Abstract:
A mop head assembly having: a base plate member with a generally flat bottom portion adapted to receive a flexible cleaning member; and an electric motor mounted on the base plate member at a laterally centered position thereon and having a rotatable shaft with an asymmetric weight mounted thereon, the shaft projecting downwardly from the electric motor and oriented substantially perpendicular to the base plate bottom portion, wherein rotation of the asymmetric weight on the shaft causes the base plate to vibrate primarily in a plane parallel to the flat bottom portion. A cover member that covers the electric motor and which is positioned over other components mounted on the base plate is also described.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Floor mops have long been used to clean hard surface floors such as wood or tile floors. Mops typically include an elongate handle mounted on a mop head. The handle is often mounted to enable pivotal displacement of the handle relative to the mop head. The mop head usually has a cleaning member removeably attached to it. For example, microfiber cloths are sometimes used as cleaning members. One common method for attaching a cleaning member to a mop head employs hook and loupe type fasteners strips mounted on the bottom of the mop head. Some mops are provided with fluid reservoirs mounted on the mop handles. In such units a sprayer, which may be actuated with a trigger provided on the mop handle, is incorporated into the fluid reservoir. Thus, a person using the mop may spray cleaning solution on the floor in front of the mop as the mop is pushed across the floor. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0002]      FIG. 1  is an exploded isometric view of a vibrating mop head; 
           [0003]      FIG. 2  is a top isometric view of a vibrating mop head; 
           [0004]      FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of a vibrating mop head; 
           [0005]      FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of a vibration unit; 
           [0006]      FIG. 5  is a bottom plan view of a vibration unit; 
           [0007]      FIG. 6  is a bottom, exploded, detail isometric view of a vibrating mop cover member; and 
           [0008]      FIG. 7  is a schematic circuit diagram. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]      FIGS. 1-3  illustrate a mop head  10  that has a base plate member  11  and a cover member  13  mounted on the base plate member. The base plate member  11  has a top face  12 , a bottom face  14 , a front end portion  16  and a back end portion  18 . The base plate member  11  has a first lateral side portion  22  and a second lateral side portion  24 . 
         [0010]    A handle attachment portion  32  such as a knuckle may be integrally formed at a laterally and longitudinally centered position on the base plate member  11 . A handle receiving adapter member  34  may be pivotally connected to the handle attachment portion  32  about a laterally extending pivot axis, and a mop handle  35  may be mounted in the adapter member  34 . In one embodiment the adapter member contains a pivot joint so that the handle is pivotable about two axes relative to the mop head  10 . Mop handle connection assemblies such as above described are known in the art. 
         [0011]    A motor bay  36  is provided on the top face  12  of the base plate member  11  at a location in longitudinal alignment with and forward of the handle attachment portion  32 . A tubular member  38  with a cylindrical cavity  40  is mounted in the motor bay  36 . A vibration unit  42  is supported by the tubular member  38 . The vibration unit  42 , as best shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  5  includes a motor  46  having a cylindrical motor housing  48 . A motor shaft  50  extends downwardly from the housing  48  and is rotatable about an axis MM. An asymmetric weight  52  is mounted on the shaft  50  and rotates with it about rotation axis MM. First and second electric terminals  51 ,  53  may extend from a top portion of the motor housing  48  and are connected to leads  205 ,  204 . Electricity to drive the motor  46  is provided through the terminals  51 ,  53 . Vibration units using asymmetric weights are known in the art. A motor mounting and centering member  54  may be mounted on top of the motor housing  48 . The member  54  may be generally disc shaped and may include a plurality of radially projecting ribs  56  and a central stud  58 . The motor housing  48  is supported at the top of the tubular member  38  with the motor shaft  50  and asymmetric weight  52  positioned within the cylindrical cavity  40 . The radius of the cavity  40  is selected to be slightly larger than the radius of the asymmetric weight  52  to allow the weight  52  to rotate without contacting the sidewall of the tubular member  38 . 
