Patent Application
20140263105
In a traditional mopping process, a traditional mop bucket is filled with clean water at a janitor's closet or other water source and is moved from the janitor's closet to the site to be cleaned. The user dips a dry mop into the water in the mop bucket and fully wets the mop. The user lifts the mop and sets it in the wringer and wrings some of the water out of the mop into the mop bucket. The user mops the floor with the wet mop to clean the floor until the mop becomes too dirty or too dry. The user then dips the mop into the water in the mop bucket to rinse the dirt out of the mop. The user places the mop in the wringer and wrings the water and dirt from the mop into the water in the mop bucket. This process may be repeated multiple times. The water in the mop bucket becomes increasingly dirty as the process is repeated. When the dirty water is reintroduced to the floor via the mop, it is likely to redeposit some amount of dirt onto the floor. From this point on, until the mop bucket is dumped and rinsed and fresh water is added, the water continues to get dirtier. The only option for clean water is for the user to return the mop bucket to the janitor's closet or other water source, dump out the dirty water and refill the bucket with clean water including additional chemical cleaning agents. Such a process is labor and time intensive.
In some embodiments, a mopping system comprises a filter bucket. A mop bucket is movable relative to the filter bucket between a use position and a drain position, when the mop bucket is in the drain position the water in the mop bucket drains into the filter bucket. A fluid flow path is provided between the filter bucket and the mop bucket and a filter is located in the fluid flow path such that water flows through the fluid flow path and the filter when the mop bucket is moved from the drain position to the use position.
A mop wringer may be mounted such that the outlet of the wringer drains to the filter bucket. The wringer may be configured to be used with a flat mop or a string mop. The mop bucket may be connected to the filter bucket by a drain such that water in the mop bucket flows to the filter bucket through the drain when the mop bucket is in the drain position. The fluid flow path may be selectively closed by a valve. When the mop bucket is in the drain position the drain may be positioned vertically above a bottom of the filter bucket. The mop bucket may be moved vertically between the use position and the drain position. The drain position may be vertically above the use position. When the mop bucket is in the drain position the mop bucket may be vertically spaced above the filter bucket. A handle may be operatively connected to the mop bucket to move the mop bucket vertically between the use position and the drain position. The handle may be operatively connected to the mop bucket by a link.
In some embodiments, a mopping system comprises a filter bucket. A mop bucket is movable relative to the filter bucket between a use position where the mop bucket is positioned in the filter bucket and a drain position where the mop bucket is in a raised position relative to the filter bucket. A drain in the mop bucket is operable to drain the water from the mop bucket into the filter bucket when the mop bucket is in the drain position. A fluid flow path is between the filter bucket and the mop bucket. A filter is located in the fluid flow path such that water flows through the fluid flow path and the filter when the mop bucket is moved from the drain position to the use position.
A mop wringer may be mounted such that the outlet of the wringer drains to the filter bucket. The drain may be selectively closed by a valve. A lift system may be operatively connected to the mop bucket to move the mop bucket between the use position and the drain position. The lift system may comprise a handle operatively connected to the mop bucket.
In some embodiments a method is provided for operating a mopping system comprising a filter bucket; a mop bucket movable relative to the filter bucket between a use position and a drain position where when the mop bucket is in the drain position the water in the mop bucket drains into the filter bucket; a fluid flow path near the bottom of the bucket and a filter located in the fluid flow path where water flows through the fluid flow path when the mop bucket is moved from the drain position to the use position. The method comprises moving the mop bucket from the use position to the drain position such that the dirty water drains from the mop bucket into the filter bucket; moving the mop bucket back to the use position into the dirty water; allowing the dirty water to pass through the filter from the filter bucket into the mop bucket when the mop bucket is moved from the drain position to the use position. The step of moving the mop bucket from the use position to the drain position may comprise raising the mop bucket vertically relative to the filter bucket and opening a drain in the mop bucket. The method may further comprise removing the filter from the filter bucket and selecting from one of cleaning the filter and replacing the filter.
Embodiments of the invention provide a mopping system that provides clean water to the end user at the cleaning site without requiring that the mop bucket be transported to a janitor's closet or other water source to drain and refill the mop bucket. “Water” as used herein means any cleaning solution, cleaning fluid, water, water mixed with a cleaning agent, a cleaning agent other than water or any other liquid that may be advantageously used as a cleaning agent and that may be cleaned using the system of the invention. “Janitor's closet” as used herein means any source of fresh water, cleaning solution and/or a drain where a mop bucket is traditionally, emptied, cleaned and refilled and is not limited to an actual janitor's closet.
