1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cleaning member mounting holder for a mop and a mop.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mop generally comprises a handle, a cleaning member mounting holder, a cleaning member, and a water squeeze device. The cleaning member is made of water absorbing resilient material and is substantially cylindrical. The cleaning member is generally connected to the clearing member mounting holder located at a lower end of the handle and can be conveniently replaced. The water squeeze is adapted to squeeze the cleaning member. A user generally grasps the handle to bring the cleaning member into contact with a floor, and to move the cleaning member to scrub back and forth on the floor, thereby achieving cleaning functions such as water pickup, dust remove, and floor scrub. After the cleaning member becomes dirty, it can be flushed or soaked with water, and water is squeezed from the cleaning member so that the cleaning member is refreshed.
Water squeeze efficiency and water absorbing capacity are important indexes for judging performance of a common mop. A mop commercially available currently comprises a mechanism that squeezes water from a cleaning member by folding and pressing the cleaning member. However, water is still incompletely removed and a part of water remains in the cleaning member. In addition, the cleaning member is fixed to a handle of the mop so that only a bottom of the cleaning member can be brought into contact with a floor. Therefore, cleaning material of the cleaning member cannot be effectively utilized. The mop has the following advantages. The mop cannot effectively remove water stain on the floor and a utilization ratio of the cleaning member is low so that it is necessary to clean the cleaning member frequently in order that the mop can be reused, thereby causing inconvenience.
EP0934722(A1) discloses a mop, comprising a cylindrical cleaning member capable of rolling. The mop cleaning member is movably connected to a handle of the mop by a shaft perforating through the cleaning member. When the mop is used for cleaning, all of a cylindrical surface of the cleaning member is brought into contact with a floor, thereby achieving an excellent cleaning effect. However, the mop disclosed in the EP0934722(A1) does not have a water squeeze device so that the cleaning member of the mop cannot be cleaned by itself.
CN2790395Y discloses a mop having a water squeeze device. A cleaning head of the mop is squeezed in a longitudinal direction. The water squeeze device can produce a better water squeeze effect than the prior art water squeeze device which squeezes the cleaning member by folding and pressing the cleaning member. However, the cleaning member of the mop disclosed in CN2790395Y cannot rotate. Therefore, the cleaning member cannot be effectively used for achieve a better cleaning performance.
WO2009097326 discloses a mop comprising a rotatable cleaning member and a water squeeze device. However, a water squeeze effect of WO2009097326 is not good.
The disclosed cleaning member includes cleaning member mounting holder and a mop which enable a cleaning member to rotate freely on a floor for absorbing water and adsorbing dust and to be braked for scraping cleaning. In one embodiment, the cleaning member rotates freely on a floor for absorbing water and adsorbing dust and can be braked for scraping cleaning, and which has a water squeeze device capable of achieving a higher water squeeze efficiency of a cleaning head.
In one embodiment, there is provided a cleaning member mounting holder for a mop comprising: a shaft for mounting a cleaning member, the shaft having opposite ends, and a pair of mounting members each having a hole, the opposite ends of the shaft being mounted in the holes of the pair of mounting members, respectively, wherein at least one of the opposite ends of the shaft is movable substantially perpendicularly to the shaft axis in the holes of the pair of mounting members.
In one embodiment, each of the holes is an elongated hole or a slot and thus has a longitudinal direction. The longitudinal direction of the elongated hole or the slot may be substantially perpendicular to the shaft axis. In one embodiment, the cleaning member mounting holder has a first use state in which the longitudinal direction of the holes is oriented substantially at an angle of less than 45 degrees to a vertical direction, and a second use state in which the longitudinal direction of the holes is oriented substantially at an angle of less than 45 degrees to a horizontal direction. In one embodiment, the cleaning member mounting holder has a first use state in which the longitudinal direction of the holes is oriented substantially in a vertical direction, and a second use state in which the longitudinal direction of the holes is oriented substantially in a horizontal direction.
In one embodiment, the cleaning member mounting holder further comprises locking members for releasably locking the ends of the shaft at predetermined positions in the holes, respectively.
In one embodiment, the cleaning member mounting holder further comprises a connecting member for connecting the pair of mounting members, wherein the predetermined positions in the holes are ends of the holes on a side opposite to the connecting member in the second use state of the cleaning member mounting holder. In one embodiment, the cleaning member mounting holder further comprises a connecting member for connecting the pair of mounting members, wherein the predetermined positions in the holes are ends of the holes (adjacent to the connecting member) on a side of the connecting member in the first use state of the cleaning member mounting holder.
In one embodiment, the locking members are projections protruding from inner walls of the holes.
In one embodiment, the cleaning member mounting holder can switch between the first and second use states by turning the cleaning member mounting holder in such a manner that a downward side of the cleaning member mounting holder becomes an upward side of the cleaning member mounting holder.
In one embodiment, the locking members release the ends of the shaft from the predetermined positions in the holes or lock the ends of the shaft at the predetermined positions in the holes when a force applied to the shaft is larger than a predetermined force.
