MOP WITH COMB STRUCTURE

Abstract

A comb structure that includes a curved portion and a teeth portion may be used to remove contaminants from a mop head. The curved portion may include various features, including a wavy grip portion and grip-facilitating indentations, to aid a user in gripping the comb structure. The curved portion may also include features such as a plurality of flexible tabs and a ledge that allow the comb structure to snap onto a mop handle. Meanwhile, the teeth portion may include a plurality of teeth and indentations between the teeth to grab unwanted particulates such as hair, dust, and other contaminants from a mop head as the teeth are pushed/pulled through the mop head.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/443,071, filed Feb. 15, 2011, and entitled “Mop With Comb Structure,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The present application also claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/432,491, filed Jan. 13, 2011, and entitled “Mop With Comb Structure,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The present application also claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/448,280, filed Mar. 2, 2011, and entitled “Mop With Comb Structure,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Mops are commonly used for cleaning surfaces (e.g., floors) that are dirty. The mop generally consists of a mop head attached to a handle. The mop head is generally manufactured from a yarn, cloth, microfiber, or sponge material. The head is swept against the floor by holding onto the handle.

In cases where a wet mop is used, a wringer is provided to strain excess water from the mop head. Generally, the wringer is attached to a bucket of water and/or the mop head or handle. Because the mop head accumulates dirt particles and dries out as it is applied to a cleaning surface, the mop head is periodically placed in the bucket to dislodge the accumulated dirt particles and to rewet the mop head for continued use.

In the case of a dry mop, dust and other dry particles are removed when the mop head is applied to the cleaning surfaces. Dry mops often serve as replacements for brooms and/or vacuum cleaners.

Through repeated use and despite efforts at periodic cleaning, both the dry and wet mops accumulate dirt, mud, dust, and other contaminants. Thus, they require machine or hand washing to remove contaminants prior to each use. However, machine washing usually takes several hours to complete and is not always a practical option for cleaning a mop head on a periodic basis within any given cleaning session. Moreover, the user may not want to hand wash a dirty mop head because the dirty surfaces must be directly touched and manipulated. As such, additional techniques are needed in the art for cleaning a mop head when contaminants become lodged in the mop head material when machine or hand washing is not practical or effective.

SUMMARY

In light of the foregoing background, the following presents a simplified summary of the present disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below.

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a mop that has a comb structure attached to the handle for removing hair, dust, and other contaminants as they accumulate in the mop head.

Other aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a mop head with microfiber fingers configured to allow a comb structure to be used to remove contaminants as they accumulate in the fingers.

Still other aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a comb structure that may have teeth for dislodging and grabbing contaminants from dirty mop heads.

Further aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a wavy grip portion and indentations for aiding in gripping the comb structure.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus comprising: a mop head with microfiber fingers configured to remove unwanted particulates from a cleaning surface; a mop handle attached to the mop head; and a comb structure removably affixed to the mop handle, wherein the comb structure comprises a first portion for handling the comb structure and a second portion with teeth for grabbing the unwanted particulates from the mop head as the teeth slidably engage the microfiber fingers. Additionally, the comb structure can further comprise a curved portion for securing the comb structure to the mop handle and the curved portion can comprise one or more flexible tabs for securing the comb to the handle. The comb structure can further comprise a wavy grip portion and grip-facilitating indentations on the curved portion for aiding the user in gripping the comb during use. The comb structure can further comprise a ledge in the curved portion for aiding in snapping and securing the comb structure onto the mop handle.

Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method comprising: providing a comb structure with a handle portion and a teeth portion, wherein the handle portion allows for grasping the comb structure and the teeth portion allows unwanted particulates to be removed from a mop head as the teeth portion is moved along fibers of the mop head; providing a mop with the mop head and a mop handle; grasping the comb structure with the handle portion; and sliding the teeth portion of the comb structure along the fibers of the mop head to remove the unwanted particulates. The method can further comprise providing a wavy grip portion and grip-facilitating indentations on the curved portion for aiding the user in gripping the comb during use. The method can further comprise adding ledge on the curved portion for aiding in snapping and securing the comb structure onto the mop handle.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. The Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of aspects of the present disclosure and the advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description in consideration of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a mop head and a first embodiment of a comb structure attached to a mop handle in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of mop head with microfiber fingers in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows a top down view of a first side of a first embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a first embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 shows a top down view of a second side of a first embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows a close-up view of the interior of a first embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 shows a close-up view of the outside of a first embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 shows a first top down view of a first embodiment of a comb structure attached to a mop handle in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 shows a second top down view of a first embodiment of a comb structure attached to a mop handle in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 shows a first close-up view of a mop handle with a first embodiment of an attached comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 shows a second close-up view of a mop handle with a first embodiment of an attached comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 shows a first perspective view of a second embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 shows a second perspective view of a second embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 shows a third perspective view of a second embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 shows a fourth perspective view of a second embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17 shows a fifth perspective view of a second embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 shows a sixth perspective view of a second embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 19 shows a side view of a second embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 20 shows a first top-down view of a second embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 21 shows a second top-down view of a second embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 22 shows a seventh perspective view of a second embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23 shows a first perspective view of a third embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 24 shows a second perspective view of a third embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25 shows a front view of a third embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 26 shows a back view of a third embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 27 shows a first side view of a third embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 28 shows a second side view of a third embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 29 shows a bottom-up view of a third embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 30 shows a top-down view of a third embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 31 shows a first perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 32 shows a second perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 33 shows a front view of a fourth embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 34 shows a back view of a fourth embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 35 shows a bottom-up view of a fourth embodiment of a comb structure in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of the various embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration various embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a mop head and comb structure attached to a mop handle in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 shows mop 100 with mop head 101, mop handle 103, and comb structure 105. The mop head 101 may be manufactured from various materials, including cloth, yarn, microfiber fingers, etc. The head 101 may be attached to a handle 103, as shown in FIG. 1.

In some embodiments the head 101 may comprise a pad with hook/loop projections (e.g., Velcro®, etc.) to allow the pad to attach to a surface 109 (shown in FIG. 10) of a sturdy mop head backing 107. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that other attachment mechanisms (e.g., screws, adhesives, snaps, etc.) may also be used to attach a mop pad to the mop head backing 107. Similarly, the mop head 101 may be attached to the mop handle 103 through various attachment mechanisms, including snap fasteners, screws, adhesives, etc. As shown in FIG. 9, in one embodiment, the attachment mechanism between the mop head 101 and the handle 103 may comprise a swivel or a ball and socket connection 106 and a pivoting mechanism 108, which allows the mop head 101 to swivel in all directions to facilitate cleaning hard-to-reach places, such as walls, ceilings, and baseboards.

Mop handle 103 may be manufactured from various materials, including steel, wood, plastic, etc. The handle 103 may be a solid monolithic piece or may be assembled from multiple pieces.

As shown in FIG. 1, mop 100 may also include a comb structure 105, which wraps around the mop handle 103 so as to be removable by the user. The comb structure 105 may be manufactured from various materials, including plastic, metal, wood, etc. As more clearly shown in FIGS. 3-12, comb structure 105 includes a curved portion 301 to allow the structure 105 to removably clip onto the handle 103 and a teeth portion 303 that allows contaminants, hair, and other materials to be “combed” out of a dirty mop head 101. In addition, use of the comb structure 105 may allow users to save water and time, as they quickly remove unwanted particulates from the head 101.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up view 200 of mop head 101 with microfiber fingers 102 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. The microfiber fingers 102 may aid in the locking and lifting of dirt, dust, hair (e.g., hard to remove pet hair), and other contaminants that may build up as the mop is used. As shown in the inset of FIG. 1, due to the microfiber finger arrangement, head 101 may allow for more surface area for cleaning to grab dust, dirt, pet hair, and other contaminants. In addition, the microfiber finger arrangement may allow easy access to cleaning surfaces that contain grout, cracks, and grooves. The head 101 may be used to clean any number of surfaces, including those manufactured from wood, laminate, vinyl, linoleum, ceramic, marble, and/or stone. The head 101 may be manufactured to withstand multiple machine washes and/or comb 105 uses. The durability of head 101 and the effectiveness of the comb structure 105 may reduce the short and long term cost associated with maintenance and use of the mop 100.

