Squeezing out device for a flat mop cover

The present invention relates to a squeezing out device for removing liquid from a flat mop cover mounted on a mop holder of a mopping device according to the preamble of claims 1 , 7 or 1 1.

The invention generally relates to the field of floor cleaning and floor treatment carried out by the use of a mopping device. A mop cover of a mopping device needs to be frequently rinsed and again charged with water or a cleaning solution and then has to be pressed or wrung to remove excess liquid from the flat mop cover. Many prior art systems use a mop press or wringer to remove excess liquid from the mop cover.

Flat mop covers mounted on a mop holder of a mopping device are widely used. The mop cover is usually an elongate rectilinear flat member with a backing textile forming a top side with attachment means for attachment on a plate-like mop holder. A bottom side of the backing textile is the mopping side and normally has a trimming. The mop cover can be pressed to squeeze out excess liquid after rinsing.

Cleaning personnel normally uses a trolley with a bucket or other container for a liquid like water or a cleaning solution and some kind of squeeze out device fixedly mounted to the container to squeeze out the mop cover to the practical amount of liquid to be carried to the floor to be cleaned.

The prior art squeezing out device forming the starting point of the invention (WO 99/00050 Al ) already provides a squeeze out structure which defines a generally flat squeeze out surface with a plurality of openings. The squeeze out surface in inclined from the horizontal preferably at an angle of about 45° within the squeeze out structure that is fixedly positioned on top of or within the bucket. The squeeze out surface itself is formed by a plurality of three dimensional squeeze out formations, in particular rods, rolls, balls, or the like which together define the plurality of openings therebetween.

Instead of only pressing the mop cover towards the squeeze out surface this prior art squeezing out device provides for a means that enables movement of the mop holder with the mop cover attached thereto on the squeeze out formations back and forth, preferably sideways. This means is a mop handle engagement means above the squeeze out surface with an arrangement by which the user may apply pressure against the squeeze out surface. For enhanced liquid removal the mop cover on the mop holder may be moved from left to right and right to left in a reciprocating movement while maintaining a slight backward pressure to insure that the mop cover remains pressed against the squeeze out formations. So removal of liquid from the mop cover is not only done by exerting pressure, but also by using a lateral relative movement between the mop cover and the squeeze out formations.

In this prior art the squeeze out formations are preferably rolls or balls that are as such rotatably mounted within a squeeze out frame structure. However it is disclosed that they may be stationary as well.

From further prior art a mop cover has become recently available (WO 2005/013793 Al) which comprises an additional part extending beyond the mop holder. This double size mop cover can be used for specific cleaning tasks in particular with a wet/dry cleaning combination.

For specific cleaning tasks three dimensional mop holders with assigned mop covers are used. A squeezing out device for removing liquid from a flat mop cover mounted on a three dimensional mop holder with two wings is known from prior art as well (WO 97/17008 Al). This squeezing out device has two cheek plates movable in relation to each other. When those cheek plates are in their top initial position they form a downwardly tapering entry gap for inserting the mop holder. By the exertion of perpendicular pressure with the aid of the handle the cheek plates can be moved downwardly from their top initial position squeezing out the mop cover on both sides of the mop holder to a bottom final position. However, this squeezing out device can not be used for a mop holder with wings extending at an acute angle relative to each other which has been proposed recently (WO 2005/013791 Al).

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and easy to use squeezing out device for removing excess liquid from flat mop covers with a higher efficiency and in a way easy to operate by cleaning personnel.

Above mentioned object is in a first version of the present invention met by a squeezing out device with the features of claim 1.

This squeezing out device realizes the relative movement between the mop cover and the squeeze out formations with a still stationary mop holder. With such stationary positioning of the mop holder the pressure exerted on the squeeze out surface may be kept at a high and constant level. In spite of this a relative movement between the squeeze out formations and the mop cover that increases the squeeze out efficiency is realized, namely by the carrier structure that is movable relative to the squeeze out frame.

The carrier structure may be a frame that is movable back and forth relative to the squeeze out frame or may be a continuous conveyor means similar to a conveyor belt, which conveyor means carries the squeeze out formations and is guided by guide pulleys in a continuous revolving movement.

Further improvements and specifications of this version of the squeeze out device according to the invention are the subject matter of further dependent claims.

For a larger mop cover, the double size mop cover mentioned above, claim 7 defines a squeezing out device that solves above mentioned problem in highly efficient way.

This squeezing out device provides for a stationary squeeze out surface on the one hand adapted to squeeze out the part of the mop cover that is mounted on the mop holder, together with nip roller means for the part of the mop cover extending beyond the surface of the mop holder.

