Abstract:
A cleaning implement ( 10 ) comprising a handle ( 12 ) a cleaning end ( 24 ) coupled to the handle, and a cleaning head ( 14 ). The cleaning head may be removably coupled to the cleaning end, and can include a pair of tabs ( 30 ) extending through an aperture ( 32 ) in the cleaning end. Each tab may have a finger grip ( 56 ), and the finger grips may be generally offset from one another. Each tab may have a ledge ( 50 ) for contacting an upper surface of the cleaning end near a perimeter of the aperture to retain the cleaning head to the cleaning end. The tabs may be movable such that the ledges are moved out of contact with the upper surface of the cleaning end when removing the cleaning head from the cleaning end.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/118,925, filed Dec. 1, 2008, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    A wide variety of cleaning implements are known in the art, and the prior art has provided numerous sweepers, brooms, mops, and the like. One well-known type of cleaning implement is a sponge mop. Sponge mops typically have a mop head supported on the end of a handle. Sponge mops also typically have some type of wringing mechanism to squeeze liquid from the mop head. 
         [0003]    One type of sponge mop is a butterfly mop. A butterfly mop has a mop head that is foldable along a central axis. A butterfly mop generally includes a wringing mechanism that can be used to fold the mop head along the central axis. 
         [0004]    On occasion, the mop head on a sponge mop has to be changed. For example, over time the mop head may become worn or soiled from use. Unfortunately, however, with many sponge mops, changing the mop head can be a cumbersome and time consuming task. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0005]    A cleaning implement is disclosed comprising a handle, a cleaning end coupled to the handle, and a cleaning head. The cleaning head may be removably coupled to the cleaning end, and can include a pair of tabs extending through an aperture in the cleaning end. Each tab may have a finger grip, and the finger grips may be generally offset from one another. Each tab can have a ledge for contacting an upper surface of the cleaning end near a perimeter of the aperture to retain the cleaning head to the cleaning end. The tabs may be movable such that the ledges are moved out of contact with the upper surface of the cleaning end when removing the cleaning head from the cleaning end. 
         [0006]    In addition, a cleaning head is disclosed comprising a cleaning material, a backing coupled to the cleaning material, and a pair of tabs extending from the backing. Each tab may have a finger grip, and the finger grips can be generally offset from one another. Each tab can have a ledge. 
         [0007]    Further, a cleaning implement is disclosed comprising a handle, a cleaning end coupled to the handle, and a cleaning head removably coupled to the cleaning end. The cleaning head can include a tab extending through the aperture, and the tab may have a finger grip. The finger grip may also have a ledge for contacting an upper surface of the cleaning end near a perimeter of the aperture to retain the cleaning head to the cleaning end. The tab can be movable such that the ledge is moved out of contact with the upper surface of the cleaning end when removing the cleaning head from the cleaning end. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary cleaning implement according to the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the cleaning implement of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of the cleaning end of the cleaning implement of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged rear elevational view of the cleaning end of the cleaning implement of  FIG. 1  in the open position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged rear elevational view of the cleaning end of the cleaning implement of  FIG. 1  in the closed position. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged perspective view of the end of the cleaning implement of  FIG. 1  with the cleaning head detached. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a top view of the cleaning head of the cleaning implement of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged perspective view of the spring tabs for the cleaning head of  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings, there is shown an exemplary cleaning implement  10  according to the present invention. The cleaning implement  10  generally includes a handle  12  that has a cleaning head, such as the illustrated mop head  14 , arranged at a cleaning end thereof, shown as wing assembly  24 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 6 , the illustrated mop head  14  includes a cleaning material, such as a sponge element  16 , that has a backing plate  18  connected on an upper side of the sponge element  16 . The cleaning implement  10  may further include a scrubber attachment  20 , which in the illustrated embodiment is a brush. The scrubber attachment  20  may be supported on the handle  12  near the mop head  14 . In addition, the scrubber attachment  20  can be fixed or removable. 
         [0017]    To allow fluid to be expelled from the mop head, the illustrated cleaning implement includes a wringing mechanism. Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  4 , and  5 , the wringing mechanism includes, in this example, a pull bar  22  that is pivotally supported on the handle  12  and that controls movement of a link  23  that extends through the interior of the handle  12 . At the lower end of the handle  12 , the link  23  connects to a wing assembly  24  that moves the mop head  14  between an open mopping position in  FIG. 4  and a closed wringing position in  FIG. 5 . To this end, the wing assembly  24  can include two lateral side portions that are hinged near a center axis portion that extends between the two lateral side, portions of the wing assembly. A spring can be arranged at the hinge that biases the wing assembly  24 , and with it the mop head  14 , into the open position. 
         [0018]    To move the mop head  14  to the wringing position, an operator can pull the pull bar  22  upward away from the mop head  14 . This movement of the pull bar  22  moves the link  23  and with it the center axis portion of the wing assembly  24  upward. The wing assembly  24  and the mop head  14  are pulled into a U-shaped element  28 . The U-shaped element  28  drives a folding operation of the wing assembly with the lower faces of the two sides of the wing assembly  24  being pushed towards each other as the wing assembly  24  is drawn upward into the U-shaped element  28 . This folding of the wings, in turn, folds the mop head  14  producing a squeezing of the sponge element  16  and thereby forcing out fluids held in the sponge element  16 . As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , to facilitate the folding movement of the mop head  14 , the backing plate  18  can also be configured with two lateral sections  17 ,  19  that are joined together by flexible hinges  21  with each of the sections of the backing plate  18  corresponding to one of the wings of the wing assembly  24 . 
         [0019]    For connecting the mop head  14  to the wing assembly  24 , a releasable snap-in connection mechanism is provided that allows for easy removal and replacement of the mop head  14 . The connection mechanism, as illustrated, can include two pairs of spring tabs  30  with one pair being arranged on each of the two lateral sections of the backing plate  18  of the mop head  14 . The spring tabs  30  extend upward from the backing plate  18  and are resiliently flexible such that they can deflect toward one another. Each pair of spring tabs  30  is adapted to engage with an upper surface of the wing assembly  24  near the perimeter of a corresponding opening  32  in the wing assembly  24 . To this end, as shown in  FIG. 8 , each spring tab  30  includes a ledge  50  on its side that faces away (i.e., outward) from the other spring tab. These ledges  50  can have a ramped lead-in portion  52  so that when the tabs  30  are inserted in the corresponding opening in the wing assembly  24 , the engagement of the edge of the opening  32  with the ramped lead-in portion  52  produces a camming action that deflects the corresponding spring tab  30  inward. Once the tab  30  is inserted far enough such that ramped lead-in portion  52  clears the edge of the opening  32 , the tabs  30  spring back outward and the engagement of the bases  54  of the ledges  50  with the edges of the openings  32  lock the tabs  30  to thereby secure the mop head  14  to the wing assembly  24  as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0020]    The tabs  30  are configured such they protrude upward a sufficient distance beyond the upper surface of the wing assembly  24  so that when the mop head  14  is attached to the wing assembly  24 , a user can grasp the tabs  30  at finger grips  56  to remove the mop head  14 . In particular, to remove the mop head  14 , a user can grasp each of the pair of tabs  30  with a single hand and move the tabs  30  by deflecting each pair inward. To facilitate the removal of the mop head  14 , the tabs  30  of each pair can be offset from each other to make it easier to grasp the tabs  30  as well as to permit a greater inward deflection of the tabs  30  by preventing the interference of the finger grips  56  as the tabs  30  move toward one another. When the tabs are deflected inwardly a sufficient distance to disengage their respective ledges  50  from the edges of the corresponding openings  32  in the wing assembly  24 , the mop head  14  can be easily removed from the wing assembly. Offsetting the tabs  30 , such as shown being laterally offset in the figures, also allows the mop head  14  to be removed through a twisting motion of the user&#39;s hand. The twisting motion makes removal easier for a user because the force applied to the tabs  30  can be predominantly supplied by the wrist, transmitted for example by the thumb and forefinger respectively placed on opposing tabs  30 , rather than the thumb and forefinger themselves supplying a directly opposing force to the tabs  30 . 
         [0021]    It will be appreciated that any suitable number of tabs may be used with any suitable number of openings in a cleaning end of a cleaning implement. The tabs can have any suitable shape and size. It will further be appreciated that the features described herein may be used with any suitable cleaning implement using any suitable cleaning head, including, but not limited to, a mop and a mop head. 
         [0022]    All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein. 
         [0023]    The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention. 
         [0024]    Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventor for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventor expects skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.