Handle for a floor cleaning implement

• US 7,581,274 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Butler Home Products LLC (Bradshaw International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Butler Home Products LLC (Bradshaw International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Michelson, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US11/027,751
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 151/431, 164/36, 294/57
• US Class Current: 15/143.1
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 1/04 telescopic; extensible; sectional
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 1/046 with free-turning section at end of handle remote from tool

Abstract

A handle for an implement for cleaning a surface, such as a floor, includes an elongated pole, an end cap and a hang cap. The elongated pole has a top end and a bottom end. The bottom end of the elongated pole is adapted to be coupled to a cleaning head on the implement. The end cap is fixedly mounted over the top end of the pole and the hang cap is movably mounted over the end cap. The end cap and hang cap are constructed so that when the hang cap is mounted in place on the end cap, the hang cap can rotate relative to the end cap but cannot move up or down relative to the end cap. This construction includes a pair of lateral grooves on the outer surface of the end cap and a pair of lateral ribs on the inner surface of the hang cap which are in registration with the lateral grooves on the end cap when the hang cap is mounted over the end cap. The hang cap has a hole for removably mounting the implement on a hook attached to a wall. In one version of the handle, the hang cap is shaped straight while in another version of the implement the hang cap is angled (i.e. bent). Since the hang cap can be rotated relative to the end cap and the end cap is fixed relative to the elongated pole, the pole can easily be rotated relative to the hang cap so that cleaning the head is at the proper orientation against the wall on which the hook is mounted.

Claims

1. A floor cleaning implement comprising:

(a) a cleaning head,

(b) a cleaning element on the cleaning head, and

(c) a handle, the handle comprising;

(i) an elongated pole having a top end and a bottom end, the bottom end being attached to the cleaning head,

(ii) an end cap fixedly mounted over the top end of the elongated pole, and

(iii) an angled hang cap including a connecting portion movably mounted over the end cap and defining a central longitudinal axis, and an axially elongated gripping portion extending longitudinally from the connecting portion at an angle relative to the central longitudinal axis, the hang cap having a hole for use in removably mounting the cleaning implement onto a hook attached on a wall or other surface,

(iv) the end cap and the hang cap being constructed so that the hang cap, when mounted in place over the end cap, can move rotationally relative to the end cap but not up or down relative to the end cap,

(v) whereby, the elongated pole along with the cleaning head can be rotated relative to the hang cap.

2. A floor cleaning implement as defined in claim 1, wherein the elongated pole has an outside diameter, the end cap has an outside diameter and an inside diameter that is greater than the outside diameter of the elongated pole, and the connecting portion of the hang cap has an inside diameter that is greater than the outside diameter of the end cap.

3. A floor cleaning implement comprising:

(a) a cleaning head,

(b) a cleaning element on the cleaning head, and

(c) a handle, the handle comprising;

(i) an elongated pole having a top end and a bottom end, the bottom end of the pole being attached to the cleaning head,

(ii) an end cap affixed to the top end of the pole, and

(iii) an angled hang cap including a connecting portion affixed to the end cap and defining a central longitudinal axis, and an axially elongated gripping portion extending longitudinally from the connecting portion at an angle relative to the central longitudinal axis, the hang cap having a hole for use in removably mounting the cleaning implement onto a hook attached on a wall or other surface,

(iv) the end cap and the angled hang cap being constructed so that the hang cap can move rotationally relative to the end cap but not up or down relative to the end cap,

(v) whereby, the elongated pole along with the cleaning head can be rotated while the hang cap is on the hook.

4. A floor cleaning implement comprising:

(a) a cleaning head,

(b) a cleaning element on the cleaning head, and

(c) a handle, the handle comprising;

(i) an elongated pole having a top end and a bottom end, the bottom end being attached to the cleaning head,

(ii) an end cap fixedly mounted over the top end of the elongated pole, and

(iii) an angled hang cap including a connecting portion movably mounted over the end cap and defining a central longitudinal axis, and an axially elongated gripping portion extending longitudinally from the connecting portion at an angle relative to the central longitudinal axis, and

(iv) the end cap and the hang cap being constructed so that the hang cap, when mounted in place over the end cap, can move rotationally relative to the end cap but not up or down relative to the end cap, and the elongated pole along with the cleaning head can be rotated relative to the hang cap.

5. A floor cleaning implement comprising:

(a) a cleaning head, and

(b) a handle, the handle comprising;

(i) an elongated pole having a top end and a bottom end, the bottom end of the pole being attached to the cleaning head,

(ii) an end cap affixed to the top end of the pole, and

(iii) an angled hang cap including a connecting portion affixed to the end cap and defining a central longitudinal axis, and an axially elongated gripping portion extending longitudinally from the connecting portion at an angle relative to the central longitudinal axis, and

(iv) the end cap and the angled hang cap being constructed so that the hang cap can move rotationally relative to the end cap but not up or down relative to the end cap, and the elongated pole along with the cleaning head can be rotated relative to the hang cap.