U.S. patent application number 11/122323 was filed with the patent office on 2005-11-10 for color coded mop pads and method of color coding same.
This patent application is currently assigned to Rubbermaid Commercial Products LLC. Invention is credited to Cline, Judy.
Application Number | 20050246851 11/122323 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36075516 |
Filed Date | 2005-11-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050246851 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cline, Judy |
November 10, 2005 |
Color coded mop pads and method of color coding same
Abstract
A set of color coded mop pads includes a first mop pad that is
substantially flat, has a mop portion with a periphery, and has a
first colored piping on the periphery associated with a first use,
and a second mop pad that is substantially flat, has a mop portion
with a periphery, and has a second colored piping on the periphery
associated with a second use. The color of the first colored piping
is different from the color of the second colored piping and the
first use is different from the second use. This configuration also
provides a method for color coding mop pads.
Inventors: |
Cline, Judy; (Winchester,
VA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FOLEY AND LARDNER
SUITE 500
3000 K STREET NW
WASHINGTON
DC
20007
US
|
Assignee: |
Rubbermaid Commercial Products
LLC
|
Family ID: |
36075516 |
Appl. No.: |
11/122323 |
Filed: |
May 5, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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60567794 |
May 5, 2004 |
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60637440 |
Dec 21, 2004 |
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60646986 |
Jan 27, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
15/228 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 13/20 20130101;
G09F 3/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/228 |
International
Class: |
A47L 013/10 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of coding mop pads, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a first mop pad, wherein the first mop pad is
substantially flat, has a mop portion with a periphery, and has a
first colored piping associated with a first use and that extends
along on at least a portion of the periphery of the mop portion of
the first mop pad; and providing a second mop pad, wherein the
second mop pad is substantially flat, has a mop portion with a
periphery, and has a second colored piping associated with a second
use and that extends along at least a portion of the periphery of
mop portion of the second mop pad, wherein the color of the first
colored piping is different from the color of the second colored
piping and the first use is different from the second use.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second colored
pipings are each uniform in color.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first colored piping extends
around the entire periphery of the mop portion of the first mop pad
and the second colored piping extends around the entire periphery
of the mop portion of the second mop pad.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mop portion of the first mop
pad includes at least a top layer of material and a bottom layer of
material having substantially coextensive peripheries and the first
colored piping extends along at least portion of the peripheries of
the top and bottom layers of material, and the mop portion of the
second mop pad includes at least a top layer of material and a
bottom layer of material having substantially coextensive
peripheries and the second colored piping extends along at least
portion of the peripheries of the top and bottom layers of
material.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mop portion of the first mop
pad includes at least a top layer of material and a bottom layer of
material and the first colored piping is attached to the top and
bottom layers by stitching that extends through the top and bottom
layers, and the mop portion of the second mop pad includes at least
a top layer of material and a bottom layer of material and the
second colored piping is attached to the top and bottom layers by
stitching that extends through the top and bottom layers.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second uses are
each at least one of a type of use, an area of use, and a user.
7. A set of color coded mop pads, the set comprising: a first mop
pad that is substantially flat, has a mop portion with a periphery,
and has a first colored piping on the periphery associated with a
first use; and a second mop pad that is substantially flat, has a
mop portion with a periphery, and has a second colored piping on
the periphery associated with a second use, wherein the color of
the first colored piping is different from the color of the second
colored piping and the first use is different from the second
use.
8. The set of color coded mop pads of claim 7, wherein the first
and second colored pipings are each uniform in color.
9. The set of color coded mop pads of claim 7, wherein the first
colored piping extends around the entire periphery of the mop
portion of the first mop pad and the second colored piping extends
around the entire periphery of the mop portion of the second mop
pad.
10. The set of color coded mop pads of claim 7, wherein the mop
portion of the first mop pad includes at least a top layer of
material and a bottom layer of material having substantially
coextensive peripheries and the first colored piping extends along
at least portion of the peripheries of the top and bottom layers of
material, and the mop portion of the second mop pad includes at
least a top layer of material and a bottom layer of material having
substantially coextensive peripheries and the second colored piping
extends along at least portion of the peripheries of the top and
bottom layers of material.
11. The set of color coded mop pads of claim 7, wherein the mop
portion of the first mop pad includes at least a top layer of
material and a bottom layer of material and the first colored
piping is attached to the top and bottom layers by stitching that
extends through the top and bottom layers, and the mop portion of
the second mop pad includes at least a top layer of material and a
bottom layer of material and the second colored piping is attached
to the top and bottom layers by stitching that extends through the
top and bottom layers.