         [0012]    As best shown by  FIG. 1 , a first battery bay  62  and a second battery bay  64  are symmetrically positioned with respect to handle attachment portion  32 . The battery bays  62 ,  64  may be adapted to each receive two batteries  66 , which may be AA sized batteries. The batteries may be connected in series and provide operating power to the motor  46  as further discussed below. 
         [0013]    A switch bay  67 ,  FIG. 1 , may be formed on the top face  12  of the base plate member  11  at a lateral end portion  22  of the base plate member  11 . An on-off plunger switch  68  may be positioned at a centered location in the switch bay  67 . Plunger switches are well known in the art and are readily commercially available from multiple sources. 
         [0014]    In one embodiment of the invention, the motor bay  36 , the battery bays  62 ,  64  and the switch bay  67  are all formed in an elongate recess  69  in the top face  12  of the base plate member  11 . This recess  69  forms a laterally and longitudinally extending, dry “moat” around the handle attachment portion  32 . This moat contains and protects conductor wires or leads  201 ,  205 , etc., that electrically connect the batteries  66  in the battery bays  62 ,  64  to the motor  46  and plunger switch  68 . 
         [0015]    As best shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  6 , cover member  13  is adapted to be mounted over the moat forming recess  69 . The cover member  13  has a centrally and forwardly positioned motor shroud portion  70  which has an inverted cup shape. The cover member  13  includes laterally extending wing portions  72 ,  74  which may be integrally formed with and connected to the motor shroud portion  70  by shoulder portions  71 ,  73 . An outer ring portion  76  may be integrally connected to a lateral end of wing portion  72 . Battery bay openings  80 ,  82  provide access to battery bays  62 ,  64  respectively. A switch bay circular opening  84  may be provided in outer ring portion  76  of the cover member  13 . 
         [0016]    Battery cover plates  90 ,  92  may be provided to selectively cover and uncover the battery bays  62 ,  64 , respectively. Each battery cover plate may be generally the same shape as the associated battery bay opening  80 ,  82  and each plate may comprise a tab portion  94  at one end and a U-shaped detent member  98  at the other end. Tab receiving recesses  96  and detent slots  99  may be formed in the cover member  13  to allow the plates  90 ,  92  to be easily attached and detached from the cover member  13  to cover or uncover the battery bays  62 ,  64  and batteries  66  mounted therein. 
         [0017]    A cap member  110  may have a slightly domed top portion  112 , an annular side wall portion  114  and an annular, outwardly projecting bottom rim portion  116 . The cap member  110  is adapted to be slidingly received in the switch bay circular opening  84 . The cap member is prevented from moving out of the opening  84  by engagement of the cap member bottom rim portion  116  with an inwardly extending upper rim portion  120  of outer ring portion  76  of cover member  13 . A biasing member, such as a coil spring  12 , may be positioned between the cap member  110  and the plunger switch  68 . The spring  126  biases the cap member  110  upwardly to a position where the cap bottom rim portion  116  engages upper rim portion  120 . A person may actuate the plunger switch  68  by pushing downwardly on the cap member  110  until the cap member engages the plunger switch  68  and urges it down sufficiently far to change the switch operating state, i.e. to change it from an open circuit to a closed circuit operating state or vice versa. The plunger switch  68  is itself upwardly biased so that it will return to an “up” position after force applied to it by pushing on the cap member is released. The cap member  110  is prevented from being displaced laterally by an annular sidewall  122  of the switch bay  67  and by the annular sidewall portion  124  of the outer ring portion  76 . 
