Patent Publication Number: US-6340257-B1

Title: Clean detergent providing device for cleaning tools

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a clean detergent providing device which is attached to a shaft of a cleaning tool and has a valve to control the amount of the detergent entering into the shaft in which water stream flows. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A conventional cleaning tool such as a mop generally includes a shank with a handle and a mophead. A squeeze means is connected to the shank and is able to squeeze the mop. The latest mop has a passage defined in the shank so that the shank can be connected with a hose to send water to the mop via the passage. A tank for receiving clean detergent is attached to the shank and a switch is controlled by the user to spray the detergent to the floor so that the mop may clean the position of the floor with the detergent mixed with water on the floor. The detergent cannot be mixed with the water before it contacts the floor and the detergent could attached on an outside of the mop and/or the shank because the detergent is injected by a rough way. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clean detergent providing device for a cleaning tool which comprises a tube for connecting with a handle and a mophead of the cleaning tool. A first aperture and a second aperture are respectively defined radially through the tube. A tank is connected to the tube with a first connection member and a second connection member connected therebetween. The first connection member communicates with the first aperture and an interior of the tank. The second connection member communicates with the second aperture and extends through a first end of the tank. A hole is defined through the second connection member and located in the tank. A valve is movably received in the second connection member and movably seals the second aperture and the hole. A piston is movably received in the tank and a spring is biased between and end plate and the piston. A cap is connected to a second end of the tank and retains the piston. The first connection member communicates with a space between the cap and the piston. 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a clean detergent providing device wherein the detergent enters in the tube of the cleaning tool and mixes with the water before contacting the ground or floor. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show a mop with the clean detergent providing device of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view to show the clean detergent providing device of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded view to show the clean detergent providing device of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view to show the clean detergent providing device of the present invention, and 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view to show the piston pushed to release detergent when operating the valve. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 to  4 , the clean detergent providing device of the present invention comprises a tube  20  having a first end thereof connected to a handle  10  of the cleaning tool, a mop for example, and a second end of the tube  20  is connected to a mophead  50 . The tube  20  has a passage  21  defined therethrough so that water is entered from the handle  10  and flows through the tube  20  to the mophead  50 . A first aperture  22  and a second aperture  23  are respectively defined radially through the tube  20 . 
     A tank  30  for receiving clean detergent is connected to the tube  20  with a first connection member  312  and a second connection member  32  connected between the tank  30  and the tube  20 . The first connection member  312  communicates with the first aperture  22  and an interior of the tank  30 . The second connection member  32  communicates with the second aperture  23  and is in a form of a tubular member which extends through a first end of the tank  30  radially and has a threaded inner periphery  33  defined in an end of the tubular member and located opposite to the tube  20 . A hole  311  is defined radially through the tube of the second connection  32  so that the clean detergent in the tank  30  may flow into the second connection member  32  via the hole  311 . A valve  40  is movably received in the second connection member  32  and movably seals the second aperture  23  and the hole  311 . An inlet portion  34  extends from the first end of the tank  30  and a cover  35  seals the inlet portion  34 . The inlet portion  34  communicates with the interior of the tank  30  so that the clean detergent can be added into the tank  30  via the inlet portion  34  easily. A piston  37  is movably received in the tank  30  and a spring  36  is biased between the tube of the second connection member  32  and the piston  37 . A cap  38  is connected to a second end of the tank  30  and retains the piston  37 . The first connection member  312  communicates with a space between the cap  38  and the piston  37 . The piston  37  has spikes  372  extending from an end thereof and gaps  371  are defined between the spikes  372 . The gaps  371  communicate with the first connection member  312  so that when the water flows into the space via the first connection member  312 , the piston  37  is pushed toward the second connection member  32  to force the clean detergent in the tank  30  to flow into the second connection member  32  via the hole  311 . 
     The valve  40  includes a rod which has a threaded section  400  which is engaged with the threaded inner periphery  33 . A lever  41  extends from a first end of the rod of the valve  40  and has a large section  42  and an enlarged second end. Two seals  421 ,  422  are respectively mounted to the enlarged second end and the large section  42 . The seal  421  seals the second aperture  23  and the seal  422  seals the second connection member  32  so that the clean detergent will not leak from the first end of the valve  40 . 
     As shown in FIG. 5, when rotating the lever  41 , the rod of the valve  40  is moved away from the tube  20 , and the second aperture  23  is opened and the hole  311  communicates with an annular space of the rod between the enlarged second end and the large section  42 . Water flows in the space between the piston  37  and the cap  38  via the first connection member  312  to push the piston  37  to compress the clean detergent in the tank  30  into the annular space in the second connection member  32  via the hole  311 . The clean detergent is then mixed with the water at the second aperture  23  and flows to the mophead  50 . When re-rotating the lever  41 , the hole  311  is sealed again, the piston  37  is pushed back by the spring  36 . 
     By the device of the present invention, the user may mix the clean detergent with the water before the mophead  50 . 
     While we have shown and described the embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.