Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DISINFECTING BUCKET
100011 (DELETED)
BACKGROUND
[0002] Flat mop pads are useful in a variety of applications. They can be
used, for
example, to disinfect the floors of patient rooms in hospitals. In particular,
disinfecting liquid is applied to a flat mop pad, and the flat mop pad is then
used to
spread the disinfecting liquid over the floor in a patient's room.
100031 It is desirable to reduce the risk of cross-contamination by using a
different
pad in each patient's room. Thus, it is advantageous to have a consolidated
supply of
flat mop pads that contain disinfecting liquid. The user can select a flat mop
pad from
the supply and use it to disinfect a patient's room, and then select a new
flat mop pad
from the supply when he or she moves to a new room.
[00041 One technique for providing a supply of flat mop pads is to apply
disinfecting
liquid to a stack of flat mop pads. This can be done by pouring disinfecting
liquid in a
bucket, placing a stack of flat mop pads in the bucket, attaching a lid to the
bucket to
seal its opening, and inverting the bucket to cause the disinfecting liquid to
enter the
stack of flat mop pads. After the lid is removed, the bucket contains a stack
of flat
mop pads that are impregnated with disinfecting liquid and are ready for use.
[0005] This technique is disadvantageous because some of the flat mop pads
become
oversaturated with disinfecting liquid. Not all of the disinfecting liquid is
absorbed by
the flat mop pads. Thus, after the bucket is returned to its upright position,
a pool of
disinfecting liquid will form at the bottom of the bucket. The flat mop pads
at the
bottom of the stack will sit in this pool and become oversaturated. This is
problematic
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because disinfecting buckets often do not include a wringer for wringing out
excess
disinfecting liquid. When the user removes the oversaturated flat mop pads,
the
disinfecting liquid will drip onto the floor.
SUMMARY
[0006] An aspect of the present invention relates to a mop bucket for applying
liquid
to a stack of flat mop pads. The mop bucket includes a container body with an
opening at a top portion thereof, a liquid storage area within the container
body, and a
pad storage area within the container body and in fluid communication with the
liquid
storage area. The liquid storage area is below the pad storage area when the
bucket is
in an upright position. The mop bucket also includes a lid configured to form
a
substantially liquid-tight seal of the opening of the container body.
[0007] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of applying
liquid
to a stack of flat mop pads. The method includes the step of providing a
bucket
having a container body, a lid for the container body, a liquid storage area
within the
container body, and a pad storage area within the container body. The liquid
storage
area and the pad storage area are in fluid communication, and the liquid
storage area
is below the pad storage area when the bucket is in an upright position. The
method
further includes the steps of pouring liquid into at least the liquid storage
area, placing
a stack of flat mop pads in the pad storage area, attaching the lid to the
container body
containing the liquid and stack of pads to seal the container body, at least
partially
inverting the bucket to distribute the liquid into the pad storage area for
absorption by
the stack of flat mop pads, and removing the lid from the container body.
[0008] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and
the
following detailed description are merely exemplary of the invention, and are
intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and
character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are
included
to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in
and
constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various
embodiments of
the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the
principles and
operation of the invention.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the interior of a mop bucket
according to the
present invention, without a lid;
[0010] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the exterior of the mop bucket of
Figure 1,
with a lid;
[0011] Figure 3 is a top view of the mop bucket of Figure 1 without a lid;
[0012] Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the mop bucket of Figure 1,
without
a lid and with flat mop pads within the mop bucket;
[0013] Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the mop bucket of Figure 1,
with a
lid, with flat mop pads within the mop bucket, and in a partially inverted
position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] Presently preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the
drawings. An effort has been made to use the same or like reference numbers
throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
[0015] A first embodiment of a mop bucket according to the present invention
is
shown in Figures 1-5. The mop bucket 10 is configured to apply liquid,
preferably
disinfectant, to a stack of flat mop pads 70. The phrase flat mop pads is used
herein to
refer to mop pads that are substantially flat, though minor deviations from
flat are to
be expected and are intended to be within the scope of this phrase. The mop
bucket
preferably has a container body 20, a pad storage area 30, a liquid storage
area 40,
and a lid 50.
[0016] The container body 20 is configured to retain liquid. The container
body 20
preferably includes a sidewall 21. The container body 20 preferably also
includes a
bottom wall 22. Feet 23 can extend downward from the bottom wall 22 to provide
a
base for contacting a surface (not shown) upon which the mop bucket 10 will
rest. An
opening 24 is provided at a top portion of the container body 20 to allow
access to its
interior. A handle 25 can be provided on the container body 20 to facilitate
carrying
of the mop bucket 10.
[0017] The pad storage area 30 is disposed within the container body 20. As
shown
in Figure 4, the flat mop pads 70 can be stored in the pad storage area 30.
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[0018] The liquid storage area 40 also is disposed within the container body
20. The
liquid storage area 40 is below the pad storage area 30 when the mop bucket 10
is in
an upright position. Preferably the liquid storage area 40 is configured to
maintain the
liquid 80 separate from the pad storage area 30 when the mop bucket 10 is in
an
upright position. The pad storage area 30 and the liquid storage area 40 are
in fluid
communication, however, so that liquid from the liquid storage area 40 can be
transferred to the pad storage area 30 when the container body 20 is at least
partially
inverted.
[0019] The liquid storage area 40 can include a plurality of upward
projections 41
from the bottom wall 22. The upward projections 41 each preferably have a
relatively
large radii on their upper surface and are spaced from one another in such a
manner as
to facilitate cleaning. The height of the tops of the upward projections 41 is
configured to be above the intended height of the liquid 80 that will be
provided in the
bucket 10. The upward projections 41 preferably have a height that is less
than
approximately one inch and more preferably is approximately 0.900 inches. As
shown in Figure 4, the projections 41 inhibit the liquid 80 in the liquid
storage area 40
from contacting the flat mop pads 70 in the pad storage area 30 when the mop
bucket
is in the upright position. More specifically, the upward projections 41
maintain
the stack of flat mop pads 70 at a height above the liquid in the liquid
storage area 40.
[0020] The upward projections 41 can be in the form of ribs molded into the
bottom
wall 22. This makes the projections 41 an integral component of the container
body
so that they will not be detached and lost. The projections 41, however, could
be
provided in the form of a separate molded plastic component (not shown) that
is
placed in the bottom of the container body 20.
[0021] The lid 50 (see Figures 2 and 5) is configured to form a substantially
liquid-
tight seal of the opening 24 at the top portion of the container body 20. A
connecting
mechanism 60 can be provided to affix the lid 50 to the container body 20. The
connecting mechanism 60 can include openings 61 in the lid 50 and projections
62
from the container body 20. The projections 62 fit into the openings 61 to
hold the lid
50 on the container body 20.
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[0022] The mop bucket 10 can also include graduated projections 65 that extend
above the bottom wall 22 and signify liquid fill levels. The projections 65
are
arranged at a plurality of heights, which each indicate an amount of liquid 80
within
the container body 20.
(00233 The present invention can be used to apply liquid 80 to a stack of flat
mop
pads 70 in an advantageous manner. Liquid 80 can be poured into the mop bucket
10
described above. The graduated projections 65 can be used to determine when
the
appropriate amount of liquid 80 has been provided. A stack of flat mop pads 70
can
then be placed in the pad storage area 30 (see Figure 4). The lid 50 is then
attached to
the container body 20 via the connecting mechanism 60. The mop bucket 10 is at
least partially inverted (see Figure 5) to distribute the liquid 80 into the
pad storage
area 30 for absorption by the stack of flat mop pads 70. Preferably the bucket
10 is
fully inverted. The bucket 10 is then returned to an upright position, and
liquid 80
that was not absorbed by the flat mop pads 70 will begin to drain downward due
to
gravity into the liquid storage area 40. The upward projections 41 maintain
the stack
of flat mop pads 70 at a height above the liquid 80 in the liquid storage area
40 so
that, as liquid 80 drains to the bottom of the bucket 10, the lower pads 70 do
not sit in
a pool of liquid and become oversaturated. The lid 50 is then removed from the
container body 20, and a mop frame (not shown) is attached to a first or
topmost flat
mop pad 70 in the stack of flat mop pads 70. After mopping the floor, the
first flat
mop pad can be removed from the mop frame and a second flat mop pad in the
stack
of flat mop pads can be attached to the mop frame for mopping in a different
location.
[0024] Preferably a mop bucket 10 can be configured to permit saturation of
all the
flat mop pads 70 pads in the stack with a substantially equal amount of
liquid. A mop
bucket 10 thus can be configured that will not oversaturate the lowermost
pads.
[00251 The disinfecting bucket 10 of the present invention can be used with
many flat
mop pads and flat mop pad supports. Preferably, it is used with a flat mop pad
disclosed in a patent application that is to be concurrently filed by Judy
Cline entitled
"Color Coded Mop Pads and Method of Color Coding Same" (filed May 5,
2005 and published as U.S. Publication No. US 2005-0246851, published Nov.
10, 2005).
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Preferably, the disinfecting bucket 10 is used with the flat mop pad support
disclosed in a patent application that is to be concurrently filed by the
present
inventor entitled "Mope Having Ergonomic Handle and Joint" (filed May 5,
2005 and published as U.S. Publication No. 2005-0251943, published on
Nov. 17, 2005).
[00261 It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and
variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the
spirit and
scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover
the
modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the
scope of
the appended claims and their equivalents.
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