REPLACEMENT PART FOR FLOOR-CLEANING MOPS

Abstract: A replacement part for floor cleaning mops (5) comprises a sheet of absorbent material which is rolled up upon itself to form a calendered neck portion (4) having reduced thickness and a body portion having a plurality of cuts (3) in the sheet which define strips (2) of material. The neck (4) is stabilised by means of a suitable adhesive which fastens the turns of the sheet in the neck. Ideally the neck (4) includes a small axial orifice (6).

Description: REPLACEMENT PART FOR FLOOR-CLEANING MOPS D E S C R I P T I O N SUBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a replacement part for floor-cleaning mops, specifically for floor- cleaning-mop mop parts, whose characteristics have been designed to achieve maximum structural simplification with the consequent and beneficial effect this involves regarding costs, without detriment to optimum functional character. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Articles generally known as "mops" include a bucket equipped with a wringer part and a floor-cleaning mop with its corresponding handle or haft. The mop part, constructed from a plurality of cords or strips of absorbent type, is fastened to the handle or haft by means of a head which forms the connec¬ tion for the various strips or cords forming the mop part and which usually has a cylindrical housing into which the corresponding end of the handle is inserted. Obviously, the length of the service life of the components of a "mop" is considerable, with the exception of the actual mop part or floor-cleaning element which, owing to its • actual function, is subject to continual friction forces which, allied with its particular nature, means that it suffers significant wear, which in turn means that it has to be replaced regularly. Manufacturers of floor-cleaning mops therefore also offer the market replacement parts of this type which, in addition to the bands or cords of cexciie and absorbent type, include a plastic part which firstly forms the connection said elements and secondly the means of fastening the spare part to the corresponding head of the floor-cleaning mop. The involvement of this plastic part complicates the process of manufacturing the replacement part in structural terms and consequently leads to it being more expensive for the consumer. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The replacement part for floor-cleaning mops which the invention proposes solves the aforesaid problem in a fully satisfactory manner since, by virtue of its special construction, it can be coupled directly to the head of the floor-cleaning mop without any type of plastic component, since the mop part forming the replacement part, i.e. the textile and absorbent element, has its own means for fastening to said head. To this end and more specifically, said replace¬ ment part is formed from a sheet of absorbent textile material provided with a narrow marginal zone which has been calendered, whilst the remainder of its width has a plurality of transverse cuts, defining strips, the said sheet being rolled up on itself and stabilized by means of adhesive on the said calendered marginal zone, with the result that a firm cylindrical neck is constructed which can be coupled directly to the head of the floor- cleaning mop, the strips forming the actual floor-clean¬ ing mop emerging from the said cylindrical neck and expanding volumetrically. As a supplement to the structure described and in accordance with another of the characteristics of the invention, the said cylindrical neck of the replacement part has an axial orifice which enables it to be centred during coupling to the corresponding head. As regards the adhesive used for fastening the head of the mop part of the present invention, it must be pointed out that it will be possible to use any appropri¬ at τn«anR f such as hot glues, cold glues or adhesives supplied in the form of intermediate sheets, which, without affecting the thickness of said neck, results in the adhesion of the sheet element when this is rolled up. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To supplement the description which is being given and with a view to permitting better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, the present specification is accompanied, as an integral part there¬ of, by a set of drawings which, in an illustrative and non-limiting manner, show the following: Figure 1 shows, in a view in lateral elevation and with a quarter in section, a replacement part for a floor-cleaning mop produced according to the subject of the present invention. Figure 2 shows an axial view of said replacement part. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION On observing these figures, it may be seen how the replacement part for floor-cleaning mops which is advocated is constructed by means of a one-piece body, obtained from a continuous band, of textile and absorbent type, in which there is a marginal zone (1) , which is calendered in order considerably to reduce its thickness, from which marginal zone (1) emerge a plurality of strips or loose ends (2) , defined by transverse cuts (3) , which obviously are not included in the said calendered mar¬ ginal zone (1) so that when this sheet part is rolled up on itself the said calendered marginal zone (1) , referred to repeatedly, forms a cylindrical neck (4) , of small diameter, which can be coupled to the head of the floor- cleaning mop , to which the corresponding handle or haft can also be coupled, the latter not being shown in the drawings, said neck (4) being completely firm because the spiral which forms it is stabilized by means of adhesive, the actual floor-cleaning mop (5) emerging from said neck (4) and expanding εubstantially, with a bell-shaped fit.ructιιr« by virtue of the fact that the strips (2) forming it, as may be inferred from the aforesaid, are not subject to the calendering process which restricts the thickness of the marginal zone (1) forming the neck (4) . The replacement part structured in this way and completely firm can be coupled easily and directly, by means of its neck (1) , to the head of the floor-cleaning mop, being fastened finally to the latter by means of restriction means, on said neck (1), with which the said head will be provided, the existence on the said neck (1) of an axial orifice (6) for receiving an axial rod for centring the head playing a part in facilitating the fitting operation. In any case, fitting the replacement part on the floor-cleaning mop iε extremely rapid and easy and said replacement part is optimally simple in structural terms, which leads to minimized costs. It is considered unnecessary to expand this description for any expert in the field to understand the scope of the invention and the advantages deriving therefrom. The materials, form, size and arrangement of the elements may be varied provided this does not constitute an alteration to the essential nature of the invention. The terms in which this specification has been drafted must always be taken in their widest and non- limiting sense.

Claims: C L A I M S 1. Replacement part for floor-cleaning mops, charac¬ terized essentially in that it is formed from a sheet body of textile and absorbent type in which a calendered marginal zone is defined longitudinally, said zone displaying a marked reduction in thickness, whilst the remaining zone of said sheet has a plurality of trans¬ verse cuts defining strips or loose ends which form the actual floor-cleaning mop, with the particular feature that the said sheet body is rolled up on itself to form, by means of its calendered marginal zone, a basically solid cylindrical neck which nevertheless has a small axial orifice, the neck being stabilized by means of a suitable adhesive which fastens the turns of the sheet body, the said cylindrical neck being dimensionally suitable for coupling to the head of the floor-cleaning mop to which the corresponding handle or haft can, in turn, be coupled. 2. Replacement part for floor-cleaning mops accord- ing to Claim 1, characterized in that the adhesive used for fastening the cylindrical neck is of the hot-glue type. 3. Replacement part for floor-cleaning mops accord¬ ing to Claim 1, characterized in that the adhesive used for fastening the cylindrical neck is of the cold-glue type. 4. Replacement part for floor-cleaning mops accord¬ ing to Claim 1, characterized in that the adhesive used for fastening the cylindrical neck is an adhesive strip or band which glues together those sections forming the material as the rolling-up operation takes place. Madrid, 25 April 199* FRANCISCO CARPINTERO 403/0

Inventors: ROBLEDO CUESTA JUAN VICENTE, ROBLEDO CUESTA, JUAN, VICENTE
Applicants: ROBLEDO CUESTA JUAN VICENTE, UNILEVER NV, UNILEVER PLC, ROBLEDO CUESTA, JUAN, VICENTE, UNILEVER N.V.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A47L13
IPC codes: A47L13