EP0991355B1

EP0991355B1 - Floor mop

Info

Publication number: EP0991355B1
Application number: EP98917385A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Christopher Robert Duncan; Michael Edward Gailes
Original assignee: Numatic International Ltd
Current assignee: Numatic International Ltd
Priority date: 1997-06-27
Filing date: 1998-04-16
Publication date: 2002-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 2018-04-16
Also published as: DE69809233D1; WO1999000050A1; EP0991355A1; GB9713685D0; DE69809233T2; AU7062598A

Description

This invention relates to the field of floor cleaning and floor treatment, and in particular relates to such activities carried out with use of a mop.

Well known mopping systems comprise a mop stick with a mop head of cotton strands or other similar fluid-absorbent material, a bucket and some means by which excess fluid can be removed from the mop head once it has been immersed in fluid in the bucket. Many systems use a mop press or wringer to remove excess fluid from the mop head.

In recent years flat mops have become increasingly widespread and popular for floor cleaning and for disinfection of floors. Flat head mops typically comprise a mop head pivotally attached to a mop stick. The mop head is usually an elongate rectilinear flat member which carries on an underside thereof an absorbent mopping layer. The mop head may be foldable so that the absorbent layer can be pressed to squeeze out excess fluid after rinsing. Folding, rinsing and pressing a mop head is a rather protracted process. Because of this a sieving layer is often provided which permits pressing to be carried out without folding the mop head.

This involves pushing the mop head against the sieving surface so that the excess fluid drains through the surface and back into a bucket or other fluid reservoir. Such a system is convenient, in that there is no need to fold the mop as would be required for pressing, but the method is only capable of removing about 20% to 30% of the liquid compared with 50% to 70% of liquid which is removed by pressing. Nevertheless, the sieving system has become popular because it is convenient.

US-A-2851710 discloses a mapping system in which a mop stick is provided with a knob which engages with a slot in a sieving plate, permitting levering of the mop head against the plate.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and easy to use method of removing excess fluid from mops with a greater efficiency than known sieving systems, and more conveniently than pressing or wringing but with less effort than is required for pressing or wringing.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a floor mopping system comprising a mop 30 comprising a mop stick 32 connected at one end thereof to a mop head 34 and a sieving arrangement comprising a sieving surface 50 against which the mop head may be pressed and mop stick engagement means 35 disposed above the sieving surface, wherein the mop stick is provided with abutment means 39 for locating the mop stick in engagement with the mop stick engagement means, characterised in that the engagement means is a hook the arrangement being such that the engaged mop stick may be pivoted about the mop stick engagement means so that when a user applies pressure against an upper end region of the mop stick 32 the mop head 34 is levered about said mop stick engagement means and against said sieving surface for the discharge of excess fluid in the mop head.

In this way the mop stick may be used as a, lever which is capable of creating a mechanical advantage and thereby increasing the pressure exerted by the mop head on the sieving surface. This facilitates the removal of fluid from the mop head.

The hook being disposed above the sieving surface results in the mop stick adopting a generally vertical orientation when the mop head is in contact with the sieving surface.

Preferably a fluid reservoir is disposed beneath the sieving surface so that sieved fluid is collected as it falls from the sieving surface. The sieving arrangement may comprise support means for carrying the reservoir for transport over a floor to be cleaned. The support means may comprise a wheeled trolley and the reservoir may comprise a bucket removably located on said trolley.

The hook is preferably carried by a portion of the support means. The hook may be pivotally mounted so that the hook may be retracted. This is particularly useful when the reservoir is removable and the hook might otherwise foul the reservoir as it is removed from the support means.

Preferably the sieving surface is inclined from the horizontal by an angle of about 45° so that when the mop head is levered against the sieving surface the sieving surface exerts an upwards and horizontal reaction against the mop head.

The sieving surface may be elongate relative to the mop head whereby the mop head may be slid from one end thereof to the other by levering of the mop stick, the movement assisting in the removal of excess fluid from the mop head.

The sieving surface may be defined by an upper surface of a sieving structure, which sieving structure comprises a plurality of spaced apart rollers which together define a plurality of sieving holes.

In a preferred arrangement the rollers are disposed in a plurality of rows. Preferably the holes defined by said rollers are of a size which permits entry of the absorbent working surface of a mop head therein, thereby to improve the fluid discharge effect on a sliding mop head in contact with said sieving member.

The rollers may each be configured as waisted beads and said sieving holes are then defined by gaps corresponding to juxtaposed waist portions of adjacent beads. Preferably, between about 60% and 80% of the sieving surface area is perforated by the sieving holes.

The mop head may be a flat mop head attached to the stick by means of a universal joint. This allows complete freedom of movement of the stick relative to the mop head. However, it is within the scope of this invention for, for example, only one degree of freedom to be present in the attachment between the stick and the flat mop head.

The present invention is particularly suited for use with flat floor mops, but could find application with other sorts of mops including Kentucky type mops having a bundle of absorbent strands carried at a lower end of the mop stick. A flat floor mop typically comprises a mop stick joined to a mop head by means of a universal joint, which mop head carries on an underside thereof a fluid absorbent mopping layer. The present invention is particularly efficient when used with such a mop.

Following is a description by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying figures of the drawings of a method of putting the present invention into effect.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a side view in perspective of a mopping system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a fluid reservoir shown in figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are front views in perspective of a mopping system of figure 1 demonstrating the mode of use.

