Patent Publication Number: US-2003226227-A1

Title: Mop swab and mop

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
     [0001] This application is related to, and claims the benefit of priority from, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/348,798, filed Jan. 15, 2002. 
    
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] The present invention relates generally to mops, and more particularly to a mop swab comprising a plurality of individual cords of suitably absorbent material, each cord having a finite length, and wherein adjacent cords of material are interwoven with each other at a plurality of intermittent points along their respective lengths to define a reticular, or net-like, pattern.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] Mops and mop swabs are well known and have been the subject of numerous improvements over the years. Conventional swabs for mops of all varieties have for years been comprised of numerous individual cords of suitably absorbent material, such as cotton, chamois, etc., these individual cords of material being bundled at least at one end and connected to the handle of a mop to define the desired mop swab shape. The mops disclosed by Yates et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,338, showing a wet mop the swab of which is characterized by a plurality of fibrous cords freely depending from the end of a mop handle, and Monahan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,290, showing a self-wringing type mop wherein the strands of material are joined both to an end of a mop handle and to a tubular sleeve disposed on the mop handle, are exemplary. Unfortunately, the numerous individual cords of material found in prior art mop swabs are prone to becoming bunched and entangled during mopping and wringing. This yields a mop with both an undesirably untidy appearance, and with compromised functionality.  
       [0004] One solution to the foregoing problem has been to interconnect adjacent cords of the mop swab with ties, such as shown in the disclosures of Bakemeier, U.S. Pat. No. 2,230,101, and Jumonville, U.S. Pat. No. 1,936,433. Unfortunately, the mops of the Bakemeier and Jumonville patents, while more beneficial than prior art mop swabs more simply comprising individual, unconnected cords of material, are nevertheless not as economical to manufacture by reason of the extra manufacturing cost and time associated with the necessity of interconnecting the adjacent cords at numerous points with the separate ties.  
       [0005] Notwithstanding the various improvements in the prior art, there consequently continues to exist the need for a simple mop swab which can at once be economically manufactured, while also avoiding the tangling problem associated with prior art mop swabs.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] The present invention addresses and solves the problems discussed above, and encompasses other features and advantages, by providing a mop swab comprising a plurality of individual cords of suitably absorbent material of finite lengths, wherein adjacent cords are interwoven with each other at a plurality of intermittent points along their respective lengths to define a reticular pattern. The resulting mop swab is both economical to manufacture, requiring no additional elements to interconnect adjacent cords of the mop swab, as well as suitably resistant to entanglement of the individual cords defining the reticular pattern.  
       [0007] According to one feature of this invention, each of the individual cords of the mop swab is interwoven with a first adjacent cord at a plurality of intermittent points along the length thereof, and further interwoven with a second adjacent cord at a plurality of intermittent points along the length thereof, and wherein further the plurality of intermittent points alternate between the first and second adjacent cords along the length of each individual cord.  
       [0008] Each individual cord may, according to a further feature of this invention, consist essentially of a single strand of absorbent material or, alternatively, consist essentially of a plurality of strands of absorbent material which are intertwined to define a unitary material element. Per the latter embodiment, the mop swab is characterized in that one or more of the plurality of strands of absorbent material of adjacent cords are interwoven at the plurality of intermittent points along their respective lengths to define the reticular pattern of the mop swab.  
