Mop head with a pouch and a strap

• US 5,390,390 A
• Filed: 07/13/1992
• Issued: 02/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Henkel KGaA (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Henkel KGaA (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Inventors: Bergmann, Michael, Schunter, Roland, Scheller, Bernfried, Kresse, Franz, Osberghaus, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Simone, Timothy F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chin, Randall E.
• Application Number:
  US07/856,212
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 15/119.1, 15/147.1, 15/147.2, 15/228, 15/229.1, 15/229.2, 15/229.3, 15/229.4, 15/229.6, 15/229.7, 15/229.8
• US Class Current: 15/228
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/258 of adjustable or foldable type

Abstract

A mop head for washing or wiping floors is adapted to fit on a mop holder having two plastic flaps which can be folded back upon each other, whereby the mop head includes securing members for securing it to one end of one flap of the mop holder, with the mop head further including a fabric layer having a pouch on one short side, and a strap on the other short side, whereby the strap can be tightly stretched on the one flap end via the securing members.

Claims

1. A mop for the wet or damp wiping of floors, comprising:

a pole-like handle having two ends;

a mop head including first and second ends;

a mop holder for receiving said mop head;

said mop holder including;

first and second flaps each having an inner end and an outer end;

handle mount means, rigidly attached to a central portion of said inner end of said second flap, for receiving and securing one end of said handle thereto;

pivot means defining a common axis for connecting said inner ends of said first and second flaps to one another, for permitting said first and second flaps to lie in the same horizontal plane when said mop holder is positioned proximate a floor in a working position, and for permitting said first and second flaps to pivot downward about said common axis, folding together upon one another, whenever said handle is lifted upward for suspending said mop holder over the floor in a non-working position;

first fastening means proximate the outer end of said first flap and on a top surface thereof, for attachment to said mop head;

said mop head including;

an elongate textile layer carrying mop fringes, and substantially shaped to conform to the shape of said first and second flaps in the working position, said textile layer having first and second ends;

second fastening means secured to the first end of said textile layer, for engaging and being cooperative with said first fastening means of said mop holder, for releasably securing the outer end of said first flap and first end of said mop head together; and

a pocket free from fastenings being formed at the second end of said textile layer, for receiving the outer end of said second flap in the working position.

2. The mop of claim 1, further including:

foot operated locking means for selectively locking or unlocking said first and second flaps into and out of the working position, whereby when said first and second flaps are locked together in the working position, they are prevented from folding downward when said handle is lifted upward to lift said mop away from the floor.

3. The mop of claim 11, wherein said pivot means includes:

the width of a portion of said first flap proximate the inner end thereof being narrower than the width of a second portion of the first flap proximate its outer end;

a portion of said second flap, proximate its inner end being cutout, for receiving the narrowed inner end of said first flap; and

means connecting together said portions proximate the inner ends of said first and second flaps along said common axis, for permitting said inner ends to pivot about the common axis and fold together.

4. A mop head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second fastening means includes a thin and flat securement plate directly attached to said first end of the textile layer, said securement plate being flexible and, in particular, film-like at least in an area of the first end of said textile layer, said securement plate including cut through portions cooperative with said first fastening means for securing said first end of said textile layer to the outer end of said first flap.

5. A mop head as claimed in claim 4, further including a loop-like or annular holder formed on the securement plate for receiving the outer end of the first flap.

6. A mop head as claim in claim 5, wherein said securement plate is selected to have sufficient natural rigidity for the transmission of forces from the holder to the textile layer during wiping.

7. A mop head as claimed in claim 4, wherein said securement plate includes a strip of flexible material from 1 to 3 cm wide stitched to the first end of the textile layer.

8. A mop head as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first and second fastening means are arranged on the first flap and the outer end of the first flap, respectively, in the immediate vicinity of the attachment of the securement plate to the textile layer.

9. A mop head as claimed in claim 4, wherein said securement plate is made of plastic material.

10. A mop head as claimed in claim 9, wherein said plastic material is a thermoplastic including polyether esters.

11. A mop head as claimed in claim 4, wherein said securement plate is selected to have sufficient natural rigidity for the transmission of forces from the holder to the textile layer during wiping.

12. A mop head as claimed in claim 4, wherein said second fastening means are formed by holes in the securement plate, and said first fastening means are formed by corresponding projecting screw heads or studs fixedly formed on the first flap to cooperate with said holes.

13. A mop head as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cut through portions of said securement plate are slots.

14. A mop for the wet or damp wiping of floors, comprising:

a pole-like handle having two ends;

a mop head including first and second ends;

a mop holder for receiving said mop head;

said mop holder including;

first and second flaps each having an inner end and an outer end;

handle mount means, rigidly attached to a central portion of said inner end of said second flap, for receiving and securing one end of said handle thereto;

pivot means defining a common axis for connecting said inner ends of said first and second flaps to one another, for permitting said first and second flaps to lie in the same horizontal plane when said mop holder is positioned proximate a floor in a working position, and for permitting said first and second flaps to pivot downward about said common axis, folding together upon one another, whenever said handle is lifted upward for suspending said mop holder over the floor in a non-working position;

first fastening means proximate the outer end of said first flap and on a top surface thereof, for attachment to said mop head;

said mop head including;

an elongate textile layer carrying mop fringes, and substantially shaped to conform to the shape of said first and second flaps in the working position, said textile layer having first and second ends;

second fastening means secured to the first end of said textile layer, for engaging and being cooperative with said first fastening means of said mop holder, said second fastening means including a thin and flat securement plate directly attached to said first end of the textile layer, said securement plate being flexible and, in particular, film-like at least in an area of the first end of said textile layer, said securement plate including cut through portions cooperative with said first fastening means for releasably securing said first end of said textile layer to the outer end of said first flap; and

a pocket free from fastenings being formed at the second end of said textile layer, for receiving the outer end of said second flap in the working position.

15. A mop head as claim in claim 14, further including a loop-like or annular holder formed on the securement plate for receiving the outer end of the first flap.

16. A mop head as claimed in claim 14, wherein said securement plate includes a strip of flexible material from 1 to 3 cm wide stitched to the first end of the textile layer.

17. A mop head as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first and second fastening means are arranged on the first flap and the outer end of the first flap, respectively, in the immediate vicinity of the attachment of the securement plate to the textile layer.

18. A mop head as claimed in claim 14, wherein said second fastening means are formed by holes in the securement plate, and said first fastening means are formed by corresponding projecting screw heads or studs fixedly formed on the first flap to cooperate with said holes.

19. A mop for the wet or damp wiping of floors, comprising:

a pole-like handle having two ends;

a mop head including first and second ends;

a mop holder for receiving said mop head;

said mop holder including;

first and second flaps each having an inner end and an outer end;

handle mount means, rigidly attached to a central portion of said inner end of said second flap, for receiving and securing one end of said handle thereto;

pivot means defining a common axis for connecting said inner ends of said first and second flaps to one another, for permitting said first and second flaps to lie in the same horizontal plane when said mop holder is positioned proximate a floor in a working position, and for permitting said first and second flaps to pivot downward about said common axis, folding together upon one another, whenever said handle is lifted upward for suspending said mop holder over the floor in a non-working position;

first fastening means proximate the outer end of said first flap and on a top surface thereof, for attachment to said mop head;

said mop head including;

an elongate textile layer carrying mop fringes, and substantially shaped to conform to the shape of said first and second flaps in the working position, said textile layer having first and second ends;

second fastening means secured to the first end of said textile layer, for engaging and being cooperative with said first fastening means of said mop holder, said second fastening means including a thin and flat securement plate directly attached to said first end of the textile layer, said securement plate being flexible and, in particular, film-like at least in an area of the first end of said textile layer, said securement plate including cut through slots cooperative with said first fastening means for releasably securing said first end of said textile layer to the outer end of said first flap; and

a pocket free from fastenings being formed at the second end of said textile layer, for receiving the outer end of said second flap in the working position.

20. A mop head as claimed in claim 19, wherein said securement plate includes a strip of flexible material from 1 to 3 cm wide stitched to the first end of the textile layer.

21. A mop head as claimed in claim 19, wherein said first and second fastening means are arranged on the first flap and the outer end of the first flap, respectively, in the immediate vicinity of the attachment of the securement plate to the textile layer.

22. A mop head as claimed in claim 19, wherein said second fastening means are formed by holes in the securement plate, and said first fastening means are formed by corresponding projecting screw heads or studs fixedly formed on the first flap to cooperate with said holes.