SWEEP MOP PAD HOLDER

Abstract: A sweep mop pad holder comprises a central support section (1) with a handle mounting (3) on its upper side, and two end sections (4, 5). The end sections (4, 5) are pivotally mounted on the central support section (1) and they engage a mop pad (10) which is thereby securely held on the pad holder, with the end sections (4, 5) retained in a generally aligned erected position. The first end section (4) is extended inwardly beyond the handle mounting (3) so that whereas with the holder collapsed both end sections (4, 5) can hang down freely for wringing out of the mop pad (10), the handle can be so positioned relatively to the support section (1) that it engages the inward extension of the first end section (4) and can be used to support that end section (4) so that the mop can be re-erected by engagement of the collapsed mop with the floor by an operative holding the handle.

Description: The invention relates to sweep mops which comprise a mop pad mounted on a pad holder attached through an articulating joint to a handle, so that the operative area of the pad lies flat on the floor as the mop is used with a sweeping action. Such mops, which typically have an effective size of 24 or 18 inches by 4 inches (approx 70 or 46 cm by 10 cm), are in general use for mopping of large floor areas as in hospitals and offices. For wet mopping the mop pads are usually removable from the pad holders for use in a wet mopping system including a mopping unit comprising a mop bucket combined with a wringer having two squeeze rollers between which the mop pad can be wrung out. To speed up the mopping operation and avoid the necessity of handling the wet mop collapsible pad holders have been proposed which comprise two leaves hinged to a central support connected to the handle so that, when collapsed, the pad hangs down and can be pulled through the wringer. Although handling is reduced it is not avoided altogether, and individual catch arrangements which respectively retain the two leaves in the erected condition require two-handed operation. An object of the invention is to provide a collapsible mop pad holder which can be re-erected, after wringing out the mop, without handling the wet pad. It is a further object to provide such a pad holder which can be collapsed and re-erected without the hands of the operative leaving the mop handle. According to one aspect of the invention a sweep mop pad holder comprises a support section with a handle mounting on its upper side, two end sections to which the ends of a mop pad can be attached and catch means which retain the end sections in a generally aligned erected condition, one of the end sections being extended beyond the handle mounting above the support section so that whereas when the holder is collapsed the end sections can hang down for wringing out of an attached mop pad, or the handle can be positioned relatively to the support section so that it or the mounting engages the extension of said one end section for support of that end section so that the mop can be re-erected by engagement of the collapsed mop with the floor with the operative holding the handle. Preferably the catch means automatically engage as the mop is pressed down on to the floor, so that re-erection is accomplished without the hands leaving the mop handle and, in particular, without touching either the wet mop pad or the pad holder. The catch means preferably operate directly between the two end sections so that one thereof is latched to the other rather than to the support section. A plastics block of said extension of said one end section, with which the handle can be engaged in the described manner, may provide a catch which resiliently engages the other end section for latching purposes. Both end sections may comprise wire frames, with the plastics catch block having edge formations which have snap-on catch engagement with side limbs of the wire frame of said other end section. The resilient catch engagement may be achieved using the flexibility and resilience of the wire frame of said other end section, and the arrangement may be such that the catch can be freed by appropriately positioning the handle and giving it a quick downward and upward shake. This employs the inertia of the wet mop pad to overcome the resilient catch engagement, and a construction results in which the mop can be both collapsed and re-erected without the hands of the operative leaving the handle. According to another aspect of the invention, a mop pad holder has end sections to which the ends of a mop pad can be attached, and catch means operative to latch the end sections in a generally aligned erected position and which can be freed, to collapse the mop holder, utilising the inertia of a wet pad and merely by appropriate movement of the handle. The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, a sweep mop embodying a pad holder in accordance with the invention. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic top perspective view showing the complete mop in erected condition; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the mop in collapsed condition; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the mop partially re-erected; Fig. 4 is a partial side view illustrating a central portion of the pad holder, partly in section; Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively side and top views of one end section of the pad holder; Figs. 7 and 8 are similar views of another end section of the pad holder; and Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively top and side views of a catch block of the pad holder. The mop pad holder illustrated comprises a central support section 1 to which a handle 2 is attached by means of a universally-jointed handle mounting 3. End sections 4 and 5, in the form of wire frames, are pivotally mounted on the section 1. The end frame sections 4 and 5 are of rectangular shape in plan view with outer end limbs 6 and 7 which engage in end pockets 8 and 9 of a mop pad 10 which is thereby securely held on the pad holder. In the erected operative condition of the holder the end sections 4 and 5 are aligned, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, so that the pad 10 is held stretched in flat configuration below the sections 1, 4 and 5. Spaced cross members 11 and 12 maintain the shape of the frame section 4, this section having a small central gap 13 between outer end limbs 6. A single cross member 15 of the end section 5 performs the same function as the cross member 12. Both end sections 4 and 5 are upwardly joggled to provide main outer portions, coplanar with the bottom of the mounting section 1, and parallel and relatively short inner portions. The cross member 11 of section 4 and the inner end limbs 16 of the section 5 respectively take a bearing in cross slots 17 and 18 in the lower side of the mounting section 1, being retained therein by an attached securing plate 19. The upwardly joggled inner end portion of the end section 4 extends beyond the handle mounting 3, and a catch block 20 is mounted on the inner end of this section which extends as a close fit into a blind slot 21 moulded into the inner side edge of the plastics block 20. An inner end limb 14 of the section 4 seat against the inner end of the slot 21 which is moulded with internal projections 22 to provide a snap-on fixing of the block 20. The block 20 is moulded with edge recesses 23 in which the side limbs 24 of the upwardly joggled inner end portion of the frame section 5 engage. Such engagement operates to provide latching of the sections 4 and 5 one to the other to retain the assembly in the erected condition illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. Movement of the side limbs 24 into and out of engagement with the recesses 23, during erection and collapsing of the pad holder, is accommodated by resilient flexing of the side limbs 24 which move over smoothly radiused catch formations 25 at the bottom lateral side edges of the block 20. On its side facing the handle mounting 3 the block 20 has a radiused cut-out 26 so that it does not impede full handle movement during use of the mop. The features of the latch arrangement described are clearly shown in Figs. 4, 8 and 10, with the handle mounting 3 being omitted from Fig. 4. In addition to providing catch means for latching the sections 4 and 5 one to the other to maintain the erected condition, the block 20 performs another important function which will be clear from the following description of the collapsing and erecting procedure. When the mop has to be collapsed for wringing out of the mop pad the handle is held positioned as shown in Fig. 1, that is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the pad holder and directed away from the block 20. Holding the handle 2 firmly in both hands the operative gives the mop a quick shake, downwards and upwards. At the reversal of movement the inertia of the wet mop pad 10 acting on the frame sections 4 and 5 is sufficient to overcome the resilient latching engagement of the section 5 with the block 20. The side limbs 24 open to drop down over the latching formations 25 and the sections 4 and 5 hang downwardly, in the collapsed condition of the pad holder, with the mop pad 10 draped in a loop below them as shown in Fig. 2. The mop can now be wrung out, the mop pad 10 being doubled to pass through the wringer. Thus collapsing of the mop and the wringing out can be accomplished without handling of the wet mop pad 10. The handle 2 is now turned through 180°, so that whilst still aligned with the longitudinal axis of the pad holder it extends over the top of the block 20. Thus the handle can be held so that it engages the block 20 to hold the frame section 4 at a suitable inclination for it to be engaged with the floor so that the ends of the pad 10 are spaced apart, whereupon pressing the mop down upon the floor will move the frame sections 4 and 5 back to the erected condition, an intermediate condition being shown in Fig. 3. As the frame sections 4 and 5 come into alignment the side limbs 24 snap over the latching formations 25 into the side grooves 23 of the block 20, so that these sections are securely latched together in the erected condition of the mop holder. Thus erection, after wringing out the mop pad 10, is also accomplished without handling of the latter due to the extension of the end section 4 beyond the handle mounting 3 above the mounting section 1, with this extension terminating in the block 20 engaged by the handle in the manner described. It will be appreciated that whether the block 20 is engaged by the handle itself or by a section of the handle mounting which connects to the handle is immaterial and depends upon the construction of the handle mounting.

