Patent Publication Number: US-11395572-B2

Title: Floor cleaning device and method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 15/909,776, filed on Mar. 1, 2018, pending, which is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/465,632 filed Mar. 1, 2017. Both of these documents are incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is explicitly or implicitly referenced is prior art. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention generally relates to the field of cleaning means of existing art and, more specifically, relates to mops and heads. 
     RELATED ART 
     Cleaning is, at times, a tedious and tiresome chore that most people must attend to. When it comes to cleaning floors, the generally accepted equipment is most commonly a broom and mop. While a mop is ideal for cleaning large, hard surfaces such as tile floors, mop heads are often bulky and difficult to get into tight spaces such as corners or around baseboards in a home. 
     Cleaning floors commonly calls for a person to get down on the floor and clean corners and baseboards manually with a rag or other, smaller cleaning device. Getting down onto a surface such as a tile floor can be taxing and strenuous. Furthermore, such physical strain may not be possible for those suffering from disability and injury, as well as the elderly. A suitable solution is desired. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,427 to Andrea Chiapelli relates to a mop including mop head having a scrub material. The described mop including mop head having a scrub material includes a mop having mop head supported on a handle and including mop head base and a mop body. The mop body is defined by a plurality of mop strands supported on the base. A scrubber element is supported on the base, centrally within the mop body. The scrubber element further has opposing faces on a scrubber body located at laterally opposing sides to define abrasive scrubbing surfaces. A single attachment element provides a simple and cost-effective way to attach the scrubber element simultaneously with attachment of the mop strands. The scrubber element further is engaged with mop head base to bias the scrubber element into a folded configuration folded so that the opposing faces are facing away from the mop handle thereby enabling a mop user to easily manipulate the scrubber element provided for removal of difficult stains, etc. by applying downward pressure to the handle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Given the preceding disadvantages inherent in the known mops and heads art, the present disclosure provides a novel floor cleaning device and method. The general purpose of the present disclosure, described in greater detail below, is to provide an efficient and effective floor cleaning device and method. 
     A floor cleaning device is disclosed. The floor cleaning device includes mop head, including cleaning fibers, a corner brush coupled to an extendable member and extendable from a center of the mop head, and an inner handle including knob for engaging and disengaging a locking mechanism for locking corner brush in position. 
     According to another embodiment, a method for cleaning a floor is also disclosed. The method for cleaning a floor includes mopping a floor with mop head until a user encounters a corner, twisting knob to disengage locking mechanism, extending the inner extendable handle to position corner brush in the extended position, twisting a knob to engage locking mechanism, and cleaning the corner using corner brush. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a floor cleaning device, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a floor cleaning device during an ‘in-use’ condition, according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the floor cleaning device of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the floor cleaning device of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the floor cleaning device of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a method of use for cleaning a floor using the present invention, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a close-up view of the joint between locking mechanism and outer handle of the floor cleaning device of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  depicts a close-up view of the joint between mop head and outer handle of the floor cleaning device of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  depicts a top end of the inner handle of the floor cleaning device of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     The various embodiments of the present invention are described below with the appended drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to mops and heads and, more particularly, to a floor cleaning device as used to improve the clean hard-to-reach areas of a floor and adjacent surfaces. 
     Generally, a floor cleaning device may include a swab mop, a corner brush, a brush extension-and-retraction mechanism, and a handle. The corner brush may be configured to extend from and retract into the handle. The corner brush may further be configured to extend to an approximate length of twelve to eighteen inches. The brush extension-and-retraction mechanism may include a push-button or a knob for operation, and alternatively knob. 
     TABLE OF PART NUMBERS 
     
         
         
           
             floor cleaning device  100   
             mop head  110   
             corner brush  120   
             inner handle  130   
             outer handle  150   
             cleaning fibers  200   
             cleaning bristles  201   
             opening  202   
             locking mechanism  404   
             knob  406   
             floor  500   
             step one  501   
             step two  502   
             step three  503   
             step four  504   
             step five  505   
             step six  506   
             step seven  507   
             step eight  508   
             surface  601   
             joint  605   
             taper lock  610   
             upper part  615   
             upper end  650   
             tapered cavity  655   
             wall  656   
             joint  700   
             lower end  701   
             surface  705   
             socket  710   
             surface  715   
             tip  716   
             surface  717   
             space  720   
             top end  810   
             base  815   
             elongate post  820   
             outer surface  825   
             inner surface  840   
             outer threads  1402   
             inner threads  1404   
             outer threads  1406   
             Inner threads  1408   
             lower end  1410   
           
         
       
