Floor mop and cleaning system

• US 5,461,749 A
• Filed: 05/31/1994
• Issued: 10/31/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Company
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Harrison, James R., Ahlberg, Carl S., Wilson, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/251,618
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 15/147.1, 15/147.2, 15/150, 15/228, 15/231, 15/232
• US Class Current: 15/228
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/256 for mops made of cloth

Abstract

A floor mop for cleaning a floor. The floor mop includes a mop head and a handle pivotally connected to the mop head. A disposable cleaning sheet is attached by a minor portion adjacent one edge to a leading edge of the mop head, leaving a major portion of the cleaning sheet free. The mop may be passed over the floor with one side of the cleaning sheet presented for cleaning the floor. The mop head may then be inverted with the other side of the cleaning sheet presented for further cleaning of the floor.

Claims

1. A floor mop for cleaning a floor, comprising:

(a) a mop head having a longitudinal leading edge, a longitudinal trailing edge, a first end edge and an opposing second end edge, a first cleaning support surface and an opposing second cleaning support surface;

(b) a flexible cleaning sheet having a first cleaning surface and an opposing second cleaning surface and an attachment edge;

(c) securing means for releasably attaching a portion of said cleaning sheet to the mop head adjacent to and parallel to said attachment edge of said cleaning sheet, leaving a major portion of said cleaning sheet free;

(d) a handle member adapted for manual engagement; and

(e) means for universally pivotally connecting said handle member to said mop head enabling said mop head to be shifted by manipulating said handle member between

a first position wherein said first cleaning support surface of said mop head is presented to the floor with said cleaning sheet interposed between said first cleaning support surface and the floor and said free portion of said cleaning sheet extending from said securing means so as to present said first cleaning surface of said cleaning sheet to encounter the floor as the mop head is moved in relation thereto,

a second position wherein said second cleaning support surface of said mop head is presented to the floor with said cleaning sheet interposed between said second cleaning support surface and the floor and said free portion of said cleaning sheet extending from said securing means so as to present said second cleaning surface of said cleaning sheet to encounter the floor as the mop head is moved in relation thereto.

2. The floor mop of claim 1, wherein said cleaning sheet is a non-woven fabric constructed of polymeric fibers.

3. The floor mop of claim 2, wherein said cleaning sheet is constructed of a nonwoven web having fibers constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of:

polypropylene, polyethylene, and rayon.

4. The floor mop of claim 3, wherein said cleaning sheet is a blown microfiber web constructed of fibers having a 60%/40% blend by weight of polypropylene and polyester.

5. The floor mop of claim 1, wherein said mop head comprises a first head portion and a second head portion, said first head portion and said second head portion being hingedly connected together adjacent to and parallel to said trailing edge of said mop head, wherein said first head portion and said second head portion may be rotated away from each other about said hinged connection to an open position to enable said attachment edge of said cleaning sheet to be inserted between said first head portion and said second head portion, and rotated towards each other to a closed position so as to secure a cleaning sheet inserted therebetween, and further including clamp means for releasably securing said first head portion and said second head portion in said closed position to secure said cleaning sheet therebetween as said mop head is passed over the floor to clean the floor.

6. The floor mop of claim 5, wherein said clamp means includes a magnetic latch mounted on one of said first head portion and said second head portion and a cooperative aligned magnetic member mounted on the other of the first head portion and said second head portion.

7. The floor mop of claim 5, wherein said first head portion and said second head portion are each unitary polymeric molded members.

8. The floor mop of claim 1, wherein said means for pivotally connecting said handle member to said mop head connects said handle member to said mop head at a medial location between said first end and said second end and a medial location between said trailing edge and said leading edge, and a medial location between said first cleaning support surface and said second cleaning support surface.

9. The floor mop of claim 1, wherein said means for pivotally connecting said handle member to said mop head includes a positional universal joint.

10. The floor mop of claim 1, wherein said first end edge and said second end edge are each tapered inwardly from said leading edge to said trailing edge.

11. The floor mop of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and said second cleaning support surfaces of said mop head include a resilient cushioning layer for supporting said cleaning sheet when applied to the floor.

12. The floor mop of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and said second cleaning support surfaces of said mop head include a roughened surface to frictionally engage said cleaning sheet when applied to the floor.

13. A floor mop for use in cleaning a floor, comprising:

(a) a flexible cleaning sheet having a first cleaning surface and an opposing second cleaning surface, a longitudinal attachment edge, and a longitudinal trailing edge, said cleaning sheet including blown microfibers constructed of polymeric materials;

(b) a mop head having a first mop head portion and a second mop head portion, each of said first mop head portion and said second mop head portion having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first end edge and an opposing second end edge, and a cleaning support surface, said first mop head portion and said second mop head portion being hingedly connected together with said trailing edges being aligned and said cleaning support surfaces oppositely disposed, wherein said first mop head portion and said second mop head portion may be rotated away from each other about said hinged connection to an open position to enable said attachment edge of said cleaning sheet to be inserted between said first mop head portion and said second mop head portion, and rotated towards each other to a closed position with said leading edges of said first mop head portion and said second mop head portion aligned, so as to secure a portion of said cleaning sheet inserted therebetween adjacent said attachment edge so as to leave a major portion of said cleaning sheet free;

(c) clamp means for releasably securing said first mop head portion and said second mop head portion in said closed position to secure said cleaning sheet therebetween as said mop head is passed over the floor to clean the floor;

(d) a handle member adapted for manual engagement for manipulating said mop head; and

(e) a connection member for pivotally connecting said handle member to said mop head, said connection member having a first part mounted on one of said first mop head portion and said second mop head portion at a medial location between said leading edges and said trailing edges of said first head portion and said second head portion, and a medial location between said first ends and said second ends of said first head portion and said second head portion, and a medial location between said cleaning support surfaces of said first mop head portion and said second mop head portion, and a second part of said connection member being connected to one end of said handle member, said connection member enabling said mop head to be shifted by manipulating said handle member between

a first position with said cleaning support surface of said first mop head portion presented to the floor so as to present said first cleaning surface of said free portion of said cleaning sheet to encounter the floor as the mop head is moved in relation thereto,

a second position with said cleaning support surface of said second mop head portion presented to the floor so as to present said second cleaning surface of said free portion of said cleaning sheet to encounter the floor as the mop head is moved in relation thereto.

