Patent Application
20150082570
The present invention relates to floor mops, and more particularly to floor mops having one or more flexible regions on the base plate.
Spray Mops are simple cleaning tools that have gained favor by consumers following a recent trend in the popularity of hard floor surfaces (e.g., tile, wood, stone, marble, linoleum etc.) within the housing market. Early hard floor cleaning tools typically comprised a string mop, rag mop, or sponge mop that was used in conjunction with a separate bucket of cleaning solution. Such devices are still in use today, and can be effective, but they are often considered cumbersome to use.
The foregoing mopping devices have been replaced in the marketplace with increasing frequency by flat mops having a flat base plate mounted to a long handle, with a removable cleaning pad attached to the base plate. Such cleaning pads have included traditional woven fabrics (e.g., string or a knit fabric), sponges, nonwoven fabrics made of polymers, wood pulp, or the like, and the like. Woven and sponge mop pads are generally considered to be reusable, whereas nonwoven pads are often considered to be “disposable” because they are difficult or impossible to effectively clean for multiple reuses.
Flat mops may be used with a separate supply of cleaning fluid (water, detergent or the like), but some are equipped as a “spray mop” having a built-in fluid deposition system including a spray nozzle attached either to the base plate or the handle, a vessel filled with liquid cleaning fluid, and mechanism to control the flow of cleaning fluid. Such mechanisms have included, among other things, manually- and electrically-operated pumps, and gravity-operated systems controlled by a valve. The spray frequency and duration are controlled by the user using a hand trigger located on or close to the handle grip. Once the vessel is filled with the cleaning solution of choice and the cleaning pad is installed, the user places the base plate on the target surface (typically a floor) and energizes the spray system by squeezing the hand trigger or other mechanism to wet the surface. Once the surface is wetted, the user moves the spray mop pad across the wet surface in forward/aft or left/right directions to wick up the cleaning solution and apply a light downward force to transfer the dirt from the floor to the (now wet) pad.
The base plate of a flat mop typically has a large surface (e.g., ˜400 mm wideט100 mm deep). The large surface area provided by the base plate and underlying pad provides a large cleaning path, which reduces the time required to clean large areas and provides a significant transfer surface to pick up dirt and liquid. However, the force applied by the user is spread across the total area of the pad (e.g., ˜40,000 mm2 in the above example), which is good for covering large areas, but hinders the cleaning result and efficiency when attempting to clean stubborn dirt because it is not possible to focus a large cleaning force on strongly-adhering dirt. Ethnographic observations reveal that users of flat mops address stubborn dirt in a variety of ways. Some users apply more cleaning solution (which is potentially wasteful), and others simply endure the many passes required with the cleaning pad (which is time consuming). Other users apply a greater amount of force to the stain using their sock-covered foot or a separate abrasive pad. Still others attempt to apply more force by moving one or both hands lower on the handle. In any event, these approaches are not considered to be true solutions to the problem of cleaning stubborn dirt, because they can be inconvenient and inefficient to the user.
Some existing flat mop designs attempt to address the issue of cleaning stubborn dirt by adding a scrub brush to the mop. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,892,415 and 7,225,495 and U.S. Publication No. 2012/0195674 (all of which are incorporated herein by reference) show mops having a scrub brush mounted on the head adjacent the sponge or cleaning pad. However, these devices all require the user to flip the mop head to perform the scrubbing operation, which can be an awkward and inconvenient movement. Furthermore, the device in the aforementioned publication uses a pivoting joint between the handle and the base plate, which may increase the difficulty of holding the device with the scrub brush facing towards the floor. Other devices, such as the mops shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,779,501 and 8,166,597, have a scrubbing region built into the center of the base plate, which is activating by increasing the downward force on the mop handle. With these devices, it can be difficult or impossible to tell when the scrubbing region is actually moved into contact with the floor, because there is no separate control to operate it. Also, some of these devices sacrifice a portion of the main cleaning pad to make room for the scrubbing region.
There exists a need to provide alternative solutions to the problems of cleaning stubborn dirt using flat mops, spray mops, and the like.
