U.S. patent number 3,756,451 [Application Number 05/264,297] was granted by the patent office on 1973-09-04 for mop bucket.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Popeil Brothers, Inc.. Invention is credited to Samuel J. Popeil.
United States Patent |
3,756,451 |
Popeil |
September 4, 1973 |
MOP BUCKET
Abstract
A mop bucket is shown having a generally rectangular cross
sectional configuration with a U-shaped retractable handle. The
handle is so mounted that it may be secured in the vertical
position. At an off-center location on the handle portion a mop
handle holder is provided which engages the mop handle and holds
the mop upright at a slight angle in the bucket when not in use to
facilitate carrying, and positioning the mop handle so that it will
not interfere with adjacent paraphernalia.
Inventors: |
Popeil; Samuel J. (Chicago,
IL) |
Assignee: |
Popeil Brothers, Inc. (Chicago,
IL)
|
Family
ID: |
23005417 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/264,297 |
Filed: |
June 19, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/736; D32/53;
15/264; 220/762 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
25/32 (20130101); A47L 13/51 (20130101); A47J
47/18 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47J
47/00 (20060101); A47J 47/18 (20060101); A47L
13/10 (20060101); A47L 13/51 (20060101); B65D
25/28 (20060101); B65D 25/32 (20060101); B65d
025/28 (); A47j 047/18 () |
Field of
Search: |
;220/94R,94A,94B,96,91
;15/260,261,262,263,264,257.2 ;248/110 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lowrance; George E.
Assistant Examiner: Shoap; Allan N.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A mop bucket comprising, in combination,
a bucket portion having a bottom, side walls, and end walls,
said bottom having four edges joining the said end walls and side
walls,
said end walls and side walls terminating at their upper portion
defining a generally coplanar top rim, the end walls and side walls
being joined at their edge portions,
a handle having a generally U-shaped configuration comprising a
pair of opposed legs, and a handgrip base portion,
a handle mount for pivotally mounting the open end portion of the
U-shaped handle legs at the free end of said legs to the side
portions of said bucket at a position beneath the top rim,
a lock closely adjacent the top rim of the bucket for removably and
lockingly securing the legs and handle generally in the upright
position,
a mop handle holder secured to said handle at a point offset from
the center thereof and operatively opening toward one side of the
bucket, thereby providing a handle portion on the bucket which when
elevated locks in place in the approximately vertical position, and
thereafter the holder for the mop handle receives the same and
holds it at an angle.
2. In the mop bucket of claim 1 above,
said bucket bottom having a width not exceeding twice the width of
the mop intended for use therewith.
3. In the mop bucket of claim 2 above,
said bucket bottom having a length substantially double its
width.
4. In the mop bucket of claim 1 above,
said mop handle holder being pivotally secured within a recessed
portion provided in the base portion of the bucket handle.
5. In the mop bucket of claim 1 above,
said handle mount being secured to said side portions of said
bucket at a portion immediately beneath the rim,
said lock being provided with a latch portion offset from a stop
portion defining a gap therebetween to nestingly receive the
adjacent leg portion of said bucket handle.
6. In the mop bucket of claim 1 above,
said mop handle holder comprising an arm having a crotch and
terminating in a pivotal portion at its end,
said pivotal portion having means for securing the same to a knob
extending from the hand grip portion of said handle, whereby upon
rotating the knob portion the holder can be extended from the
handgrip portion of the handle to receive the handle of a mop
positioned within the mop bucket, and, remove back into a recessed
nesting relationship within the handle when the bucket is not being
used with the mop handle.
7. In the mop bucket of claim 4 above,
said holder being secured to the handle of the mop bucket at a
position between the midportion thereof and the adjacent leg.
8. In the mop bucket of claim 6 above,
said holder being secured to the handle of the mop bucket at a
position between the midportion thereof and the adjacent leg.
9. A mop bucket comprising, in combination,
a bucket portion having a bottom, side walls, and end walls,
said bottom having four edges joining the said end walls and side
walls,
said end walls and side walls terminating at their upper portion
defining a generally coplanar top rim, the end walls and side walls
being joined at their edge portions,
a handle having a generally U-shaped configuration comprising a
pair of opposed legs, and a handgrip base portion,
mounting means for pivotally mounting the open end portion of the
U-shaped handle legs at the free end of said legs to the side
portions of said bucket at a position beneath the top rim,
locking means closely adjacent the top rim of the bucket for
removably and lockingly securing the legs and handle generally in
the upright position, and stopped against movement beyond the
upright position from one end portion of said bucket,
mop handle holder means secured to said handle at a point
offcentered from the handgrip portion thereof and operatively
opening toward that end of the bucket opposite the stop on the lock
mechanism and adjacent which the handgrip portion of the bucket
handle retracts, thereby providing a handle portion on the bucket
which when elevated locks in place in the approximately vertical
position, and thereafter the holding means for the mop handle
receives the same in the half of the bucket above the retractable
portion of the handle of the bucket.
10. In the mop bucket of claim 9 above,
said bucket bottom having a width not exceeding twice the width of
the mop intended for use therewith.
11. In the mop bucket of claim 10 above,
said bucket bottom having a length substantially double its
width.
12. In the mop bucket of claim 9 above,
said mop handle holder means being pivotally secured within a
recessed portion provided in the base handgrip portion of said
bucket handle.
Description
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The mop bucket illustrative of the present invention finds
particular utility with the wringer mop construction disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,603 in which applicant is the named inventor,
and the common assignee is Popeil Brothers, Inc.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to mop buckets, and more
particularly that style of mop bucket which is provided with means
for supporting a mop with the mop handle generally angled slightly
from the vertical while the mop is within the bucket.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Scrub buckets of the circular as well as rectangular cross section
are known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,932 is exemplary of both. Handle
portions for buckets have also been used for supporting auxiliary
equipment, such as paint brushes as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,593,880; 1,024,841; 3,168,962; and 2,466,850. Mop handle
supports, on the other hand, are shown as exemplified in U.S. Pat.
No. 3,409,932, and paint roller supports have been shown such as in
U.S. Pat. No. 2,932,838.
The problem involved, however, relates to a simple mechanism which
will permit the use of a mop to support the same vertically in a
scrub bucket while temporarily undertaking another activity, or
while carrying the same from place to place, or filling the same.
Also such a construction should not impede the use of the bucket
independently for carrying fluids, nor add considerably to the
weight or the cost of the bucket.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The invention contemplates a bucket, preferably rectangular in
cross section, with a generally U-shaped handle which is pivotally
secured to opposed sides of the bucket at their upper portion, and
having mounting means which secure the handle in an upright
position. Offset from a midposition of the handle, a mop handle
holder is provided adjacent the hand grip portion of the bucket
handle which is partially retractable into the handle, or
extendable therefrom in order to engage the upstanding mop handle.
The base of the bucket is a width preferably less than double the
width of the mop which is being supported, and a length at least
the length of the mop being supported. The mop handle holder is
preferably actuated by means of a knob, and when in its extended
position is supported against further rotation by stop means
thereby cradling the mop handle in a crotch-like portion of the mop
handle holder. A specific form of the invention looks to a
generally rectangular cross sectional configuration of the mop
bucket portion which is twice as long as it is wide, and is one and
a half to two times as high as it is wide. Also more specifically
the mop bucket handle is a unitary molded member of U-shaped
configuration secured to the sides of the mop bucket in flexing
relationship therewith to assist in the removable engagement with a
saddle provided at the upper portion at the sides of the bucket to
engage the inner faces of the legs of the mop bucket handle.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a mop
bucket, the handle portion of which bears the additional function
of supporting the mop handle in an upright position angled slightly
from the vertical thereby facilitating storage, handling, and
manipulation of the mop in cooperation with the bucket.
