HK40124884A - Holding frame for a cleaning element, mop head comprising such a holding frame, and mop - Google Patents

Description

A retaining frame for cleaning components and a mop head having such a retaining frame, as well as a wiping mop.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a retaining frame for a cleaning element, the retaining frame having a support plate and a downwardly pointing edge at least partially surrounding the outer circumference of the support plate, the support plate and the edge forming a receiving portion for the cleaning element, and the retaining frame having means for detachably securing the cleaning element in the receiving portion and means for contactlessly disengaging the cleaning element from the receiving portion, wherein the means for contactlessly disengaging the cleaning element from the receiving portion includes a spring-loaded pressure element in a recess of the support plate, the pressure element disengaging the cleaning element from the receiving portion upon actuation.

The present invention also relates to a mop head having a cleaning element and such a retaining frame, and a wiping mop.

Background Technology

This type of retaining frame is known from US PS 2,764,774. This publication relates to a mop with a retaining frame for a disposable wiping element. The retaining frame has a support plate and a downwardly pointing, circumferential edge, the support plate and the edge forming a receptacle for the disposable wiping element. The disposable wiping element is detachably secured to the edge of the retaining frame. The retaining frame also has a means for disengaging the disposable wiping element from the receptacle without contact. The means consists of a recess in the support plate and a push rod disposed in the recess on the upper side of the support plate. The push rod has rounded, widened heads at its upper and lower ends, respectively, and is held in a position by a spring surrounding it, wherein the lower head is closed flush with the lower side of the support plate. To replace the disposable wiping element, pressure is applied to the upper head, causing the push rod to move downward toward the disposable wiping element against the spring force, and pressing the disposable wiping element out of the receptacle of the retaining frame.

A known drawback of retaining frames is that it is infeasible to push the cleaning element out of the retaining frame when the mop head is placed on the floor. Therefore, the mop must be lifted while simultaneously manipulating the pressure element, making operation difficult. Furthermore, the complex, multi-piece construction of the pressure element is also a disadvantage.

Summary of the Invention

The object of this invention is to provide a retaining frame for cleaning elements, characterized by a simple and robust construction and easy operation when replacing the cleaning elements. Another object of this invention is to provide a mop head and a wiping mop having such a retaining frame.

The objective is achieved by means of a retaining frame having all the features of claim 1, a mop head having all the features of claim 14, and a wiping mop having all the features of claim 17. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

According to the invention, a retaining frame for a cleaning element has a support plate and a downwardly pointing edge that at least partially surrounds the outer circumference of the support plate, the support plate and the edge forming a receiving portion for the cleaning element, and the retaining frame having means for detachably securing the cleaning element in the receiving portion and means for contactlessly disengaging the cleaning element from the receiving portion, wherein the means for contactlessly disengaging the cleaning element from the receiving portion includes a spring-loaded pressure element in a recess of the support plate, the pressure element disengaging the cleaning element from the receiving portion upon actuation, and in the aforementioned retaining frame, the pressure element includes at least one lever that is elastically hinged in a recess of the support plate and has a mechanism on its underside such that the mechanism supports a base when the at least one lever is actuated and causes a torque/force to be applied to the end of the at least one lever fixed at the hinge.

Surprisingly, thanks to this simple structural design, it is easy to safely detach the cleaning element from the housing of the retaining frame, even when the mop head is placed on the ground. In this case, when the lever is manipulated, the retaining frame is pushed upward by a pressure element of the lever, which is designed according to the invention to have a support mechanism.

In the context of this invention, "contactless" means that cleaning elements that may become contaminated after use can be detached from the retaining frame and replaced without contact with the hands.

Obviously, the cleaning element can also be easily pressed down from the retaining frame according to the invention when the lever is manipulated while the mop head is lifted.

According to the invention, at least one lever is used as a pressure element. Thus, the retaining frame according to the invention is characterized by a simple and robust construction and can be manufactured cost-effectively. The lever can also be manipulated simply and reliably.

According to the invention, at least one lever is elastically hinged in a recess in the support plate.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one lever is hinged at one end to the edge of the support plate, wherein the other free, pivotable operating end is oriented toward the center of the support plate.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one lever is disposed at the outer circumference of the support plate with its free, pivotable end, wherein the lever is hinged to the support plate itself at its other end spaced apart from the outer circumference of the support plate. A lever constructed in this manner can be used simply as a foot pedal because the pressure surface is sufficiently spaced from the hinge and rod of the mop at the outer circumference.

