U.S. patent application number 11/674884 was filed with the patent office on 2008-02-21 for dual-mode contour-following mop.
Invention is credited to Sanjay Aiyar.
Application Number | 20080040877 11/674884 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46328526 |
Filed Date | 2008-02-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080040877 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Aiyar; Sanjay |
February 21, 2008 |
Dual-Mode Contour-Following Mop
Abstract
A scrubbing implement for cleaning a surface with contours is
disclosed. The scrubbing implement includes a resilient base that
includes a plurality of resilient fingers, each of which extend
radially away from center of the base. A rigid cap comprises an
inside upper end and a wider open lower end. The cap preferably
includes a handle receiving means pivotally fixed to the cap for
receiving a threaded end of an elongated handle. A flexible pad is
included that comprises a cleaning surface on a lower side thereof.
The pad has a peripheral lip forming an aperture in the pad for
receiving the distal ends of each finger of the base. In use, the
base is fixed to the cap with the attachment means. The flexible
pad is fixed around the distal ends of the fingers such that the
pad may be applied to the surface to scrub the surface. The fingers
and flexible pad conform to the shape of the surface. An additional
resilient base is provided such that with the fingers pressed
firmly against the surface each of a plurality of central scrubbing
nibs contacts the back side of the pad to reinforce the pad against
the surface, thereby providing additional scrubbing force to the
surface. An alternate embodiment having a rotational scrubbing
surface driven by a motor is also disclosed.
Inventors: |
Aiyar; Sanjay; (Irvine,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
QUICKPATENTS, INC.
32861 CALLE PERFECTO, SUITE A
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
CA
92675
US
|
Family ID: |
46328526 |
Appl. No.: |
11/674884 |
Filed: |
February 14, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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11465961 |
Aug 21, 2006 |
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11674884 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
15/115 ; 15/118;
15/228; 15/98 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 11/0017 20130101;
A47L 13/20 20130101; A47L 13/22 20130101; A46B 13/02 20130101; A47L
11/283 20130101; A47L 13/24 20130101; A47L 11/4069 20130101; A47L
11/4036 20130101; A47L 13/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/115 ; 15/118;
15/98; 15/228 |
International
Class: |
A47L 13/12 20060101
A47L013/12 |
Claims
1. A scrubbing implement for cleaning a surface comprising: a rigid
cap, the cap comprising an inside upper end and a wider open lower
end; a resilient base attached to the inside upper end of the cap,
the base comprising a plurality of fingers extending radially
outwards and downward from within the cap, the downward angle of
the fingers defined by the cap; a flexible pad that includes a
cleaning surface on a lower side thereof, the pad further including
a peripheral lip forming an aperture in the pad for receiving
distal ends of the each finger of the base and an attachment means
for attaching the pad proximate a center thereof to the base
proximate the center thereof; wherein the base and the pad extend
down and out from the inside of the cap and provide a resilient
scrubbing surface for application to the surface, the fingers and
the pad conforming to the shape of the surface, the pad conforming
generally to the contour of the resilient base.
2. The scrubbing implement of claim 1 wherein a secondary resilient
base is detachably affixed below and to the center of the base, the
secondary base applying additional scrubbing force to the surface
through the pad when the fingers of the base are in a compressed
orientation.
3. The scrubbing implement of claim 2 wherein the pad includes a
second smaller aperture proximate the center of the pad, whereby
the secondary resilient base makes contact with the surface when
the fingers of the base are in the compressed orientation.
4. The scrubbing implement of claim 3 wherein the secondary base
further includes a brush.
5. The scrubbing implement of claim 3 wherein the secondary base
further includes a scraper.
6. The scrubbing implement of claim 1 further including a handle
receiving means fixed to the cap and an elongated handle pivotally
fixed thereto.
7. The scrubbing implement of claim 1 wherein the flexible pad
further includes a plurality of absorbent mop strands each fixed at
one end thereof to the cleaning surface of the pad.
