Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The mops of which I have knowledge of fall into two
categories:
1. The traditional mop which is a head made of either lengthy
strands of woven cloth or lengthy wide strips of absorbent
cloth.
2. The sponge mop which has a head made of a piece of stiffer,
porous material ~no strands or strips~.
1. TRADITION MOP METHOD
Mop head must be dipped into pail of cleaning solution and
water to absorb water and solution. The excess water and -----
solution must be wrung out through pressing or twisting mop- -
into pail top wringer. This action must be repeated until floor - -
has been washed. -
2. SPONGE MOP METHOD ~ -
Same method as above (#1) except that the excess water and
cleaning solution must be squeezed through moving the action ~--
arm on the stick thus causing the sponge to expel water or, as
in another type of sponge mop, through pressing the manual
metal sqùeezer directly over the sponge head. ;-
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208~2~7
Both of the above methods require making constant trips back
and forth from the pail to the floor, saturating the mop and then releasing
cleaning solution onto the floor. Each time the mop must be resaturated by
placing it back into the pail of water thus mixing dirty solution from the floorwith what was originally clean solution from the pail - this being ~he most
common method employed by people. As more area is cleaned, the being
the most common method employed by people. As more area is cleaned
the solution gets dirtier and the floor is subsequently mopped with the
same. By having to lift and shove the pail of solution around while cleaning
there is the possibility of spilling the cleaning solution accidentally onto thefloor or onto nearby carpet. Because the solution gets dirty rapidly the
additional changing of solution in the pail may be necessary if one desires a
relatively clean floor. Because the head of either mop becomes heavy when
saturated with water, it makes the task of maneuvering the mop on and off
the floor in order to resaturate it cumbersome.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is an exploded view of the mop according to the
present invention with the internal parts omitt~d.
Figure 2 is an exploded view of the internal parts of the mop of
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view through the upper or
handle part of the mop of Figure 1.
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3 2~852~7
Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view through the lower or
mop head part of the mop of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through one of the pumps of
Figure 4. Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of Model B.
DETAILE~ DE~ÇRIPTION
My device is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and
explained here. This device has the distinct feature of being a closed
system, having a clean solution reservoir and a built-in solution recycling,
cleaning and filtering mechanism. (Model A)
This device has a frame A consisting of a long handle and a
housing head B which houses the mophead C and its components.
Mounted on the frame is a clean solution reservoir D. This eliminates the
need for a pail. The initial cleaning solution is poured into the reservoir
using a rubber tube E which acts as a funnel which can be pulled out and
placed onto a sink tap and then placed back. Because of its extension hose,
the device does not have to be lifted off the floor during filling.
The mop normally becomes sufficiently saturated throughout
the course of cleaning the floor surfaces by the process described
hereinafter. Additional saturation, it needed, or to initially wet the mop
fibers (that are in contact with the floor area) can be acquired by the pull of
a button F on the handgrip G by one use of the rod H. The rod 11, as it is
pulled, opens a small outlet I located inside the reservoir ~ that leads into
the mophead, thus allowing solution by gravity flow to enter in and then
disperse direct to floor area through holes in mophead fibers in contact with
the flo~r. An air inlet J into the reservoir aids in gravity flow of salution. A
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208~267
return spring K along the rod resets the button F to a closed position when
Iet go. Saturation will then be automatic.
The cylindrical mop L itself is fitted and fixed onto a cylinder (N)
which has holes through its structure to allow passage of solution through it
from within and then out, allowing the cleaning solution to flow into the
mop fibers especially for the purpose of flushing out mop fibers.
The cylinder has end caps M which are bridged together by the ~,
mophead outlet T as one piece. A large gearw5 is fixed onto one end of
cylinder(N?so that it can be turned. The mop L is installed onto the cylinder.
The cylinder has holes throughout its solid structure to allow passage of
solution through it from within to the outside to flush out the mop fibers
from the inside out.
The cylinder with the mop fibers fixed to it, slides over the
bridge piece T to rotate upon it. Each end cap has spacers M2 on its rim to
reduce friction of the cylinder rotating around it as well as allow air passage.The end caps also have air holes.
Each end cap has mounting bars M3 which are snapped into
place in sockets M4 of the frame head B. They are suspending the bridged
piece into a fixed position so that cylinder and mop can rotate around it.
The mophead is held into a fixed position during the first phase
of cleanin~ the floor. The mop in this fixed position can clean the floor area
and mop the floor as do other types of mops concerning this particular type
of actian with one part of the periphery of the cylinder(Nl being in contact
with the floor surface,
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` ^ 5 208~2~7
With the bottom part of my mop then becoming dirty from the
area just passed over, there is no need to go to a pail to rinse and wring OUt
the mop. Rather, the dirty solution is merely flushed out of the mop fibers
and the mop is wrung out by a simple action, without having to remove the
mop from the floor.
