FLOOR MAINTENANCE TOOL WITH MOP RELEASE MECHANISM
A floor maintenance too! including a handle and a tool coupled to the handle. The tool head includes a frame that supports a first engagement panel and a second engagement panel, with each panel disposed on an underside of the frame. The tool also includes a cable that extends between the tool head and the handle and that is coupled to the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel. An actuator mechanism is coupled to the cable and is manipulatable to move at least one of the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel via the cable relative to the frame to selectively engage and disengage a mop pad relative to the tool head.
The present invention relates to a floor maintenance tool, and more particularly, to a floor maintenance tool including a mechanism for attaching and detaching a cleaning or maintenance implement.
A wide variety of floor tools exist for many applications, including cleaning floor surfaces, polishing floor surfaces, applying material to floor surfaces, stripping material from floor surfaces, and other applications. For example, traditional single or double-sided flat mop floor tools use either pockets, tabs, or hook and loop fasteners to attach the mop to the frame and handle assembly. These floor tools, whether single-sided or double-sided, typically require the user to handle the mop at some point. Some existing floor tools have articulated tool heads to enable head movement in one or more degrees of freedom, such as about a longitudinal axis and/or a lateral axis of the tool head.
Although these tools have been known for many years, many existing tools are not ergonomically designed and encumber the process of attaching and detaching the mop, sheet, pad, or other cleaning or maintenance implement relative to the tool head. In many cases, the lack of attention to ergonomics in the design of floor tools results in greater time and effort needed by a user to perform a task, poorer work quality, and reduced user efficiency.
SUMMARYSome constructions of the present invention provide a floor maintenance tool including a telescoping handle and a tool head that attaches a mop to the tool via an actuator mechanism on the handle without the need for a user to ever touch the mop or the tool head. The tool head has a frame and sliding pins positioned on the underside of the frame that facilitate attachment and detachment of the mop relative to the tool head. In particular, the tool head has angled sliding pins located adjacent a first edge of the frame, and straight pins located adjacent a second edge of the frame opposite the first edge. The angled sliding pins pick up and release the mop, and the straight pins stretch the mop substantially flat to provide even and consistent contact between the mop and a surface on which the tool will be used. The vertical pins also permit the trailing edge of the mop to “flop” down when the tool actuator mechanism is actuated to disengage the mop from the tool head. The tool head can then be lifted off the floor so that the mop can be disposed of (e.g., in a laundry bag on a cleaning trolley, or in the garbage) or flipped to double the surface area a mop can clean without the user touching the mop or the tool head. In some constructions, the tool head also has non-sliding vertical guides that are longer than the sliding angled pins and the vertical pins to support the frame and prevent direct contact of the pins with the surface to minimize the potential for damage to those pins.
In one construction, the invention provides a floor maintenance tool including a handle and a tool coupled to the handle. The tool head includes a frame that supports a first engagement panel and a second engagement panel, with each panel disposed on an underside of the frame. The tool also includes a cable that extends between the tool head and the handle and that is coupled to the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel. An actuator mechanism is coupled to the cable and is manipulatable to move at least one of the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel via the cable relative to the frame to selectively engage and disengage a mop pad relative to the tool head.
In another construction, the invention provides a floor maintenance tool including handle and a tool head that has a pivot joint to which the handle is attached. The tool head also has a frame that supports two engagement panels disposed on an underside of the frame. The tool further includes a cable that is coupled to at least one of the engagement panels to alter the position of the at least one engagement panel relative to the frame, and the tool head defines a cable routing system such that the cable extends through the pivot joint.
In another construction, the invention provides a floor maintenance tool including a tool head that has a frame, a tool release mechanism operatively coupled to the tool head to selectively engage and disengage a mop pad, and a handle that has a proximal end and distal end attached to the tool head. The handle also includes a first handle portion and a second handle portion that is coupled to an upper end of the first handle portion. A telescoping mechanism is positioned in the handle between the first handle portion and the second handle portion to permit lengthening and shortening of the handle along an axis between the proximal end and the distal end. The telescoping mechanism includes a rack and pinion that is operable to vary the telescoping mechanism between a first state in which the handle is inhibited from being lengthened or shortened, and a second state in which the handle can be lengthened or shortened.