8. A scrubbing implement for cleaning a surface comprising: a rigid
cap, the cap comprising an inside upper end and a wider open lower
end; a resilient base attached to the inside upper end of the cap,
the base comprising a plurality of fingers extending radially
outwards and downward from within the cap, the downward angle of
the fingers defined by the cap; a motor attached to the outside of
the cap, the motor having a rotating motor shaft, the motor shaft
projecting into the interior of the cap and extending through the
base and the pad without making substantial contact with the cap,
the base, or the pad; a smaller secondary resilient base located
under the pad and affixed to the motor shaft; a flexible pad
located under and mounted to the base and including a second
smaller aperture proximate the center of the pad, the secondary
resilient base projectable therethrough when the fingers of the
base are in a compressed orientation, the lower side of the pad
forming a cleaning surface; a flexible secondary pad located under
and mounted to the secondary base, the secondary pad including a
cleaning surface on a lower side thereof; wherein the base and the
pad extend down and out from the inside of the cap and provide a
resilient scrubbing surface for application to the surface, the
fingers and the pad conforming to the shape of the surface, the
secondary base and the secondary pad forming a rotating cleaning
surface that contacts the surface when the fingers of the base are
in the compressed orientation.
9. The scrubbing implement of claim 8 wherein the secondary base is
detachably affixed to the motor shaft.
10. The scrubbing implement of claim 9 wherein the secondary base
further includes a brush.
11. The scrubbing implement of claim 9 wherein the secondary base
further includes a scraper.
12. The scrubbing implement of claim 8 further including a handle
receiving means fixed to the cap and a handle pivotally fixed
thereto.
13. A scrubbing implement for cleaning a surface, the scrubbing
implement comprising: a resilient base comprising a hub and a
plurality of resilient fingers each joined at a proximal end to the
hub and extending radially away therefrom, each finger including a
distal end opposite the proximal end thereof, the hub further
including a central aperture therethrough; a rigid cap comprising a
side portion fixed at a top end thereof to an upper end of the cap,
the upper end including a central aperture therethrough; an
attachment means for fixing the base to the cap at the central
apertures thereof, the attachment means including a bolt having a
shaft and a head at one end of the shaft, the head being larger in
diameter than the aperture of the base, the cap having a receiving
aperture in a top portion of the aperture therein for receiving the
shaft, the head of the bolt having a lower side for contacting a
back side of the pad, the side portion of the cap forcing the
fingers of the base into a downward direction; a flexible pad
includes a cleaning surface on a lower side thereof, the pad
further including a peripheral lip forming an aperture in the pad
for receiving the distal ends of each finger of the base and an
attachment means for attaching the pad proximate a center thereof
to the base proximate the center thereof; and a secondary resilient
base having a central aperture therein for receiving the bolt, the
secondary resilient base positioned between the head of the bolt
and the pad; whereby with the base fixed to the cap with the
attachment means and with the flexible pad fixed to base, the pad
may be applied to the surface to scrub the surface, the fingers and
pad conforming to the shape of the surface, the lower side of the
head of the bolt positioned closer to the fabric pad than the
cap.
14. The scrubbing implement of claim 13 wherein the secondary
resilient base includes a recess for the head of the bolt, whereby
the secondary resilient base is closer to the fabric pad than
either the cap or the head of the bolt.
15. The scrubbing implement of claim 13 wherein the secondary
resilient base includes at least one scrubbing nib for contacting
the back side of the pad, whereby with the fingers pressed firmly
against the surface each of the scrubbing nibs contacts the back
side of the pad to reinforce the pad against the surface.
16. The scrubbing implement of claim 15 wherein the pad includes a
second smaller aperture in the approximate center of the pad,
whereby each scrubbing nib of the secondary resilient base may
traverse the second aperture and contact the surface when the
fingers of the base are pressed firmly against the surface.
17. The scrubbing implement of claim 13 further including a handle
receiving means fixed to the cap, the handle receiving means for
pivotally receiving a threaded end of an elongated handle.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/465,961, filed on Aug. 21, 2006, and
incorporated herein by reference.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This invention relates to mops, and more particularly to a
dual-mode contour-following mop.
DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART
[0004] Mops for cleaning cars are well known in the art. For
example, the highly successful Shawala.RTM. multi-layer mop of U.S.
Pat. No. 5,855,204, to Gray et al. on Jan. 5, 1999, teaches such a
device. Such mops are made to conform to contours typical of motor
vehicles, as a flat mop is essentially useless on such surfaces.