In one embodiment, there is provided a mop comprising: a handle, and the described cleaning member mounting holder connected with the handle.
In one embodiment, there is provided a mop comprising: a handle, and the described cleaning member mounting holder, the cleaning member mounting holder further comprises a connecting member for connecting the pair of mounting members, wherein the cleaning member mounting holder is connected with the handle through the connecting member, and a cleaning member rotatably fitted over the shaft, wherein when a force applied to the shaft (for example, a force applied to the shaft to move the shaft upwards relative to the pair of mounting members or a force applied to the shaft perpendicularly to the shaft) is larger than a predetermined force in the first use state of the cleaning member mounting holder, the cleaning member is brought into contact with a part of at least one of the connecting member and the pair of mounting members to be braked.
In one embodiment, the mop further comprises a water squeeze device including at least one squeeze plate mounted between the pair of mounting members and configured to be slidable along the shaft.
In one embodiment, the cleaning member mounting holder is hinged to the handle, and the cleaning member mounting holder is rotatable relative to the handle in a plane defined substantially by the cleaning member mounting holder and the handle.
In one embodiment, the water squeeze device includes one squeeze plate and a driving mechanism disposed to drive the one squeeze plate to slide along the shaft, the driving mechanism includes: a first link having a first end hinged to the one squeeze plate, and a second end, a second link having a first end hinged to the second end of the first link, and a second end, and a driving lever having an end hinged to the handle, wherein the second end of the second link is hinged to the driving lever.
In one embodiment, the water squeeze device includes a pair of squeeze plates, and a driving mechanism disposed to drive the pair of squeeze plates to slide along the shaft, the driving mechanism includes: a pair of first links each having first and second ends, the first ends of the pair of first links being hinged to the pair of squeeze plates, respectively, a sleeve slidably fitted over the handle, the second ends of the pair of first links being hinged to the sleeve, a second link having a first end hinged to the sleeve, and a second end, and a driving lever having an end hinged to the handle, wherein the second end of the second link hinged to the driving lever.
In one embodiment, the cleaning member mounting holder can rotate by 0 to 180 degrees relative to the handle in the plane defined substantially by the cleaning member mounting holder and the handle. With the above cleaning member mounting holder and the above mop, the cleaning member can freely rotate on a floor for absorbing water and adsorbing dust and can be braked for scraping cleaning.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The cleaning member 30 has a cylindrical shape and is provided with a through hole. The shaft 21 passes through the through hole of the cleaning member 30 and connects the cleaning member 30 with the cleaning member mounting holder 20 so that the cleaning member 30 may rotate freely around the shaft 21.
The opposite ends 211 of the shaft 21 are movable in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the shaft 21 in the holes 231 of the pair of mounting members 23. Each of the holes 231 may be an elongated hole or a slot and thus has a longitudinal direction. The longitudinal direction of the elongated hole or the slot as the hole 231 may be substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft 21 as illustrated in
As illustrated in
For example, the longitudinal direction of the holes 231 is oriented substantially in the vertical direction in the first use state as illustrated in
As illustrated in
When a force applied to the shaft 21 (for example, a force applied to the shaft to move the shaft upwards relative to the pair of mounting members 23, a force applied to the shaft to enable the cleaning member 30 to approach the connecting member 25, or a force applied to the shaft perpendicularly to the shaft) is larger than a predetermined force in the first use state of the cleaning member mounting holder, the cleaning member 30 is brought into contact with a part of at least one of the connecting member 25, a handle 10 and the pair of mounting members 23 to be braked. As a result, a rotation of the cleaning member 30 is stopped, or the cleaning member 30 is decelerated so that the cleaning member slides with respect to a floor, or slides with respect to the floor while it is rolling. For example, the cleaning member 30 is brought into contact with a part of at least one of the connecting member 25, a handle 10 and the pair of mounting members 23 by applying a force to the handle 10 with the cleaning member 30 placed on the floor.
As illustrated in
According to one embodiment, the cleaning member mounting holder 20 further comprises at least one locking member 235 for releasably locking the ends 211 of the shaft 21 at predetermined positions in the holes 231, respectively. The locking member 235 may be projections protruding from inner walls of the holes 231 as illustrated in
The cleaning member mounting holder 20 may be formed by injection molding. The ends 211 of the shaft 21 can thus be locked at the predetermined position and released from the predetermined position by means of elasticity of the cleaning member mounting holder 20. The locking members 235 release the ends 211 of the shaft 21 from the predetermined positions in the holes 231 or lock the ends 211 of the shaft 21 at the predetermined positions in the holes 231 when a force applied to the shaft 21 is larger than a predetermined force in use.
For example, the predetermined positions in the holes 231 are ends 233 and 237 of the holes 231. The predetermined positions in the holes 231 are ends 237 of the holes 231 on a side of the connecting member 25 (i.e. ends 237 of the holes 231 adjacent to the connecting member 25) in the first use state of the cleaning member mounting holder 20. As illustrated in
The ends 211 of the shaft 21 may move to different positions in the holes 231 through the locking members 235 by applying a force to the shaft 21 or the cleaning member 30, so that the cleaning member 30 can rotate freely, or can be brought into contact with a part of at least one of the connecting member 25 and the pair of mounting members 23, for example a part of the connecting member 25. As a result, the cleaning member 30 can be braked so that a rotation of the cleaning member 30 is stopped, and thus the cleaning member slides with respect to a floor, or the cleaning member 30 slides with respect to a floor while it is rolling.
