Disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad for a hand held cleaning implement having an elongated handle

A disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad for a hand held cleaning implement having an elongated handle includes a layer of sponge material, a layer of flexible open cell foam material made from melamine resin fixedly attached to the layer of sponge material and attachment structure fixedly secured to the layer of sponge material for removably attaching the cleaning pad to the cleaning implement. In one embodiment of the invention the attachment structure includes a backing plate which is fixedly mounted onto the layer of sponge material and a pair of wing screw assemblies which are removably and slidably mounted on the backing plate for removably attaching the cleaning pad to the cleaning implement. In using the hand held cleaning implement the layer of flexible open cell foam material made from melamine resin is the layer that contacts the surface to be cleaned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad for use in a hand held cleaning implement of the type having an elongated handle. One well known type of hand held cleaning implement having an elongated handle and which uses a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad is the sponge mop.

Sponge mops are well known and widely used for cleaning hard surfaces such as hardwood floors, ceramic tile floors, marble floors and the like. The liquid with which these mops are intended to be used is usually water or some type of aqueous solution. Sponge mops usually include an elongated handle, a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad having a layer of sponge material which is used for cleaning and moisture absorbing and a head. The cleaning pad also includes an attachment structure for attaching the cleaning pad to the head of the mop, the construction of the attachment structure depending on the particular type of mop. After being used a number of times, the cleaning pad is usually discarded and replaced with a refill cleaning pad. Examples of the layer of sponge material are natural sponges, polyester foams, polyurethane foams, cellulose and absorbent arrays of synthetic fibers.

The three most common types of sponge mops are the squeeze mop, the butterfly mop and the roller mop.

One very well known type of squeeze mop includes a handle, a head attached to the handle, a mounting plate attached to the head, a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad which includes a layer of sponge material and a backing plate, the layer of sponge material being fixedly secured to the backing plate, means for removably attaching the backing plate to the mounting plate and a squeeze plate hingedly attached to the mounting plate for extracting liquid collected by the cleaning pad during use.

Butterfly mops differ from squeeze mops among other things in that the cleaning pad is mounted on a pair of hinged wing plates which are coupled to the head of the mop rather than a mounting plate. The pair of hinged wing plates can open and close in much the same way as the wings do on a butterfly in order to remove liquid from the cleaning pad.

Roller mops differ from squeeze mops among other things in that they include a pair of rollers rather than a squeeze plate for squeezing water from the cleaning pad.

Sponge mops very often also include a layer of scrubber material or a scrubber brush for cleaning excessively soiled areas.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,086 to A. J. Whyte, there is disclosed a squeeze mop which includes a compressible head of sponge rubber or the like and a wringing mechanism which comprises a presser plate pivotal into compressive engagement with the mop head, an operating lever pivotally mounted on the mop handle, a cam lever pivotally connected to the operating lever and a cam disposed on the end of the cam lever such that actuation of the operating handle causes the cam to reciprocate over the surface of the presser plate while pivotally urging the presser plate into compressive engagement with the mop head.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,945 to W. D. Price, there is disclosed a squeeze mop which comprises a backing plate upon which both a sponge and a scrubber strip have been mounted so as to expose an edge of said backing plate for use as a cleaning tool. The backing plate may be heated and thereafter the sponge may be heat fused to the backing plate and the scrubber strip may be heat fused to the backing plate in perpendicular fashion to the sponge so as to expose an edge of the backing plate for use as a cleaning tool.

In U.S. Pat. No. 6,725,494 to R. A. Cann, there is disclosed a butterfly mop which includes a self-contained wringing mechanism comprising only two molded parts, an actuating lever and an enclosed yoke. A pair of hinged wings can be internally molded onto one end of the actuating lever, and the lever can rotate back and forth within the enclosed yoke. Guides within the yoke can swing the wings closed when the lever is moved forward, squeezing a detachable pad. The mechanical advantage of the actuating lever can be increased as it is moved forward. Moving the lever back to its original position can cause the wings to swing back open, aided by the compression of the sponge.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,750 to P. S. Vosbikian, there is disclosed a butterfly mop which is used for routine surface cleaning and moisture absorbing mopping and an integral unitary mop scrubber attachment with an outer abrasive surface which is to be used on the head of the sponge mop for cleaning more difficult and ingrained soiled surfaces. The mop attachment consists of two detent tabs which are to be inserted into the existing cutouts located in the sponge support member of the mop. The attachment also has side holes for placement over the existing holes of the mop's support member, through which the ends of the mop's squeeze arms are inserted. The mop attachment is readily and easily removable from the sponge mop and is interchangeably designed to be used with existing or new butterfly sponge mops. In another embodiment the mop attachment and the mop's sponge support member is formed with the scrubber component as a single, molded plastic component.