       [0009] According to one feature hereof, a mop swab of the inventive type is connected to a mop comprising a handle with first and second ends. The mop may, per one embodiment, be of the self-wringing type, comprising a sleeve rotatably and slidably disposed on the handle, and the swab being both connected to the sleeve and connected to one of the first and second ends of the handle. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0010] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reference to the following description and drawings, in which:  
     [0011]FIG. 1 depicts the mop swab in combination with a self-wringing type mop;  
     [0012]FIG. 2 is a detailed illustration showing a representative portion of a mop swab according to the present invention;  
     [0013]FIG. 3 is a detailed illustration showing an exemplary interweaving of the adjacent cords of a mop swab according to the present invention; and  
     [0014]FIG. 4 is a detailed illustration showing a second exemplary interweaving of the adjacent cords of the mop swab of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT  
     [0015] Referring now to the drawings generally, wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts, the improved mop swab of the present invention is shown and described in combination with a self-wringing mop of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,509, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. As shown in FIG. 1, this type of mop most basically comprises a mop swab  10  having the opposite longitudinal ends thereof fixed, respectively, to a mop handle  20  and to a sleeve  30  that is rotatably and slidably disposed on the mop handle. By manually moving the sleeve  30  longitudinally in the direction of the arrow A towards an end of the mop handle  20  to which one end of the mop swab  10  is fixed, the opposite ends of the mop swab  10  are brought closer together, causing the swab  10  to flare radially outwardly and so to define a condition that is suitable for mopping. Conversely, and as also shown in FIG. 1, manually moving the sleeve  30  oppositely along the mop handle  20  in the direction of the arrow B stretches the mop swab  10  longitudinally so that it may be wrung dry by thereafter rotating the sleeve  30  about the longitudinal axis of the handle  20 . But while the mop swab  10  of this invention is shown in combination with the particular type of mop as described above, the particularized description in this written specification is not meant to be limiting of the scope of this invention as set out in the appended claims, and it will be appreciated from the remainder of this disclosure that the present invention has utility in combination with numerous mops, including of conventional design.  
     [0016] Referring next to FIG. 2, the mop swab of this invention will be seen to comprise a plurality of individual, separate cords  11 ,  12 ,  13 , etc. of suitably absorbent material, each cord  11 ,  12 ,  13 , etc. having a finite length, and adjacent cords, such as  11 ,  12  and  13 , being interwoven with each other at a plurality of intermittent points along their respective lengths to define a reticular, or net-like, pattern. By interweaving the individual cords  11 ,  12 ,  13 , etc. as described in more detail herein, it will be appreciated that the present invention eliminates the need to tie adjacent cords of the mop swab together with a separate tie element, such as taught in connection with prior art mops as discussed.  
     [0017] As used herein, the term “cord” means and refers to the separate absorbent material elements (reference numerals  11 ,  12 ,  13 , etc.) of the mop swab which are interwoven to make up the reticular pattern of the mop swab, and therefore that term comprehends such material elements that are each comprised of a single strand of absorbent material, such as shown in FIG. 4, or multiple strands of such absorbent material intertwined to define an unitary material element, such as shown best in FIG. 3.  
     [0018] In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, the mop swab is substantially comprised of a plurality of individual cords  11 ,  12 ,  13 , etc. each consisting of two separate strands  11 ′,  11 ″,  12 ′,  12 ″,  13 ′,  13 ″, etc. of a suitably absorbent material that are intertwined to define a unitary whole. These separate strands of material of each cord are knitted together in a chain-like pattern wherein the two separate strands of material are formed into alternating loops that are interconnected with each other. Of course, the particular manner of intertwining the separate strands  11 ′,  11 ″,  12 ′,  12 ″,  13 ′,  13 ″, etc. to form each cord  11 ,  12 ,  13 , etc. is exemplary only, and it is certainly contemplated by this disclosure that, where each such cord is comprised of two or more separate strands, these separate strands may be intertwined in any suitable pattern and according to any known means, including, without limitation, knitting, braiding, etc.  
     [0019] According to the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1, wherein the mop swab  10  is shown in combination with a mop of the self-wringing variety, the length of each separate cord thereof is preferably sufficient so that, when interwoven with the other cords of the swab  10  in the desired reticular pattern, the thus completed swab  10  will be capable of transition between the extended and flared conditions described above.  
     [0020] As indicated, the individual cords  11 ,  12 ,  13 , etc. comprising the mop swab  10  are comprised of suitably absorbent material, such as a woven or non-woven fabric of any of the numerous kinds known in the art, including synthetic and natural materials. Though not intended as an exhaustive list, materials that may be employed in formation of the cords of the mop swab of this invention include natural fibers, for instance cotton and wool, and polymers, such as polyester, polyurethane, or polyether. In the invention as illustrated, the cords are made up of multiple strands each comprising a length of cotton yarn.  
