Patent Application
20070071540
A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cleaning tools, and more particularly to a cleaning twin pole handle.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Cleaning tools such as mops and sweepers require handles, which enable their cleaning head to be pushed and pulled over surfaces. Typically, a broom's handlebar is fixed to a resolute point on a cleaning head bearing a downward facing brush or disposable cloth. Enhanced handles are designed to pivot in the center of the head, allowing for additional directional control and force of the broom during the cleaning session. However, such currently available cleaning devices still make cleaning around house or building a labor intensive and tiresome job, to skilled janitorial professionals and occasional family sweepers alike.
Innovative ideas have arisen to alleviate this janitorial hardship, as cited in U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,222 to Furr-Britt, et al. whereby a dual-handle attachment for an appliance is suggested. According to the '222 patent, the dual handle attachment is for a floor appliance (i.e. vacuum cleaner, large push broom, mop, squeegee, etc.) which allows the user to manipulate or maneuver the appliance using generally symmetrical upper body, arm, wrist, and hand forces and movements. This thereby eliminates the need for asymmetrical wrist twisting, while also reducing the strength required for device manipulation by means of single arm and hand. This attachment comprises a single central bracket that attaches to a conventional appliance's single handlebar, and a left and right handgrip extending adjustably from the central bracket forming a “V” shape. The two mentioned handgrips may be pivotally adjusted as the user desires, and may also be interchanged for handgrips having different desired shapes or configurations. This dual handle attachment essentially branches from the top of the appliance handlebar, creating a dual-grip option. The original handlebar and the left and right side handle attachments all extend in parallel, i.e. invariable zero degree, to the handlebar, which in turn limits each of the side handle attachments to rotate about its own axis.
Because the handle is attached at a remote location, near the user's hands and away from the cleaning head on the floor, the hands' push and pull forces from the left and right sides are consequently merged into the central handlebar. This essentially results in creating no substantial advantage over a conventional single handlebar's directional control of the cleaning head. Furthermore, the heavyweight attachment dramatically adds to the weight of the appliance, creating an adverse affect on the mobility and ability to easily manipulate or maneuver the cleaning tool.
In order to provide a direct control of force at the cleaning instrument's interface, as well as alleviate the appliances' inherent mobility intricacies, an additionally enhanced handlebar design is necessary.
In view of the foregoing, a first object of the present invention is to provide a double free swivel handle system for cleaning instruments where swivels are made to occur on the top opposite ends of the cleaning head of the instrument for a direct transmission of directional control by the hands of the user.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a double-swivel handle system having two handle components that may be converged into a single grip for both hands to exert a concentrated force of push and pull against a harder job.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a universal dual-swivel handle device that can be equally and immediately applied to heavy duty instruments like push brooms and mops, as well as floor sweepers with solution ejection, paint scrapers, and light squeegees.
The floor sweeper, according to the present invention, has a first side pole and a second side pole pivoted by swivel connectors to a first side support and second side support, respectively.
The first pole has a handle at its top and the second pole has a similar handle. Each handle is angled with respect to the axis of its pole and has a grip on one side. This angle is set to assist in the converging function of the bi-pole handle of the present invention, as well as user ergonomics. The cross section of the grip is semicircular. The other flat side of the handles may be textured in a pattern for enhancing frictional engagement between the two poles when they are in joint hold. In unity, the handle provides a round cross section and a frictional grip on the outer surfaces.
The side poles and the handles together constitute a bi-pole handle that can be manipulated either by the left and right hands independently or by both hands simultaneously with the handle in unity.
The poles of the cleaning handle are pivotally fixed to the appliance base by a fastening means comprising a ball joint retainer. This particular retainer includes an upper housing member with several screw holes and a ball housing located centrally of the housing member. The ball housing protrudes upwardly from the housing member and has an opening through which a ball joint is inserted. The ball joint is provided at its lower end with a ball member, which is retained by the ball housing at its upper round area and the support at its bottom. The support may have a concave area to receive the bottom of the ball member. When the ball joint assembly is attached to the support by screws, it provides a threaded tip for fastening with the pole with a threaded bore at its bottom end. A metal insert for reinforcement may also provide such bore. The fastening means can be made of metal or plastic.
The second embodiment of the bi-pole handle of the present invention has an integral solution distribution system, which eliminates the need for carrying a separate supply of cleaning solution. In addition to the primary structure of the bi-pole handle with a pair of poles, a floor sweeper has a base shaped to contain cleaning solution at both sides where the poles are fixed. Container sections are adapted to support the poles at their outer top surfaces through the ball joint and housing. Each container section has interior walls that define the space for cleaning solution, and is enclosed by a bottom plate. The compartments are accessible through a raised top opening, and a flexible lid member is installed to fit around the opening to assist in ease of opening and closing each container section.
