Patent Publication Number: US-8978193-B2

Title: Spin mop

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is in the field of spin mops. 
     DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART 
     Traditional mops also have a wide variety of different designs for pressing out water. Unfortunately, traditional mops are difficult to use and are not as ergonomic since they require greater strength to operate. 
     As a result, a variety of different spin mops have rotational mechanisms for wringing out water using the force of the rotation. Typically, the head of the mop can spin to a fast enough rotation to allow water removal. A popular spin mop has a step lever that rotates a basket which in turn rotates a mop head. An example of this mop dehydrating device is Hsiao-Hung Chiang&#39;s patent number US 2012/0233803. The invention prescribes the use of a bucket, with a step lever ability to wring out any mop that fits within the interior rack. An improvement from the previous idea is Shu-Hsun Chu&#39;s dual-purpose spin dry mop, patented number US2012/0047675 and published on Mar. 1, 2012. A user would not only be able to dry the mop head, but an agitator exists next to the drying mechanism, which enables the separation of any debris attached to the mop head. 
     A new spin mop was described in United States patent 8,316,502 entitled Spin Dry Mop to inventor Guofa Shao issued Nov. 27, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. A feature of Shao&#39;s mop is its ability to spin-dry a mop head using an internal spiral drive mechanism, unlike the previously listed inventions that contained an external drying mechanism, the step lever switch. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has a screw drive mechanism to translate reciprocating linear motion into rotation of the mop head for wringing out water force. 
     A spin mop includes a grip body casing. The grip body casing is an elongated member and hollow with an inside surface. The inside surface has a threaded panel assembly. The threaded panel assembly is formed in elongated shape and has threaded panel threads alternating with threaded panel fillets. A clutch shaft extends into the grip body casing. The clutch shaft is telescopically mounted to the grip body casing. A clutch assembly is formed on the clutch shaft. 
     The clutch assembly extends into the grip body casing. The clutch assembly further includes a first clutch member and a second clutch member. The first clutch member is rotably mounted to the clutch shaft. The second clutch member is fixed to the clutch shaft. A helical tooth is formed on an external surface of the first clutch member. 
     The helical tooth is configured to engage with the threaded panel threads to impart a rotational motion to the first clutch member when the first clutch member translates up or down inside the threaded panel assembly. A clutch connection is preferably formed between the first clutch member and the second clutch member. Optionally, the clutch connection engages the first clutch member to the second clutch member when the grip body casing is pushed downward toward the clutch shaft. Additionally, a clutch disengagement spring is biasing the first clutch member away from the second clutch member when the grip body casing is pulled away from the clutch shaft. A mop head can be attached to a lower end of the clutch shaft. During usage, a user pushing the grip body casing toward the clutch shaft engages the clutch to spin the mop, and a user pulling the grip body casing away from the clutch shaft disengages the clutch. 
     The clutch connection includes a clutch member tooth lodging within a clutch member notch. A clutch disengagement spring chamber formed within the first clutch member. The clutch disengagement spring is mounted within the clutch disengagement spring chamber. The clutch shaft and the grip body casing are coaxial. A plastic washer can be mounted to a top portion of the first clutch member. A plastic washer is optionally mounted to a top portion of the first clutch member, and the plastic washer is preferably aligned to abut a suspension bumper that is housed within a suspension housing. Also, the suspension bumper can be formed as a coil spring. The clutch shaft has an extension member for extending a length of the clutch shaft. The first clutch member has a first clutch member smooth portion above the helical tooth. The threaded panel assembly is formed of a plurality of threaded panels inserted into threaded panel slots formed on an inside surface of the grip body casing. The first clutch member is an upper clutch member, and wherein the second clutch member is a lower clutch member, wherein the upper clutch member is mounted above the lower clutch member. 
     It is an object of the invention to improve the design of the spin mop. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the present invention before assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is a close-up view of the threaded panel retainer opening. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the clutch mechanism. 
         FIG. 4  is a general diagrammatic overview of the threaded panel. 
         FIG. 5  is a general diagram of connection areas of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     The following call out list of elements can be a useful guide in referencing the elements of the drawings. 