The Gray device relies on the weight of water in a plurality of
fingers to cause the fingers to follow contours on the surface.
However, such weight is not always sufficient to create a strong
enough cleaning force around such contours. Further, the central
area of this device is too rigid and flat to adapt itself to
contours.
[0005] Mop devices that create a stronger cleaning force between
cleaning elements and the surface to be cleaned are also known in
the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,727,268 to Hucke on Dec. 20,
1955, discloses a mop having a resilient, deformable washing head.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,682,071 teaches a cleaning implement having a
deformable suction foot that forces the cleaning implement into
firm contact with a surface to be cleaned through an air suction
means. While such devices do create a stronger cleaning force for
cleaning a contoured surface, such devices are not well suited for
concentrated scrubbing of areas of the surface that have caked-on
or greasy areas in need of cleaning. For example, bird droppings,
oil, or other stubborn grime is difficult to remove with such prior
art devices.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,239 to Maupin on Jun. 28, 1977, also
teaches a device having resilient contour-following fingers. The
Maupin device is difficult to use due to its loose cleaning pad at
the center which tends to interfere with cleaning the surface and,
during application of any downward pressure, tends to play one side
against the other, thus limiting its effectiveness on contoured
surfaces. The loose cleaning surface, rather than applying a
downward scrubbing force, relies strictly on the force of gravity
to clean the surface. This is a drawback from which many prior art
devices suffer. Further, when dipped in water, the cleaning pad
will tend to sag under gravity with the weight of excess water
captured between the pad and the mop. Still further, the resilient
fingers of such a device, when used over time, tend to lose some of
their rigidity and cannot be replaced independently.
[0007] The Maupin device, moreover, additionally includes a means
for introducing a jet of water or cleaning fluid to the surface.
While such a water jet may help remove stubborn debris to some
extent, such a device does not provide for a concentrated water jet
sufficient for removing all such debris. Further, a flexible mop
pad necessarily is interposed between the water jet and the debris,
further reducing the effectiveness of such a device.
[0008] Therefore, there is a need for a contour-following mop that,
in addition to providing resilient fingers that can be forced
against the surface to generate true scrubbing action rather than a
weak "mopping-only" type of force, further provides a secondary
mode wherein direct pressure of a secondary cleaning surface may be
applied to stubborn debris. Such a necessary secondary cleaning
surface would be rubber nibs, brush bristles, or even scraping
edges, and would not interfere with the primary cleaning surface of
a flexible pad, for example. Such a needed device would further
provide means for rotating the secondary cleaning surface to
provide a motorized spot cleaning capability. The needed device
would further be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and
assemble, easy to use and clean, and would be durable under
repeated use. When worn over time, the resilient fingers could be
easily replaced. The present invention accomplishes these
objectives.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present device is a scrubbing implement for cleaning a
surface. The scrubbing implement includes a resilient base that is
comprised of a plurality of resilient fingers, each of which
extends radially away from center of the base. Each finger includes
a distal end opposite a proximal end. A rigid cap comprises an
inside upper end and a wider open lower end. The cap preferably
includes a handle receiving means pivotally fixed to the cap for
receiving one end of an elongated handle.
[0010] A flexible pad is included that comprises a cleaning surface
on a lower side thereof. The pad has a peripheral lip forming an
aperture in the pad for receiving the distal ends of each finger of
the base. Additionally, the center of the pad is attached to the
center of the base to provide a close attachment to the entire
lower base plane. In use, the base is fixed to the cap with an
attachment means that forces the fingers of the base to extend
downward in a radial fashion. The flexible pad is fixed at the
center of the resilient base and around the distal ends of the
fingers such that the pad may be applied to the surface to scrub
the surface. The fingers and flexible pad conform to the shape of
the surface.
[0011] Preferably a secondary resilient base is affixed under the
resilient base. The secondary resilient base is of sufficient
thickness to make contact with a surface to be cleaned when the
primary resilient base is in a fully compressed position. The
flexible pad preferably has an opening in the center of roughly the
size of the secondary resilient base. In this case the flexible pad
is attached to the resilient base in a ring fashion at the center
in addition to the attachment at the periphery. Preferably, a
secondary pad having different scrubbing characteristics than the
main flexible pad is mounted to the bottom of the secondary base.
