Patent Publication Number: US-2004047670-A1

Title: Floor cleaning implement with incorporated floor cleaning liquid

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The current invention relates to the field of floor cleaning implements, particularly to a handle with cleaning liquid incorporated having a top spray gun. It is aimed at mopping floors with the highest convenience and speed.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] The yellow-cloth-strip mops or the cotton-strips mop, which are used-together with a bucket, provided with a colander to wring out the mop are the most common system to mop floors. There are semiautomatic-wring-out mops but still need a bucket of water and cleaning product.  
       TECHNICAL PROBLEM OF THE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] Mopping with a traditional mop involves:  
       [0004] 1. The inconvenience of pulling along a full and heavy bucket  
       [0005] 2. The physical effort of wringing out the mop.  
       [0006] 3. The possibility that the bucket falls over and the water spills over the floor.  
       [0007] 4. The loss of time when we rinse and wring the mop out.  
       [0008] 5. The inconvenience and loss of time when we change the water.  
       [0009] 6. The limitation of certain floors (for instance: wooden floors just allow a very good wringing)  
       [0010] 7. The water gets dirty after rinsing the mop from the first wipe and consequently that dirt in the water is spread all over the floor.  
       [0011] 8. The difficulty in cleaning the strips of the mop head  
       [0012] 9. The high consumption of water and cleaning product.  
       [0013] Solution and Advantages of the Invention  
       [0014] Mopping with the present invention involves:  
       [0015] 1. The elimination of the bucket  
       [0016] 2. No more physical effort wringing the mop out.  
       [0017] 3. The impossibility of the water spilling or bucket falling.  
       [0018] 4. The important saving of time having to rinse the sponge.  
       [0019] 5. The saving of time not having to change water from the bucket any more.  
       [0020] 6. The possibility of mopping all kind of floor, including those that need more precautions (i.e.: wooden floors) since we use so little water to mop them.  
       [0021] 7. We do hot mop the floor with dirty water. Only clean water with detergent is sprayed through the spray gun over the floor.  
       [0022] 8. The easy cleaning and replacement of the sponge by the quick and simple take-off system, and thanks to its shape and texture, you can wash in the sink.  
       [0023] 9. The important saving of water and cleaning product.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024] The invention consists of a cleaning floor implement with cleaning liquid incorporated having a top spray gun. Different embodiments of this inventive concept are possible:  
       [0025] 1. A rigid hollow transparent tube with a right angle section on its top end is the handle that contains water mixed with a cleaning liquid. The mixture is dispensed to the floor using a thin a precise jet, which comes out of a spray gun situated on the top end of the tube. The mop head is located on the bottom end of the tube and is attached in a fixed way. A sponge is attached to the head. The sponge is attached to the head by different systems:  
       [0026] The head has got small plastic pointed tips on its lower face and the sponge has got sticking fabric on its upper face.  
       [0027] The head is covered with Velcro (rough side) on its full lower face and the sponge is covered with Velcro (smooth side) on its full upper face  
       [0028] The sponge has a plastic plate stuck on its upper face, which joins the head thanks to two screws crossing the plate and two plastic butterfly nuts.  
       [0029] The sponge juts out of the head all around its perimeter so that the sling boards and furniture are not ruined when bumping into them. The sponge is cut with a 45° angle on its rear end to make the mopping under furniture and beds easy.  
       [0030] Said head can have different shapes:  
       [0031] It can be cylindrical and covered with a sponge with a detachable system, on the full or partial perimeter of said head.  
       [0032] It can have an equilateral triangle shape and two sponges with an equilateral triangle shape fit onto the head, each one at each side of the head. Sponges can be then took off, turned around and put back on the head, being used up to three times.  
       [0033] 2. The head can be detachable:  
       [0034] Handle has a fixing system and head can be pulled off the handle.  
       [0035] Handle has a short extension, ending up with an outside thread, allowing any current spare parts such as mop heads, flat heads, floor-dryer heads or anything similar.  
       [0036] 3. The head is articulated having a 360° rotation joint, allowing the mopping in narrow spaces.  
       [0037] 4. Sponge can be replaced by disposable cloth made of non-woven fabric. In that case, head is provided with clutches or other means of fastening.  
       [0038] 5 The floor-cleaning liquid is in a reservoir incorporated to the floor-cleaning implement. Said reservoir can have different shapes, sizes, be made of different materials and is located:  
       [0039] Inside the sponge  
       [0040] On the head  
       [0041] At any location on the handle  
       [0042] The handle can have an adhesive Velcro strip (rough side) to store spare sponges.  
       [0043] All the possibilities previously mentioned could have an ergonomic and anti-skid upper part on the top end with undulations, which adapt to both hands fingers. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0044]FIG. 1 is a front view of one of the possible embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0045]FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1.  
     [0046]FIG. 3 is a top view of FIG. 1  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0047] It consists of a rigid hollow transparent tube ( 2 ) with a constant diameter on all its length with a right angle section on its top end, ending with a spray gun ( 1 ) pointing to the floor and shooting a thin and precise jet. The handle ( 2 ) contains a flexible and transparent thin tube ( 3 ) that goes from the spray gun ( 1 ) to the bottom part of the handle. Said tube ends up with a small plastic filter ( 4 ). The task of the tube ( 3 ) consists in conveying water mixed with floor-cleaning product to the spray gun ( 1 ). The handle ( 2 ) is joined at its lower part to the head ( 5 ). A sponge ( 6 ) is stuck to the head ( 5 ) with a detachable system.  
     [0048] Mode for Carrying Out the Invention  
     [0049] The spray gun is unscrewed. The handle is filed with any cleaning-floor product and water. The spray gun is screwed back on. Liquid is shot 1 to 5 times and mopping is proceeded rubbing against the floor. The sponge is detached and washed in the sink. Once wringed out, said sponge is placed back and the implement is ready for a next use.