Patent Application
20180049616
The present disclosure relates generally to floor cleaning devices, and more particularly, to mops with enhanced grout cleaning capabilities.
The use of tile as a floor and surface covering has become increasingly popular in recent years. A typical floor tile installation comprises a plurality of tiles bonded to an underlying subfloor via a bonding and interconnecting material, such as grout. Grout lines are generally recessed slightly below the tile surface in the form of grooves, which causes the grout to tend to collect dirt and debris. This, in turn, makes the grout more difficult to clean because conventional mops tend to scrub along the flat surface of the tile and usually miss the recessed grout lines. Conventional mops may even push more dirt into the grout line.
Additionally, conventional mops typically use copious amounts of water with cleaning products mixed in to ensure that all dirt and debris has a sufficient amount of solvent to be removed from the floor. Unfortunately, this may leave wetness on the floors, which creates a favorable environment for mold and mildew. Because of its traditionally lighter coloring and porous composition, grout lines are especially prone to staining due to mold and mildew build-up. When mold and mildew are able to penetrate grout lines, they can spread throughout the floor, and create a more serious health hazard. Thus, it is important to remove mold and mildew as soon as possible. Regular cleaning of floors and grout lines can keep mold and mildew at bay, but traditional mops are usually ineffective or inefficient at cleaning grout lines.
Therefore, based on the foregoing, there is a need for a new and improved grout cleaning mop capable of cleaning floors and grout lines without using or leaving behind a substantial amount of water. Preferably, the new and improved ground cleaning mop has the ability to use water to remove unwanted dirt, debris, mold and mildew.
To minimize the limitations in the cited references, and to minimize other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present specification discloses a new and improved grout cleaning mop.
One embodiment may be a grout cleaning mop, comprising: a scrubber; and a coupler; wherein the scrubber may comprise a joint, at least one grout line cleaning portion, and one or more cleaning element retention portions; wherein the at least one grout line may traverse lengthwise along substantially the entirety of a bottom portion of the scrubber; wherein the coupler may be pivotally coupled to the joint; wherein the one or more retention portions may be configured to removeably couple a cleaning element to an outer surface of the scrubber; wherein the coupler may be configured to removeably couple to a handle; and wherein the at least one grout line cleaning portion may be configured to cause the cleaning element to matingly engage with a grout line to allow effective and efficient cleaning of the grout line. The scrubber may further comprise the bottom portion, one or more side portions, an interior surface, and an exterior surface. The scrubber may have a substantially U-shaped cross-section; and wherein the at least one grout line cleaning portion may be a single grout line cleaning portion that extends distally away from the bottom portion on the exterior surface. The joint may be centrally located on the interior surface of the scrubber. The exterior surface of the scrubber may comprise a texture to provide enhanced cleaning capabilities. When the cleaning element is removeably coupled to the scrubber, the cleaning element may substantially cover the exterior surface and the grout line cleaning portion of the scrubber. The one or more retention portions of the scrubber may be located on the one or more side portions at one or more corner ends of the scrubber. The one or more retention portions may be four retention holes. The coupler may be substantially cylindrical and may comprise a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism of the cylindrical coupler may be configured to selectively lock and unlock the handle to the cylindrical coupler.
Another embodiment may be a grout cleaning mop, comprising: a scrubber; and a cylindrical coupler; wherein the scrubber may comprise a bottom portion, at least two side portions, a joint, an interior surface, an exterior surface, a grout line cleaning portion, and four retention holes; wherein the joint may be located on the interior surface of the scrubber; wherein the cylindrical coupler may be pivotally coupled to the joint; wherein the grout line cleaning portion may traverse lengthwise along substantially the entirety of a bottom portion of the scrubber; wherein a cleaning element may be removeably coupled to the scrubber via the one or more of the four retention holes of the scrubber; wherein when the cleaning element is removeably coupled to the scrubber, the cleaning element may substantially cover the exterior surface and the at least one grout line of the scrubber; and wherein the at least one grout line cleaning portion may be configured to cause the cleaning element to matingly engage with a grout line to allow effective and efficient cleaning of the grout line. The scrubber may have a substantially U-shaped cross-section. The cylindrical coupler may comprise a locking mechanism; wherein the cylindrical coupler may be configured to receive a handle; and wherein the locking mechanism of the cylindrical coupler may be configured to selectively lock and unlock the handle relative to the cylindrical coupler. The exterior surface of the scrubber may comprise a texture to provide enhanced cleaning capabilities. The four retention holes of the scrubber may be located on the one or more side portions at one or more corners of the scrubber.
