Cleaning head, a combination of a cleaning head, a water permeable bag and cleaning members, and a combination of a cleaning head and a bucket with a pump

Abstract

The invention relates to a cleaning head, comprising: —a base part with a central axis; and —a number of arms extending radially with respect to the central axis each having a first end that is connected to said base part, and a second free end, wherein said second end is displaceable between a starting position in which the second end of the arms is near the central axis, and a use mode wherein the second end of the arms is at a position remote from the central axis, and wherein the second ends of the arms in the use mode are in a same plane as said base part. The cleaning head is characterized in that the arms in de use mode are bendable in tangential direction with respect to each other around said base part.

Claims

1. A cleaning head, comprising: a base part with a central axis; and a number of arms extending radially with respect to the central axis each having a first end that is connected to said base part, and a second free end, wherein said second end is displaceable between a starting position in which the second end of the arms is near the central axis, and a use mode wherein the second end of the arms is at a position remote from the central axis, and wherein the second ends of the arms in the use mode are in a same plane as said base part, characterized in that the arms in the use mode are bendable in tangential direction with respect to each other around said base part.

2. A cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning head has cleaning zones in tangential direction at and preferably provided around the arms, and comprising openings that extend between the arms in the direction of said base part.

3. A cleaning head according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning zones of at least one arm are provided with protrusions at at least the outer side and at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the arm, and preferably directed towards the central axis, for retaining dirt therein.

4. A cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the arms comprise a spring or a memory material.

5. A cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein in the starting position at least three arms are provided in tangential direction evenly around said base part.

6. A cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the number of arms is 3 or more, and less than 9.

7. A cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the free end of at least one of said arms is sharply shaped, preferably with a diameter of less than 2 cm.

8. A cleaning head according to claim 1, further comprising a stalk that is connected to said base part by means of fasteners.

9. A cleaning head according to claim 8, wherein the stalk is connected non-rotatably in the fasteners such that said base part rotates upon rotation of the stalk around the central axis.

10. A cleaning head according to claim 8, wherein the cleaning head comprises pulling means, connected to the arms of the cleaning head, said pulling means being adjustable between a first position, wherein the arms are in the starting position, and a second position, wherein the free ends of the arms with respect of the starting position are pulled towards each other.

11. A cleaning head according to claim 10, wherein the pulling means comprise a handle and a wire that is placed between the arms and the handle in the stalk.

12. A combination of a cleaning head according to claim 1, a water permeable bag that is placed around the cleaning head, and cleaning members that are clamped between the arms of the cleaning head, wherein at least one main dimension of the cleaning members is larger than the opening between the arms of the cleaning head.

13. A combination according to claim 12, wherein the bag mutually clamps the arms of the cleaning head together and around the cleaning members.

14. A combination of a cleaning head according to claim 1, and a bucket, said bucket comprising: a container with a bottom and an upright peripheral wall; an extrusion chamber disposed within the circumferential wall with an outside wall and a twist plate displaceable within the extrusion chamber in the direction of a wring part of the outer wall; wherein the outer wall has an upper edge on a side remote from the bottom of said bucket; characterized in that an opening is provided in the outer wall of the extrusion chamber over at least a part of the height of the outer wall from the upper edge towards the bottom of the bucket to bring the cleaning head through the recess into the extrusion chamber.

15. A combination according to claim 14, wherein the opening is provided at the side of the wring part of the outer wall.

16. A combination according to claim 14, wherein in the extrusion chamber a valve is provided for closing off the opening and that in a starting situation abuts an inside of the outer wall, said valve releasing the opening when in a release situation bringing the cleaning head in the extrusion chamber and after having brought same into the extrusion chamber returning to the starting situation and closing off the opening.

17. A combination of a cleaning head according to claim 1, and a bucket, said bucket comprising: a container with a bottom and an upright peripheral wall; an extrusion chamber disposed within the circumferential wall with a bottom and an upright elastic inner wall and a rigid outer wall, wherein an air duct is positioned in between said wall, and a water-permeable tube extending from the bottom in the center of the extrusion chamber, provided with openings; a pump, with a hose that is connected to the peripheral wall of the extrusion chamber, for mutually abutting the free ends of the arms of the cleaning head against the tube.

Description

(1) These and other features of the invention will be described hereafter with reference to the accompanying drawing.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cleaning head according to the invention in de starting position.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a top view of a cleaning head according to the invention in de use mode.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a side view of a cleaning head according to the invention in de use mode.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a combination according to the invention.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a bucket according to the invention.

(7) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a cleaning head according to the invention in starting position.

(8) FIG. 7 shows a cross sectional view of an extrusion chamber according to FIG. 5.

(9) FIG. 8 shows a cross sectional view of an alternative extrusion chamber.

(10) FIG. 9 shows a cleaning head with a stalk according to the invention.

(11) FIG. 10 shows a cross sectional view of another alternative extrusion chamber.

(12) FIGS. 11-17 show alternative embodiments of a cleaning head according to the invention.

(13) FIG. 1 shows a cleaning head 1 with a base part 2 with a central axis 3. Around said base part 2 a number of arms 4 are provided in a regular pattern that extend in a radial direction with respect of a central axis 3. At said base part 2 a stalk 5 is connected.

(14) In the starting position as shown the arms 4 rest on a floor 8 with the pointed free ends 9 of the arms 4 in an inverted bowl shape. At all sides of the arms 4, at an angle with the longitudinal direction of the arms 4 and directed towards the central axis 3, three protrusions 10 are provided, for retaining therein dirt 11 (see FIG. 2).

(15) In the FIGS. 2 and 3 the same cleaning head 1 in the use mode has been shown, however wherein the stalk 5 has not been shown. Upon rotation of the stalk 5 said base part 2 will rotate together with the arms 4, for example in the direction A. When the arms 4 abut a corner, an edge or an object, the arms 4 are able to shift with respect to each other in the use mode in a tangential direction by increasing or decreasing angle α. This movement is allowed by the openings 12 between the arms 4.

(16) FIG. 4 shows a cleaning head 1 according to the invention in a water permeable bag 20. De water permeable bag is elastic such that it can compress the arms 4 of the cleaning head 1 against each other. Between the arms 4 cleaning agent 30 is provided, that cannot escape between the arms 4, such that the arms 4 can be cleaned well.

(17) FIGS. 5 and 7 show a bucket 50 with a bottom 51 and an upright peripheral wall 52. In the bucket 50 a wring chamber (or squeeze chamber) 53 has been provided, being provided with a tube 54 in the middle thereof. A pump 55 is connected to the space between the elastic inner wall 56 and the more rigid outer wall 57 of the squeeze chamber 53 by means of a hose (not shown) (see FIG. 7) so as to push the arms 4 of the cleaning head 1 against the tube 54 when it is positioned in the squeeze chamber 53. In the bottom 58 and the tube 54 openings 59 are provided, which are in connection with the main reservoir of the bucket 50.

(18) In FIG. 6 an alternative embodiment 60 of the cleaning head of FIG. 1 is shown. The stalk 61 is provided with a pull handle 62, that by means of a wire 63 is in connection with the arms 64 via node 65. Upon operation of the pull handle 62 the arms 64 are pulled towards each other.

(19) FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of an extrusion chamber that can be placed in a bucket, wherein the extrusion chamber, also identified as “press chamber” or “squeeze chamber” has no bottom and along its circumference in the outer wall is provided with an opening 81 opposite a movable squeeze wall 82. Via this opening 81 the stalk of the cleaning head can be inserted into the squeeze chamber of the extrusion chamber. During use, the cleaning head is positioned below the extrusion chamber, as is visible in this figure. A valve 87, for example a thin flexible plate 87 with spring memory (or sheets as leaf springs) which is connected to the outer wall directly behind the opening 81, operates as a closable cover that immediately returns to its position against the outer wall as soon as the stalk is brought into the extrusion chamber. Subsequently, the stalk can be moved upwardly and at least partially out of the extrusion chamber, such that the user can place the cleaning head via the lower side of the squeeze chamber in a position between the outer wall and the movable squeeze wall. By translating the squeeze wall into the direction of the outer wall with the opening, the liquid is squeezed out of the cleaning head. Plate 87 retains all wires and strips of the cleaning head inside the squeeze chamber. An inflatable air chamber 83 may for example be provided between the circumferential wall 86 and the movable squeeze wall 82. By pushing air into the air chamber 83, the movable press wall 82 (or squeeze wall) will push the cleaning head against the rigid wall 85. Moisture falls back into the bucket through openings 84.

(20) Such opening 81 with this embodiment is also possible applicable in other kinds of presses and squeezers for other cleaning heads than the cleaning head according to the invention.

(21) FIG. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of a cleaning head according to the invention. In the use position as shown in this figure, the arms 97 are positioned against the surface to be cleaned and are all in a plane that is characterized by said surface. The textile material, rubber or other material that is known in the art for cleaning floors, windows, walls, other solid surfaces and sanitary products (herein also identified as “wires”, “strips” and the like) is positioned between the arms and the surface to be cleaned. The textile has a circular shape wherein the circumferential wall can be moved somewhat towards a position in between the free ends of the arms towards said base part due to the flexibility of the textile material.

(22) The flexible arms 97 are flexible in all directions. The material 98 that is connected to the arms 97, in in a plane in the shape of for example a star, a flower or a circle.

(23) By means of the ate least one flexible arm of the present cleaning head that advantage s obtained that the cleaning head can be moved easily along corners, edges or along objects like tables or chairs on a surface to be cleaned. It is also possible to reach multiple corners at the same time. Due to the arms according to the invention one can direct the wires or threads in the cleaning head according to the invention more easily towards the surface to be cleaned. In many cases, two adjacent arms will spread, but it is also possible that multiple arms will concentrate. The displacement of the free end or the arms may, for example, take place by a pivotal movement of the arms or deformation of the arms.

(24) Due to the arms according to the invention the threads or strips will not overlay each other unnecessary. As a result, an increase of the surface that is cleaned will be more than 60%, compared with a regular cleaning head. The cleaning head according to the invention retains its shape when performing a cleaning action with the consequence that the contact surface of the cleaning head according to the invention in de use mode is at least twice as large as known cleaning heads, despite the use of similar threads, strips, fabric or strips, its shape or its weight.

(25) The surface to be cleaned is increased with every movement. As a result, one can clean a surface twice as fast and more easily than when using other kinds of cleaning heads without the arms 97 according to the invention.

(26) The arms 97 may, together with the fabric or other material coupled thereto, like the threads, strips, rubber and the like, in the starting position stand on a surface. Such is possible since the flexible arms 97 will push the base part away from the surface in its starting position (i.e. upwardly) and then allow for sufficient space such that air may reach the damp material easily and efficiently and thus allow the material to dry. The cleaning head with the fabric cleaning material coupled thereto, thus can easily dry which prevents bacterial growth and stench in the cleaning head.

(27) Because of the added functionality of the flexible arms 97 in this embodiment of the cleaning head according to the invention the threads strips and the like will not be positioned unduly on top of each other which allows one to easily remove the dirt therefrom. This is advantageous in relation to other cleaning heads comprising threads, strips and the like, and is obtained by means of the arms 97.

(28) FIG. 10 shows an alternative embodiment of a squeezing apparatus that can be placed in a bucket. The squeezing apparatus has an extrusion chamber with an outer wall and a squeeze plate 82 that can be displaced towards a squeezing part of the outer wall within the extrusion chamber. The outer wall has an upper edge at a position directed away from the bottom of the bucket. In the outer wall of the extrusion chamber an opening or recess is provided at at least part of the height of the outer wall, from the upper edge towards the bottom of the bucket, for allowing one to bring the cleaning head into the extrusion chamber through this opening or recess.

(29) As shown in the figure, the opening is provided at the side of the squeezing part of the outer wall such that the stalk and thus the cleaning head immediately enters the squeezing chamber.

(30) As can be seen in the figure, a valve is provided that covers the opening in the extrusion chamber and that in a first position abuts an inside of the outer wall. This valve releases the opening when bringing the cleaning head into the extrusion chamber in a release position and returns to the first position after bringing the cleaning head into the extrusion chamber such that it covers the opening.

(31) FIGS. 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 show alternative embodiments of the cleaning head according to the invention, wherein one or more arms 97 are coupled to a base part and that for example are suitable for cleaning sanitary and other spaces and objects.

(32) FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 show a special alternative embodiment of the cleaning head according to the invention. Herein, the arms 97 are embodied in duplicate, wherein a first end thereof is coupled to said base part and the free ends of two adjacent arms 97 are mutually coupled. Due to this construction, a somewhat more sturdy arm is obtained than when the arm 97 is embodied singly, for example as shown in FIGS. 11-15. Similarly, the arms 97 can be seen as a single arm, the ends of which are coupled to said base part. However, within the context of the present invention, two arms are on the one hand each provided with a first end connected to the base part and on the other hand another end connected to each other (i.e. mutually connected).

(33) The shape of the cleaning head according to the invention and the fabric or the like as a material that removes dirt from the surface to be cleaned, is also applicable in other kinds of cleaning heads without or with flexible arms. The cleaning fabric according to the invention thus can be used in combination with every other cleaning head that has substantially rigid arms so as to reach multiple corners at the same time with a smooth and harmonious movement for removing dirt and dust better and easily and to send it to a desired place during cleaning. For example, this shape of arms in a cleaning head may be the shape of a star, a flower, a propeller, a character S, a character X or the shape of a plus-sign (+); examples hereof are shown in FIGS. 1, 13, 15 and 16. Other shapes of cleaning heads and fabrics, especially with openings or recesses directed towards said base part are possible for realizing an improved cleaning result.