US20050055791A1

US20050055791A1 - Mop device having changeable abrasive strip

Info

Publication number: US20050055791A1
Application number: US10/666,602
Authority: US
Inventors: Pai Lin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: OIMO INDUSTRIAL Co Ltd
Priority date: 2003-09-15
Filing date: 2003-09-15
Publication date: 2005-03-17

Abstract

A mop device includes a support element attached to bottom of a handle, and an abrasive surface member detachably attached to the support element. The abrasive surface member includes a resilient element and a lower cover member secured together, to form one or more swellings and one or more depressions in the abrasive surface member, and to effectively engage with and mop the ground or surfaces to be cleaned. The abrasive surface member includes an upper cover sheet secured onto the resilient element with one or more coupling elements, and one or more coupling devices attached to the cover sheet for securing to the support element.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mop device, and more particularly to a mop device having an abrasive surface member changeably or detachably attached to the mop device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various kinds of typical mop devices have been developed and provided for mopping the ground or the surfaces to be cleaned, and normally comprise a spongy member solidly attached to a support element, for cleaning purposes.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,720 to Decoopman et al. discloses one of the typical mop devices which also comprises a spongy member solidly attached to a support element, for cleaning purposes. The spongy member may not be detached or disengaged from the support element, and thus may not be changed with the new ones when the previous spongy member has been damaged or worn out.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,750 to Vosbikian et al. discloses another typical mop device comprising an abrasive surface strip changeably or detachably attached to the mop device, for engaging with and for mopping the ground or the surfaces to be cleaned. The abrasive surface strip may be changeably or detachably attached to the mop device, and may thus be changed with the new ones when the previous spongy member has been damaged or worn out.
However, the spongy member is also solidly attached to the support element, and may not be detached or disengaged from the support element, and thus may not be changed with the new ones when the previous spongy member has been damaged or worn out.
In addition, the abrasive surface strips normally include a planar structure made of woven or non-woven cloth materials, which may not be used to effectively mop or clean the ground or the surfaces that are required to be cleaned.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional mop devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a mop device including an abrasive surface member that may be changeably or detachably attached to the mop device.
The other objective of the present invention is to provide a mop device including an abrasive surface member that may be used to effectively mop the ground or the surfaces to be cleaned.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a mop device comprising a handle including a support element attached to bottom thereof, an abrasive surface member, and means for detachably attaching the abrasive surface member to the support element. The abrasive surface member includes a resilient element and a lower cover member secured together, to form at least one swelling and at least one depression in the abrasive surface member, and to effectively engage with ground or surfaces to be cleaned.
The lower cover member includes at least one side flange extended beyond the resilient element and foldable to engage with the support element. The side flange of the lower cover member includes at least one notch formed therein to define at least one flap therein, and to facilitate folding and engaging of the side flange of the lower cover member onto the support element.
The lower cover member includes at least one securing device attached onto the side flange thereof, to engage with and to secure to the support element.
The abrasive surface member includes an upper cover sheet secured onto the resilient element with at least one coupling element. The detachably attaching means includes at least one coupling device attached to the upper cover sheet of the abrasive surface member, to secure to the support element.
The support element includes a coupling device attached thereto, to engage with the coupling device of the upper cover sheet of the abrasive surface member, and to secure the abrasive surface member to the support element. The support element includes a sponge member attached to a bottom portion thereof, and the coupling device is attached to the sponge member of the support element.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mop device in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial plan view of the mop device;
FIG. 3 is a partial exploded view of an abrasive surface member of the mop device;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the an abrasive surface member of the mop device; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of the mop device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, a mop device in accordance with the present invention comprises a handle 10, a support element 11 attached to the bottom of the handle 10 with such as a typical pivot joint or hinge 12, to allow the support element 11 to be pivoted or rotated relative to the handle 10.
A resilient or sponge member 13 may further be provided and attached to the bottom portion 14 of the support element 11, for resiliently or flexibly contacting with the ground or the other surfaces to be cleaned. A coupling device 15, such as a hook-and-loop coupling device 15 may further be provided and attached to the bottom portion 16 of the resilient or sponge member 13.
The mop device in accordance with the present invention further comprises an abrasive surface member 30 to be changeably or detachably and directly attached to the bottom portion 14 of the support element 11, or attached to the bottom portion 16 of the resilient or sponge member 13.
As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the abrasive surface member 30 includes an upper cover sheet 31, such as a water-proof cover sheet 31 provided on the upper portion thereof, and one or more coupling devices 32, such as a hook-and-loop coupling devices 32 attached onto the cover sheet 31, for engaging with the corresponding hook-and-loop coupling device 15, and thus for detachably attaching the cover sheet 31 of the abrasive surface member 30 to the resilient or sponge member 13 or directly to the support element 11.
A resilient or sponge element 33 and a lower cover member 34 are attached to and secured to the bottom of the cover sheet 31 with one or more coupling elements 35 (FIG. 2), such as stitches, ultrasonic welding elements, staples, or the like, particularly by ultrasonic welding processes, in order to form one or more swellings 36 and one or more depressions 37 in the bottom of the abrasive surface member 30, best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.
The lower cover member 34 of the abrasive surface member 30 is preferably made of woven or non-woven cloth materials, and includes one or two side edges or flanges 38 extended laterally or outwardly beyond the resilient or sponge element 33, for being folded and engaged onto the upper portion 17 of the support element 11, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5.
It is preferable that each of the side edges or flanges 38 includes one or more notches 39 formed therein to form or define one or more flaps 40 therein, and for allowing the lower cover member 34 of the abrasive surface member 30 to be easily folded and engaged and attached onto the support element 11.
For example, one or more securing devices 41, such as the hook-and-loop securing devices or adhesive materials 41 may be attached onto the side edges or flanges 38 or the flaps 40 of lower cover member 34 of the abrasive surface member 30, for engaging with the upper portion 17 of the support element 11, and thus for attaching the abrasive surface member 30 onto the support element 11.
In operation, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, due to the provision or the formation of the swellings 36 and/or the depressions 37 in the bottom of the abrasive surface member 30, the dirt 70 may be easily mopped and cleaned and collected within the depressions 37 of the abrasive surface member 30, such that the abrasive surface member 30 may be used to effectively mop and clean the ground or the surfaces to be cleaned.
Accordingly, the mop device in accordance with the present invention includes an abrasive surface member that may be changeably or detachably attached to the mop device, and that may be used to effectively engage with and mop the ground or the surfaces to be cleaned.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A mop device comprising:

