DUST MOP HEAD

Abstract

A dust mop head which requires limited handling of a disposable cloth before, during and after use, is described. The mop head includes a base having upper and lower surfaces and lateral side edges, movable first and second lateral side members, and a first connector configured to move between an engaged or closed position and a disengaged or open position. The connector couples the movable first and second lateral side members to the base such that each of the movable first and second lateral side members abuts one of the lateral side edges of the base when the first connector is in the engaged position. Further, an actuatable release mechanism operatively coupled to the first connector permits movement to the disengaged/open position when the release mechanism is actuated. The unique mechanisms within the mop head allow a cloth to be acquired and released without the user having to handle the cloth.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to dust mops. More specifically, the invention relates to dust mops with heads for attaching a reusable or disposable dust cloth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The first mop was patented back in 1893—U.S. Pat. No. 499,402 to Thomas Steward. This early mop was made of yarn, and quickly became a necessary tool for household and industrial cleaning.

Dust mops (also known as dry mops) is use today consist of the same three basic parts: the mop head including a frame, a mechanical attachment (linking the head and handle) that may be fixed or may swivel, and the handle. With the rising popularity of the SWIFFER® dust mop, the yarn-type mop of FIG. 1 is quickly being replaced by a dust-cloth mop head, where a sheet of material is used, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The material is either adhered to a bottom surface of the mop head via friction and a downward pressure, or it can be secured to the head using straps, hooks, loops, pockets, or the like.

Use of friction and downward force is very limited because (1) the cloth can become snagged and pulled out from under the mop head, (2) the mop cannot be lifted during use, for example, to move across uneven surfaces, and (3) after cleaning, the cloth must be picked up off the floor or other surface.

These issues are addressed by the dust mop having a secured cloth, but it too has undesirable features. For example, the cleaning cloth must be handled before and after use to secure and unsecure it from the mop head. Further, some of the securing methods, such as fingered pockets, can be difficult to use for anyone with compromised dexterity due to age, injury, or disability. Finally, specialty cloths with straps, hooks, loops, etc. can be more expensive to manufacture and do not necessarily solve the dexterity issue for some users.

Accordingly, a dust or dry mop is needed which overcomes these and other problems in the prior art. Until the invention of the present application, these and other problems in the prior art went either unnoticed or unsolved by those skilled in the art. The present invention provides an improved dry/dust mop which performs multiple functions without sacrificing portability features, design, style or affordability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is disclosed herein an improved dust mop head which avoids the disadvantages of prior devices while affording additional structural and operating advantages.

Generally speaking, the dust mop head comprises a base having upper and lower surfaces and lateral side edges, movable first and second lateral side members, a first connector configured to move between an engaged or closed position and a disengaged or open position and coupling the movable first and second lateral side members to the base such that each of the movable first and second lateral side members abuts one of the lateral side edges of the base when the first connector is in the engaged position, and an actuatable release mechanism operatively coupled to the first connector to permit movement to the disengaged/open position when the release mechanism is actuated.

In specific embodiments, the movable first and second lateral side members move laterally from abutting the lateral side edges when the connector is in a disengaged position. Preferably, each of the first and second lateral side members comprises a plurality of inward facing teeth along at least a portion of an inner surface of each side member.

Further, in specific embodiments, each of the first and second lateral side members comprise a toothed edge extending perpendicular to the lower surface of the base.

In other specific embodiments, the lower surface of the base comprises a texture.

In still other specific embodiments, the releasable connector comprises a plurality of first spring-loaded struts which extend from the base through the lateral side edges and connect to the first and second lateral side members. Likewise, a second releasable connector is configured to move between an engaged position and a disengaged position and couples a first base portion to a second base portion such that a lower surface of the first base portion abuts an upper surface of the second base portion when the second releasable connector is in the engaged position. The actuatable release mechanism is configured to move the second releasable connector to the disengaged position.

In other specific embodiments, the second releasable connector comprises a plurality of second spring-loaded struts extending from an upper surface of the first base portion and connected to the plurality of first spring-loaded struts.