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For this squeezing out device movable squeeze out formations are not helpful, here a stationary squeeze out surface is appropriate. Here the mop holder with the mop cover is moved over a squeeze out surface so that simultaneously the loose part of the mop cover is pulled through the nip roller means squeezing out liquid from this part in a traditional way.

Finally, there is a third version of the invention defined with the features of claim 11. This solves above mentioned problem for a three dimensional mop holder with wings positioned at an acute angle relative to each other. Similar to the system for a one sided mop holder disclosed in the initial prior art WO 99/00050 Al this squeezing out device according to the invention provides for two equally operative squeeze out surfaces.

Further embodiments of above mentioned versions of the inventive squeezing out device are the subject matter of further dependent claims.

Now, follows a description of preferred embodiments of the invention by way of example and with reference to the drawings. In the drawings

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention in a first position,

Fig. 2 shows the squeezing out device according to Fig. 1 in a second position, however without a mop holder,

Fig. 3 shows the first embodiment in a schematic side view,

Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention in a schematic side view like Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 shows a third embodiment of the invention in a top plan view,

Fig. 6 shows a fourth embodiment in a schematic side view.

In Fig. 1 there is indicated a trolley 1 for a mopping system. The trolley 1 is provided with castors at each corner thereof and with an upstanding frame 2. In

Fig. 1 there can be seen a mopping device with a flat mop cover 3 mounted on a mop holder 4. A handle 5 is attached to the top side of the mop holder 4 by means of a handle socket and a universal joint. This is a typical construction of such flat mop holder 4 which is widely disclosed in the prior art.

The system further comprises a bucket 6 that is positioned on the trolley 1. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 and 2 there are two buckets 6, 7 arranged next to each other. One bucket 7 is for clean water or a cleaning solution, whereas the other bucket 6 is for squeezed out liquid and waste water. Instead of the buckets 6, 7 other types of containers can be used.

Fig. 1 and 2 show a squeeze out structure 8 on top of the first bucket 6. This squeeze out structure 8 defines a generally flat squeeze out surface 9 with a plurality of openings. As the mopping device has been removed in Fig. 2 the openings are clearly visible.

The squeeze out surface 9 is formed by a plurality of squeeze out formations 10. The squeeze out formations 10 can be formed by a large part like a sieve, a grid, a perforated plate structure or the like. In the present embodiment the squeeze out formations 10 are formed by rods extending parallel to each other, the distance between the rods defining the openings of the squeeze out surface 9. From prior art documents squeeze out formations 10 as rods, rolls, balls, or the like are known.

Now, as can be seen in Fig. 1 and 2, this first version of a squeezing out device according to the invention is characterized in that the squeeze out structure 8 comprises a squeeze out frame 11 mounted in a fixed position relative to the bucket 6 for positioning the mop holder 4 of the mopping device, the squeeze out formations 10 are positioned within a separate carrier structure 12, the carrier structure 12 is movable relative to the squeeze out frame 11 so that the mop holder 4 with the flat mop cover 3 can remain stationary on the squeeze out surface 9 within the squeeze out frame 11, whilst the squeeze out formations 10 are moved relative to the mop cover 3. As already explained in the introductory part of the description, in this system the mop holder 4 can be pressed with constant and high pressure against the squeeze out surface 9. Nevertheless, an

efficient relative movement between the squeeze out formations 10 and the mop cover 3 is realized, here by movement of the squeeze out formations 10 relative to the stationary mop cover 3 which is positioned within the squeeze out frame 11.

In the present embodiment it is provided that the carrier structure 12 is a frame that is movable back and forth, preferably sideways, by means of an actuating lever 13, pivotally mounted to the squeeze out structure 8 and/or the bucket 6 and/or the trolley 1.

In the present embodiment the manual actuating lever 13 can be seen on the left side. Fig. 1 shows the left position of the carrier structure 12 relative to the squeeze out frame 11 , Fig. 2 shows the right position thereof. The actuating lever 13 is directly coupled to the carrier structure 12. However, there may be a transmission between the actuating means 13 on the one hand and the carrier structure 12 on the other hand whereever this is appropriate. Of course, the complete structure may be motorized as well which would substantially improve the handing. However, a motorized system is difficult to apply with a trolley 1 as shown here.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic side view of the above.

An alternative of a carrier structure 12 that is movable sideways back and forth by means of a manual actuating means may be a continuous conveyor means guided by guide pulleys 14. This is shown as an embodiment of Fig. 4 in a side view, highly schematical. Here a manual crank drive 13' is coupled through a gear transmission 13" to the left guide pulley 14. The carrier structure 12 is constructed by two parallel running conveyor chains with rods as squeeze out formations 10 extending between those conveyor chains.

