Multi-purpose mop system and method of use

• US 8,397,338 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2007
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minh T. Dihn
• Original Assignee: Minh T. Dihn
• Inventors: Dihn, Minh T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Lee D
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDONALD, SHANTESE L
• Application Number:
  US12/312,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20100065082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 152/28, 152/296, 152/298
• US Class Current: 15/229.6
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/255 for mops of textile fringes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/42 Details
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/58 Wringers for scouring pads, mops, or the like, combined with buckets
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 3/04 with detachable or separate socket pieces B25G3/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 3/24 comprising clamping or contracting means acting transversely on the handle or socket

Abstract

A multi-purpose mop system includes a mop having a mop handle and a cleaning attachment removably mounted thereon, the mop handle further comprising a base and a grip installed thereon for manipulating the mop during use, and a bucket having a basin and a bucket handle removably and pivotally attached thereto, the basin being formed with at least one basin channel bounded by opposite, substantially upwardly-extending basin fingers, and the bucket handle being formed in a central portion inter-connecting opposite leg portions with at least one respective handle channel bounded by opposite handle fingers, whereby the basin channel and the handle channel cooperate in wringing the mop during wet use. The cleaning attachment may be a mop material cinched onto the base of the mop handle using a drawstring or may be a squeegee strapped thereto. A removable extension handle may be pivotally installed on the mop handle.

Claims

1. A multi-purpose mop system, the improvement comprising:

a mop having a mop handle and a cleaning attachment removably mounted thereon, the mop handle further comprising a base and a grip installed thereon for manipulating the mop during use; and

a bucket having a basin and a bucket handle removably and pivotally attached thereto, the basin being formed with at least one basin channel bounded by opposite, substantially upwardly-extending basin fingers, and the bucket handle being formed in a central portion interconnecting opposite leg portions with at least one respective handle channel bounded by opposite handle fingers, whereby the basin channel and the handle channel cooperate in wringing the mop during wet use.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the base of the mop handle is formed on a top surface with at least one substantially lengthwise top rib.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the cleaning attachment comprises a mop material having a fabric substrate with a plurality of micro-fiber cleaning elements affixed thereto, the substrate forming a pocket for selective receipt of the base of the mop handle and having an attachment means formed about the pocket for selectively securing the cleaning attachment to the mop handle during use.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the attachment means comprises a drawstring fitted about the opening of the pocket, whereby cinching of the drawstring secures the cleaning attachment on the mop handle.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein:

the base of the mop handle is substantially rectangular and the grip is installed thereon substantially along the lengthwise axis thereof; and

the drawstring is configured with opposite ends substantially located midway along the length of the handle so as to be cinched and tied substantially adjacent the grip, whereby the central portion of the cleaning attachment is further secured on the mop handle.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the cleaning attachment comprises a squeegee having a substrate configured to be located substantially adjacent a bottom surface of the base of the mop handle and at least one cleaning element in the form of a lengthwise blade extending from the substrate substantially opposite the base, the squeegee further having an attachment means formed along the substrate for selectively securing the cleaning attachment to the mop handle during use.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the attachment means comprises straps for removably strapping the cleaning attachment to the mop handle as by passing over the top surface of the base and there being removably joined.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein:

a lengthwise bottom rib is formed along the bottom surface of the base of the mop handle; and

the substrate is configured to engage the bottom rib so as to further secure the cleaning attachment relative to the mop handle.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein a foam pad is installed between the base of the mop handle and the removable cleaning attachment.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the mop handle is further formed in the grip with at least one hole for removable receipt of an extension handle.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the extension handle comprises:

a lengthwise rod; and

two legs extending from an end of the rod and formed at the distal ends thereof with respective tines configured to engage the holes formed in the grip so as to removably and pivotally attach the extension handle to the mop handle.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein:

two notches are formed at the end of the rod configured to engage respective inwardly-projecting prongs formed on the proximal ends of the legs so as to removably secure the legs to the rod; and

threads are formed at the end of the rod substantially adjacent the notches, and a rotatable sleeve is slid thereover for threadably engaging the threads and so selectively securing the prongs within the notches and hence securing the legs on the rod.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein:

two holes are formed on respective inside surfaces of the grip so as to be substantially opposite and inwardly-opening; and

the tines are configured to be substantially outwardly-projecting so as to flexibly engage the respective opposite holes and thereby secure the extension handle on the mop handle, the legs being further formed with an intermediate bend of approximately ten degrees, whereby the extension handle is pivotable relative to the mop handle through at least approximately a full ninety-degree angle and the legs are substantially flush with the grip for ease of grasping during wringing and are reversible for overhead cleaning.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein:

two holes are formed on respective outside surfaces of the grip so as to be substantially opposite and outwardly-opening; and

the tines are configured to be substantially inwardly-projecting so as to flexibly engage the respective opposite holes and thereby secure the extension handle on the mop handle, the tines being further formed so as to span the grip, whereby the extension handle is pivotable relative to the mop handle through at least approximately a full one-hundred-eighty-degree angle.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the basin is formed with substantially opposite upwardly-projecting tabs;

offset first pegs are formed along and project substantially inwardly from the inside surfaces of the leg portions of the bucket handle substantially at the distal end thereof for selectively engaging the tabs and thereby locating the bucket handle in a first position relative to the basin wherein the central portion of the bucket handle is pivotable to a location substantially beyond the perimeter of the basin; and

offset second pegs are formed along and project substantially inwardly from the inside surfaces of the leg portions of the bucket handle proximal of the first pegs for selectively engaging the tabs and thereby locating the bucket handle in a second position relative to the basin wherein the central portion of the bucket handle is pivotable to a location substantially within the perimeter of the basin.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the central portion of the bucket handle comprises interconnected opposite first and second handle walls, whereby location of the bucket handle in the second position yields a wringing portion of the bucket defined by the first and second handle walls and the handle fingers of the handle channel and the top edge and the basin fingers of the basin channel.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the central portion of the bucket handle is formed symmetrically so as to have two substantially opposite handle channels and two pairs of substantially opposite handle fingers, whereby the bucket handle may be pivoted in either direction to locate the bucket handle in the first or second positions.

18. A multi-purpose mop system, the improvement comprising:

a mop having a mop handle and a cleaning attachment removably mounted thereon, the mop handle further comprising a base and a grip installed thereon for manipulating the mop during use, the grip being further formed with at least one hole for removable receipt of an extension handle; and

a bucket having a basin and a bucket handle removably and pivotally attached thereto, the basin being formed with at least one basin channel bounded by opposite, substantially upwardly-extending basin fingers and with substantially opposite upwardly-projecting tabs, and the bucket handle being formed in a central portion interconnecting opposite leg portions with at least one respective handle channel bounded by opposite handle fingers and with offset first pegs along and projecting substantially inwardly from the inside surfaces of the leg portions of the bucket handle substantially at the distal end thereof for selectively engaging the tabs and thereby locating the bucket handle in a first position relative to the basin wherein the central portion of the bucket handle is pivotable to a location substantially beyond the perimeter of the basin and offset second pegs along and projecting substantially inwardly from the inside surfaces of the leg portions of the bucket handle proximal of the first pegs for selectively engaging the tabs and thereby locating the bucket handle in a second position relative to the basin wherein the central portion of the bucket handle is pivotable to a location substantially within the perimeter of the basin, whereby the bucket handle may be located in the first position for stacking or storing the bucket and may be located in the second position wherein the basin channel and the handle channel cooperate in wringing the mop during wet use.

19. A method of cleaning a surface, the improvement comprising the steps of:

removably securing a cleaning attachment to a mop handle so as to form a mop;

selectively shifting a bucket handle of a bucket pivotally attached on a basin from a first position to a second position wherein a central portion of the bucket handle is located inside the basin so that a handle channel of the bucket handle is substantially adjacent to and inset from a basin channel formed in the basin;

dipping the mop in a cleaning solution contained within the bucket;

sliding the mop through the handle channel and the basin channel so as to wring excess cleaning solution from the cleaning attachment back into the bucket; and

positioning the cleaning attachment against the surface to be cleaned and shifting the mop over the surface so as to clean the surface.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of removably securing the cleaning attachment further comprises:

inserting a base of the mop handle within a pocket formed in a substrate of the cleaning material;

cinching a drawstring having two free ends and fitted about the opening of the pocket to secure the cleaning attachment on the mop handle; and

tying the free ends of the drawstring once cinched.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of selectively shifting the bucket handle further comprises:

disengaging offset first pegs formed along and projecting substantially inwardly from the inside surfaces of leg portions of the bucket handle substantially at the distal end thereof from respective tabs formed on the basin; and

engaging offset second pegs formed along and projecting substantially inwardly from the inside surfaces of the leg portions proximal of the first pegs with the tabs and thereby locating the bucket handle in the second position relative to the basin.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of pivotally engaging a grip of the mop handle with a selectively removable extension handle.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of pivotally engaging the grip of the mop handle with a selectively removable extension handle further comprises flexing legs formed at an end of a rod of the extension handle so as to allow laterally-projecting tines formed on the distal ends of the legs to engage holes formed in the grip of the mop handle.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of pivotally engaging the grip of the mop handle with a selectively removable extension handle further comprises:

inserting laterally-projecting tines formed on the distal ends of opposite legs within holes formed in the grip of the mop handle;

inserting inwardly-projecting prongs formed on the proximal ends of the legs within respective notches formed at the end of a rod of the extension handle; and

slidably threading a sleeve of the rod over the prongs so as to secure the legs on the rod and thereby removably secure the extension handle to the mop handle.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of pivotally engaging the grip of the mop handle with a selectively removable extension handle alternatively comprises:

engaging the extension handle with the grip in a first orientation wherein an intermediate bend formed in an at least one leg of the extension handle is oriented toward the grip so as to allow a gripping rod portion of the extension handle to be pivoted to a position substantially perpendicular to a base of the mop handle, whereby the intermediate bend formed in the at least one leg of the extension handle facilitates simultaneous gripping of the grip and the extension handle for cleaning or wringing operations with the mop; and

engaging the extension handle with the grip in a second and substantially reversed orientation wherein the intermediate bend formed in the at least one leg of the extension handle is oriented away from the grip so as to allow the gripping rod portion of the extension handle to be pivoted to a position substantially past parallel to the base of the mop handle, whereby the intermediate bend formed in the at least one legs of the extension handle facilitates overhead cleaning with the mop.