       21  Threaded Panel Retainer Housing 
       22  Threaded Panel Retainer 
       31  Threaded Panel 
       32  Threaded Panel Tip 
       33  Threaded Panel Thread 
       34  Threaded Panel Fillet 
       41  Grip Body Casing 
       42  Threaded Panel Slot Ridge 
       43  Grip Body Casing Lower Thread Connection 
       44  Grip Body Casing Lower Nut Adjustment 
       45  Grip Body Casing Lower Connection Flange 
       46  Raised Grip Detail 
       47  Threaded Panel Slot 
       51  Clutch Shaft 
       52  Upper Clutch Member 
       53  Lower Clutch Member 
       54  Upper Clutch Washer 
       55  Upper Clutch Member Smooth Portion 
       56  Upper Clutch Member Tooth 
       57  Lower Clutch Member Notch 
       61  Lower Extension Rod 
       71  Circular Mop Head 
       72  Mop Angle Axle 
       73  Lower Extension Rod Socket 
       81  Helical Tooth 
       82  Helical Tooth Fillet Edge 
       83  Helical Fillet 
       101  Grip 
       102  Casing 
       103  Screw Layer 
       104  Upper Engaging Nut 
       105  Coupling Sleeve 
       106  Lower Engaging Nut 
       107  Suspension Housing 
       108  Suspension Bumper 
       109  Plastic Washer 
       110  First Clutch Member 
       111  Clutch Disengagement Spring Chamber 
       112  Clutch Disengagement Spring 
       113  Second Clutch Member 
       114  Extension Area 
       115  Bolt Connector 
       117  Extension Rod 
       118  Locking Seat 
       119  Horizontal Axle 
       120  Turn Socket 
       121  Spacer 
       122  Circular Disc 
       123  Mop Fibers 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  shows an exploded view of the present invention including a threaded panel retainer housing  21  being formed as the grip  101  of the mop. The grip is a top handle and formed also as a cap covering the threaded panel assembly of the present invention. The cap can be formed as a threaded panel retainer  22  formed on the lower portion of the threaded panel retainer housing  21 . The threaded panel retainer  22  pushes down on the threaded panel tip  32  to retain the threaded panel  31  inside the grip body casing  41  when the threaded panel  31  is slidingly installed into the grip body casing  41 . 
     The threaded panel thread  33  is formed on the threaded panel  31 . The threaded panel thread  33  is formed as sections of a helical coil of thread. The threaded panel thread  33  is shaped like rectangles or trapezoids to form a helical guide. The threaded panel thread  33  has threaded panel fillets  34  between the threaded panel thread  33 . The threaded panel thread  33  protrudes at regular intervals from a concave surface. The threaded panel  31  is preferably made to be symmetrical or the same mold as the other threaded panels  31 . A pair of threaded panels, or three or four or five or more threaded panels can be spaced at equal angles from each other. 
     The threaded panel  31  is installed into the grip body casing  41  between threaded panel slot ridges  42 . The grip body casing lower thread connection  43  is formed on the grip body casing  41  and the grip body casing lower connection flange  45  extends from the body casing lower thread connection  43 . A grip body casing lower nut adjustment  44  fits over the grip body casing lower connection flange  45  and screws onto the grip body casing lower thread connection  43 . A user can tighten or loosen the grip body casing lower nut adjustment  44  to close or enlarge the grip body casing lower connection flange opening. The opening of the lower connection flange grips around the clutch shaft. The variable grip can be made loose or tight. The connection is loose when a user needs to rotate the mop for wringing, and the connection is made tight when the user is using the mop for cleaning. 
     As seen in  FIG. 2 , three threaded panel slots  47  are bounded by threaded panel slot ridges  42 . The threaded panel slots  47  have a trapezoid profile to retain edges of the threaded panels. The threaded panels are inserted into the threaded panel slots. The outside of the grip body casing  41  also has raised grip detail  46  shown in  FIG. 1  as hatch marks. 
     The clutch assembly is mounted on the clutch shaft  51  at either the top end or the bottom end of the clutch shaft  51 . The clutch includes an upper clutch member  52  over a lower clutch member  53 . The upper clutch member engages with the lower clutch member when the upper clutch member is pushed down onto the lower clutch member. The upper clutch member has an upper clutch washer  54  mounted over the upper clutch member  52 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 3 , the clutch can be formed as an upper clutch member  52  mounted over a lower clutch member  53 . The upper clutch member  52  rotates about a center axis of rotation, but the lower clutch member  53  is rigidly attached to the clutch shaft  51  below. The clutch shaft may have crimped connection to the lower clutch member  53 . The crimped connection can be shown as dots that are depressions on the clutch shaft. The upper clutch member  52  preferably has a plurality of upper clutch member teeth  56  that engage into lower clutch member notches  57  when the upper clutch member is pushed down to engage with the lower clutch member. The upper clutch member is biased away from the lower clutch member by a spring that is preferably held within the upper clutch member. 
     When the clutch shaft  51  is being pulled away from the grip body casing  41 , the coil spring within the upper clutch member  52  pushes the upper clutch member  52  away from the lower clutch member  53 . The threaded panel thread  33  engages with the upper clutch member when the clutch shaft  51  telescopes with grip body casing  41 . Grip body casing  41  is external to the clutch shaft  51 . The clutch shaft  51  passes into the grip body casing  41 . The clutch shaft  51  also passes between the threaded panels  31 . As the clutch on the clutch shaft  51  passes between the threaded panels  31 , the upper clutch member  52  rotates relative to the lower clutch member, because the upper clutch member is not engaged to the lower clutch member. The disengaged position is further supported by the threaded panel thread  33  pushing up on a lower surface of a helical tooth  81 . The helical tooth  81  is formed on the upper clutch member  52 . The helical tooth  81  has a helical tooth fillet edge  82  and an upper edge and on a lower edge as well. The helical tooth fillet upper edge is shown in  FIG. 3 . The helical tooth fillet lower edge engages with the threaded panel thread when the clutch shaft  51  is being pulled away from the grip body casing  41 . Because the clutch is disengaged during pulling motion, the mop does not spin. 
