Mop with clamping assembly

• US 7,178,189 B1
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helen of Troy Limited
• Original Assignee: Helen of Troy Limited
• Inventors: Perry, Marco, Lin, Yvonne Song
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich; Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/303,289
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 151/191, 151/192, 151/45, 151/46, 151/471, 151/761, 151/766
• US Class Current: 15/119.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/144 having squeezing rollers

Abstract

A mop is provided having a clamping assembly formed of a hinge having flanges for clamping a sponge movable into a mop head cavity in a wringing position, then to a neutral position and by depressing a release member and rotating a lever the sponge may be released from the clamping assembly.

Claims

1. A mop comprising:

an elongated handle;

a rod carried by the handle for movement relative thereto;

a lever attached to a first end of the rod and pivotally attached to the handle and being movable among a neutral position, a wringing position and a release position for effecting corresponding movements of the rod;

a clamping assembly attached at a second end of the rod;

a cleaning implement clampingly engaged by the clamping assembly; and

a release member attached to the handle so that upon activation of the release member, the lever may be moved to the release position to activate the clamping assembly to an open condition to actuate the clamping assembly in order to release the cleaning implement from the rod.

2. The mop of claim 1 wherein the clamping assembly includes a hinge having a release arm and a roller mounted to the handle adjacent the second end of the rod so that the release arm engages the roller in order to expand the hinge and release the cleaning implement from the clamping assembly.

3. The mop of claim 2 wherein the hinge is formed by a first leaf and second leaf and each leaf includes a proximal end having a cylindrical eye and the release arm and a distal end having a flange;

and a pin interposed between each of the cylindrical eyes of each hinge leaf.

4. The mop of claim 3 wherein the hinge includes a coil spring mounted on the pin in order to urge the clamping assembly to a closed position.

5. The mop of claim 4 wherein the coil spring includes a pair of legs respectively abutting the release arms.

6. The mop of claim 5 wherein the cleaning implement is a sponge and includes fingers protruding from a top of the sponge and each flange grips one of the fingers in order to attach the sponge to the clamping assembly.

7. The mop of claim 6 wherein the sponge includes a rib running along a side of the sponge and an “

L”

shaped finger protruding from the rib.

8. The mop of claim 3 wherein the rod includes an attachment head at the second end of the rod for attachment to the clamping assembly.

9. The mop of claim 8 wherein the attachment head includes a pair of cylindrically shaped couplers for receipt of the pin to attach the head to the hinge.

10. The mop of claim 9 wherein the couplers straddle a coil spring and the couplers are centered on the pin with the cylindrical eyes of each hinge leaf located toward each end of the pin.

11. The mop of claim 10 wherein the release arms respectively protrude from the hinge leaves on opposing sides of the clamping assembly.

12. The mop of claim 11 wherein each release arm is a metal tab that extends at an angle in the range of about 10 degrees to about 45 degrees from a longitudinal axis of the rod when the clamping assembly is in a closed position.

13. The mop of claim 12, wherein the clamping assembly moves from the closed position to an open position when the clamping assembly is moved to a position adjacent the roller so that the release arm abuts the roller in order to pivot the hinge leaves to spread the flanges apart upon movement of the lever from the neutral position to the release position.

14. The mop of claim 13 wherein the clamping assembly includes fingers that are substantially “

L”

shaped and upon opening of the clamping assembly, each flange of the hinge leaf pivots away from each “

L”

shaped finger protruding from the cleaning implement in order to disengage the cleaning implement from the clamping assembly.

15. The mop of claim 1 wherein the release member includes a spring biased button having a hole for receiving the rod therethrough and shaped so that in a non-depressed position the button prevents the rod from sliding therethrough.

16. The mop of claim 15, wherein the rod includes a retaining sleeve that abuts against the button in order to limit movement of the rod therethrough.

17. The mop of claim 16 wherein the hole is formed in a body of the button and the hole has a portion slightly larger than the diameter of the retaining sleeve and upon depression of the button, the hole is axially aligned with the retaining sleeve so that the retaining sleeve may pass therethrough when the lever is moved toward the release position.

18. The mop of claim 17 wherein the hole includes a lead-in chamfer on a side of the body so that after release of the cleaning implement from the clamping assembly and movement of the lever from the release position to the neutral position, the retaining sleeve engages the lead-in chamfer in order to force the button to slide back to its axially aligned position so that the retaining sleeve may slide back through the hole and back to a position where the lever is in the neutral position.

19. The mop of claim 1 wherein the handle includes a mop head comprising a housing having a cavity for encasing the clamping assembly and for receiving the cleaning implement therein in a retracted position.

20. The mop of claim 19 wherein the mop head also includes therein the release member mounted thereto.

21. The mop of claim 20 wherein the mop head includes a first roller and second roller, the rollers being attached at a distal end of the mop head adjacent the cavity opening.

22. The mop of claim 20 wherein the housing includes side openings from which the cleaning implement may protrude.

23. The mop of claim 20 wherein the housing includes a plurality of roller retainer members at its distal end.

24. The mop of claim 20 wherein the mop head housing includes a plurality of interior ribs formed in the cavity of the housing in order to guide the clamping assembly when it is slid in and out of the cavity.

25. The mop of claim 20 wherein the housing includes a neck and a plurality of stop abutments formed in the cavity of the housing in order to stop the clamping assembly from movement within the cavity toward the neck in the wringing position.

26. The mop of claim 1 wherein the cleaning implement includes a sponge that is formed of a first portion having a soft absorbent material and a second portion of a semi-absorbent, durable material.

27. A mop comprising:

an elongated handle;

a rod carried by the handle for movement relative thereto;

a lever attached to a first end of the rod and pivotally attached to the handle and being movable among a neutral position, a wringing position and a release position for effecting corresponding movements of the rod;

a clamping assembly attached at a second end of the rod;

a cleaning implement clampingly engaged by the clamping assembly; and

a release member attached to the handle so that upon activation of the release member, the lever may be moved to the release position to activate the clamping assembly to an open condition to release the cleaning implement; and

the clamping assembly including a hinge having a release arm and a roller mounted to the handle adjacent the second end of the rod so that the release arm engages the roller in order to expand the hinge and release the cleaning implement from the clamping assembly.

28. A mop comprising:

an elongated handle;

a rod carried by the handle for movement relative thereto;

a lever attached to a first end of the rod and pivotally attached to the handle and being movable among a neutral position, a wringing position and a release position for effecting corresponding movements of the rod;

a clamping assembly attached at a second end of the rod;

a cleaning implement clampingly engaged by the clamping assembly; and

a release member attached to the handle so that upon activation of the release member, the lever may be moved to the release position to activate the clamping assembly to an open condition to release the cleaning implement, the release member including a spring biased button having a hole for receiving the rod therethrough and shaped so that in a non-depressed position the button prevents the rod from sliding therethrough.

29. A mop comprising:

an elongated handle;

a rod carried by the handle for movement relative thereto;

a lever attached to a first end of the rod and pivotally attached to the handle and being movable among a neutral position, a wringing position and a release position for effecting corresponding movements of the rod;

a clamping assembly attached at a second end of the rod;

a cleaning implement clampingly engaged by the clamping assembly; and

a release member attached to the handle so that upon activation of the release member, the lever may be moved to the release position to activate the clamping assembly to an open condition to release the cleaning implement; and

the handle includes a mop head including a housing having a cavity for encasing the clamping assembly and for receiving the cleaning implement therein in a retracted position, the mop head having therein the release member mounted thereto.

30. A cleaning tool comprising:

an elongated handle having a bore;

a rod disposed in the bore for longitudinal movement relative thereto;

a lever attached to a first end of the rod and the lever pivotally attached to the handle;

a cleaning implement attached to a second end of the rod;

a release member attached to the handle engaging the rod in order to control the longitudinal movement so that the cleaning implement may be released from the rod;

rollers attached to the cleaning tool, the cleaning implement including a sponge that upon pivoting of the lever moves between the rollers to a wringing position where the sponge is compacted in order to squeeze liquid therefrom, the release member allows the rod to move between the wringing position, a neutral position and a release position so that in the neutral position the sponge is adjacent the rollers and expanded to allow for cleaning; and

a clamping assembly including a hinge having a release arm and in the neutral position the clamping assembly is in a closed position adjacent the rollers, opposed to the sponge.