UNIVERSAL CONNECTOR FOR A FLUID MOP
A steam appliance with a universal connector for connecting a steam frame to a fluid source in the appliance housing is provided. The universal connector includes an upper connection piece with a proximal end for connection to the housing and a distal end with a pair of pivot arms. A lower connection piece having a pair of pivot plates for connecting to the pivot arms provides for a pivotal connection with the of upper connection piece for side to side pivot. A fluid conduit passes through the upper and lower connection pieces for connecting the fluid source to the frame for distribution of steam within the frame. The frame includes a central steam passageway for distribution of steam between baffles within the frame. The lower connection piece may be a distributor with a pair of opposed elongated hollow arms for coupling to the frame with a fluid conduit passing through an upper nipple portion for distribution of steam into the frame through the hollow distributor arms. The end of the distributor arms maybe adapted to slip into a key slot in the mop frame and provide an axis to pivot the joint in an up and down direction. Fabric mop towel envelopes with an cut-out to permit rotation of the mop frame about the distributor are also disclosed.
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The invention relates generally to a fluid mop, and more particularly to a universal connector for connecting a mop steam frame to a fluid source in the mop housing.
Wet and dry mops have been widely used for cleaning floors. A type of wet mop is a steam mop, which works as a steaming device.
Steaming devices used to apply steam to household objects are well known. The uses of the devices vary widely, and may include the application of steam to drapes or other fabrics to ease wrinkles, and the application of steam to objects to assist in cleaning the objects.
Typical steam devices have a reservoir for storing water that is connected to an electrical water pump with an on/off switch. The exit from the electric water pump is connected to a steam boiler with a heating element to heat the water. The heated water generates steam, which may be directed towards its intended destination through a nozzle which controls the application of the steam. Variation of the shape and size of the nozzle allows for preferred distribution of generated steam to an object to be cleaned. The nozzles may be disconnectable from the steam generator to allow different nozzles to be utilized, based on the object to be steamed. The nozzle may be either closely coupled to the steam generator, or located at a distance from the steam generator, requiring tubing or other steam transfer structures to be interconnected between the steam generator and the discharge nozzle. Typically, these connections provide suitable limited steering capabilities.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a universal connector for connecting the mop frame to a fluid source for changing the angle between the housing and frame, to provide a full range of steering and that easily disconnects from the mop frame.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONGenerally speaking, in accordance with the invention, steam appliance and a universal connector for connecting an appliance frame to a fluid source in a appliance housing and having improved steering features is provided. The universal connector includes an upper connection piece connected to the appliance housing at one end and having a pair of parallel pivot plates at the other end. A lower connector piece has pivot plates pivotally connected to the pivot plates and that includes two side arms that are engaged by the frame and free to pivot up and down. A flexible steam hose passes through the upper and lower connection pieces and feeds steam into a control manifold running from the back to the front of the steam frame. Steam openings are provided along the manifold between baffles that cross the manifold at right angles and then extend to the sides and back edges of the steam frame.
The lower connection piece may be a fluid distributor having a complimentary pair of pivot arms for pivotally connecting to the pivot plates of the upper connection piece. The distributor has a pair of opposed elongated hollow arms for coupling to a mop frame and a hollow nipple portion for connecting to the fluid source. The end of the distributor arms are adapted to engage the mop frame and provide an axis to pivot the connector in an up and down direction. A flexible fluid conduit passes through the upper connector piece and is connected to the nipple portion of the fluid distributor for distribution of fluid to the mop frame through the hollow distributor arms.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved steam appliance.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved universal connector that easily connects and disconnects a mop frame to a fluid source.