This particular type of action is effected upon the device with
the use of leverage power using gears, a rod and a turbine type pump
system. The action of flushing out dirty mop fibers begins by pressing
direct injection pump lever 0 thus leveraging a set of gears from within the
handgrip G. The hand lever has at its short end a gear rack 01 which is
approximately one inch in length that spins a large dual gear 2 by its centre
gear 3. This dual gear is used to increase the rotations of a gear 4 placed at
a 90 angle and attached to the long rod and spun by those of the outer of
the dual gear. A ratchet 5 and a gear is attached to ~he dual gear so that
gears don't reverse when lever is reset by a return spring 6. A latchet lock
Q against gear teeth keeps the gears from moving while the lev0r is in a
released position and only releases when lever is squeezed.
The long rod H extends down the frame into the pump
apparatus R located at the base of the reservoir. The pump is shown in
cross-section in Figure 5 and comprises a cylindrical case R1 positioned off-
centre within accompanying non rotating circular three-sided chamber R2
including a cylindrical wall, flat ceiling and floor. The whole of the pumping
mechanism consist of two pumps in n~dé~ A~ - an upper R3 for pumping
solution out of reservoir into the mophead C and a lower R4 for pumping up
returning solution back into reservoir ~or re-use. The core has a blade R5
(the blade in Figure 5 m~ves counter-clockwise)
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used to push liquid etc. which is positioned within the slide R6 located in
and running across the core's centre that allows passage and movement of
the blade, in or out, from either side of the core to the other. The blade is
twice as long as the core itself thus allowing the length necessary for the
blade to come out the other side of the core at an exact amount that is
being pressed inward from the opposite side. The blade, as it is spun by the
core, is pressed in completely and extended out to the other side as it
follows and glides against the curvature of the chamber wall R2 beginning
at the fullest extension point of the forward circuit spin of the blade this half
of wall running to core is not oval shape at point(Ra)as displayed in diagram
R which pushes the blade inward in each rotation. Liquid enters the
chamber's enclosed area through inlet R7 in the upper pump where the
blade simultaneously begins to extend outward from being completely
tucked into core located at point ~b pushing liquid forward through an
outlet R9 in the upper pump section and R10 in the lower pump section
which is to inject returning solution into reservoir by -point ~ b- narrowest
to the core and chamber wall where it must exit because of the total
decrease of space between wall and cbre.
The chamber wall ~?ast pOint ~b is rounded to approximately
118 to 1/4 inch width at its widest point giving this half of the chamber wall
a slightly oval shape that tapers to normal at point ~a allowing the blade
as it extends away from the core in forward motion the necessary space
required to move uncramped because of the off-centered position of the
core within the chamber. The blade, being as wide as the ceiling floor and
wall of the chamber area, moves solution as well as sucking in solution
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2~8~26~
behind it thus filling the chamber as the blade is pushing liquid forward to
the pump outlet.
The solution exiting the upper section of the pump follows into
a channel S leading into the mophead and reaching the main outlet T
approximately 1/2 inches wide and full length of inner mophead and fitted
snug against the inner perforated cylinder wall. As the solution continues, it
passes through the cylinder walls and fiber openings flushing out dirty
solution from the mop fibers from the inside out onto surface of mophead
dislodging dirty solution mopped up from the floor resulting in cleaned
fibers.
The solution build-up occurring from flushing out mop fibers is
contained by a dam cover U extending along the full length of mophead and
approximately 3 inches wide and is constructed as part of the frame which
has one lip at the bottom just below the wringer pole V and one at the top
edge along the full length of the dam cover and enclosing the sides as well,
pressing against mop fibers so that the dam cover channels the solution
caused by pump flow and build-up of solution) ~o the centre area
of mophead and frame into a collecting area where the lower seçtion of the
pump R4 is located and spinning thus moving the dirty solution onwards
through a filter V1 removable by a sliding tray for chan0ing and back into
the -reservoir for re-use.
Riding ori the same spin action of the rod H, gear and leverage system is the
turning apparatus which rotates the mophead consisting of an end bevel
gear W located at the lower end of the pump's core that spins a bevel gear
W2 that is att~ched to a drive rod W3 having a gear W4 at the opposite
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8 208~2~7
end. This end gear W4 has its teeth engaged with those of a large gear W5
which is mold as or part of cyl~nder N of the mophead thus rotating the
mophead (approximately 113 of a rotation) while the mop fibers are being
flushed out from the inside.
A blade X with.c~nb ~eeth to prevent dirt from passing along the
mophead rotates is part of frame placed within the cover dam U positioned
directly in front & aboveagainst wringer pole which is firmly embedded into
the mop fibers, pressing them flat against the cylinder wall and thereby
wringing out excess solution from the mop as fibers pass beneath.
A brush Z with end gears ;Z2 and Z3 spins off the movement of
the large gear W5 ` helps to remove dirt or debris. Bristles on
the brush are curved and on an angle away from but come into contact with
mop fibers, which as the fibers pile facing opposite way of the brush bristles
on an angle, come into contact with brush bristles to comb the fibers and
lessen the chance of fibers becoming entangled in brush.