FIG. 3 shows a top down view of a first side of a comb structure 105 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. The comb structure 105 includes a curved portion 301 for clipping and/or snapping onto mop handle 103 and a teeth portion 303 for grabbing unwanted particulates as the comb 105 is moved through a dirty mop head 101. The teeth 305 may be of any number, size or length and may be optimized for effectively removing particles from head 101. Moreover, the curve of the curved portion 301 may be adjusted to fit the diameter of handle 103. Additionally, the curved portion 301 may include one or more flexible tabs 307 that project from the top of the curved portion 301 for providing additional attachment to the mop handle 103.

In use, once a user realizes that head 101 is in need of cleaning, comb structure 105 may first be detached from the mop handle 103 by applying pressure to one side of the comb structure 105. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that other attachment mechanisms may be used to fasten comb structure 105 to handle 103. In other embodiments, comb structure 105 may not even be attached to handle 103.

The head 101 may then be cleaned directly or may be detached from handle 103 prior to cleaning. A user may then hold comb structure 105 along the curved portion 301 and apply the teeth portion 303 to the dirty head 101. The comb structure 105 may be pushed and/or pulled through the extensions (e.g., hair, fingers, etc.) of the head 101 to dislodge, scrape out, and remove unwanted materials from the dirty mop.

As the comb structure 105 is “combed” through a dirty head 101, particles may be lodged between the teeth or may be pushed along the surfaces of the teeth in teeth portion 303. Alternative designs for the comb structure 105 may include optimized handles for holding the comb 105 as the comb 105 is pushed/pulled through head 101. In addition, the manufacturing material for comb 105 may be modified to suit a particular application (e.g., tougher manufacturing materials to remove harder contaminants and softer materials for easier-to-remove contaminants). Additionally, the methods of cleaning the mop head discussed herein may be used in combination with other cleaning methods such as hand washing or machine washing.

When not in use, the comb structure 105 may snap snugly back onto the mop handle 103, as shown in FIGS. 9-12. Alternatively, the structure 105 may be stored in a separate location from mop 100.

FIGS. 13-22 show various views of a second embodiment of the comb structure 543. In addition to the curved portion 501, the teeth portion 503, including teeth 505, FIGS. 13-22 depict a wavy grip portion 1321 and grip-facilitating indentations 1623 on the curved portion 501. The wavy grip portion 1321 may aid a user in holding the comb structure 543 while using the comb structure 543 to clean the mop head 101. Similarly, indentations 1623 may facilitate placement of a user's fingers on the comb structure 543 while using the comb structure 543 to clean the mop head 101.

For instance, each one of the indentations 1623 may allow the user to place one finger over or partially in each of the indentations 1623 to hold the comb structure 543 more comfortably or with a better grip on the comb structure 543. The size of indentations 1623 may be tailored to a group of users for optimal comfort in using comb structure 543. In addition, the wavy grip portion 1321 may also allow a user's fingers to be placed in-between each peak of the wavy portion 1321 to allow the user to comfortably operate and grip the comb structure 543.

FIGS. 23-30 show various views of a third embodiment of the comb structure 643. In addition to the curved portion 601 and the teeth portion 603, including teeth 605, FIGS. 23-30 also depict a wavy grip portion 2321 and grip-facilitating indentations 2623 on the curved portion 601. As discussed above, the wavy grip portion 1321 may aid the user in holding the comb structure 643 while using the structure 643 to clean the mop head 101, and the indentations 2623 may facilitate placement and grip of a user's fingers on comb structure 643 while using the comb structure 643 to clean mop head 101. The third embodiment can also comprise a ledge 2345 in curved portion 601, as depicted in FIG. 23, that may aid in snapping and securing the comb structure 643 back onto a mop handle 103.

