US3394424A - Replaceable mop unit - Google Patents

Description

July 30, 1968 AN SPRONSEN ET AL 3,394,424

REPLACE-ABLE MOP UNIT Filed Jan. 4, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i 2; W 5/4 .0 i o c ii 13 /E@IP 1 f6 4 July so, 1968 SPRNSEN 3,394,424

REPLAC EABLE MOP UNIT Filed Jan. 4, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent ()flice 3,394,424 REPLACEABLE MOP UNIT Cornelis Van Spronsen, Berea, and Peter I. Lindhont, Lakewood, Ohio, assignors to Nylonge Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Jan. 4, 1967, Ser. No. 607,326 6 Claims. (Cl. 15-244) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A receptacle mop unit in which a sponge block has cemented to its top face a resilient backing plate which is provided with a longitudinally extending opening. Rearwardly directed parallel flanges extend along the longitudinal edges of the opening and terminate in lips directed toward each other to delineate a slot, each of the lips having downwardly directed locking detents spaced inwardly from the ends thereof. The mop head includes a mop mounting plate provided with a depending border and pair of depending longitudinally spaced coupling elements slidably engaging the backing plate slot and disposed outside the respective detents.

Background of the invention The present invention relates generally to improvements in mops and relates more particularly to replaceable mop units which are applicable to various types of mop heads.

There are many available types of mops which are provided with a replaceable mop unit having water absorbent cleaning member in the form of a block of artificial sponge. The mop commonly includes a hinge wringer plate and a mop unit mounting plate which releasably engages the mop unit. There are various arrangements for releasably coupling the replaceable mop unit to the mop mounting plate and these generally possess the disadvantage of not being interchangeable. Thus, a mop mounting plate employing a bolt type coupling generally cannot be used with a mounting plate having a key or button type coupling and a key coupling mounting plate is not usable with replaceable mop units of the bolt cou pling type. Moreover, with the mop employing a key type coupling a common drawback is the freedom of the replaceable mop unit to move longitudinally on the mounting plate, a condition which is awkward and inconvenient and frequently leads to the inadvertent separation of the replaceable mop unit from the top mounting plate thereby greatly limiting the usefulness of the device.

Summary of the invention The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved replaceable mop unit which may be applied to mop mounting plates provided with different types of coupling arrangements.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a replaceable mop unit of the above nature applicable to mounting plates provided with coupling buttons or keys wherein coupling is effected by selective longitudinal sliding between the mounting plate and the replaceable mop unit and wherein the mop unit is releasably locked to the mounting plate against any movement thereon.

The above and other objects of the present invention are achieved by the provision of a replaceable mop unit comprising a sponge block member having a rear face and a coupling member positioned on said rear face, said coupling member being masked by said sponge block member and including a rearwardly movable locking element resiliently urged forwardly to a lock position. Advantageously the mop unit includes a resilient backing 3,394,424 Patented July 30, 1968 plate cemented to the sponge block rear face and having a longitudinally medially extending opening provided With parallel rearwardly projecting flanges along its opposite edges terminating in lips directed toward each other and delineating a longitudinal slot or track. Forwardly directed detents are located inwardly of opposite ends of each lip. The replaceable mop unit is highly useful when employed with a mop mounting plate provided with a pair of depending shank mounted button or key elements and depending longitudinal borders. The mop unit is applied to the mounting plate by slidably bringing the backing track into engagement with the key elements so that the detents are positioned along the inner edges of the key elements to restrict the longitudinal movement of the mop unit. By pressing on the underface of the sponge block the resilient backing plate is transversely flexed to raise the locking detents above the plane of the coupling keys and permit the slidably separation of the mop unit. The drawbacks of the conventional key locking arrangements are thus overcome by the mop unit of the present invention which is applicable to various other types of mop mounting plates.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is an end elevational view of a mop head and replaceable mop unit embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view thereof taken along line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan fragmentary view thereof with the sponge block removed, illustrating the mop unit in a coupled position;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 44 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 illustrating the mop unit deformed to an uncoupling condition.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the improved replaceable mop unit which is shown employed with a wringer type mop head 11, of known construction with which the mop unit 10 is employed to great advantage.