These and other aspects of the invention may be understood more readily from the following description and the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought to be protected, there are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, embodiments thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, the subject matter sought to be protected, its construction and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art yarn-based dust mop head;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cloth-based dust mop head without an attached cloth;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the dust mop head of FIG. 2 with an attached dust cloth;

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosed dust mop head;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the dust mop head embodiment of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view of an embodiment of the current dust mop head in a disengaged mode;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the dust mop head embodiment of FIG. 6 in an engaged mode;

FIG. 8 is a side perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 6 showing a cloth grasped by lateral members;

FIG. 9 is side perspective view of the dust mop head embodiment of FIG. 6 showing the release button about to be pushed;

FIG. 10 is a side perspective view of the dust mop head embodiment of FIG. 9 just after the release button is pushed;

FIG. 11 is a close-up end view of an embodiment of the dust mop head in a disengaged mode;

FIG. 12 is bottom view of an embodiment of the dust mop head of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a view of an embodiment of two spring-loaded strut mechanisms within the dust mop head;

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the internal strut mechanisms and release mechanism within the disclosed dust mop head;

FIG. 15 is a close-up view of an embodiment of the spring-loaded release mechanism;

FIG. 16A is a side view of an embodiment of the release mechanism in an engaged position;

FIG. 16B is a side view of the release mechanism of FIG. 16A in a disengaged position;

FIG. 17 is a close-up view of two spring-loaded strut mechanisms within an embodiment of the disclosed dust mop head;

FIG. 18 is a bottom view of the spring-loaded strut mechanisms of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19A is a side view of a compressed spring-loaded strut mechanism;

FIG. 19B is a side view of the spring-loaded strut mechanism of FIG. 19A illustrating movement outward and downward;

FIG. 20 is a side view of a spring-loaded vertical strut extending to separate the first and second body portions of the disclosed dust mop head;

FIG. 21 is a bottom perspective view of the spring-loaded horizontal strut extending outward;

FIG. 22 is a top view of a bottom wall used to enclose the spring-loaded struts of the disclosed dust mop head;

FIG. 23 is a close-up view of channels in the bottom wall to guide the spring-loaded struts of the disclosed dust mop head; and

FIG. 24 is a bottom view of the silicone pad attached to the bottom wall of the disclosed dust mop head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail at least one preferred embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to any of the specific embodiments illustrated.

Prior art devices are comprised of yarn-based mop heads and cloth-based mop heads. A yarn-based dust mop head is illustrated in FIG. 1. Such devices would trap dust and other debris within the numerous strands of natural or artificial fabric as it was pushed along a surface. However, the mop heads would need regular cleaning (i.e., washing and drying) to maintain effectiveness.

Eventually, the yarn-based mop head would be replaced by a more effective cloth-based mop head, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This mop head device uses a replaceable cloth—often treated and disposable—covering a bottom surface to attract and hold dust and dirt particles. In most models, the cloth 2 is folded over a top surface of the mop head where it is tucked into corner pockets 4 to prevent displacement. As previously noted, this method can be cumbersome and messy at times. The present system provides a device requiring minimum handling of the dust cloth, both before and after use.

Referring to FIGS. 4-24, there is illustrated at least one preferred embodiment of a mop head, generally designated by the numeral 10. The particular illustrated mop head 10 is for a dry or dust mop. However, while all the embodiments illustrated are directed to a dry mop, it should be understood that the principles of the invention can be more broadly applied to include wet mop heads as well.

As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the mop head 10 is comprised of a base 12, lateral side members 14 below the base 12, and a handle 16 attached to an upper surface 20 of the base 12. A release button 18 is also positioned on the upper surface 20 of the base 12. The base 12, side members 14, handle 16, and release button 18 are preferably made from a molded plastic or similar material.

The handle 16 preferably attaches via a connector 22 which permits motion in at least one plane, and preferably two planes. A swivel connector (not shown) would also be useful for certain applications. The handle 16 should also extend sufficiently to allow a user to be upright when using. Telescoping and sectional handles would be useful in specific applications, as well.

The lateral side members 14 are shown to have teeth 30 arranged in a uniform pattern along the length, the purpose of which will be explained below.