     [0021] Referring particularly to FIG. 3, which depicts in detail the intersection between adjacent interwoven cords  11  and  12 , the manner in which the individual cords of the mop swab of this invention, each comprising multiple strands of absorbent material, may be interwoven in a desired reticular pattern is more clearly shown in a first exemplary embodiment. More particularly, a single strand of material  11 ′ from a first cord  11  is woven together with the strand or strands  12 ′,  12 ″ of material comprising a second, adjacent cord  12  along a continuous, discrete length. In turn, a single strand  12 ′ of material from the second, adjacent cord  12  is woven together with the strand or strands  11 ′,  11 ″ of material comprising the first cord  11  along the same continuous, discrete length. By exchanging strands of material between adjacent cords, and interweaving these strands with the other strand or strands of the adjacent cords, these adjacent cords are securely bound together along the discrete length.  
     [0022] In the illustrated form of the mop swab shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each individual cord is interwoven with a first adjacent cord at a plurality of intermittent points along the length thereof, and further interwoven with a second adjacent cord at a plurality of intermittent points along the length thereof, this plurality of intermittent points alternating between the first and second adjacent cords along the length of each individual cord to yield the particular reticular pattern as shown. This pattern is more particularly characterized by interweaving adjacent cords, such as  11  and  12 , on one side at a first series of intermittent points P 1 , and along the opposite side by interweaving adjacent cords, such as  12  and  13 , at a series of intermittent points P 2  defined intermediate the first series of points P 1 . According to this arrangement, each cord  11 ,  12 ,  13 , etc. is characterized by a zig-zag pattern.  
     [0023] Of course, the particular manner of interweaving adjacent cords  11 ,  12 ,  13 , etc. shown and described is not meant to be limiting of the mop swab  10  of this invention, and it will certainly be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other interwoven arrangements of the cords are possible, depending upon such considerations as the number of strands of absorbent material comprising each cord, as well as user preference. Thus, for example, in a mop swab according to this invention wherein the cords each comprise a single strand of absorbent material, adjacent cords may be interwoven simply by looping adjacent cords  11 ,  12 ,  13 , etc. about each other, such as shown in FIG. 4. Likewise, it will be appreciated that the particular reticular pattern of the mop swab as shown may vary according to the manner in which adjacent cords are intertwined.  
     [0024] According to the example of this specification, by which the inventive mop swab  10  is described in conjunction with a self-wringing type mop, the mop swab  10  is fashioned as a sheet—that is, as a substantially two-dimensional form—the opposing lateral edges of which are interconnected, for instance by sewing, to define a generally cylindrical body having an open upper end  15  that encircles and is gathered about the slidable, rotatable sleeve  30  of the mop, for instance by the employment of a tie, such as a length of cord, string, etc. (FIG. 1.) At an opposite, lower end  16  the interwoven cords  11 ,  12 ,  13 , etc. of the swab are likewise gathered together and secured to an end of the mop handle  20 , for example by being sandwiched between axially mateable halves of a threaded member as disclosed more particularly in U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,509. However, it will be appreciated by those of skill that the means employed for fashioning the mop swab and fastening the same to a mop do not comprise part of the present invention, and may be varied as desired.  
     [0025] Because the present invention comprises a heretofore unknown mop swab of unique construction wherein adjacent cords are interwoven with each other at intermittent points along their respective lengths to define a reticular pattern, without the need for additional interconnecting means, such as ties or the like, to bind the cords together, it will be appreciated that the mop swab of the present invention improves significantly over the prior art in both economy of manufacture as well as utility.  
     [0026] Of course, the foregoing specification is merely illustrative of the present invention, and those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many additions and modifications to the invention as set out in this disclosure are possible without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of this invention as defined in the appended claims.