Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Accessories – Scrubbing pails
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-23
2001-07-17
Till, Terrence R. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Accessories
Scrubbing pails
C015S261000, C134S006000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260230
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to units and methods which may be used for washing and drying floors and the like. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus having a first reservoir within which water or other cleaning fluid may be held and also including a device for wringing dry a mop head placed within the wringing device and reservoir. In the preferred embodiment, it relates to such an apparatus which also includes a second reservoir within which is held the mop head of a second drying mop, the head of the second drying mop being made such that it cannot fit within the wringing device and the first reservoir.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The use of mops and water buckets for use in cleaning floors and the like is a concept as old as cleaning itself. And as long as there are persons around to clean up after, the use of mops and cleaning buckets is likely to continue for a long time to come. In the experience and observations of the inventor of the present invention, the modern day cleaning bucket has been modified in many ways to make it much more user friendly” and practical. For example, modern cleaning buckets now include rollers or casters upon which the bucket may be rendered highly mobile and readily movable from one dirty location of a floor to another. Modern cleaning buckets also include a wringer mechanism mounted immediately above the reservoir of the clean mop bucket such that the head of a mop may be inserted into the wringer and thus substantially emptied of the water held within the mop head. The water falls back into the bucket reservoir and may be recycled until it is too dirty to be useful.
In the experience of this inventor, the wet-mop method of cleaning is effective but has a significant drawback—the drying time which is necessary to insure that passers by will not fall upon a wet floor is fairly substantial. Most times, particularly in a busy shopping mall or any other place where large numbers of people need to move through, the drying time is simply too long. And the wet floor in such a situation simply creates too great of a risk of harm to those passers by. It is thus advisable and, in fact, quite desirable to have the user of the wetting or washing mop carry around a second drying mop which can then be used to remove the excess water and puddles of water which tend to remain on the freshly cleaned floor. In the experience of this inventor, however, a user faced with two almost identical mops one for wetting and one for drying—soon tends to confuse the two and begins to use them interchangeably. This innocent oversight completely frustrates the purpose behind using the two mops in the first place. And once the drying mop is mistaken for the wetting or washing mop, and becomes completely saturated with water, its usefulness as a drying device is ended. The only solution to this is for the user to find another drying mop to work with.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a new, useful and uncomplicated method and apparatus for washing and drying a floor or other horizontal surface such that the drying aspect of the device is preserved, which requires only a minimal number of elements and which requires only a minimal number of steps to use in the field. It is another object of this invention to provide such a method and device which provides means to minimize the likelihood that the washing and drying elements of the apparatus and method remain separate and segregated by the user of the method and apparatus.
The present invention has obtained these objects. It provides for a washing and drying apparatus which has a first reservoir and a second reservoir. Although the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention discloses that the first and second reservoirs may be formed integrally from a single piece of material, it is to be understood that the scope of the present invention would also include an apparatus whereby the second reservoir is removably attachable to the first reservoir and vice versa. The first reservoir of the method and apparatus of the present invention is functionally adapted to hold water or any other cleaning solution within it. The first reservoir also includes a wringer mechanism which may also be fixably or removably attached to the first reservoir, depending upon such arrangement as is desired or required by the user. The first reservoir is functionally adapted to be used with a mop having a wetting or washing mop head attached to it. The wringer and the first reservoir are dimensioned such that the washing or wetting mop head may be placed within either the wringer or the first reservoir. The second reservoir is functionally adapted to be used with a mop having a drying mop head attached to it. The drying mop head of the drying mop is dimensioned such that it will fit within the second reservoir but not within the wringer or the first reservoir. As an additional measure, the wetting or washing mop and the first reservoir may be like color coded such that they will not be confused for use with the second reservoir or the drying mop which are also like color coded. The foregoing and other features of the method and apparatus of the present invention will be further apparent from the description which follows.
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K. D. Hunt, Inc.
Michael & Best & Friedrich LLP
Till Terrence R.
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