Head for a floor-cleaning mop

Details Head for a floor-cleaning mop Head for a floor-cleaning mop

1996-05-09

1997-10-28

Scherbel, David

Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning

Implements

Fabric

152294, A47L 1320

Patent

active

056806671

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND

1.0 Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to mop heads, and more specifically to a mop head for cleaning floors comprising an elongate textile carrier with holder insertion pockets arranged on top of the carrier at either end thereof and material arranged underneath for taking up dirt and moisture in the form of shaggy strands, fringes, loops, strips of sponge cloth or the like.
2.0 Discussion of Related Art
Mop heads in the field of the invention are used for cleaning floors, for which purpose the mop heads are fitted onto holders. The ends of the holders are inserted into the holder insertion pockets. The holders have a handle so that the holders with the mop head fitted thereon can be conveniently moved over the floors to be cleaned.
A mop head as defined in the preamble, in which the holder insertion pockets can be formed from a textile material, is known from DE-PS 38 09 279. Unfortunately, a mop head such as this can only be inserted into the holder insertion pockets when the pockets have been opened or stand open. However, since the mop heads are frequently passed through presses to remove water and are also regularly washed and cleaned in washing machines, the pockets do not stand open, but instead lie flat on the textile carrier. To be able to introduce the holder, therefore, the pockets have first to be opened out by hand.
In order to remedy this situation, other known mop heads are provided with reinforcements in the form of inserted stiff plastic strips or similar elements in the vicinity of the pocket openings. These plastic strips or the like are sewn into the holder insertion pockets. Unfortunately, reinforcements such as these have a number of disadvantages. Firstly, the stiff strips used cause problems when the mop heads are wrung out in mangles. The mop heads often jam between the rollers of the mangle. In many cases, reinforcing strips of plastic have often been destroyed so that they are no longer capable of performing their function of keeping the pockets open. In addition, known solutions have disadvantages in regard to the cleaning, i.e. washing, of the mop heads. The reinforced areas interfere with the tumbling process where the mop heads are washed in washing machines. Also, the stiff inserts and pockets rub against the textile carrier during washing and thus lead to premature destruction of the mop head. Moreover, the weight of the machine load is increased by the reinforcements because the holder insertion pockets are now heavier.
In addition, in another known mop head developed by applicants (DE-PS 40 25 646), the holder insertion pockets comprise strips of a water-absorbing and swellable material in the vicinity of the pocket opening. Before a mop head such as this is used for the first time, the dry strips consisting of water-absorbing and/or swellable material come into contact with and take up liquid so that the strips increase in volume via expansion. This ensures that the holder insertion pockets are automatically opened or kept open, the water-absorbing and/or swellable strips remain elastic so that they do not have the disadvantages of the other known solutions described above.
However, it has been found that, with a mop head of this type, the holder insertion pockets are not always automatically kept open after repeated washing because when the pockets equipped with the particular strips are sewn onto the carrier material, it is only possible to arrange the pockets in such a way that they are slightly raised. As a result, the holder fits the particular pocket opening almost exactly. Since the pocket/carrier material shrinks where washing is carried out at temperatures of around 60.degree. C., it has been found to be difficult to insert the holder into the pockets after washing.


3.0. Summary of the Invention

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a solution which ensure that the pockets remain open, even after repeated washing of the mop head, without adversely affecting the other performance properties of the mop h

REFERENCES:
patent: 4382310 (1983-05-01), Moss
patent: 4715081 (1987-12-01), Welch
patent: 4914778 (1990-04-01), Thompson
patent: 4961242 (1990-10-01), Kresse et al.
patent: 5253387 (1993-10-01), Kresse et al.
patent: 5315734 (1994-05-01), Kresse et al.
patent: 5398492 (1995-03-01), Thomas
patent: 5452491 (1995-09-01), Thompson

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