to an increasing degree the closer one comes to these long sides, whereas the middle part of the mop cloth iε mainly not used.

Fig. 3 shows an underside of the plate 1 of the mop according to the present invention without any attached cleaning cloth. On this underside strips 5 of hook and loop fasteners are arranged, which strips are intended to attach the cleaning cloth in a known way. At the middle of this plate an edge 6 is shown on the figure, which edge consists of a protrusion on the underside. This edge 6 can have been made as is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 by the plate 1 having been bent at a certain angle. As is shown in Fig. 5, this angle edge 6 may be further increased by an added bulge 7.

Figs. 4 and 5 are somewhat enlarged compared to Figs. 2 and 3. As appears from Figs. 4 and 5, a mop cloth 8 is attached to the underside of the plate and secured by the hook and loop fasteners 5.

When the mop according to Figs. 4 and 5 is to be used and it is pushed, for example, to the left in the figure, then the left half of the mop cloth will lie against the surface whereas the right half will be swung up and will accordingly be completely inactive. With a reversed direction of movement the right half will lie against the surface whereas the left half will be free. In this way the mop cloth 8 will be used also at the middle part since this part will lie against the surface with a greater force than at the edges. By letting the contact surface against the surface to be cleaned become smaller, the friction will also be decreased since this depends on a certain suction effect and this suction effect will of course be less when the surface is smaller.

The angle at which the plate 1 should be bent is not critical but it can suitably be between 0-10°. It can be 0 because a bulge 7 can in some cases be sufficient. The bulge can also be dispensed with or combined with an angle bending as is shown in Fig. 5.

In Figs. 3-5 the protrusion 6 has been made at the middle part of the plate 1. This is suitable in most cases but not strictly necessary.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown above but can be varied in different ways within the scope of the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Tiltable mop frame for cleaning floors, etc. comprising a preferably elongated plate (1) which, with its underside provided with a cleaning cloth (8), is intended to be pushed forwards and pulled backwards over the surface that is to be cleaned, and an elongated handle (2) hingeably (3) joined to the upper side of the plate (1), c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the underside of the plate (1) is provided with a longitudinal protrusion (6) which extends crosswise to the forward and backwards direction for the mop during use and which is arranged on the middle of the plate (1).

2. Tiltable mop frame according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the elongated protrusion (6) is an edge between angled parts of the plate (1), the angle between the angled parts of the plate being up to 10°.

3. Tiltable mop frame according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the elongated protrusion (6) is a bulge (7).

4. Tiltable mop frame according to any of claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the elongated protrusion (6) is a combination of an edge between angled parts and a bulge (7) on the edge.