12. The set of color coded mop pads of claim 7, wherein the first
and second uses are each at least one of a type of use, an area of
use, and a user.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application Nos. 60/567,794 (filed May 5, 2004), 60/637,440 (filed
Dec. 21, 2004), and 60/646,986 (filed Jan. 27, 2005), which are
incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] It can be desirable to designate particular mop pads, within
a set of mop pads, for certain uses. It may be desirable to
designate some mop pads for use in one location and other mop pads
for use in another location. For example, to prevent
cross-contamination, an environmental services manager may wish to
ensure that mop pads used for disinfecting patient room floors in a
hospital are not used in the hospital's common areas. As another
example, a facility manager may wish to associate certain mop pads
with specific locations to track the number of mop pads used over a
time period in those locations.
[0003] It also may be desirable to designate some mop pads for one
type of use and other mop pads for another type of use. As a
specific example, to prevent cross-contamination, a facility
manager may wish to designate certain mop pads for cleaning up
hazardous materials and other mop pads for applying
disinfectant.
[0004] Also, it may be desirable to designate mop pads for use only
by particular users. The ability to correlate mop pads to users
allows a facility manager to track the number of mop pads used by
each user. Also, it allows the facility manager to determine
whether particular users are experiencing losses of mop pads.
[0005] Mops have been designated for particular uses by color
coding techniques that are less than optimal. For example, mops
have been made entirely of a yarn of a particular color, and the
mops are differentiated by using a different color yarn for each
mop. This technique creates problems in manufacturing because large
quantities of yarns of different colors must be stored, and the
different yarns must be loaded on the manufacturing equipment when
switching from one color mop to another. As another example, mops
have been made with stitching of a particular color, and different
color stitchings are used to differentiate mops. This technique
also creates problems in manufacturing because different color
stitchings must be stored and loaded on the manufacturing equipment
when changing from type of mop to another. In addition, the
distinguishing colors can be difficult to see when the mops are
stacked or in use.
SUMMARY
[0006] An aspect of the present invention relates to a method of
coding mop pads. The method comprises the steps of providing a
first mop pad, wherein the first mop pad is substantially flat, has
a mop portion with a periphery, and has a first colored piping
associated with a first use and that extends along on at least a
portion of the periphery of the mop portion of the first mop pad,
and providing a second mop pad, wherein the second mop pad is
substantially flat, has a mop portion with a periphery, and has a
second colored piping associated with a second use and that extends
along at least a portion of the periphery of mop portion of the
second mop pad. The color of the first colored piping is different
from the color of the second colored piping and the first use is
different from the second use.
[0007] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a set of
color coded mop pads. The set comprises a first mop pad that is
substantially flat, has a mop portion with a periphery, and has a
first colored piping on the periphery associated with a first use,
and a second mop pad that is substantially flat, has a mop portion
with a periphery, and has a second colored piping on the periphery
associated with a second use. The color of the first colored piping
is different from the color of the second colored piping and the
first use is different from the second use.
[0008] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description are merely
exemplary of the invention, and are intended to provide an overview
or framework for understanding the nature and character of the
invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included
to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are
incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The
drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention, and
together with the description serve to explain the principles and
operation of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a set
of mop pads according to the present invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a
mop pad according to the present invention taken along line A-A in
FIG. 3;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a top view of the mop pad of FIG. 2; and
[0012] FIG. 4 is a top view of the mop pad of FIG. 2, which is
mounted on a mop pad support.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Presently preferred embodiments of the invention are
illustrated in the drawings. An effort has been made to use the
same or like reference numbers throughout the drawings to refer to
the same or like parts.
[0014] One aspect of the present invention relates to a set of
color coded mop pads. An embodiment of a set of color coded mop
pads 10 is shown in FIG. 1. The mop pads in that figure are stacked
on top of one another. The set of mop pads 10 preferably includes
at least a first mop pad 15 and a second mop pad 20. The set of mop
pads shown in FIG. 1 contains ten mop pads.
[0015] Each mop pad 15, 20 in the set 10 preferably is
substantially identical, except for the color coding that will be
described below. For ease of explanation, the specific structure of
only the embodiment of the second mop pad 20 will be described, and
it is to be understood that the first mop pad 15 preferably has the
same structure.
[0016] The mop pad 20 preferably is substantially flat and has a
mop portion 21 with a periphery 22. The mop portion 21 can include
a plurality of layers 24, 26, 28. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional
view of an example of a mop pad 20 having a top layer 24, a middle
layer 26, and a bottom layer 28. The top layer 24 preferably is
formed of the loop side of VELCRO material. The middle layer 26
preferably is made of conventional foam used in mop pads. The
bottom layer 28 preferably is formed of a knitted microfiber
material, as is conventional in the art. The layers 24, 26, 28 can
be connected by stitching 29, as shown in FIG. 2.
