BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of hand operated sweeping mops which retain a disposable cleaning cloth which can be a microfiber cloth or a non-woven cloth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, various types of hand operated sweeping mops are known in the prior art.
The hand operated sweeping mops include a generally rectangular shaped main body having an upper or top surface which includes a rotatable yolk attached to a collar having an opening which receives an elongated handle which is grasped by a user when operating the sweeping mop.
The main body also has a flat lower or bottom surface with a disposable cleaning cloth affixed to the sweeping mop applicator so that the disposable cleaning cloth is positioned under the lower or bottom surface and is retained onto the main body by various different retaining members.
In one retaining member configuration, the lower surface of the main body has hook and loop fasteners affixed to the lower surface and the disposable cleaning cloth is retained onto the lower surface of the main body by the hook and loop fasteners. In another configuration, the disposable cleaning cloth is retained onto the main body by several attachment members usually positioned on the upper surface on opposite sides of the yolk so that the disposable cleaning cloth is wrapped around the outer circumference of the main body and then attached by the attachment members to the sweeping mop.
One common problem with all prior art hand operated sweeping mop applicators also called flat mop applicators is that when the disposable cloth is very dirty after cleaning operations, the user must use at least one of his/her hands to grasp the dirty cleaning cloth and remove it from its attachment member on the sweeping mop applicator also called a flat mop applicator. Therefore, the user is exposed to the filth and dirt on the disposable cleaning cloth. There is a significant need for an improved apparatus which eliminates the requirement for a user to grasp the dirty cleaning cloth by hand when removing it from the sweeping mop applicator or flat mop applicator and replacing it.
This invention contains improvements over a prior issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,677,547 by inventors Fred I. Morad, William P. Camp, Jr. and George Madres entitled “APPARATUS TO REMOVE A DISPOSABLE CLOTH FROM A HAND OPERATED SWEEPING MOP APPLICATOR WITHOUT HAVING TO TOUCH THE DISPOSABLE CLOTH”. The improvements which are contained in this invention are described in great detail concerning the anti-vibration members which are described in great detail in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 and described in great detail in the text when referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 and are limitations in the independent claims. These improvements help stabilize the mop while it is mopping and are significant improvements over the invention disclosed in the above-referenced patent by the same inventors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a hand operated sweeping mop applicator with a unique disposable cloth retaining assembly where the cloth is retained by spikes on a cloth releasing plate and a press-fit of the cloth resting under and partially wrapped around the top of a cloth releasing plate where the cloth is press fit retained between the top of the cloth releasing plate and the bottom of a main plate. The cloth releasing plate is retained in a closed position against the main body by a respective biasing force spring causing each respective one of ratchet teeth to engage in a respective notch of a respective notched collar on the main body to thereby overcome a force from a pair of downward force compression springs on the cloth releasing plate. This assembly is retained by a respective housing on the main body. The cloth is selected from the group consisting of a microfiber cloth and a non-woven cloth.
When a respective button attached to a respective tooth is pressed down to overcome the biasing spring force which caused the teeth to be engaged with the notches, the downward spring force of each of the respective force compression springs causes the cloth releasing plate to move away from the main body.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism on a hand operated sweeping mop applicator which retains a cleaning cloth in a manner which enables the cleaning cloth after it has been used and become dirty to be released and fall into a trash receptacle without the necessity of a user's hand touching the dirty cleaning cloth.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for a hand operated sweeping mop applicator which includes a spring force to push downwardly on a cloth releasing plate to enable the dirty cleaning cloth to be separated from the press fit which retains the disposable cleaning cloth between the main body of the sweeping mop applicator and the cloth releasing plate so that the connection is released, enabling the disposable cleaning cloth to be released without requiring a human hand to touch the dirty cleaning cloth.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a mechanism which limits the downward travel of a cloth releasing plate so that it will not fall away from the main body of the sweeping mop applicator.