The mop head 11 comprises a mounting plate 12 including a flat horizontal upper section 13 provided along its periphery with depending downwardly outwardly inclined walls 14, the front inclined wall 14 being somewhat deeper than the rear inclined wall 14. The lower edges of the walls 14 terminate in an outwardly projecting planar peripheral flange 16. The plate section 13 and the walls 14 delineate a downwardly facing pocket or cavity 17. Medially located on the upper face of the mounting plate 12 and projecting upwardly and rearwardly is a tubular socket member 18 which is engaged by an elongated rod handle 19. A perforated squeeze plate 20 is hinged along its forward edge to the rear edge of the flange 16 and is provided with a rearwardly upwardly directed medially positioned handle 21 provided with means normally urging and retaining the squeeze plate 20 in the retracted position illustrated in FIGURE 1.

Stamped from and integrally formed with the mounting plate section 13 is a pair of longitudinally spaced medially located depending key or button type coupling members 22 which are shortly equidistant from opposite end walls 14. Each of the coupling members 22 includes a substantially square bottom plate or button 23 parallel to and slightly above the plane of the peripheral flange 16. Extending upwardly and outwardly from opposite end edges of each of the coupling plates 23 are medially positioned, upwardly diverging integrally formed shank defining wings 24 of lesser width than the plates 23. The wings 24 at their upper ends join the plate section 13 and are integrally formed therewith, the coupling members 22 leaving corresponding openings in the plate section 13.

The replaceable mop unit comprises a sponge block 26, preferably formed of regenerated cellulose and including a fiat downwardly rearwardly inclined upper face 27 and a horizontal bottom working face. Cemented to the sponge block top face 27 is a medially disposed rounded corner, rectangular backing plate 28, of slightly less dimensions than the sponge block face 27 so that the underface of the backing plate 28 is completely masked by the sponge block 26. The backing plate 28 is formed of a flexible resilient material, for example, resilient sheet steel, so that it may be transversely releasably flexed, as illustrated in FIGURE 6, by pressure on the underface of the sponge block 26 along its longitudinal axis.

An elongated opening 29 is formed along the longitudinal medial axis of the backing plate 28 and extends between points inward of the opposite ends of the plate 28. Projecting upwardly and inwardly from the opposite parallel elongated edges of the opening 29 are similarly shaped inclined flanges 3t), the opposite ends of the flanges 30 being spaced inwardly of the ends of the opening 29 to leave unimpeded end openings 32. The flanges 30, along their upper edges terminate in integrally formed coplanar lips 33 which are directed toward each other and are provided with spaced parallel edges which delineates a longitudinal medial slot or track 34 interrupted along its length by a centrally located bridge member 36 extending etween the lips 33.

Formed in each of the lips 33 inwardly of the end edges thereof are detent defining transversely extending symmetrically positioned, depending ridges 37. The longitudinal distances between the outer edges of the detent ridges 37 is less than that between the inner edges of the coupling plates 23, advantageously by a distance not greater than that between the detents 37 and the adjacent end edges of the lips 33. The width of the slot 34 is greater than the Width of the shanks 24 and less than the width of the coupling plates 23 and the length of the slot 34 is approximately equal to or slightly greater than the distance between the outer end edges of the coupling plates 23. The lips 33 are parallel to the plane of the backing plate 28 and spaced above the backing plate 28 a distance slightly less than that between the coupling plates 23 and the plane of the flanges 16.

