Mop with a Flat Holder

Abstract

The mop has a flat holder and a mop covering attached to the underside of the holder and projecting from an edge of the holder with an edge protection border. The mop can be wrung in a corresponding device. The wringing device has a first pressing element and a second pressing element, which traverse the holder with the mop covering and which squeeze the mop cover in order to wring it. One of the pressing elements continuously extends over the entire width of the mop covering perpendicular to the direction of movement of the holder. The other pressing element has two parts with a gap in between for allowing the passage of a handle joined to the holder. In the vicinity of the gap formed by the pressing element, the edge protection border is formed so that it does not absorb and dirt and/or moisture.

Description

The invention relates to a mop with a flat holder and a mop covering fastened to the underside of the holder and projecting from the edge of the holder with an edge protection border, which covering is designed so that it can be wrung in a device provided for this purpose, which device has for this purpose a wringing device with a first pressing element and a second pressing element through which runs the holder with the mop covering, and which squeeze the mop covering to wring it, one of the pressing elements extending continuously over the entire width of the mop covering perpendicular to the direction of movement of the holder, whereas the other pressing element comprises two parts between which there exists a gap allowing a handle connected to the holder to pass through transverse to the direction of movement.

WO 03/13586 discloses a mop and an associated device for cleaning and wringing, the mop being provided on its two longitudinal sides with a projecting mop covering. This projection of the mop covering serves to prevent direct contact between the holder, which normally consists of hard material, for example also of aluminium, with furniture and other fitments, to avoid damage to them. For this purpose WO 03/13587 also discloses an edge protection in the form of a rubber border fitted on the narrow side.

Finally, DE 10256091 describes an autonomous wet cleaning device which is provided only on the wide side with a projecting mop covering whereas a soft surface is provided as an edge protection on the narrow side.

With the aim of providing as comprehensive an edge protection as possible it would also be desirable to allow the mop covering to project from the narrow side. However, because of the gap provided for passing through the handle in one of the two pressing elements, no wringing would then take place in the region of this gap.

The object of the invention is to provide the mop of the type already mentioned, in a particularly simple manner, both on the wide side and narrow side with a projection of the mop covering acting as an edge protection, it being ensured that no residual dirt or undesirably high residual moisture is present after cleaning and wringing of the mop, particularly in the region of the gap.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the edge protection is formed in the region of the gap formed by one of pressing elements so that it cannot absorb dirt and/or moisture.

The advantage achieved by the invention consists essentially in the fact that mopping can be carried out by the projecting mop covering on the narrow side on the one hand, and also with the narrow side along furniture edges and other objects of installation, close to the edge without coming into contact with the holder. In particular, this provides a structure that is more simply designed since no separate rubber edge or similar is required. The mop covering can be cleaned and wrung in the cleaning and wringing stations of prior art without modification.

According to a first advantageous design of the invention the edge protection edge has a recess formed by a recess formed from a groove in the region of the gap. This recess impairs neither the cleaning performance of the mop covering nor the efficiency of the edge protection aimed for to any noticeable degree since gap is small compared with the narrow side of the holder.

According to a further embodiment of the invention the edge protection border is provided with a dirt and moisture repelling coating in the region of the gap. This variant is therefore provided with complete edge protection, whilst only the cleaning performance is minimally reduced due to the dirt and moisture repelling coating.

As a further possibility it is also proposed, within the scope of the invention, that the edge protection border be formed in the region of the gap by a material that is sufficiently soft and is either dirt or moisture repelling itself or is provided with a dirt or moisture repelling substance. This design also provides complete all-round edge protection.

In order to ensure, when cleaning and wringing the mop in a suitable wet cleaning device, that the projection on the edge side runs safely and smoothly into the wringing device, it is recommended that a stabilising means is provided for stiffening the edge protection border. This stabilising means may in principle consist of any material suitable for this purpose. In a particular simple design and hence one that is preferred within the scope of the invention, provision is made for the fleece provided for a Velcro strip between the mop covering and the holder on the mop covering, as stabilising means, to project into the edge protection border. Due to the use of the fleece required in any case for the fastening, the use of additional materials can therefore be dispensed with.

The invention is explained in more detail in the following by way of exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing, in which

FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic side view of a device for wringing a mop together with a mop for use with the device, as an exemplary embodiment,

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged partial view of the device according to FIG. 1 from the front, together with the mop,

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the device according to FIG. 1, when the device is operated for wetting and wringing the mop,

FIG. 4 shows a mop consisting of a holder and mop covering, with edge protection, according to the state of the art, in partial figure a in elevation, in partial figure b in longitudinal section, and in partial figure c between the rolls of the wringing device,

FIG. 5 shows a mop according to the invention in a representation corresponding to FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 shows an alternative design of the mop in the representation according to FIG. 4.

FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically, as an exemplary embodiment, a device 104 for wetting a mop 101, which device is operated manually. Mop 101 is provided with a holder 102 fastened to a handle 118 for holding a mop covering 103. Mop covering 103 is flexible and absorbent so that it can be wetted to clean floors with a cleaning fluid, in particular.

For the purpose of setting, mop 101 is guided in the direction of the arrow by device 104, by means of a guide 113 which has the individual guiding elements in the form of horizontally arranged plates. Here guide 113 guides holder 102 horizontally along a horizontal path of movement beyond a nozzle 112. Nozzle 112 is connected by a fluid line 11 to a pump 108 which is arranged underneath the floor of a container 105, which forms the base of device 104. A cleaning fluid 106, which can be sucked in from pump 108 via an inlet filter 107 and pumped through pipe 11 to nozzle 112, is present in container 105. Fluid 106 can be sprayed through nozzle 112 from below against mop covering 103 of mop 101.

A sensor 114 is provided in guide 113, for example in the form of a switch which detects the presence of holder 102 in guide 113. As soon as holder 102 is inserted in guide 113, and this has been detected by sensor 114, a control system, not shown, actuates pump 108 so that fluid 106 is sprayed upwards through nozzle 112. At the same time a motor driven drive roll 110, arranged underneath the path of movement, is also actuated. Two counter-rolls 109, which are arranged coaxially in respect of one another and are rotatable about an axis of rotation running parallel to the axis of rotation of drive roll 110, are arranged on the side of the path of movement opposite drive roll 110. Holder 102 can be pulled between drive roll 110 and counter-rolls 109 together with mop covering 103.

The distance between drive roll 110 and counter-rolls 109 is dimensioned so that holder 102, with mop covering 103, is in frictional contact with rolls 109, 110, so that it can be detected and driven.

Drive roll 110 extends throughout the width of mop covering 103 perpendicular to the direction of drive, so that it bears against mop covering 103 at the bottom throughout the width. Both counter-rolls 109 are each arranged so that they are arranged over the edges of holder 102 and mop covering 103 in the width extension of holder 102 and leave an interval between them. The interval between rolls 109 serves to guide through handle 118 of the mop.

FIG. 2 shows the upper part of device 104 together with the lower part of mop 101, viewed from the front. In this representation it can be seen that counter-rolls 109 each consist of two cylindrical sections 119, 120 arranged concentrically relative to each other, which sections have different diameters. The smaller cylindrical sections 119 are arranged on the inside and the larger cylindrical sections 120 are arranged on the outside. Consequently the gap between drive roll 110 and larger cylindrical sections 120 on the outside is smaller than that between drive roll 110 and the smaller cylindrical sections 119. Drive roll 110 is also connected to a motor 116 for driving in the direction of rotation.

In FIG. 2 it can also be seen that mop covering 103 is wider in the direction of movement than holder 102, and projects from the sides of holder 102. The edges of mop covering 103 projecting from both sides form a cushion here for holder 102, which also serves as protection from damage to other objects by holder 102, e.g. furniture. Since holder 102 must be able to transmit force for squeezing out mop covering 103, holder 102 is preferably produced from a stiff material such as a metal, so that holder 102 could quite possibly damage other objects on contact. For this reason a projecting mop covering 103 is particularly advantageous as protection.

So that the projecting parts of mop covering 103 can also be squeezed out, the smaller cylindrical sections 119 on the inside are dimensioned so that they are able to squeeze out holder 102 together with the underlying part of mop covering 103 on drive roll 110, and the larger cylindrical sections 120 are dimensioned so that they are able to squeeze out the edges of mop covering 103 on drive roll 110 projecting laterally over holder 102. For this purpose the height of the larger cylindrical sections 120 in the axial direction is at least equal to the width of the projecting edge of mop covering 103 and the diameter of the larger cylindrical sections 120, together with the distance between the axes, for counter-rolls 109 and drive roll 110, is chosen so that the projecting edge of mop covering 103 can be compressed in between.

In the case of the smaller cylindrical sections 119 arranged inside, it is only necessary for them to bear against holder 102 and press it against drive roll 110 in order to be able to squeeze out the part of mop covering 103 covered by holder 102. An interruption or a gap is provided between the two smaller cylindrical sections 119 for guiding through handle 118. The narrower the gap the more difficult it is to guide through handle 118. Conversely, the surface with which the smaller cylindrical sections 119 press against holder 102 increased as the gap becomes narrower, and the bending moments acting on holder 102 are therefore reduced.

The two adjacent cylindrical sections 119, 120 are mounted coaxially to each other on a common shaft, both cylindrical sections 119, 120 being able to rotate independently of each other.