Further novel features and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, discussion and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring particularly to the drawings for the purpose of illustration only and not limitation, there is illustrated:
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the present invention main plate with a main body of a hand operated sweeping mop applicator illustrating the retainer for a rotatable yolk which retains a collar into which an elongated handle is retained (handle not shown), also illustrating a middle cloth releasing plate affixed to a foam cover plate, the disposable cloth under the foam plate and partially wrapped around the top of the middle cloth releasing plate, the top of the cloth press fit retained between a bottom of the main plate and the middle cloth releasing plate which in turn is retained against the main plate by a spring biased pair of teeth assemblies;
FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view illustrating the disposable microfiber cloth retained onto the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the midddle cloth releasing plate with the foam plate removed to illustrate the middle cloth releasing plate having a pair of threaded bolts visible from the bottom of the middle cloth releasing plate;
FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the components of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1 with the present invention in a released condition where middle cloth releasing plate and the foam plate are pushed away from the bottom of the main plate and the press fit retention on the disposable cloth is released enabling the disposable cloth to fall away;
FIG. 5 is a front view of the present invention in a released condition as illustrated in FIG. 4, where the middle cloth releasing plate and foam plate are pushed away from the bottom of the main plate by the force of the compression springs and the press fit retention of the disposable cloth is released enabling the cloth to fall away, the mechanism of the present invention causing the middle cloth releasing plate and the foam plate to only fall away from the main plate by a fixed distance;
FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the main plate illustrating the details of the bottom of the main plate;
FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the middle cloth releasing plate of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the middle cloth releasing plate with the foam cover removed;
FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective exploded view of the main plate, middle cloth releasing plate and the foam cover plate;
FIG. 10 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of the present invention taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 1, with the disposable cloth in the retained condition;
FIG. 11 is a partial longitudinal; cross-sectional view of the present invention taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 1, with the disposable cloth in the retained condition;
FIG. 12 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of the present invention taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 4, with the disposable cloth in the released condition;
FIG. 13 is transverse cross-sectional view of the present invention taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 1, with the disposable cloth in the retained condition; and
FIG. 14 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the present invention taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 4, with the disposable cloth in the released condition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Although specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that such embodiments are by way of example only and merely illustrative of but a small number of the many possible specific embodiments which can represent applications of the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications obvious to one skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the present invention as further defined in the appended claim.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a top perspective view of the assembled components of present invention apparatus to remove a cloth selected from the group consisting of a microfiber cloth and a non-woven cloth from a hand operated sweeping mop applicator without having to touch the disposable cloth (hereafter referred to as mop applicator invention 600). The mop applicator invention 600 includes a main body 10 including a top section 20 affixed to a main plate 30. The top section 20 includes a clip 610 for retaining a rotatable yolk 620 rotatably retained on a longitudinal bar 630 supported between two bar retaining housing members 640 and 650 affixed to an upper surface 12 of the top section 20. The rotatable yoke 620 retains a collar 660 into which an elongated handle (not shown) is retained. Also illustrated in FIG. 1 are two spaced apart housings, first housing 100 and second housing 200 each of which are affixed to the top surface 12 of top section 20, each housing 100 and 200 respectively retaining a spring biased retaining tooth assembly 130 and 230 which respectively are rotatably retained on a respective top 122 and 222 of first housing member 100 and a second housing member 200 and will be described in great detail later on. The first housing 100 and the second housing 200 also retain the operational mechanisms of the mop applicator invention 600.
Additional components of the mop applicator invention 600 illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 will now be described in detail. The additional components include a foam plate 50 having an upper surface 52 and an interior well 56 surrounded by an interior circumferential wall 54 of the foam plate 50. A middle cloth releasing plate 40 has a top surface 42 which includes affixed thereto a multiplicity of spikes, namely a first row of spikes 46 adjacent first longitudinal wall 44 of middle cloth releasing plate 40 and a second row of spikes 48 adjacent a second longitudinal wall 49 of middle cloth releasing plate 40. The middle cloth releasing plate 40 fits into the well 56 of foam plate 50 and the lower surface of the middle cloth releasing plate is permanently affixed to the well 56 of the cloth plate 50 by adhesive such as glue. The cloth 700 which is a mierofiber cloth or a non-woven cloth is wrapped around the foam plate 50 and also wrapped around the portion of the middle cloth releasing plate 40 so that the cloth is retained by the row of spikes 46 and 48 of the middle cloth releasing plate when the middle cloth releasing plate is press fit against the lower surface of the main plate 30 and which has rows of openings 46H to receive a respective one of the spikes 46 and rows of openings 48H to receive the spikes 48.
FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom 730 of the disposable cloth 700 retained on the middle cloth releasing plate 40.
FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the middle cloth releasing plate 40 with the foam plate 50 removed to illustrate middle cloth retaining members such as the respective bottom 412 and 512 of a pair of self-tapping screws 410 and 510 which extend through the middle cloth releasing plate 40, the bottom 412 and 512 of the respective self-tapping screws 410 and 510 are visible from the bottom surface 44 of the middle cloth releasing plate 40.
Referring once again to FIG. 4, there is illustrated in FIG. 4 a top perspective view of the components of the mop applicator invention 600 illustrated in FIG. 1 with the mop applicator invention 600 in the released condition where the middle cloth releasing plate 40 illustrated above the indentation 56 of the foam plate 50 exposed (in the mop applicator 600) the middle cloth releasing plate 40 is affixed into the well 56 of the foam plate 50 and is not separated from the foam plate as illustrated in the exploded view of FIG. 4 which is illustrated for the purpose of illustrating the components) and the foam plate 50 also released so that the middle cloth releasing plate 40 and the foam plate 50 are pushed away from the bottom 34 of the main plate 30 so that the press fit retention on the disposable cloth 700 is released enabling the cloth 700 to fall away.
FIG. 5 is a front view of the mop applicator invention 600 in a released condition as illustrated in FIG. 4 where the middle cloth releasing plate 40 and the foam plate 50 are pushed away from the bottom 34 of the main plate 30 by the force of compression springs (See FIGS. 6) 800, 840, 900 and 940 and the press fit retention of the disposable cloth 700 is released enabling the cloth 700 to fall away. However, the releasing mechanism of mop applicator invention only permits the middle cloth releasing plate 40 and the foam plate 50 to only fall away from the main plate 30 by a fixed distance “D-1”.
FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the main plate 30. The bottom 34 of the main plate 30 has three parallel strengthening ribs, first main plate rib 36A, middle main plate rib 36B and third main plate rib 36C. Anti-vibration members from the top of middle cloth releasing plate 40 are illustrated and will be discussed along with FIG. 7. FIG. 6 also illustrates first and second compression springs 800 and 840 with a first hollow shaft 820 between them (which are retained in an interior upper surface of a hollow interior of first housing 100). FIG. 6 also illustrates third and fourth compression springs 900 and 940 with a second hollow shaft 920 between them (which are retained in an interior upper surface of a hollow interior of second housing 200). In addition, there is illustrated a multiplicity of holes. A first set of holes 46H receives the multiplicity of spikes 46 from the middle cloth releasing plate 40 and an additional series of openings or holes 4811 respectively receive a spike 48 from the middle cloth releasing plate 40.
FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of middle cloth releasing plate 40. The top 42 of the middle cloth releasing plate 40 has three additional strengthening ribs, first middle cloth releasing plate rib 46A, middle cloth releasing plate rib 46B and third middle cloth releasing plate rib 46C. Middle middle cloth releasing plate rib 46B has incorporated into it a first anti-vibration member 48A having a first extending wall 4813 and a second extending wall 48C surrounding a gap 48D between walls 48B and 48C. The middle middle cloth releasing plate rib 46B has incorporated into it a spaced apart second anti-vibration member 49A having a first extending wall 49B and a second extending wall 49C surrounded a gap 49D between walls 49B and 49C. Gaps 48D and 49D extend for the entire length of middle middle cloth releasing plate rib 46B. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the top 42 of middle cloth releasing plate 40 is brought into contact with the bottom 34 of main plate 30, the gaps 48D and 49D receive middle main plate rib 36B and the walls 48B and 48C and 49B and 49C surround middle main plate rib 46B to facilitate anti-vibration of the mop applicator invention 600. First main plate rib 36A rests adjacent and just outside of first middle cloth releasing plate rib 46A and third main plate rib 36C rests adjacent and just outside of third middle releasing cloth plate rib 46C, providing additional strength to the closed applicator invention 600. Also illustrated in FIG. 7 is the multiplicity of spikes in a row of spikes 46 adjacent said longitudinal side 44 and a multiplicity of spikes in a row of spikes 48 adjacent longitudinal side 49.
