Patent Publication Number: US-3875609-A

Title: Mop construction

Description:
United States Patent [:91 Wells MOP CONSTRUCTION [76] Inventor: Esther M. Wells, Box 45. Napoleon,  
 lnd. 47034 [22] Filed: Sept. 25, 1973 [2|] App]. No.: 400,562  
 [52] US. Cl. lS/ZIO R; l5/24.4 R [5|] Int. Cl A47l 17/02 [58] Field of Search l5/l04.94, 208. 209 R.  
 15/209 AH, ZlO R. 228, 244 R, 244 CH; 40l/l83. 203-207 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 433.787 5/ll&#39;i9l) Hudson l5/244 R 882.423 3/1908 Saloman 15/244 R l.358.733 l 1/1920 Heine 40l/204 2.732.574 [H956 Gesell et all. 15/210 R X [451 Apr. s, 1975 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS l.219.860 l2/l959 France [5/244 R 950.702 2/l964 United Kingdom l5/209 AH 420.5l9 3/l967 Switzerland l5/209 R Primary E.\&#39;aminerDaniel Blum Attorney, Agent, or FirmMarden S. Gordon [5 7] ABSTRACT A mop intended for the cleaning of toilets. sinks and the like including a short elongated handle and a mop head detachably connectted to the handle and formed of a net like material with a sponge enclosed therein with the connection of the handle to the mop head being in a manner to prevent the hard elements of the connection from coming into contact with the surface being cleaned by the mop head thus preventing any marring or scratching of the surface being cleaned.  
 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures MOP CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to cleaning implements and more particularly to a novel and improved mop construction specifically intended for the cleaning of toilets. sinks and the like.  
 2. Description of the Prior Art It has been known in the prior art to provide various types of short handled cleaning implements for the cleaning of toilets, sinks. etc. by maintenance personnel, housewives and the like. with it normally being required that such implement be disposed of after the cleaning head has been worn out with it being required that an individual thus purchases a complete new mop when in actuality the handle is still good on the old mop so that only the head needs replacement.  
  While some prior art devices show cleaning implements of the long handle variety having replaceable heads thereon, such are not suited for the short handle type cleaning implement nor are such suited to come into contact with the easily marred and scratched surfaces on which such smaller cleaning implements are utilized. The larger implements. such as mops and brooms. are used to clean floors and the like whereas the smaller implements. to which the present invention directs itself. is used for the cleaning of porcelain toilets. sinks. and the like which are highly susceptible to marring and scratching if great care and caution is not taken on the part of the individual doing the cleaning with presently available cleaning implements.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention recognizes the economical waste in having to discard an entire cleaning implement merely because the mop head or handle has been worn out or destroyed. and provides a novel solution thereto as to a replaceable mop head wherein the means for attaching and detaching the mop head from the handle along with the construction of the mop head is such that it is impossible for any hard elements of the connection means to come into contact with the fragile surfaces being cleaned by the mop head thus preventing any possibility of marring or scratching of such surfaces.  
  It is a feature of the present invention to provide a short handled mop having a replaceable mop head.  
  A further feature of the present invention provides a replaceable mop head of a construction such that when pressure is applied thereto by the handle the mop head expands to engage the surface being cleaned while yet preventing any possibility of any hard elements of the connecting means from contacting the surface being cleaned.  
  Still a further feature of the present invention provides a mop construction which is relatively simple in its construction and which therefore may be readily manufactured at a relatively low cost and by simple manufacturing methods.  
  Yet still a further feature of the present invention provides a mop having a replaceable head construction which is relatively devoid of moving parts and which therefore is unlikely to get out of order; one which is rugged and durable and which therefore may be guaranteed by the manufacturer to withstand the intended usage; one which is aesthetically pleasing and refined in appearance; and one which. otherwise. is well adpated to perform the services required of it, are further desirable features which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention.  
  Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:  
  FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofa mop construction in accordance with the principles of the present inven tion;  
  FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the mop having the mop head detachably attached thereto;  
  FIG. 3 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 2 but with the mop head detached from the handle member;  
  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along Line 44 of FIG. 3; and  
  FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along Line 5-5 of FIG. 4.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail there is illustrated a preferred form of a mop construction which is constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and which is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10 and which is comprised of two component parts. namely a short elongated handle 11 and a flexible mop head 12.  
  The handle II is ofa short elongated hollow cylindrical member 21 having an open front end 22 and a closed end 23 in the form of a hemi-spherical surface. a cylindrical bore 24 extending axially through the handle and opening out of the front end thereof with the bore being internally threaded at the front end thereof by threads 25 which extend inwardly from the front end in the form of a screw spiral. It is to be understood that, if desired. the body member 21 may be of a solid configuration with the threaded opening in the front end 22 being in the form of a cylindrical bore partially extending into the body member. However, to make the overall mop construction ofa light weight construction as well as for ease of manufacturing and associated costs thereof, it is preferable that the body member 2I be ofa hollow configuration which may be of any suitable satisfactory material, such as wood. hard rubber, plastic, metal or the like with the preferred embodiment utilizing a high density polystyrene plastic which may be provided in a multiplicity of colors appealing to the prospective purchaser.  