In another construction, the invention provides a floor maintenance tool including a handle and a tool head that has a frame supporting an engagement panel disposed on an underside of the frame and a pivot joint to which the handle is attached to articulate the tool head relative to the handle. The pivot joint has a first axle and a second axle spaced from and axially aligned with the first axle to define a gap through which the cable is routed. The pivot joint further has a pin attaching the first axle to the second axle for cooperative movement, and the tool head defines a cable routing system extending through the pivot joint.
In another construction, the invention provides a floor maintenance tool including a handle and a tool head that is coupled to the handle and that has a frame supporting a first engagement panel with a first plurality of barbs and a second engagement panel with a second plurality of barbs. The frame further supports a third engagement panel that has a third plurality of barbs, and each of the first, second, and third engagement panels is disposed on an underside of the frame. At least one of the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel and the corresponding barbs are movable relative to the tool head to attach and detach a mop pad relative to the tool head. The third plurality of barbs remains stationary relative to the tool head.
In another construction, the invention provides a floor maintenance tool including a handle and a tool head that is coupled to the handle and that has a frame supporting a first engagement panel and a second engagement panel each having a mop engagement member slidably coupled to an underside of the frame by a joint. At least one of the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel is slidable along the underside of the frame to engage and disengage a mop pad relative to the tool head.
In another construction, the invention provides a floor maintenance tool including a handle that has a proximal end and a distal end and that defines an axis between the proximal end and the distal end. The tool also includes a tool head that is coupled to the handle and that has a frame supporting an engagement panel disposed on an underside of the frame. A cable holder is disposed in the handle, and a cable extends between the cable holder and the frame and is coupled to the engagement panel. The tool also includes an actuator mechanism that is coupled to the cable and that is manipulatable to move the engagement panel relative to the frame to selectively engage and disengage a mop pad relative to the tool head. A spring is disposed in the handle to bias the cable holder upward along the axis to maintain cable tension between the cable holder and the frame.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONAs illustrated in
With reference to
The illustrated sleeve 90 has a wall 105 that defines a conically-shaped portion of the passageway 80 and that has a substantially cylindrical outer surface 110. The sleeve 90 is further defined by a first or longitudinal cutout 115 extending completely through the wall 105 along the axis 60, and a second or annular cutout 120 extending laterally through the wall 105 such that only a portion of the wall 105 remains connected to the handle support 85. Stated another way, the annular cutout 120 extends through the wall 105 leaving only a chord of the wall 105 that is connected to the handle support 85 when viewed in cross-section. The portion of the wall 105 remaining connected to the handle support 85 defines a post about which the remainder of the wall 105 is supported or suspended. As illustrated, the annular cutout 120 extends approximately 330 degrees around the wall 105, although the annular cutout 120 can be shorter (e.g., less than 330 degrees) or longer (e.g., less than approximately 350 degrees).
With continued reference to
With reference to
With reference to
As illustrated in
Referring to
As illustrated in
The connector bar 75 extends between the end handle portion 35 and the expansion member 65, and is coupled to the gear 180 so that the gear 180 and the connector bar 75 rotate with each other. As shown in
The expansion member 65 is resilient in that the sleeve 90 expands (corresponding to the first state of the telescoping mechanism 55) and contracts (corresponding to the second state of the telescoping mechanism 55) in response to rotation of the connector bar 75 via operation of the pushbutton assembly 70 to permit telescoping the handle 15 and to thereafter secure the handle 15 when the tool 10 reaches a desired length. When the tapered screw 250 is substantially seated in the sleeve 90, the taper of the screw 250 pushes outward on the conical portion of the passageway 80 to unfurl or uncurl the sleeve 90 by virtue of the first and second cutouts 115, 120 and the vertically extending channels 135 on the expansion member 65. Likewise, when the tapered screw 250 is at least partially unseated from the sleeve 90, the taper of the screw 250 no longer pushes outward on the passageway 80. As a result, the sleeve 90 remained substantially furled or curled based on the resiliency of the material forming the sleeve 90.
