U.S. patent application number 10/345042 was filed with the patent office on 2003-12-11 for mop swab and mop.
This patent application is currently assigned to MULTI-REACH INC.. Invention is credited to Facca, Andrew G., Rios, Esteban, Topete, Jaime.
Application Number | 20030226227 10/345042 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23369578 |
Filed Date | 2003-12-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030226227 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rios, Esteban ; et
al. |
December 11, 2003 |
Mop swab and mop
Abstract
A mop swab is disclosed which comprises 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.
Inventors: |
Rios, Esteban; (Tijuana,
MX) ; Topete, Jaime; (Tijuana, MX) ; Facca,
Andrew G.; (Windsor, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Christopher A. Mitchell
YOUNG & BASILE, P.C.
Suite 624
3001 W. Big Beaver Road
Troy
MI
48084-3107
US
|
Assignee: |
MULTI-REACH INC.
|
Family ID: |
23369578 |
Appl. No.: |
10/345042 |
Filed: |
January 15, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60348798 |
Jan 15, 2002 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/120.1 ;
15/228; 15/229.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 13/142 20130101;
A47L 13/20 20130101; D04C 1/02 20130101; D04C 1/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/120.1 ;
15/228; 15/229.1 |
International
Class: |
A47L 013/142; A47L
013/20 |
Claims
The invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is
claimed is defined as follows:
1. 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.
2. The mop swab of claim 1, wherein each of the individual cords 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.
3. The mop swab of claim 2, wherein each of said individual cords
consists essentially of a single strand of absorbent material.
4. The mop swab of claim 2, wherein each of said individual cords
consists essentially of a plurality of strands of absorbent
material which are intertwined to define a unitary material
element.
5. The mop swab of claim 4, 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.
6. A mop comprising a handle with first and second ends, the handle
having connected thereto 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
intermittent points along their respective lengths to define a
reticular pattern.
7. The mop swab of claim 6, wherein each of the individual cords 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.
8. The mop swab of claim 7, wherein each of said individual cords
consists essentially of a single strand of absorbent material.
9. The mop swab of claim 7, wherein each of said individual cords
consists essentially of a plurality of strands of absorbent
material which are intertwined to define a unitary material
element.
10. The mop swab of claim 9, 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.
11. The mop of claim 6, further comprising a sleeve rotatably and
slidably disposed on the handle, and wherein said mop swab is both
connected to said sleeve and connected to one of the first and
second ends of said handle.
12. The mop swab of claim 11, wherein each of the individual cords
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.
13. The mop swab of claim 12, wherein each of said individual cords
consists essentially of a single strand of absorbent material.
14. The mop swab of claim 12, wherein each of said individual cords
consists essentially of a plurality of strands of absorbent
material which are intertwined to define a unitary material
element.
15. The mop swab of claim 14, 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.
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.sub.1, and along the opposite side by interweaving adjacent
cords, such as 12 and 13, at a series of intermittent points
P.sub.2 defined intermediate the first series of points P.sub.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.
* * * * *