When cleaning floors or other surfaces, a large mop head is useful to cover as much area as possible. Known mop heads can carry a large primary cleaning element, such as microfiber or similar material, and operate as a dry mop for dusting or a wet mop for more thorough cleaning. While cleaning, there are commonly stubborn stains or marks that require more pressure or a more abrasive cleaning element to get out than would be possible with the standard large primary cleaning element. This can occur when wet mopping and dry floor dusting.
There are existing mops that include more abrasive scrubbing implements. A very common implementation of a mop and a more abrasive scrubbing implement is one in which a small scrubbing element mounts onto the front or side of the mop head. Such a mop usually requires flipping the mop head over or positioning the mop head in a position other than the position used for regular mopping. Often the larger mop head prevents the operator from seeing the scrubbing surface or the stain when being used or the larger mop head gets in the way of scrubbing in a small area or when the stain is near a piece of furniture or a wall. This repositioning of the mop head to use the scrubbing element can be awkward or the angle of handle pole required to use the scrubbing element can be awkward making the scrubbing element difficult to use.
In view of the foregoing, a mop includes a mop head, a secondary cleaning head and a handle. The mop head includes a secondary cleaning head chamber and a first attachment element. The secondary cleaning head is selectively receivable in the secondary cleaning head chamber and includes a second attachment element that cooperates with the first attachment element to selectively connect the secondary cleaning head with the mop head. The handle connects with the secondary cleaning head and is operatively connectable to the mop head. The handle is connected with the mop head when the secondary cleaning head is received in the secondary cleaning head chamber and the second attachment element is engaged with the first attachment element, and the handle is disconnected with the mop head when the secondary cleaning head is not received in the secondary cleaning head chamber.
In the illustrated embodiment, the handle 12 is configured as an elongated pole, however, the handle could be shorter. For example, the handle 12 may be shorter where the mop head 14 is smaller to provide a smaller hand-held mop having a removable scrubbing element.
With continued reference to
With reference to
The housing 34, 36 defines the secondary cleaning head chamber 20. With reference to
The housing 34, 36 of the mop head 14 also includes a ramp 54 that is angled upwardly away from the surface to be cleaned by the mop 10 and toward the secondary cleaning head chamber 20 when the mop head 14 is on the surface to be cleaned in an operating position such as that shown in
The mop head 14 also includes a track that cooperates with the secondary cleaning head 16 to appropriately orient the secondary cleaning head 16 within the secondary cleaning head chamber 20. The track can also facilitate the connection between the secondary cleaning head 16 and the mop head 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the mop head housing 34, 36 includes a left track 80 and a right track 82. The left track 80 extends inwardly into the secondary cleaning head chamber 20 from the left secondary cleaning head chamber side wall 60, and the right track 82 extends inwardly into the secondary cleaning head chamber 18 from the right secondary cleaning head chamber side wall 62. In the illustrated embodiment, the tracks 80, 82 are formed as part of the upper housing section 34 and are positioned at the upper edge of the respective secondary cleaning head chamber side walls 60, 62. The tracks 80, 82 flare outwardly at each end adjacent the leading edge 24, which can aid in locating the secondary cleaning head 16 inside the secondary cleaning head chamber 20. The tracks 80, 82 reside in the same plane and are horizontally oriented.
In the illustrated embodiment, the lower housing section 36 is a plate that is one integrally formed, e.g., molded, plastic piece. The lower housing section 36 is generally rectangular in plan view and includes a notch 88 that is generally aligned with and disposed beneath the secondary cleaning head chamber 20 when the lower section 36 is connected with the upper section 34. Left axle supports 90 and right axle supports 92 extend upwardly from an upper surface 94, which is planar, toward the upper housing section 34. Fastener openings 96 extend through the lower housing section 36 from a lower surface 98 to the upper surface 94. The fastener openings 96 receive the fasteners 44 to connect the lower housing section 36 with the upper housing section 34. The lower housing section 36 also includes a spring retaining boss 102 that extends upwardly from the upper surface 94 toward the upper housing section 34. The spring retaining boss 102 in the illustrated embodiment is circular.
With reference to
With reference back to
The pedal 38 further includes a connecting appendage 110 that spans and connects a left axle 120 with a right axle 122. The connecting appendage 110 connects with a forward edge of the actuator pad 106. The connecting appendage 110 is U-shaped in plan view. The left axle 120 is received in the left axle supports 90 on the lower housing section 36. The right axle 122 is received in the right axle supports 92 also on the lower housing section 36. The left axle 120 is coaxial with the right axle 122. The pedal 38 pivots about a pivot axis 124 defined by the axles 120, 122 with respect to the upper housing section 34 and the lower housing section 36.
The first attachment element 22 is located centrally between the left axle 120 and the right axle 122. The first attachment element 22 is positioned on the forward edge of the actuator pad 106 and extends upwardly from the actuator pad. As described above, the first attachment element 22 is in the shape of a ramped bump having a ramped leading surface 128 (
The spring 104 acts against the lower housing section 36 and the actuator pad 106 to pivot the pedal 38 in a general upward direction about the pivot axis 124. The spring 104 biases the first attachment element 22 through the latch opening 52 in the upper housing section 34. Since the first attachment element 22 is connected with the actuator pad 106, when an operator presses down on the actuator pad 106 moving the actuator pad 106 downwardly with respect to the housing 34, 36, the first attachment element 22 also moves downwardly with respect to the housing 34, 36.