Because this water is filtered and recycled, only a fraction of
the water used with the conventional method of a water pail is needed as a
reserve ~about 1 1/2 liters or less). This avoids wasting large amounts of
water and cleaning solution. Because relatively little water is released on
the floor during the mopping process itself much will be reabsorbed by the
mophead. A lot of floor area can be covered before it is totally used up.
Only a small amount is lost each time as it continues to be recycled.
The device is drained and the wringer pole relaxed to avoid
drying indentations in the mop fiber material by pulling a small lever AA near
hand0rip to release the pumps through which pressure needed to wring out
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mop fibers is applied. The pump housing R is generally held in place by
snap clips.
A drain door situated at one end of the wringer pole handle is
pulled back at the same time and opened the drain channel CC thus
allowing the mophead's outlet and its channel feed to drain into the dam
cover U collecting area and into return pump R4.
As the return pump R4 is pulled back by the above mentioned
action, a short gear rack acts to turn the filter to face in the opposite
direction ~ of solution flow, thereby positioning the filter to be reversed
flushed
With the drain open, flow from upper pump is redirected into
return pump R4 and into the reversed positioned filter flushing it from a
simple squeeze of the hand lever o resulting in a cleaned fil~er. As the
solution is not flowing through the mophead outlet during the above action,
and wringer pole being relaxed makes the task of reverse flushing somewhat
easier on the hand squeeze action of the handle 0. The filter will be reset
when pumps are pushed forward in the next cleaning action.
Next the drain door is opened, the device is tilted and the
remaining solution discarded. Squeezing the hand lever O while device is
tilted upward will empty the pumps R3,R4 of drainage from outlet and
channels S to allow proper drying and airing out of the device.
The filter tray is removable from the outside of the device from
the return channel as it simply slides in or out.
If desired, a flap extending along the full length and width of
inner reservoir can be used to separate unused portion of solution from
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^ lo 2~8~2~7
returning solution. The flap is inserted by the drain lid and is centered into asocket on the pump body R to pivot the flap against a full length frame lip
one side edge of flap and on other lip (opposite side) to butt against the
opposite side edge of flap thereby holding the flap into position when the
opposite end is slid into a notch to hold the flap positioned.
The device can be left without being drained in between short
cleaning intervals or periodical cleaning occurrences or until all solution
becomes used up. Liquid wax can be used in the device to wax floors. The
device can be used to clean walls, etc.
With the above technique, using the new device, mopping and
cleaning floors can be achieved without any of the above mentioned
annoying encumbrances, difficulties or other specified existing drawbacks.
These awkward procedures have now been overcome. Now at the mere
push of a button, the mop is additionaliy saturated and at the mere pull of
the hand lever the mophead is rotated, wrung out and cleaned and the
solution is filtered, and mop fibres are automatically saturated.
A sponge made of rubber foam (approximately one quarter inch
thick) with nylon hairs on the surface for maximum ease of gliding may be
used or a fiber cloth made up of strands with a rubber base having
perforations in it for passage of solution can be used. Fibers can be
relatively short because there is no need to heavily saturate the mop to
convey solution around. Either one will be made as replaceable refills.
(See page 14 and acccmpanyi~g Figure 6 for model B).
2~8~6~
Page 14
MODEL B
Model B is identical in principle to that of model A. One
pump, identical in function as in Figure 5 is used as
opposed to two pumps. tsee Figure 6)
The single (R) pump, pumps both the fresh solution being taken
in from reservoir to mophead (C) and the returning soiled
solution through the filter (VI) and pumping the solution
directly back into mophead (instead of reservoir) for re-use.
Fresh water from reservoir and liquid detergent (from a
separate molded container within the main reservoir) mix
together in an appropriate amount at inlet (R14) near the
pump's solution return inlet (R15) as is needed due to
solution usage during cleaning process.
The addition of fresh solution occurs when air enters the pump
from the Dam Cover (U) area (due to the decrease of fluid
circulating) and is able to enter the air-tight reserv~ir
through an air inlet (R16) from the pump thus allowing the --
vacuum suction within reservoir to release liquid to pump
according to the amount of air that has entered the reservoir
thereby keeping the level of fluid circulating to mophead
adequately constant. As pump is kept full of liquid, air
cannot enter air inlet to reservoir thereby refraininq any
unneeded liquid from entering pump or any additional inlet
to (S) channel used.
The button (F) on Model ~ when pressed open allows air into a
small channel (B17) (constructed as part of the frame (A)
leading down directly to mophead's hollow interior to release
liquid entering the small channels at the base of the reservoir
into mophead for additional saturation of fibres when needed.
The remaining water from main reservoir can be discarded through
a lid, which can be placed in this model (B) just below the pump
when pump is pulled back without discarding any of the remaining
liquid cleaning detergent thus avoiding wastage and minimizing
the amount of environmentally hazardous chemicals from going
down the drain. (A horizontal floating flap attached to rod H can be
used to keep solution from swishing around from movement of unit).
,
Claims
All claims for model B are the same as the claims in model A except for
the adjustrnents being made to read as one pump being used instead of two
in claim no. 6,7,15, and 16 and as solutions being directed directly back
to mophead instead of reservoir in claims no. 6, 8, 15 and 16.
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