Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Implements – Fabric
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-13
2001-07-03
Till, Terrence R. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Implements
Fabric
C015S118000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253408
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mop fastened to a mop handle, including a holding device to which a number of relatively mobile, absorbent strips made of a textile material are fixed essentially transversely to the axis of the handle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A mop of this type is described in German registered utility model 76 25 260. The absorbent strips, which are fixed in the holding device essentially transversely to the longitudinal direction of the handle, are normally made of a formed cotton fabric. They have essentially no elasticity, particularly in the wet state, and hang down in a freely pendulous way similar to yarn strands. Because of the lack of fullness of the formed cotton fabric from which they are made, the resulting appearance seems meager. In addition, due to the swinging motion during the course of cleaning floors, there is a latent danger of contact between the plastic holding device and furniture or walls which can lead to mutual damage and is not very satisfactory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to further develop a mop of the type set forth above such a way that, while avoiding any substantial additional costs in manufacturing, achieves a fuller appearance in the wet state, along with a reduction of the danger of damage to the holding device and/or furniture as a result of any unintentional striking contacts.
This object is achieved in a mop made up of a number of relatively mobile, absorbent strips of textile that are affixed essentially transversely to the axis of the mop handle. The mop according to the present invention has at least one spring body which causes the strips to spread apart, at least in the region of the holding device. This gives the mop a fuller appearance, even when the strips are in the wet state, making it more attractive. In addition, the strips are prevented by the spring body from hanging down in a pendulous fashion parallel to the axis of the handle. As a result, they project beyond the holding device in the lateral direction, even in the wet state, so that a striking contact of a solid surface to the side compresses the strips between the surface and the holding device. This has the effect of absorbing the impact, and prevents damage from occurring to both sides in the event of contact with inflexible objects.
The spring body can be provided in the form of a foam body made of polymer material, polyurethane foam, for example, which, supports the strips while resting loosely against them in at least a partial region. The spring body may also be provided with a coating of an abrasive grit. Additionally, the spring body may be of viscose. It is expedient for the spring body to be fastened either directly or indirectly to the holding device and arranged so as to provided inner bracing of at least part of the strips.
It has proven to be especially useful for the dimensional design of the spring body to be such that it overlaps the holding device in the lateral direction. Although it is not easily detectable from the outside, a spring body configured in such a way acts on the strips in an elastically supporting fashion, which contributes considerably to preventing damage when the mop contacts an inflexible object during a swinging movement to the side.
In a mop design where the holding device and the strips are allocated to the imaginary extension of the handle in an essentially symmetrical distribution, it has proven to be beneficial for the spring body to be configured substantially symmetrically to the distribution. Circular holding device designs call for a circular design of the spring body, as well. However, it is within the scope of the present invention to give the holding device a regular polygon-shaped perimeter. The spring body would then have to be configured accordingly, and allocated to the holding device while avoiding a relative twisting.
It is also possible to use a spring body in the form of an elastic band that is laminated onto at least one side of the strips in at least a partial region. In doing this, it is also not strictly necessary to back all of the strips with corresponding elastic bands. Rather, in individual cases, it can suffice to configure in this way only the mop strips which lie on top. In the usual way, strips of that type are provided with a centrally placed opening, threaded onto one pin of the holding device, and distributed uniformly in the circumferential direction. The strips lying on top are clearly defined in this respect.
To avoid any impairment of the cleaning action, it has proven to be beneficial for the band to be provided only in the handle region, and for the holding device to overlap in the lateral direction. This enables those strip components which are decisive for achieving a good cleaning action and, in particular, their protruding ends to penetrate further into fine surface irregularities, which is important in terms of achieving good cleaning action.
Generally, the band can be made of a foil and/or a rubber band. On the other hand, it has proven to be advantageous for it to be made primarily of synthetic fibers joined together at their surfaces. Because of the resulting breathing activity, the drying process following prior wetting is improved with such an implementation, and thus decay is avoided, improving the service life of the mop. The band exhibits particularly good durability when the synthetic fibers which form it are joined to each other at localized, separate places via mutual fusion. When this is done, an especially attractive appearance results if the fibers are made at least in part of split fibers. In addition to a velvety surface appearance attained with such an implementation, one also achieves good elasticity, along with good spring elasticity, with associated good abrasion resistance. Nevertheless, comparatively low areal weight is sufficient to bring about the desired increase in the elasticity of the strips.
The band can be joined to the strips by bilateral sewing. In that respect, it has proven to be useful, both from a standpoint of production engineering, as well as hygiene, for the band to be joined to the strips at localized, separate places using a fusion-type adhesive. By way of example, polyethylene powder can be used as the fusion-type adhesive, whose adhesive particles, once applied, are spaced apart by a minimum spacing of about 2 mm. They are scarcely detectable following bonding.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1408488 (1922-03-01), Toplitz
patent: 4530130 (1985-07-01), Moss
patent: 5279015 (1994-01-01), Meiring
patent: 5577290 (1996-11-01), Monahan
patent: 5875509 (1999-03-01), Facca
patent: 5996161 (1999-12-01), Facca
patent: 76 25 260 (1976-12-01), None
patent: 76 25 250 (1977-06-01), None
Feld Uwe
Gerstenlauer Michaela
Huber Klaus
Meier Klaus Peter
Schilling Richard
Firma Carl Fraudenberg
Kenyon & Kenyon
Till Terrence R.
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