In one exemplary embodiment, there is provided a mop having a handle and a base plate. The handle has a proximal end and a distal end opposite the proximal end. The base plate has a lower surface configured to lie on a surface to be cleaned. The base plate extends in a plane defined by a lateral direction and a longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to the lateral direction, and is elongated in the lateral direction. The base plate includes a rigid central region, a first flexing region, and a first stepping region. The rigid central region has a first lateral end and a second lateral end opposite the first lateral end, and the rigid central region is connected to the proximal end of the handle between the first lateral end and the second lateral end. The first flexing region is made with an elastic material, and is connected at an inboard edge to the first lateral end of the rigid central region and extends in the lateral direction away from the rigid central region to an outboard edge. The first stepping region is connected to the outboard edge of the first flexing region, and includes a generally flat upper surface configured to be stepped on by a user's foot.
It will be appreciated that this Summary is not intended to limit the claimed invention in any way.
A better understanding of the exemplary embodiments may be understood by reference to the attached drawings, in which like reference numbers designate like parts. The drawings are exemplary, and not intended to limit the claims in any way.
The inventors have developed new apparatus and methods for cleaning stubborn dirt using a flat mop or spray mop. Non-limiting examples of these apparatus and methods are described below. The following embodiments generally describe the inventions in the context of a spray mop, but it will be readily apparent that these embodiments are also applicable to flat mops that do not have a separate liquid depositing system.
The exemplary spray mop 100 includes a base plate 102 to which a handle 104 is attached. The handle 104 is attached at a proximal (lower) end to the base plate 102, and may include a first grip 106 at a distal (upper) end. The first grip 106 may be connected to the handle as an integrally-molded part, or as separate piece that is attached at the distal end of the handle 104. The handle 104 also may include a second grip 108 at a location between the proximal and distal ends of the handle 104. The grips 106, 108 may be contoured or have gripping material (e.g., overmolded rubber, etc.) to facilitate the user's operation of the mop 100.
The handle 104 is connected to a top side of the base plate 102 via a joint 110. The joint 110 may be a rigid connection, but more preferably is a pivot joint. A pivot joint may be a single-axis pivot that allows the base plate 102 and handle 104 to rotate relative to one another about a single axis, or a multiple-axis pivot that allows the base plate 102 and handle 104 to rotate relative to one another about multiple (e.g., two) axes. Such pivot joints are known in the art, and an example of a suitable pivot joint is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,141, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The handle 104 may include a fluid deposition system for distributing cleaning fluid (water, detergent, etc.) onto the surface being cleaned. The fluid deposition system includes a tank 112 to hold the cleaning fluid, a sprayer 114 that is positioned and oriented to distribute the fluid in the desired direction, a pump and/or valve assembly 116 to control the fluid flow, and a trigger 118 that is operated by the user to activate the pump/valve assembly 116. The details of such fluid deposition systems are known in the art, and need not be described herein. Examples of suitable fluid deposition systems include, for example, those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,888,006; 6,659,670; 6,960,042; 6,692,172; 6,722,806; 7,004,658; 7,048,458; 7,160,044; 7,172,099; and 7,850,384, which are incorporated herein by reference. Without excluding other options, the inventors believe that the system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,960,042 is expected to be particularly useful to provide simple and effective fluid deposition. In this embodiment, the fluid deposition system comprises a pump 116 that is fluidly connected to the tank 112 to receive the cleaning fluid, and a sprayer 114 that is fluidly connected to the pump 116 to receive pressurized fluid and deposit the fluid onto the surface to be cleaned. Fluid connections may be made by hoses or rigid passages formed in the handle housing. The pump 116 may be a simple plunger pump that is operated by a trigger 118 located at the grip 106 via a linkage that extends down the length of the handle 104. The tank 112 may be removable for refilling or replacement, or fixed and refilled in place. The foregoing features and variations are well-known in the art, and need not be described herein.
