Patent Abstract:
A cleaning head for a mop comprising a clamping strip and a cleaning body. The cleaning body fits in the clamping strip. The clamping strip is channel shaped and open towards the cleaning body and having two side walls and one connecting element connecting the side walls to each other. The connecting element has an inner side which faces the cleaning body and an outer side which faces away from the cleaning body. The clamping strip has a connecting region to connect the clamping strip to a mop adapter which accommodates the cleaning head. The connecting region has a stop which acts in an axial direction of a handle of the mop and is configured to be placed on a counter stop on the adapter. The stop is disposed in an imaginary plane extending parallel to the connecting strip. An attachment mechanism is in the imaginary plane.

Full Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The invention relates to a cleaning head for a mop, comprising a clamping strip and a cleaning body, the cleaning body being accommodated in the clamping strip with a force fit and/or interlocking fit, the clamping strip being substantially channel shaped and being open towards the cleaning body and having two side walls and one connecting strip which connects the side walls to each other, the connecting strip having an inner side which faces the cleaning body and an outer side which faces away from the cleaning body, the clamping strip having a connecting region which extends in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head for the purpose of connecting the clamping strip to a mop adapter which accommodates the cleaning head, the connecting region having, on the outer side of the connecting strip, at least one stop which can be placed on a counter stop on the adapter, and the stop being arranged in an imaginary plane which extends parallel to the connecting strip. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    An example of a cleaning head is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,901. Attachment means are arranged on the outer side of the connecting strip, said attachment means protruding outwards from the outer side of the connecting strip, away from the cleaning body. These attachment means may, for example, be in the form of fastening tabs which are formed integrally with the clamping strip. 
         [0003]    The design of the clamping strip makes it inconvenient and time-consuming for users to change the cleaning head. 
         [0004]    Usually, cleaning heads are sold separately from mops as spare parts. In such cases, the cleaning heads are packaged individually in plastics film or cardboard. The protrusion of the attachment means from the outer side of the connecting strip not only increases the dimensions of the packaging of a cleaning head of this type by the height of the attachment means, but also poses the risk of the packaging becoming damaged whilst the cleaning head is being transported or being stored in a retail outlet, especially since the attachment means are frequently manufactured with sharp edges. 
         [0005]    A further disadvantage is that when changing the cleaning head, it is easy for users of the mop to injure themselves on the attachment means which protrude perpendicularly from the outer side of the connecting strip. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In an embodiment, the present invention provides a cleaning head for a mop comprising a clamping strip and a cleaning body. The cleaning body fits in the clamping strip. The clamping strip is channel shaped and open towards the cleaning body and having two side walls and one connecting element connecting the side walls to each other. The connecting element has an inner side which faces the cleaning body and an outer side which faces away from the cleaning body. The clamping strip has a connecting region to connect the clamping strip to a mop adapter which accommodates the cleaning head. The connecting region has a stop which acts in an axial direction of a handle of the mop and is configured to be placed on a counter stop on the adapter. The stop is disposed in an imaginary plane extending parallel to the connecting strip. An attachment mechanism is in the imaginary plane. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The present invention will be described in even greater detail below based on the exemplary figures. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments. All features described and/or illustrated herein can be used alone or combined in different combinations in embodiments of the invention. The features and advantages of various embodiments of the present invention will become apparent by reading the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings which illustrate the following: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a cleaning head according to the invention as an individual component and a mop which comprises an adapter for accommodating the cleaning head; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is the mop from  FIG. 1 , in which the cleaning head is connected to the handle of the mop by means of the adapter; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is the cleaning head, which is connected to the adapter, in a simplified view; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a cleaning head which is similar to the cleaning head in  FIG. 1 , but the locking lugs being arranged differently. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    An aspect of the invention is to develop a cleaning head that can be changed quickly and easily and has a low volume when it is packaged, the packaging that surrounds the cleaning head does not become damaged during transportation and storage, and the risk of users injuring themselves when using the cleaning head is reduced to a minimum. 
         [0013]    The aspect is achieved in that at least one attachment means is arranged in the imaginary plane. 
         [0014]    An advantage of this is that the connecting region, despite having at least one attachment means, is substantially flat and, as a result, the attachment means in the connecting region hardly protrudes perpendicularly above the plane in which the stop is arranged. Overall, the cleaning head is compact in size and the cleaning head packaging does not become damaged if, for example, cleaning heads are packaged and stored one on top of the other. It is also advantageous that, as a result of the attachment means being arranged in the plane, it is especially easy and unproblematic for users to handle the cleaning head when, for example, they have damp and/or slippery hands. 
         [0015]    The arrangement of the attachment means in the plane allows the cleaning head to be manufactured easily and inexpensively. 
         [0016]    The arrangement of the attachment means in the plane results in the outer side of the connecting strip being formed in the connecting region without any disruptive projections and in it being particularly easy to attach the cleaning head to the adapter. The components can be attached to each other quickly and easily with a precise fit and without any canting. Whilst the mop is being used for its intended purpose, the cleaning head and the adapter are connected to each other precisely and largely without play. This means that the mop is particularly comfortable to use. 
         [0017]    An embodiment of the cleaning head according to the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to  FIG. 1 to 4 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of the cleaning head according to the invention as an individual component in a non-assembled state. 
         [0019]    The handle  21  of the mop  1  is also shown, the mop handle  21  forming a preassembled unit  26  together with the adapter  11 . 
         [0020]    The mop handle  21  comprises a system of rods  32  operated by a hand lever  31 , the system of rods  32  being connected to the adapter  11  as can be seen more clearly in  FIG. 3 . Operating the hand lever  31  allows the adapter  11  to be moved up and down as required in the axial direction  33  of the mop handle  21  between the two mop-wringing rollers  34 ,  35 , the cleaning body  3  of the cleaning head which is connected to the adapter  11  being drawn through the mop-wringing rollers  34 ,  35  by the upward movement and thereby being wrung out. After the cleaning body  3  has been wrung out, a downward movement shapes the cleaning head into the ready-to-use form thereof (cf.  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0021]    In the embodiment described herein, the cleaning head comprises a stainless steel clamping strip  2 , the cleaning body  3  taking the form of a cleaning sponge and being accommodated in the clamping strip with a force fit and interlocking fit. The interlocking fit can be formed for example by the two side walls  4 ,  5  having, on the sides thereof facing each other, retaining hooks which penetrate the surface of the cleaning body  3 . 
         [0022]    The clamping strip  2  is formed in the shape of a channel, is open in the axial direction  33  towards the cleaning body  3  and is delimited by the two side walls  4 ,  5  which are connected to each other by the connecting element  6 . 
         [0023]    The connecting region  10  is arranged on the outer side  8  of the connecting strip  6 , said outer side facing away from the cleaning body  3  and said connecting region marking the region on the outer side  8  of the connecting strip  6  which is covered by the adaptor  11  when the mop  1  is ready for use. This connecting region  10  is shown for example particularly clearly in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0024]    The connecting region  10  on the outer side  8  of the connecting strip  6  is in the form of a flat stop  13  which is arranged in the imaginary plane  12 . The attachment means is also arranged in the imaginary plane  12 . 
         [0025]    In the embodiment described, the attachment means is formed of the two locking lugs  15 ,  16 , which are components of the connecting strip  6  and extend in the connecting region  10  transversely to the longitudinal direction  9 . The locking lugs  15 ,  16  extend transversely to the longitudinal direction  9  beyond their respective side walls  4 ,  5 , each forming an undercut  17 ,  18 . The locking projections  27 ,  28  on the adapter  11  snap into place to connect to the locking lugs  15 ,  16 . To release the cleaning head from the adapter  11 , the locking projections  27 ,  28  on the adapter  11  are moved away from each other transversely to the longitudinal direction  9  in the opposite direction to the direction in which they were locked together by operating the lever  30 , thereby releasing the locked connection between the cleaning head and the adapter  11 . The cleaning head can, for example, subsequently be changed. 
         [0026]    On the sides which face each other, the cleaning head and the adapter  11  have a stop  13  and a counter stop  14 , said stops coming into contact with each other. 
         [0027]    As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the locking lugs  15 ,  16  on the side walls  4 ,  5  are offset from each other in the longitudinal direction  9  in such a way that the strength of the material of the connecting strip  6  in the region of the locking lugs  15 ,  16  is only negligibly weakened. 
         [0028]    In the embodiment described herein, the only components to protrude beyond the plane  12  are the positioning knobs  19 ,  20 , making it easier for users to position the cleaning head relative to the adapter  11 . The preassembled unit  26 , which comprises the mop handle  21  and the adapter  11 , is placed on the cleaning head in the axial direction  33 , in such a way that the adapter  11  and its inner side  25 , which is in the form of a counter stop  14 , comes into contact with the stop  13  on the clamping strip  2 . Pressure is then applied to the mop handle  21  in the axial direction  33  and the locking projections  27 ,  28  on the adapter  11 , which are formed integrally with the side webs  22 ,  23 , interlock with the locking lugs  15 ,  16  on the cleaning head. 
         [0029]      FIG. 2  shows the mop  1  ready for use, the components shown in  FIG. 1  being attached together. 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  shows a detailed view of the mop  1 , in which, for the sake of clarity, the mop-wringing rollers  34 ,  35  from  FIGS. 1 and 2  are not shown. 
         [0031]    The cleaning head is connected to the adapter  11  with an interlocking fit, the locking projections  27 ,  28  on the adapter  11  being able to be opened by a release mechanism  29  and thereby released from the locking lugs  15 ,  16  on the cleaning head without being destroyed. In the embodiment described herein, the release mechanism  29  is formed of a lever  30  which pulls the connecting web  24  downwards. The connecting web  24  connects the side webs  22 ,  23  on the adapter  11  to each other. 
         [0032]    As described above, the cleaning head is released from the adapter  11  as a result of the lever  30  being moved upwards by, for example, the user&#39;s foot. The locking projections  27 ,  28  on the adapter  11  are consequently moved away from each other transversely to the longitudinal direction  9  and release the locking lugs  15 ,  16  on the cleaning head and thereby the entire cleaning head as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  shows a cleaning head which is similar to the cleaning head in  FIG. 1 , the locking lugs  15 ,  16  being arranged differently on the outer side  8  of the clamping strip  2 . The locking lugs  15 ,  16  are arranged directly opposite each other when viewed in the longitudinal direction  9 . The way in which the locking lugs  15 ,  16  are arranged directly opposite each other means that no moments occur when connecting/releasing the cleaning head to/from the adapter  11 , thereby preventing canting when attaching/removing the cleaning head. An arrangement of this type at the same time allows the locking lugs  15 ,  16  to engage with or to be released from the adapter  11 . This makes the cleaning head easier to handle. 
         [0034]    Lead-in chamfers  36 ,  37  for the self-centring assembly of the clamping strip  2  in the longitudinal direction  9  relative to the adapter  11  can be arranged on the sides of the side walls  4 ,  5  which face away from each other. In the embodiment described herein, the lead-in chamfers  36 ,  37  are arranged trapezoidally to each other and interact with correspondingly designed guide bars on the adapter  11 . 
         [0035]    During assembly, the components to be attached together  2 ,  11  are thereby automatically positioned relative to one other in the longitudinal direction  9  and subsequently interlocked. 
         [0036]    While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill within the scope of the following claims. In particular, the present invention covers further embodiments with any combination of features from different embodiments described above and below. 
         [0037]    The terms used in the claims should be construed to have the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing description. For example, the use of the article “a” or “the” in introducing an element should not be interpreted as being exclusive of a plurality of elements. Likewise, the recitation of “or” should be interpreted as being inclusive, such that the recitation of “A or B” is not exclusive of “A and B,” unless it is clear from the context or the foregoing description that only one of A and B is intended. Further, the recitation of “at least one of A, B and C” should be interpreted as one or more of a group of elements consisting of A, B and C, and should not be interpreted as requiring at least one of each of the listed elements A, B and C, regardless of whether A, B and C are related as categories or otherwise. Moreover, the recitation of “A, B and/or C” or “at least one of A, B or C” should be interpreted as including any singular entity from the listed elements, e.g., A, any subset from the listed elements, e.g., A and B, or the entire list of elements A, B and C.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0