A more specific object of the present invention is to retain the
strength of the handle by operating a knob and mop handle holder
mechanism in a single direction to thereby permit the mop bucket
handle a strong configuration. Nevertheless the holder nests within
the handle when out of use to not interfere with carrying, storage,
and the like.
More specifically, the mop bucket handle swings in but one
direction, and the mop handle holder also swings in operation in
but one direction thereby insuring that the mop employed fits in
only one position within the mop bucket. This orientation insures
habitual repetitive usage in only one position which results in
stability of the supported mop handle, and the positioning of the
mop handle as a function of the proportion of the units in an
optimum position angled from the vertical.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mop
bucket with a handle having a finger grip which reduces the risk of
slipping when the hands are wet. A related object of the invention
includes the provision of a mop handle holder with a configuration
which will support round or oval-shaped mop handles, and will also
hold a variety of handle diameters and thicknesses.
Another aspect of the present invention and important object
relates to the geometrical relationsip of parts in which the width
of the base of the bucket is approximately double the width of the
mop head, and at least as long as the mop head thereby rendering
the unit stable when filled with water and holding the mop, capable
of carrying a significant amount of water adequate for use with the
mop in the usual intended mopping operation, and providing an
optimum storage angle for the mop handle while the mop is stored
within the mop bucket.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mop bucket illustrative of
the present invention, and illustrating in phantom lines a mop
positioned therein, and also showing the two positions of the mop
bucket handle.
FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken generally along section
line 2--2 of FIG. 1 in enlarged scale illustrating the relationship
between the mop handle and mop bucket when the mop is stored in the
bucket substantially filled with water.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged broken partially sectioned view of the lower
portion of the mop handle taken along section line 3--3 of FIG.
1.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged broken view partially sectioned showing the
attachment of the lower portion of the mop handle to the mount
pocket of the bucket taken along section line 4--4 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged broken partially sectioned view of the mop
handle holder taken along section line 5--5 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a view in the same scale as FIG. 5 taken in transverse
section along section line 6--6 of FIG. 5 further illustrating the
mop handle holder.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The mop bucket 10 illustrative of the present invention is intended
to hold a mop 11 of the character known in the trade as the
"HAV-A-MAID" mop. The mop bucket 10, however, will hold other well
known mops such as the "O-CEDAR"-type squeeze sponge mops, and the
like. The mop 11 as shown has a mop head mount 12 which is
generally U-shaped in configuration, and terminates in a mop head
15 which fits in the bottom of the mop bucket 10, as illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2. The mop handle 14 extends upwardly out of the water
in the mop bucket 10, and is supported at a slight angle as
illustrated in FIG. 2.
In greater detail it will be seen that the mop bucket 10 has a pair
of generally rectangular sidewalls 16 and endwalls 18 terminating
at their upper portion in a coplanar curled rim 17. The bottom 19
of the bucket is also generally rectangular, as will be
particularly observed in FIG. 2, its width is approximately double
that of the mop head 15 of the illustrative mop 11. The length of
the bottom 19, as seen in FIG. 1, is at least the width of the mop
head 15 and its associated mop head mount 12.
The mop bucket 10 is carried by means of the bucket handle 20 which
is generally U-shaped in configuration having a pair of opposed
bucket handle legs 21, and a base portion 22 which includes at the
underneath side the hand grip 24 formed of a plurality of
undulations to assist picking up and carrying of the mop bucket
10.
The mop handle holder 25 is positioned slightly off center of the
bucket handle base 22 as clearly illustrated in both FIGS. 1 and 2.