In U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,259 to F. G. Wilson, there is disclosed a roller mop which comprises a wringer mop head replacement and actuator mechanism including a pair of spaced parallel wringer rollers carried at the lower end of a housing through which housing extends an operating crank upward through a hollow handle to pivotal securement with a pivoted crank handle, and which operating crank detachably connects at its lower end to the mop head by means of a cooperating snap-latch carried by the mop head. The crank handle is shiftable between up and detented center positions to similarly shift the operating crank and wring out the mop head by passing it between the rollers, and is shiftable to a down position to expel the mop head and lower end of the operating crank from the housing and from between the rollers to completely expose the snap-latch connection for fast mop head replacement. The mop head snap-latch consists of an inverted channel member holding a sponge absorbent element by compression of a marginal edge of the sponge between the channel member walls, the center of the channel base wall having an upstanding tunnel formation into which the operating crank lower end hook arm is slidable with the latter held in position by a shiftable latch plate biased resiliently upward by the sponge material to capture the hook arm.

In U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0028309A1 there is disclosed a butterfly mop having an elongate shaft with a mop element disposed at one end of the shaft and a wringer connected to the shaft and the mop element. In preferred embodiments, the wringer includes a channel body having first and second leg portions defining a channel there between. The mop element includes a foldable, compressible, liquid-absorbent member, a mounting element having first and second support portions connected by a flexible member, and a scrubber mounted to the mounting element. The mop element and channel body are movable relative to one another, whereby the mop element may be drawn into the channel causing the mop element to fold along a central transverse axis and to become compressed between the channel body leg portions. The wringer includes a handle and an actuator link connecting the handle to one of the mop element and channel body for effecting relative hinged movement thereof. In some embodiments, the mop element includes a support that has first and second support portions and a flexible member connecting the first and second support portions. In certain embodiments, a fastener having a barbed shaft is used to connect the mop element to the wringing mechanism to the mop.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,920 to W. J. O'Neil, Jr. et al. there is disclosed a roller mop having a scrubber attachment which is fixedly mounted thereon without any extra, attaching hardware. The scrubber attachment carries a scrubber pad and is fixedly secured to the mop head at a predetermined angle. This combination yields a mop capable of both conventional sponge cleaning and of abrasively rubbing to effect further cleansing treatment of a surface without the risk of moving the scrubber out of operative position during use.

In U.S. RE 37,415E there is disclosed roller sponge mop which is used for routine floor surface or similar surface cleaning and moisture absorbing mopping is combined with an integral mop attachment with an outer abrasive surface, designed and formed to be positioned within a wall surface of the lower frame of the mop, to be used for cleaning more difficult and ingrained soiled surfaces. The attachment is removable and interchangeable for use on similarly configured roller mops. The sponge mop roller squeeze feature is actuated by a cammed lever which is rotatably connected to the mop's handle and is positioned adjacent to a sleeve slidable mounted on the handle. At its lower end, the sleeve comprises the frame which carries the mop attachment and connects to the mop's rollers. The bias action of a spring at the lower end of the handle maintains the sponge element of the mop in the cleaning position. As the lever is moved against the sleeve and toward the rollers, the handle is caused to move away from the rollers, drawing the sponge element between the rollers, squeezing dirt and water out of the sponge member. Releasing the lever causes the spring to return the handle and the sponge member to the cleaning position. Tabs on the sleeve and camming lever interact to lock the sleeve and handle to hold and maintain the sponge element between the rollers independent of the use of manually exertion. In this manner, the abrasive surface can be sued without interference from the extended sponge element. A handle attachment piece is secured at one end to the handle and at the other end comprises bottom walls. The bottom walls are self-aligning with corresponding ridged openings on the channel member which holds the sponge element. This alignment system allows for simply and easily replacement of the sponge element of the mop.