As shown in
With reference to
The actuator mechanism 275 includes a housing 320 that is engaged with the first handle portion 25 and that is defined by a first handle member 325a and a second handle member 325b that is attached to the first handle member 325a. Each of the illustrated first and second handle members 325a. 325b defines one half of the housing 320 such that, cooperatively, the first and second handle members 325a. 325b sandwich or encapsulate a portion of the first handle portion 25 within the housing 320. Each of the first and second handle members 325a, 325b has a hollow neck portion 330a, 330b that is integrally connected to a bulbous portion 335a, 335b disposed above the neck portion 330a, 330b (i.e., closer to the proximal end of the handle 15).
Each neck portion 330a, 330b has an inwardly directed projection 340a, 340b that extends through the opposed elongated first apertures 290 of the first handle portion 25 and that is disposed in one recess 350 of the drawbar member 270 to attach the housing 320 to the first handle portion 25. The projection 340a, 340b of the first handle member 325a has threaded holes 355 that align with unthreaded holes 345 in the second handle member 325b. Fasteners 360 extend through the unthreaded holes 345 and the drawbar member 270, and then into the threaded holes 355 to it attach the first and second handle members 325a, 325b to each other and to the drawbar member 270.
As illustrated in
As illustrated, the snap ring holder 375 is defined by an annular body and includes an annular rim 405 that has a substantially planar ledge 410 and a sidewall 415 that tapers downward and inward from the rim 405 toward the first handle portion 25. Fastener tabs 420 are circumferentially spaced around the annular body to fasten (e.g. using rivets or other fasteners, welding, etc.) the snap ring holder 375 to the first handle portion 25. The illustrated snap ring holder 375 has three fastener tabs 420 circumferentially spaced by about 60° from each other, although fewer or more tabs can be used and at larger or smaller angular distances.
With continued reference to
The illustrated actuator 385 is defined by a mushroom-shaped body that has a hole 460 through which the first handle portion 25 extends. As shown in
The illustrated column 480 is defined by a cylindrical body that is at least partially encapsulated by the bulbous portions 335a, 335b. The column 480 has a tapered end wall 485 and an annular projection 490 extending around the cylindrical body between the end wall 485 and the joint between the cap portion 475 and the column 480. The end wall 485 is engageable with the snap ring 380 to disengage the catches 435 from the rim 405 of the snap ring holder 375. When the actuator mechanism 275 is assembled onto the handle 15, the annular projection 490 is disposed below the first annular flange 390 and cooperates with the second annular flange 395 and the upper cavity portion to support an actuator spring 495 (e.g., coil spring) that biases the actuator 385 upward along the axis 60 relative to the housing 320.
Referring to
The stem 280 also includes an attachment member 530 extending from a lower end of the shaft 500 and pivotably coupled to the tool head 20. As shown in
With reference to
A hole 640 extends through the base 610 between the first support arms 630. The hole 640 is in communication with the opening 585 in the frame 545, and guide pins 645 are inserted into the base 610 from adjacent the backside of the frame 545 (i.e., the illustrated guide pins 645 are inserted into the base 610 along the cross axis 575) so that the guide pins 645 are disposed adjacent the perimeter of the hole 640. The illustrated base 610 also has a platform 650 that can be used to, among other things, support marketing indicia or other indicia (e.g., company information, symbols, etc.).