  The mop head 12 is in the form ofa flexible outer ball shaped sheet of net material 3! having a sponge like material 32 ofa flexible nature enclosed therebetween, the sponge and net secured by rivet 33 to an elongated cylindrical member 34 having screw threads 35 formed about the outer circumference thereof and extending completely therealong between a bottom end 36 and a top end 37. The cylindrical member 34 is provided with a cylindrical bore 38 extending axially therethrough be tween the closed bottom surface and the open top surface 36 with an aperture 39 disposed concentrically with the cylindrical member and extending axially through the bottom surface 37 placing the bore 38 in communication with the exterior of the bottom surface The rivet 33 includes an elongated shank portion 41 having an enlarged head 42 formed integrally with one end thereof, the shank and head portion inserted through the sponge 32 and net covering 31 to extend through aperture 39 in cylindrical member 34, after which the rivet is secured in place thereto in the eonventional manner by use of an enlarged head 43 force ably engaged with and permanently connected to the shank 41 by appropriate tools which are inserted into the bore 38 to accomplish the joining of the rivet.  
  The outer diameter of cylindrical member 34 is sub stantially equal to the inner diameter of handle body member bore 24 with threads 35 being of a size and pitch complementary to threads in the handle such that to attach the mop head 12 to the handle II the cy-- lindrical member 34 is axially aligned with the open end 22 of the handle after which the cylindrical memher is rotated about its axis to engage threads 25 with threads 35 in a manner to detachably attach the mop head to the handle. Similarly, after the mop head has been worn out, it may be readily detached from the handle by unscrewing the cylindrical member 34 therefrom. after which a new mop head 12 may be attached to the handle ll.  
  The sheet material 31 of the mop head 12 is formed of a nylon net which is particularly effective for cleaning surfaces intended by the present invention due to its efficient scrubbing action and is safe to such surfaces as not tending to scratch or mar the same. The sponge 32 contained within the net material 31 effects the flexible expansion of the net so that full scrubbing value is achieved thereby with the sponge exerting a pressure against the inside of the net forcing the same firmly against the surface being cleaned, such sponge also acting to positively prevent the hard elements of the rivet 42 or cylindrical member 34 from coming into contact with the surface being cleaned thus positively preventing any scratching or marring of the surface thereby.  
  There is thus provided a novel small cleaning implement having a replaceable mop head and which positi\ely prevents any contact between the surface being cleaned and the hard parts of the mop construction which would otherwise tend to damage and mar such surfaces. lt is to be understood that the form of this invention herevv ith shown and described is to be taken as a referred example of the same. and that this invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction as to shape, size; and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of the novel concepts thereof,  
 or the scope of the sub-joined claim.  
 1. A mop construction comprising, in combination:  
 a short elongated tubular shape handle member hav ing a closed back end and an open front end;  
 a cylindrical bore extending axially of the handle member through the open front end thereof;  
 screw threads formed spirally along the interior surface of the cylindrical bore adjacent the open front end and extending inwardly from the front end;  
 an axially elongated cylindrical member having a front end, a back end, and cylindrical sidewall surfaces;  
 a screw thread disposed spirally about the outer circumference of the cylindrical member sidewall sur faces extending completely between the front and back end thereof, the screw thread being of a size and pitch complementary to the size and pitch of the screw threads in the cylindrical bore of the handle member and adapted to be threadedly received therein with the back end thereof projecting outwardly therefrom;  
 the front end of the cylindrical member being open with the back end being closed by a member extending diametrically of the cylindrical member normal to the axis thereof;  
 an aperture extending through the back end member of the cylindrical member:  
 amass of sponge material forming a portion ofa mop head;  
 a net of flexible material completely surrounding the mass of sponge material to completely contain the same therein;  
 a rivet having an elongated cylindrical shank inserted through the aperture in the cylindrical member back wall surface;  
 a flat disc shaped head of a diameter larger than said aperture fixed on one end of the shank extending normal to the axis of the shank and firmly engaged within the sponge and net material to secure the rivet thereto with the shank projecting outwardly therefrom;  
 a flat disc shaped head member of a diameter larger than the rivet shank and larger than the aperture affixed to the opposite end of the shank inwardly of the cylindrical member and extending normal to the axis of the shank and fixedly retaining the rivet in position in the cylindrical member;  
 such that the sponge and net material are fixed to the cylindrical member for selective attachment and detachment to the handle member and in a manner to prevent the rivet from coming into contact with any surface being cleaned by the mop head.