Mopping system and method of use

• US 7,174,601 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2005
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Spin OP Corporation
• Original Assignee: Spin OP Corporation
• Inventors: Palmer, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US11/204,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20070039117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 152/60, 152/63, 152/64, 152/45
• US Class Current: 15/260
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/58 Wringers for scouring pads, mops, or the like, combined with buckets
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence

Abstract

A mopping system and methods of its use are disclosed. A mop assembly includes a mop head that is adapted to be spun around a generally vertical rotational axis thereof when the mop head is fixed within a mop head spinning means of a bucket assembly. When the mop head is spun at a relatively high rate of rotational speed, water retained in the mop is forcefully dispelled from the mop by centrifugal force. The water leaves the mop and is retained within a spin chamber of the bucket assembly. A drain plunger is included to allow the collected water to be drained from the bucket assembly. An ozone generator may be included for introducing ozone gas into the collected fouled water in the spin chamber. A clean water tank with a pump and spraying means, mounted within the spin chamber just below the mop head when the mop head is engaged with the mop head spinning means, is preferably included to allow introduction of clean water to the moping surface of the mop head. The mop assembly may include a lever means for selectively detaching the mop head from the handle. A control circuit controls the spraying of clean water onto the mop head, the ozone generator, and the activation and speed of the mop head spinning means, such that various wash-dry cycles are available.

Claims

1. A mopping system comprising:

a mop assembly comprising a mop head and an elongated handle, the mop head including a floor-engageable lower surface and a handle attachment means for attaching the mop head to a lower end of the handle; and

a bucket assembly comprising a spin chamber and a mop head spinning means, the mop head spinning means comprising a mop head engagement means rotationally supported at least partially within the spin chamber, a rotational driving means, comprising a motor electrically connected to a power source, connected to the mop head engagement means such that the rotational driving means rotationally drives the mop head engagement means, the rotational driving means being physically isolated away from moisture contained in the spin chamber, the mop head spinning means engageable with the mop head to rotationally support the mop head within the spin chamber away from an inner wall of the spin chamber, the mop head engagement means being a non-circular shaft rotationally coupled to a rotating shaft of the motor at a lower end of the non-circular shaft, the lower surface of the mop head further includes a centrally located shaft aperture for slidably receiving the non-circular shaft of the mop head engagement means therein and rotationally locking the mop head thereto;

whereby with the mop head engaged to the mop head spinning means, the mop head spinning means may be caused to spin the mop head about a rotational axis thereof to effect centrifugal drying of the mop head.

2. The mopping system of claim 1 wherein the spin chamber is generally toroid-shaped and has an inverted frustoconical inner wall for rotationally supporting the shaft coaxially on an outer surface thereof with at least one set of bearings mounted thereon.

3. The mopping system of claim 2 wherein the bucket assembly includes a hollow generally toroid-shaped clean water tank having an inverted frustoconical aperture formed therein, the clean water tank gravitationally held onto the frustoconical inner wall of the spin chamber, the aperture therein large enough to cause the clean water tank to be supported below the lower surface of the mop head when the mop head is engaged with the mop head engagement means.

4. The mopping system of claim 3 wherein the clean water tank includes a pump and spraying means for pumping clean water from the clean water tank and spraying it onto the lower surface of the mop head when the mop head is engaged with the mop head engagement means.

5. The mopping system of claim 4 wherein the bucket assembly further includes a control circuit electrically connected to the motor and the water pump for controlling activation and deactivation of the motor, speed of the motor, and activation and deactivation of the pump and spraying means.

6. The mopping system of claim 5 wherein the control circuit includes a button for activating a washing and drying cycle, wherein the motor is activated to spin the mop head at a relatively low speed while the pump and spraying means sprays a clean water solution onto the lower side of the mop head to clean the mop head, and then to spin the mop head at a relatively high speed to effect drying of the mop head.

7. The mopping system of claim 6 wherein the control circuit button is mounted proximate to the shaft, whereby it is activated by engaging the mop head to the mop bead engagement means.

8. The mopping system of claim 1 wherein the bucket assembly further includes a control circuit electrically connected to the motor for controlling the speed of the motor.

9. The mopping system of claim 1 wherein the bucket assembly includes an ozone generator fluidly connected to a lower-most portion of the spin chamber such that when the ozone generator is activated, ozone gas is caused to bubble up through any liquid contained in the spin chamber.

10. The mopping system of claim 9 wherein the bucket assembly further includes a control circuit electrically connected to the ozone generator for controlling the activation of the mop head spinning means and the activation of the ozone generator.

11. The mopping system of claim 3 wherein the clean water tank has a water inlet port in fluid communication therewith and exiting at the top side of the bucket assembly, whereby the clean water tank may be filled with a clean water solution by pouring said solution into the water inlet port, with the clean water tank remaining inside the bucket assembly.

12. The mopping system of claim 6 wherein the bucket assembly includes a top cover slidably engaged with a top surface thereof for covering the mop head when the mop head is engaged with the mop head engagement means, and where the control circuit button is mounted proximate to the shaft and is electrically connected in series with a second button mounted proximate to the cover, whereby the control circuit is activated by engaging the mop head to the mop head engagement means and closing the top cover.

13. A mopping system comprising:

a mop assembly comprising a mop head and an elongated handle, the mop head including a floor-engageable lower surface and a handle attachment means for attaching the mop head to a lower end of the handle, the elongated handle further including a biased lever means at an upper end thereof mechanically coupled to a mop head attachment means fixed to the lower end of the handle, the mop head attachment means of the handle and the handle attachment means of the mop head cooperating to retain the mop head pivotably on the lower end of the handle when the lever means is in a normal position, and the mop head attachment means of the handle and the handle attachment means of the mop head cooperating to mechanically disconnect the mop head from the lower end of the handle when the lever means is in an actuated position; and

a bucket assembly comprising a spin chamber and a mop head spinning means, the mop head spinning means engageable with the mop head to rotationally support the mop head within the spin chamber away from an inner wall of the spin chamber;

whereby with the moo head engaged to the mop head spinning means, the mop head spinning means may be caused to spin the mop head about a rotational axis thereof to effect centrifugal drying of the mop head.

14. A mopping system comprising:

a mop assembly comprising a mop head and an elongated handle, the mop head including a floor-engageable lower surface and a handle attachment means for attaching the mop head to a lower end of the handle; and

a bucket assembly comprising a spin chamber and a mop head spinning means, the mop head spinning means engageable with the mop head to rotationally support the mop head within the spin chamber away from an inner wall of the spin chamber, the bucket assembly further including a drain plunger protruding at one end of the bucket assembly and extending down through the bucket assembly to a rubber seal for sealing a drain aperture in a lower-most section of the spin chamber, the drain plunger being biased upward such that the rubber seal engages and seals the drain aperture in a normal position, the drain plunger causing the rubber seal to disengage the drain aperture of the spin chamber when forced into an actuated position;

whereby with the mop head engaged to the mop head spinning means, the mop head spinning means may be caused to spin the mop head about a rotational axis thereof to effect centrifugal drying of the mop head.

15. The mopping system of claim 14 further including a drain water container open on one side and adapted to fit under the drain aperture between the bucket assembly and the floor surface, whereby with the drain aperture set in the actuated position, liquid from within the spin chamber is completely drained into the drain water container.