US3395416A - Mop with reversible disposable pad - Google Patents

Description

6, 1968 M. R. HUGHES 3,395,416

MOP WITH REVERSIBLE DISPOSABLE PAD Fi led Oct. 5. 1966 INVENTOR United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mop having a handle and head, with pivoting being permitted therebetween by an integral hinge of relatively thin material. A pad is secured to the head by a myriad of cooperative loops and hooks therebetween. The pad is relatively flat and of fibrous material, with tapering longitudinal side edges which are scalloped.

This invention relates to a mop with a reversible dispos-a-ble pad.

Most mops, whether of the wet or dry type, have previously involved relatively complex structure for securing the mop pad to the mop head. In addition, the mop pad itself was usually relatively expensive, requiring rejuvenation and re-use numerous times.

The present invention solves these and numerous other problems. A mop head is provided with a pad-receiving surface comprising a gripping connector means. The pad itself is of light-weight inexpensive material and is adapted to be secured to the head merely by pressing it against the head. The pad itself may be formed so that it is reversible on the mop head, and is constructed to provide a maximum dust-catching function.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the best mode presently contemplated by the inventor for carrying out the invention.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a mop constructed in accordance with the invention, and with the mop pad secured to the head;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof, and showing the integral hinge;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the mop and with the pad broken away; and

FIG 4 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of FIG. 3, showing the pad and gripping means.

As shown in the drawing, the improved mop of the invention is adapted for fore and aft reciprocating longitudinal movement over a surface and comprises an elongated handle 1 of suitable length. Although handle 1 is shown as being relatively short, for wall and ceiling cleaning, it may be made substantially longer for floor cleaning. The handle may be made of any suitable material, and preferably has a solid core, thus permitting a mop head 2 to be secured to the handle end by means of screw 3. Any other well-known securement means may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

'Mop head 2 comprises a generally circular handle portion 4 which forms an extension of handle 1. The forward end of portion 4 merges into a flattened lip 5 which extends downwardly at an acute angle from the longitudinal axis of handle portion 4. Lip 5, in turn, merges forwardly into the mop head base 6 which normally extends parallel to the axis of handle portion 4.

Mop head 2 is preferably integrally constructed of a semi-rigid slightly flexible molded material, such as polypropylene plastic.

During mopping operations, it is desirable that handle portion 4 be able to pivot relative to base 6. For this purpose, lip 5 is formed with a flat surf-ace 7 at its for- 3,395,416 Patentedl Aug. 6, 1968 ice ward end, thus creating a transverse integral hinge 8 of substantially less, thickness than that of the lip or base. The flexure characteristics of the polypropylene material permit the necessary pivoting at hinge 8, as shown in FIG. 2, without breaking of the hinge in normal use.

Base 6 is elongated and tapers inwardly slightly toward the front. A generally rectangular cut-out portion 9 is formed centrally of the rear end of base 6, with hinge 8 being disposed at the base of the cut-out, and thus forrng g a pair of legs 10 which extend rearwardly from the inge.

The bottom side of base 6 is adapted to support a dust pick-up means. For this purpose, a member 11 comprising a pad gripping means is disposed on the said planular bottom side. Member 11 may take any suitable form, such as the elongated longitudinal shape best shown in FIG. 3. As shown, member 11 is mounted in a supporting frame 12 which is riveted to base 6 closely adjacent hinge 8, as at 13. The forward end of frame 12 is provided with a lip 14 which wraps around the front edge of base 6 to thereby secure member -11 thereto.

In the present embodiment, and as best shown in FIG. 4, member 11 comprises a strip of nylon or the like formed with a myriad of tiny finely woven monofilaments formed into permanent hooks 15. Such a strip is disclosed in US. Patent 3,009,235 and the description therein is incorporated herein by reference.

During mopping, a generally flat elongated mop pad 1 6 is secured to head 2 'by pressing pad 16 and member 11 together. For this purpose, pad 16 comprises a fibrous material which forms a myriad of tiny loops 17 throughout its surfaces. When the pad and member 11 are manually pressed together, loops 17 are quickly gripped and held by hooks 15 over the entire area of surface contact.

Pad 16 may be made of lofted non-woven material, such as nylon, or such as a combination of Dacron and viscose. 'It might also be loosely woven. In any event, the pad should be light-weight, flexible and substantially selfsupporting. As shown, pad 16 is of the same general shape as mop head 2, and is positioned relative thereto so that the side edges of the pad extend generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of reciprocating mop translation. -Pad 16 extends beyond the edges of the head. That is, it is substantially larger than the head and strip. It may be posisible to reverse the connector means between the mop pad and head. Thus, hooks could be formed on pad 16 and loops on member 11 without departing from the spirit of the invention.

When one side of the pad becomes soiled, it is an easy matter to separate or release the pad from member 11 by peeling the pad therefrom, and reversibly turning the pad over and re-attaching it to member 11.

It is desirable that pad 16 be constructed to catch and entrain dust, dirt and other foreign matter to a maximum degree. For this purpose, the longitudinal side edges of the pad are scalloped, as at 18. These scallops provide a plurality of pairs of longitudinally spaced forward and rearward facing transverse dust-catching edges 19. Since the general longitudinal contour of pad 16 is tapered with its side edges convergent, edges 19 will progressively engage an increasing dusty surface area as the pad is moved forwardly.

The present invention provides a unique improvement in the art of mops. The pad-head connection is easily made. In addition, the pad is quickly reversible and is truely disposable due to its low cost.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. In am'op:

(a) a handle portion of semi-rigid slightly flexible material, v

(b) a head p ortion of the saine material as and integrally joined to said handle portion,

(c) said portions extending generally longitudinally,

(d) a transverse hinge between said handle portion and said head portion which is of less thickness than said portions for permitting relative pivoting therebetween,

(e) a generally planular lower surface on said head portion and with said surface having thereon a myriad of tiny fine monofilaments formed into permanent hooks,

(f) a light weight generally flat self-supporting mop pad of lofted fibrous material forming on its surface a myriad of loops releasably engaged and held by said hooks,

(g) said pad being substantially larger than said head and being tapered longitudinally,

(h) and a plurality of transverse dust-catching edges spaced longitudinally along the longitudinal pad edges.

2. In a dust mop, a mop head carried by a handle and having a generally planular lower surface, a light weight generally flat substantially self-supporting lofted nonwoven mop pad of larger floor contacting area than said mop head, and means to removably attach said pad beneath the planular lower surface of said head with the pad retained in its plane for substantially the full floor contacting area thereof, said pad being tapered forwardly and having a plurality of dust catching and retaining scallops in its side edges for substantially the full length thereof and having its central portion rigidly backed by and supporting said mop head and its edge portions free of backing with independent flexibility of the individual scallops to accommodate a floor or other object to which the mop is applied.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Kajerdt 15232 X Wagner 15-147 De Maestral.

Belsky et a1 15-209 Richards 15-119.1 Myers 15244 McIver.

Belsky et al 15-228 X Mathison 15244 Wasilolf et a1 15-230.17 Fuller 15228 Chadwick 15--228 FOREIGN PATENTS DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner.

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