There is currently in the marketplace a hand held disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad especially useful in cleaning walls, bathroom and kitchen fixtures and the like which is rectangularly shaped and which consists of a layer of sponge material bonded to a layer of flexible open cell foam material made from melamine resin. The layer of flexible open cell foam material is manufactured by BASF Corporation in Ludingshaffen, Germany and sold under the name BASOTECT. The layer of flexible open cell foam material made from melamine resin and bonded to the layer of sponge material is marketed by Proctor & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio under the name Magic Eraser. In use, the layer of open cell foam material is the layer that contacts the surface to be cleaned. The length, width and thickness of the pad is about 4¾ inches by 2½ inches by 1 1/16 inches and the thickness of the layer of flexible open cell foam material is about ⅞ of an inch.

Although sponge mops comprising a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad are generally adequate for their intended purpose, they are not always completely satisfactory in successfully removing all types of soils from hard surfaces.

Also, because of certain structural differences, a refill cleaning pad made for one manufacturer's mop will not always fit onto another manufacturer's mop of the same type.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved hand held cleaning implement of the type having an elongated handle and a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad.

It is another object of this invention to provide a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad for a hand held cleaning implement which has a backing plate constructed such that the cleaning pad can be used with more than one type of hand held cleaning implement.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a new and improved refill for a hand held cleaning implement of the type having an elongated handle and a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad for a squeeze mop, the squeeze mop having a head, a mounting plate on the head onto which the cleaning pad can be mounted and a squeeze plate attached to the mounting plate, the disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad comprising a layer of sponge material, a layer of a flexible open cell foam material made from melamine resin fixedly attached to the layer of sponge material, a backing plate fixedly mounted onto the layer of sponge material and means for removably attaching the backing plate onto the mounting plate.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad for a butterfly mop, the butterfly mop having a pair of pivotally mounted base plates, the disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad comprising a layer of sponge material, a layer of a flexible open cell foam material made from melamine resin fixedly attached to the layer of sponge material and a backing plate fixedly mounted onto the layer of sponge material, the backing plate being adapted to be removably mounted on the pair of pivotably mounted base plates.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad for a roller mop, the roller mop having a pair of rollers and an operating crank, the disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad comprising a layer of sponge material, a layer of a flexible open cell foam material made from melamine resin fixedly attached to the layer of sponge material, and an operating crank holder attached to the layer of sponge material and adapted to be removably attached to the operating crank.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad for a hand held cleaning implement of the type having an elongated handle and a head, the liquid absorbing cleaning pad comprising a layer of sponge material, a backing plate fixedly mounted onto said layer of liquid absorbing material and having a pair of longitudinally disposed slotted pockets for attaching said backing plate onto either one of two differently constructed hand held cleaning implements.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad for a hand held cleaning implement having an elongated handle having a head, and attachment structure on the head onto which the cleaning pad can be mounted, and a handle, the disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad comprising a layer of sponge material, a layer of a flexible open cell foam material made from melamine resin fixedly attached to the layer of sponge material, a backing plate fixedly mounted onto the layer of sponge material and means for removably attaching the backing plate onto the attachment structure on the hand held cleaning implement.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad for a butterfly mop, the butterfly mop having a pair of pivotally mounted base plates, the disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad comprising a layer of sponge material, a layer of a flexible open cell foam material made from melamine resin fixedly attached to the layer of sponge material and a backing plate fixedly mounted onto the layer of sponge material, the backing plate being adapted to be removably mounted on the pair of pivotably mounted base plates.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad for a mop having rollers, the disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad comprising a layer of sponge material, a layer of a flexible open cell foam material made from melamine resin fixedly attached to the layer of sponge material, and mans attached to the layer of sponge material for removably attaching the cleaning pad to the mop.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is directed to a handle held cleaning implement of the type having an elongated handle and a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad in which the cleaning pad comprises a layer of open cell foam material made from melamine resin and a layer of sponge material. The layer of open cell foam material is used for cleaning and moisture absorbing. The present invention is also directed to a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad which can be used with a variety of differently constructed squeeze mops.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown inFIG. 1a perspective view taken from the top of a disposable liquid absorbing cleaning pad according to this invention for use with a squeeze mop, the cleaning pad being identified by reference numeral11. A perspective view of cleaning pad11taken from the bottom is shown inFIG. 2and a partly exploded view of the cleaning pad11is shown inFIG. 3.