Referring again to FIG. 7, located at spaced apart locations along middle middle cloth releasing plate rib 46B is a first vertical housing 140 which is generally cylindrical and has an exterior wall 142 which extends perpendicularly to the top 42 of middle cloth releasing plate 40, the exterior wall 142 having a tooth receiving notch 144 facing toward the center 43 of the top 42 of middle cloth releasing plate 40. There is a central shaft 145 running through the vertical interior of first vertical housing 140, starting at the top 147. There is an oppositely disposed second vertical housing 160 which is generally cylindrical and has an exterior wall 162 which extends perpendicularly to the top 42 of middle cloth releasing plate 40, the exterior wall 162 having a tooth receiving notch 164 facing toward the center 43 of the top 42 of middle cloth releasing plate 40. There is a central shaft 165 running through the vertical interior of housing 160, starting at the top 167. A first spring retaining post 146 and a second spring post 148 are on opposite sides of first vertical housing 140. A third spring retaining post 166 and a fourth spring retaining post 168 are on opposite sides of housing 160. First vertical housing 140 and first and second spring retaining posts 146 and 148 are aligned with first housing 100 of top section 20 and second vertical housing 160 and third and fourth spring retaining posts 166 and 168 are aligned with second housing 200 of top section 20.
FIG. 8 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the middle cloth releasing plate 40 with the foam plate 50 removed.
FIG. 9 is an exploded bottom perspective view of a main plate 30, and the middle cloth releasing plate 40 removed from the foam plate 50, illustrating a pair of spaced apart transverse openings 408 and 508 which extending through the entire interior thickness “T-1” of the middle cloth releasing plate 40. Self-tapping screw 410 extends through transverse opening 408 with the bottom 412 of th self-tapping screw 410 visible from the bottom surface 44 of the middle cloth releasing plate 40. Similarly, self-tapping screw 510 extends through transverse opening 508 with the bottom 512 of the self-tapping screw 510 visible from the bottom surface 44 of the middle cloth releasing plate 40. Also illustrated are the openings or holes 46H to receive the multiplicity of spikes 46 and the multiplicity of holes 48H to receive the multiplicity of spikes 48 which are located on the bottom 34 of main plate 30.
FIG. 10 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of the applicator invention 600 taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 1 illustrating the details of the operating mechanism on and within the second housing 200. The second housing 200 is affixed to top section 20 of main body 10, the second housing 200 also affixed to the main plate 30. The main plate 30 is also affixed to the main body 10. The second housing 200 has a second tooth receiving opening 202 in its sidewall 204 leading to second housing interior chamber 208, the second tooth receiving opening 202 facing the middle 23 of the top section 20. The second vertical housing 160 affixed to the upper surface 42 of the middle cloth release plate 40, the second vertical housing 240 also fits within the hollow interior 208 of second housing 200 with its tooth receiving notch 164 of its exterior wall 162 facing toward a center of 43 of the top 42 of the middle cloth releasing plate 42. Tooth receiving notch 164 is aligned with tooth receiving opening 202. The top surface 222 of second housing 200 retains second tooth retaining assembly 270 which includes a trigger 240 with an arcuate arm 242 having a transverse opening 244 rotatably supported by a pin 246 retained between a pair of posts 248 and 250 which are supported on top 222 of housing and support the pin 246 which extends through transverse opening 244 in arcuate arm 242 retained between the posts 248 and 250. The arcuate arm 242 extends at its distal end 252 to a tooth 254 which extends through tooth receiving opening 202 in second housing 200 and into tooth receiving notch 164 in second vertical housing 160. At its proximal end 260, trigger 240 has a push plate section 262. A closing biasing spring 300 is affixed to the top 222 of second housing 200 and to an underside 266 of the to push plate section 262, which biases the arcuate arm 242 and the tooth 254 at the distal end 252 of trigger 240 and into and through tooth receiving opening 202 and into tooth receiving notch 164. The middle cloth releasing plate 40 has its self-tapping screw 510 inserted into opening 922 in second hollow shaft 920 adjacent the bottom 201 of second vertical housing 200. In this manner the foam covering cloth 50 is affixed to and surrounds the middle cloth releasing plate 40 and the disposable cloth 700 which can be either a cloth or a non-woven cloth is press fit retained between the top 42 of the middle cloth releasing plate 40 and the bottom 34 of the main plate 30. Rows of spikes 46 and 48 also assist in the retention. FIG. 10 illustrated the mop applicator 600 in the unreleased condition.