The illustrated pivot body 615 has a cylindrical portion that cooperates with the support arms to define the first axle 620. Alternatively, the pivot body 615 can be defined by other shapes permitting pivotal movement relative to the support arms. With reference to
As shown in
As illustrated, the first bushings 665 are identical, although non-identical first bushings can be used. First pins 675 extend completely through corresponding spaced apart first passages 680 in the first bushings 665 to secure the first bushings 665 to each other. As shown in
The pivot body 615 also includes upwardly extending second support arms 685 that are connected to (e.g., integrally formed with) the cylindrical portion and that cooperate with the end 535 and second joint halves or bushings 690 to define the second axle 625. As shown in
With reference to FIGS. 8 and 10-14, each second support arm 685 defines an aperture 695 that is aligned with the aperture 540 in the attachment member 530, and the second bushings 690 extend through the second support arms 685 into the attachment member 530 to pivotably couple the stem 280 to the base 610 about a second pivot axis 700 (e.g., parallel to the cross axis 575 in the maintenance tool orientation shown in
As illustrated, the second bushings 690 are identical, although non-identical second bushings 690 can be used. As illustrated in
With reference to
Referring to
As shown in
With continued reference to
The sliding engagement panels 760a, 760b include cooperative overlapping portions 770 that guide sliding movement of one engagement panel 760a, 760b along the lateral axis 570 relative to the other engagement panel 760a, 760b. Each sliding engagement panel 760a, 760b also includes a plurality of mop engagement sections 775 that are slidably disposed within slots 285 (e.g., dovetailed) in the corresponding engagement panel 760a, 760b, although the sections 775 can be attached to the panels 760a, 760b in any suitable manner—including those described above in connection with
With reference to
The wall 785 is shaped such that the end that has the central passageway 790 defines a pedestal and the remaining portion of the wall 785 tapers from a narrow neck area to a wider opposite end that has the cable attachment portion 795. Also, the central passageway 790 is partially exposed and the pedestal and neck area of the cable holder 780 cooperatively define a receiver 800 to which the hook elements 305 can be attached after the extensions 295 of the drawbar member 270 are inserted into the central passageway 790.
The cable assembly illustrated with regard to
With reference to FIGS. 8 and 10-13, the cables 805a, 805b are routed together from the cable holder 780 through the shaft 500, through the channel 542 in the attachment member 530 and between the second bushings 690, through the passageway in the pivot body 615 between the first bushings 665, and through the hole 640 in the base 610 before terminating at a panel bias mechanism 815 that is positioned between and attached to the sliding engagement panels 565. With regard to the first and second axles 620, 625, the cables 805a, 805b are trapped or surrounded (e.g., encapsulated) by the first and second bushings 690, 665, respectively, within the gap between the pins 675, 705, which act as guides for the cables 805a, 805b.
The illustrated panel bias mechanism 815 has opposed spring holders 820a, 820b, one each rigidly attached to a corresponding engagement panel 565 via fasteners 825. Stated another way, each of the spring holders 820a, 820b moves with the engagement panel 565 to which the spring holder 820a, 820b is attached. As illustrated, each spring holder 820a, 820b defines a shelf that is engaged with a corresponding shelf on the engagement panel 565.
Each illustrated spring holder 820a, 820b has a cable post 830 that is positioned between adjacent spring holders 820a, 820b and around which one of the cables 805a, 805b is routed and fastened. While the illustrated cables 805a, 805b are secured to the cable posts 830 via cable clips or ties 835, the cables 805a, 805b can be attached to the panel bias mechanism 815 (or directly to the engagement panels 565) using any other suitable attachment mechanism. Springs 840 are disposed in and encapsulated by the spring holders 820a, 820b to bias the spring holders 820a, 820b away from each other. The bias associated with the springs 840 also biases the engagement panels 565 away from each other due to the rigid attachment of the spring holders 820a, 820b to the engagement panels 565. The bias can be accomplished in other ways (e.g., using one or more springs, bands, etc., positioned in the frame, etc.), and/or by using a different bias mechanism other than the panel bias mechanism 815 is illustrated in
The telescoping mechanism 855 includes the expansion member 65 coupled between the first handle portion 25 and the second handle portion 30, an end handle portion 860 that is coupled to (e.g., partially overlapping, as shown) the upper end of the second handle portion 30, and an elongated connector bar 865. The connector bar 865 interconnects the expansion member 65 and the end handle portion 860. The telescoping mechanism 855 is positioned in the handle 15 between the first handle portion 25 and the second handle portion 30 to permit lengthening and shortening of the handle 15 along the axis 60 between the proximal end and the distal end. Like the telescoping mechanism 55, the telescoping mechanism 855 has a first state in which the handle 15 is inhibited from being lengthened or shortened, and a second state in which the handle 15 can be lengthened or shortened.
With reference to
The illustrated end portion 875 has an upper ball-shaped section 905 with a decorative sleeve 910 that extends around the perimeter of the ball-shaped section 905. As shown in
The neck section 920 has a plurality of circumferentially-arranged and spaced apart fingers 930 that cooperatively define a resilient split rivet feature 935 for attaching the end portion 875 to the tube section 870. In particular, the distal ends of the fingers 930 are engaged with the inverted shelf 885 to permit rotation of the end portion 875 relative to the tube section 870 while inhibiting removal of the end portion 875 from the tube section 870. The connector bar 865 extends between the expansion member 65 and the end handle portion 860 so that the end portion 875 and the connector bar 865 rotate with each other. The tapered screw 250 is coupled to the connector bar 865 at a location that is near, but spaced from, a lower end of the connector bar 865. As described above, the thread 260 is engageable and disengageable relative to the thread groove 125 in response to movement of the connector bar 865 to expand the sleeve 90 and to permit the sleeve 90 to contract, respectively.
The expansion member 65 is resilient in that the sleeve 90 expands (corresponding to the first state of the telescoping mechanism 55) and contracts (corresponding to the second state of the telescoping mechanism 55) in response to rotation of the connector bar 865 via rotation of the end portion 875 to permit telescoping the handle 15 and to thereafter secure the handle 15 when the tool 10 reaches a desired length. When the tapered screw 250 is substantially seated in the sleeve 90, the taper of the screw 250 pushes outward on the conical portion of the passageway 80 to unfurl, uncurl, or otherwise expand the sleeve 90 by virtue of the first and second cutouts 115, 120 and the vertically extending channels 135 on the expansion member 65. Likewise, when the tapered screw 250 is at least partially unseated from the sleeve 90, the taper of the screw 250 no longer pushes outward on the passageway 80. As a result, the sleeve 90 remained substantially furled, curled, or otherwise contracted based on the resiliency of the material forming the sleeve 90.
The illustrated floor maintenance tool 10 is assembled by attaching the actuator mechanism 275 and either the telescoping mechanism 55 or the telescoping mechanism 855 to the handle 15, and assembling the tool head 20 for attachment to the handle 15. The telescoping mechanism 55 is installed in the handle 15 by inserting the handle support 85 of the expansion member 65 into the upper end of the first handle portion 25 and attaching the handle support 85 to the first handle portion 25. Also, the guide member 145 is attached to the end of the second handle portion 30, and the second handle portion 30 is then inserted over the upper end of the first handle portion 25.
To connect the second handle portion 30 with the end handle portion 35, the gear 180 can be attached to the upper end of the bar 75 before the bar 75 is inserted into the end handle portion 35 so that the bar and the gear 180 are partially nested in the recess 175. With the bar and gear 180 inserted into the end handle portion 35, the gear buttons 200 are inserted into the chamber 170 to mesh with the teeth 190 on the gear 180. As shown in
After the gear 180 and the gear buttons 200 are meshed, the spring 220 is passed upward along the connector bar 75 so that the first leg member 230 is placed near the notch 240 in the connector bar 75. The spring 220 is then further pressed upward along the axis 60 so that the first leg member 230 is engaged with the connector bar 75 within the notch 240 and the second leg member 235 is disposed in the spring channel 245. The tapered screw 250 is then slid onto the lower end of the bar 75. The tube section 45 of the end handle portion 35 is then positioned over the upper end of the second handle portion 30 with the connector bar 75 so that the connector bar 75 extends into the first handle portion 25 through the expansion member 65. The end handle portion 35 can be adhered or otherwise fixed to the second handle portion 30 in any suitable manner. The tapered screw 250 is tightly threaded into the sleeve 90 by rotating the first handle portion 25 relative to the second handle portion 30 so that the sleeve 90 expands outward and presses on the inner side of the second handle portion 30 to limit telescoping of the handle 15.
