Patent Application
20160081527
The present invention relates to a cleaning device for use with removable and replaceable cleaning elements, such as a mop sponge, dusting cloth, polishing pad or the like.
Various types of cleaning devices with removable, and replaceable cleaning elements, such as a sponge, mop, dusting pad or the like for use with or without liquid cleaning solutions have been suggested. These devices suggest use of solid plate like rectangular holders having an attachable handle and means for securing a cleaning element to the holder. The means for securing the cleaning element to the holder can be spikes or double hooks, adhesives or the like. Adhesive backed strips of Velcro™ hook fasteners have been adhered to the holder, as have such strips of hook fasteners attached with adhesive of mechanically. Such attached fasteners require frequent replacement. The holder can be formed of a molded plastic with the spikes or hooks molded with the rectangular holder. In these previous cleaning devices the holder is usually formed of a solid sheet of plastic material having a handle mount part on the top face for attaching as handle and the spikes or hooks extend from the bottom for holding the removable cleaning element.
The present invention is a cleaning device comprising an applicator head having a top side and a bottom side, and including a plurality of holes there through which are sufficient in size and number that cleaning liquid collecting on the top side readily flows through the applicator head back into an attached cleaning element. A plurality of spaced-apart hooks are positioned around the peripheral edge of each said holes, extending from the bottom side of said applicator head and each comprising a shaft with a barb extending from the end of said shaft said bath facing in and extending beneath its adjacent hole, whereby an applicator can be releasable attached by said hooks to said applicator head.
Because of the plurality of holes through the applicator head excess liquid does not collect on the applicator head and hence does not splash off the top of the applicator head and onto a surface previously cleaned, and the location and orientation of the hooks facilitate integral molding of the applicator head in a two piece mold with no secondary mechanical action.
Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds, as well as from the appended drawings in which:
In the drawings like parts or features are not always numbered but are readily apparent.
The cleaning device 10 of the preferred embodiment includes a one piece molded plastic applicator head 11 which is generally planar in shape, including opposed respective top and bottom sides 15 and 16. Head 11 includes handle mount 11 to which a handle 12 is attached, drain hole openings 13a, 13b and which allow water to drain of the top 15 of head 11 and into a cleaning element 18 (rather than running of onto previously cleaned floor), and downwardly depending hooks 17 adjacent holes 14, for attaching cleaning element 18 to applicator head 11. Releasably mounted cleaning element 18 is of the same configuration as the bottom side 16 of the applicator head 11.
The numbers in the Figures and used in the specification identify the following items or features:
The applicator head 11 is shown as rectangular in shape and includes holes 14 there through located along the leading and trailing perimeter edges 11a and 11b of head 11. There are two additional holes 14, one located at each end of the applicator head, near end edges 11c and 11d. Bridges 29 between said holes 14 define the size and shape of the holes 14. Each hole is sufficiently large to allow cleaning solution to drain through it readily, and sufficiently small to avoid unduly weakening applicator head 11.
The leading and trailing edges of applicator head 11 are so named since they are the leading and trailing edges of applicator head 11 as it is pushed forwardly. Preferably, holes 14 are located at least along the leading and trailing edges of said applicator head 11. Cleaning solution collecting, on the upper surface of applicator head 11 will tend to flow toward edges 11a and 11b as the head is pushed and pulled over the floor. The proximity of holes 14 to leading and trailing edges 11a and 11b will capture the solution before it has a chance to run off applicator head 11 over the leading or trailing edges 11a and 11b. If holes 14 were located further back from the leading and trailing edges 11a and 11b, solution could collect in the space between holes 14 and edge 11a or 11b, and then run over edge 11a or 11b without being Intercepted by holes 14. There is a drain hole 13a located in the center of applicator head 11, below handle mount 13, and there are three small triangular shaped drain holes 13b located in the fore-aft direction relative to handle mount 13. Drain hole 13a facilitates central drainage, and holes 13b facilitate peripheral edge portion drainage in the middle of the length of applicator head 11. Unlike drain holes 14, holes 13a and 13b do not include associated hooks 17.
