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Patent 2952804 Summary

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(12) Patent Application: (11) CA 2952804
(54) English Title: MOP ASSEMBLY
(54) French Title: ENSEMBLE BALAI LAVEUR
Status: Dead
Bibliographic Data
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):
  • A47L 13/256 (2006.01)
  • A47L 13/258 (2006.01)
(72) Inventors :
  • CORRELL, KRISTI (United States of America)
  • FAIR, PAUL (United States of America)
  • KUMMERFIELD, JAMIE (United States of America)
(73) Owners :
  • BONAKEMI USA, INCORPORATED (United States of America)
(71) Applicants :
  • BONAKEMI USA, INCORPORATED (United States of America)
(74) Agent: MCCARTHY TETRAULT LLP
(74) Associate agent:
(45) Issued:
(86) PCT Filing Date: 2015-06-16
(87) Open to Public Inspection: 2015-12-23
Examination requested: 2019-04-18
Availability of licence: N/A
(25) Language of filing: English

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT): Yes
(86) PCT Filing Number: PCT/US2015/036047
(87) International Publication Number: WO2015/195675
(85) National Entry: 2016-12-16

(30) Application Priority Data:
Application No. Country/Territory Date
62/013,161 United States of America 2014-06-17
62/015,211 United States of America 2014-06-20
62/015,202 United States of America 2014-06-20
62/017,659 United States of America 2014-06-26
62/017,953 United States of America 2014-06-27
14/733,658 United States of America 2015-06-08
14/733,624 United States of America 2015-06-08

Abstracts

English Abstract

A mop assembly with flexible ear portions and/or an elastically deformable ring member and/or a generally concave front peripheral portion, and/or a collapsible flexible bag reservoir that is removably supportable on the mop assembly.


French Abstract

On décrit un ensemble balai laveur qui comprend des parties oreille souples et/ou un élément annulaire à déformation élastique et/ou une partie périphérique avant généralement concave, et/ou un réservoir à sac souple repliable disposé amovible sur l'ensemble balai laveur.

Claims

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


CLAIMS
1. A mop assembly comprising:
a mop head including a rigid central body and a resilient peripheral body
fixedly
attached to said central body, said mop head having a top portion and a flat
bottom
portion;
a mop pad constructed from flexible fabric and having a top portion engaged
with
said flat bottom portion of said mop head, a bottom portion adapted to engage
a floor, a
front portion, a back portion and opposite lateral ends with ear portions
located at
opposite lateral ends of said front portion;
said mop head and said mop pad being constructed and arranged such that said
ear portions of said mop pad are upwardly deflectable relative to the
remainder of said
mop pad when said mop pad is attached to said mop head, said ear portions
being
engageable with said mop head resilient peripheral body, said resilient
peripheral body
providing a resilient restorative force to said ear portions when said ear
portions are
deflected upwardly.
2. (cancelled)
3. The mop assembly of claim 1, wherein said resilient peripheral body
comprises
cut outs wherein said mop pad is attachable to said mop head with said cut
outs
positioned adjacent to said flexible ear portions of said mop pad.
4. (cancelled)
5. (cancelled)
6. (cancelled)

7. A mop pad comprising:
a flexible fabric pad having:
a bottom portion adapted to engage a floor;
a top portion positioned opposite said bottom portion and adapted for
attachment
to a bottom portion of a rigid mop head; and a peripheral edge portion;
an elastically deformable ring member that is stiffer and more elastic than
said
flexible fabric pad that is mounted on said top portion of said flexible
fabric pad, said
ring member having an inner edge with a shape conforming to an outer
peripheral edge
of said rigid mop head.
8. The mop pad of claim 7 wherein said ring member has an outer edge with a

shape conforming generally to the shape of said peripheral edge portion of
said flexible
fabric pad.
9. The mop pad of claim 7, wherein said ring member is integrally meshed
with said
top portion of said flexible fabric pad.
10. The mop pad of claim 9 wherein said ring member is formed by over lay
molding.
11. The mop pad of claim 9 wherein said ring member is formed by three-
dimensional printing.
12. The mop pad of claim 8 wherein said ring member comprises at least two
cutout
portions therein.
13. The mop pad of claim 12:
wherein said mop pad has ear portions projecting from opposite lateral ends
thereof; and
wherein at least one of said cutout portions is positioned adjacent each of
said
ear portions.

14. A mop assembly comprising:
a mop head having a rigid central body portion and a generally concave front
peripheral portion; and
a flexible mop pad having a generally concave front peripheral portion
attached
to a bottom portion of said mop head;
said mop assembly having a generally concave front peripheral portion, which
creates an open pocket that helps to maintain floor debris in front of the mop
assembly
as the mop assembly is moved across a floor.
15. (cancelled)
16. (cancelled)
17. The mop assembly of Claim 14 wherein said mop pad extends forward
farther
than said mop head.
18. A mop assembly comprising:
a mop head having a generally planar bottom portion;
a mop pad having a top portion attached to said planar bottom portion of said
mop head and having flexible ear portions and a debris catcher adapted to
prevent
debris from escaping from a front edge portion of said mop pad;
said mop head including a stiffening member adapted to resiliently resist
deflection forces and elastically return said flexible ear portions to a
generally flat
configuration after deflection thereof.
19. The mop assembly of claim 18, said stiffening member comprising
resilient ear
portions of said mop head.
20. (cancelled)

21. A mop assembly comprising:
a mop handle;
a mop head mountable on said mop handle;
a spray head mounted on at least one of said mop handle and mop head;
a collapsible flexible bag reservoir filled with liquid that is removably
supportable
on at least one of said mop head and said mop handle; and
a liquid pump assembly adapted to pump said liquid from said collapsible
flexible
bag reservoir to said spray head.
22. The mop assembly of claim 21 further comprising an enclosure adapted to

enclose and support said collapsible flexible bag reservoir.
23. The mop assembly of claim 21 wherein said collapsible flexible bag
reservoir is
supported by said handle.
24. The mop assembly of claim 21 wherein said collapsible flexible bag
reservoir is
constructed from plastic material.
25. The mop assembly of claim 24 wherein said collapsible flexible bag
reservoir is
formed from thin sheets of plastic material.
26. The mop assembly of claim 21 wherein said collapsible flexible bag
reservoir is
free standing.
27. The mop assembly of claim 21 wherein said collapsible flexible bag
reservoir
comprises an orifice that is configured to receive a hand spray assembly for
hand
dispensing said liquid from said collapsible flexible bag reservoir in a
standalone mode
of use of said collapsible flexible bag reservoir.

Description

Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


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MOP ASSEMBLY
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the following prior filed U.S.
provisional patent applications, which are each hereby incorporated by
reference
for all that is disclosed therein: U.S. Provisional Application Serial No.
62/013,161
filed June 17, 2014 for Floor Mop with Liquid Reservoir in Mop Head of
Correll,
et. al.; U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62/015,211 filed June 20,
2014 for
Mop Head Assembly with Debris Catcher of Correll, et al.; U.S. Provisional
Application Serial No. 62/015,202 filed June 20, 2014 for Mop Pad With
Stiffening Ring Member of Correll, et al.; U.S. Provisional Application Serial
No.
62/017,953 filed June 27, 2014 for Mop With Flexible Ears of Correll, et al.;
and
U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62/017,659 filed June 26, 2014 for
Floor
Mop with Multiple Use Collapsible Flexible Bag of Correll et al. This
application
also claims the benefit of the following U.S. non-provisional patent
applications,
which are each hereby incorporated by reference for all that is disclosed
therein:
U.S. Non-provisional Application Serial No. 14/733,658, filed June 8, 2015 for

Floor Mop of Correll et al.; and U.S. Non-provisional Application Serial No.
14/733,624, filed June 8, 2015 for Floor Mop with Collapsible Flexible Bag
Reservoir of Correll et al.
[0002] Many modern floor mops include an elongate handle that is
pivotally attached to a mop head. A mop pad made from fabric material is
removably attached to the mop head and may be easily removed for cleaning or
replacement. More recently, some floor mops had been provided with liquid
dispensing systems that allow floor cleaner, floor polish or the like, to be
dispensed from the mop as it moves across the floor.
Overview
[0003] Described herein is a mop assembly including a mop head having
a top portion and a bottom portion, a mop pad having a top portion a bottom
portion a front portion and a back portion and opposite lateral ends and ear
portion located at opposite lateral ends of the front portion. The mop head
and
the mop pad are constructed and arranged such that the ear portions of the mop