FIG. 11 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of the applicator invention 600 taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 1 illustrating the details of the operating mechanism on and within the first housing 100. The components are a mirror image of the components in the second housing. The first housing 100 is affixed to top section 20 of main body 10, the first housing 100 also affixed to the first main plate 30. The first main plate 30 is also affixed to the main body 10. The housing 100 has a first tooth receiving opening 102 in its sidewall 104 leading to housing interior chamber 108, the tooth receiving opening 102 facing the middle 23 of the top section 20. The first vertical housing 140 affixed to the upper surface 42 of the middle cloth release plate 40, the first vertical housing 140 also fits within the hollow interior 108 of first housing 100 with its tooth receiving notch 144 of its exterior wall 142 facing toward a center of 43 of the top 42 of the middle cloth releasing plate 42. Tooth receiving notch 144 is aligned with tooth receiving opening 102. The top surface 122 of first housing 100 retains first tooth retain assembly 170 which includes a trigger 140 with an arcuate arm 142 having a transverse opening 144 rotatably supported by a pin 146 retained between a pair of posts 148 ad 150 which are supported on top 104 of housing and support the pin 146 which extends through transverse opening 144 in arcuate arm 142 retained between the posts 148 and 150. The arcuate arm 142 extends at its distal end 152 to a tooth 154 which extends through tooth receiving opening 102 in first housing 100 and into tooth receiving notch 144 in first vertical housing 140. At its proximal end 160, trigger 140 has a push plate section 162. A closing biasing spring 400 is affixed to the top 122 of first housing 100 and to an underside 166 of push plate section 162, which biases the arcuate arm 142 and the tooth 140 at the distal end 152 of trigger and into through tooth receiving opening 102 and into tooth receiving notch 144 The middle cloth releasing plate 40 has its self-tapping screw 410 inserted into opening 822 in first hollow shaft 820 adjacent the bottom 101 of first vertical housing 100. In this manner the foam covering cloth 50 is affixed to and surrounds the middle cloth releasing plate 40 and the disposable cloth 700 is press fit retained between the top 42 of the middle cloth releasing plate 40 and the bottom 34 of the main plate.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 4, illustrating the above described components of second housing 200 with the cloth 700 in the released conditioned. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 1, illustrating the above described components of the second housing 200 with the cloth 700 in the retained condition. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 4, illustrating the above described components of the second housing 200 with the cloth in the released condition.
FIGS. 12 and 14 illustrate the mop applicator 600 as illustrated in FIG. 10 in a released condition and FIG. 13 illustrates the mop applicator ib a released condition, as described above. A downward force is exerted on the push plate section 262 of trigger 240 which overcomes the closing spring force of biasing spring 300 and disengages the tooth 254 from tooth receiving notch 164 so that middle cloth releasing plate 40 and foam plate 50 are released from the main plate 30 by a downward force of force springs 900 and 940, causing the middle plate 40 and foam plate 50 to be released and move away from the bottom 34 of the main plate 30 by the distance DI so that the press fit retention of the cloth 700 is released and the cloth 700 falls away.
It will be appreciated that housing 100 hast he same corresponding components already described and will operate the same way as described in FIGS. 12 through 14.
Of course the present invention is not intended to be restricted to any particular form or arrangement, or any specific embodiment, or any specific use, disclosed herein, since the same may be modified in various particulars or relations without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention hereinabove shown and described of which the apparatus or method shown is intended only for illustration and disclosure of an operative embodiment and not to show all of the various forms or modifications in which this invention might be embodied or operated.
Patent Grant
9072419