     The mop spins when the clutch is in an engaged position which is when the clutch shaft  51  is being pushed toward the grip body casing  41 , or when the grip body casing is being pushed toward the clutch shaft  51 . The clutch has an engaged position which is an opposite position of its disengaged position. The engaged position occurs when the grip body casing  41  is pushed toward the clutch shaft  51 . The upper clutch member helical tooth fillet edge  82  is pushed down against the spring bias so that the upper clutch member upper clutch member tooth  56  is engaged into the lower clutch member notch  57 . The shape of the upper clutch member tooth  56  is conformed to the shape of the lower clutch member notch  57 . Both the upper clutch member tooth  56  and the lower clutch member notch  57  have a jagged surface with at least one point and an incline. The incline allows the rotation in one direction only. In engaged position, the mop spins when the user grips the grip body casing  41  and pushes downward. A user can put the mop head on a rotary basket that rotates when a user pushes down on the spin mop grip body casing  41 . The mop head could also have a protrusion that allows it to spin when in contact to a flat surface. 
     The clutch shaft  51  can be made longer by attaching it to a lower extension rod  61 . The lower extension rod is in turn connected to a secular mop head  71 . The mop has a mop angle axle  72  about which the head of the mop can adjust for different slopes of flooring. Preferably, the mop does not rotate about the mop angle axle  72  during wringing and the mop angle axle  72  is set to a 90° orientation during wringing. A user grabs the grip body casing and pushes down to spin the mop and wring the mop fibers  123 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 4 , the threaded panel retainer housing  21  preferably has a grip  101  formed on the external portion of the threaded panel retainer housing  21 . The grip body casing  41  is one type of casing  102  that can be implemented. The screw layer  103  is preferably formed as a plurality of threaded panels. The screw layer  103  is preferably sandwiched between the casing  102  to the outside of the screw layer  103  and the clutch shaft  51  to the inside of the screw layer  103 . The screw layer  103  is retained within the casing  102 . The upper engaging nut  104  controls the degree of friction between the rotation of the casing  102  and the clutch shaft  51 . The upper engaging nut  104  is preferably formed as a grip body casing lower nut adjustment  44 . The coupling sleeve  105  can be used for connecting the clutch shaft  51  to the lower extension rod  61 . 
     The coupling sleeve  105  can be formed as a plastic sleeve that fits over hollow tubular steel members. The lower engaging nut  106  allows the mop head to be removed from the lower extension rod  61 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 5 , the grip  101  preferably includes a suspension housing  107 . The suspension housing  107  holds a suspension bumper  108 . The suspension bumper  108  attenuates shock from the motion of the clutch shaft  51 . The upper clutch washer  54  may abut the suspension bumper  108 . The suspension bumper  108  can be formed as a coil spring. The coil spring of the suspension bumper is preferably lodged within a cavity of the suspension housing  107  and can be connected by interference fit where an end of the coil spring is jammed into a cavity of the suspension housing. The suspension housing is formed within the grip  101 . The upper clutch washer  54  is preferably formed as a plastic washer  109 . 
     The spring is preferably a coil spring that is formed as a clutch disengagement spring  112 . The clutch disengagement spring  112  separates and disengages the first clutch member  110  from the second clutch member  113 . The first clutch member  110  preferably has a clutch disengagement spring chamber  111  that houses the clutch disengagement spring  112 . The clutch disengagement spring  112  floats within the clutch disengagement spring chamber  111 . An extension area  114  allows connection between the extension rod  117  from the clutch shaft  51 . The extension rod  117  may have a bolt connector  115  that is lodged within an upper end of the extension rod  117 . 
     The bolt connector  115  has a bolt that may engage with a threaded portion of the extension area  114  that is preferably found on the lower end of the clutch shaft  51 . 
     Preferably, the extension rod  117  can be received in a locking seat  118  that receives the lower end of the extension rod  117 . The locking seat is preferably mounted to a horizontal axle  119  that can be formed as a mop angle axle  72 . The turn socket  120  allows rotation of the mop head to make mopping easier. The spacer  121  may allow better rotation during mopping. The mop head is preferably formed as a circular disc  122  carries a replaceable mop fiber cartridge that has a plurality of mop fibers  123  for cleaning. 
     The above detailed description of the preferred embodiment is an example of an apparatus described by the following claims.