Mop head with abrasive pad or sheet

Abstract

A mop head has a holder with a mop attached to the holder. A sheet is also attached to the holder and extends to one side of the holder and along the exterior of the mop. There is an abrasive element on the sheet to facilitate scrubbing.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a mop head.

[0002] It is desirable to provide mop heads which are used in non-domestic situations, such as in factories, offices and catering establishments, with some form of abrasive pad which can be used to loosen stubborn dirt, food or the like from the floor prior to mopping.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] According to the present invention there is provided a mop head comprising a holder, a mop attached to the holder, a sheet attached to the holder, the sheet extending to one side of the holder and being on the exterior of the mop and an abrasive element on the sheet.

[0004] The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] FIG. 1 is a rear view of one embodiment of a mop head according to the invention.

[0006] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the sheet and abrasive pads of the mop head shown in FIG. 1, and

[0007] FIG. 3 is a perspective side view of the holder and the protective sheet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Referring now to the drawings, the mop head shown therein comprises a holder 10, a mop 11, a sheet 12 and two abrasive elements in the form of pads 13 and 14. The sheet 12 extends to one side of the holder and is on the exterior of the mop 11.

[0009] The holder 10 is conventional and made of plastics material. It comprises a head 15 in which the mop 11 is clamped, and a spigot 16 for attachment to a handle (not shown). The holder typically has a width in the order of 3.6 cm.

[0010] The mop may be what is commonly referred to in the art as a stay flat mop or maybe a round mop. The strands of the mop may be looped or cut at the ends.

[0011] The mop may be made of conventional fabric such as cotton or synthetic fibers which are twisted and formed into strands or maybe, for example, formed of elongate ribbons of absorbent outer fabric material at least folded double along their respective longitudinal axes and filled with absorbent inner waste material such as is described in EP 1163874 A. The abrasive pads 13 and 14 are made of flexible sheets typically formed of thermoplastic fibers coated with grit. The sheet forming the pad 13 is folded in half and stitched along its upper edge to the outer surface of the sheet 12 in spaced relationship both to the holder 10 and the lowermost edge of the sheet 12. On the other hand, the sheet forming the pad 14 is wrapped around the free lower edge of the sheet 12 and stitched thereto. It may be symmetrically arranged as shown in FIG. 2 or the pad 14 can be arranged so that most of it is on the outer side of the sheet 12.

[0012] The sheet 12 is quite stiff and is made of smooth, non-abrasive material, typically a plastics sheet.

[0013] The abrasive pads 13 and 14 extend at least over substantially the entire width of the mop 11 and as shown over the entire width of the mop 11. The sheet 12 extends over the entire width of the abrasive pads 13 and 14.

[0014] The sheet 12 has a plurality of apertures spaced apart from one another adjacent the upper edge of the sheet 12 and these apertures enable the sheet to be hooked over hook-shaped protuberances 17 on the inner surface of one side of the holder 10. This allows the sheet 12 to be fitted to the holder 10 after the mop 11 has been clamped in place.

[0015] The mop head described above is given by way of example only and various modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, the pad 13 could be omitted altogether. Also, there may be an additional sheet on the opposite side of the mop head carrying one of two additional abrasive pads.

Claims

1. A mop head comprising a holder, a mop attached to the holder, a sheet attached to the holder, the sheet extending to one side of the holder and being on the exterior of the mop and an abrasive element on the sheet.

2. A mop head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the abrasive element is a pad secured to that edge of the sheet remote from the holder.

3. A mop head as claimed in claim 1, comprising a second abrasive element secured to the outer surface of the sheet.

4. A mop head as claimed in claim 2, wherein the or each pad is formed from an abrasive sheet folded and secured to the sheet.

5. A mop head as claimed in claim 4, wherein the or each pad is stitched to the protective sheet.

6. A mop head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pad is spaced from the holder.

7. A mop head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet is of smooth non-abrasive material.

8. A mop head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet and abrasive element extend over the entire, or substantially the entire, width of the mop.

9. A mop head as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sheet and the two abrasive elements extend over the entire, or substantially the entire, width of the mop.

10. A mop head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holder is of hollow elongate shape with an open bottom and wherein the sheet is fixed to protuberances on the inner surface of one side of the holder.