The mop handle holder 25 comprises primarily an arm 26 (see
particularly FIGS. 5 and 6) which has a crotch portion 28 to engage
the mop handle 14. The mop handle holder arm 26 is secured by means
of a pin 29 in position in the recess 31 provided in the bucket
handle base 22 for retraction and extention from the positions as
shown in FIG. 5. The retraction and extention is accomplished by
the rotation of the mop handle holder knob 30 which manually
extends the mop handle holder arm 26 to the position where it is
flush against the stop wall 32 of the mop handle holder recess 31
particularly as shown in FIG. 5. Thus the weight of the mop handle
14, which is not great, causes the mop handle 14 to rest in the mop
handle holder crotch 28 particularly as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The
assembly of the mop handle holder 25 is such that they are
frictionally snug, and when the actuating knob 30 is rotated to
retract the mop handle holder arm 26 into the recess 31, the same
will remain there until the knob 30 is rotated in the opposite
direction.
Important to insuring the stability of the holding of the mop
handle 14 is the bucket handle lock 35 provided at opposed stations
on the rim 17 at the upper portion of the side walls 16. The
construction is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3 and 4 where it
will be seen that the bucket handle lock 35 is an integral
extension of the rim 17. It will be appreciated, of course, that
the bucket handle lock 35 may also be separately formed and fixed
to the mop bucket rim 17. The bucket handle lock 35 has an
extending latch portion 39 and a stop portion 36 defining a saddle
38 therebetween. The saddle 38 receives and holds the legs 21 of
the bucket handle 20 in the vertical position. As will be observed
particularly in FIG. 4, the lower end of the bucket handle leg 21
has a mount pin 41 which is fitted within the hole 42 provided in
the mount pocket 40 thereby removably securing the mop bucket
handle 20 to the bucket. It will be appreciated that there is some
flexibility of the material of the bucket side walls 16 as well as
the mop bucket handle 20 which permits the assembly in the fashion
as shown, and further facilitates the locking and unlocking of the
legs 21 of the mop bucket handle 20 with the bucket handle lock
35.
The proportions and size of the mop bucket 10 materially assist in
the support of the mop 11 as shown in FIG. 2. In a particular
commercial embodiment the mop bucket bottom 19 is 6 inches wide and
12 inches long on its inside dimension, and the side walls 16 are
approximately 9 inches high, thus the side walls 16 are half again
as high as the bottom 19 is wide, and the bottom 19 is twice as
long as it is wide. In addition, the particular mop head 15 shown
is approximately three inches in width, and thus the mop bucket
bottom 19 is approximately double the width of the mop head 15 of
the mop 11. A slight taper is provided, in a desirable commercial
embodiment, the same being approximately 1 inch extending taper
toward the rim 17 of the end walls 18, and approximately 1/2 inch
along the rim 17 of the side walls 16. When the bucket is molded of
plastic, the same weighs approximately 16 ounces, and the handle
weighs approximately 4 ounces, making a total weight of 20 ounces,
or 11/4 lbs. This is a quite light-weight construction and, of
course, without the coordinated relationship between the mop handle
holder 25, the proportions of the bucket handle 20, and the bucket
bottom 19 as shown in FIG. 2, the unit would be unstable when the
water supply is low. By hewing to proportions of the optimum
configuration as set forth above, however, the instability of the
illustrative mop bucket 10 with the mop 11 in place is held to a
minimum.
It will also become apparent that the mop bucket handle 20 is
secured for locking by the bucket handle lock 35 in such a fashion
that it can only retract in the direction of the mop handle 14,
since the mop handle 14, in turn, can only be positioned on the
retracting side of the mop bucket handle 20. Also to be noted is
the configuration of the crotch 28 of the arm 26 of the mop handle
holder 25 which is genrally J-shaped, and therefore would
accommodate circular handles, elliptical handles, and other mop
handles of differing configuration.
It will be appreciated that various alternative constructions and
materials may be employed in the formation of the various elements
and components of the illustrative mop bucket 10. Such substitution
of materials will result in making two parts of one, and in some
instances one part out of two.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been shown
and described in full here, there is no intention to thereby limit
the invention to the details of such embodiments. On the contrary,
the intention is to cover all modifications, alternatives,
embodiments, usages and equivalents of a mop bucket as fall within
the spirit and scope of the invention, specification and the
appended claims.
* * * * *