As illustrated in
The driving mechanism 43 includes: a first link 431 having a first end hinged to the one squeeze plate 41, and a second end, a second link 432 having a first end hinged to the second end of the first link 431, and a second end, and a driving lever 433 having an end hinged to the handle 10, wherein the second end of the second link 432 is hinged to the driving lever 433. The above links may be straight or curved rods or members similar to the rods. As illustrated in
When a user pulls the driving lever 433, the squeeze plate 41 can be driven to slide along the shaft 21 from an end of the cleaning member 30 towards another end of the cleaning member 30 to squeeze the cleaning member 30. Therefore, water is squeezed from the cleaning member 30. A middle part of the cleaning member mounting holder 20 is rotatably connected to a lower end of the handle 10, and the cleaning member mounting holder 20 can rotate freely around the lower end of the handle 10 within a range of 180 degrees. Therefore, the cleaning member mounting holder 20 can rotate around the lower end of the handle 10 during squeezing so that water can be squeezed from the cleaning member 30 with less force. The design can also achieve rotation of the cleaning member 30. As a result, the cleaning member 30 can access a narrow place for cleaning by adjusting angle of the cleaning member 30 so that cleaning scope is enlarged.
When scraping cleaning is needed, the cleaning member 30 can be braked. In other words, the cleaning member 30 no longer rotates freely. The mounting members 23 of the cleaning member mounting holder 30 have the elongated holes 231. The entire shaft 21 may move within the longitudinal range of the elongated holes 231. When the shaft 21 is located near the connecting member 25 of the U-shaped cleaning member mounting holder 20, the cleaning member is pressed against the connecting member 25 of the cleaning member mounting holder 20. The cleaning member 30 is braked due to friction and thus cannot rotate freely as shown in
A mop 100′ according to another embodiment is different from the mop 100 previously described in that a water squeeze device 40′ of the mop 100′ according to the second embodiment differs from the water squeeze device 40 of the mop 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Only the water squeeze device 40′ of the mop 100′ according to the second embodiment will be described below.
In this second embodiment, the water squeeze device 40′ includes a pair of squeeze plates 41. If the cleaning member 30 is fitted over the shaft 21, the pair of squeeze plates 41 are located between the pair of mounting members 23 and the cleaning member 30, respectively. The squeeze plate 41 may have a through hole so that the squeeze plate 41 may be fitted over the shaft 21. Alternatively, the squeeze plate 41 may have a slot through which the squeeze plate 41 is fitted over the shaft 21.
The driving mechanism 43′ includes: a pair of first links 431′ each having first and second ends, the first ends of the pair of first links 431′ being hinged to the pair of squeeze plates 41, respectively, a sleeve 434 slidably fitted over the handle 10, the second ends of the pair of first links 431′ being hinged to the sleeve 434, a second link 432′ having a first end hinged to the sleeve 434, and a second end, and a driving lever 433′ having an end hinged to the handle 10. The second end of the second link 432′ is hinged to the driving lever 433′. The above links may be straight or curved rods or members similar to the rods. As illustrated in
In addition, in the above embodiments, the opposite ends of the shaft are movable substantially perpendicularly to the shaft axis in the respective holes of the pair of mounting members. Alternatively, the cleaning member mounting holder is designed in such manner that one of the ends of the shaft is movable substantially perpendicularly to the shaft axis in a corresponding hole of the holes of the pair of mounting members, or the cleaning member mounting holder is designed in such manner that at least one of the opposite ends of the shaft is movable substantially perpendicularly to the shaft axis in the corresponding holes of the pair of mounting members.
The cleaning member can selectively rotate freely so that an effective cleaning area is improved and the mop can scrape filth. As a result, the mop can absorb more water and adsorb more dust. The cleaning member is squeezed in a longitudinal direction of the cleaning member. The squeeze effect is better. The mop thus can absorb more water on a floor with less water remained on the floor. The cleaning member mounting holder is movable so as to rotate according to requirements. The cleaning member can thus access narrow place to perform cleaning. The cleaning range increases. The disclose mop has a water squeeze device. The water squeeze device can be flexibly self-refreshed so as to help a user easily clean a floor without contacting the cleaning member. The disclosed cleaning member of the mop can rotate, the driving device of the water squeeze device of the mop may comprise elements such as substantially rigid links. Therefore, the mop can easily squeeze the cleaning member and has simple structure. In addition, the mop can access narrow place for cleaning so as to improve the cleaning range. The disclosed mop employs an axial squeeze so that it can provide better squeeze effect.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201110119675.4 | May 2011 | CN | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US2012/035944 | 5/1/2012 | WO | 00 | 10/30/2013 |