It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the foregoing embodiment. For example, the fluid deposition system may be omitted to provide a simple flat mop. As another example, the fluid deposition system may be modified by placing the sprayer 114 or other parts, such as the tank 112, on the base plate 102. As yet another example, a heater 120 may be added in the fluid lines (or to the tank 112) to heat the liquid and/or convert the liquid into steam prior to deposition on the surface being cleaned. As still another example, a vacuum system (i.e., a vacuum suction fan and motor, and associated dirt receptacle), may be added to the mop 100. An example of such a system is shown, in conjunction with an optional steam generator, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,421, which is incorporated herein by reference. Other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.
The base plate 102 comprises a generally flat lower surface 122 that faces the floor or other surface during use. If desired, the lower surface 122 may have grooves or an arched shape (as viewed from the longitudinal direction 400 and/or lateral direction 126) to help distribute forces across the lower surface 122, or other features that may be useful to enhance cleaning (e.g., steam outlets).
The base plate 102 is configured as a scrubbing head by including one or more features to scrub the underlying floor. For example, the lower surface 122 may include an integral cleaning member, such as permanently-affixed bristles or the like. Alternatively, the base plate 102 may be equipped with a replaceable cleaning pad 124. A replaceable pad 124 may comprise a nonwoven material, a woven fabric, or any other suitable cleaning medium. The pad 124 may be connected to the base plate 102 by hook-and-loop fasteners, adhesives, press-in fittings, wrapping portions of the pad 124 around the base plate 102, and so on. Non-limiting examples of pad materials and mechanisms for attaching the pad to the base plate 102 are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,031,673; 6,003,191; 6,305,046; 6,716,805; 6,692,172; 7,350,257; 7,721,381, and 8,464,391, which are incorporated herein by reference. In one exemplary embodiment, the pad 124 comprises a reusable and washable pad comprising one or more woven fabric layers, and the top of the pad 124 and lower surface 122 of the base plate 102 have complementary hook-and-loop fasteners that releasably join the two together during use. In other embodiments, the pad 124 may be a disposable, nonwoven pad.
Referring now also to
The rigid central region 130 comprises a rigid housing or structure that preferably does not appreciably flex during normal operation of the mop 100. Suitable materials include metals (e.g., aluminum, steel or magnesium), or plastics (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonates, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or the like). Conventional materials and constructions may be used to form the rigid central region 130. The rigid central region 130 may have any width (i.e., the dimension in the lateral direction 126), but in one embodiment the width of the rigid central region 130 is about 200 millimeters, and the overall width of the complete base plate 102 is about 400 millimeters.
Each flexible end region 132 preferably comprises a flexing region 134 located proximal to the rigid central region 130, and a stepping region 136 located at the free end of the flexible end region 132 and distally from the rigid central region 130. The stepping regions 136 preferably are located at the lateral ends of the base plate 102, but this is not strictly required in all embodiments.
Each flexing region 134 preferably comprises a flexible elastic material that has the ability to flex and then return to its original unflexed position. Examples of suitable materials include elastomeric polymers, such as natural rubber (which may be vulcanized or otherwise processed), synthetic rubber (e.g., styrene-butadiene, butyl rubber, etc.), thermoplastic elastomers (“TPE,” such as thermoplastic polyurethanes), silicone, and the like. While elastomeric materials are preferred for the embodiment of
The flexing regions 134 are configured to allow vertical movement of the stepping regions 136 during normal operation of the mop 100. Also, as described in more detail below, the flexing regions 134 also allow the stepping regions 136 to be pressed downward into the surface being cleaned 128 by a force from the user's foot, without significantly distributing the force across a large area of the base plate 102. The flexing regions may have any suitable width (i.e., the dimension in the lateral direction 126), but in one embodiment the width is at least about 25 millimeters, and in another embodiment the width is about 50 millimeters.
The stiffness of the flexing regions 134 may be selected by appropriate material selection and engineering of the shape and dimensions of the flexing regions 134. For example, the flexing regions 134 may comprise a natural or synthetic rubber having a thickness (i.e., the dimension in the vertical direction 140 perpendicular to the surface 128 being cleaned when the base plate 102 is lying on the surface 128) of about 4 millimeters to about 20 millimeters.
