Abstract:
Defined broadly, the present invention is a dust mop cleaning head that has an internal shock absorbing cushion that compensates for the void between conventional dust mop wire frames and the irregularities of floor surfaces allowing the cleaning surface to make full contact with the floor surface. Thus allowing an industrial standard annular wire frame support housing to house thin type synthetic microfiber type materials without using a flat surface adaptor plate or flat surface cleaning support frame.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of cleaning implements. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the invention relates to increasing the effective cleaning surface area of an annular wire framed dust mop. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Prior Art 
         [0004]    As to dust mops of the type which include a wire annular frame and a dust mop covering, the prior art has identified that the rectangular annular wire frame that supports the dust mop cleaning head does not allow all the fibers to make sufficient contact with the cleaning surface. The problem is exacerbated when using thin new synthetic fibers called microfibers. The microfiber material is very thin and does not readily lend itself in a manner to come in contact with the cleaning surface. Rather, the microfiber material covering the periphery of the wire frame comprises the majority of material which contacts a floor or surface to be cleaned. 
         [0005]    Thus, current microfiber type dust mops require a flat cleaning apparatus, generally a rectangular aluminum plate with Velcro material on the bottom surface that attaches the thin microfiber material that has also Velcro material. U.S. Pat. No. 6,836,923 issued to Terrence P. Treacy &amp; David J Grueubel on Sep. 23, 2002 entitled “Dust Mop Adapter” addresses this issue by using a “Dust Mop Adaptor” that comprises of a flat surface that can be attached to the wire frame. The “Dust Mop Adaptor” has Velcro tabs allowing a microfiber head to be attached to the adaptor. This “Dust Mop Adaptor” is costly and requires the use of an adapter plate in addition to the wire annular frame. Also, the adaptor plate requires Velcro to support the microfiber cleaning pad that also requires costly Velcro that has a limited cleaning usage life.” 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,234 issued to Barbara G. Graham &amp; others on May 25, 2001 discloses a “Dust Mop With Replacement Electrostatically Charged Dust Collector”. The mop comprises a handle with a mop head secured to the bottom of the handle. The head comprises a rigid member which may have a layer of padding material (batting, sponge, fabric layer, etc.) secured to the underside of the member. The head may further include a bag-shaped cloth cover that is placed over the mop head and covers the padding layer. The cover may be removably secured to the rigid mop head member using an elastic band. A layer of electrostatically charged nonwoven fabric (dust collector), which carries a persistent electrostatic charge on each side of the layer, is placed over the cover. The electrostatically charged nonwoven fabric is the duct collector and is in the form of a layer. The charges on the nonwoven fabric cause it to cling to the cloth cover thereby securing this layer to the cover. The charged fabric is thereby detachably secured to the cover solely by electrostatic cling. 
         [0007]    Dust Mop adaptors have been pursued that allow the prior art annular wire frame housing to allow the wire frame to house a flat surface device such as Pat. No. 6,836,923. However, this method of adaptors is expensive and still leaves the issue of using Velcro that is costly and has a limited cleaning life. 
         [0008]    The inventors believe that all of the prior art, while somewhat illustrating concepts of various apparatus used in conjunction with dust mop applications or cleaning apparatuses, lack an adequate solution for wire type dust mops. The present invention improves the art of dust mops as it does not require an adaptor plate or use of Velcro and is superior and less costly than prior art. The present invention is believed to overcome the deficiencies in the art. 
         [0009]    There remains a significant need which permits a dual purpose of the usage of existing wire frame cleaning devices for conventional cotton type cleaning heads as well as thin synthetic microfiber cleaning heads without the need for modification to a conventional dust mop annular wire frame. 
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0010]    It is an object to improve cleaning implements. 
         [0011]    It is a further object to improve dust mops. 
         [0012]    It is another object to provide a retrofit cover for annular wire mop framed head. 
         [0013]    A further object is to improve mop heads. 
         [0014]    The present invention is a modified glove like dust mop cleaning head, made from either synthetic microfiber or any other type of synthetic or natural materials. The new invention is supported by an industrial standard annular wire frame. The new invention comprises of a thick cushion like material either non-woven, woven or foam that is inserted and stitched into place or sandwiched between the lower microfiber cleaning surface and an upper support material that comes in contact with the annular wire frame. The addition of a foam backing to the cleaning surface microfiber material allows for the thin microfiber material to make full contact with the floor and compensate for any non-planer condition of the wire frame or floor surface. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide existing industrial annular wire frames to support a microfiber type material that requires no adaptors and eliminate aluminum plate housing unites that embody costly Velcro attachment systems. 
