Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Implements – Fabric
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-07
2001-04-10
Spisich, Mark (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Implements
Fabric
C015S229100, C015S229200, C015S244300, C015S247000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212729
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to mop heads that are attachable to a handle for cleaning floors and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a fabric covering for wet mop heads.
Mops of various constructions have been used for many years for wet mopping of floors and for applying floor waxes, floor finishes and the like. A simple mop head is one where individual strands of yarn are gathered together in the middle of the mop head for attachment to a handle. These strands of yam are laid out in parallel rows, with a headband that serves as a point of attachment to the handle. After attachment to the handle by a suitable gripping means engaging the headband, the mop head is used for usual floor maintenance and is subsequently detached for laundering. Sometimes the fabric strands are sewn together near the extremities of the mop head strands to keep them in place during use and during laundering. However, over an extended period of use, the strands of yarn unravel and break apart causing the mop head to lose its effectiveness.
In order to overcome excessive fraying of cut ends, such mop heads sometimes have a looped-end design. The looped-end design ensures that there is no tangling, unraveling, or linting of yarn during use. However, the looped-ends often catch under the legs of desks, chairs, tables and the like causing inconvenience to the user and/or damage to the mop heads. In addition, due to the nature of the parallel strands of yam, voids are often left between adjacent strands of yarn resulting in areas of the floor being untouched and requiring additional passes of the mop head to clean or apply liquid to the floor.
Because wet mop heads should distribute liquid evenly on a floor during use, it is desirable that the wet mop strands have good liquid absorption in order to retain liquids and distribute them evenly over an area to be cleaned. Therefore, typical wet mop strands are composed of highly absorbent materials, such as cotton and the like. Although the cotton strands have good liquid absorbency, they tend to shrink and fray during use, thus limiting the useful life of the mop. To reduce this problem, the wet mop strands have been made of blends of rayon or other synthetic materials. However, these materials tend to cause streaks in the floor during cleaning and reduce the effectiveness of liquid pickup of the wet mop during use.
There is therefore a need for a mop head having a construction that resists tangles and frays, and also prevents the Tinting of fibers and unraveling of the mop head strands during use, especially on rough surfaces. It is also desirable that the mop head provide additional absorbency beyond that available in conventional mop head designs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, an improved mop head includes a pair of fabric covering elements. The fabric covering elements are preferably created by cutting a piece of fabric material into a designated shape, folding the material in half along a center folding line and sewing the material along the sides thereof to create a fabric pouch having a closed end at the center folding line and an open end opposite the closed end. Preferably, a pair of the fabric pouches enclose strands of material (e.g. cotton) of a conventional looped-end wet mop. The strands of material are placed on top of two fabric pouches arranged so that the open ends of the fabric pouches abut each other. Preferably, two strips of banding material are attached transversely across the strands for securing the strands together and securing the strands to the fabric pouches. The fabric pouches are turned inside out so that the strands of material are enclosed within the fabric pouches. A headband is then attached around the open ends of the fabric pouches. A mop handle attaches to the headband. The fabric pouches are preferably made of terry cloth, chamois or micro-fibers, and include a front panel and a rear panel that enclose the strands of material therein. The mop head of the present invention prevents linting of fibers and the unraveling of mop strands during use on rough, anti-skid and other flooring surfaces. The design of the present invention enables the exterior of the mop head to adhere closely to the floor surface for ultimate cleaning ability. The construction further provides increased absorbency and durability allowing for fast drying of floor surfaces.
The present invention also contemplates that the fabric covering elements which enclose the strands of material have a second open end opposite the first open end, thus rendering the ends of the strands exposed.
The present invention also includes a mop head constructed with two fabric pouches having absorbent filler material inserted within the fabric pouches. The fabric pouches being constructed as described above with closed ends. The fabric pouches are preferably filled with an absorbent material such as sponge, nylon, chamois, cellulose, lambs wool, viscous fabric, polyvinyl acetate, or micro-fibers. Alternatively, the invention may be implemented with nothing inserted within the pouches. For example, empty fabric pouches being constructed as described above with a headband attached around the open ends of the fabric pouches for attachment to a mop handle.
The present invention also contemplates a method of making a fabric wet mop involving the following steps. An absorbent fabric material is cut into at least two pieces of fabric having a designated shape for forming fabric pouches having a generally trapezoidal shape. Each of the fabric pieces is folded in half along a center folding line. The folded fabric pieces are sewn along the sides thereof to form two fabric pouches having a generally trapezoidal shape with a narrow open end and a wider closed end. The two fabric pouches are then arranged so that the two narrow open ends abut each other. Next, a plurality of elongated strands of material are laid across the tops of the arranged fabric pouches. The plurality of elongated strands of material are attached to the outer edges of the fabric pouches. The fabric pouches are turned inside out so that the strands of material are enclosed within the fabric pouches. A headband is attached around the narrow open ends of the fabric pouches for attachment to a mop handle.
Various other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description and the drawings.
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Louison Yvonne M.
Weichelt Joel C.
Andrus Sceales Starke & Sawall LLP
East Shore Industries, Inc.
Spisich Mark
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