Referring now to FIGS. 6-10, operation of the mop head 10 can be more readily understood. Depressing the release button 18 (see FIG. 9) disengages a first release mechanism 32, which results in the configuration shown in FIG. 6. The base 12 is separated into a first base portion 40 and a second base portion 42, and the lateral side members 14 are extended outward from the second base portion 42. By placing the bottom surface of mop head 10 against a cloth 2 positioned on a flat surface, and then pushing downward on the base 12 via handle 16. The downward pressure forces the first base portion 40 downward toward the second base portion 42, which retracts the lateral side members 14 into the base 12. As a result, the teeth 30 of the lateral side members 14 pull the cloth 2 inward to be pinched between the side members 14 and the base 12, as shown in FIG. 8. The cloth 2 can then be released, as desired, by again depressing the release button 18, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10.

The mechanisms by which the disclosed mop head 10 operates are best understood with reference to FIGS. 11-24.

The base 12 is comprised of first base portion 40 and second base portion 42, each of which includes an upper and a lower surface. The two base portions, 40 and 42, are connected by vertical struts 50. The four vertical struts 50 pivotably connect to the lower surface of the first base portion 40 and extend through openings 52 in the upper surface of the second base portion 42. Likewise, the movable first and second lateral side members 14 are connected to the second base portion 42 via horizontal struts 54. These four horizontal struts 54 also extend through openings 56 in the second base portion 42. While four vertical struts 50 and four horizontal struts 54 are illustrated in the preferred embodiment, more or fewer struts may be employed for specific embodiments and applications.

A detachable bottom surface 60 on the second base portion 42 is preferably comprised of a slip-resistant material, such as a rubber, polyurethane, or other similar material. With reference to FIG. 12, the bottom surface 60 can be shown to include a slight texture to improve adherence of a cloth. The detachable bottom surface 60 can be replaced should it become worn or damaged over time.

Also shown are several rows of pointed teeth 64 extending from side edges of the second base portion 42 and from the lateral side members 14 in a plane parallel to the bottom surface 60—the pointed teeth 64 differ from the downward facing teeth 30 of the lateral side members 14. These horizontal teeth 64 are designed to pierce the cloth 40 as it rolls into the area between the side members 14 and the second base portion 42 and as the lateral side members 14 retract.

The internal mechanisms of the base 12 are best illustrated in FIGS. 13-24.

Referring to FIG. 15, a release mechanism 32 is shown. This mechanism 32 is comprised of slide 70, hook 72, and spring 74. An angled portion 76 of the slide 70 is biased against a bottom portion of the release button 18 by the spring 74. The hook 72 fits within opening 80 on the slide 70 and engages a surface of the slide 70 to prevent movement. The spring 74 keeps the slide 70 in an engaged position, as illustrated in FIG. 16A, which keeps the release button 18 in an “up” position. However, when the release button 18 is pushed downward by a force greater than that exerted by the spring 74, the slide 70 is forced in the opposite direction, as illustrated in FIG. 16B. This movement aligns the opening 80 with the hook 72—i.e., disengaged from the slide 70—which allows the hook 72 to move vertically from the opening 80.

On each side of the release mechanism 32 within the base 12 are two spring-loaded strut mechanisms 48 (four strut mechanisms 48 total), two of which are shown in FIG. 17. The two paired strut mechanisms 48 are alternately arranged, as shown in FIG. 18, so as to be biased in opposite directions. Each of these strut mechanisms 48 has a vertical strut 50, attached to the lower surface of the first base portion 40, and a horizontal strut 54, attached to a lateral side member 14 (i.e., two struts 54 to each side member 14). One horizontal strut 54 from each of the alternating pairs of strut mechanisms 48 is connected to each of the two side members 14. These strut mechanisms 48 simultaneously move the side members 14 outward and the second base portion 42 apart from the first base portion 40. This action is illustrated in FIGS. 19A and 19B.

Once the release mechanism 32 is disengaged, as described above, and is capable of vertical movement, the spring-loaded strut mechanisms 48 are able to actuate. As shown in FIG. 19A, the spring 74, the vertical strut 50, and the horizontal strut 54 are all compressed when the mop head 10 is closed. However, when the release mechanism 32 is disengaged, the spring 74 is able to bias the horizontal strut 54 outward which pivots the vertical strut 50 downward, as illustrated in FIG. 19B.

