U.S. patent application number 14/629509 was filed with the patent office on 2016-08-25 for cleaning head for a mopping device.
The applicant listed for this patent is Carl Freudenberg KG. Invention is credited to Steve Barber, Andreas Eisenhut, Ralf Juergens, Peter Nober, Ronny Raschke.
Application Number | 20160242616 14/629509 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56690125 |
Filed Date | 2016-08-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160242616 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Juergens; Ralf ; et
al. |
August 25, 2016 |
CLEANING HEAD FOR A MOPPING DEVICE
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.
Inventors: |
Juergens; Ralf; (Laudenbach,
DE) ; Eisenhut; Andreas; (Leimen, DE) ;
Raschke; Ronny; (Eppenbrunn, DE) ; Nober; Peter;
(Rommersheim, DE) ; Barber; Steve; (Manchester,
GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Carl Freudenberg KG |
Weinheim |
|
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
56690125 |
Appl. No.: |
14/629509 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 13/24 20130101;
A47L 13/257 20130101; A47L 13/144 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47L 13/24 20060101
A47L013/24 |
Claims
1. A cleaning head for a mop, the cleaning head comprising: a
clamping strip and a cleaning body, the cleaning body being
accommodated in the clamping strip with at least one of a force fit
or an interlocking fit, the clamping strip being substantially
channel shaped and being open towards the cleaning body and having
two side walls and one connecting element which connects the side
walls to each other, the connecting element 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 a longitudinal direction of the cleaning
head so as to connect 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
acts in an axial direction of a handle of the mop and which is
configured to be placed on a counter stop on the adapter, the stop
being disposed in an imaginary plane which extends parallel to the
connecting strip; wherein at least one attachment mechanism is
disposed in the imaginary plane.
2. The cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the connecting
strip has, in the connecting region transverse to the longitudinal
direction, an attachment mechanism on both sides, each attachment
mechanism taking the form of a locking lug, and in that the locking
lugs are disposed in the imaginary plane and extend transversely to
the longitudinal direction beyond the respective side walls on
which locking lugs are formed and delimit an undercut.
3. The cleaning head according to claim 2, wherein the locking lug
formed on one of the side walls is offset in the longitudinal
direction from the locking lug on the other of the side walls.
4. The cleaning head according to claim 2, wherein the locking lugs
are disposed directly opposite each other when viewed in the
longitudinal direction.
5. The cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the outer side
in the longitudinal direction comprises, on at least one side of a
region outside the connecting region, a positioning knob protruding
beyond the imaginary plane and used to correctly position and
attach the cleaning head to the adapter.
6. The cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein lead-in chamfers
for a self-centering assembly of the clamping strip in the
longitudinal direction relative to the adapter are positioned on
sides of the side walls which face away from each other.
7. The cleaning head according to claim 2, wherein the clamping
strip is formed integrally and of uniform material and comprises
the locking lugs and at least one positioning knob protruding
beyond the imaginary plane and used to correctly position and
attach the cleaning head to the adapter.
8. The cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the clamping
strip is made of a corrosion-resistant material.
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'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.
* * * * *