With reference to
Except as described below, installation of the telescoping mechanism 855 is the same as the installation of the telescoping mechanism 55 described with regard to
To connect the first handle portion 25 with the end handle portion 860, the connector bar 865 is positioned within the blind passage of the end portion 875 and is secured to the end handle portion 860 via the pin 925. The end portion 875 is attached to the tube section 870 after the connector bar 865 is attached to the end portion 875. To connect the end portion 875 to the tube section 870, the fingers 930 are inserted into the slots 895 and are guided into engagement with the inverted shelf 885 by the projections 890. The ramps 900 bias or flex the fingers 930 inward a small amount so that the split rivet feature 935 passes over and engages the inverted shelf 885. The second handle portion 30 is then inserted into the tube section 870 so that the upper end of the second handle portion 30 abuts or is located adjacent the inverted shelf 885. The tapered screw 250 is then slid onto the lower end of the bar 865. The tapered screw 250 is tightly threaded into the sleeve 90 by rotating the connector bar 865 via rotation of the end portion 875 so that the sleeve 90 expands outward and presses on the inner side of the second handle portion 30 to limit telescoping of the handle 15.
With reference to
The tool release mechanism 265 is attached to the handle 15 before the handle 15 is connected to the tool head 20. The drawbar member 270 is inserted into the first handle portion 25 from the lower end so that the slots 285 align with the opposed first apertures 290 in the first handle portion 25. The actuator 385, the actuator spring 495, the snap ring holder 375, the O-ring 450, and the snap ring 380 (generally in that order) are also positioned around the first handle portion 25 by inserting these components over the first handle portion 25 (before or after the drawbar member 270 is inserted into the first handle portion 25) from adjacent a lower end of the first handle portion 25. In other constructions, the components can be positioned around the first handle portion 25 from adjacent the upper end, with a slight rearrangement in the order of attachment.
With reference to
The first and second handle members 325a, 325b are then coupled to the first handle portion 25 so that the projections 340a, 340b extend through the elongated first apertures 290 into the slots 285. The fasteners secure the two handle members together around the first handle portion 25. As shown in
As described below, the illustrated tool head 20 is assembled before the handle 15 is attached to the stem 280, although the handle 15 may be attached to the stem 280 before the tool head 20 is assembled. With reference to
Regardless of the quantity of cables 805 in the cable assembly, each cable 805 can be routed to the panel bias mechanism 815 in the same way. For example, as shown in
The base 610 of the handle pivot assembly 550 is secured to the top surface 555 of the frame 545 so that the cables 805a, 805b pass through the hole 640. The pivot body 615 is aligned with the first support arms 630 so that the first bushings 665 can be inserted through the apertures 635 into the first passageway 655. The first pins 675 are then inserted into the first bushings 665 to secure the halves together. The second bushings 690 can be coupled between the stem 280 and the second support arms 685 before or after the pivot body 615 is attached to the first support arms 630. The attachment member 530 is positioned between the second support arms 685 so that the aperture 540 of the split end 535 is aligned with the aperture and the second support arms 685. The second bushings 690 are then inserted through the second support arms 685 and the split end 535 to define the second axle 625, and the second pins 705 are inserted into the second bushings 690 to secure the halves together.
With reference to
The distal end of the handle 15 is connected to the tool head 20 by engaging the extensions 295 with the stem 280. With reference to
The actuator mechanism 275, the mop attachment mechanism 560, and the cable assembly 805 cooperatively define a first or engaged state of the tool head 20 and a second or disengaged or state of the tool head 20. While the springs 840 disposed between the spring holders 820a, 820b bias the sliding engagement panels 565 outward along the lateral axis 570, the position of the actuator mechanism 275 relative to the first handle portion 25 controls whether the tool head 20 is in the engaged state or the disengaged state.
Several different mops can be attached to the same tool head 20 without a user having to manipulate the mop itself.
To attach a desired mop 50 to the tool 10, a user places the tool head 20 in the disengaged state over the mop 50 so that the engagement panels 565 rest on the mop 50. While it is preferred that the frame 545 is generally aligned with the mop 50 (e.g., the lateral axis 570 is generally aligned with the length of the mop 50 and the cross axis 575 is generally aligned with the width of the mop 50), a specific orientation of the frame 545 relative to the mop 50 is not necessary to attach the mop 50 to the tool head 20.