         [0015]    One embodiment is directed to a mop head for cleaning a working surface, comprising an annular frame and a mop head having a sleeve to receive the annular frame and to be retained thereon, a cleaning surface member connected to the sleeve in a manner to form a pocket between the sleeve and the cleaning surface member, and a cushioning member disposed in the pocket such that when the cleaning surface member is disposed against the working surface, the annular frame is displaced therefrom and imparts structure to the cleaning surface member to maintain substantial contact of the working surface with the cleaning surface member. In another embodiment, there is provided a mop which incorporates the mop head. 
         [0016]    Further novel features and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, discussion and the appended claim, taken in conjunction with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    Referring now to the drawings for the purpose of illustration only and not limitation, there is illustrated: 
           [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a cross section view taken along lines A - A of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a side view illustrating the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]    Although specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that such embodiments are by way of example only and merely illustrative of but a small number of the many possible specific embodiments which can represent applications of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications obvious to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the invention as further defined in the appended claims. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the dust mop of the present invention is generally designated by the numeral  1 . The dust mop  1  can preferably include a handle  4 , a releasable handle connecter  3  which can be threadably connected to a threaded end of the handle  4  as known in the art, an annular wire frame  11  pivotally connected to the connector  3  and a microfiber dust mop cleaning head  14  connected about the wire frame  5 . 
         [0023]    The dust mop head  14  is glove like in that it is configured to pull about the wire frame  5  and fit similar to conventional dust mop heads about the frame  5  save for modifications novel hereto. As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , there is illustrated a cross sectional view along lines  7 - 7  from  FIG. 1 . The mop head  14  includes a sleeve  2  having slit  9  through which the frame  5  is inserted therein. The sleeve  2  can be of a stretchable woven, poly or synthetic material, for example. The sleeve  2  can be made from either conventional cotton or synthetic material. Once frame  5  is inserted, the sleeve  2  preferably fits about the annular wire frame  5  and is generally self retaining and aided further by closure straps  10 . Straps  10  have one end fixably connected on one side of the slit  9  to the sleeve  2  and can have an operably associated male or female snap portion connected to a loose end which connects to a complementary female or male snap portion connected to a portion of the sleeve  9  opposite the fixably connected end of each strap  10 . There is thus formed a top part  2 A of the sleeve  2  and a bottom part  2 B of the sleeve  2  which also serves a backing as discussed hereinafter. 
         [0024]    To the bottom part  2 B is connected a surface cleaning member  8  which forms a lower microfiber cleaning surface  8 . The cleaning surface  8  can be either a synthetic, microfiber or cotton material. 
         [0025]    There is a pocket formed between the bottom part  2 A and the member  8  which receives a cushioning (or shock absorbing) member  7  that can be synthetic and made from non-woven, woven or foam type material or any other type of cushioning material. The cushioning member  7  can be of minimal thickness, such as ⅛″ to ¼″ thick, and inserted stitched and/or sandwiched between the cleaning surface member  8  and bottom surface  2 B. Further, the frame  5  is generally disposed about a periphery of the cushioning member  7  which provides for movement inwardly there past as stated hereinafter. 
         [0026]    As earlier stated, the sleeve  2  wraps around the wire frame  5 . The shock absorbing cushioning member  7  absorbs shocks and ensures the lower microfiber cleaning surface member  8  makes full contact regardless of the irregular floor surfaces. Additionally, a void  12  formed between the top part  2 A and bottom part  2 B as a result of the wire frame  5  disposed therebetween which provides room for impingement by the part  2 B and member  7  into the void  12  as a result of the cleaning surface member  8  traveling over the irregular surface. 
         [0027]    Other microfiber pads require either special solid base or require an adaptor that attach onto the wire frame enabling the bottom surface to be flat to eliminate the void between the wire frame. The present invention allows for an existing wire type frame to support a microfiber type of cleaning head without costly solid frames or adaptors. Thus, no new investment is required when using microfiber type cleaning heads. For the frames, without a thick foam pad, the cleaning power of the full pad is not pressed down on the floor hard enough to do a good cleaning job. Prior to this invention, the microfiber pad tends to clean under the frame and circumference of the pad. 
         [0028]    Furthermore, the added thick foam pad acts as a shock absorber thus enhances the gliding ability of the mop head over surfaces and reduces wear to the cleaning head surface. Of course, the present invention is not intended to be restricted to any particular form or arrangement, or any specific embodiment disclosed herein, or any specific use, since the same may be modified in various particulars or relations without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention herein above shown and described of which the apparatus shown is intended only for illustration and for disclosure of an operative embodiment and not to show all of the various forms or modification in which the invention might be embodied or operated. 
         [0029]    The invention has been described in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent laws by providing full public disclosure of at least one of its forms. However, such detailed description is not intended in any way to limit the broad features or principles of the invention, or the scope of patent monopoly to be granted.