FIG. 20 shows a vertical strut 50 extending between the first base portion 40 and second base portion 42 to separate the two components. Likewise, FIG. 21 shows the horizontal strut 54 connected to the vertical strut 50 of FIG. 20, extending outward from a side of the second base portion 42.

Referring to FIGS. 22 and 23, guide channels 80 are molded onto an interior surface 82 of the second base portion 42 to prevent the strut mechanisms 48 from moving out of line. Cut outs 84 on the interior surface 82 also allow connection and extension of the horizontal struts 54 with the side members 14. Similar cut outs are preferably in the detachable bottom surface 60 of the second base portion 42, as shown in FIG. 24.

The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. While particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the broader aspects of applicants' contribution. The actual scope of the protection sought is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.

Claims

1. A dust mop head comprising:

a base having upper and lower surfaces and lateral side edges;

movable first and second lateral side members;

a first connector configured to move between a closed position and an open position and coupling the movable first and second lateral side members to the base such that each of the movable first and second lateral side members abuts one of the lateral side edges of the base when the first releasable connector is in the closed position; and

an actuatable release mechanism operatively coupled to the first connector to permit movement to the open position when the release mechanism is actuated.

2. The dust mop head of claim 1, wherein the movable first and second lateral side members move laterally from abutting the lateral side edges when the connector is in a open position.

3. The dust mop head of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second lateral side members comprises a plurality of inward facing teeth along at least a portion of an inner surface of each side member.

4. The dust mop head of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second lateral side members comprise a toothed edge extending perpendicular to the lower surface of the base.

5. The dust mop head of claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the base comprises a texture to facilitate adherence of a cloth.

6. The dust mop head of claim 1, wherein the first connector comprises a plurality of first spring-loaded struts which extend from the base through the lateral side edges and connect to the first and second lateral side members.

7. The dust mop head of claim 1, further comprising a handle connected to the upper surface of the base.

8. The dust mop head of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a first base portion and a second base portion coupled together by a second connector.

9. The dust mop head of claim 6, wherein the base comprises a first base portion and a second base portion coupled together by a second connector.

10. The dust mop head of claim 8, wherein the second connector is configured to move between a closed position and an open position and couples the first base portion to the second base portion such that the lower surface of the first base portion abuts the upper surface of the second base portion when the second releasable connector is in the closed position.

11. The dust mop head of claim 8, wherein the actuatable release mechanism is configured to permit the second connector to move to the disengaged position when the mechanism is actuated.

12. The dust mop head of claim 9, wherein the second connector comprises a plurality of second spring-loaded struts extending from an upper surface of the first base portion and connected to the plurality of first spring-loaded struts.

13. A dust mop head comprising:

a base having a first base portion having upper and lower surfaces and a second base portion having upper and lower surfaces and lateral side edges;

movable first and second lateral side members;

a first connector configured to move between a closed position and an open position and coupling the movable first and second lateral side members to the second base portion such that each of the movable first and second lateral side members abuts one of the lateral side edges of the second base portion when the first connector is in the closed position;

a second connector configured to move between a closed position and an open position and coupling the first base portion to the second base portion such that the lower surface of the first base portion abuts the upper surface of the second base portion when the second connector is in the closed position; and

an actuatable release mechanism operatively coupled to the first connector and the second connector to permit movement of each simultaneously to the respective open positions when the release mechanism is actuated.

14. The dust mop head of claim 13, wherein the movable first and second lateral side members move laterally from abutting the lateral side edges when the first connector is in an open position.

15. The dust mop head of claim 13, wherein each of the first and second lateral side members comprises a plurality of inward facing teeth along at least a portion of an inner surface of each side member.

16. The dust mop head of claim 13, wherein each of the first and second lateral side members comprise a toothed edge extending perpendicular to the lower surface of the base.

17. The dust mop head of claim 13, wherein the lower surface of the base comprises a texture.

18. The dust mop head of claim 13, wherein the first connector comprises a plurality of first spring-loaded struts which extend from the base through the lateral side edges and connect to the first and second lateral side members.

19. The dust mop head of claim 18, wherein the second connector comprises a plurality of second spring-loaded struts extending from an upper surface of the first base portion and connect to the plurality of first spring-loaded struts.

20. The dust mop head of claim 13, further comprising a handle connected to the upper surface of the base.