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pad are resiliently upwardly deflectable relative to the remainder of the mop
pad
when the mop pad is attached to the mop head.
[0004] Also described is a mop pad including a flexible fabric pad having a
bottom portion adapted to engage a floor, a top portion positioned opposite
the
bottom portion; and a peripheral edge portion. The mop pad also includes an
elastically deformable ring member that is stiffer and more elastic than the
flexible fabric pad that is mounted on the top portion of the flexible fabric
pad.
[0005] Also described is a mop assembly with a generally concave front
peripheral portion, which creates an open pocket that helps to maintain floor
debris in front of the mop as the mop is moved across the floor.
[0006] Also described is a mop assembly including a mop handle, a mop
head mountable on the mop handle, a spray head mounted on the mop handle or
the mop head, a collapsible flexible bag reservoir filled with liquid that is
removably supportable on the mop head or the mop handle, and a liquid pump
assembly adapted to pump the liquid from the collapsible flexible bag
reservoir to
the spray head.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0007] Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a first floor mop.
[0008] Fig. 2 is an isometric view of a second floor mop.
[0009] Fig. 3 is an isometric view of a third floor mop.
[0010] Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a floor mop head and mop pad.
[0011] Fig. 5 is a top plan view of another floor mop head and mop pad.

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[0012] Fig. 6 is a frontal isometric of a floor mop head and attached
handle.
[0013] Fig. 7 is a bottom isometric view of the floor mop head and
attached handle of Fig. 6.
[0014] Fig. 8 is a top isometric view of a floor mop head having an
inwardly concave front edge and a linear rear edge.
[0015] Fig. 9 is a top plan view of another mop assembly.
[0016] Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of a floor mop pad.
[0017] Fig. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of fabric strips of the
floor mop pad of the type shown in Fig. 10.
[0018] Fig. 12 is an isometric view of the mop of Fig. 2 with a front panel
removed from an enclosure for a collapsible flexible bag reservoir.
[0019] Fig. 13 is a side elevation view of a handle for a mop having a
collapsible flexible bag reservoir.
[0020] Fig. 14 is a top plan view of a disassembled mop having a
collapsible flexible bag reservoir.
[0021] Fig. 15 is a side elevation view of the mop of Figs. 13 and 14.
[0022] Fig. 16 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a mop having a
collapsible flexible bag reservoir, shown in a disassembled state.
[0023] Fig. 17 is a front isometric view of another embodiment of the mob
having a collapsible flexible bag reservoir.

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[0024] Fig. 18 is a top plan view of one embodiment of a multiple use
collapsible flexible bag reservoir.
[0025] Fig. 19 is a side elevation view of the collapsible flexible bag
reservoir of Fig. 18.
[0026] Fig. 20 is an end elevation view of the collapsible flexible bag
reservoir of Figs. 18 and 19.
[0027] Fig. 21 is an isometric view of the collapsible flexible bag reservoir
of Figs. 18 - 20.
[0028] Fig. 22 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a collapsible
flexible bag reservoir.
[0029] Fig. 23 is a side elevation view of the collapsible flexible bag
reservoir of Fig. 22.
[0030] Fig. 24 is an end elevation view of the collapsible flexible bag
reservoir of Figs. 22 and 23.
[0031] Fig. 25 is an isometric view of the collapsible flexible bag reservoir
of Figs. 22-24.
[0032] Fig. 26 is a side elevation view of another embodiment of
collapsible flexible bag reservoir.
[0033] Fig. 27 is a side elevation view of the collapsible flexible bag
reservoir of Fig. 26 with a hand spray assembly mounted thereon.
[0034] Fig. 28 is a side elevation view of another embodiment of a
collapsible flexible bag reservoir.

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[0035] Fig. 29 is a side elevation view of the collapsible flexible bag
reservoir of Fig. 28 with a hand spray assembly mounted thereon.
[0036] Fig. 30 is an isometric view of a collapsible flexible bag reservoir
supported in a bottle enclosure.
Detailed Description
[0037] Fig. 1 illustrates an example mop 10 having an elongate mop
handle 12 attached to a mop head 14 that has flexible ear portions 15. The mop

head 14 may be attached to the handle 12 by a conventional handle attachment
assembly 16. This assembly 16 enables the handle 12 to pivot about both a
horizontal and a vertical axis. A mop pad 18 is removably attached to the mop
head 14.
[0038] Fig. 2 illustrates another example floor mop 20. The mop has an
elongate handle 22 attached to a mop head 24 by a conventional handle
attachment assembly 26. The mop head 24 may have flexible ear portions 25. A
mop pad 28 is removably attached to the mop head 24. The elongate handle 22
comprises a reservoir assembly 32 that holds a collapsible flexible bag
reservoir
34 filled with liquid, such as floor cleaner or polish. A trigger assembly 36
is
provided at the top of the handle for actuating a conventional mechanical pump

that causes a mist to be discharged from a spray nozzle 38 located at the
lower
front portion of the handle 22.
[0039] Fig. 3 illustrates another example floor mop 40. Mop 40 has an
elongate handle 42 attached to a mop head 44 by a conventional handle
attachment assembly 46. Mop head 44 comprises an internal reservoir filled
with
floor cleaning or other for treating solution. Access to the interior
reservoir is
provided through an opening in the top portion of the mop head 44 that is
covered by a closure member 45. A mop pad 48 is attached to the mop head 44.
A liquid dispensing system provided on the mop comprises a spray nozzle 52
located on the mop handle 42, as shown, or on the mop head 44. The liquid
dispensing system also includes an internal pumping assembly driven by an

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internally mounted electric motor and battery assembly. The electric motor and

battery assembly may be mounted in the head 44 or in the mop handle 42. A
motor actuator switch or button 54 may be provided at the upper end of the
handle 42.
[0040] Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a mop head 60 which is constructed
from a relatively rigid material such as stiff plastic or the like. The mop
head
comprises a handle attachment portion 62 which may be a conventional double
pivot assembly 64. The mop head has a generally trapezoid shaped periphery
66 with rounded corners.
[0041] A mop pad 80 is attached to the mop head 60. The mop pad 80
has a flexible fabric portion 82 with an outer peripheral edge 84. A front
portion
86 of the outer peripheral edge 84 has a generally arcuate shape. For example
the dimension "I" between the most remote points at the front of the mop pad
80
may be about 18 inches, and the largest gap distance "g" between the front
peripheral edge 86 and a cord drawn between the outer corners of the front
peripheral edge 86 may be about 0.5 inches. The mop pad 80 has rounded front
corners 88. An over molded stiffening ring 92 may be integrally attached to
the
flexible fabric portion 82 of the mop pad 80. The stiffening ring may be
constructed from rubber or a resilient plastic that is sufficiently stiff to
help the
flexible portion hold its shape and resiliently return to that shape after
deformation. However, the stiffening ring is sufficiently flexible to allow
bending
of the pad when it encounters a fixed object, such as a wall or furniture.
This
stiffening ring 92 may enable use of a smaller mop head 60 than would be
required if the entire mop pad 80 were made from flexible fabric material. The

stiffening ring 92 may have an inner periphery 94 conforming to the outer
periphery 66 of the mop head 60. The mop pad 80 has two flexible "ear"
portions
96 which are located at the outer front corners of the mop pad. These ear
portions 96 flex upwardly when the mop head is moved along a wall allowing the

mop pad to engage the floor all the way up to the wall, as well as a small
portion
of the wall, as it is moved across the floor. Once the mop head is moved away
from the wall or other object, the ears 96, assisted by the stiffening ring
92,

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resiliently return to their original flat shape in generally coplanar
relationship with
the rest of the mop pad 80.
[0042] In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 each flexible ear is
comprised primarily of an "ear triangle" that has an altitude line "a"
extending
from an outer edge point 81 at the center of the associated ear portion 88 to
the
nearest point 61on the mop head periphery 66. The base "b" of this "ear
triangle"
is perpendicular to altitude line "a" and extends to the outer edge 84 of the
mop
pad 80.
[0043] Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a mop head 110, which is similar to the
mop head 60. The mop head 110 may have a conventional handle attachment
portion 112 including a mop handle pivot assembly 114. The mop head has a
peripheral edge 116, which has a generally trapezoid shape with rounded
corners.
[0044] A mop pad 120 is removably mounted on the mop head 110. The
mop pad 120 comprises a flexible portion 121 with an outer peripheral edge
122.
The peripheral edge 122 may have the same shape as that described above with
respect to mop pad 80, in which the front edge 123 of the mop pad functions as
a
debris catcher. In the assemblies of both Figs. 4 and 5, the inwardly concave,

arcuate shapes of each mop head and compliment the debris catcher function of
the mop pad. Because the front edge of the mop head is generally the same
shape as that of the mop pad it may be positioned relatively nearer to the
front
edge of the mop pad along its entire arcuate shape and thus better stiffens
and
supports the mop pad.
[0045] The mop pad 120 may have a 3-D printed stiffening ring 124
formed from plastic. The stiffening ring 124 has an inner periphery 126
conforming generally to the outer periphery 116 of the mop head 110. An
arcuate slot 128 may be provided in the ring 124 at corner portions 125. These

slotted corner portions of the stiffening ring 124 and the adjacent portions
of the
mop pad flexible material portion 121 form the resilient ears 130.

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[0046] Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a mop head 140 which may be formed
entirely from relatively stiff plastic. The mop head 140 has a generally
trapezoidal
shape with a top surface portion 141, a bottom surface portion 143 and an
outer
periphery 142. The outer periphery has a front edge 144, which may be arcuate
and inwardly concave and adapted to support a mop pad (not shown) of that is
slightly larger and of that same general shape. The mop head 140 may have
relatively flexible front ear portions 146 to facilitate flexing of the mop
head and
attached mop pad when the mop encounters an object near a lateral end of the
mop head 140. The ear portions 146 may be separate, generally L-shaped,
flexible members attached to a stiffer main body member 147 of the mop head
140. In another embodiment, relatively flexible ear portions are provided in a

single piece, integrally formed mop head by cutting holes 148 in the mop head
to
form each ear portion.
[0047] As best illustrated by Fig. 7, a plurality of attachment strips 150,
which each comprise a first portion of a hook and loop fastener system, such
as
Velcro , are attached, as by adhesive, to the bottom portion 143 of the mop
head 140. Corresponding fastener strips (not shown) are attached to the top
surface of an associated mop pad, which may be the same as or similar to the
other mop pads disclosed herein.
[0048] Fig. 8 illustrates a mop head160, which may have a main body
portion 161 made from relatively stiff material be made such as polypropylene
and ear portions 162 made from a relatively more resilient material, such as
santoprene. Mop head 160 has a generally trapezoidal shape with rounded
corners and front flexible ears 162. The flexible ears 162 may each have a
central cutout portion 163 that enhances the ability of the ears to flex and
change
shape when encountering an object. In some embodiments the maximum
thickness of an ear portions in a unitary mop head is about 0.8 inches and the

minimum thickness is about 0.3 inches. Unlike the mop heads shown in Figs. 4
-7, the rear/trailing edge 164 of the mop head 160 is a straight line that
facilitates
cleaning right up to the interface with linear surfaces, such as baseboards.
The

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front/leading edge 166 has an arcuate shape, which, in combination with a
similarly shaped mop pad (not shown) serves as a "debris catcher. "The front
edge 166 of the mop head and the corresponding shape of an associated mop
pad (not shown in Fig. 8), because of the arcuate shape, tends to retain
collected
debris at the front of the mop head, even when changing the direction of
forward
movement. A linear edge, in contrast, would allow the collected debris to
"spill
out" at the lateral ends of the mop head 160 and associated mop pad.
[0049] It will be appreciated from the above discussion that a mop
assembly may be provided with flexible ear portions that allow the lateral
ends of
an associated mop pad to resiliently flex when encountering a wall or other
object. In some embodiments the resilient operation is enabled entirely by the

structure of the mop pad. In other embodiments the resilient operation of the
mop pad ear portions is enabled by co-operation of both structure of the mop
pad
and structure of the mop head.
[0050] Fig. 9 is a top plan view of another mop head 180 having a
relatively rigid main body portion 181 and flexible ear portions 186. The
flexible
ear portions may have central holes 188 therein. The mop head 180 may have
an arcuate rear edge portion 182 and an arcuate front edge portion 184, which
may be substantially concentric. The mop pad 170 may have a generally
rectangular or slightly trapezoidal shape.
[0051] Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of a mop pad 190, which may have
the same general shape as the mop pad 170 shown in Fig. 9 or other shapes.
The mop pad 190 has an outer peripheral edge portion 192 and an interior
portion 194. The interior portion 194 comprises a plurality of alternating
parallel
strips 196 198. As shown schematically by Fig. 11, the strips 196 are
constructed from a material having fibers which are inclined forwardly i.e. in
the
direction in which the mop is pushed. The strips 198 are constructed from
material having fibers that are inclined rearwardly. Applicants have
discovered
that providing a mop with such strips 196 198 on the mop pad facilitates the
cleaning action of the mop 190.

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[0052] Fig. 12 illustrates a portion of the mop assembly 20 of Fig. 2. The
mop assembly 20, as previously indicated, has a housing assembly 32 that is
adapted to receive a collapsible flexible bag reservoir, such as those
illustrated in
Figs. 13 - 30. At the bottom of the housing assembly 32 is a coupling portion
37,
which is adapted to engage an orifice portion of a collapsible flexible bag
reservoir in sealed relationship therewith. This coupling portion 37 may
comprise threads, a clamping assembly, gaskets, or other structure that is
used
to couple the collapsible flexible bag reservoir to the housing assembly 32.
When
thus coupled, the collapsible flexible bag reservoir discharges liquid
therefrom
into a liquid pumping assembly, which terminates in a spray nozzle 38. In one
embodiment the pumping assembly is a mechanical assembly operated through
deflection of a mechanical lever or trigger such as illustrated at 222 in
Figs. 13
and 14. In another embodiment the pumping assembly is an electrical pumping
assembly, which may be actuated by a switch on the handle (not shown).
[0053] Figs. 13 - 15 illustrate another embodiment of a mop assembly 210
having a collapsible flexible bag reservoir therein. This mop assembly 210
comprises a segmented handle assembly 212. The handle assembly 212
includes a first, bulbous, handle portion 214 that is adapted to receive a
flexible
reservoir 217 supported therein. This bulbous handle portion 214 has a cover
plate 215 it may be removed or pivoted away from the remainder of the handle
portion to allow insertion of a collapsible flexible bag reservoir.
[0054] The handle assembly includes a second handle portion 218 that
includes a handgrip 220 with a deflectable trigger 222 at one end thereof.
Squeezing the trigger 222 causes liquid from the collapsible flexible bag
reservoir
to be discharged from spray nozzle 216. As liquid is emptied from the
collapsible
flexible bag reservoir it collapses within the first handle portion 214. Such
collapse occurs because the collapsible flexible bag reservoir is very thin
walled
and flexible, unlike most containers such as plastic bottles and the like.

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[0055] Mop assembly 210 may also include a mop head 224, which is
attached by a pivot assembly 226 to the handle assembly 212. A mop pad 228
may be attached to the bottom of the mop head 224.
[0056] Another mop assembly 230 is illustrated in Fig. 16. This mop
assembly 230 may comprise a segmented handle assembly 232, which includes
a bulbous handle portion 234 that is adapted for receiving a collapsible
flexible
reservoir therein. The bulbous handle portion 244 differs from the handle
portion
214 shown in Figs. 14 and 15 in shape. The handle portion 244 is less wide and

extends farther in a forward direction than handle portion 214. The mop
assembly 230 may also include a mop head 236 and a mop pad 238.
[0057] Another mop assembly 240 is illustrated in Fig. 17. This mop
assembly 240 also includes a collapsible flexible bag reservoir receiving
bulbous
handle portion 244. The bulbous handle portion 244 extends rearwardly from the

mop handle 242 in this embodiment. Mop assembly 240 may also comprise a
mop head 246 having a mop pad 248 removably attached thereto.
[0058] Figs. 18 ¨ 21 illustrate a first embodiment of a collapsible flexible
bag reservoir 260. Bag reservoir 260 has a top portion 262 a bottom portion
264
and a middle portion 266, which may be formed from sheets of flexible plastic
material that are seamed together at opposite lateral side portions 268, 270
thereof. A closure member 272 may be threaded into an orifice member (not
visible) with matching threads. This collapsible flexible bag reservoir 260
may be
used in a mop assembly such as illustrated at 20, 210, 230, and 240 herein. It

may also be used as a separate liquid dispensing container with a spray nozzle

or other liquid dispensing head attachment provided thereon. In some
embodiments liquid may be poured onto an applicator cloth or a surface to be
treated, directly from a recloseable opening such as a threaded spout that is
adapted to receive a screw-on cap.
[0059] Figs. 22 - 25 illustrate a second collapsible flexible bag reservoir
280 constructed from flexible plastic sheets, similar to collapsible flexible
bag

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reservoir 260. Collapsible flexible bag reservoir 280 includes a top portion
282, a
bottom portion 284, and a middle portion 286. Plastic sheets forming the bag
260
are seamed together at lateral seams 288 and 290. A screw on threaded cap 292
may be used to close a threaded orifice 291 (hidden threads of orifice shown
in
dashed lines) protruding from the top portion 282.
[0060] Fig. 26 illustrates a collapsible flexible bag reservoir 310 formed
from flexible plastic sheets, which may be similar in construction to
collapsible
flexible bag reservoir 260, and 280. Fig. 27 illustrates a collapsible
flexible bag
reservoir 310 provided with a spray head assembly 316.
[0061] Figs. 28 and 29 illustrate another collapsible flexible bag reservoir
320 that may have a threaded closure member 322. Threaded closure member
322 may be replaced by a hand actuated spray pump assembly 324.
[0062] Fig. 30 illustrates a bag and bottle enclosure assembly 330. A
bottle 350, which may be a plastic bottle, has an upper end portion 352, which

terminates in an upper end opening 352. A lower end or base portion 356 is
adapted to support the bottle 350 in an upright position when placed on a flat

horizontal surface 358. A collapsible flexible bag 332 with an open upper end
portion 334 is supported within the bottle 350. The upper open end portion 334

of the bag is attached to the bottle at the upper end portion 352 of the
bottle 350.
Thus, liquid poured into the bottle open end portion 352 also passes through
bag
open end portion 334 and into the collapsible flexible bag 332. The upper end
portion 352 of the bottle 350 may comprise threads or other structure to
facilitate
coupling of the bottle opening 352 to an interior reservoir and/or pump
assembly
of a floor mop, e.g. floor mop 20, shown in Figs. 2 and 12. At least one vent
hole
362 is provided at the lower end portion 356 of the bottle 350 allowing air to
enter
the bottle 350 as the contents of the plastic bag 330 is dispensed.
[0063] It will be appreciated from the foregoing that various embodiments
of a collapsible flexible bag reservoir for a mop that are disclosed herein
may be
constructed as free standing liquid containers, which may be used as part of
or

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13
independently from an associated mop assembly. In other words, in one mode
of use, such collapsible flexible bag reservoirs operate as liquid reservoirs
for
spray mops of various configurations and, in another mode of use, such
collapsible flexible bag reservoirs operate like traditional spray bottles.
Various
types of liquids including cleaning liquids, polishes and other liquids may be

dispensed.
[0064] Certain specific embodiments of mop assemblies have been
expressly described herein. Various alternative embodiments of such mop
assemblies and associated methods of use will occur to those skilled in the
art
after reading this disclosure. It is intended for the language of the appended

claims to be broadly construed to cover such alternative embodiments, except
as
limited by the prior art.
Summary of the Disclosure
[0065] This specification discloses a mop assembly with a mop head
having a top portion and a bottom portion and a mop pad having a top portion a

bottom portion a front portion and a back portion and opposite lateral ends
and
ear portions located at the opposite lateral ends of the front portion. The
mop
head and the mop pad are constructed and arranged such that the ear portions
of the mop pad are resiliently upwardly deflectable relative to the remainder
of
the mop pad when the mop pad is attached to the mop head.
[0066] The mop assembly mop pad may include a flexible fabric that is
engageable with a resilient member that provides a resilient restorative force
to
the ear portions when the ear portions are deflected upwardly.
[0067] The resilient member may include at least one portion of the mop
head.
[0068] The resilient member may include flexible ear portions of the mop
head.

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14
[0069] The resilient member may include a portion of the mop pad.
[0070] The resilient member may be a ring member attached to the upper
surface of the mop pad.
[0071] This specification also discloses a mop pad with a flexible fabric
pad. The pad has a bottom portion adapted to engage a floor; a top portion
positioned opposite the bottom portion and a peripheral edge portion. An
elastically deformable ring member that is stiffer and more elastic than the
flexible fabric pad is mounted on the top portion of the flexible fabric pad.
[0072] The mop pad ring member has a shape conforming generally to
the shape of the peripheral edge portion of the flexible fabric pad.
[0073] In the mop pad described in paragraph [0071] the ring member
may be integrally meshed with the top portion of the flexible fabric pad.
[0074] The mop pad ring member may be formed by overlay molding.
[0075] The mop pad ring member may also be formed by three-
dimensional printing.
[0076] In the mop pad described in paragraph {0071] the ring member
may have at least two cutout portions.
[0077] In the mop pad described in paragraph {0071] the mop pad may
have ear portions projecting from opposite lateral ends thereof; and at least
one
of the cutout portions is positioned adjacent each of the ear portions.
[0078] This specification also discloses a mop assembly with a generally
concave front peripheral portion, which creates an open pocket that helps to
maintain floor debris in front of the mop as the mop is moved across the
floor.
[0079] The mop assembly described in paragraph [0077] may have a mop
head with a generally concave front peripheral portion.

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[0080] The mop assembly described in paragraph [0077] may also
include a mop pad having a generally concave front peripheral portion.
[0081] The mop assembly described in paragraph [0077] may include a
mop head having a generally concave front peripheral portion and a mop pad
having a generally concave front peripheral portion attached to the mop head,
and the mop pad may extend forward farther than the mop head.
[0082] This specification also discloses a mop assembly that includes a
mop head; a mop pad mountable on the mop head, the mop pad having flexible
ear portions; a debris catcher adapted to prevent debris from escaping from a
front edge portion of the mop pad; and a stiffening member adapted to
resiliently
resist deflection forces and elastically return the flexible ear portions to a

generally flat configuration after deflection.
[0083] In the mop assembly described in paragraph [0082], the stiffening
member may include resilient ear portions of the mop head.
[0084] In the mop assembly described in paragraph [0082], the mop
assembly stiffening member may include a resilient ring member attached to a
top portion of the mop pad.
[0085] This specification also discloses a mop assembly having a mop
handle; a mop head mountable on the mop handle; a spray head mounted on at
least one of the mop handle and mop head; a collapsible flexible bag reservoir

filled with liquid that is removably supportable on at least one of the mop
head
and the mop handle; and a liquid pump assembly adapted to pump the liquid
from the collapsible flexible bag reservoir to the spray head.
[0086] The mop assembly described in paragraph [85] may further include
an enclosure adapted to enclose and support the collapsible flexible bag
reservoir.

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16
[0087] In the mop assembly described in paragraph [85] the collapsible
flexible bag reservoir may be supported by the handle.
[0088] In the mop assembly described in paragraph [85] the collapsible
flexible bag reservoir may be constructed from plastic material.
[0089] In the mop assembly described in paragraph [88] the collapsible
flexible bag reservoir may be formed from thin sheets of plastic material.
[0090] In the mop assembly described in paragraph [85] the collapsible
flexible bag reservoir may be free standing.
[0091] In the mop assembly described in paragraph [85] the collapsible
flexible bag reservoir may include an orifice that is configured to receive a
hand
spray assembly for hand dispensing the liquid from the collapsible flexible
bag
reservoir in a standalone mode of use.
[0092] This specification discloses a mop assembly with a mop head
having a top portion and a bottom portion and a mop pad having a top portion a

bottom portion a front portion and a back portion and opposite lateral ends
and
ear portions located at the opposite lateral ends of the front portion. The
mop
head and the mop pad are constructed and arranged such that the ear portions
of the mop pad are resiliently upwardly deflectable relative to the remainder
of
the mop pad when the mop pad is attached to the mop head.

Representative Drawing
A single figure which represents the drawing illustrating the invention.
Administrative Status

For a clearer understanding of the status of the application/patent presented on this page, the site Disclaimer , as well as the definitions for Patent , Administrative Status , Maintenance Fee  and Payment History  should be consulted.

Administrative Status

Title Date
Forecasted Issue Date Unavailable
(86) PCT Filing Date 2015-06-16
(87) PCT Publication Date 2015-12-23
(85) National Entry 2016-12-16
Examination Requested 2019-04-18
Dead Application 2020-11-04

Abandonment History

Abandonment Date Reason Reinstatement Date
2019-11-04 FAILURE TO PAY FINAL FEE

Payment History

Fee Type Anniversary Year Due Date Amount Paid Paid Date
Application Fee $400.00 2016-12-16
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 2 2017-06-16 $100.00 2016-12-16
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 3 2018-06-18 $100.00 2018-05-18
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 4 2019-06-17 $100.00 2019-03-20
Request for Examination $800.00 2019-04-18
Owners on Record

Note: Records showing the ownership history in alphabetical order.

Current Owners on Record
BONAKEMI USA, INCORPORATED
Past Owners on Record
None
Past Owners that do not appear in the "Owners on Record" listing will appear in other documentation within the application.
Documents

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Document
Description 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Number of pages   Size of Image (KB) 
Abstract 2016-12-16 1 60
Claims 2016-12-16 4 119
Drawings 2016-12-16 14 290
Description 2016-12-16 16 672
Representative Drawing 2016-12-16 1 16
Cover Page 2017-01-11 1 37
Maintenance Fee Payment 2018-05-18 1 36
Maintenance Fee Payment 2019-03-20 1 36
PPH Request / Amendment / Request for Examination 2019-04-18 13 345
PPH OEE 2019-04-18 41 1,719
Description 2019-04-18 16 670
Abstract 2019-04-18 1 10
Claims 2019-04-18 1 27
Abstract 2019-05-03 1 10
International Search Report 2016-12-16 16 693
Amendment - Claims 2016-12-16 4 117
National Entry Request 2016-12-16 5 139