Mop Head and a Method of Making the Same

Abstract

A head for a mop is described, the head comprising a plurality of elongate members of absorbent material, wherein the elongate members of absorbent material are bound by a header member, wherein a first portion and a second portion of the header member are fixed to one another, and further wherein a third portion of the header member intermediate the first portion and the second portion loops around the elongate members of absorbent material. A method of manufacturing a mop head and a method of attaching a mop head to a mop are also described.

Claims

1. A head for a mop, said head comprising: a plurality of elongate members of absorbent material, wherein the elongate members of absorbent material are bound by a header member, wherein a first portion and a second portion of said header member are fixed to one another, and further wherein a third portion of said header member intermediate said first portion and said second portion loops around said elongate members of absorbent material.

2. The head for a mop according to claim 1, wherein said third portion of said header member defines a tube.

3. The head for a mop according to claim 1, wherein said header member is inextensible.

4. The head for a mop according to claim 1, wherein said header member comprises plastic.

5. The head for a mop according to claim 1, wherein said header member is formed of a single plastic strip.

6. The head for a mop according to claim 1, wherein said header member has a width of around 30 mm

7. The head for a mop according to claim 1, wherein said header member has a thickness of around 100 microns.

8. The head for a mop according to claim 1, wherein said first portion is fixed to said second portion via an ultrasonic weld.

9. The head for a mop according to claim 8, wherein said ultrasonic weld has a thickness of around 3 mm.

10. The head for a mop according to claim 1, wherein said header member comprises a generally circular cross section.

11. The head for a mop according to claim 1, wherein said first portion is a located at a first end of said header member.

12. The head for a mop according to claim 1, wherein said second portion is a located at a second end of said header member.

13. The head for a mop according to claim 1, wherein said header member is a ring.

14. The head for a mop according to claim 1, wherein said header member loops around the longitudinal axis of the elongate members of absorbent material.

15. The head of any claim 14, wherein said header member bisects the longitudinal axis of the elongate members of absorbent material.

16. The head of claim 15, wherein said header member bisects the longitudinal axis of the elongate members of absorbent material in half.

17. A method of manufacturing a mop head, comprising: providing a plurality of elongate members of absorbent material; looping a header member around the elongate members of absorbent material; and fixing said header member to itself.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of fixing said header member to itself comprises the step of ultrasonically bonding a first portion of said header member to a second portion of said header member.

19. A method of attaching a mop head to a mop, comprising: providing a mop head including a plurality of elongate members of absorbent material, wherein the elongate members of absorbent material are bound by a header member, wherein a first portion and a second portion of said header member are fixed to one another, and further wherein a third portion of said header member intermediate said first portion and said second portion loops around said elongate members of absorbent material; providing a mop with a handle and a mop head retaining member; and inserting the mop head retaining member through the loop defined by the third portion of said header member to retain said mop head on said mop.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of aligning the mop head retaining member such that its longitudinal axis is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the elongate members of absorbent material as they pass through the loop.

Description

FIGURES

[0026] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mop head in accordance with the present invention;

[0028] FIG. 2 is a detailed side-on view of the mop head of FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the header member of the mop head of FIG. 1;

[0030] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method of manufacturing the mop head of FIG. 1; and

[0031] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a method of attaching the mop head of FIG. 1 to a mop.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] FIGS. 1 to 3 depict a mop head 10 in accordance with the present invention. The mop head 10 comprises a plurality of elongate members of absorbent material 20 and a header member 30. In use the mop head 10 retains the elongate members of absorbent material 20 for cleaning surfaces, such as floors, by looping and securing a header member 30 around the elongate members of material 20.

[0033] In this embodiment, the plurality of elongate members of absorbent material 20 are of uniform member length and are arranged side by side in a bundle, such that the header member 30 can be looped around the elongate members of absorbent material 20 as shown, at a pinch point located at a central point along the uniform member length.

[0034] The header member 30 bisects the longitudinal axis of the elongate members of absorbent material 20, at a central point along the member length. The header member 30 is fixed in tension at this pinch point, such that the elongate members of absorbent material 20 are held firmly together.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1, the header member 30 is looped around and bonded to itself, securing the elongate members of absorbent material 20 together.