Another embodiment may be a grout cleaning mop, comprising: a scrubber; a cylindrical coupler; and a handle; wherein the scrubber may have a substantially U-shaped cross-section; wherein the scrubber may comprise a bottom portion, one or more side portions, a joint, an interior surface, an exterior surface, a grout line cleaning portion, and four retention holes; wherein the joint may be located on the interior surface of the scrubber; wherein the cylindrical coupler may be pivotally coupled to the joint; wherein the exterior surface of the scrubber may comprise a texture to provide enhanced cleaning capabilities; wherein the at least one grout line cleaning portion may traverse lengthwise along substantially the entirety of a bottom portion of the scrubber; wherein a cleaning element may be removeably coupled to the scrubber via the four retention holes of the scrubber; wherein the four retention holes of the scrubber may be located on the one or more side portions at one or more corners of the scrubber; wherein when the cleaning element may be removeably coupled to the scrubber, the cleaning element substantially covers the exterior surface and the grout line cleaning portion of the scrubber; wherein the cylindrical coupler may comprise a locking mechanism; wherein the cylindrical coupler may be configured to receive a handle; wherein the locking mechanism of the cylindrical coupler may be configured to selectively lock and unlock the handle relative to the cylindrical coupler; and wherein the at least one grout line cleaning portion may be configured to cause the cleaning element to matingly engage with a grout line to allow effective and efficient cleaning of the grout line.
It is an object to overcome the limitations of the prior art.
It is an object to provide a grout cleaning mop that is adapted to perform multiple functions, including cleaning and scrubbing surfaces, without the use of excessive water.
It is an object to provide a grout cleaning mop that is adapted to clean and scrub difficult surfaces such as grout lines.
Other features and advantages inherent in the cleaning mop, as claimed and disclosed will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and its accompanying drawings.
The drawings show illustrative embodiments, but do not depict all embodiments. Other embodiments may be used in addition to or instead of the illustrative embodiments. Details that may be apparent or unnecessary may be omitted for the purpose of saving space or for more effective illustrations. Some embodiments may be practiced with additional components or steps and/or without some or all components or steps provided in the illustrations. When different drawings contain the same numeral, that numeral refers to the same or similar components or steps.
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of the embodiments of the cleaning mop. However, these embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known procedures and/or components have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.
While some embodiments are disclosed here, other embodiments will become obvious to those skilled in the art as a result of the following detailed description. These embodiments are capable of modifications of various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of protection. The Figures, and their detailed descriptions, are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Also, the reference or non-reference to a particular embodiment shall not be interpreted to limit the scope of protection.
In the following description, certain terminology is used to describe certain features of these embodiments. For purposes of this specification, unless otherwise specified, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking, the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of “substantially” is also equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result.
As used herein, the terms “approximately” and “about” generally refer to a deviance of within 5% of the indicated number or range of numbers. In one embodiment, the term “approximately” and “about”, may refer to a deviance of between 1-10% from the indicated number or range of numbers.
Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, locations, and other specifications that are set forth in this specification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable range that is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the above detailed description. These embodiments are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of protection. Accordingly, the detailed description is to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Also, although not explicitly recited, one or more embodiments may be practiced in combination or conjunction with one another. Furthermore, the reference or non-reference to a particular embodiment shall not be interpreted to limit the scope of protection. It is intended that the scope of protection not be limited by this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to the claims that are appended hereto.
Except as stated immediately above, nothing that has been stated or illustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent, to the public, regardless of whether it is or is not recited in the claims.