Cleaning pad11, which is generally rectangularly shaped, includes a layer13of flexible open cell foam material made from melamine resin. A layer15of sponge material, such as polyester foam, is bonded to layer13by a suitable adhesive (not shown), such as glue. Examples of other material for layer15of sponge material are natural sponges, polyurethane foams, cellulose and absorbent arrays of synthetic fibers. A backing plate17for removably securing cleaning pad11to a squeeze mop is fixedly attached by a suitable adhesive, such as glue, to the layer15of sponge material. Instead of glue, backing plate17could be fused to layer15of sponge material.

Backing plate17is an elongated rectangularly shaped plate of plastic material having a length of about 8½ inches, a width of about 2 inches and a thickness of about 1/16 of an inch. A pair of opposed pockets19and21are integrally formed on the top surface23of backing plate17. Each pocket19and21includes a top wall25and27, respectively, having a slot29,31, respectively. Each slot29,31has an outer portion32-1and an inner portion32-2, outer portion32-1being wider than inner portion32-2.

Cleaning pad11further includes a pair of wing screw assemblies33for use in removably securing cleaning pad11to the head of a squeeze mop of the type which includes a pair of cleaning pad mounting holes. Each wing screw assembly33is slidably and removably mounted in one of the pockets19and21. Each wing screw assembly33includes a screw35which is fixedly mounted off-center on a thin rectangularly shaped metal plate37which is slidably and removably mounted in one of the pockets19and21and a wing nut39which is removably screwed onto screw35.

In use, screws35extend through a pair of cleaning pad mounting holes on the mounting plate of the squeeze mop and then tightened using wings nuts39to removably attach backing plate17to the mounting plate of the squeeze mop.

As can be seen, screw assemblies29can be positioned at any location along slots29and31with either end41and43, inserted first. As a result, cleaning pad11will accommodate a variety of different mounting hole spacings.

The flexible open cell foam material made from melamine resin is manufactured by BASF corporation in Ludwigshaffen, German and sold under the name BASOTECT. The length L1, width W1and height H1of cleaning pad11may be, for example, 9½ inches, 3 inches and 1½ inches, respectively. The thickness T1of layer13may be for example 7/16 of an inch. It should be noted, however, that these dimensions are by way of example, only, and that layer13and pad11may have other dimensions.

To use pad11, after it is attached to a hand held cleaning implement, layer13is wet with water or other liquid in the same way as the Magic Eraser.

In assembling pad11, backing plate17is first attached to sponge layer15. Then, foam layer13is bonded to sponge layer15.

Cleaning pad11can be used either as part of a new squeeze mop or as a refill for an existing squeeze mop.

InFIG. 5is shown one type of a squeeze mop45constructed according to this invention using cleaning pad11.

Squeeze mop45includes a mop head47, a mounting plate48integrally formed with mop head47, a mop handle49removably attached to mop head47, a cleaning pad11removably attached to mounting plate48by wing screw assemblies33on backing plate23of cleaning pad11which extend through mounting holes51and53in mounting plate48, a squeeze plate54attached by a living hinge55to mounting plate48and a squeeze plate handle56fixedly attached to squeeze plate54.

An exploded view of squeeze mop45taken from the bottom is shown inFIG. 6.

Mop45is used in a conventional manner.

Another well known type of squeeze mop comprises a mounting plate having a pair of tabs rather than a pair of mounting holes. Cleaning pad11can be used with this latter type of squeeze mop by simply removing the wing screw assemblies33and then inserting the tabs of the mounting plate into the slots in pockets19and21.

InFIG. 7is shown a perspective view of another embodiment of a cleaning pad for use with still another type of squeeze mop constructed according to this invention and identified by reference numeral57.

Cleaning pad57includes a layer58of flexible open cell foam material made from melamine resin, a layer59of sponge material bonded to layer58and a backing plate61made up of frame sections63-1and63-2for removably securing pad55to a squeeze mop. Frame sections63-1and63-2are fixedly attached by a suitable adhesive (not shown) to layer59. Backing plate61includes four pins65for removably attaching pad57by a press fit to the mounting plate and also to the squeeze plate of a squeeze mop. The length, width and thickness of pad57are about 8 inches by about 4 and 9/16 inches by about 1 and ½ inches respectively. These dimensions are by way of example only. Cleaning pad57can be used either as a part of a new mop or as a refill for an existing mop.

InFIG. 7Ais shown a fragmentary perspective view of squeeze mop constructed using cleaning pad57and identified by reference numeral66.

