Abstract:
A mop head having a sculpted cutout in at least one side surface that corresponds to the shape of floor molding to allow for cleaning of the floor molding and floor together.

Description:
FILED OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a mop head and a method of using the mop head. Specifically described herein is a mop head that is suitable for cleaning molding. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Currently a variety types of mop heads are available for use in mopping floors. For example, cloth string mop heads have been widely used as well as sponge mop heads. These type of mops have proven to be very durable and useful for the cleaning of floors. In addition, various mechanisms have been used to squeeze water out of mop heads to allow rinsing of the mop head while cleaning a floor. 
     In many residential and commercial buildings, there are floor moldings (e.g. wooden strips) at the intersection of the floor and walls. Dust and dirt often builds up on these moldings. This dust and dirt has to be cleaned, for example, by use of a dust cloth or vacuum cleaner. 
     SUMMARY 
     The mop head described herein has a sculpted cutout or indentations in at least one side surface that corresponds to the shape of floor molding to allow for cleaning of the floor molding and the floor together. No previous tool has been used for cleaning both the floor and floor molding. 
     One problem with prior art mop heads was that they did not allow for cleaning of floor molding. Dust and dirt that built up on the floor molding either had to be separately cleaned with, for example, a dust cloth, or could end up falling off the molding onto the floor after the floor had been cleaned. Neither of those alternatives was desirable. 
     The mop head described herein allows for the cleaning of the floor and the molding together (e.g. at the same time). In addition, by allowing for the cleaning of dust and dirt off the floor moldings when the floor is being cleaned, the mop head increases the efficiency of the person cleaning. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the mop head. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of the mop head. 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the mop head. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the mop head. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a mop having an embodiment of the mop head. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 shows a front view of an embodiment of the mop head. The mop head  10  has lower and upper surfaces  12  and  14  and left and right-side surfaces  16  and  18 . The mop head  10  is attached to a support member  20  which is used to secure the mop head  10  to a mop handle  32 . 
     Left and right-side surfaces  16  and  18  adjoin upper surface  14  of the mop head  10  at edges  15  and  17 . However, left and right side surfaces  16  and  18  do not extend all the way from the top surface  14  of the mop head  10  to the bottom surface  12  of the mop head  10 . Rather, there are sculpted cutouts or indentations  22  and  24  in the side surfaces  16  and  18  of the mop head. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the sculpted cutout or indentations in the left side surface  16  is shown at reference numeral  22  and the sculpted cutout or indentations in the right side surface  18  is shown at reference numeral  24 . Left and right side surfaces  16  and  18  adjoin sculpted cutouts or indentations  22  and  24  at edges  19  and  21 . The sculpted cutouts or indentations  22  and  24  adjoin bottom surface  12  at edges  23  and  25 . 
     FIG. 2 shows a side view of an embodiment of the mop head, FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of an embodiment of the mop head and FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the mop head. FIGS. 2,  3  and  4  show the features described above and, in addition, show the front and rear surfaces of the mop head  26  and  28 . 
     FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the mop head in use as part of a mop. The mop head support member  20  is attached through a mounting mechanism  34  to the mop pole  32 . In use the mop head can be used such that the bottom of the mop head  12  is running along the floor cleaning the floor while a sculpted portion  24  of the mop head is running along the floor molding  30  cleaning the molding. 
     There are a number of additional features that could used with the mop head described herein that would be appreciated by persons skilled in the art. For example, support member  20  should not extend beyond the side edges  16  and  18  of the mop head itself. In fact, preferably, the mop head  10  extends beyond the edge of support member  20  so that the support member  20  will not touch the wall when the mop head is being run along the floor molding as shown in FIG.  5 . Alternatively, a protection member can be placed on the side of the support member  20  such that if it touches the wall it will not damage the wall. 
     In addition, it would be apparent to persons skilled in the art that the mop head could be made to clean a variety of types, shapes and sizes of floor molding. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5, the accurate shape of the cutout in the mop head is specifically designed to clean quarter round molding, as is normally used in a variety of buildings. However, the mop head could be designed with cutouts or indentations of a variety of types, shapes or sizes to clean a variety of types, shapes or sizes of molding. 
     Those skilled in the art would recognize that the mop head and method of use described herein has many applications, and that the present invention is not limited to the representative examples disclosed herein. Moreover, the scope of the present invention covers all conventionally known variations or modifications to the components and the method of use described herein, as would be known by persons skilled in the art.