JP7638800B2 - Cleaning tools - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cleaning tool that allows the cleaning sheet to be easily attached and detached.

Mop-shaped cleaning tools with sheet material such as nonwoven cleaning fabric or dustcloth attached to the bottom are widely used. Patent Document 1 discloses a one-touch type cleaning tool in which the lid opens when the lid is touched while closed on the lower body, and closes when the lid is pressed again. When the lid is opened, the compression force of the compressed spring separates the outer clamping member to the outside, and the sheet material that was clamped between the inner clamping member and the outer clamping member is released.

In this way, the cleaning tool of Patent Document 1 can replace soiled sheet material as needed, and the soiled sheet material can be discarded without touching it.

JP 2004-344638 A

However, the cleaning tool in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the lid can easily open due to an impact from above, causing the sheet material to come off. In addition, the opening and closing mechanism uses springs and other components inside, which makes it costly to manufacture and difficult to miniaturize.

In addition, when cleaning toilets, etc., there is a demand for easy-to-use, small, maneuverable cleaning tools for cleaning the floor around the toilet bowl.

The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a cleaning tool that has a simple structure, can be made compact, and allows easy attachment and detachment of the cleaning sheet.

The cleaning tool according to the present invention, which is intended to achieve the above object, is characterized by comprising: a rectangular main body having a circular hole on which a handle can be attached at the center of the upper surface; an operating section which is rotatably arranged within the circular hole of the main body and has a drive shaft which protrudes downward at a position offset from the center; a control plate section which is arranged on the underside of the main body and has a drive hole and a guide hole, in which the drive shaft of the operating section fits and which moves in the longitudinal direction relative to the main body section by rotating the operating section; a control plate section which is arranged on the underside of the control plate section and has an upwardly facing operating shaft which fits into the guide hole of the control plate section, and which has first and second movable bottom plates at the lower part along the outer edge, and which moves relatively close and apart in the lateral direction via the guide hole and the operating shaft as the control plate section moves in the longitudinal direction; and a fixed bottom plate which is arranged flush between the first and second movable bottom plates and fixed to the main body section.

The cleaning tool of the present invention allows the cleaning sheet to be easily attached and removed by rotating the operating part with a single touch.

FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cleaning tool in an assembled state. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the state in which the protruding strip of the movable bottom plate is inserted into the insertion groove of the movable plate. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the mechanism when the moving plate portion is closed by the control plate portion. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the mechanism when the movable plate portion is opened by the control plate portion. FIG. 2A is a bottom view of the bottom plate portion in a closed state, and FIG. FIG. 2A is a bottom view of the bottom plate portion in an open state, and FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a state before the cleaning sheet is sandwiched by the bottom plate portion. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which a cleaning sheet is sandwiched by the bottom plate portion. FIG.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the cleaning tool 1, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cleaning tool 1 in an assembled state.

The main body 2 is a rectangular plate-like body, and on its upper surface, a handle connecting portion 2a that connects the handle portion 3 and a circular hole portion 2b into which the operating portion 4 fits are formed. A control plate portion 5 is disposed on the underside of the main body 2, and a plurality of long holes are provided in the control plate portion 5. A movable plate portion 6 is disposed on the underside of the control plate portion 5, and the movable plate portion 6 is made up of first and second movable plates 6a, 6b. In addition, a bottom plate portion 7 is disposed on the underside of the movable plate portion 6, and the bottom plate portion 7 is made up of a fixed bottom plate 7a and a pair of first and second movable bottom plates 7b, 7c. The main body 2, control plate portion 5, movable plate portion 6, and bottom plate portion 7 are stacked in order from the top.

In the main body 2 made of synthetic resin material, the intermediate joint 3a interposed between the main body 2 and the handle 3 is connected to the bearing 2c of the handle connecting part 2a so as to be rotatable in the longitudinal direction of the main body 2, and the other end of the intermediate joint 3a is connected to the handle 3 so as to be rotatable in the transverse direction of the main body 2 via a pin shaft 3b. In addition, triangular marks 2d and 2e are provided at two positions around the circular hole 2b, spaced 90 degrees apart in the transverse and longitudinal directions, to which the operating part 4 (described later) is aligned for positioning purposes.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the main body 2. A central axis 2f protrudes downward from the center of the back surface of the main body 2. In addition, two cylindrical insertion portions 2g for fixing the fixed bottom plate 7a of the bottom plate portion 7 are provided at each end of the longitudinal direction of the back surface of the main body 2, and two restriction plates 2h for restricting the longitudinal movement of the first and second movable bottom plates 7b, 7c are provided at each end of the back surface. Furthermore, a pair of arc portions 2i facing inward are formed on both short sides in the center of the back surface, and four pressing pieces 2j are provided on each of the longitudinal sides of the back surface.

The operating unit 4 is a dial-shaped disk made of synthetic resin that fits into the circular hole 2b of the main body 2, and has a knob 4a on its surface for rotating the operating unit 4, with a mark 4b on the knob 4a indicating its direction. In addition, a flange 4c larger than the diameter of the circular hole 2b is provided at the bottom of the operating unit 4, and a drive shaft 4d protrudes downward from the back surface of the operating unit 4, and this drive shaft 4d is located on a part of the periphery of the operating unit 4 that is eccentric from the center of the operating unit 4.

The control plate 5, made of synthetic resin and placed on the underside of the main body 2, has a longitudinal hole 5a through which the central axis 2f of the main body 2 is inserted, a longitudinal drive hole 5b through which the drive shaft 4d of the operating unit 4 is inserted and which is slightly inclined longitudinally and lies along the short side, and a pair of oblique first and second guide holes 5c, 5d through which at least two operating shafts protruding upward from the moving plate 6 are inserted.

Furthermore, on both sides of the short side of the control plate 5, there are spring parts 5e bent like strips for contacting the arc parts 2i of the main body 2. The back side of this control plate 5 is flat, but on the top side, the long hole 5a, the drive hole 5b, and the first and second guide holes 5c and 5d are thickened for reinforcement.

The movable plate section 6 is made of a first and a second movable plate 6a, 6b made of a synthetic resin material. The first movable plate 6a and the second movable plate 6b are divided into two on both sides along the longitudinal direction, and are movable relatively in the lateral direction. They are assembled so that they can move relative to each other in the lateral direction by means of the insertion piece 6c and the receiving groove 6d provided on each plate. The first and second movable plates 6a, 6b each have two first and second operating shafts 6e, 6f protruding upward from the upper surface thereof. The first operating shaft 6e of the first movable plate 6a is fitted into the first guide hole 5c of the control plate section 5, and the second operating shaft 6f of the second movable plate 6b is fitted into the second guide hole 5d of the control plate section 5.

Furthermore, four escape grooves 6g are provided on the outer edges of the upper surfaces of the first and second moving plates 6a and 6b, facing the pressing pieces 2j of the main body 2. The escape grooves 6g are oriented in the short direction and are inclined so that they are deeper on the side. Furthermore, on the back surfaces of the first and second moving plates 6a and 6b, insertion grooves 6h into which the protruding strips provided on the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c are inserted are formed along the side.

The bottom plate 7 is an elastic, molded rubber product with a roughened bottom surface formed by notches, etc., and is composed of a rectangular fixed bottom plate 7a that occupies a large area in the center, and a pair of narrow first and second movable bottom plates 7b, 7c arranged on both sides of the fixed bottom plate 7a. A receiving hole 7d into which the central axis 2f of the main body 2 is inserted is provided in the center of the fixed bottom plate 7a, and two cylindrical portions 7e are provided on each end of the fixed bottom plate 7a to fit into the insertion portion 2g of the main body 2. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, a convex strip 7f is formed on one side of the upper side of the first and second movable bottom plates 7b, 7c along the longitudinal direction for insertion into the insertion groove 6h provided along one side of the first and second movable plates 6a, 6b.

When assembling this cleaning tool 1, first turn the main body 2 upside down and fit the knob 4a of the operating part 4 into the circular hole 2b with the knob 4a facing downward. The operating part 4 is formed with a flange 4c, so the operating part 4 can rotate freely within the circular hole 2b but cannot slip out of the circular hole 2b to the front side of the main body 2.

This assembly procedure can also be done by placing the bottom plate 7 on the bottom and then sequentially placing the movable plate 6 and other parts on top of it, but for ease of explanation, we will explain the procedure for stacking the main body 2 on the bottom.

Next, the control plate 5 is placed on the back side of the main body 2. At this time, the central axis 2f of the main body 2 is inserted into the long hole 5a of the control plate 5, and the drive shaft 4d of the operation unit 4 is inserted into the drive hole 5b of the control plate 5. Since the drive shaft 4d is eccentric from the center of the operation unit 4, when the operation unit 4 is rotated, the control plate 5 moves in the longitudinal direction. However, at this time, the insertion of the central axis 2f into the long hole 5a restricts the control plate 5 from moving in the lateral direction via the drive hole 5b.

Then, the first and second moving plates 6a and 6b of the moving plate section 6 are placed on the back surface of the control plate section 5. The first moving plate 6a is placed on one side of the control plate section 5, and the two first operating shafts 6e are fitted into the first guide holes 5c of the control plate section 5. The second moving plate 6b is placed on the other side of the control plate section 5, and the two second operating shafts 6f are fitted into the second guide holes 5d of the control plate section 5.

