Abstract:
A mop bucket cart that allows a mop bucket to be used on a relatively flat surface and allows a user to traverse one or more stairs with a mop bucket containing fluid by maintaining the bucket in a level position as the mop bucket cart is inclined to traverse one or more stairs.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable 
     REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX” 
     Not applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to mop buckets and carts for mop buckets, and more specifically to mop bucket carts that can traverse stairs while maintaining the mop bucket in a level position. 
     2. General Background of the Invention 
     Known mop buckets and mop bucket carts are frequently equipped with wheels or casters that allow them to traverse ground that is generally flat. But many locations in which mopping is required comprise more than one relatively flat level that are interconnected by stairs. In such locations, the person using a standard mop bucket or mop bucket cart is forced to choose between the equally unpleasant options of (1) lifting the mop bucket or mop bucket cart containing eight or more gallons of water and carrying it up or down the stairs or (2) emptying the mop bucket on the current level and refilling it on the second level. 
     The first option is unpleasant because the weight of eight gallons of water alone is more than 64 pounds. Trying to maneuver such a large, unstable weight up or down stairs could easily result in a significant injury if the person carrying the mop bucket were to trip. Moreover, having to lift and carry such a weight on a frequent basis could result in lower back or other physical problems. 
     The second option is equally unpleasant for at least three reasons. First, this option increases the consumption of materials because the cleaning solution in the mop bucket will frequently be discarded before it needs to be. Second, this option requires redundant infrastructure to be in place on each level—namely facilities to empty and refill the mop bucket on each level. Finally, this option will result in a loss in productivity since the employee will spend more time emptying and refilling the mop bucket. 
     The present invention resolves this problem by allowing the employee to traverse stairs with a filled mop bucket without having to lift and carry the mop bucket. Thus, the employee is not forced to choose between the unpleasant alternatives discussed above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a mop bucket cart comprising a body, said body having a first side, a second side opposing said first side, a first end interconnecting a first end portion of the first side to a first end portion of the second side, and a second end interconnecting a second end portion of the first side to a second end portion of the second side; a bucket carriage, said bucket carriage being pivotally connected to opposing first and second side of said body; and at least one pivoting support member, said at least one pivoting support member being pivotally connected to the body; whereby said at least one pivoting support member prevents said bucket carriage from pivoting when said mop bucket cart is on a flat surface and allows said bucket carriage to pivot when said mop bucket cart is tilted toward one of the ends of the body. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of the bucket carriage and body of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the embodiment in  FIG. 1  inclined to climb a stair. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial frontal view of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the pivotal connection between the body and the bucket carriage of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a partial, sectional side view of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 9  is a partial, sectional side view of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of the self-leveling mop-bucket cart  1 . Mop bucket cart  1  includes handle  20 , body  100 , bucket carriage  200 , and pivoting support members  300 . As used herein, the term caster includes both wheels and casters. In the illustrated embodiment, body  100  comprises first side  102  and opposing second side  104  that are interconnected by first cross-member  106  and second cross-member  108  (best seen in  FIG. 1A ). In the illustrated embodiment, each of opposing sides  102  and  104  has defined therethrough an M-shaped opening. This opening is to facilitate the molding of the sides out of a thermoplastic material such as polypropylene; neither the opening nor the particular shape of the opening is necessary for the functioning of mop bucket cart  1 . Alternatively, sides  102  and  104  could form an upside down T-shape, with the end portions of the arms of the T being interconnected by cross-members  106  and  108 . In yet another alternative, sides  102  and  104  could be solid. U-shaped handle  20  extends upward from sides  102  and  104  of body  100 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , casters  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 , and  118  are affixed to the bottom portion of body  100 . Casters  112  and  114  are located toward the first end of body  100  and serve as the pivot point relative to the relatively flat surface on which mop bucket cart  1  travels to allow mop bucket cart  1  to traverse stairs. Casters  110 ,  116 , and  118  are located under the opposing end of said body. Caster  110  is centrally located to provide resistance to tipping when a mop wringer (not shown) is installed on the side of bucket B opposite the location of handle  20 . While in the illustrated embodiment casters  112  and  114  are of the fixed type and casters  110 ,  116 , and  118  are of the swivel type, any of the casters could be either fixed or pivoting. 
     Still referring now to  FIG. 2 , brackets  132  and  134  are located between caster  112  and  114  respectively. Stair climber mechanism  122  is attached to side  102  and bracket  132  and stair climber mechanism  124  is attached to side  104  and bracket  134 . Stair climber mechanisms  122  and  124  are aligned with casters  112  and  114  respectively to provide for a smooth transition from stair climber mechanisms  122  and  124  to casters  112  and  114  as mop bucket cart  1  traverses each stair (best seen in  FIG. 4 ). Stair climber mechanisms  122  and  124  can be any type of standard stair climber mechanism for dollies such as model number 95991 that is available from Clamor, Inc. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 2 , bucket carriage  200  comprises a pair of sides  202  and  204 . The upper vertex of sides  202  and  204  is pivotally connected to sides  102  and  104  respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, this pivotal connection is accomplished using pins  206  that have threaded passage  207  therethrough and bolts  208  that thread into each end of pins  206  (best seen in  FIG. 6 ). Of course, this connection could be accomplished in alternative manners—one such example being a solid pin that is retained in place using cotter pins on each end. Still referring to  FIG. 2 , reverse stop blocks  126  and  128  prevent bucket carriage  200  from pivoting away from handle  20 . These reverse stop blocks are connected to cross-member  106  as best seen in  FIG. 5 . 