Because the snap ring 380 moves with the housing, the snap ring 380 must be disengaged from the planar ledge 410 to vary the tool head 20 from the disengaged state to the engaged state to attach the mop 50 to the tool. With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
The mop 50 can be detached from the tool head 20 (e.g., to discard the mop 50, to store the mop 50, to use the other side of the mop 50, etc.) by actuating the actuator mechanism 275 to release the angled pins 740 from the mop 50. The tool head 20 can be on or above the floor when it is desired to detach the mop 50. More specifically, the user grasps the housing and pulls up along the axis 60 slightly to force the snap ring 380 over the rim 405 so that the catches 435 engage the planar ledge 410. While the actuator spring 495 between the housing 320 and the actuator 385 mildly resists upward motion of the housing, the housing moves upward such that the first annular flange 390 contacts the underside of the actuator 385. As the snap ring 380 engages the planar ledge 410, the bias of the actuator spring 495 no longer acts on the housing and instead pushes on the actuator 385 so that the actuator 385 returns to its initial position.
By pulling up on the housing, the drawbar member 270 and the cable holder 780 are also pulled upward, which in turn pulls on the cable(s) 805 and the spring holders 820a, 820b against their bias and slides the engagement panels 565 inward from the lateral edges of the frame 545. At this point, the angled pins 740 are substantially released from the mop 50 so that the tool head 20 can be separated from the mop 50, or so that the mop 50 can be separated from the tool head 20 (e.g., when the tool head 20 is lifted off the floor).
When the tool head 20 is in the engaged state, the angled pins 740 hold a substantial portion of the mop 50 in engagement with the tool head 20 even when the tool head 20 is lifted off the floor. The straight pins 745 can be located adjacent one longitudinal edge of the frame 545 (e.g., the backside or the front side) so that a portion of the mop 50 (e.g., the rear third of the mop 50) drops down away from the frame 545. The partially engaged, partially disengaged mop 50 assists the user with accurately discarding the mop 50 and returning the mop 50 to storage for future use without requiring that the user touch the mop 50 or the tool head 20. For example, when it is desired to return the mop 50 to storage, the user can lift the tool 10 off the floor and place the dropped portion of the mop 50 in storage (e.g., in a bin) before releasing the mop 50 from the angled pins 740 by actuating the actuator mechanism 275.
Also, when the mop 50 is a double-sided mop, the user can flip the mop 50 to use the unused side (i.e., the side directly engaged with the frame 545) without having to reach down and touch the mop 50 or the tool head 20. More specifically, the user lifts the tool head 20 off the floor a short distance and pulls back slightly so that the dropped portion of the mop 50 curls on the floor. Curling the mop 50 in this manner partially engages the previously unused side with the floor. The user then actuates the actuating mechanism to release the angled pins 740 from the mop 50 so that the remaining portion of the mop 50 engages the floor. The user can then re-attach the mop 50 to the tool head 20 using the same process described above for initially attaching the mop 50 to the tool head 20.
The tool 10 utilizes a cable routing system 280 that guides one or more cables 805 from the frame 545 through the first and second axles 620, 625 of the tool 10 to permit attachment and removal of a mop 50 relative to the tool head 20. Also, the first and second axles 620, 625 permit handle 15 and tool head 20 manipulation by a user without interfering with movement of the cable(s).
The sliding engagement panels 565 move away and toward each other to selectively engage and disengage a mop 50 without requiring the user to touch the mop 50 or reach down to manipulate the tool head 20. In some constructions, one of the engagement panels 565 can slide or otherwise move relative to the other engagement panel 565. While the angled pins 740 hold the mop 50 on the tool head 20, the stationary or movable straight pins 745 keep the entire mop 50 in engagement with the floor so that a relatively large surface area can be mopped. More generally, the engagement panels 565 on the underside of the frame 545, as well as the engagement sections themselves, can be installed, moved, and replaced to achieve a desired pattern of pins 740, 745, 750 on the underside of the frame 545 that are the most effective in attaching the mop 50 to the tool head 20. Such customization may be desirable based on the type of floor to be maintained.
Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. A floor maintenance tool comprising:
- a) a handle;
- b) a tool head coupled to the handle and comprising a frame supporting a first engagement panel and a second engagement panel each disposed on an underside of the frame;
- c) a cable extending between the tool head and the handle, the cable coupled to the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel; and
- d) an actuator mechanism coupled to the cable and manipulatable to move at least one of the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel via the cable relative to the frame to selectively engage and disengage a mop pad relative to the tool head.