A mopping system according to the present invention is shown generally at 10 in figure 1. A trolley 11 comprises a tray with upstanding side walls and front and rear walls, which tray is provided with castors 12 at each corner thereof. The trolley 11 is longer than it is wide, and at one end region 13 of the trolley is disposed an upstanding frame 14 comprised of

tubular uprights

15, 16, 17 and 18. The uprights together carry at the top end thereof a moulded plastics receptacle 20 for cleaning tools and detergents for treating water.

The other end region 21 of the trolley 11 carries a generally rectilinear bucket 22 into which may be poured cleaning solution or another fluid. A mop 30 is shown held in the bucket by the arm 31 of the user. The mop comprises a mop stick 32, a lower end 33 of which carries an articulated flat mop head 34. The said lower end is engaged with a hook member 35. The hook is disposed in a plane generally parallel to the trolley floor 11, the open side of which hook faces the frame 14. The underside of the hook abuts a collar portion 39 of the mop lower end 33 in order to provide positive engagement for pivoting.

The bucket and hook arrangement is shown in more detail in figure 2. The hook 35 is carried on a crossbar 36 which extends between the two

uprights

17 and 18 of the frame 14. The cross member has depending

end portions

37 and 38 which are pivotally connected to

flange portions

40 and 41 welded to the

uprights

18 and 17. In this way the cross member may be rotated backwards (ie towards the frame 14) so that the hook may adopt an up standing configuration which permits easy removal of the bucket 22 from the trolley 11.

The bucket carries internally thereof a sieving tray 50. The sieving tray is disposed at a back end 23 of the bucket and is inclined downwardly therefrom at a angle of about 45 degrees. The sieving tray comprises a plurality of waisted beads 51. The beads are disposed along four parallel

inclined rows

52, 53, 54 and 55 respectively and one row 56 which forms a lip at a lower edge of the sieve tray and is generally parallel to the bottom of the bucket. This lip helps prevent the mop head 34 from slipping into the bucket when pressure is exerted thereon.

In use, the user 31 dips the mop head 34 into the bucket 22 filled with fluid to a level below the sieving tray 50. The lower end 33 of the mop stick 32 is then engaged with the hook 35 so that the mop head 34 rests upon the sieving tray 50. The user 31 then exerts a small backward pressure on the mop stick 32 towards a front end 21 of the trolley, as indicated by the arrows in figure 1. The mop stick 32 pivots about the hook 35 to provide a mechanical advantage which strongly urges the mop head 34 against the sieving tray to affect discharge of fluid back into the bucket 22. For enhanced fluid removal, the mop head may be moved from side to side as shown in figures 3 and 4. The mop stick 32 is moved in the direction of the arrows C and D in figures 3 and 4 respectively, while maintaining a slight backward pressure to ensure that the mop head remains pressed against the sieving tray. As the mop head is moved from side to side over the sieving tray, absorbent cotton strands 60 which make up the underside of the mop head 34 repeatedly enter and are squeezed out from gaps between the waisted beads 51 in the sieving tray (beads not shown in figures 3 and 4 for the sake of clarity). In this way an enhanced removal of excess water occurs from the cotton strands without the need for excessive pressure to be exerted by the user. In addition, when the trolley is carried on castors there is no tendency for the trolley to be displaced as the mop head is moved from side to side because the side to side movement is a balanced pivoting motion around the hook 35. Hence unlike prior art arrangements the trolley need not be firmly held or lodged against another article when the mop head is discharged.

Claims

A floor mopping system comprising a mop 30 comprising a mop stick 32 connected at one end thereof to a mop head 34 and a sieving arrangement comprising a sieving surface 50 against which the mop head may be pressed and mop stick engagement means 35 disposed above the sieving surface, wherein the mop stick is provided with abutment means 39 for locating the mop stick in engagement with the mop stick engagement means, characterised in that the engagement means is a hook the arrangement being such that the engaged mop stick may be pivoted about the mop stick engagement means so that when a user applies pressure against an upper end region of the mop stick 32 the mop head 34 is levered about said mop stick engagement means and against said sieving surface for the discharge of excess fluid in the mop head.
A floor mopping system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said abutment means comprises a collar 39 positioned at a lower end region of the mop stick.
A floor mopping system as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a fluid reservoir disposed beneath the sieving surface.
A floor mopping system as claimed in claim 3 and comprising support means for carrying the reservoir for transport over a floor to be cleaned.
A floor mopping system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the support means comprises a wheeled trolley 11 and the reservoir comprises a bucket 22 removably located on said trolley.
A floor mopping system as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the hook is carried by a portion of the support means.
A floor mopping system as claimed any preceding claim wherein the hook is pivotably mounted so that the hook may be retracted.
A floor mopping system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sieving surface is inclined from the horizontal at an angle of about 45 degrees so that when the mop head is levered against the sieving surface the sieving surface exerts an upwards and horizontal reaction against the mop head.
A floor mopping system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sieving surface is elongate relative to the length of the mop head whereby the mop head may be slid from one end of the sieving surface to the other by levering of the mop stick, the movement assisting in the removal of excess fluid from the mop head.
A floor mopping system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sieving surface is defined by an upper surface of a sieving structure, which sieving structure comprises a plurality of spaced apart rollers 51 which together define a plurality of sieving holes.
A floor mopping system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said rollers are each configured as waisted beads 51 and said sieving holes are defined by gaps corresponding to juxtaposed waist portions of adjacent beads.
A floor mopping system as claimed in claim 11 wherein between about 60% and 80% of the sieving surface area is perforated by the sieving holes.