Claims: 1. A sweep mop pad holder comprising a support section with a handle mounting on its upper side, two end sections to which the ends of a mop pad can be attached and catch means which retain the end sections in a generally aligned erected position, characterized in that one of the end sections (4) is extended inwardly beyond the handle mounting (3) above the support section (1) so that whereas when the holder is collapsed that end section (4) can hang down freely for wringing out of an attached mop pad (10), the handle (2) can be positioned relatively to the support section (1) so that the handle (2) engages the inward extension of said one end section (4) and can be used to support that end section (4) so that the mop can be re-erected by engagement of the collapsed mop with the floor by an operative holding the handle (2). 2. A mop pad holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the catch means (23,24,25) automatically engage as the mop is pressed down on to the floor and reaches said erected position. 3. A mop pad holder according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the catch means (23,24,25) operate directly between the two end sections (4,5) so that one thereof is directly latched to the other. 4. A mop pad holder according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a moulded block (20) of said inward extension of said one end section (4), with which block (20) the handle (2) can be engaged to support said one end section (4), provides a catch which resiliently engages the other end section (5) for latching purposes. 5. A mop pad holder according to claim 4, characterized in that both sections (4,5) comprise wire frames. 6. A mop pad holder according to claim 5, characterized in that said block (20) has edge formations (23,25) which have snap-on catch engagement with side limbs (24) of the wire frame of said other end section (5). 7. A mop pad holder according to claim 5 or claim 6, characterized in that resilient catch engagement with said moulded block (20) employs the flexibility and resilience of the wire frame of said other end section (5). 8. A mop pad holder according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that a cross member (11) of said one end section (4) and an inner end limb or limbs (16) of said other end section (5) are pivotally received in cross slots (17,18), respectively, formed in the support section (1) and a securing plate (19) attached to the central support section (1) retains the cross member (11) and end limb or limbs (16) in the respective cross slots (17,18). 9. A mop pad holder according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the arrangement is such that the catch can be freed by appropriately positioning the handle and giving it a quick downward and upward shake, thereeby utilizing the inertia of the wet mop pad to overcome the resilient catch engagement. 10. A collapsible mop pad holder comprising end sections to which the ends of a mop pad can be attached, and catch means operative to latch the end sections in a generally aligned erected position, characterized in that the catch means (23,24,25) can be freed, to collapse the mop holder, utilising the inertia of an attached mop pad (10) merely by appropriate shaking movement of a handle (2) of the mop holder.

Inventors: YOUNG, RONALD ALEXANDER
Applicants: SCOT YOUNG RESEARCH LIMITED
Application year: 1987
Main classification: A47L13
IPC codes: A47L13