     Referring again to  FIG. 2 , the features of bucket carriage  200  can be observed. Since the sides  202  and  204  are identical, only side  202  will be described in detail using a letter appended to  202  to identify the various portions of side  202 . In the illustrated embodiment, side  202  is unitary and formed from polypropylene. Alternatively, side  202  could be formed of two or more separate pieces that are joined together and could be made from other materials. Members  202   b  and  202   c  extend from opposing ends of base  202   a , forming the lower vertices of the triangle  202   d , and intersect at the upper vertex of the triangle  202   e.    
     The corresponding lower vertices  202   d  and  204   d  of sides  202  and  204  are interconnected by L-shaped cross-members  210  and  212 . The bottom portion of the L shape of cross-members  210  and  212  projects inward toward the center to mop bucket cart  1 . The upper surfaces of the bottom portions of the L shape of cross-members  210  and  212  are of sufficient length and spaced sufficiently apart to receive a standard ten gallon mop bucket (shown in  FIG. 2  as bucket B). To accommodate larger or smaller mop buckets, the length and spacing of cross-members  210  and  212  can be increased or decreased to the dimensions necessary to accommodate alternate buckets, or a removable shelf (not shown) can be placed onto cross-members  210  and  212  to provide a solid surface to support a smaller mop bucket. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 2 , pivoting support members  300   a  and  300   b  are shown. Since pivoting support members  300   a  and  300   b  are identical, only pivoting support member  300   a  will be described in detail. Pivoting support member  300   a  pivots about rod  310 . First end  312  of rod  310  is connected to side  102  and second end  314  is connected to side  104 . First end portion  302   a  of pivoting support member  300   a  defines a hole  303   a  through which rod  310  passes. Caster  304 , which is illustrated as a pivoting type caster but could also be a fixed type caster, is located toward second end portion  306   a  of pivoting support member  300   a  such that when mop bucket cart  1  is on a flat surface, such as ground Gin  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the upper side  308   a  of the second end portion  306   a  of pivoting arm engages bottom surface  202   f  of side  202  of bucket carriage  200 . Pivoting support member  300   b  functions in a similar manner with upper side  308   b  of the second end portion  306   b  of pivoting support member  300   b  engaging bottom surface  204   f  of side  204  of bucket carriage  200  when mop bucket cart  1  is on a flat surface such as ground G in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , mop bucket cart  1  can traverse stairs S by pivoting mop bucket cart  1  on casters  112  and  114  until stair climber  120  engages the lip of step S. As mop bucket cart  1  is pivoted about casters  112  and  114 , pivoting support members  300   a  and  300   b  pivot relative to mop bucket cart  1  allowing bucket carriage  200  to pivot and maintain bucket  10  in a level position. The angle through which pivoting support members  300   a  and  300   b  is allowed to pivot is however arrested by cords  310   a  and  310   b . The length of cords  310   a  and  310   b  is sufficient to allow pivoting support member  300  to rotate far enough to allow bucket carriage  200  to pivot freely but short enough to prevent pivoting support members  300   a  and  300   b  from contacting stair S as mop bucket cart  1  climbs stair S. 
     As mop bucket cart  1  is rotated to an upright position on flat ground after traversing stair S, bucket carriage  200  pivots with respect to mop bucket cart  1  to maintain bucket B in an upright position. As mop bucket cart  1  is rotated into its upright position, casters  304   a  and  304   b  on pivoting support members  300   a  and  300   b  respectively reengage with ground G. Once casters  108  and  116  are again in contact with flat ground G, upper side  308   a  of pivoting support member  300   a  again engages bottom surface  202   f  of side  202  of bucket carriage  200  and upper side  308   b  of pivoting support member  300   b  again engages bottom surface  204   f  of side  204  of bucket carriage  200  such that pivoting support members  300   a  and  300   b  again prevents bucket carriage  200  from pivoting. And in the illustrated embodiment, reversed stop blocks  126  and  128  prevent bucket carriage  200  from pivoting away from handle  20 . 
     While the use of two pivoting support members  300   a  and  300   b  is illustrated, mop bucket cart  1  could alternatively utilize only a single pivoting support member. Similarly, mop bucket cart  1  could utilize a single reverse stop block rather than the two that are illustrated. 
     In the alternative embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 7 , mop bucket  10  is pivotally connected directly to sides  102  and  104  of mop bucket cart  1 . In this embodiment, pivoting support members  300   a  and  300   b  engage bucket B directly to prevent it from pivoting when mop bucket cart  1  is on flat ground and pivot out of the way when mop bucket cart  1  is inclined toward handle  20  to traverse one of more stairs. Reverse stop blocks  126  and  128  may also be utilized as described above to prevent bucket B from pivoting away from handle  20 . 
     While the above describes the illustrated embodiment, those skilled in the art may appreciate that certain modifications may be made to the apparatus and methodology herein disclosed, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Thus, it should be understood that the invention may be adapted to numerous rearrangements, modifications, and alterations and that all such are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims.