Patent Publication Number: US-6659670-B1

Title: Mop with sprayer

Description:
ACROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     We claim the benefit of provisional application No. 60/347,464 filed on Jan. 14, 2002. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to mops. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Some mops are provided with a built-in sprayer for applying a cleaning fluid to the floor in front of the mop head. The container for the fluid is usually attached to a stem between the handle and the mop head. A pump is attached to the bottle to deliver the cleaning fluid through a long tube to a nozzle at the center of the mop head. However, attaching the fluid container to the stem makes the handle too heavy to hold. Also, when the pump becomes worn out, the mop is rendered useless. Further, the one-piece stem is more difficult to ship, display, and store. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The objects of the present mop are: 
     to provide a mop head with a replaceable cleaning pad for mopping a floor; 
     to provide a spray bottle for applying a cleaning fluid in front of the mop head; 
     to position the spray bottle in the mop head for reducing the weight of the handle, and for helping press the mop head onto the floor; 
     to enable easy replacement of the spray bottle; and 
     to provide a collapsible stem between the handle and the mop head. 
     The present mop is comprised of a handle, a stem extending from the handle, and a mop head connected to the lower end of the stem by a hinged joint. The stem is comprised of plural collapsible sections or a single non-collapsible section. A trigger is hinged to the handle. A spray bottle is positioned in the mop head. A cable is connected between the trigger and a spray mechanism on the spray bottle, and is positioned through the stem and hinged joint. A spring is connected between the trigger and the inner end of the handle to enable the cable to be pulled away slightly from the handle for collapsing the stem. A nozzle on the spray bottle is positioned towards one side of the mop head, and angled to spray the fluid at an acute angle across the front of the mop head. A replaceable cleaning cloth or pad is detachably secured to the mop head. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of the present mop. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view thereof with the sections of its stem disconnected. 
     FIG. 3 is a top cutaway view of the mop head. 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the mop head showing a first embodiment of a replaceable pad. 
     FIG. 5 is a top view of the mop head showing a second embodiment of the replaceable pad. 
     FIG. 6 is a top view of the mop head showing a third embodiment of the replaceable pad. 
     FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the replaceable pad. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 DRAWING REFERENCE NUMERALS 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                 10. Handle 
                 11. Hollow Stem 
               
               
                 12. Mop Head 
                 13. Hinged Joint 
               
               
                 14. Cleaning Pad 
                 15. Tubes 
               
               
                 16. Spray Bottle 
                 17. Trigger 
               
               
                 18. Cable 
                 19. Tensioning Device 
               
               
                 20. Spray Mechanism 
                 21. Fluid Container 
               
               
                 22. Cleaning Fluid 
                 23. Pulley 
               
               
                 24. Hinged Arm 
                 25. Lever 
               
               
                 26. Hook-and-Loop Fastener 
                 27. Hook-and-Loop Fastener 
               
               
                 28. Hole 
                 29. Pin 
               
               
                 30. Star Shaped Lattice 
                 31. Barb 
               
               
                 32. Cleaning Pad 
                 33. First Tongue-and-Groove Means 
               
               
                 34. Second Tongue-and-Groove 
                 35. Plate 
               
               
                   Means 
               
               
                 36. Cleaning Pad 
                 37. Straps 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS.  1 - 2   
     A preferred embodiment of the present mop is shown in a side view in FIG.  1 . It is comprised of a long handle  10  which includes a hollow stem  11 , and a mop head  12  connected to the lower end of handle  10  by a hinged joint  13 . A replaceable cleaning pad  14  is detachably secured to a bottom of mop head  12 . 
     Stem  11  is preferably comprised of plural collapsible tubes  15  for easier shipping and storage. Hinged joint  13  is preferably comprised of a universal joint for enabling mop head  14  to stay in full contact with the floor regardless of the angle of stem  11 . A spray bottle  16  is positioned inside mop head  14  for spraying a cleaning fluid onto the floor in front of mop head  12 . Positioning spray bottle  16  in mop head  12  lightens handle  11  for reducing user fatigue, but weights down mop head  12  to press it more firmly on the floor for better cleaning. 
     An inner end of a trigger  17  is hinged inside handle  10  near its upper end. A cable  18  is positioned within handle  10  and mop head  12 . Cable  18  is connected between an intermediate portion of trigger  17  and spray bottle  16 , and is positioned through hinged joint  13 . Since cable  18  is entirely enclosed by stem  11 , hinged joint  13 , and mop head  12 , it is protected from damage and entanglement. Cable  18  also enables the remote positioning of spray bottle  16  away from trigger  17  and inside mop head  12 . Alternatively, cable  18  may be positioned outside handle  10 . 
     A tensioning device  19 , such as a spring, is connected between an intermediate portion of trigger  17  and an interior of handle  10 . Tensioning device  19  enables cable  18  to be pulled slightly away from handle  10  to allow tubes  15  of stem  11  to be pulled apart for compacting, as shown in FIG.  2 . Alternatively, stem  11  may be comprised of a single tube which is not collapsible, and tensioning device  19  may be eliminated. 
     FIG.  3   
     A top cutaway view of mop head  12  is shown in FIG.  3 . Spray bottle  16  is positioned horizontally within mop head  12 , and is comprised of a spray mechanism  20  directly attached to an end of a fluid container  21 . Spray bottle  16  is similar to a conventional spray bottle for simplicity and low cost. Spray bottle  16  also conforms to conventional packaging specifications for easier distribution with existing retail structures. Alternatively, spray bottle  16  may have be a specially shaped bottle with a centrally located nozzle to avoid having to angle the spray direction. Also, the spray mechanism may be separate from the container and connected thereto by a tube, although the spray mechanism and the container are still both inside the mop head. 
     Since spray mechanism  20  is positioned towards one side of mop head  12 , it must be angled to spray cleaning fluid  22  at an acute angle across the front of mop head  12 . In the embodiment shown, spray mechanism  20  is angled relative to container  21 . Alternatively, spray mechanism  20  may be perpendicular to container  21 , but the entire spray bottle  16  may be angled relative to mop head  12 . 
     The entire spray bottle  16  is replaceable by the user when the cleaning fluid is depleted, or when spray mechanism  20  is worn out. Spray bottle  16  may be accessed by removing a top or bottom cover of mop head  12 , or it may sit exposed in a cradle on top of mop head  12 . 
     The lower end of cable  18  extending through joint  13  is attached to spray mechanism  20 . In the exemplar arrangement shown, cable  18  is partially wrapped around a pulley  23  attached to mop head  12  to turn about 90 degrees towards spray mechanism  20 . The distal end of cable  18  is connected to a hinged arm  24  positioned against a lever  25  on spray mechanism  20 . When the trigger on the handle is pulled, cable  18  is pulled towards the handle, and the free end of hinged arm  24  is rotated to move lever  25  and activate spraying. Alternatively, cable  18  may be routed through mop head  12  differently, and it may also be directly attached to lever  25 . 
     FIGS.  4 - 7   
     Pad  14  may be attached to the bottom of mop head  12  in the exemplar ways shown in FIGS. 4-6. In a first embodiment shown in the bottom view in FIG. 4, pad  14  is attached by hook-and-loop fasteners  26  and  27 . 
     In a second embodiment shown in the top view in FIG. 5, a pad  32  is positioned under mop head  12  and the sides wrapped around mop head  12 . The sides of pad  32  are attached by pushing material at its corners into holes  28  on top of mop head  12  with pins  29 , which are sized to fit snugly inside holes  28  when pad material is jammed between pins  29  and respective holes  28 . 
     In a third embodiment shown in the top view in FIG. 6, pad  32  is attached by pushing its corners into star shaped lattices  30  with one-way barbs  31  that retain the pad material inside lattices  30 . 
     In the fourth embodiment shown in the side sectional view in FIG. 7, first tongue-and-groove means  33  on the bottom of mop head  12  are arranged to mate with second tongue-and-groove means  34  on top of a plate  35  under mop head  12 . Plate  35  is preferably hinged to mop head  12 . First tongue-and-groove means  33  may be comprised of tongues and second tongue-and-groove means  34  may be comprised of grooves, or vice versa. A cleaning pad  36  are provided with straps  37  that wrap around the top of plate  35 . When plate  35  is mated to the bottom of mop head  12 , straps  37  are jammed between first tongue-and-groove means  33  and second tongue-and-groove means  34  to secure cleaning pad  36  in position. 
     Accordingly, the present mop provides a mop head for cleaning a floor. It provides a spray bottle for applying a cleaning fluid in front of the mop. It positions the spray bottle in the mop head for reducing the weight of the handle, and for helping press the mop head onto the floor for more effective cleaning. It enables easy replacement of the spray bottle when the fluid is depleted or when the spray mechanism is worn out. It provides a collapsible stem between the handle and the mop head. It also provides a replaceable cleaning pad on the mop head. 
     Although the foregoing description is specific, it should not be considered as a limitation on the scope of the invention, but only as an example of the preferred embodiment. Many variations are possible within the teachings of the invention. For example, different attachment methods, fasteners, materials, dimensions, etc. can be used unless specifically indicated otherwise. The relative positions of the elements can vary, and the shapes of the elements can vary. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, not by the examples given.