a handle including a support element attached to bottom thereof,

an abrasive surface member, and

means for detachably attaching said abrasive surface member to said support element, and

said abrasive surface member including a resilient element and a lower cover member secured together, to form at least one swelling and at least one depression in said abrasive surface member, and to effectively engage with ground or surfaces to be cleaned.

2. The mop device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lower cover member includes at least one side flange extended beyond said resilient element and foldable to engage with said support element.

3. The mop device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said at least one side flange of said lower cover member includes at least one notch formed therein to define at least one flap therein, and to facilitate folding and engaging of said at least one side flange of said lower cover member onto said support element.

4. The mop device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lower cover member includes at least one securing device attached onto said at least one side flange thereof, to engage with and to secure to said support element.

5. The mop device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said abrasive surface member includes an upper cover sheet secured onto said resilient element with at least one coupling element.

6. The mop device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said detachably attaching means includes at least one coupling device attached to said upper cover sheet of said abrasive surface member, to secure to said support element.

7. The mop device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said support element includes a coupling device attached thereto, to engage with said at least one coupling device of said upper cover sheet of said abrasive surface member, and to secure said abrasive surface member to said support element.

8. The mop device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said support element includes a sponge member attached to a bottom portion thereof, and said coupling device is attached to said sponge member of said support element.