The secondary pad may include at least one scrubbing nib for
contacting the surface to be cleaned. As such, with the fingers
pressed firmly against the surface, each of the scrubbing nibs
contacts the surface, thereby providing additional scrubbing force
to the surface. Preferably each scrubbing nib is a resilient rubber
material, a brush material, a scraping material with a scraping
edge, or the like.
[0012] In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the scrubbing
implement further includes a liquid-tight motor rigidly attached to
the outside of the cap. The motor has a rotating motor shaft that
projects into the interior of the cap and extends through the
resilient base and the flexible pad, preferably through a hollow
aperture in the attachment means. The motor is electrically
connected to a power source, and a switch is electrically disposed
therebetween for selectively activating the motor. Alternately, the
motor may be activated by a switch that is depressed when upward
pressure is exerted on the motor shaft.
[0013] The secondary resilient base is affixed to the motor shaft,
preferably in a readily detachable fashion. A secondary flexible
pad is fixed to the secondary resilient base and includes a
cleaning surface on a lower side thereof. The secondary resilient
base may instead be a brush or a scraper, for instance. In use,
such an embodiment allows for motorized rotational scrubbing of the
surface when the fingers are in the compressed orientation and the
switch is actuated.
[0014] The present device is a contour-following mop that, in
addition to providing padded resilient fingers that may be forced
against the surface, further provides a secondary mode wherein
direct pressure of a secondary cleaning surface may be applied to
clean stubborn debris. The secondary cleaning surface may be a firm
scrubbing pad, resilient rubber nibs, brush bristles, or even
scraping edges, and does not interfere with the primary cleaning
surface. The present invention further provides means for rotating
the secondary cleaning surface to provide a motorized spot cleaning
capability. The present device is relatively inexpensive to
manufacture, easy to use and clean, and is durable under repeated
use. The resilient fingers may be easily replaced as they wear out
over time. Other features and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent from the following more detailed description,
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which
illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention, illustrating
a scrubbing implement detached from an elongated handle of the
invention;
[0016] FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the invention, taken
generally along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1, and illustrating a resilient
base with radially-extending fingers in an uncompressed
configuration;
[0017] FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the invention, taken
generally along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1, and illustrating a secondary
resilient base with scrubbing nibs on a lower surface thereof;
[0018] FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the invention, taken
generally along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1, and illustrating the resilient
base with the radially-extending fingers in a compressed
configuration, the scrubbing implement and the resilient base
engaged with a surface to be cleaned;
[0019] FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the invention, taken
generally along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1, and illustrating the secondary
base and scrubbing nibs reinforcing the center of the flexible
pad;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the invention, taken
generally along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1, and illustrating the secondary
resilient base with the plurality of scrubbing nibs, the nibs for
making contact with the surface to be cleaned;
[0021] FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the
secondary resilient base, illustrating a recess in the secondary
resilient base for complete encompassment of a head of a bolt;
[0022] FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment
of the secondary resilient base, illustrating a plurality of
scraping edges attached thereto and to the head of the bolt;
[0023] FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of the bolt;
[0024] FIG. 5D is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment
of the secondary resilient base, illustrating a plurality of brush
bristles attached thereto and to the head of the bolt;
[0025] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment
of the invention, illustrating a motor and a motor shaft connected
to an additional rotating cleaning surface;
[0026] FIG. 7 is a bottom-plan view of the additional rotating
cleaning surface of FIG. 6;
[0027] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment
of the invention, illustrating a flexible pad having a plurality of
absorbent mop strands each fixed at one end thereof to the cleaning
surface of the pad; and
[0028] FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment of the
invention illustrated in FIG. 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0029] FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrate a scrubbing implement 10 for
cleaning a surface 20. The scrubbing implement 10 includes a
resilient base 30 that includes a plurality of resilient fingers
50, each of which are joined at a proximal end 60 to a hub 40 and
extend radially away therefrom. Each finger 50 includes a distal
end 70 opposite the proximal end 60. Preferably the hub 40 further
includes a central aperture 80 therethrough. The resilient base 30
is preferably made from a resilient foam material such as EVA, or
the like.