The flexing regions 134 also may include grooves or openings to modify their flexibility or to provide other functions. For example, in one preferred embodiment, each flexing region 134 may comprise a plurality of slots 138 that extend from the stepping region 136 towards the rigid central region 130. These slots 138 divide the flexing regions 134 into a plurality of ribs 142 that join the rigid central region 130 to the stepping regions 136. This arrangement of slots 138 is expected to reduce the resistance of the flexing regions 134 to flexing in the vertical direction 140. Furthermore, using a number of slots or other openings is expected to be more advantageous than using a single large opening, because the ribs 142 or other structures between the openings provide a number of locations along the length (i.e., the dimension in the longitudinal direction 400) of the flexing region 134 to abut and press downward on the underlying pad 124. If the flexing region 134 has openings, it is preferred that there are a sufficient number of ribs 142 to abut the cleaning pad 124 at three or more locations along the length of the flexing region 134 (or the width, in the case of
Other embodiments may use other patterns of ribs and openings through the flexing regions 134, such as a grid pattern of square or circular openings, or a random-appearing arrangement of openings, or the like, to provide the desired flexibility while still providing a generally continuous structure to press down on the cleaning pad 124. Still other embodiments may use cutouts at the edges of the flexing region 134, so that the openings are shaped like notches along the front, back or side edges of the flexing region. Furthermore, while the shown ribs 142 are straight, the ribs 142 may be curved or have irregular shapes (see, e.g., the hourglass-shaped ribs 804 in
In embodiments of flexing regions that are unapertured (i.e., that do not have openings), the flexing region 134 may abut the cleaning pad 124 continuously along the length of the flexing region 134. Alternatively, the flexing region 134 may have contours or cutouts that cause the flexing region 134 to contact the cleaning pad 124 at a limited number of locations along its length. Other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.
Although the foregoing use of multiple openings (or no openings) is preferred to ensure a better distribution of downward force on the pad 124, other embodiments may use a single large opening. In such embodiments, however, the area within the opening will not contain any structure to press down on the pad 124, which may reduce cleaning effectiveness under the flexing region 134.
The stepping regions 136 are connected to the outboard edge of each respective flexing region 134. Such connection may be made by integral forming, fasteners, adhesives, overmolding, friction fitments, combinations of the foregoing, or other mechanisms known in the art. The stepping regions 136 are configured and dimensioned to be stepped on by the foot of the mop user to apply an increased local cleaning force beneath the stepping region 136. While it is not required in all embodiments, the stepping regions 136 preferably are at least somewhat less flexible than the flexing regions 134, to help transfer the user-applied force to the underlying surface 128. For example, the stepping regions 136 may be constructed of the same material as the flexing regions 134, but made thicker to increase their stiffness relative to the flexing regions 134. As another example, the stepping regions 136 may be made of the same material as the flexing regions 134, but the flexing regions 134 may include openings, such as described above, to render the flexing regions 134 more flexible than the stepping regions 136. In this embodiment, the flexible end regions 132 may comprise a generally homogenous molded part, with the difference between the flexing regions 134 and stepping regions 136 being primarily that the flexing regions 134 include one or more openings. As still another example, the stepping regions 136 may comprise the same material as the flexing regions 134, but be reinforced using an internal or external base plate or rigid material. The stepping regions 136 also may be formed of materials that are different from the flexing regions 134; for example, they may be formed entirely of rigid materials such as those described above in relation to the rigid central region 130 or other materials.
The stepping regions 136 may comprise generally solid portions of the flexible end regions 132 that are shaped and sized to be easily depressed by a user's foot without risk of misplacing the foot. To this end, each stepping region preferably comprises a generally flat upper surface 400 (
The pad 124 extends across the entire lower surface 122 of the base plate 102, to lie below the rigid central region 130 and the flexible end regions 132. The pad 124 may be connected to the bottom of each stepping region 136 by hook-and-loop fasteners or other connection mechanisms. For example, as shown in
The use of forward-angled slots 138 may provide beneficial dynamics to the operation of the mop 100. In particular, the angled slots 138 may tend to resist deformation when the base plate 102 is moved forward, and may tend to permit deformation when the base plate 102 is moved backwards.
During the forward stroke, the angled slots 138—and, more particularly, the forward-angled ribs 142 that form the structure of the flexing region 134—are expected to resist deformation and prevent the stepping regions 136 from moving backwards relative to the rigid central region 130. As shown in
It will be appreciated that the foregoing description of certain theories of operation are provided merely as non-binding explanations of the dynamics of the exemplary embodiment. The invention is not intended to be bound to any particular dynamic operation or theory of operation. Furthermore, while the use of forward-angled slots 138 is described above as part of the flexing region 134, it will be appreciated that such slots 138 are not strictly necessary in all embodiments.
Referring to
As will be apparent from
A mop 100 such as described above may be used generally as a conventional floor mop to clean lightly-soiled floors. However, when the user encounters a patch of stubborn dirt 700, the user can generate a highly-concentrated cleaning force to remove the stubborn dirt simply by placing one of the stepping regions 136 over the dirt, stepping on the stepping region 136, and moving the base plate 102 back and forth using the user's foot. An example of this operation is illustrated in
This is expected to provide significantly improved concentrated cleaning results as compared to attempting the same technique using a conventional mop base plate. Conventional base plates generally comprise a single unitary rigid structure, structures that might move relative to one another, but not allow the ends to bend downwards relative to the rest of the base (e.g., telescoping end pieces), or structures that have a single rigid end plate that pivots on the central plate. Stepping on one end of a conventional base plate such as these results in the force being distributed across the width of the base. Even in mops with pivoting end plates, it is believed that the use of conventional “piano” hinges makes it difficult to effectively isolate forces applied at the end plate from the rest of the base plate because they rigidly hold the two plates along the pivot axis, and such rigid hinges may not survive vigorous applications of force. As a result, it is believed that the construction of conventional devices reduces or prevents the generation of a localized concentration of force that may be necessary or desirable to clean a stubborn patch of dirt. In addition to providing a capability not found in conventional rigid base plates, the foregoing operation is quick, simple and intuitive, and should not interrupt the normal process of mopping the floor. Furthermore, using a device as described above can eliminate or greatly reduce the need for the user to bend over to manually scrub stubborn dirt off the floor by hand.
Persons of ordinary skill in the art reading the present disclosure will appreciate that the foregoing exemplary embodiments may be modified in a number of ways. For example, the single cleaning pad 124 could be replaced by multiple pads, with one pad under the rigid central region 130 and separate pads under the flexible end regions 132. The flexible end regions 132 also could use different cleaning elements than the rigid central region 130 (e.g., brushes instead of a replaceable pad). As another example, the rigid central region 130, flexing regions 124 and stepping regions 136 may be molded as an integral elastomeric material, and the rigid central region 130 (and the stepping regions 136, if desired) may be reinforced or structurally modified (e.g., thickened) to provide additional stiffness relative to the flexing regions 134.
As another example, shown in
In still other embodiments, the flexing region may be replaced by a rigid link 900, as shown in
As noted above, the flexing regions 134 may comprise openings having a variety of shapes.
In each of the embodiments having openings in the flexing region 134, the stepping region 136 is connected to the rigid central region 130 by a plurality of flexible connecting webs. The shapes of the openings and webs can be modified for various purposes. For example, as described in relation to
It will also be appreciated that the openings may be replaced, in whole or in part, by cutouts (e.g., grooves, divots or the like) that do not pass entirely through the flexing region 134. The foregoing embodiments relating to openings are all suitable for modification by replacing the opening with a cutout having the same or a similar shape, and other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.
Embodiments as described herein (or other embodiments) also may include features to help distribute the cleaning force applied by the base plate 102 across the full width of the base plated 102. Referring to
In an alternative embodiment, such as shown in
Aspects of the foregoing embodiments are generally directed to a base plate 102 that decouples a downward force applied to the stepping region 136 from the rigid central region 130, in order to allow a user to apply a concentrated cleaning force by stepping on the stepping region 130. While the foregoing embodiments use a flexible end region to provide this decoupling effect, it is anticipated that other configurations may provide the same benefit. One example of an alternative embodiment is shown in
The upper flange 1404 preferably is shaped and sized to be easily pressed by a user's foot, and may include a symbolic or textual instruction for its use. The lower flange 1406 may include a pad of fastening material 1410 to connect to the cleaning pad 124. The lower flange 1406 also may fit into a recess 1412 on the bottom of the base plate 102, to allow it to lie flush with the rest of the lower surface 122.