The lever can also be configured as a separate component. Advantageously, it is hinged to an edge or support plate via a hinge joint. The hinge joint itself is known. The hinge joint allows rotational movement with only one degree of freedom. The hinge joint can be configured as a single piece or in multiple pieces.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the support plate, edges, and lever materials are uniformly and integrally constructed. Here, the hinge connection is configured as a membrane hinge. Membrane hinges are known in themselves. The membrane hinge consists of a flexible, thin-walled hinge groove between two components to be connected. Membrane hinges are a cost-effective solution. They save installation time and individual components. Finding a suitable wall thickness for the hinge groove used in this application is readily achievable by those skilled in the art.

Preferably, at least one lever is configured as a button, the button having a pressure surface that extends beyond the upper side of the support plate and is inclined toward the hinged connection at the edge.

According to the invention, the lever has a mechanism for supporting itself on a base on its underside, which extends into the receiving portion. This mechanism is preferably located between the end of the lever fixed via a hinged connection and the free, actuating end of the lever. If the lever pivots downwards, at the moment the lever is supported on the base, depending on the type of lever on both sides, torque or force is applied upwards to the lever end connected to the edge or support plate via the hinged connection. This causes the edge or support plate, typically made of flexible plastic within certain limits, to bend slightly upwards in the connection area, while the cleaning element, locked into the retaining frame, continues to be pressed downwards by the lever. Thus, the locking connection disengages and the retaining frame can be lifted.

In the above embodiments, the lever is supported on the base by a corresponding support mechanism. The base may be the cleaning element itself. Particularly preferably, the lever is supported on a carrier of the cleaning element, as further described below.

The support mechanism can be designed in a variety of ways. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mechanism includes a downwardly pointing protrusion, edge, or arch that forms a rotational axis between the two lever ends when supported on a base. Those skilled in the art can readily find suitable geometry and dimensions given the dimensions of the frame and cleaning elements, for example, by arranging such a downwardly extending support mechanism relative to the two lever ends to achieve sufficiently large torque and shape.

Especially when the lever is configured as a button, it is indicated that the ratio of the distance between the free end to be manipulated and the rotation point to the distance between the end fixed by the hinge and the rotation point should not be significantly less than 1:2, so that the necessary force to be applied can still be applied well by means of the fingers.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the support mechanism is integrated into the lower profile of the lever, especially when the lever and the edged bearing plate are uniformly constructed as a single piece.

With the aid of the pivoting motion of the lever, the support point of the lever at the base moves along the lower profile of the lever. Here, the lower profile of the lever can also be optimized according to the type of slide as follows: the retaining frame is pressed not only upwards but also additionally outwards in order to reliably disengage the locking connection.

The cleaning element can be detachably secured in the receiving portion in different ways. Therefore, for example, a clamp connection or a snap-on connection can be envisioned. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device for detachably securing the cleaning element in the receiving portion includes a locking element. Locking elements for detachably securing the cleaning element in the receiving portion of the retaining frame are known in themselves. The locking element may include a locking protrusion, a connecting plate, a recess, etc., which interact with a corresponding mating locking element at the cleaning element. Such mating locking elements are also known in themselves.

The locking element is preferably associated with an edge. In this arrangement, the cleaning element can be easily locked or snapped into or released from a receiving portion formed by the underside of the support plate and at least partially surrounding the edge.

The support plate can have any outer contour, such as a round, angular, elliptical, or other outer contours. Advantageously, the support plate has a triangular contour with rounded corners in a manner known per se, which is particularly suitable for cleaning or even narrow, hard-to-reach areas.

A mechanism for hinged connection with the rod can be provided on the upper side of the bearing plate.

The mop head according to the invention includes the retaining frame and cleaning element as described above.

The cleaning element can include all conceivable cleaning mechanisms, such as cleaning strips, cleaning tufts, sponges, fabrics, etc., which can be fastened to the retaining frame in any manner. The cleaning mechanism only needs to be detachably fastened. For this purpose, a carrier on which the cleaning mechanism is fixed is particularly suitable.

Advantageous in this implementation is that the carrier can be easily locked or snapped into the retaining frame. This simplifies operation.

The retaining frame is preferably an injection-molded part. Polypropylene is also particularly suitable as a material due to its softness and ductility. Polypropylene possesses the high flexural fatigue strength required for durable film hinges.

Preferably, the carrier is annularly constructed, having, for example, a surrounding opening for securing cleaning strips or cleaning tassels. The annular carrier can be easily snapped into locking elements at the edge of the retaining frame. Preferably, the outline of the annular carrier corresponds here to the outer outline of the support plate.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the mop head according to the invention includes: a retaining frame having a triangular outer contour with rounded corner regions having locking elements; and a cleaning element having an annular carrier that can lock into the retaining frame. In this embodiment, a base for supporting the mechanism can be formed in a simple manner at the lower contour of the lever via the inner edges of the annular carrier.

The wiping mop according to the invention includes a rod and a mop head of the type described above that is hinged to the rod.

According to the invention, multiple recesses with levers can be provided, for example, in the case of a retaining frame constructed in a triangular shape, a lever is provided at each of the two opposite corners. Preferably, exactly one lever is provided.

Attached Figure Description

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The attached diagram shows:

Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the retaining frame according to the present invention in a perspective view.

Figure 2 shows a side sectional view of the retaining frame according to the present invention shown in Figure 1.

Figures 3a to 3c show the sequence of movements when manipulating the buttons in the case of the retaining frame according to the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 shows another preferred design of the retaining frame with foot pedals according to the present invention.

Figure 5 exemplarily illustrates a carrier with spikes according to the prior art, which can be disposed in a retaining frame according to the invention;

Figure 6 illustrates, for illustrative purposes, the insertion of the carrier from Figure 5 into the retaining frame according to the prior art.

Detailed Implementation

Figure 1 shows a retaining frame 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention in a perspective view. The retaining frame has a support plate 2 with a surrounding, downwardly extending edge 3, the support plate and the edge forming a receiving portion for a cleaning element, not shown here.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the shown retaining frame 1 has a triangular outer contour with rounded corners. A hinge 4 for connection to a rod (not shown) is provided on the upper side of the retaining frame 1. In one corner of the rounded corner, the support plate 2 has a recess 5, in which a one-sided lever is provided; according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lever is configured as a button 6. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the button 6 is elastically hinged to the outer circumference of the retaining frame 1 via a hinge 7. The free operating end is oriented towards the center point of the support plate 2. The button 6 is pivotally disposed downwardly within the recess 5.

Figure 2 shows the retaining frame 1 according to the invention in Figure 1 in a side sectional view. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in the retaining frame 1, the annular carrier 8 of the cleaning element is snapped into a receiving portion formed by the carrier plate 2 and the surrounding edge 3 by means of a locking protrusion 9. For better overview, the cleaning strip or cleaning tassel circumferentially fixed to the annular carrier 8 is not shown here. As also seen in Figure 1, a lever configured as a single side of the button 6 is elastically hinged to the outer circumferential edge of the carrier plate 2 via a hinge joint 7. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the button 6 is supported at its lower side by its downwardly extending profile 10 on the inner edge 11 of the carrier ring 8. A rotation axis is formed at the contact point 11 between the carrier ring 8 and the lower profile 10 of the button 6, which is used to apply a torque to the end of the button 6 fixed to the outer circumferential edge of the carrier plate via the hinge joint 7 when the free end of the button 6 moves further downward. By means of this torque, an upward force (indicated here by the blue arrow) acts on the frame 3 and the carrier plate 2 in the area.

Figure 3 exemplarily illustrates the sequence of movements when button 6 is manipulated. As shown in Figure 3a), button 6 is supported on the inner edge of the support ring 8 with its lower contour 10 when pivoting downwards. If button 6 is pressed further downwards with its free end, the support point 11 acts as a point of rotation on the inner edge of the support ring 8, and torque, a force, acts upwards on the hinge end of button 6. As shown in Figure 3b), the support plate 2, along with its edge 3, bends upwards due to the torque. Consequently, the support point moves along the inclined region of the lower contour 10, resulting in the force component also acting radially outwards onto the edge. This causes the support to disengage from the locking protrusion 9.

Figure 4 illustrates another preferred embodiment of the retaining frame according to the invention. In the figure, the same components are given the same reference numerals as in Figures 1 to 3 (reference numerals to be processed). Compared to the embodiments of Figures 1 to 3, in this embodiment, the free, pivotable end (pressure point) of the lever 6 is located at the outer circumference of the support plate 2, and the other end is hinged to the support plate 2 via a hinge joint 7, spaced apart from the outer circumference of the pressure point. This has the advantage that the lever 6 can be easily operated with the foot, even with the heel supported. The downwardly extending support element 10 is also visible in the figure. When the lever 6 pivots downward, the support element 10 rests on the support ring, which is not visible in the figure (the support body has a U-shaped cross-section. The support body is cut in some parts of the figure so that only the lower area is visible). Thus, a force/torque acts upward on the end of the lever connected to the support plate 2 via the hinge joint 7. The support plate 2 bends slightly upward in the connection area, thereby disengaging the locking element.