    
     Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference,  FIGS. 1-4  show various views of a floor cleaning device  100 . 
       FIG. 1  shows a floor cleaning device  100  during an ‘in-use’ condition. Here, floor cleaning device  100  may clean hard-to-reach areas of a floor without the user having to get down on the floor and scrub them by hand. As illustrated, floor cleaning device  100  may include mop head  110  that includes cleaning fibers  200 . Furthermore, floor cleaning device  100  may include a corner brush  120  coupled to an inner handle  130  that is extendable from a center of mop head  110 . Floor cleaning device  100  may include an inner handle  130  including knob  406  for engaging and disengaging a locking mechanism  404  for locking corner brush  120  in position. 
       FIG. 2  shows the floor cleaning device  100  of  FIG. 1 . As above, floor cleaning device  100  may include mop head  110 . Mop head  110  may include cleaning fibers  200  configured to suit the overall construction of mop head  110 . In some versions, cleaning fibers  200  may also include a sufficiently absorbent material to facilitate removing cleaning products from a surface. And cleaning fibers  200  may be shorter than the length of inner handle  130 . Mop head  110  may also include opening  202  positioned centrally to cleaning fibers  200  to allow passage of inner handle  130 . 
     Corner brush  120  may include cleaning bristles  201 . Corner brush  120  may further comprise triangularly arranged cleaning bristles  201  to facilitate reaching a corner between two walls. And corner brush  120  may be coupled to inner handle  130  so that corner brush  120  may extend and retract with inner handle  130 . Corner brush  120  may mount angled relative to inner handle  130  to facilitate comfortable use. In some versions, facilitate comfortable use means facilitate use that does not involve excessive bending. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of floor cleaning device  100  and shows that corner brush  120  may mount to inner handle  130 , which may connect to inner handle  130 . Inner handle  130  may extend through opening  202 . As inner handle  130  is extended, it passes through opening  202  that sits centrally on mop head  110 . Since corner brush  120  connects to inner handle  130 , the extension of inner handle  130  extends corner brush  120 . Inner handle  130  is significantly (such as 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50%) longer than cleaning fibers  200 . In some versions, this greater length helps prevent cleaning fibers  200  from interfering with or with using corner brush  120 . In some versions, corner brush  120  fits into a corner between two adjacent walls. In these or other versions, corner brush  120  is smaller than mop head  110 . In some versions, cleaning fibers  200  comprise the same material as cleaning bristles  201 . In these or other embodiments, cleaning fibers  200  have the same shape as cleaning bristles  201 . 
       FIG. 4  is also a perspective view of floor cleaning device  100 . In this version, inner handle  130  passes through outer handle  150  and locking mechanism  404 . Knob  406  attaches to the upper end of inner handle  130  and connects to locking mechanism  404  to facilitate locking and unlocking locking mechanism  404 . Specifically, locking mechanism  404  sits at the end of outer handle  150 , and knob  406  sits at the end of inner handle  130 . In some versions, knob  406  is spaced apart from locking mechanism  404 . Inner handle  130  may be positioned among a plurality of operative modes, including extended and retracted modes or positions. Twisting knob  406  may engage and disengage locking mechanism  404 . Other methods of engaging and disengaging locking mechanism  404  may suit the design, construction, or needs of floor cleaning device  100 . 
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for cleaning a floor  500 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, the method for cleaning a floor  500  may include one or more components or features of floor cleaning device  100 , as described above. As illustrated, the method for cleaning a floor  500  may include the steps of step one  501 , mopping a floor with a mop head until a user encounters a corner; step two  502 , twisting the knob to disengage locking mechanism; step three  503 , extending inner extendable handle to extend the corner brush; step four  504 , twisting the knob to engage the locking mechanism; step five  505 , cleaning a corner using the corner brush; step six  506 , twisting the knob to disengage locking mechanism; step seven  507 , retracting inner extendable handle to retract the corner brush; step eight  508 , twisting the knob to engage the locking mechanism. 
       FIG. 6  depicts a close-up view of joint  605  between locking mechanism  404  and outer handle  150 . In this version, outer handle  150  has outer threads  1402  on the outside surface  601  of its upper end  650 . Locking mechanism  404  has inner threads  1404  near its lower end  1410 . In some versions, inner threads  1404  on lower end  1410  begin a distance upward from lower end  1410 . Inner handle  130  extends upward from locking mechanism  404  and downward through locking mechanism  404  into and through outer handle  150 . Taper lock  610  sits above inner threads  1404 . In some versions, taper lock  610  is cylindrical and fits over inner handle  130 . Taper lock  610 , along the upper part  615  of taper lock  610 , tapers inward such that the inner diameter of taper lock  610  remains substantially constant while the outer diameter of upper part  615  tapers to a reduced diameter. 
     Taper lock  610  abuts upper end  650  of outer handle  150 . Outer handle  150  substantially prevents taper lock  610  from moving downward along inner handle  130 . Locking mechanism  404  has a tapered cavity  655  upward from inner threads  1404 . Cavity  655  provides clearance for taper lock  610 . In some versions, locking mechanism  404  threads onto outer handle  150 . This causes upper end  650  to push against the bottom of taper lock  610 . At that point, further movement causes taper lock  610  to move further into tapered cavity  655  until it contacts wall  656 . Further threading causes upper end  650  to push against the bottom of taper lock  610  hard enough to cause taper lock  610  to wedge between wall  656  and inner handle  130  securing inner handle  130  in place relative to outer handle  150 . Thus, inner handle  130  is locked in place by locking mechanism  404 . 
       FIG. 7  depicts a close-up view of the joint  700  between mop head  110  and outer handle  150 . The lower end  701  of outer handle  150  comprises outer threads  1406  on outside surface  705  of outer handle  150 . Mop head  110  has a socket  710  that comprises inner threads  1408  on inside surface  715  of socket  710 . Threads  1408  receive threads  1406  to attach mop head  110  to outer handle  150 . In some versions, threads  1406  extend into threads  1408  far enough to cause tip  716  to contact surface  717 . In other versions, threads  1406  do not extend into threads  1408  far enough to cause tip  716  to contact surface  717 . In these versions, space  720  sits between tip  716  and surface  717 . Sometimes, space  720  facilitates assembly of mop head  110  onto outer handle  150 . 
       FIG. 8  depicts a top end  810  of inner handle  130 . Knob  406  connects to top end  810 . Knob  406  has base  815  and an elongate post  820  extending downward from base  815  into inner handle  130 . Elongate post  820  is necked down and has a smaller diameter than base  815 . As assembled, inner surface  840  of inner handle  130  contacts outer surface  825  of elongate post  820 . In some versions, this contact results in a friction fit between knob  406  and inner handle  130 . In other versions, an adhesive or glue is used on inner surface  840 , outer surface  825 , or both to secure elongate post  820  into inner handle  130 .