FIGS. 31-35 show various views of a fourth embodiment of a comb structure 743. In addition to the curved portion 701 and the teeth portion 703, including teeth 705, FIGS. 31-35 also depict a wavy grip portion 3221, grip-facilitating indentations 3123 on the curved portion 701, and a ledge 3145 in curved portion 701. These features of the comb structure 743 may function in a similar fashion to corresponding features shown in FIGS. 23-30. FIGS. 31-35 also show indentations 3178 between teeth 705. The indentations 3178 may further aid in grabbing and dislodging unwanted particulates from a dirty mop.

One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that aspects of the disclosure may be applied readily to brooms as well as mops. In particular, the comb structures 105, 543, 643, and 743 may be attached to and used upon brooms/brushes in addition to wet, dry, spray, swivel, twist, roller, scrub, flat, and finger mops, among other types.

While illustrative apparatuses and methods as described herein embodying various aspects of the present disclosure are shown, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, that the disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. For example, each of the elements of the aforementioned embodiments may be utilized alone or in combination or subcombination with elements of the other embodiments. It will also be appreciated and understood that modifications may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The description is thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive on the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a mop head with microfiber fingers configured to allow the mop head to remove unwanted particulates from a cleaning surface;

a mop handle attached to the mop head; and

a comb structure removably affixed to the mop handle,

wherein the comb structure comprises a curved portion configured for handling the comb structure and a teeth portion with a plurality of teeth configured for grabbing the unwanted particulates from the mop head as the plurality of teeth slidably engage the microfiber fingers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a curve associated with the curved portion is configured to fit a diameter of the mop handle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the curved portion includes at least one flexible tab that projects from a top of the curved portion and is configured to provide support for affixing the comb structure to the mop handle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the curved portion includes a wavy grip portion configured to aid a user in gripping the comb structure.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the curved portion includes grip-facilitating indentations.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the curved portion includes a ledge configured to aid the comb structure to snap onto the mop handle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mop head is attached to the mop handle through an attachment structure.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the attachment structure includes a ball and socket connection and a pivoting structure configured to allow the mop head to swivel in any direction.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the teeth portion includes a plurality of indentations between the plurality of teeth and wherein the plurality of indentations are configured to grab and dislodge the unwanted particulates from the mop head.

10. An apparatus for cleaning a mop head comprising:

a curved portion configured to attach onto a mop handle; and

a teeth portion with a plurality of teeth configured to grab unwanted particulates from the mop head as the plurality of teeth slidably engage the mop head.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the curved portion includes a plurality of flexible tabs that project from a top of the curved portion and are configured to provide support for the attaching the curved portion onto the mop handle.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the curved portion includes a wavy grip portion configured to aid a user in gripping the curved portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the curved portion includes grip-facilitating indentations.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the teeth portion includes a plurality of indentations between the plurality of teeth and wherein the plurality of indentations are configured to grab and dislodge the unwanted particulates from the mop head.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a curved portion including a wavy grip portion configured to facilitate gripping;

a teeth portion including a plurality of teeth and a plurality of first indentations between the plurality of teeth, wherein the plurality of teeth and the plurality of first indentations are configured to grab unwanted particulates from a mop head as the plurality of teeth slidably engage the mop head.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the curved portion is configured to attach onto a mop handle.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the curved portion includes a ledge configured to aid in the attachment onto the mop handle.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the curved portion includes at least one flexible tab that projects from a top of the curved portion and is configured to provide support for attaching the comb structure to the mop handle.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a diameter of a curve associated with the curved portion matches the diameter of a mop handle.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the curved portion includes a plurality of second indentations configured to further facilitate the gripping.