In order to wash floors properly, it is necessary to use water that contains little or no dirt, particulate matter or the like (the term “dirt” is used herein to refer to any unwanted particulates in the water). Because providing clean water in a traditional system is labor and time intensive, the user of a traditional system typically uses water that is dirty when cleaning a dirty floor surface. Without replacing the water, the floor is cleaned with increasingly dirty water creating issues with dirt presence on the floors, streaking, cross contamination from different zones, and basic hygiene.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a mopping system that removes the dirt from the water and provides clean water without the need to return to the janitor's closet and/or drain and refill the water. The system of the invention saves time and labor, uses fewer resources, and minimizes the use and disposal of chemical cleaning solutions.
Referring to the figures, an embodiment of the mopping system of the invention is shown. The system of the invention comprises a large filter bucket 4. The term “bucket” is used to refer to any container, compartment or receptacle that may be used to contain water in the mopping system. The filter bucket 4 may comprise a molded plastic bucket; however, the bucket may be made of any suitable material. In one embodiment the filter bucket 4 may be mounted on rollers, casters, wheels or other similar devices (hereinafter “wheels”) 2 to allow a user to push the system over a floor or other surface. In one embodiment two fixed wheels and two pivoting wheels may be used to prevent the frame from “crabbing” as it is pushed or pulled. The wheels may be formed as part of a dolly 3 where the filter bucket may be removably supported on the dolly 3. In other embodiments the wheels may be formed as an integrated part of the bucket.
A mop wringer 6 is mounted on one end of the filter bucket 4 such that when the mop is wrung in the wringer 6 the water from the mop drains into the filter bucket 4. While in the illustrated embodiment the wringer 6 is mounted on the filter bucket wall 4, the wringer 6 may be mounted in other manners and locations provided that the water can drain from the wringer 6 to the filter bucket 4. In some embodiments the wringer 6 may be positioned to drain into the mop bucket 12 rather than into the filter bucket 4. Moreover, the wringer 6 may be mounted on a frame such as on dolly 3 rather than being mounted directly on the filter bucket 4. The wringer 6 may comprise a wringer that is suitable for use with a flat mop or a wringer that is suitable for use with a string mop. The buckets may also be sized and shaped or otherwise configured to accommodate string mops, flat mops or other styles of mops.
A mop bucket 12 is located inside of the filter bucket 4 and is vertically movable relative to the filter bucket 4 such that the mop bucket 12 may be lifted and lowered relative to the filter bucket 4 as shown in
The mop bucket 12 further comprises a one way valve 20 located on or near the bottom of the mop bucket 12 for draining water from the mop bucket 12 as will be described. While the valve 20 is described as being on the bottom of the mop bucket 12 the valve 20 may also be on a wall of the mop bucket 12 provided that all or substantially all of the water in the mop bucket 12 can drain into the filter bucket 4. While the valve may be positioned such that less than substantially all of the water may drain from the mop bucket 12, in such an embodiment some dirty water will remain in the mop bucket that will mix with the clean filtered water that is reintroduced into the mop bucket.
The mop bucket 12 is positioned inside of the filter bucket 4 such that water in the mop bucket 12 can drain into the filter bucket 4 when valve 20 is opened. In the illustrated embodiment water in the mop bucket 12 drains directly from the mop bucket 12 into the filter bucket 4; however, the water may drain into a hose or other conduit that is positioned between the mop bucket 12 and the filter bucket 4. The valve 20 comprises a movable valve element 26 that selectively closes a drain hole 27 in the mop bucket 12 as shown in
At least one passage 40 is provided that connects the exterior of the mop bucket 12 to the interior of the mop bucket 12 to create a fluid flow path that allows water to flow from the exterior of the mop bucket 12 to the interior of the mop bucket 12. The passage 40 may be formed as an aperture or series of apertures in the wall of the mop bucket. Alternatively the passage 40 may comprise a conduit, fitting or the like that connects the interior of the mop bucket 12 to the exterior of the mop bucket 12. Water in the filter bucket 4 can enter the mop bucket 12 through the passage 40 when the mop bucket 12 is in the lowered position inside of filter bucket 4 and the filter bucket 4 is filled with water. The fluid flow path may comprise the passage 40, portions of the mop bucket 12 and/or other components such as fittings, valves, additional conduit or other components that define the fluid path between the filter bucket 14 and the mop bucket 12. The fluid flow path may comprise any structure through which water flows from the filter bucket to the mop bucket where the filter may be located to filter dirt from the flowing water.