Rather than place holes 14 throughout applicator head 11, reinforcing ribs 19 free of holes extend over the center portion of the top side 15 of applicator head 11, between the rows of holes 14 along the leading and trailing edges 11a and 11b. Ribs 19 provide strength and rigidity to the applicator head 11.
Hooks 17 are positioned along the peripheral, edges of the holes 14, and extend downward from the plane of applicator head 11. Hooks 17 comprise a shaft 25 and a barb 26. The barb 26 preferably faces in the direction of and extends under the opening of holes 14. This design permits using two piece molds as shown in
Hooks 17 preferably are integrally molded with the applicator head 11. An enlarged view of the hooks showing the barbs 26 on the end of the shafts 25 are illustrated in
The distance between adjacent hooks 17 can vary but range from one half to about one and one half the length of the hooks Preferably, hooks 17 are spaced from about 0.06 to about 0.35 inch apart, more preferably from about 0.12 to about 0.25 inch apart. Preferably there are from about 14-24 hooks around the perimeter of each hole 14. There are 21 hooks 17 around the perimeter of each triangular shaped hole (six on a side and one in each corner), and 16 hooks around the perimeter of each rectangular shaped hole (8 on each side), as shown in the preferred embodiments.
Preferably, holes 14 and their associated hooks 17 occupy from about 15 to about 50 percent of the area of the underside of applicator head 11, more preferably from about 25 to about 30 percent of the area. As noted above, it is preferable that most of the holes be located adjacent and extending away from the leading and trailing edges 11a and 11b of applicator head 11. When so placed the area of the holes 14 occupy from about 80 to about 95 percent of the peripheral area where they are located, preferably more than 90 percent of the peripheral area of the applicator head. Some holes may optionally be located at the end portions or even in the central portions of applicator head 11, in order to provide drainage and hooks in that area. However, it is most preferable that the central area of applicator head 11 be free of holes in order to rigidify applicator bead 11. The central area of applicator head which is free or substantially free of holes may however contain holes that account for about 10 to about 25 percent of that area.
The applicator head 11 is designed to be used with well-known fibrous or spongy cleaning elements 18 that can be secured to and released from the applicator head 11 though engagement with the hooks. When the inner surface of the cleaning element 18 is pressed against the bottom side 16 of the applicator head 11, the hooks 17 penetrate the cleaning element 18 and the barbs 26 engage and become entangled with the fibrous or spongy material of the cleaning element 18. The cleaning element 18 may be easily removed from the applicator head 11 by applying outward stripping action to the cleaning element 18.
The Figures illustrate two hole configurations, equilateral triangles and rectangular. Both can be used in the same applicator head as shown in
The triangular hole is preferred since they surprisingly provide an applicator head having good strength and rigidity.
In the rectangular hole embodiment of
The dimensions each individual hole 14 can vary and for e ample the open area of each can range from about 0.35 to about 0.60 square inch, preferably from about 0.40 to about 0.55 square inch. The area of each triangular hole 14 is about 0.52 square inch and each rectangular hole is about 0.52 square inch.
A handle mount 13 is centrally attached to the top side 15 of the applicator head 11 for pivot mount of a handle 12. This allows manipulating the applicator head 11 in a cleaning motion over a surface to be cleaned. The handle mount 13 as illustrated is attached to the reinforcement rib 19. An enlarged view of the handle mount used in this embodiment is shown in
It will be noted that handle 12 can be pivoted toward either edge 11a or 11b of applicator head 11. In
The applicator head can be provided in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. For example, rectangular shaped applicator heads ranging from about 8 to about 30 inches in length and about 2 to about 8 inches wide are useful.
The cleaning device of the present invention is designed for attaching a cleaning element 18 which may be easily removed and replaced on the applicator head 11. With the hooks 14 positioned around the periphery of the holes 14 any lateral movement of the cleaning element relative to the applicator head is prevented.
One of the advantages of the design of the claimed invention is it can integrally molded by injection molding or the like of a thermoplastic employing a two piece mold. It is useful as a mop head and readily allows extra liquids to drain through the application head and into a cleaning element instead of splashing on the surface to be cleaned e.g. a floor.