Figure 5 exemplarily illustrates a cleaning element 15 according to the prior art, the cleaning element having a triangularly shaped annular support 16 and a tassel 17 fixed thereon, the tassel being snapped into a retaining frame 1 according to the invention.

Figure 6 illustrates the insertion of the carrier from Figure 5 into the retaining frame according to the prior art. The tassel is omitted for better overview. This insertion corresponds to the insertion of the retaining frame according to the invention. In the perspective view viewed from below, the receiving portion of the retaining frame formed by the lower side of the carrier plate 2 and the edge 3 can be seen. The annular carrier snaps into the receiving portion. The lower side of the hinged connection 9 for the connecting element 8 of the rod is indicated by 9.

Claims (17)

1. A retaining frame (1) for a cleaning element (15), the retaining frame having a support plate (2) and a downwardly pointing edge (3) at least partially surrounding the outer circumference of the support plate (2), the support plate and the edge forming a receiving portion for the cleaning element (15), and the retaining frame having means for detachably securing the cleaning element (15) in the receiving portion and means for non-contactly disengaging the cleaning element (15) from the receiving portion, wherein the means for non-contactly disengaging the cleaning element (15) from the receiving portion includes a spring-loaded pressure element in a recess (5) in the support plate (2), the pressure element disengaging the cleaning element (15) from the receiving portion upon actuation. Its features are, The pressure element includes at least one lever that is elastically hinged in a recess (5) of the support plate (2) and has a mechanism on its underside that supports the base when the at least one lever is manipulated and causes torque/force to be applied to the end of the at least one lever fixed at the hinge. 2. The retaining frame (1) according to claim 1. Its features are, The mechanism includes a downwardly pointing protrusion, edge, or arch that, when supported on a base, forms a rotation axis for the at least one lever. 3. The retaining frame (1) according to claim 1 or 2. Its features are, The mechanism for supporting the base is integrated into the lower profile (10) of the at least one lever. 4. The retaining frame (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 3. Its features are, The hinged connection of the at least one lever in the recess (5) of the bearing plate (2) is formed by a hinge joint (7). 5. The retaining frame (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 4. Its features are, The support plate (2), the edge (3) and the at least one lever material are uniformly and integrally formed, wherein the hinge connection is a thin film hinge (7). 6. The retaining frame (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 5. Its features are, The at least one lever is hinged at one end to the edge (3) of the support plate (2), wherein the other free operating end is oriented toward the center of the support plate (2). 7. The retaining frame (1) according to claim 6. Its features are, The at least one lever is configured as a button (6) having a pressure surface that extends beyond the upper side of the support plate (2) and is inclined toward the hinged connection at the edge (3). 8. The retaining frame (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 5. Its features are, The free end is located at the outer circumference of the support plate (2), and the other end is hinged to the support plate (2) at a distance from the outer circumference of the support plate (2). 9. The retaining frame (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8. Its features are, The device for detachably securing the cleaning element (15) includes a locking element (9). 10. The retaining frame (1) according to claim 9. Its features are, The locking element (9) is associated with the edge (3). 11. The retaining frame (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 10. Its features are, A mechanism for hinged connection with the rod is provided on the upper side of the bearing plate (2). 12. The retaining frame (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 10. Its features are, The retaining frame has a triangular outer contour with rounded corners. 13. The retaining frame (1) according to claim 12. Its features are, There is exactly one lever or button (6), which is located in one of the corners of the rounded corner. 14. A mop head having a retaining frame (1) and a cleaning element (15) according to any one of claims 1 to 13. Its features are, The cleaning element (15) has a carrier (8) and cleaning tassels and/or cleaning strips (17) fixed to the carrier (8). 15. The mop head according to claim 13, Its features are, The retaining frame (1) and the carrier (8) are arranged in a ring, and the carrier (8) can be locked into the locking element (9) at the edge (3) of the retaining frame (1). 16. The mop head according to claim 13 or 14, Its features are, The at least one lever is supported on the annular support (8) with its lower side. 17. A wiping mop, the wiping mop comprising a rod and a mop head according to at least one of claims 13 to 16, and a hinge for connecting the rod to the mop head.