DEVICE FOR WRINGING OUT THE MATERIAL OF DOMESTIC CLEANING TOOLS KNOWN AS MOPS

DISPOSITIF POUR ESSORER LE MATERIAU D'OUTILS DE NETTOYAGE DOMESTIQUE TELS QUE DES BALAIS A LAVER

English Abstract

The device comprises: a sleeve (5) with slots or holes (5C), capable of
accommodating the tool (1, 1A) that is to be wrung; the sleeve is extended in
the form of a handgrip (7) which is axially perforated to allow the stick (3)
to be accommodated inside it in a sliding manner; and a wringer element (9) in
the form of flexible helical turns (9C) is engaged on the terminal edge (5B)
of the sleeve (5) and at the other end forms an extension (9F) that can be
fitted onto and coupled rotationally to the stick (3) of the tool. The tool is
wrung out by torsion.

French Abstract

La présente invention concerne un dispositif comprenant un manchon (5) pourvu de fentes ou d'orifices (5C), conçu pour recevoir l'outil (1, 1A) à essorer. Ce manchon se présente sous forme de poignée (7) perforée en direction axiale afin de pouvoir faire coulisser le manche (3) à l'intérieur en vue de l'y loger. Ce dispositif comprend également un élément d'essorage (9) se présentant sous forme de spire hélicoïdale souple (9C) qui vient en prise sur le bord (5B) d'une extrémité du manchon (5) et qui forme, à l'autre extrémité, une rallonge (9F) pouvant être fixée et couplée en rotation au manche (3) de l'outil. Ledit outil est essoré par torsion.

Claims

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CLAIMS
1. A device for wringing out flexible strips (1C) of absorbent
material of a domestic cleaning tool (1, 1A) known as a mop, equipped with a
stick (3), said device being characterized in that it comprises in
combination: a
sleeve (5) with holes or slots (5C), capable of accommodating the tool (1, 1A,
1C) and being extended in the form of a handgrip (7) having an axial hole
through which said stick (3) can be passed; and a wringer element (9) in the
form of flexible helical turns (9C) extending between an inner annular
extremity (9B) and an outer annular extremity (9A), the outer annular
extremity (9A) being engaged on the terminal edge (5B) of the sleeve (5) and
the inner annular extremity (9B) forming an extension (9F) that can be fitted
onto and coupled rotationally to the stick (3) of the tool; wringing being
performed by a longitudinal movement between the stick (3) of the tool (1)
and the device (5), to pass the tool (1) into the wringer element (9) inside
the
sleeve (5), and a torsional movement between the tool and the device, and by
the corresponding reverse movements.
2. Device according to the previous claim, characterized in that
said extension (9F) of the inner annular extremity (9B) of the wringer element
(9) has a cavity (9G) that is at least partly of polygonal, and in particular
octagonal, section, and the tool (1) has a head (1A) shaped correspondingly
so as to fit into said cavity (9G) of said extension (9F) of the wringer
element
(9), so as to be coupled rotationally to the stick (3).
3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that said head (1A)
of the tool (1) is screwed onto the end (3A) of the stick (3) so as to be
removable from it, in such a way as to allow easy replacement of the worn
tool (1).
4. Device for wringing out the material of domestic cleaning tools
known as mops; the whole as described above and as illustrated by way of
example in the accompanying drawing.

Description

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DEVICE FOR WRINGING OUT THE MATERIAL OF DOMESTIC CLEANING
TOOLS KNOWN AS MOPS
DESCRIPTION
The prior art includes devices for wringing out domestic cleaning tools
of the mop type (comprising a plurality of flexible absorbent strips or
filaments
of cotton or the like), which comprise by way of a wringer element a tubular
member with multiple helical turns which, when torsion is applied between the
two ends of said element, produces a centripetal radial compression of the
tool which has been inserted axially inside the turns.
Wringer devices of this kind are disclosed in US Patents
Nos. 5 060 338 and 5 724 694, in Canadian Patent Appl. No. 2 336 517, in
FR Pat. No. 848 688, and in CH Pat. No. 178 794 and No. 287 161.
The invention relates to an improved and simplified device that is also
more practical for the user to use.
The device in question essentially comprises: a sleeve with holes,
capable of accommodating the tool acrd being extended in the form of a
handgrip which is axially perforated to"allow the stick to which the tool is
attached to be accommodated in it in a sliding manner; and a wringer element
in the form of flexible helical turns extending between an inner annular
extremity and an outer annular extremity, the outer annular extremity being
engaged on the terminal edge of the sleeve and the inner annular extremity
forming an extension that can be fitted onto and coupled rotationally to the
stick of the tool. Wringing is performed by a longitudinal movement between
the stick of the toot and the device, to pass the tool into the wringer
element
inside the sleeve, a torsional movement between the tool and the device, and
the corresponding reverse movements.
In practice, the extension of the inner annular extremity of the wringer
element has a cavity that is at least partly of polygonal and in particular
octagonal or optionally square section; the tool in turn has a head shaped
correspondingly so as to fit into said cavity of the extension of the wringer
element, thus bringing about rotational coupling with the stick.
The head of the tool is screwed onto the end of the stick so as to be
removable from it; easy replacement of the worn tool is thus possible.

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A clearer understanding of the innovation will be gained from the
description and the accompanying drawing, the latter showing a practical,
non-restrictive example of the innovation. In the drawing:
fig. 1 shows a sectional view of the device;
fig. 2 shows a view of the device when the tool is outside the sleeve;
fig. 3 shows a detail view of the threaded attachment between the
stick and the tool;
fig. 4 shows a top view of the tool taken on IV-IV as marked in fig. 3;
fig. 5 shows a cross sectional view of the device;
fig. 6 shows the device when the tool is retracted into the sleeve;
fig. 7 shows a partial sectional view of the device when the tool is
retracted into the sleeve;
fig. 8 shows a perspective view of the wringer element, the stick and
the tool;
fig. 9 shows a partial perspective view of the mechanism whereby the
stick is slid into the axially perforated handgrip;
fig. 10 shows a cut-away view, when the tool is retracted inside the
sleeve; and
fig. 11 illustrates the wringing operation.
As illustrated in the accompanying drawing, 1 is a general reference for
the mop-type tool which comprises a head 1A, which is at least ,partly of
octagonal (or more generally polygonal) section and terminates with a lead-in
chamfer around a threaded hole 1 B for receiving the threaded end 3A of the
stick 3 with which the tool 1 is worked. The tool 1 is completed by a
plurality of
strips 1 C of flexible and absorbent material: these do the cleaning and must
be wrung out frequently to expel the dirty cleaning liquid and enable the
cleaning operation to be continued.
It is precisely to simplify the wringing out of the strips or cords of cotton
1 C of the tool 1 that the present device is provided, in combination with the
stick 3 and with the tool 1 mounted on this stick.
The device in question comprises a cylindrical sleeve 5 that continues
at 5A to form at its end a handgrip 7, which may optionally be padded with a
thickness of e.g. rubber or other material. Towards the terminal edge 5B of

