Wringer roller mop
A wringer roller mop comprising: an elongated mop head; a lever in rotatable communication with the elongated mop head near a first end of the elongated mop head; a plurality of rollers in rotatable communication with the elongated mop head near a second end of the elongated mop head; a linkage means in communication with the lever and in communication with a backing of a sponge refill; and where the wringer roller mop is configured such that when the lever is rotated, the linkage means moves in an upward direction towards the first end, pulling the sponge refill into between the plurality of rollers. A wringer roller mop comprising: an elongated mop head; a mop handle in slideable communication with the elongated mop head; an annular rack gear attached to the mop handle; a lever in rotatable communication with the elongated mop head; a pinion gear attached to the lever and in communication with the annular rack gear; a plurality of rollers in rotatable communication with the elongated mop head near a sponge end of the elongated mop head; a sponge refill in communication with a sponge end of the mop handle; and where the wringer roller mop is configured such that when the lever is rotated in a direction, the pinion gear moves the annular rack gear and mop handle in an upward direction, pulling the sponge refill into between the plurality of rollers.
This invention relates to sponge mops, and more particularly to wringer roller mops.
BACKGROUNDWringer roller mops are a type of floor mop in which a sponge can be moved in and out of between two closely spaced rollers (i.e. the wringing action) to expel liquid and dirt from the sponge. Broadly speaking, current wringer roller mops fall into two main categories, the shotgun style mop and lever action style mop.
Direct action or shotgun style roller mops typically have a molded plastic wringing component slideably attached to a mop handle, and directly to the mop rollers. The sponge refill is typically attached to the mop handle. As the user slides the wringing component down the mop handle, he forces the rollers against and over the sponge refill, thereby wringing the sponge refill. This direct action or shotgun style mop has no mechanical advantage and may be difficult to completely wring out the sponge refill. In order to allow for better wringing, a lower density sponge may be used, which may lead to a sponge refill that wears out relatively quickly. In other embodiments, the rollers may be spaced apart further, to allow for easier wringing, however, this leads to poor wringing of the sponge refill.
Lever action style mops use a pivoting lever and a linkage to move the sponge in and out between the rollers. The lever is usually mounted pivotally near the center of a long mop handle, usually be means of a rivet. A mop head is fixed to the handle. One end of the linkage is attached to a sponge/channel assembly and the other end is pivotally attached to the lever about one inch outboard of where the lever pivots on the long mop handle. About three inches outboard of the linkage pivot is a grip by which the user may lever the sponge in and out between the rollers. The key advantage to this design is that the user now has about a 3 to 1 (three to one) mechanical advantage, which makes it easier to wring the sponge. With this amount of mechanical advantage, a manufacture may use a denser sponge and/or more closely spaced rollers. Lever action style mops require elaborate assemblies, additional parts, and higher costs.
Thus, there is a need for a wringer roller mop that overcomes these and other disadvantages.
SUMMARYThe disclosed invention relates to a wringer roller mop comprising: an elongated mop head; a lever in rotatable communication with the elongated mop head near a first end of the elongated mop head; a plurality of rollers in rotatable communication with the elongated mop head near a second end of the elongated mop head; a linkage means in communication with the lever and in communication with a backing of a sponge refill; and where the wringer roller mop is configured such that when the lever is rotated, the linkage means moves in an upward direction towards the first end, pulling the sponge refill into between the plurality of rollers.
The disclosed invention also relates to a wringer roller mop comprising: an elongated mop head; a mop handle in slideable communication with the elongated mop head; an annular rack gear attached to the mop handle; a lever in rotatable communication with the elongated mop head; a pinion gear attached to the lever and in communication with the annular rack gear; a plurality of rollers in rotatable communication with the elongated mop head near a sponge end of the elongated mop head; a sponge refill in communication with a sponge end of the mop handle; and where the wringer roller mop is configured such that when the lever is rotated in a direction, the pinion gear moves the annular rack gear and mop handle in an upward direction, pulling the sponge refill into between the plurality of rollers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe present disclosure will be better understood by those skilled in the pertinent art by referencing the accompanying drawings, where like elements are numbered alike in the several figures, in which:
The elongated mop head 18 and lever 22 may be made out of any suitable material, including but not limited to: molded thermoplastic such as polypropylene, nylon, rubber, metal, and fiberglass.
The elongated mop head 104, lever 112, and annular pinion gear 116 may be made out of any suitable material, including but not limited to: molded thermoplastic such as polypropylene, nylon, rubber, metal, and fiberglass.
The disclosed wringer roller mop has several advantages. For the embodiment disclosed in
It should be noted that the terms “first”, “second”, and “third”, and the like may be used herein to modify elements performing similar and/or analogous functions. These modifiers do not imply a spatial, sequential, or hierarchical order to the modified elements unless specifically stated.
While the disclosure has been described with reference to several embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A wringer roller mop comprising:
- an elongated mop head;
- a lever in rotatable communication with the elongated mop head near a first end of the elongated mop head;
- a plurality of rollers in rotatable communication with the elongated mop head near a second end of the elongated mop head;
- a linkage means in communication with the lever and in communication with a backing of a spongerefill; and
- wherein the wringer roller mop is configured such that when the lever is rotated, the linkage means moves in an upward direction towards the first end, pulling the sponge refill into between the plurality of rollers.
2. The wringer roller mop of claim 1, further comprising:
- a mop handle in communication with the first end of the elongated mop head.
3. The wringer roller mop of claim 1, wherein the linkage means is a steel wire.
4. The wringer roller mop of claim 1, further comprising:
- a first eye located on the backing of the sponge refill;
- a second eye located on the backing of the sponge refill; and
- wherein the linkage means is in communication with the first eye and the second eye.
5. The wringer roller mop of claim 1, further comprising:
- a first protuberance located at a pivot point of the lever;
- a second protuberance located at a pivot point of the lever;
- a first indentation located on the elongated mop head;
- a second indentation located on the elongated mop head; and
- wherein the first protuberance is configured to rotatably sit in the first indentation and the second protuberance is configured to rotatably sit in the second indentation.
6. The wringer roller mop of claim 2, wherein the mop handle is replaceable with mop handles of differing lengths.
7. The wringer roller mop of claim 1, wherein the sponge refill is replaceable.
8. The wringer roller mop of claim 1, wherein the elongated mop head and the lever are made from a material selected from the group consisting of: molded thermoplastic, nylon, rubber, metal, and fiberglass.
9. The wringer roller mop of claim 1, further comprising:
- a handle located on the lever and configured to allow a user to rotate the lever.
10. A wringer roller mop comprising:
- an elongated mop head;
- a mop handle in slideable communication with the elongated mop head;
- an annular rack gear attached to the mop handle;
- a lever in rotatable communication with the elongated mop head;
- a pinion gear attached to the lever and in communication with the annular rack gear;
- a plurality of rollers in rotatable communication with the elongated mop head near a sponge end of the elongated mop head;
- a sponge refill in communication with a sponge end of the mop handle; and
- wherein the wringer roller mop is configured such that when the lever is rotated in a direction, the pinion gear moves the annular rack gear and mop handle in an upward direction, pulling the sponge refill into between the plurality of rollers.
11. The wringer roller mop of claim 10, wherein the elongated mop head, the lever and the annular rack gear are made from a material selected from the group consisting of: molded thermoplastic, nylon, rubber, metal, and fiberglass.
12. The wringer roller mop of claim 10, wherein the lever is configured to snap onto the elongated mop head.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 10, 2006
Publication Date: Sep 13, 2007
Inventor: Robert Cann (Amherst, MA)
Application Number: 11/373,465
International Classification: A47L 13/144 (20060101);