[0030] A rigid cap 90 comprises an inside upper end 120 and a wider
open lower end 125. A side portion 100, preferably frusta-conical
in shape, is fixed at a top end 110 thereof to the upper end 120 of
the cap 90. The upper end 120 preferably includes a central
aperture 130 at least partially therethrough. The cap 90 preferably
includes a handle receiving means 340 fixed to the cap 90 for
pivotally receiving preferably a threaded end 350 of an elongated
handle 360 (FIGS. 1 and 6), but may be adapted for receiving a
snap-in end of an elongated handle (not shown), or any other type
of commonly-used handle. The cap 90 is preferably made from a rigid
plastic material, but can also be formed from wood or metal, if
desired.
[0031] A flexible pad 150 is included that comprises a cleaning
surface 160 on a lower side 152 thereof. The pad 150 has an elastic
ring 153 around its periphery, forming an aperture 180 in the pad
150 for receiving the distal ends 70 of each finger 90 of the base
30. The pad 150 is mounted to the base 30 by inserting the distal
ends of the fingers 50 into a peripheral lip 170 and held in place
securely by the elastic ring 153. It is additionally attached to
the base 30 with an attachment means 145, such as hook-and-loop
type material (FIGS. 3A and 3B), mechanical snaps (not shown), or
the like. The attachment means 145 ensures a close contact of the
pad 150 with the base 30, particularly proximate the center of the
pad 150 and at the center of the base 30. In use, the base 30 is
fixed to the cap 90 with the attachment means 140. The flexible pad
150 is fixed around the distal ends 70 of the fingers 50 such that
the pad 150 may be applied to the surface 20 to scrub the surface
20. The fingers 50 and flexible pad 150 conform generally to the
shape of the surface 20. The flexible pad 150 may be a sheet of
fabric, such as terrycloth, a section of fabric with a plurality of
folds (not shown), a sheet of sponge material (not shown), or the
like.
[0032] In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the flexible
pad 150 may comprises separate pockets (not shown) each for
accepting therein one of the fingers 50, such that each finger 50
is more free to move with respect to the other fingers 50.
[0033] An attachment means 140 for fixing the base 30 to the cap 90
at the central apertures 80,130 thereof is further included. The
side portion 100 of the cap 90 forces the fingers 50 of the base 30
into a downward direction, as well illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B.
Preferably the attachment means 140 includes a bolt 190 having a
shaft 200 and a head 210 at one end 220 of the shaft 200 (FIG. 5C).
The head 210 is larger in diameter than the aperture 80 of the base
30. The head 210 of the bolt 190 has a lower side 250 for attaching
to the back side 260 of the flexible pad 150 proximate the center
of the flexible pad 150 with the attachment means 145, such as a
hook and loop type fastening material, a mechanical snap (not
shown), or the like. Further, the cap 90 has a receiving aperture
230 in a top portion 240 of the aperture 130 thereof. The receiving
aperture 230 receives the shaft 200 of the bolt 190. Preferably the
shaft 200 is threaded, and the aperture 230 includes a cooperating
thread. Alternately, however, a friction fit between the aperture
230 and the shaft 200 or an adhesive (not shown) may be used. Other
attachment means 140 could clearly be devised by those skilled in
the art, such as sonic welding, alternate mechanical means, or the
like (not shown). Further, the cap 90 may be made integral with the
resilient base 30 if made from a suitably resilient material that
provides rigidity to the fingers 50 in the downward direction, yet
is resilient enough such that the fingers 50 may still flex upward
into a compressed orientation (as illustrated in FIG. 3A and FIG.
3B).
[0034] Preferably a secondary resilient base 270 is included that
has a central aperture 280 therein for receiving the bolt 190. The
secondary resilient base 270 is positioned between the head 210 of
the bolt 190 and the resilient base 50. As such, the lower side 250
of the head 210 of the bolt 190 may be positioned closer to the
flexible pad 150 than the cap 90 (FIG. 3B). The secondary resilient
base 270 may further include a recess 290 for the head 210 of the
bolt 190, such that the secondary resilient base 270 and the
flexible pad 150 attach flatly (FIG. 5A). Alternately, the head 210
of the bolt 190 may be embedded within the secondary resilient base
270 (FIGS. 2B, 4 and 5D).