The solution stored in the container section is channeled to a floor sweep member by a valve that acts with a bias spring on the bottom plate. A pulling cable is connected to an actuation lever fastened next to a grip on the pole-top, which also activates the valve on the other container section. The sweep member contains a pair of liquid channels at both sides that receive the solution supplied from above container sections and distributes it to the floor area. The present invention also provides a third embodiment with a variation to the solution container, which is aligned with each pole member of the bi-pole cleaning handle.
Referring to
Extending from the side supports is a base 18 generally shaped as a rectangular shell to hold a cleaner head 19, which may be selected from a sponge block, brush, scrub head, squeegee, cleaning pad, and any other suitable cleaning material.
In its simpler form, the floor sweeper may have a brush head to replace the supports 16 and 17 and base 18. The inventive bi-pole handle is compliant with a brush head of a general type consisting of a block or plate with fibers, although it is readily adaptable to other cleaning instruments that require a stick or handle. The two side poles 11 and 12 may be attached to a flat top surface of the brush via a pair of universal joints, which are detailed below.
The pole 11 has a handle 20 at its top, and the other pole 12 has a similar handle 21. Each handle is angled with respect to the axis of its pole and has a grip 22 on one side. This angle is set to assist in the converging function of the bi-pole handle of the present invention, as well as user ergonomics. The cross section of the grip 22 is semicircular. The other flat side of the handles may be textured in a pattern 23 for enhancing frictional engagement between the two poles when they are in joint hold. In unity, the handle 24 provides a round cross section and a frictional grip on the outer surfaces. A variety of engagement means can be used for connecting the grips. One may use an elastic band securing the grips together. Clips, metal loops, hook and loop tape, locking pins or other commercially available hardware, can also secure the grips.
The side poles 11 and 12 and the handles 20 and 21 together constitute a bi-pole handle 24, which can be either manipulated by left and right hands independently or by both hands simultaneously with the handle 24 in unity as shown in
Specifically, the ability to control the opposite sides of the cleaning head by alternately pushing the poles in constantly changing postures frees the conventional rigid posture that a cleaner must have with a single pole. This ergonomically sound improvement eliminates a significant amount of fatigue experienced by the cleaner, and can thus potentially reduce work-related injuries caused by extended hours of cleaning work. The invention also provides an even and concentrated cleaning force by requiring the cleaner to hold the joined poles together, as needed.
The poles of the cleaning handle 24 are pivotally fixed to the base by a fastening means as shown in
The metal screws 38 are readily available while the fastening means 30 can be made of metal or plastic.
The solution stored in the container section 116 is channeled to a floor sweep member 123 via a valve 124 that acts with a bias spring 125 on the bottom plate 120 by a pulling cable 126 connected to a pole-top actuation lever 127 fastened next to a grip 128 which also activates the valve 124 on the other container section 117. The sweep member 123 is provided with a pair of liquid channels 130 at both sides for receiving solution supplied from the container section above to distribute the same downwardly to act on the floor to clean.
The body 317 has at its top edge an outer thread 320 while the central sleeve 318 may end above or below the top edge of the body 317 where the threaded engagement between the top and low pole sections 301 and 302 occurs. A shoulder 321 at the end of the sleeve 318 is wedged between the two pole sections upon their engagement and held there in line with the pole assembly. The container 316 also has a lid 322 with an opening 323 formed centrally to pass the top pole section 301 for encounter with the low pole section 302. The lid 322 may be threaded onto the body 317. For later fill ups, the lid 322 may by rotated about the pole section 301 away from the body 317 to open the same.
A similar ball joint retainer 331 to the ones as used in the sweeper 100 pivotally holds the low pole section 302 on each side of the base 328. Also, the cleaner head 329 has solution channels 330 formed on its top surface.
In the center of the base 328 a valve block 332 is attached and also connected to a pole-top lever 327 via a pull cable 326. A pair of flexible tubes 333 is connected between the outlets 319 of the containers 316 and the valve block 332 respectively so that a user can control the supply of the solution from both containers 316 to the floor. Single set of pull cable 326 and lever 327 are shown for easy reading of the drawing although another set of cable and lever may be installed at the other pole component in parallel.
Referring to
While the presently preferred form of the bi-pole cleaning handle has been shown and described, and several modifications thereof discussed, persons skilled in this art will readily appreciate that various additional changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined and differentiated by the following claims.
