Patent Abstract:
A mop and mop shield or cover is described in which the mop shield is slideably mounted on the handle of a mop, and capable of being lowered over the head of the mop to protect it from damage. The protective shield can also be marked, so as to enable a person to identify the purpose for which the mop has been used.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (a) Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a protective device for use in connection with tools used for cleaning floors. More particularly, it relates to a shield or cover for wet mops that are commonly used for cleaning floors in commercial buildings, schools, and homes, and to the mop upon which the shield is mounted. The shield is mounted on the mop handle, and its position is adjustable up or down on the handle depending on whether or not the mop is in use. 
     In many commercial buildings, schools and the like that have hard surface floors such as concrete, stone, tile, vinyl or similar, the floors are conventionally cleaned with what is termed a wet mop. A wet mop comprises an elongated shaft or handle with a water absorbable mop head attached to the lower end of the handle. The water absorbable head generally comprises a plurality of cotton ropes of various dimensions tied together at the top, so as to form a single unit. The mop head can also be formed of water absorbable cloths, if desired. 
     In the mopping operation, water, which may or may not contain a detergent, is spread on the floor through various means, and the floor is swabbed with the mop. The mop head cleans the floor and absorbs the water which contains dissolved dirt and other contaminants. The dirty water is then wrung out of the mop head, and the process repeated until an entire floor is cleaned. 
     It is often desirable to use different mops for different sections of a building. That is, it is desirable to use one specific mop for bathrooms whose floors are frequently contaminated with urine, and another for less contaminated areas of a building such as hallways, etc. The mops are frequently carried from place to place, and so it is desirable to protect the clothes and skin of the person carrying the mop from coming into contact with, and being contaminated by the wet mop head. It is also desirable to be able to mark the mops in a manner that enables one to identify which mop is designed for specific areas. 
     This invention is concerned with a mop upon which is mounted a device for protection of a wet mop head, and for identification of mops designated for specific uses. 
     (b) Description of Related Art 
     U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0016031, Lianes, published Jan. 26, 2006, describes a cylinder attachment slideably mounted on a mop handle to wring water out of a mop. The cylinder has an array of apertures in its lower wider portion for release of the mop water when the dirty water-laden mop head is compressed inside it. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,862, Botting, issued Nov. 12, 1974, describes and claims a sheath for a curling broom designed to receive and to support the cornstalk brush of a curling broom to improve the effectiveness and life thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 1,476,396, Dickson, issued Dec. 4, 1923, describes and claims a sanitary broom mop. In this invention a broom is covered with a soft material that serves as a mop for wiping floors, walls, and the like. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,364,512, Yamashita, issued Jan. 23, 1968, describes and claims a mop squeezing cover which is slidable on the mop handle. When the squeezer is slid on the handle over the mop head, the squeezer wrings the water out of it, enabling the mop head to be reused. None of the above described patents disclose or make obvious the device of the present invention. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a mop upon which is mounted a protective mop shield or cover that is slideably mounted on the handle of the mop, and capable of being lowered over the head of the mop to protect it from damage, and to protect individuals who may be carrying the mop from coming into contact with a wet or contaminated mop head. The protective shield can also be marked, so as to enable a person to identify the purpose for which the mop is to be, or has been used. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the slider mechanism of the mop shield of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the slider mechanism for securing the mop shield to the handle of a mop. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the shield or cover portion of the mop shield of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an view of the slider mechanism of  FIG. 2  to which is attached a shield or cover for the head of a mop. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the mop of the invention showing the mop shield in a raised position relative to the head of the mop. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the mop of the invention showing the mop shield in a lowered position with the cover portion enclosing the mop head. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the mop shield of the invention showing its position on a mop handle being adjusted by the user. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The mop and mop shield of the invention is best described with reference to the figures. As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the mop  10  of the invention comprises an elongated handle  12  with a mop head  14  attached at the lower end thereof. The handle  12  can be made of wood, plastic, metal, or any other suitable material. The head  14  is formed of a plurality of water absorbable ropes, preferably cotton, but it can be made of any water absorbable material. A mop shield  16  is attached to the handle of the mop  12  and is slideable relative thereto. 
     The shield  16  can be separated into two distinct components. The first component, as shown best in  FIG. 1 , and the exploded view of  FIG. 2 , comprises a slider unit or mechanism  18  that is slideable up and down the mop handle  12 . The slider mechanism  18  comprises an elongated tubular unit  20  whose internal diameter is slightly larger than the external diameter of the handle  12  of the mop  10  with which it is being used. In a preferred embodiment, the length of the tubular unit is 5¾ inches, its external diameter is 1 9/16 inches, and its internal diameter is 1⅜ inches. The tubular unit  20  has an upper end  22  and a lower end  24 . A pair of wings  26 , extend outwardly and substantially horizontally from the lower end  24  thereof. The tubular unit  20  has a threaded section  28  around its periphery above the wings  26 . In a preferred embodiment, the wings are 1⅞ inches in length, and ¾ inches wide. 