The cleaning pad 40 includes a lower surface 134 that is in contact with the surface that is to be cleaned and an upper surface 136 that is opposite the lower surface. The cleaning pad 40 can attach with the lower housing section 36 and/or the upper housing section 34 in any conventional manner. The cleaning pad 40 can be similar to a conventional cleaning pad.
With reference to
With reference to
The secondary cleaning head 16 can also include a scrubbing pad 210 that releaseably connects with the body 180. The scrubbing pad 210 is made of a material that can be more abrasive than the cleaning pad 40 and can operate as the secondary cleaning element for the mop 10. Alternatively, the scrubbing pad 210 can be made from a material that is similar to the cleaning pad 40, but due to the smaller size of the scrubbing pad 210, the scrubbing pad can be useful in cleaning areas that are too small for the cleaning pad 40 to reach into. The scrubbing pad 210 is connected with a carrier 212 that contacts the lower surface 184 of the body 180 while leaving a chamfered rear section 212 of the lower surface 184 exposed (see
The secondary cleaning head 16 also includes slots 230 and 232 that cooperate with the tracks 80, 82 on the mop head 14. A left slot 230 is configured to receive the left track 80 and a right slot 232 (
The secondary cleaning head 16 also includes a second attachment element that cooperates with the first attachment element 22 on the mop head 14. As illustrated, the second attachment element for the secondary cleaning head 16 is an opening or recess 236 provided in the chamfered rear section 214 of the lower surface 184 of the body 180. As shown in
With reference to
In the illustrated embodiment above, the first attachment element 22 is movable with respect to the housing 34, 36 of the mop head 14 and the second attachment element on the secondary cleaning head 16 is fixed, or not movable, with respect to the body 180 of the secondary cleaning head 16. In an alternative arrangement, the attachment element on the mop head could be immovable with respect to the housing 34, 36 and the attachment element of the secondary cleaning head 16 could be a movable element. Likewise, the body 180 of the secondary cleaning head 16 is shown to include slots 230, 232 and the mop head 14 is shown to include tracks 80, 82 received in the slots. In an alternative arrangement, the body 180 of the secondary cleaning head 16 could include at least one track, similar to at least one of the tracks 80, 82, and the mop head 14 could include at least one slot, similar to at least one of the slots 230, 232, to allow for a slidable connection between the mop head 14 and the secondary cleaning head 16. Also, the tracks 80, 82 and the slots 230, 232 are horizontally oriented (with the mop 10 in the operating position); however, the secondary cleaning head 16 and the mop head 14 could be designed so that the secondary cleaning head connects with the mop head by moving the secondary cleaning head in a vertical direction with respect to the mop head. In this embodiment, at least one track, which could be provided on the secondary cleaning head or the mop head, would cooperate with at least one slot, which could be provided on whichever of the secondary cleaning head or the mop head that does not have the track, and both the track and the slot would be vertically oriented. As just one example, vertical ribs could be provided on sides of the secondary cleaning head chamber in the mop head, and the secondary cleaning head would include slots to receive the ribs. Additionally, the first attachment element 22 could be reconfigured for horizontal (in contrast to the vertical pivotal movement in the illustrated embodiment) through a known linkage connected with the pedal 38.
Similar to the mop head 14 described above, the mop head 314 also includes a ramp 354 that is positioned in front of and leads to the secondary cleaning head chamber 320. The mop head also includes tracks 380, 382 that cooperate with slots 530 (only one slot is visible in
The mop head 314 includes a latching mechanism, which includes a pedal similar to the pedal 38 described above, and springs (not visible). The latching mechanism also includes the first attachment element 322 that engages the secondary cleaning head 316 to retain the secondary cleaning head 316 within the secondary cleaning head chamber 320. In the embodiment depicted in
Springs (not visible, but similar to the spring 104) act against a lower section of the housing 334 and the actuator pads 406, 408 to pivot the pedal in a general upward direction about the pivot axis. Since the first attachment element 322 is connected or formed with the actuator pads 406, 408, when an operator presses down on either actuator pad 406, 408 moving the actuator pads 406, 408 downwardly with respect to the housing 334, the first attachment element 322 also moves downwardly with respect to the housing 334.
The secondary cleaning head includes a body 480 (similar to the body 180) and a scrubbing pad 510 (similar to the scrubbing pad 210) releasably connected with the body 480. The secondary cleaning head 316 also includes a second attachment element that cooperates with the first attachment element 322 on the mop head 314. The second attachment element for the secondary cleaning head 316 can be an opening or recess (similar to the opening or recess 236) provided in a chamfered rear section of a lower surface of the body 380. The secondary cleaning head 316 connects with and disconnects from the mop head 314 in a similar manner to the mop 10 described above.
Examples of a mop with a removable secondary cleaning head have been described above with particularity. Modifications and alterations will occur to those upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. The invention is not limited to only the embodiments described above. Instead the invention is broadly defined by the appended claims and the equivalents thereof. It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed embodiments and other features, or alternatives or varieties thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
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