A filter 16 is disposed in the fluid flow path between the filter bucket 4 and the mop bucket 12 such that water in the filter bucket 4 must pass through the filter 16 as it flows between the filter bucket 4 and the mop bucket 12 through passage 40. The filter 16 may be disposed over or in the passage 40 as shown in
In one embodiment, the mop bucket 12 is connected to the filter bucket 4 by a lift system that facilitates the raising and lowering of the mop bucket 12 relative to the filter bucket 4. In one embodiment, the lift system comprises a pivoting handle 30 that is pivotably connected to the filter bucket 4 such that the handle 30 may rotate between an actuated position (
While a hand operated handle 30 is shown, the handle may comprise a foot operated pedal. Moreover, the mop bucket may be raised and lowered using a motorized lift system. Alternatively, the user could simply grasp the mop bucket and raise the mop bucket directly.
Guides 38 may be provided on the mop bucket 12 and filter bucket 4 to ensure that the mop bucket moves linearly and remains upright as it moves between the raised and lowered positions. The guide 38 may comprise a track 40 formed in one of the mop bucket 12 and filter bucket 4 that receives a follower 42 formed in the other one of the mop bucket 12 and filter bucket 4 where the engagement of the track and follower restricts the mop bucket 12 to linear upright movement. The guides 38 may be formed internally or externally of mop bucket 12 and filter bucket 4.
The system may come in a variety of sizes to accommodate different types of mops and/or to change the capacity of the system. Various changes in the configuration and appearance of the components may be made. The components may be made of a variety of materials including molded plastic, metal or the like.
The operation of the cleaning process will be described. In a typical use the mop bucket 12 is filled with clean water, the filter bucket 4 may be empty or partially filled with clean water. The mop bucket 12 is in the lowered use position inside of the filter bucket 4. Assuming that the mop is dry at the start of the process, to begin the mopping process, the user dips the dry mop into the clean fresh water in the mop bucket 12 and fully wets the mop. The user lifts the mop and sets it in the wringer 6 (possibly with a twisting motion for a string mop to easily fit the mop into the wringer) and wrings some of the water out of the mop into the filter bucket 4. The user mops the floor with the wet mop to clean the floor until the mop becomes too dirty and/or too dry. The user may then dip the mop into the clean water in the mop bucket 12 to rinse the dirt out of the mop and to wet the mop. The wet mop is placed in the wringer 6 to wring excess water from the mop into the filter bucket 4. This process may be repeated. As the process is repeated the water in the mop bucket 12 may become increasingly dirty from the rinsing of the mop. However, unlike traditional mop buckets the user has the option of cleaning the water in the mop bucket 12 at any time during the cleaning process such that the user does not have to use dirty water to clean the floor and does not have to return to a janitor's closet to refill the clean water. The water may be cleaned after each rinsing and wringing of the mop or the water may be cleaned after several repetitions of the cleaning process. In any event the user can decide when the water in the mop bucket is too dirty and can clean the water in the mop bucket in a timely fashion at the cleaning site. The water may be cleaned without returning to a janitor's closet or other remote location and without discarding the dirty water and refilling the mop bucket with clean water.
To clean the dirty water in the mop bucket 12, the user rotates handle 30 to rotate link 32 and lift the mop bucket 12 from the lowered, use position of
The handle 30 is rotated back to the non-actuated position, or the lift system is otherwise actuated, to push the mop bucket 12 downward from the raised position of
The filter 16 removes the dirt from the water such that the water that is returned to the mop bucket 12 is considered clean water for mopping purposes. Once the mop bucket 12 is filled with sufficient clean water and seated in the filter bucket 4 (as shown in
In various embodiments of the system, the bucket and wringer components may be made from corrosion resistant materials, such as the chemicals used in the cleaning industry. Olefins such as polypropylene and polyethylene may be used. Plastic materials such as nylon and acetal may be used and resist attack from chemical cleaning solutions. Any metal components that have long term contact with the cleaning agents and water may be made of stainless steel. Some components may be made of steel that is powder coated.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art appreciate that any arrangement, which is calculated to achieve the same purpose, may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and that the invention has other applications in other environments. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present invention. The following claims are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention to the specific embodiments described herein.
This application claims benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/789,002, as filed on Mar. 15, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61789002 | Mar 2013 | US |