     A pair of flexible arcuate fins  30  and  32  extend upward from the upper end  22  of the tubular unit  20 . The arcuate fins  30  and  32  face each other, and are separated from each other by a slot  34 . Each of the fins  30  and  32  has a threaded section  36  on the outside thereof that is contiguous with the threaded section of the opposite fin. Each of the arcuate fins  30 , and  32  is about one inch high. The fins  30  and  32  have a certain degree of flexibility, enabling them to move inwardly in relation to pressure that may be applied on them. The entire tubular unit  20  is preferably made of a plastic material such as polyethylene or polycarbonate, but other suitable materials such as metal can be used also. The tubular unit  20  optionally has vertical ribs  37  on the outside thereof to give added strength, and a gripping surface for a user to grab onto when adjustment is to be made to the position of the slideable mechanism  18  on the mop handle  12 . 
     A wing nut  38  having interior threads  40  ( FIG. 2 ), and an outwardly extending horizontal flange  42  at the base thereof fits over the tubular unit  20 . It is secured to the tubular unit  20  by threading its threads  40  over the threads  28  at the lower end  22  of the tubular unit  20 . The threads  40  and the threaded section  28  are complementary to one another. The internal diameter of the wing nut  38  is slightly larger than the external diameter of the tubular unit  20 . In a preferred embodiment, the wing nut  38  is 1⅝ inches tall, and the flange  42  extends about 1 inch horizontally. The external diameter of the wing nut is 1⅞ inches, while the internal diameter of the wing nut is 1 9/16 inches. It is preferably made of the same plastic material as the tubular unit  20 . 
     A locking nut  44  with internal threads  46  fits over the fins  30  and  32 , and is fastened to the tubular unit  20  by threading it over the threads  36  on the fins  30  and  32 . In a preferred embodiment, the locking nut is about 1 7/16 inches high. The internal diameter of the locking nut  44  is greater at the bottom than at the top. In a preferred embodiment, it has an internal diameter at its bottom of 1⅜ inches, and an internal diameter at its top of about 1 inch. Thus when the internal threads  46  of the locking nut  44  engage the threads  36  on the flexible fins  30  and  32 , continued screw action and the reduced diameter of the locking nut  44  at the top thereof, forces the fins  30  and  32  inward to engage the mop handle  12 , thus securing the slider mechanism  18  in a fixed position on the handle  12  of the mop  10 . When it is desired to move the slider mechanism  18 , the locking nut  44  is released, or loosened, and the slider mechanism  18  repositioned to another desired position on the handle  12 . 
     The slider mechanism  18  portion of this invention can be made of any suitable material, but is preferably made of plastic. Polyethylene is the preferred plastic material. Other material, such as aluminum can be used, but plastic is cheaper, and more easily molded, and so is the preferred material. 
     The second component of the mop shield  16  of the invention is a cover  48  which is secured to the slider mechanism  18 , as seen in  FIG. 4 . As seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the cover  48  is rectangular in shape, and is formed like an envelope, having front  50  and back sides  52 , a closed top  54 , and an open bottom  56 . The cover  48  has an opening  58  in the top through which the shaft of a mop handle  12  can be inserted. The opening  58  has to be sufficiently large so as to enable it to pass over the tubular unit  20  without damage. The cover  48  optionally has a zip lock configuration  60  adjacent the open bottom  56 , so as to enable the bottom  56  to be closed, thus insuring complete enclosure of the mop head  14  if desired. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the cover  48  is 18 inches tall, 13 inches wide, and is made of 6 mil thick, clear plastic sheeting. If desired, the specific room or area for which the mop is to be used can be marked on the plastic sheeting with a suitable marking device. 
     The cover  48  is mounted on the slider mechanism  18  by first positioning the tubular unit  20  on the handle  12  of the mop  10 , at a desired location, then inserting the handle  12  through the open bottom  56  of the cover, then the opening  58  at the top of the cover  48 , and bringing the cover  48  down so that the inside surface of the cover  48  at the top thereof, rests on the horizontal wings  26  of the tubular unit  20 . See  FIG. 4 . Next, the wing nut  38  is screwed down on the threads  28  of the tubular unit  20 , simultaneously pressing down on the top external surface of the cover  48 , and fixing the cover  48  in position. That is, as seen in  FIG. 4 , the cover  48  is fastened in position between the flanges  42  of the wing nut  38  and the wings  26  of the tubular unit  20 . Following this, the locking nut  44  is put into place by screwing it onto the threads  36  of the fins  30  and  32 . 
     The position of the slider mechanism  18  on the mop handle  12  can be adjusted by loosening the locking nut  44 , moving the slider mechanism  18  to the desired position, then tightening the locking nut  44  again. See  FIG. 7 . As previously stated, tightening the locking nut  44  forces the fins  30  and  32  inward to press on the handle  12 , thus fixing the mop shield  16  in place. 
       FIG. 5  shows the position of the mop shield  16  of this invention in a raised position, and  FIG. 6  shows it in the lowered position with the cover  48  surrounding the mop head  14 . The position of the mop shield  16  of the invention can be adjusted on the mop handle  12  as desired. Thus, as previously stated, the invention is a mop upon which is mounted the mop shield described herein. 
     It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made in the mop and mop shield of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0