2. The floor maintenance tool of claim 1, wherein the first engagement panel comprises a first plurality of pins and the second engagement panel comprises a second plurality of pins, and wherein the first plurality of pins are angled away from the second plurality of pins.
3. The floor maintenance tool of claim 2, wherein at least some of the pins comprise barbs.
4. The floor maintenance tool of claim 2, wherein the first plurality of pins and the second plurality of pins are movable relative to the frame, and wherein the frame further comprises a third plurality of pins that remain stationary relative to the frame.
5. The floor maintenance tool of claim 4, wherein the third plurality of pins are oriented substantially vertically.
6. The floor maintenance tool of claim 2, wherein the first plurality of pins is attached to a base slidably mated to the first engagement panel.
7. The floor maintenance tool of claim 1, wherein the tool head is coupled to a distal end of the handle, and wherein the actuator mechanism is positioned on the handle approximately midway between a proximal end of the handle and the distal end.
8. The floor maintenance tool of claim 1, wherein the actuator mechanism is operatively coupled to the cable and comprises a housing movable relative to the handle to induce movement of the at least one of the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel relative to the frame between an mop pad engaged state and a mop pad disengaged state.
9. The floor maintenance tool of claim 8, wherein the actuator mechanism further comprises an engagement member movable with the housing and engageable with a ledge disposed on the handle to hold the at least one of the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel in the disengaged state.
10. The floor maintenance tool of claim 8, wherein the actuator mechanism further comprises an actuator disposed on the handle and movable relative to the housing to disengage the engagement member from the ledge to vary the at least one of the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel to the engaged state.
11. The floor maintenance tool of claim 10, wherein the engagement member and the actuator are at least partially encapsulated by the housing.
12. The floor maintenance tool of claim 10, wherein the actuator is biased in a first direction along an axis defined by the handle, and the actuator is movable downward to disengage the engagement member from the ledge.
13. The floor maintenance tool of claim 8, further comprising a drawbar interconnecting the actuator mechanism and the tool head.
14. A floor maintenance tool comprising:
- a) a handle;
- b) a tool head comprising a pivot joint to which the handle is attached, the tool head further comprising a frame supporting two engagement panels disposed on an underside of the frame; and
- c) a cable coupled to at least one of the engagement panels to alter the position of the at least one engagement panel relative to the frame,
- wherein the tool head defines a cable routing system such that the cable extends through the pivot joint.
15. The floor maintenance tool of claim 14, wherein the pivot joint comprises a first pivot and a second pivot, and wherein the cable extends through both pivots.
16. The floor maintenance tool of claim 15, wherein the first pivot defines a first axis and the second pivot defines a second axis that is skewed relative to the first axis to provide two degrees of freedom for the handle.
17. The floor maintenance tool of claim 15, wherein each of the first pivot and the second pivot comprises a first axle and a second axle spaced from and axially aligned with the first axle to route the cable through the pivot joint, and a set of pins that attach each first axle to the corresponding second axle, and wherein the cable extends through gaps defined between the pins of each set.
18. The floor maintenance tool of claim 14, wherein the pivot joint comprises a pivotable bushing that substantially surrounds the cable.
19. The floor maintenance tool of claim 14, wherein the pivot joint comprises a first axle and a second axle spaced from and axially aligned with the first axle to route the cable through the pivot joint.
20. The floor maintenance tool of claim 19, wherein the pivot joint further comprises a pin extending through the first axle and the second axle to secure the first and second axles for dependent rotation.
21. The floor maintenance tool of claim 19, wherein the pivot joint further comprises two pins extending through the first axle and the second axle to secure the first and second axles for dependent rotation, and wherein the cable extends through a gap between the pins.
22-61. (canceled)
Type: Application
Filed: May 6, 2013
Publication Date: Mar 19, 2015
Inventors: Alfred A. Widmer (Wilen B. Wil), Mehmet Avci (Bronschhofen), Axel Schmitz (Gommiswald), Andrew M. Bober (Racine, WI), Michael Bachmann (Butschwil), Andreas Staub (Hettlingen), Markus Zbinden (Engleburg)
Application Number: 14/397,250
International Classification: A47L 13/254 (20060101); A47L 13/44 (20060101);