The step 1300 may be mounted on a rotatable shaft, to allow a user to twist the step 1300 relative to the base plate 102. In this case, the step 1300 or base plate 102 may include a visual indicator 1302 instructing the user that the step 1300 may be twisted back and forth to help clean stubborn dirt. In this embodiment, it may be particularly desirable to provide a feature to cause the underlying portion of the cleaning pad 124 to twist along with the step 1300. For example, as noted above, the step 1300 may include a pad of fastening material 1410 (e.g., hook-and-loop material) that mates with a corresponding surface or connector on the cleaning pad 124 to provide a firm connection at this point. Alternatively, or in addition, short prongs may extend down from the step 1300 into the cleaning pad 124. The cleaning pad 124 also may be connected or configured to allow movement at this location. For example, the cleaning pad 124 may have a loose region of material that allows twisting with the step 1300, or the nearest adjacent connection between the base plate 102 and the cleaning pad 124 may be relatively remote from the fastening material 1410 on the bottom of the step 1300.
The embodiment of
The supplemental cleaning pad 1500 may comprise a cleaning solution, detergent, or other chemical treatment, to enhance cleaning. Such a chemical treatment may be provided on the surface of the supplemental cleaning pad 1500 (e.g., a layer of mildly-abrasive sodium bicarbonate particles on the surface of a sponge, cloth, or non-woven pad), in encapsulated form to be released upon the application or pressure, or simply as a liquid saturating the material of the supplemental cleaning pad 1500. The step 1300 also may be configured to cooperate with a pump or valve that deposits a cleaning liquid onto the top of the supplemental cleaning pad 1500 or directly on the surface when the user depresses the step 1300. For example, the step 1300 may be located adjacent a pinch valve that normally blocks flow from the tank 112, but that opens when contacted by the upper flange 1404 to allow fluid to pass to the surface by gravitational flow. Such valves are known in the art and need not be described here.
The supplemental cleaning pad 1500 may comprise a removable pad, or a permanently-affixed structure. If it is provided as a removable pad, it may be releasably connected to the bottom of the step 1300 by hook-and-loop fasteners 1502, adhesives, or the like. A permanently-affixed structure may comprise a sponge, a bristle brush that extends downward from the bottom of the step 1300, or the like. Combinations of structures (e.g., a bristle brush that surrounds a removable pad) also may be used. Other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.
The step 1300 also may include a textured surface or other surface features that provide a gripping surface to help the user apply a twisting force to rotate the step 1300. If a visual indicator 1302 is provided, it may be configured as a gripping surface. In other embodiments, the top of the step 1300 may include a gripping surface 1504, such as saw-tooth ridges (see
Embodiments of the present invention may be used in conjunction with any suitable mop. For example, features as described above may be integrated into existing mop models, either as new designs, or as a retrofit kit. Other embodiments may be combined with features described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (attorney docket no. EHCP-221US; entitled “Sliding Scrub Brush for a Floor Mop”); and Ser. No. ______ (attorney docket no. EHCP-222US; entitled “Floor Mop With Concentrated Cleaning Feature”), which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure describes a number of new, useful and nonobvious features and/or combinations of features that may be used alone or together. The embodiments described herein are all exemplary, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. It will be appreciated that the inventions described herein can be modified and adapted in various and equivalent ways, and all such modifications and adaptations are intended to be included in the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims.
The present application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (attorney docket no. EHCP-221US; entitled “Sliding Scrub Brush for a Floor Mop”); and Ser. No. ______ (attorney docket no. EHCP-222US; entitled “Floor Mop With Concentrated Cleaning Feature”), which are incorporated herein by reference.
