Adapter plates for cleaning implement

• US 6,842,936 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2001
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Johnson, Philip Samuel, Policicchio, Nicola John, Russo, Paul Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US09/929,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20030074756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 151/049.4, 151/472, 152/28, 152/31, 152/32, 401136-140, 401/27, 401/282, 401/284, 401/289
• US Class Current: 15/104.94
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/16 Cloths; Pads; Sponges metal scraping sponges A47L13/07
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/20 Mops
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/22 with liquid-feeding devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/254 Plate frames
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/256 for mops made of cloth
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/51 Storing of cleaning tools, e.g. containers therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 25/005 using adhesive or tacky surfaces to remove dirt, e.g. lint removers
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 1/06 reversible or adjustable for position
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/28 and associated with receptacle hodlers
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/049 Cleaning or scouring pads; Wipes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/43 Solvents
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/227 of hydrocarbons, or reaction products thereof, e.g. afterhalogenated or sulfochlorinated
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/263 of unsaturated carboxylic acids; Salts or esters thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/333 of vinyl acetate; Polyvinylalcohol
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/693 with natural or synthetic rubber, or derivatives thereof

Abstract

Adapter plates which can be used with a cleaning implement are provide. These adapter plates can be removably attached to a dry or wet cleaning implement in order to allow a consumer to use longer and/or larger sheets or pads without having to purchase a complete cleaning implement. These adapter plates may have elevational elements at the bottom surface to improve the efficiency of cleaning by creating pressure zones in the sheet or pad. These adapter plates may also have a scrubbing element secured at one edge of the plate for heavy stain removal.

Claims

1. An cleaning implement comprising:

a) a cleaning implement comprising a handle pivotably connected to a mop head, said mop head comprising securing members capable of removably attaching an adapter plate and a fluid container in fluid communication with a nozzle located on said mop head;

b) an adapter plate having a top and a bottom surface, a leading and a trailing edge, said adapter plate comprising at least one securing element capable of removably securing a cleaning pad or a cleaning sheet to said adapter plate, and wherein said adapter plate is removably attached to said mop head.

2. The cleaning implement of claim 1 wherein said securing members are male fasteners located at the bottom of said mop head and female fasteners located on the top surface of said adapter plate.

3. The cleaning implement of claim 2 further comprising a cleaning pad having a top and a bottom surface.

4. The cleaning implement of claim 3 wherein said at least one securing element comprises male fasteners located on the bottom surface of said adapter plate and female fasteners located on the top surface of said cleaning pad.

5. The cleaning implement of claim 4 wherein the bottom surface of said adapter plate comprises discontinuities for generating pressure zones about the extremities of said pad during a forward and backward wiping motion of said cleaning implement on a surface to be cleaned.

6. The cleaning implement of claim 5 wherein said discontinuities are created by at least a first and a second elevational element, said first elevational element is located about one extremity of said adapter plate relative its length and said second elevational element is located about the opposite extremity of said adapter plate such that a hollow space is defined between said first and second elevational elements and a centered portion of the bottom surface of said adapter plate.

7. The cleaning implement of claim 6 wherein said adapter plate is flexible such that when pressure is applied to said centered portion of said adapter plate, said centered portion at least partially collapses and fills at least partially said hollow space.

8. The cleaning implement of claim 7 wherein said adapter plate comprises a substantially centered elevational element relative to the width of said adapter plate at the bottom surface of said plate and extending at least partially along the length of said plate and wherein said centered elevational element generates a pressure zone about the centered portion of said pad during a forward and backward wiping motion of said cleaning implement.

9. The cleaning implement of claim 4 wherein said adapter plate further comprises at least one scrubbing element pivotably attached to one edge of said adapter plate.

10. The cleaning implement of claim 9 wherein said scrubbing element is pivotably attached to said trailing edge of said adapter plate.

11. The cleaning implement of claim 10 wherein said adapter plate further comprises a squeegee element pivotably attached to one edge of said adapter plate.

12. The cleaning implement of claim 2 wherein said adapter plate is at least about 50% longer than said mop head.

13. The cleaning implement of claim 12 wherein said adapter plate is up to about 150% longer than said mop head.

14. The cleaning implement of claim 2 wherein said adapter plate is up to about 50% wider than said mop head.

15. The cleaning implement of claim 2 further comprising a cleaning sheet.

16. The cleaning implement of claim 15 wherein said at least one securing element comprises an attachment structure located on the top surface of said adapter plate wherein said attachment structure is made of a flexible material and further comprises a base triangle having an apex and a plurality of substantially pie-shaped sections whose apexes meet at a substantially common point adjacent said base triangle and whose apexes are distinct from said base triangle'"'"'s apex, wherein two sides of each of said base triangle and said pie-shaped sections are defined by slits passing through said flexible material such that each of said base triangle and said pie-shaped sections can be deflected to receive the sheet and wherein each of said silts terminates at one end with a substantially circular opening.

