FLEXIBLE SURFACE CLEANING DEVICE
Disclosed is a mop with a bendable handle member. The mop comprises a mop head and a handle member comprising elongate top and bottom handle segments coupled by a knuckle joint comprising conventional single and double eye members. An elongate lock pin that axially and longitudinally extends through the double eye member is movable between a forward lock position, where the lock pin engages the single eye member so as to lock the angular position between the top and the bottom handle segments, and a backward unlock position, where the lock pin is disposed within the double eye member disengaged from the single eye member.
This application claims benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/838,810, filed Jun. 24, 2013, entitled “Flexible Hinged Handle Dust Mop”, owned by the assignee of the present application and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to manually operated surface cleaning devices and more particularly, to a surface cleaning device that employs a handle that not only can be bent (or folded) any angle but also can be locked at the bent angle.
A conventional surface cleaning device, a mop, basically comprises a mop head that actually cleans the surfaces by contact, and a handle about which the mop is operated by a user. Although, the mop head is pivotally connected to handle, the handle itself is rigid as it generally comprises a unitary piece made of plastic, wood, lightweight metal, etc. This general unitary construction of the mop is hassle-free when dealing with free spaces. But, when it comes to cleaning tight or hard-to-reach spaces such as, underneath a couch, table, etc., the handle restricts the egress of the mop head into those tight spaces. As a result, the user has to bend or even crouch so as to further tilt and, at the same time, control the handle in order to clean the tight spaces. This clearly is a great inconvenience.
In the light of what is discussed above, there is long felt need in the art for a solution for the aforementioned problem.
SUMMARYThe present invention comprises a manually-operated, flexible cleaning device comprising a mop head pivotally connected to a flexible or bendable handle member. More particularly, the handle member is divided into top and bottom handle segment that are coupled together by means of a knuckle joint. Not only the cleaning device, by virtue of the knuckle joint allows for the angular movement of the top and bottom handle segments with respect to one another, but also enables the user to lock the handle member at an angular position of 180 degrees by engaging a lock pin within a lock hole wherein, the lock pin and lock hole are disposed within and on the knuckle joint itself. Having the handle member to bend (or fold) prevents the user from bending in order to reach the aforesaid tight spaces as the handle member bent to a desired angle (say, 90 degrees) can be easily used for reaching the tight spaces.
Other objects and advantages of the embodiments herein will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
- 10—Surface Cleaning Device
- 12—Mop Head
- 14—Handle Member
- 16—Pivot Joint
- 18—Mop Material
- 20—Mop Holder
- 22—Top Handle Segment
- 24—Bottom Handle Segment
- 26—Knuckle Joint
- 28—Pin Handle Recess
- 30—Double Eye Member
- 32—Single Eye Member
- 34—Knuckle Pin
- 36—Top Knuckle Rod
- 38—Side Extension Member
- 40—Side Hole
- 42—Lock Recess
- 44—Bottom Knuckle Rod
- 46—Central Extension Member
- 48—Central Hole
- 50—Lock Hole
- 52—Lock Member
- 54—Lock Pin
- 56—Pin Handle
- 58—Spring-loaded Bracket
- 60—Lock Sleeve
- 62—Lock Sleeve Recess
In the following detailed description, a reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which the specific embodiments that may be practiced is shown by way of illustration. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and it is to be understood that the logical, mechanical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments. The following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense.
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Notably, the spring-loaded bracket 58 causes the lock member 52 to be biased towards the lock position. In the lock position (as depicted in
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The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Although the embodiments herein are described with various specific embodiments, it will be obvious for a person skilled in the art to practice the invention with modifications. However, all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A surface cleaning device comprising:
- (a) a mop head; and
- (b) a handle member comprising: (i) an elongate top handle segment; (ii) an elongate bottom handle segment, a bottom extremity of the bottom handle segment connected to the mop head; and (iii) a knuckle joint connecting the top and bottom handle segments, the knuckle joint comprising: (1) a top double eye member connected to a bottom extremity of the top handle segment; and (2) a bottom single eye member connected to a top extremity of the bottom handle segment;
- (c) an elongate lock pin; and
- wherein, the lock pin is movable between a forward lock position, where the lock pin, while extending through the double eye member, engages the single eye member at at least one lock point thereon so as to lock the angular position between the top and the bottom handle segments, and a backward unlock position, where the lock pin is disposed within the double eye member disengaged from the single eye member.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein, the lock pin is biased towards the lock position.
3. The device of claim 1 further comprising a pin handle extending from the lock pin, the pin handle for retracting the lock pin to the unlock position.
4. The device of claim 3 wherein, the pin handle integrally extends from the lock pin.
5. The device of claim 3 wherein, the pin handle is at right angles with respect to the lock pin.
6. The device of claim 3 wherein, the pin handle extends from an extremity of the lock pin.
7. The device of claim 3 wherein, the pin handle is slidably disposed within an elongate pin handle recess, which is disposed on the exterior surface of the top handle segment, the pin handle recess defined between a proximal end and a distal end wherein, in the lock position, the pin handle is at the distal end of the pin handle recess, and wherein, in the unlock position, the pin handle is at the proximal end of the pin handle recess.
8. The device of claim 3 further comprising a lock sleeve slidably disposed over the handle member, the lock sleeve disposed in operative connection with the pin handle whereby, the pin handle can be operated by manually sliding the lock sleeve.
9. The device of claim 1 wherein, the double eye member comprises a thorough, elongate longitudinal lock recess, within which, the lock pin is slidably disposed.
10. The device of claim 1 wherein, each of the at least one lock point is radially aligned with respect to the eye of the single eye member.
11. The device of claim 1 wherein, the mop head is pivotally secured to the handle member.
12. The device of claim 1 wherein, the top handle segment is telescopically built so as to be extended or retracted to suit individual height preferences.
13. The device of claim 1 wherein, each of the top and bottom handle segments is tubular.
14. The device of claim 1 wherein, the at least one lock point comprises one lock point.
15. The device of claim 15 wherein, the lock point comprises a lock hole for slidably receiving the lock pin therewithin.
16. The device of claim 15 wherein, the angular position between the top and the bottom handle segments at the lock position comprises 180 degrees.
17. The device of claim 1 wherein, the knuckle pin prevents the angular movement beyond 180 degrees.
18. A surface cleaning device comprising:
- (a) a mop head; and
- (b) a handle member comprising: (i) an elongate top handle segment; (ii) an elongate bottom handle segment, a bottom extremity of the bottom handle segment connected to the mop head; and (iii) a knuckle joint connecting the top and bottom handle segments, the knuckle joint comprising: (1) a top double eye member connected to a bottom extremity of the top handle segment, the double eye member comprising a thorough, elongate longitudinal lock recess; and (2) a bottom single eye member connected to a top extremity of the bottom handle segment, the single eye member comprising at least one lock hole disposed thereon such that, the at least one lock hole is radially aligned with the eye thereof;
- (c) an elongate lock pin slidably disposed within the lock recess; and
- (d) an elongate pin handle extending from the lock pin;
- wherein, the lock pin is movable between a forward lock position, where the lock pin, while extending through the double eye member, engages the single eye member at a lock point thereon so as to lock the angular position between the top and the bottom handle segments, and a backward unlock position, where the lock pin is disposed within the double eye member disengaged from the single eye member, the lock pin biased towards the lock position, the lock pin retractable by the pin handle into the unlock position.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 6, 2014
Publication Date: Dec 10, 2015
Inventor: Robert Katsnelson (Staten Island, NY)
Application Number: 14/297,684