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the sleeve 5 are holes, especially slots, 5C for the expelled water to drain
out,
and windows and molded regions to receive a wringer element (described
below) which is housed inside the sleeve 5, and into which the tool 1 is to be
inserted. This wringer element, indicated by the general reference 9,
comprises an outer annular extremity 9A and an inner annular element 9B,
the two annular elements 9A and 9B being connected to each other by a
plurality of helical turns 9C of ribbonlike form in order to be contained
within
an essentially cylindrical virtual geometrical surface on the inside of the
sleeve
5. The outer annular extremity 9A is provided with protuberances 9E which
engage firmly in the corresponding windows and molded regions created in
the terminal edge 5B of the sleeve 5. The inner annular extremity 9B of the
wringer element forms an extension 9F containing a cavity 9G which in cross
section is at least partly polygonal and in particular octagonal in order to
be
able to accommodate and engage anguiarly with the head 1 B of the too! 1 by
a relative axial movement. In this way, the assembly formed by the tool 1 with
its stick 3 engages in rotation with the annular extremity 9B of the wringer
element 9, when the stick 3 and tool 1 are slid as shown by arrow f1 relative
to the sleeve 5 and to the wringer element. Essentially, the assembly of the
stick 3, which is housed in the extension 5A and inside the handgrip 7, can
slide relative to the sleeve 5 with its extension 5A, 7 axially, moving the
tool 1
together with its head 1A engaged on the thread 3A of the stick 3. The tool 1
with the stick 3 can thus be slid in the direction of arrow f1 in order to
insert
the tool 1 into the wringer element 9 when said element is held with the turns
9C dilated and in contact with the inner surface of the sleeve 5, and in order
to extend the tool 1 out of the sleeve 5 in the opposite direction to arrow f1
to
enable the tool 1 to be used, by immersing it in a cleaning liquid and
manipulating it to clean a floor or the like. The tool 1 on the end of the
stick 3
can easily be replaced by simply unscrewing the head 1A of said tool 1 from
the thread 3A and replacing the worn tool with another tool ready for use.
To use the tool 1 as a mop, it is extended from the sleeve 5 as shown
in fig. 2 and used with the aid of the stick 3, which projects below the edge
5B
and above the handgrip 7. The wringer element 9 remains engaged inside the
sleeve 5 with its turns dilated. When it is wished to wring out the strips 1 C
of

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the tool 1 to expel the dirty liquid, the stick 3 is slid in the direction of
arrow f1
to draw the tool 1, 1A with its strips 1C inside the wringer element 9. The
octagonal-section head 1A is thus advanced into the cavity 9G, which is of
corresponding shape, inside the extension 9F of the inner annular extremity
9B of the wringer element 9. The inner extremity 9B of the wringer element 9
is thus engaged on the stick 3. By rotating the stick 3 relative to the
assembly
5, 5A, 7 as indicated by the two opposed arrows shown in figs. 2 and 11, a
reciprocal torsion is set up between the outer 9A and inner 9B extremities of
the wringer element 9. The effect of this rotation is to tighten the helical
turns
9C, so causing radial compression of the strips 1 C by the helical turns 9C
and
expelling the liquid from the strips 1 C. The liquid runs out at the holes 5C
and
is thus removed. The extreme ends of the strips 1 C remain at least partly
unwrung, i.e. in the regions in which the helical turns are joined to the
outer
9A and inner 9B extremities, where these helical turns cannot be constricted
radially; however, the greater part of these helical turns 9C is easily
tightened,
compacting and squeezing the mass of strips 1 C. The tool 1 can then be
easily extended again from the sleeve 5 and from the wringer element 9 by
simply rotating the assembly 5, 5A, 7 and the stick 3 in the opposite
directions
to those indicated in fig. 1, this operation causing the turns 9C to open
again
until they are back in contact with the inner surface of the sleeve 5;
immediately after which the tool 1 can be extended by pushing the stick in the
opposite direction to arrow f1 relative to the assembly 5, 5A, 7 until the
tool 1
is outside the sleeve 5, that is in the condition shown in fig. 2.
The device disclosed herein, comprising the components 5, 7, 9,
remains engaged on the stick 3 and the tool 1 can, as already indicated,
easily be replaced, when worn, simply by unscrewing the head 1A from the
thread 3A of the stick 3 and attaching a new tool 1 to this stick.
A handgrip similar to the handgrip 7, and adjacent to the latter, can be
put on the stick 3 to facilitate wringing operations.
It will be understood that the drawing shows only an example, purely as
a practical demonstration of the innovation, which innovation can be varied in
its shapes and arrangements without thereby departing from the scope of the
concept on which the innovation is based. The presence of any reference

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numbers in the appended claims is for the purpose of facilitating the reading
of the claims with reference to the description and drawing, and does not
limit
the scope of protection represented by the claims.

Representative Drawing