17. The cleaning implement of claim 15 wherein said adapter plate further comprises at least one side panel extending from one edge of said adapter plate, said side panel being angled relative said adapter plate.

18. The cleaning implement of claim 17 wherein said adapter plate comprises a first and a second side panel, said first side panel extends from said leading edge and said second side panel extends from said trailing edge, and four attachment structures wherein each attachment structure is respectively positioned about each corners of said first and second side panels.

19. An adapter plate for a cleaning implement having a handle and a mop head comprising:

a plate having a top and a bottom surface, said plate comprising at least one securing element capable of removably securing a cleaning pad or a cleaning sheet to said plate, and wherein said plate comprises securing members capable of removably attaching said plate to said mop head of a cleaning implement, wherein said securing members are male fasteners located at the bottom of said mop head and female fasteners located on the top surface of said plate.

20. The adapter plate of claim 19 wherein said securing element comprises male fasteners located on the bottom surface of said plate and female fasteners located on the top surface of said cleaning pad.

21. The adapter plate of claim 20 wherein the bottom surface of said plate comprises discontinuities capable of generating pressure zones about the extremities of said pad during a forward and backward wiping motion of said cleaning implement on a surface to be cleaned.

22. The adapter plate of claim 21 wherein said discontinuities are created by at least a first and a second elevational element, said first elevational element is located about one extremity of said plate relative its length and said second elevational element is located about the opposite extremity of said plate such that a hollow space is defined between said first and second elevational elements and a centered portion of the bottom surface of said plate.

23. The adapter plate of claim 22 wherein said plate is flexible such that when pressure is applied to said centered portion of said plate, said centered portion at least partially collapses and fills at least partially said hollow space.

24. The adapter plate of claim 23 wherein said adapter plate comprises a substantially centered elevational element relative to the width of said plate at the bottom surface of said plate and extending at least partially along the length of said plate and wherein said centered elevational element is capable of generating a pressure zone about the centered portion of said pad during a forward and backward wiping motion of said cleaning implement.

25. The adapter plate of claim 20 wherein said plate further comprises at least one scrubbing element pivotably attached to one edge of said adapter plate.

26. The adapter plate of claim 25 wherein said scrubbing element is pivotably attached to said trailing edge of said adapter plate.

27. The adapter plate of claim 26 wherein said plate further comprises a squeegee element pivotably attached to one edge of said plate.

28. The adapter plate of claim 19 wherein said plate is at least about 50% longer than said mop head.

29. The adapter plate of claim 23 wherein said plate is up to about 150% longer than said mop head.

30. The adapter plate of claim 19 wherein said plate is up to about 50% wider than said mop head.

31. The adapter plate of claim 19 further comprising a cleaning sheet.

32. The adapter plate of claim 31 wherein said at least one securing element comprises an attachment structure located on the top surface of said adapter plate wherein said attachment structure is made of a flexible material and further comprises a base triangle having an apex and a plurality of substantially pie-shaped sections whose apexes meet at a substantially common point adjacent said base triangle and whose apexes are distinct from said base triangle'"'"'s apex, wherein two sides of each of said base triangle and said pie-shaped sections are defined by slits passing through said flexible material such that each of said base triangle and said pie-shaped sections can be deflected to receive the sheet and wherein each of said slits terminates at one end with a substantially circular opening.

33. The adapter plate of claim 32 wherein said plate comprises four attachment structures positioned about the four corners of said adapter plate.

34. The adapter plate of claim 32 wherein said plate further comprises at least one side and extending from one edge of said adapter plate, said side panel being angled relative said adapter plate.

35. The adapter plate of claim 34 wherein said plate comprises a first and a second side panel, said first side panel extends from said leading edge and said second side panel extends from said trailing edge, and four attachment structures wherein each attachment structure is respectively positioned about each corners of said first and second side panels.

36. A cleaning kit for use with a dry cleaning implement comprising:

an adapter plate having a top and a bottom surface, a leading and a trailing edge said adapter plate comprising at least one securing element capable of removably securing a cleaning pad to said adapter plate and a securing member for removably securing said adapter plate to a dry cleaning implement;

a liquid delivery mechanism; and

at least one cleaning pad.

37. The cleaning kit of claim 36 wherein said liquid delivery mechanism is a hand held sprayer.

38. A cleaning kit for use with a wet cleaning implement comprising:

an adapter plate having a top and a bottom surface, a leading and a trailing edge, said adapter plate comprising at least one securing element capable of removably securing a cleaning sheet to said adapter plate and a securing member for removably securing said adapter plate to a wet cleaning implement, wherein said securing member is female fasteners located on the top surface of said plate; and

at least one cleaning sheet.