It is a further object of the invention is to provide a connector for a mop that allows for turning over a mop frame for improved cleaning.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a universal connector that provides a full range of steering for mop frames.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
The invention accordingly comprises a product possessing the features, properties, and the relation of components which will be exemplified in the product hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing(s), in which:
Frame 14 as shown in
Referring now to
As shown by arrow A connector 16 pivots right or left as shown by arrow B around pivot buttons 24 as shown in
Referring now to
In order to accommodate the width of universal connector 216 steam pocket towel 213 has a pivot slit 215 on first layer 213a and opposed second layer 213b. Slit 215 has a length 215a from rear wall 213b to the pair of arms of fluid distributor to allow for vertical pivoting without being restricted by steam pocket fabric 213. Slit 215 remains closed on the side of steam pocket facing the floor when in use. This allows a user full use of both sides of steam pocket 212 for cleaning.
One-way inlet valve 337 and one-way outlet valve 338 are duck-bill valves formed of a flexible elastomeric material, such a rubber. The valves are conical in shape so that when handle 313 is pulled, water is drawn through inlet valve 337 while outlet valve 338 remains closed. Similarly, when handle 313 is pushed, water is forced out through outlet valve 338 and inlet valve 337 remains closed and water is fed into boiler 323. In another embodiment, a mechanical bellow pump that may be used in steam mop housing 311 to pump water from water container 321 to boiler 323. Alternatively, the pump can be a two-way piston pump that pumps water when its piston is displaced both in the forward direction and also in the return backwards motion. This type of pump is shown in co-pending application Ser. No. 11/842,478, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
While a mechanical pump has been described it is within the scope of the invention to utilize an electrical pump. Such an electrical pump can be actuated by a micro-switch or a motor switch. In the illustrated embodiments, steam pocket towels 13 and 213 are a cloth or towel. They may be formed of any suitable fabric such as cotton or a synthetic fabric, such as polyester or polyolefin fiber. Preferably, the fabric of pocket 12 and 212 is a microfiber. Most preferably, the microfiber is a synthetic polyester microfiber.
Universal connector 416 includes an upper connector piece 422 similar in construction to upper connector piece 22 in
In this embodiment frame 414 includes a central steam passageway or manifold 433 that runs from the rear of frame 414 at receiving slot 414a to a front border 414b. A plurality of steam release openings 434 are formed on both sides of manifold 433 along the top and bottom thereof. These release openings 434 are positioned between each baffle 431. Baffles 431 are substantially orthogonal to manifold 433 in the center of frame 414 and extend sideways and curve rearward to the side edges and rear wall of frame 414.
Steam frame 414 includes a rear wall 414a with a connector receiving opening 415 in the center of rear wall 414a, a front wall 414b and a right side wall 414c and a left side wall 414d. Steam hose 430 is connected to manifold 433 by a hose plate 431 mounted at the entrance to manifold 433. Short fins 435 extend from the sides of manifold 433 and edges 414c and 414d approximately at the mid-height of manifold 433 and side walls 414c and 414d to assist in distribution of steam to the upper and lower surfaces of a steam towel installed on frame 414 when in use.
Universal connector 16, 116, 216 and 416 provides many advantages for ease of use because they easily connect and disconnect to a mop handle and a mop frame while providing a user with universal pivoting and steering capability. The user has more control of the appliance and frame by the universal connection to clean whatever areas that need to be clean and allows use of both sides of steam frame 1, 114, 214 and 414 for cleaning. In addition, the mop frame may be rotated for easy steering and allows a user to use both sides of the mop steam frame to clean. In addition, the universal connector may attached to any variety of differently shaped mop frames.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above product without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes of the invention. Accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention.
Claims
1-5. (canceled)
6. The steam appliance of claim 21, wherein the steam frame is substantially triangular in shape.
7. The steam appliance of claim 22, wherein the connector opening comprises a notch extending inwardly from the rear edge of the steam frame.
8. The steam appliance of claim 22, further comprising a steam manifold extending in a direction from the connector opening toward a front edge of the steam frame, wherein the steam frame includes a plurality of baffles that intersect the steam passageway at substantially right angles.