Above mentioned alternative construction allows for a continuous squeezing out of liquid from the flat mop cover 3. The driving means can be a manual crank drive with the actuating lever as shown, however a foot operated pedal drive as well as a motor drive is an appropriate means as well.

In the prior art document mentioned above (WO 99/00050 Al) the preferred embodiment shows squeeze out formations 10 that are rotatably mounted within a frame structure. Extensive tests have shown, however, that in the present embodiment it might be more efficient that the squeeze out formations 10 as such are stationarily mounted within the carrier structure 12

Finally, it is shown that in this embodiment it is preferable that the squeeze out surface 9 is oriented generally horizontally.

Fig. 5 shows a third embodiment of the invention that is specifically adapted to a flat mop cover 3 of larger size, a size extending beyond the surface of the mop holder 4.

In this construction it is provided that the squeeze out surface 9 has no border at one longitudinal edge 15 thereof, adjacent to the opposite longitudinal edge 16 of the squeeze out surface 9 there is provided a nip roller means 17, 17' extending generally parallel to said longitudinal edge 16, the nip roller means 17, 17' is movable between an open position in which an additional part 3' of the mop cover 3 extending beyond the mop holder 4 can be inserted between the nip rolls 17, 17' and a closed position in which the additional part 3' of the mop cover 3 will be squeezed out by pulling it through the nip rolls 17, 17' while simultaneously moving the part of the mop cover 3 mounted on the mop holder 4 under pressure over the squeeze out surface 9.

The nip roller means 17, 17' are operating in the usual way and are here provided with a stationary nip roll 17 and a movable nip roll 17' which is manually operated and moved towards the stationary nip roll 17. Fastening means can be provided to fasten the movable nip roll 17' in a specific distance from the stationary nip roll 17 to define a gap between both nip rolls 17, 17' adapted to the thickness of the additional part 3' of the flat mop cover 3.

In this embodiment it is preferable that the squeeze out surface 9 is inclined from the horizontal preferably at an angle of about 45°. Further it is preferable that the nip roller means 17, 17' is positioned adjacent to the upper longitudinal edge 16 of the squeeze out surface 9. This is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The

advantage of this specific construction is that the squeeze out movement is a movement directed downwardly.

In this specific embodiment the nip roller means 17, 17' is provided with a foot operated pedal 18 and a gear transmission 18' to press the nip roll 17' towards the stationary nip roll 17. So the hands of an operator are free for the handle 5 of the mop holder 4 to push the handle 5 downwards moving the mop cover 3 over the squeeze out formations 10 on the squeeze out surface 9 downwardly into the bucket 6 while the foot operated pedal 18 keeps the nip roll 17' in a position insuring proper squeezing of the additional part 3' of the flat mop cover 3.

In the present and preferred embodiment it is provided that there are two buckets 6, 7 next to each other with one bucket 6 for the squeeze out structure 8 and the other bucket 7 for the nip roller means 17, 17'.

A fourth and final embodiment of the invention is discussed in detail with reference to Fig. 6 of the drawings.

This embodiment is specifically adapted to a three dimensional mop holder 4 with two wings 20 positioned at an acute angle relative to each other and with a mop cover 3 mounted to the mop holder 4 on both wings 20. For details of such construction with stationary or fold away wings 20 reference is made to WO 2005/013791 Al which is incorporated herein with its disclosure by reference.

In this embodiment of the invention the squeeze out structure 8 defines two generally flat squeeze out surfaces 9, 9' positioned at an acute angle relative to each other, wherein the two squeeze out surfaces 9, 9' are positioned to form a downwardly tapering entry gap for the three dimensional mop holder 4 with the mop cover 3, wherein at least one of the two squeeze out surfaces 9, 9' is displaceable relative to and biased towards the other one of the two generally flat squeeze out surfaces 9, 9'.

In Fig. 6 which is highly schematic the squeeze out structure 8 is positioned within the bucket 6. The spring means 21, 21' providing the biasing force on both squeeze out surfaces 9, 9' is represented by the arrows. When the mop holder 4 is

moved downwardly by means of pressure exerted through the handle 5, the two squeeze out surfaces 9 are moved laterally outwardly so that the gap is widening. The pressure exerted by the spring means 21, 21' is sufficient to achieve an efficient removal of liquid from the mop cover 3 on both wings 20 of the mop holder 4. The downwardly directed movement of the mop holder 4 simultaneously leads to the relative movement of the mop cover 3 relative to the squeeze out formations 10 that are stationary here.

In a preferred embodiment the size of the angle between the squeeze out surfaces 9, 9' of the squeeze out structure 8 is the same as the size of the angle between the wings 20 of the mop holder 4.