[0036] The header member 30 comprises a plastic ring with circular cross section. The header member 30 is inextensible, such that it's length does not increase when under tension. The header member 30 sits in tension, binding the elongate members of material 20 tightly together, as shown.

[0037] The tension in the header member 30 is such that a force greater than 5.8N applied longitudinally to an elongate member of material 20 is required for it to pass out from within the header member 30 and be removed from the mop head 10.

[0038] FIG. 2 depicts a side-on view of the mop head 10, detailing further the composition of the header member 30 when bonded.

[0039] The header member 30 comprises three portions. A first portion 40 is located at a first end of the header member 30. A second portion 50 is located at a second end of the header member 30. A third portion 60 is intermediate to the first portion 40 and the second portion 50.

[0040] The first portion 40 and second portion 50 are fixed to one another, with the third portion 60 looping around the elongate members of absorbent material 20. In this embodiment, the first portion 40 and second portion 50 are affixed via an ultrasonic weld. Alternatively, a heat weld or other bonding technique may be used.

[0041] The first portion 40 is fixed to the second portion 50 via an ultrasonic weld. The first portion 40 comprises an overlap tab 70 and an ultrasonic weld width 80. The overlap tab 70 and ultrasonic weld width 80 are adjacent, the ultrasonic weld width 80 sitting between the overlap tab 70 and the third portion 60 of the header member 30.

[0042] The overlap tab 70 and ultrasonic weld width 80 span the width of the header member 30, and have constant length across the span.

[0043] The overlap tab 70 has a length of 8 mm. The ultrasonic weld width 80 has a length of 3 mm.

[0044] The header member 30 has a thickness of 100 microns.

[0045] The third portion 60 of the header member 30 provides a method for attaching the mop head 10 to a mop. The mop head 10 can be removably retained from a mop by inserting a mop head retaining member of a mop handle (not shown) through the loop defined by the third portion 60 of the header member 30 on the mop head 10.

[0046] The alignment of mop head retaining member is such that its longitudinal axis is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the elongate members of absorbent material 20 as they pass through the loop. During use, this alignment is maintained.

[0047] FIG. 3 depicts a plan view of the header member 30 of the mop head 10, wherein the header member has not been fixed to itself.

[0048] The header member 30 is rectangular with constant cross section. The length of the header member 30 is controlled by the dimensions of the plurality of elongate members of absorbent material 20. The width of the header member 30 is 30 mm.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4, the method of manufacturing the mop head 1000 comprises three steps; providing a plurality of elongate members of absorbent material 1010, looping a header member around these elongate members 1020 and fixing the header member to itself 1030.

[0050] The first step 1010 is achieved wherein a plurality of elongate members of absorbent material 20 are provided from an existing automated mop manufacturing machine.

[0051] The second step 1020 is achieved wherein a header member 30 is wrapped around the elongate members of absorbent material 20. The activation of this process is time or sensor controlled. Tension is applied automatically to the header member 30 to bind the plurality of elongate members of absorbent material 20 together. This tension is controlled by adjustable tension settings on the machine.

[0052] Following the second step 1020, the third step 1030 is achieved wherein the first portion 40 and second portion 50 of the header member 30 are ultrasonically welded together.

[0053] This process is repeated to provide an automated method for manufacturing a mop head 1000.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 5, a method of manufacturing a mop head onto a mop comprises three steps 2000; providing a mop head 2010, providing a mop with a mop retaining member 2020 and inserting the mop retaining member through the mop head 2030.

[0055] The first step 2010 is achieved when a mop head 10 is provided.

[0056] The second step 2020 is achieved when a mop with a handle and a mop head retaining member is provided.

[0057] The third step 2030 is achieved wherein a mop head retaining member is inserted through a loop defined by a third portion 60 of the header member 30 to removably retain the mop head 10 on the mop.

[0058] Further to the third step 2030, the mop head retaining member can be aligned such that the longitudinal axis is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the elongate members of absorbent material as they pass through the loop.

[0059] While the present invention has been illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.