CLEANING CLOTH HOLDER HEAD FOR FLOOR CLEANING

Abstract

The new cleaning cloth holder head comprises a triangular-shaped head and handle rotating-attachment. At least one, and preferably all, sides of the body are equipped with a centrally-positioned curved notch or indentation. A cloth positioning and locking part is positioned on the upper surface of the cleaning cloth holder head in proximity to each edge of the triangular-shaped part, whereas a rotating handle coupling device is positioned centrally (preferably) in order to allow the handle attachment to rotate independent of the three axes of the body.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of pending Italian Patent Application No. PD2009A000118 filed 4 May 2009, the entire teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present patent concerns household cleaning appliances and, in particular, a cleaning cloth holder head for floor cleaning.

Currently, cleaning cloth holder heads for floor cleaning usually comprise a flat plastic section with an elastic pad on the underneath and upper attachment to connect the holder to a handle and/or neck.

The cleaning cloth holder head, known as the body for simplicity, is usually flat and comprises flexible parts on the upper section and preferably close to the corner edges which are used to hold the cleaning cloth in position and made of a flexible plastic item with one or more slots. The cloth is mounted on the lower flexible surface of the body with the cleaning cloth edges folded over the body section and fixed in position onto the flexible parts mentioned earlier by inserting the border of the cloth into the fastening slots provided for in the flexible plastic parts.

The attachment on the upper section of the body is normally articulated, thereby allowing the handle to rotate on two orthogonal axes, parallel to the two dimensions of the body and lower surface of the body.

Various difficulties are currently encountered when using cleaning cloth holder heads.

The cleaning cloth holder head is generally used crossways, i.e. with the main orthogonal side in a frontward position in order to obtain the greatest possible breadth during cleaning operations.

In order to clean restricted spaces, such as between furniture legs, users are required to lower and rotate the handle in order to ensure that the minor cleaning cloth holder head orthogonal side is in a frontward position.

In order to clean around specific obstructions such as table legs, plant pots or umbrella stands, the standard cleaning cloth holder heads require the user to carry out a series of handle movements to reach all the areas around the obstructions.

A similar situation exists when cleaning along walls and in corners, when the user is required to perform a series of movements in order to correctly direct the cleaning cloth head and move it to the area to be cleaned. The cleaning cloth holder head comprises a main side that works close to, and alongside, the skirting board. When the cleaning cloth holder head arrives at a corner section, it is rotated by rotating the handle in order to clean along the following skirting board by running the greatest breadth possible of the cleaning cloth holder head against the skirting board to be cleaned.

The subject of this patent application is a new cleaning cloth holder head/head for floor cleaning.

One specific purpose of the new cleaning cloth holder head is to alter its orientation and guidance in forward motion towards potential obstacles, walls or skirting boards without the need for the user to rotate the handle.

A further purpose of the new cleaning cloth holder head is to allow users to clean around obstacles of small dimensions without having to rotate the handle.

These, together with other purposes, comprise the new cleaning cloth holder head—together with its triangular-shaped head and handle rotating-attachment.

The body comprises an upper section that is mainly rigid, united with a softer triangular, equilateral, and isosceles flexible lower section.

At least one, and preferably all, of the sides of the new triangular cleaning cloth holder head are equipped with a centrally-positioned rounded notch or indentation.

A cloth positioning and locking part is positioned on the upper surface of the cleaning cloth holder head in proximity to each edge of the triangular-shaped part.

A rotating handle attachment is connected—preferably in a central position—to the upper section of the new cleaning cloth holder head body.

The attachment is connected to the body of the new cleaning cloth holder head body with a hinge that allows the handle attachment to rotate irrespective of the body and the three axes.

Generally speaking, the handle attachment comprises a joint between the handle and an attachment with the body of the new head with at least one hinged part connecting the joint and the attachment.

The handle joint is normally tubular, comprising one end which receives the handle grip, either slotted or screwed in, and the opposing end suitably adapted for the hinged attachment described above.

The attachment for the body of the new cloth holder head is equipped with a hinged part in order for the attachment to couple with the body. In particular, the connection between the attachment and cleaning head body allows the part to rotate on an approximate orthogonal axis relative to the lower cloth support surface without allowing for any detachment of the body and attachment.

The hinged parts connecting the attachment of the new cloth holder head to the attachment to the handle enables the reciprocal rotation of the attachment and coupling device on two orthogonal axes in a direction opposed to the orthogonal axes for the lower body cleaning cloth support frame.

These three elements; the body attachment, the handle coupling device and hinge parts comprise a universal joint.

The new cleaning cloth holder head can be attached to a standard handle and equipped with a cloth in order to carry out normal floor cleaning operations.

The specific characteristics of the cleaning cloth holder head for floor cleaning operations will be described in greater detail in the following description with reference to drawings, attached as non-exhaustive examples.

FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are displayed respectively as side view, plan view and axonometric projection of the surface of the holder, whereas FIG. 4 shows a vertical section of the new cleaning cloth holder head.

The new cleaning cloth holder head comprises a triangular-shaped body (C) and connected rotating attachment (A1, A2, A3) for the handle.

The body (C) is shaped approximately triangular, in this equilateral example.

Each side of the triangular-shaped body (C) has an indent (C1), which is generally positioned centrally.

A cloth holding device is positioned on the upper part of the body (C), close to the outer point of each part of the triangle (C2.

A circular-shaped seat (C3) is positioned—generally centrally—on the upper part of the body (C) and acts as a coupling device for the rotating handle attachment (A1, A2, A3).

The rotating handle attachment (A1, A2, and A3) is connected to the body (C) via this circular-shaped seat (C3).

The attachment (A1, A2, and A3) comprises a handle coupling device (A1) and an attachment (A3) to the body (C) of the new cloth holder head, with the support of a hinged part (A2) between the coupling device (A1) and attachment (A3).

The attachment (A3) to the body (C), the handle coupling device (A1) and hinge parts (A2) comprise a universal joint.

The handle couple device (A1) is generally tube-shaped and designed to either attach (slotted, or screwed in) the outer end of a handle at one end (A1a), with the opposite end (A1b) designed to couple with the hinged part (A2).

The attachment (A3) to the body (C) of the new cloth holder head comprises a part (A3b) which couples with the hinged part (A2) and the opposing part (A3a), which couples with the body (C) of the new cleaning cloth holder head.

The attachment (A3) comprises slot-in or arrow-indicated coupling devices (A3a) in order to be inserted in the upper round-shaped seat (C3) of the body (C) and maintain the body (C) attachment (A1, A2, A3), thereby allowing rotation between the attachment (A1, A2, A3) and the body (C) on an axis primarily orthogonal to the lower cleaning cloth support surface and the body (C).

The new cleaning cloth holder head for floor cleaning has a number of clear advantages.

The new cleaning cloth holder head is able to modify its orientation when moving forwards in order to avoid potential obstacles, walls or skirting boards without the user needing to rotate the handle. Whenever the holder meets standing obstacles such as furniture, the body (C) rotates on the attachment (A1, A2, A3) and allows it to move around the obstacle without the user having to turn the handle or carry out specific awkward or inconvenient operations.

The new cleaning cloth holder head allows users to clean around small-sized individual obstacles without the user needing to rotate the handle. The user need only direct the cleaning cloth holder head around the object and body of the holder head (C) rotates according to the attachment (A1, A2, A3) and modifies its position according to the shape and form of the obstacle encountered.

Where small-sized obstacles are concerned, such as table legs, the user can direct the cleaning cloth holder head around the obstacle with one of the indents (C1) on one of the three sides resting on the surface of the object involved.

When the new cleaning cloth holder head encounters an uninterrupted linear obstacle, such as a wall, it rotates automatically until an appropriate side of the device lies flat against the linear obstacle or wall in order to allow users to clean the floor up to the wall or uninterrupted obstacle encountered.

When the new cleaning cloth holder head is moved along a wall as far as a corner and adjacent wall, users need only push the head of the cloth holder up to the corner and then push it on to the adjacent wall. The cloth holder head immediately rotates with the support of the adjacent wall without the user having to turn the handle.

The aforementioned general guidelines and principles are sufficient for experts in the field to develop an application along the lines of the instructions given, which can be adapted to existing devices without compromising this innovative original concept.

Therefore, the following claims are made, based on the aforementioned description and enclosed technical drawings.

Claims

1. A cleaning cloth holder head with body as support frame for the cloth and upper handle attachment, characterised by the fact that the body has a triangular-shaped form with indents on one or more of the sides, and where the upper surface of the body comprises one or more fastening devices for the cleaning cloth.

2. The cleaning cloth holder head, as in claim 1, is characterised by the fact that the indentations positioned to the sides of the triangular-shaped device are curved.

3. The cleaning cloth holder head, as in claim 2 are characterised by the fact that the upper section of the body comprises a round-shaped seat to attach the handle connecting device and the lower part of the handle connecting device comprises slot-in or arrow-indicated coupling devices in order to be inserted in the upper round-shaped seat of the body and maintain the body attachment, thereby allowing rotation between the attachment and the body on an axis primarily orthogonal to the lower cleaning cloth support surface and the body.

4. The cleaning cloth holder head, as described in claim 3, is characterised by the fact that the round-shaped seat on the upper section of the body has a central position in the triangular-shaped part.

5. The cleaning cloth holder head, as described in claim 3, is characterised by the fact that the attachment comprises a handle coupling device and an attachment to the body of the new cloth holder head, with the support of a hinged part between the coupling device and attachment in order to create a universal joint.