US3380767A - Flop mop - Google Patents

Description

E. N. BARTH April 30, 1968 FLOP MOP Filed June 1. 1966 INVENTOR.

EVERETT N. BARTH ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,380,767 FLOP MOP Everett N. Barth, 550 Burnside Ave., East Hartford, Conn. 06108 Filed June 1, 1966, Ser. No. 554,520 1 Claim. (Cl. 287-99) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cleaning implement having a handle of two sections joined together by a sleeve. The sleeve is fixedly secured to one section of the handle, and the other section of the handle is pivotally connected to the sleeve and can be pivoted into or out of engagement with a C-shaped clamp section of the sleeve.

This invention relates to household implements. More particularly, this invention relates to a cleaning instrument which enables the user to clean areas otherwise accessible only by contorting his or her body into an uncomfortable position. Accordingly, the general objects of this invention are to provide new and useful articles of such character.

There has lOng been a need for cleaning instruments which could be used to remove dust, dirt and debris from beneath object such as furniture. At the present time, when it is desired to clean under such objects, and particularly where there is but small clearance between the bottom of the object and the floor, it is necessary that the user of prior art cleaning implements assume a kneeling or sitting position on the floor. These contortions of the body are necessitated by the fact that, whether the cleaning instrument be a mop, broom, or vacuum cleaner; in order to enable the user to be comfortable in performing the greatest percentage of the work for which the implement is intended; the implement must have a rigid handle of sufficient length so that it may be employed with the user standing in an upright position. Thus, in order to work the entire area under an object, it becomes necessary that the user either bend over to an uncomfortable position or actually sit or lie upon the floor.

The aforementioned standard, long, rigid handles precipitate another undesirable result. When it is desired to clean under furniture and other objects, the prior art handle defines the hypotenuse of a triangle having as its legs the users body and that region of the surface being cleaned lying between the users feet and the working end of the implement. The clearance between the surface being cleaned and the bottom of the object under which it is desired to work and also the height of the user (angle the handle makes with the floor) determine how far under the object the business end of the implement can be inserted before the handle strikes and possibly mars the object. Such marring is, of course, undesirable.

This invention overcomes the above-described disadvantage of the prior art by providing a novel cleaning implement which can be used either in the conventional manner or which, with the user remaining in an upright position, can be inserted under objects.

The objects of this invention are accomplished by providing a conventional cleaning implement, such as a dry mop, with an elongated handle consisting of two sections. These two sections are joined together by a sleeve of material having some resiliency. The sleeve surrounds and is securely fastened to one of the sections while the other of said sections is afiixed to the sleeve via a pivot. A longitudinal portion of the sleeve adjacent to the pivotally attached handle section is partially cut away to provide a substantially C-shaped clamping member. In part due to the resiliency of the sleeve material, the pivotally attached handle section may be snapped into and of the sleeve ice as desired thus providing either a rigid elongated handle or, at the option of the user, an articulated handle.

This invention may be better understood and it various advantages become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numeral refer to like elements in the various figures and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view of a first embodiment of the present invention in a first operative position.

FIGURE 2 is a view of the embodiment of FIGURE 1 in a second operative position.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of the sleeve and region surrounding the joint in the handle of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view of the apparatus of FIGURE 2 showing the handle of the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in the second operative position.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a conventional dry mop is shown at 10. Mop 10 i releasably held in a frame 12 so that it may be removed for laundering. Frame 12 has a handle bracket 14 of conventional design to which an elongated handle may be attached. The sole requirement placed on bracket 14 and its method of aifixation to the handle is that the handle be rotatable with respect to the bracket so that motion may be imparted to mop 10 regardless of which side of the handle is facing upwardly.

The handle of the implement of the present invention comprises two sections, 16 and 18, which are joined together by a sleeve shown generally at 20. Handle sections 16 and 18 may be comprised of either wood or lightweight metal and, if metal, may be either solid or tubular. It is to be understood that while handle section 16 is shown as having a hole therethrough for engagement with bracket 14, there are many alternative methods of attaching the handle to the mop frame. It should also be noted that in the embodiment being disclosed sleeve 20 is shown as permanently affixed to handle section 16 while handle section 18 may be moved into and out of engagement with sleeve 20. Obviously, if desired, this relationship may be reversed.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, sleeve 20 may be comprised of any material having sufficient resiliency to withstand the latching action to be described below. While sleeve 20 could be comprised of metal, it is preferably comprised of a suitable plastic material such as molded linear polyethylene. The sleeve has two sections 22 and 24. Sleeve section 22 is of tubular cross section and, in the embodiment being described, is securely fixed to handle section 16 by a pair of rivets 2626. Obviously, any other suitable means may be used for aflixing sleeve section 22 to handle section 16 adjacent the end thereof disposed away from mop 10.

Sleeve section 24 is, in cross section, C-shaped. Thus, with handle section 18 in the position shown in FIG- URES 1 and 3, sleeve section 24 extends more than half way around handle section 18. Handle section 18 is afiixed to sleeve section 24 by means of a single pin or rivet 28 which passes through both the sleeve and handle section adjacent the end of handle section 18 as shown. It is to be noted that sufficient clearance must be left between adjacent ends of handle sections 16 and 18 to permit pivoting of handle section 18 and that the end of handle section 18 within the sleeve is preferably rounded.

In use, when cleaning in an area unobstructed by furniture or other objects, the handle of the present invention is placed in the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 3. In this position, C-shaped sleeve section 24 is on the top of the elongated handle defined by aligned handle sections 16 and 18. That is, for most operations handle section 18 is snapped or latched into sleeve section 24 and the sleeve provides support for the handle; a rigid elongated handle thus resulting. When it is desired to clean rbenea-th an object such as desk 30 shown in FIGURE 2, the handle is inverted by rotating about bracket 14 so as to place the open part of C-shaped sleeve section 24 on top of the handle. Handle section 18 is then snapped out of the sleeve, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, and pivoted about pin 28. The user may thus clean beneath an object such as desk 30, while in an upright position, merely by snapping handle 18 out of C-shaped resilient sleeve section 24. Depending on the height of the user and the depth of the object under which it is desired to clean, the angle between handle sections 16 and 18 in the second operative position may vary from a few degrees to 90.

While a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made wtihout departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that this invention has been described by way of illustration rather than limitation.

What is claimed is:

1. A pivotable handle comprising:

first and second elongated handle sections of substantially circular cross-section;

resilient means for joining said handle sections in end to end relationship with a first end of one of said handle sections being located adjacent to a first end of the other of said handle sections, said resilient joining means comprising a plastic member which includes,

a first tubular section having an inner diameter 4V corresponding approximately to the outer diameter of said first handle section, said first tubular section encasing said first end of said first handle section and being affixed thereto, and a second section of arcuate cross-section, the inner diameter of said second section of said plastic member corresponding approximately to the outer diameter of said other of said handle sections, said second section of said plastic member releasably engaging said other of said handle sections to form a normally rigid elongated handle; and means for pivotally connecting said other of said handle sections to said second section of said plastic member whereby said first and second handle sections are articulated when said other of said handle sections is released from said second section of said plastic member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,772,096 8/1930 Diamond 28799 2,276,746 3/ 1942 Steele 294-5 3.5 XR 2,286,655 6/ 1942 Su-pnick. 2,631,316 3/1953 Heller 15-203 XR 2,775,779 1/1957 Nelson 15144 2,818,291 12/1957 Corns 15144 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 560,180 9/ 1957 Belgium.

DANIEL BLUM, Pn'mary Examiner.

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