Mop covering 103 is again partly wetted by the pressure of drive roll 110 acting throughout the width, and fluid is pressed out of mop covering 103. The squeezed out fluid 106 runs onto an intermediate bottom 117 and from there returns through a dirt filter 115 into container 105. When mop 101 is guided through by guide 113, as shown in FIG. 3, mop covering 103 is sprayed from below with cleaning fluid 106 so that mop covering 103 can be wetted and the dirt in it flushed out, then again partially wrung so that it escapes on the right side of device 104 with a defined moisture content. This prevents mop covering 103 from dripping during cleaning. Here the control system also detects when holder 102 releases sensor 114 again and when the rear end of holder 102 has passed through sensor 114 and then actuates pump 108 and drive roll 110 for a further period until holder 102 has been pulled completely through rolls 109, 110. Here the actuation of pump 108 can also be terminated before rolls 109, 110 are actuated.

As explained above, the projection of mop covering 103 on the longitudinal side and width side of holder 102 is also wrung by the device described. The projection formed on the narrow side of mop 101, on the other hand, is not wrung in the region of the gap that enables handle 118 to be pulled through, since no pressure is exerted on the projection, in contrast to the region in which the intrinsically stiff holder 102 is present. FIG. 4 therefore shows a solution according to the state of the art in which only a soft edge 126 of rubber or plastic is provided on the narrow side of mop 101.

To ensure that a projection can also be provided on the narrow side of mop 101, but at the same time preventing a residual moisture content that is undesirably higher than in the remaining mop covering 103 from remaining in the region of the gap which is normally indicated once again by lines on the left next to FIG. 5c, edge protection border 124 is designed, in the region of the gap formed by one of pressing elements 109, so that it cannot absorb any dirt and/or moisture.

This can be achieved initially by a design which provides a recess 125 formed by a groove and indicated in FIG. 6a on the right edge of mop 101, which recess is located in the region of the gap. Since this gap is small compared to the narrow side of holder 102, the recess impairs neither the cleaning performance of mop covering 103 nor the efficiency of the efficiency protection aimed for to any noticeable degree.

However, edge protection border 124 may also be provided with a dirt and moisture repelling coating 126 in the region of the gap, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6c and 6d, which means that wringing in this region may also be dispensed with.

Edge protection border 124 may also be formed by a sufficiently soft material 127 which is either dirt and moisture repelling itself or is provided with a dirt and moisture repelling substance in the region of the gap, as shown in FIG. 6. This is diagrammatically represented in FIGS. 6c and 6d.

In order, in particular, to allow the projection of mop covering 103 to run smoothly through pressing elements 109, 110, stiffening of edge protection border 124 by a stabilising means is recommended, which means may in principle be produced from any suitable material in a strip form, for example, in the region of the projection. In particular, the fleece material 128, arranged in any case on mop covering 103 and present in the Velcro strip between holder 102 and mop covering 103, may be considered for this purpose. This fleece may project into edge protection border 124 for stabilisation, as shown in FIG. 6d. Instead, however, an additional reinforcement 129 may be provided in the actual edge region, as shown in FIG. 6c.

Claims

1-6. (canceled)

7. A mop assembly, comprising:

a flat holder, a handle connected to said holder, and a mop covering fastened to an underside of said holder and projecting from an edge of said holder with an edge protection border, said covering being configured for wringing in a corresponding wringing device;

the wringing device including a first pressing element and a second pressing element for traversing said holder with said mop covering and for squeezing and wringing said mop cover;

said first pressing element extending continuously over an entire width of said mop covering perpendicular to a direction of movement of said holder through said wringing device, and said second pressing element having two parts and a gap formed in between, transversely to the direction of movement, for enabling said handle to pass therethrough; and

wherein said edge protection border is configured, in a region of said gap between said parts of said second pressing element, incapable of absorbing dirt and/or moisture.

8. The mop assembly according to claim 7, wherein said edge protection border has a recess formed by a groove in the region of said gap.

9. The mop assembly according to claim 7, wherein said edge protection border is provided with a dirt and moisture repelling coating in the region of said gap.

10. The mop assembly according to claim 7, wherein said edge protection border is formed, in the region of said gap, by a sufficiently soft material having dirt and moisture-repelling material characteristics.

11. The mop assembly according to claim 7, wherein said edge protection border is formed, in the region of said gap, by a sufficiently soft material carrying thereon a dirt and moisture-repelling substance.

12. The mop assembly according to claim 9, which comprises stabilizing means provided for stiffening said edge protection border.

13. The mop assembly according to claim 12, wherein said mop covering and said holder are connected by way of a hook-and-loop connection, and said stabilizing means comprises fleece of said hook-and-loop connection on said mop covering projecting into said edge protection border.