         [0018]    The manner in which the vibration unit  42  is supported will now be further described.  FIG. 6  is a detail bottom view of the cover member  13 . The motor shroud portion  70  has a closed top portion  132  (which looks like the bottom of an inverted cup). A radially extending groove  134  is defined by lattice rib structures  136 ,  138 , A rib  56  of the motor top end mounting member  54  is received in this groove  134  and the motor  46  is thereby restrained against rotational movement with respect to the cover member  13 . Vertically projecting ribs  139  within the motor shroud portion  70  fit closely against the motor  46  and restrains the motor against radial displacement within the shroud portion  70 . A vibration damping member  140 , which may be a half-moon shaped foam member, which may be about 1 cm thick, is positioned between the motor top end mounting member  54  and the closed top portion  132  of the shroud portion  70 . This vibration damping member prevents the top of the motor  46  from vibrating against the shroud portion  70  and also urges the motor down against tubular member  38 ,  FIG. 1 , restraining vertical displacement of the motor  46 . The semicircular asymmetric weight  52  rotates within the cavity  40  of tubular member  38  with the asymmetric distribution of weight causing vibration substantially in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation MM, i.e., in a direction parallel to the bottom face  14  of the base plate  11 . 
         [0019]    The cover member  13  may be attached to the base plate member  11  by any number of attachment methods, such as a snap fit tongue and groove structure, adhesives, rivets, etc. In the illustrated embodiment, the cover member  13  and the base plate member  11  are attached by a plurality of screws  152 ,  154 ,  156 , etc. which are placed in recessed bores  162 ,  164 ,  166 , etc., that extend through the base plate member. The screws threadingly engage projections  172 ,  174 ,  176 , etc., in the cover member  13  to securely fasten the cover member to the base plate member  11 . Rubber plugs (not shown) or the like may be placed in the recessed bores  162 ,  164 ,  166 , etc., after the screws have been tightened, to prevent entry of moisture through the bottom face  14  of the base plate. In addition to the screws, adhesive and sealant material may be applied to surfaces where the cover member  13  engages the base plate member  11 . 
         [0020]    As shown by  FIG. 3 , the bottom face  14  of the base plate member  11  may have strips  180 ,  182  of hook and loupe type fastener material mounted thereon as by adhesive or other attachment means. The strips  180 ,  182  may be used to mount cleaning pads (not shown) on the base plate member  11 . Other cleaning pad attachment means such as clamps, ties, etc. may also be used. 
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a schematic circuit drawing showing the electrical connection of the batteries  66  within the battery bays  62 ,  64  to the motor  46  and plunger switch  68 . It will be appreciated from the drawing that the batteries are connected in series. A first terminal of a first battery is electrically connected by conductor wire  201  to switch terminal  200 . The second terminal of the first battery is electrically connected to the first terminal of a second battery by wire  202 . The second terminal of the second battery is electrically connected to the first terminal of a third battery by wire  203 . The second terminal of the third battery is electrically connected to a first terminal  53  of the motor  46  by wire  204 . A second terminal  51  of the motor is electrically connected to a first terminal of a fourth battery by wire  205 . A second terminal of the fourth battery is electrically connected to the second terminal  207  of the switch by wire  206 . Thus, actuating switch  68  to a closed state (“on”) causes electricity to flow from the batteries  66  through the motor  46  causing it to rotate weight  52 . Moving the switch  68  to an open state (“off”) stops flow of electricity to the motor and stops the rotation of weight  52 . 
         [0022]    In operation, an operator initially attaches a cleaning member, such as a dust cloth (not shown) to the bottom of the base plate member  11 , such as by hook and loupe fastener strips  180 ,  182 ,  FIG. 3 . The operator then grasps the handle  35  and moves the mop head  10  to a desired cleaning location. Next the operator pushes against the cap with his or her foot or hand to change the operating state of the switch to turn on the motor. The operator then moves the mop head across the floor as the mop head vibrates. The vibration of the mop head enhances the operation of the mop in picking up dust or otherwise cleaning the floor. In some embodiments, the mop handle  35  has a reservoir (not shown) mounted thereon. The reservoir may include a pump or aerosol device that may be actuated as by a trigger mounted on the handle to spray cleaning solution on the floor in front of the mop.