9-20. (canceled)
21. A steam appliance comprising:
- a housing including a steam generator;
- a steam frame adapted to support a steam pocket;
- a connector configured to connect the steam frame to the housing; and
- a flexible conduit which passes through the connector, the flexible conduit being configured to deliver steam to the steam frame when steam is generated; wherein
- the steam frame includes first and second opposed sides configured to release steam to the steam pocket when steam is generated and the steam pocket is mounted to the steam frame; and
- the connector is configured such that the steam frame and the housing are allowed to pivot side-to-side and up and down with respect to each other.
22. The steam appliance of claim 21, wherein the steam frame includes a connector opening extending inwardly from a rear edge of the steam frame such that the connector allows side-to-side and up and down pivoting of the steam frame and the housing relative to each other both when the first side of the steam frame is used for cleaning and when the steam frame is turned over and the second side of the steam frame is used for cleaning.
23. The steam appliance of claim 22, further comprising the steam pocket, wherein the steam pocket has first and second fabric layers, each fabric layer having an opening extending from an edge, the openings being configured to permit pivoting of the steam frame and housing relative to each other when the steam pocket is mounted to the steam frame.
24. The steam appliance of claim 21, wherein the connector is selectively releasable from the housing.
25. The steam appliance of claim 24, wherein the connector is selectively releasable from the housing by pressing a release button.
26. The steam appliance of claim 21, wherein the connector comprises a universal connector.
27. The steam appliance of claim 21, wherein the steam frame has a perimeter, and the connector is connected to the steam frame inside the perimeter of the steam frame.
28. The steam appliance of claim 21, wherein the steam frame has a rear wall, a front wall and two side walls, and the rear wall is longer than the two side walls.
29. The steam appliance of claim 7, further comprising a steam passageway extending in a direction from the notch toward a front of the frame, the steam passageway including steam openings configured to distribute steam into a steam chamber of the steam frame.
30. A steam frame assembly comprising:
- a steam frame having a plurality of perimeter walls;
- a plurality of baffles defining a plurality of steam chambers which are open at a top and a bottom of the steam frame;
- a steam manifold including steam openings configured to distribute steam to the steam chambers;
- a first perimeter wall of the plurality of perimeter walls having a connector receiving notch extending into the steam frame from the first perimeter wall.
31. The steam frame assembly of claim 30, further comprising a universal connector having an upper connection piece and a lower connection piece, the lower connection piece being connected to the steam frame to allow up and down pivoting of the connector relative to the steam frame, and the upper connection piece being releasably connectable to a steam appliance housing, the upper connection piece allowing side to side pivoting of the upper connection piece relative to the lower connection piece.
32. The steam frame assembly of claim 31, wherein the connector is connected to the steam frame inside the perimeter of the steam frame.
33. The steam frame assembly of claim 31, wherein the lower connection piece is connected to the steam frame inwardly from the first perimeter wall.
34. The steam frame assembly of claim 31, further comprising a flexible steam conduit which passes through the upper connection piece and the lower connection piece, the flexible steam conduit being in communication with the steam manifold.
35. The steam frame assembly of claim 34, wherein the steam manifold comprises a steam conduit extending in a direction from the notch toward an opposed perimeter wall of the steam frame.
36. The steam frame assembly of claim 35, wherein the steam conduit comprises a plurality of steam openings configured to release steam to the steam chambers.
37. The steam frame assembly of claim 36, wherein the baffles intersect the steam conduit at substantially right angles and curve toward the first perimeter wall of the steam frame.
38. The steam frame assembly of claim 31, further comprising a steam pocket configured to be supported by the steam frame, the steam pocket having a first fabric layer and an opposed second fabric layer, the first and second layers being secured to each other along edges of the layers, and being selectively closeable along an unsecured edge.
39. The steam frame assembly of claim 30, wherein the steam frame is substantially triangular in shape.
Type: Application
Filed: May 8, 2009
Publication Date: Oct 6, 2011
Applicant: Euro-Pro Operating LLC (Newton, MA)
Inventors: Maximilian Rosenzweig (Montreal), Ognjen Vrdoljak (Laval)
Application Number: 12/991,678
International Classification: A47L 11/34 (20060101); A47L 13/42 (20060101);