Squeeze mop66includes a head67, a handle69removably mounted on mop handle67at one end thereof, a mounting plate71fixedly secured to head67, a squeeze plate73hingedly connected to mounting plate71, a squeeze plate handle75fixedly secured to squeeze plate73, a cleaning pad55, cleaning pad55including a backing plate61having a plurality of attachment pins65, cleaning pad55being removably mounted on mounting plate71and also on squeeze plate73. To assemble the mop, attachment pins65are pushed up through mounting holes68in head69and squeeze plate71to removably secure pad55onto head69and squeeze plate71. As can be seen, the main differences between squeeze mop45and squeeze mop66are, in addition to the overall size of the cleaning pads, that in squeeze mop45cleaning pad11is removably mounted only on head47whereas in squeeze mop66cleaning pad55is removably mounted on mop head69and also on squeeze plate73. Also, the attachment structure in mop45is wing screw assemblies33while in mop665the attachment structure is attachment pins66.

InFIG. 8is shown a perspective view of a cleaning pad constructed according to this invention for use on a butterfly mop, the cleaning pad being identified by reference numeral75. Cleaning pad75includes a layer77of flexible open cell foam material made form melamine resin, a layer79of sponge material bonded to layer77by any suitable means (not shown) and a backing plate81made of plastic fixedly secured to sponge layer79by any suitable means such as by an adhesive or by fusing (not shown), backing plate81comprising a pair of plate sections81-1and81-2connected by a hinge portion made up of three strips81-3,814and81-5. Each section81-1and81-2includes two tabs83and one slot85for removably attaching backing plate81to a pair of hinged wing plates on the mop. Pad75can either be a part of a new mop or a refill for an existing mop.

InFIG. 9is shown a fragmentary perspective view of butterfly mop constructed according to this invention and identified by reference numeral87.

Butterfly mop87includes a head89. An inner handle90is coupled to head89. A yoke91is mounted on an outer handle92. Inner handle90is movable within outer handle92. A pair of hinged wing plates93and94are attached to head89and a cleaning pad75is removably mounted on wing plates93and94. In use, outer handle92is pushed down with one hand while holding inner handle90with the other hand to cause wing plates93and94to fold to a closed position in order to extract liquid collected by cleaning pad75.

It should be noted that instead of a cleaning pad which includes a backing plate as shown inFIGS. 1,3,7, and8which removably engages a mounting plate on the cleaning implement as shown inFIGS. 5,6and7A or the wing plates as shown inFIG. 9, a cleaning pad could be provided which includes a layer of Velcro material (either hooks or loops) which removably engages a mating Velcro construction (either hooks or loops) integrally formed on the head of the implement or attached to the head by any suitable means such as an adhesive.

Referring now toFIG. 10Athere is shown a perspective view from the front of one type of a roller mop having a cleaning pad constructed according to this invention, the roller mop being identified by reference numeral97. Front and side perspective views of the bottom of mop97are shown inFIGS. 10B and 10Cand a perspective view of the cleaning pad in mop97is shown inFIG. 13.

Roller mop97includes an elongated handle99having a handgrip100at the top and a disposable cleaning pad101. Cleaning pad101includes an attachment structure103, a layer of sponge material105bonded to attachment structure103and a layer of open cell foam material made from melamine resin107bonded to layer105. Attachment structure103includes an internally threaded tubular portion109which is screwed into the lower end111of handle99which is externally threaded. A sleeve113is slidably mounted on handle99. Sleeve113includes a bifurcated lower end115on which are rotably mounted a pair of rollers117and119. To wring out roller mop97, sleeve113is pushed down relative to handle99causing rollers117and119to move down over sponge layer105and then melamine layer107. It should be noted that the details of hoe roller mop97operates are well known and not a part of this invention.

In another well known type of roller mop (not shown) the cleaning pad is removably attached by attachment structure to a crank which is pivotally mounted on an elongated handle. An example of this may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,259, which patent is incorporated herein by reference.

Cleaning pad101can be used either as part of an original mop or as a refill for an existing mop.

It should also be noted that a disposable, removable cleaning pad comprising a backing plate, a layer of sponge and a layer of open cell foam material made of melanine resin could also be used in other types of hand held cleaning implements having an elongated handle such as toilet bowl brushes, scrub brushes and kitchen brushes as well as other types of mops.

The embodiments of the present invention recited herein are intended to be merely exemplary and those skilled in the art will be able to make numerous variations and modifications to it without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.