14. The floor mop of claim 13, wherein said connection member includes a first pivotal connection rotating about an axis parallel to said leading edges of said first head portion and said second head portion, and a second pivotal connection rotating about an axis perpendicular to said axis of said first pivotal connection.

15. The floor mop of claim 13, wherein said first edges and said second edges of said first head portion and said second head portion are aligned with each other when said first head portion and said second head portion are in said closed position, are each tapered inwardly from said leading edges to said trailing edges thereof.

16. The floor mop of claim 13, wherein at least one of said cleaning support surfaces of said first mop head portion and said second mop head portion include a resilient cushioning layer for supporting said cleaning sheet when applied to the floor.

17. The floor mop of claim 13, wherein at least one of said cleaning support surfaces of said first mop head portion and second mop head portion include a roughened surface to frictionally engage said cleaning sheet when applied to the floor.

18. A floor mop for use with a disposable flexible cleaning sheet having a first cleaning surface and an opposing second cleaning surface and a longitudinal attachment edge, in cleaning a floor, the floor mop comprising:

(a) a mop head having a first mop head portion and a second mop head portion, each of said first mop head portion and said second mop head portion having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first end and an opposing second end, and a cleaning support surface, said first mop head portion and said second mop head portion being hingedly connected together with said trailing edges being aligned and said cleaning support surfaces oppositely disposed, wherein said first mop head portion and said second mop head portion may be rotated away from each other about said hinged connection to an open position adapted to receive a portion of the cleaning sheet, and rotated towards each other to a closed position with said leading edges of said first mop head portion and said second mop head portion aligned, adapted to secure the cleaning sheet when a portion of the cleaning sheet adjacent the attachment edge is inserted therebetween leaving a major portion of the cleaning sheet free;

(b) clamp means for releasably securing said first mop head portion and said second mop head portion in said closed position adapted to secure the cleaning sheet when inserted therebetween as said mop head is passed over the floor to clean the floor;

(c) a handle member adapted for manual engagement for manipulating said mop head when the cleaning sheet is secured thereto; and

(d) a connection member for pivotally connecting said handle member to said mop head, said connection member having a first part mounted on one of said first head portion and said second head portion at a medial location between said leading edges and said trailing edges of said first head portion and said second head portion, and a medial location between said first ends and said second ends of said first head portion and said second head portion, and a second part connected to one end of said handle member, said connection member enabling said mop head to be shifted by manipulating said handle member between

a first position with said first cleaning support surface presented to the floor, so that when the free portion of the cleaning sheet is interposed between said first cleaning support surface and the floor and said free portion of the cleaning sheet extends from said clamp means so that said first cleaning surface of said cleaning sheet encounters the floor as said mop head is moved in relation thereto,

a second position with said second cleaning support surface presented to the floor when the free portion of the cleaning sheet is interposed between said second cleaning support surface and the floor and said free portion of said cleaning sheet extends from said clamp means so that said second cleaning surface of said cleaning sheet encounters the floor as the mop head is moved in relation thereto.

19. In combination, a floor cleaning system, comprising:

(a) a length of a flexible cleaning sheet material having a first cleaning surface and an opposing second cleaning surface, a longitudinal attachment edge, and an opposing longitudinal free edge, said length of said cleaning sheet material including a plurality of transverse weakened lines for manually separating a discrete segment of said cleaning sheet material;

(b) a floor mop including

(i) a mop head having a longitudinal leading edge, a longitudinal trailing edge, a first end edge and an opposing second end edge, a first cleaning support surface and an opposing second cleaning support surface;

(ii) securing means for releasably attaching a detached segment of said length of cleaning sheet to said mop head adjacent to and parallel to said attachment edge of said cleaning sheet, leaving a major portion of said cleaning sheet segment free;

(iii) a handle member adapted for manual engagement; and

(iv) means for universally pivotally connecting said handle member to said mop head enabling said mop head to be shifted by manipulating said handle member between

a first position with said first cleaning support surface of said mop head presented to the floor with said cleaning sheet interposed between said first cleaning support surface and the floor and said free portion of said cleaning sheet extending from said securing means so as to present said first cleaning surface of said cleaning sheet to encounter the floor as the mop head is moved in relation thereto,

a second position with said second cleaning support surface of said mop head presented to the floor with said cleaning sheet interposed between said second cleaning support surface and the floor and said free portion of said cleaning sheet extending from said securing means so as to present said second cleaning surface of said cleaning sheet to encounter the floor as the mop head is moved in relation thereto;

(c) wherein Sequential segments of said cleaning sheet may be detached seriatim from the length of cleaning sheet material, attached to said mop head and applied on both cleaning support surfaces to the floor and then removed from said mop head and replaced by the next cleaning sheet segment.

20. The floor cleaning system of claim 19, wherein said transverse weakened lines in said length of cleaning sheet material are perforated lines.