In attaching the replaceable mop unit to the mop head 11, the mop unit is transversely medially positioned on the underface of the mounting plate 12 and is longitudinally offset to locate the first ends of the lips 33 inwardly of the inner edge of a corresponding coupling plate 23. The mop unit with some pressure on the underface of the sponge block 26 in the area of the first ends of the lips 33 is then slid longitudinally to carry the coupling member shanks 24 into sliding engagement with the slot 34 and the coupling plate 23 along the underfaces of the lips 33 until the opposite end edges of the lips 33 are positioned inside the inner edges of the adjacent coupling plate 23, in which position the detents 37 along the first ends of the lips 33 are located along the upper face of the respective coupling plate 23. Pressure on the underface of the sponge block 26 is then transferred to the opposite end in the area of the ends of the lips 33 to raise the ends of the lips 33 above that of the coupling plate 23 and the mop unit 10 is then slid to its medial position and pressure is released. The track 34 is now engaged by both coupling members 22 and the mop unit 10 is restricted in its longitudinal movement by the detent 37 and coupling plates 23.

In order to detach the mop unit 10 from the mounting plate 12 pressure is merely applied to the underface of the sponge block 26 in the area of an end pair of detents 37 to transversely flex the backing plate 28 and raise the detents 3'7 above the level of the coupling plate 23. The mop unit 10 is then slid longitudinally to carry the opposite flange ends inwardly of the inner edges of the respective coupling plate 23. The freed end of the mop unit 10 is pulled away from the mounting plate 28 and slid in an opposite direction to detach it from the mop head 11.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the Spirit thereof. For example, the mop unit 10 may be attached to various other types of mop heads than that shown.

What is claimed is:

1. A replaceable mop unit comprising a sponge block member having a rear face, and a coupling member positioned on said rear face, said coupling member being masked by said sponge block member and including a transversely flexible resilient backing plate affixed to said sponge block rear face, said coupling member comprising a longitudinally extending track positioned along said backing plate and defined by a longitudinal slot, said track being provided with detent means along the border of said slot including at least one forwardly directed locking element which is resiliently urged toward a forward lock position and is releasably movable toward a rear unlock position by the flexing of said backing plate.

2. The replaceable mop unit of claim 1, said backing plate being provided with a longitudinally extending opening having parallel side edges, rearwardly projecting flanges positioned along said opening and terminating in coupling member defining lips directed toward each other and having free edges delineating said longitudinal slot, said detent means including forwardly projecting locking element defining detents located on each of said lips at points spaced inwardly from and adjacent the ends thereof, said detents being urged to a forward lock position by the resiliency of said backing plate and being releasably movable toward rear unlock positions by the flexing of said backing plate.

3. The replaceable mop head unit of claim 2, wherein said flanges terminate at points spaced inwardly of the outer ends of said longitudinal opening.

4. In combination with the mop unit of claim 2, a mop head including a mounting plate and a pair of longitudinally spaced coupling elements positioned on said mounting plate and including shank sections projecting from said mounting plate and slidably registering with said longitudinal slot and terminating in button sections engaging the front faces of said lips and disposed outwardly of said detents.

5. In combination with the mop unit of claim 2, a mop head unit including a mounting plate having a forwardly directed peripheral border of a shape substantially similar to that of said backing plate, said backing plate engaging said mounting plate border, and a pair of longitudinally spaced coupling elements medially positioned on said mounting plate and including shank sections projecting from said mounting plate and slideably registering with said longitudinal slot and terminating in button sections engaging the front faces of said lips and disposed outwardly of said detents.

6. In combination with the mop unit of claim 2, a mop head unit including a mounting plate having a forwardly directed peripheral border of a shape substantially similar to that of said backing plate, said backing plate engaging said mounting plate border, and a pair of longitudinally spaced coupling elements medially positioned on said mounting plate and including shank sections projecting from said mounting plate and slideably registering with said longitudinal slot and terminating in button sections References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1935 Boulton 15244 XR 6/1952 Karle 15244 XR 6 2,632,192 3/ 1953 Mallory 15-244 XR 2,708,283 5/ 1955 Vaughn 152-44 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,382,759 11/ 1964 France.

920,057 3/ 1963 Great Britain.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner.

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