[0035] In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the secondary
resilient base 270 includes brush bristles 335 (FIG. 5D). In this
alternative embodiment the flexible pad 150 has an opening 320 in
the center thereof to allow the brush bristles 335 to make contact
with the surface 20. As such, the attachment means 145 takes the
shape of a ring surrounding the opening 320.
[0036] The secondary base 270 may include at least one scrubbing
nib 300 for contacting the back side of the pad 150 (FIG. 2B). As
such, with the fingers 50 pressed firmly against the surface 20
each of the scrubbing nibs 300 contacts the back side 260 of the
pad 150 to reinforce the pad 150 against the surface 20. As such,
additional scrubbing force may be applied to the surface 20 when
desired simply by pressing the scrubbing implement 10 firmly into
the surface 20 to cause the scrubbing nibs 300 to contact the
surface 20. The lower side 250 of the head 210 of the bolt 190 may
also include at least one scrubbing nib 310 for contacting the pad
150 (not shown).
[0037] The pad 150 may include the second smaller aperture 320 in
the approximate center of the pad 150, such that each scrubbing nib
300, 310 of the secondary resilient pad 270 and the bolt 190 may
traverse the second aperture 320 and contact the surface 20
directly when the fingers 50 of the base 30 are pressed firmly
against the surface 20 so that the fingers assume the compressed
orientation (FIG. 4). Preferably each scrubbing nib 300,310 is a
resilient rubber material, a brush material, or a scraping material
with a scraping edge 330 (FIGS. 5A and 5B). In the embodiment
including a scraping edge 330, preferably a longitudinal axis 370
of the handle 350 is generally orthogonal to each scraping edge
330, such that each scraping edge 330 contacts the surface 20 along
the edge 330 in a direction orthogonal thereto, so as not to damage
the surface 20.
[0038] In another alternate embodiment of the invention,
illustrated in FIG. 6, the scrubbing implement 10 further includes
a liquid-tight motor 420 rigidly attached to the outside of the cap
90. The motor has a rotating motor shaft 450 that projects through
the center of and into the interior of the cap 90 and extends
through the resilient base 30 and the flexible pad 150, preferably
through a hollow aperture 95 in the attachment means 140 and
preferably without making contact with the cap 90, the resilient
base 30, or the flexible pad 150. The motor 420 is electrically
connected to a power source 430, such as a battery or other line
current source, and a switch 440 is electrically disposed
therebetween for selectively activating the motor 420. Alternately,
the motor 420 may be activated by a switch 440 that is depressed
when upward pressure is exerted on the motor shaft 450 (not shown)
through application thereof to the surface 20.
[0039] In such an embodiment, the secondary resilient base 270 may
be rotatably affixed to the motor shaft 450 (FIG. 7), preferably in
a readily detachable fashion such as with a bolt 470 or
push-actuated clamping means (not shown). A secondary flexible pad
460 is fixed to the secondary resilient base 270 and includes a
cleaning surface 155 on a lower side thereof. The secondary
resilient base 270 may include the brush bristles 335. In use, such
an embodiment allows for motorized rotational scrubbing of the
surface 20 when the fingers 50 are in the compressed orientation
and the switch 440 is actuated. Any water or soap thrown from the
rotating secondary base 270 will be naturally caught or deflected
downward by the flexible pad 150 or the fingers 50.
[0040] The motor 420 and the power source 430 may alternately be
mounted to the handle 360 (not shown). In such an embodiment, the
rotating motor shaft 450 would further be connected to a
rotation-transmitting cable to the cap 90. As such, the scrubbing
implement 10 could be fully submerged in a bucket of soapy water,
for example, without also submerging the motor 420 (not shown).
[0041] In another alternate embodiment of the invention,
illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the flexible pad further includes a
plurality of absorbent mop strands 480 each fixed at one end 484
thereof to the cleaning surface
[0042] While a particular form of the invention has been
illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various
modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention. For example, the round shape of the
resilient base 30 and the pad 150 may be modified to be oval,
square, rectangular, or any other suitable shape (not shown).
Likewise, the exact number of fingers 50 may be modified from that
illustrated in the drawings. Accordingly, it is not intended that
the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.
* * * * *