[0017] The mop pad 20 also includes colored piping 30 disposed
along at least portion of the periphery 22 of the mop portion 21.
The colored piping 30 can be, for example, polyester material. As
shown in FIG. 3, preferably the colored piping 30 extends around
the entire periphery 22 of the mop portion 21 of the mop pad 20.
The colored piping 30 can be attached to a layer 24, 26, 28 in the
mop portion 21 by stitching 32 (see FIG. 2) that extends through
the colored piping 30 and the layer 24, 26, 28. Preferably the
stitching 32 extends through the top and bottom layers 24, 28, and
more preferably it extends through all three layers 24, 26, 28, as
shown in FIG. 2. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the
layers 24, 26, 28 of the mop portion 22 are stacked on top of one
another and have peripheries 22', 22", 22'" that are coextensive to
form the periphery 22 of the mop portion 21. Should the peripheries
22', 22", 22'" of the layers 24, 26, 28 not be coextensive (not
shown), the colored piping 30 could extend along at least a portion
of a periphery 22', 22", 22'" of at least one of the layers 24, 26,
28.
[0018] The first mop pad 15 in the set 10 has colored piping of a
first color (e.g., blue), and the second mop pad 20 has colored
piping 30 of second color (e.g., green) that is different from the
first color. Preferably, the colored piping 30 on an individual mop
pad 15, 20 is uniform in color. The first color is associated with
a first use, and the second color is associated with a second use
that is different from the first use. The first and second uses can
relate to, for example, a type of use, such as picking up hazardous
material (first use) and applying disinfectant (second use). As
another example, the first and second uses can relate to an area of
use, such as mopping a hospital patient room floor (first use) and
mopping a hospital lobby or other common area (second use). As yet
another example, the first and second uses can relate to a user,
such as mop pads for an employee on the day shift (first use) and
mop pads for an employee on the night shift (second use).
[0019] The flat mop pad 20 preferably is attached to a mop pad
support 40 (see FIG. 4). A preferred mop pad support 40 includes a
frame 42 configured to retain a mop pad 20, a handle 44 for
maneuvering the frame 42, and a joint mechanism 46 that connects
the handle 44 to the frame 42. Such a preferred mop pad support is
disclosed in a patent application that is to be concurrently filed
by A. Reneau Van Landingham entitled "Mop Having Ergonomic Handle
and Joint" (Ser. No. ______; Attorney Docket Number 086554-1179),
the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The VELCRO material layer 24 of the mop pad 20 can mate with hook
side VELCRO strips (not shown) on the frame 42 of the mop pad
support 40.
[0020] The mop pad can be used, for example, with a mop bucket
having a foot pedal wringer mechanism and a scrub board. A
preferred mop bucket is disclosed in a patent application that is
to be concurrently filed by A. Reneau Van Landingham and Craig
Rogers entitled "Bucket With Foot Pedal Wringer Mechanism and Scrub
Board" (Ser. No. ______; Attorney Docket Number 086554-1173), the
entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
[0021] The mop pad also can be used, for example, with a
disinfecting bucket. A disinfecting bucket is disclosed in a patent
application that is to be concurrently filed by A. Reneau Van
Landingham entitled "Disinfecting Bucket" (Ser. No. ______;
Attorney Docket Number 086554-1172), the entire contents of which
is hereby incorporated by reference.
[0022] Embodiments of the set 10 of mop pads 15, 20 of the present
invention can be configured to resolve problems experienced with
conventional mop pads. For example, providing colored piping 30 on
the periphery 22 of the mop portion 21 of the mop pad 20 decreases
manufacturing problems. It is not necessary to store different
color yarn and stitching used to make the mops, and reload
manufacturing equipment during manufacturing runs. Instead, the
yarn and stitching can be maintained uniform, and only a different
colored piping 30 need be applied to the periphery 22 of the mop
portion 21 of the mop pad 20. Additionally, providing colored
piping 30 on the periphery 22 of the mop portion 21 of the mop pad
20 enhances the ability to differentiate between mop pads 15, 20.
Unlike the use of different color stitching, which can make it
difficult to distinguish between the mops when they are stacked or
in use, the mop pads 15, 20 of the present invention can be
configured to provide high visibility. For example, as shown in
FIG. 1, the piping on the periphery of all mop pads 15, 20 in the
set 10 can be readily seen. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 4, the
piping 30 on the periphery 22 of the mop portion 21 mop pad 20 can
be readily seen even when the mop pad 20 is mounted on a mop pad
support frame 42.
[0023] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made to the present invention
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus,
it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications
and variations of this invention provided they come within the
scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *