Patent Abstract:
A bucket having a triangular shape wherein three side walls and a floor define a triangular interior volume, the bucket having wheels for facilitating moving the bucket from one location to another location, and there being a storage compartment provided in a sidewall of the bucket for storing signs, such as, for example, wet floor signs.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/397,581 filed on Jun. 14, 2010 is hereby claimed, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/397,581 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to maintenance and janitorial equipment, and more particularly, to a bucket that may be moved from location to location and may store and transport warning signs (this is, “wet floor” signs) that indicate a floor is wet. 
     2. Brief Description of the Related Art 
     Equipment for holding and transporting cleaning items is commercially available. One example of a bucket having storage receptacles is shown in my U.S. Design patent 350,632 which was issued on Sep. 13, 1994. Cleaning supplies, such as for example, spray bottles, towels, brushes and sponges, as well as other cleaning items suited to the type of maintenance/cleaning to be performed, may be required to be carried from room to room, such as, in office complexes, hotels, schools and other buildings. 
     Often buckets are cumbersome to maneuver. Wheeled buckets have been constructed, but they generally are difficult to move when a quantity of water or cleaning solution is held in the bucket. In addition, the wheels may move over wet or treated surfaces (e.g., floors treated with cleaning solution) which may corrode the wheels or connectors attaching the wheels. After several uses, the traditional wheeled buckets may become very difficult to maneuver. 
     Another drawback with buckets is that the buckets must be moved with cleaning supplies and equipment, such as wet floor signs, mops, and other items. Generally, the items are carried as the bucket is pulled or pushed with a mop. However, often, supplies like wet floor signs may be misplaced between uses. 
     A need exists for an improved bucket device which is easy to maneuver and may be used to store and transport items, such as wet floor signs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A bucket is provided having a storage component for storing items, in particular for storing wet floor signs. According to a preferred embodiment, the bucket is configured with one or more storage components provided on the exterior, so that the bucket may be used to contain water or other cleaning fluid. 
     A handle preferably is provided to facilitate repositioning the bucket when the bucket is in use. 
     According to preferred embodiments a mop wringer may be provided on the bucket to facilitate use of the bucket with floor mopping operations. 
     According to preferred embodiments, the bucket further provides specially configured construction for facilitating movement of the bucket, even when filled with water or cleaning solution. Preferred embodiments include wheels for moving the bucket and signage that may be held thereon. 
     Preferably, the bucket has a triangular configuration that defines a triangular interior volume. According to a preferred configuration, two side walls are provided and connect with a rear wall, and the walls are connected to a floor (e.g., a bottom wall) to form an enclosure. 
     A preferred construction of the bucket is designed for use in connection with floor cleaning applications, in particular, mopping. 
     The bucket is configured to provide holding and storage for signage, such as wet floor signs that are displayed after a floor has been cleaned. 
     The bucket may be used in connection with floor cleaning and preferably has storage or holding components that may be configured to hold and store signs, so that the signs may be held in a single place, generally with the bucket. The bucket also is constructed so that the signs, as well as the bucket and its contents, may be easily moved from place to place. 
     It is a common practice to place wet floor signs at locations where mopping or cleaning has been done so that those approaching the wet floor are warned of the potential danger of slippage. This practice is used especially when cleaning floors of a building, such as common areas of apartments, schools or offices. According to preferred embodiments, the present device is designed with one or more designated holders configured to hold one or more wet floor signs so that the signs may be readily transported to the cleaning location where they are used, and when the signs are not in use, they may be readily stored on the bucket, which guards against the signs being misplaced and/or lost when not in use. 
     These and other advantages are provided by my invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is a view in perspective of a first embodiment of the bucket of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a left side view of the bucket of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2   a  is a left side of the bucket of  FIG. 1 , in which a wet floor warning sign  100  is held in each compartment  22  of the second side wall  13 . 
         FIG. 3  is a right side view of the bucket of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3   a  is a right side view of the bucket of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 , in which a mop wringer (shown schematically) has been positioned on the bucket of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a view in top plan of the bucket of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a back view of the bucket of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the bucket of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a view in bottom plan of the bucket of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment of the bucket of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a left side view of the bucket of the invention shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a right side view of the bucket of the invention shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 11  is a view in top plan of the bucket of the invention shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 12  is a back view of the bucket of the invention shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 13  is a front view of the bucket of the invention shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 14  is a view in bottom plan of the bucket of the invention shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-8 , there is illustrated a movable bucket  10  constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of my invention. The bucket  10  is configured having a floor  11 , a first side wall  12 , a second side wall  13 , and a rear wall  14 . Preferably, the side walls  12 ,  13  and rear wall  14  connect with the floor  11  to define a triangular volume  16  which defines a bucket space, that is, the interior space of the bucket  10  for holding wash water (which may include cleaning solutions) used for mopping floors. Preferably, one or both of the side walls  12 ,  13  are constructed to have a planar or substantially planar configuration. As illustrated in the preferred embodiment, the first side wall  12  is constructed having a generally planar surface portion  20 . The first side wall  12  is shown provided with one or more compartments, such as the compartment  22  for holding signs, such as, for example, wet floor signs  100 . The compartment  22  may be dimensioned to accommodate standard size wet floor signs. For example, one common size for wet floor signs is about  27  inches in height by about  11  inches in width. Generally wet floor signs  100  are comprised of two panels that may be folded or hinged together for storage, and unfolded for use (to form an a-frame configuration). Accordingly, preferred dimensions of the compartment  22  include an opening which will receive the sign width. Preferably, the sign length may be accommodated. According to one embodiment, the wet floor signs, such as that  100 , may be stored on the bucket  10  by orienting the sign lengthwise so that the length of the sign is held laterally by the compartment  22 . 
     According to a preferred embodiment, the compartment  22  may be constructed from a cavity formed in a side wall, such as the first side wall  12 . The first side wall  12  may, for example, be constructed to form at least one common wall  12   a  of the bucket  10  that defines the triangular volume  16  of the bucket  10 . The compartment  22  may be formed in part by at least one exterior wall portion  12   b  of the bucket  10  that is spaced from the common wall  12   a  that defines the triangular volume  16  of the interior space. Preferably, the bucket  10  is made from steel, a plastic, or a polymer. When the bucket is made from plastic or a polymer, preferably it is molded and each compartment  22  provided on the bucket  10  is formed by integrally molding it during the molding of the bucket  10  as a whole. The space  24  between the common wall  12   a  and the container exterior wall portion  12   b  defines a storage area of the compartment  22 . According to a preferred construction, the storage compartment  22  may be provided with an opening  25  for insertion of one or more signs  100 . The opening  25  opens into the storage area space  24  to provide access to the storage area space  24 . According to a preferred embodiment, the storage compartment opening  25  may include a ramped portion disposed in the wall  12  (not shown) to facilitate directing a sign  100  into the compartment space  24 . 
     In a preferred embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-8 , the bucket  10  is provided with a pair of storage compartments  22  on each side wall  12  and  13 . 
     For illustrative purposes, as shown in  FIG. 1   a , two signs  100  are shown held in the compartments  22  of the first side wall  12 . Signs may also be held in the compartments  22  of the second side wall  13 . 
     The bucket  10  is movable. Preferably, wheels  30 ,  31 ,  32  are provided to facilitate moving the bucket  10 . The wheels  30 ,  31 ,  32  may be pivotally mounted so that they are able to pivot as the bucket  10  is moved so that the wheels  30 ,  31 ,  32  may align themselves in a direction that the bucket  10  is being transported. According to alternate embodiments, one or more wheels  30 ,  31 ,  32  may be pivotally mounted, while others may be fixed. For example, one preferred configuration includes a pivotally mounted front wheel  30  and fixedly mounted rear wheels  32 ,  33 . An alternate configuration provides a fixed front wheel  30  and pivotally mounted rear wheels  32 ,  33 . Optionally, one or more of the wheels  30 ,  31 ,  32  may be provided with a locking mechanism that may be actuated to lock a wheel in place, and consequently, release the lock when desired. Preferably, the wheels  30 ,  31 ,  32  are constructed from a corrosion and water resistant material which is not prone to rusting or being corroded by chemicals. The wheel mounting mechanism also is constructed from materials which are corrosion and/or rust resistant. 
     The bucket  10  preferably has a handle  40  which is connected to the first side wall  12  and second side wall  13 . The handle  40  is pivotally connected to the side walls  12 ,  13 , so that the handle  40  may be raised for grasping when the bucket  10  is to be moved, and may be lowered away from the bucket opening  19  when the bucket  10  interior volume  16  is to be accessed. Connectors, such as, for example, holes  41  and  42  in the side walls  12  and  13  through which the ends of the handle  40  extend, or a fastener, or pivot member, are preferably provided to mount the handle  40  to the side walls  12 ,  13 . Alternately, the handle  40  may be snap fit, or installed on the bucket  10  by another suitable connection mechanism. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the side walls  12  and  13  and the rear wall  14  have a length of about  28  inches and a height of about 12 inches, and the compartments  22  have a length of about 13 inches and a height of about 10 inches. 
     According to preferred embodiments, the bucket  10  may be provided as a kit with one or more signs that are configured to correspond to the dimensions of the storage compartment  22 , so that the signs may be stored therein. 
     The triangular shaped bucket  10  preferably provides at least one substantially planar side wall. 
     Preferably, the bucket  10  is constructed from materials which are water resistant, and also are resistant to general bathroom cleaners, such as typical cleaners used to clean toilets, glass, bathroom hardware and fixtures. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 3   a , a mop wringer  60 , such as Rubbermaid&#39;s mop bucket wringer (model no. RU6127) or the mop wringer of U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,261 (which are incorporated herein by reference) for example, may be provided on the bucket  10  by positioning the mop wringer  60  on the rear wall  14  of the bucket  10 , with the main portion  60   a  of the mop wringer  60  residing in and above the triangular volume  16  of the bucket  10 . A wet mop may be wrung out when desired by inserting the wet mop head into the mop wringer  60  and pulling on the mop wringer handle  60   b  to cause the mop wringer  60  to squeeze the mop head to wring out liquid (e.g., wash water) therefrom. 
       FIGS. 9 to 14  show an alternative embodiment of the invention. The bucket  10 ′ shown in  FIGS. 9 to 14  is substantially the same as the bucket  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 to 8 , except the walls  12 ′,  13 ′ and  14 ′ of the bucket  10 ′ when viewed in top plan form an isosceles triangle, rather than the equilateral triangle formed by walls  12 ,  13  and  14  of the bucket  10  when walls  12 ,  13  and  14  of bucket  10  are viewed in top plan. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, the description is illustrative and is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. For example, though not shown, the storage compartments described herein may be provided with a cover for covering the opening to the storage area. Various modifications and changes may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described herein and as defined by the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1