By stacking the first and second moving plates 6a and 6b on this control plate section 5, when the control plate section 5 moves in the longitudinal direction via the drive shaft 4d and drive hole 5b by rotating the operating section 4, the first and second moving plates 6a and 6b, which had been spaced apart as shown in Figure 5, are guided to the first and second guide holes 5c and 5d arranged diagonally via the first and second operating shafts 6e and 6f, and move so that the space between them widens as shown in Figure 6. At this time, the movement of the first and second moving plates 6a and 6b in the longitudinal direction is restricted by the restricting plate 2h provided on the back surface of the main body section 2, and they move only in the lateral direction.

In this way, by rotating the operating unit 4 90 degrees in one direction from the state in FIG. 5 in which the first and second moving plates 6a, 6b are close to each other, the first and second moving plates 6a, 6b can be moved away from each other as shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the operating unit 4 can be rotated accurately by aligning the mark 4b with the marks 2d, 2e.

Next, the tip of the central axis 2f of the main body 2 is fitted into the receiving hole 7d of the fixed bottom plate 7a, and the cylindrical portions 7e provided on both longitudinal end faces of the fixed bottom plate 7a are fitted into the insertion portions 2g of the main body 2, so that the fixed bottom plate 7a is fixed to the main body 2 with the control plate portion 5 and the movable plate portion 6 sandwiched between them. The convex strips 7f of the first and second movable bottom plates 7b, 7c are fitted into the insertion grooves 6h of the first and second movable plates 6a, 6b, respectively, and fixed. The fixed bottom plate 7a is fixed to the main body 2, and the first and second movable bottom plates 7b, 7c are fixed to the first and second movable plates 6a, 6b by fitting them together using the elasticity of the bottom plate portion 7 itself, which is an elastic material.

In this embodiment, the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c, which are separate members, are fixed to the first and second moving plates 6a and 6b. However, the first moving plate 6a and the first movable bottom plate 7b can be integrated with the same material or integrated by insert molding. The same applies to the second moving plate 6b and the second movable bottom plate 7c. In this case, it is sufficient to attach a protrusion corresponding to the shape of the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c to the lower part of the first and second moving plates 6a and 6b.

Figures 7 and 8 show (a) a bottom view and (b) a side view of the bottom plate portion 7, which correspond to the operations of the fixed bottom plate 7a and the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c of the bottom plate portion 7 in Figures 5 and 6. In Figure 7, the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c are located close to both sides of the fixed bottom plate 7a, but by operating the operating unit 4, as shown in Figure 8, the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c, which move together with the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c, are relatively separated from the fixed bottom plate 7a, increasing the distance from the fixed bottom plate 7a. In other words, the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c are moved toward and away from the fixed bottom plate 7a by rotating the operating unit 4.

When the first and second movable bottom plates 7b, 7c on both sides are close to the fixed bottom plate 7a as shown in FIG. 7, the pressing piece 2j of the main body 2 enters the escape groove 6g of the first and second moving plates 6a, 6b, so that the bottom surfaces of the first and second movable bottom plates 7b, 7c on both sides are almost flush with the fixed bottom plate 7a.

However, in the open state shown in FIG. 8, the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c are pressed slightly downward by the pressure of the pressing piece 2j, by about 1 mm, which is the height of the pressing piece 2j, relative to the fixed bottom plate 7a.

When the operating part 4 is rotated to use this cleaning tool 1, the user can feel a click from the operating part 4, which is generated by the arc part 2i of the main body 2 and the spring part 5e of the control plate part 5, letting the user know that the operating part 4 has been rotated to the required position. In addition, the arc part 2i is stored in one of the gaps on either side of the spring part 5e by the biasing force of the spring part 5e in response to the rotation of the operating part 4, so the control plate part 5 does not stop in an intermediate position.

The cleaning sheet C, which is made of, for example, nonwoven fabric, is attached to the bottom plate portion 7 before use. In other words, the cleaning sheet C is placed on the floor, and the bottom plate portion 7, which has the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c spread apart, is pressed against it as shown in FIG. 9.

The bottom surfaces of the fixed bottom plate 7a and the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c, which are flush with each other, are roughened, so that when the operating unit 4 is rotated, the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c narrow the gap between them, and the portion of the cleaning sheet C pressed against the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c moves toward the fixed bottom plate 7a, following the movement of the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c. In this case, the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c are positioned slightly lower than the fixed bottom plate 7a, so that they press strongly against the cleaning sheet C, digging into it and allowing it to be moved easily.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, the cleaning sheet C wrinkles at two locations between the fixed bottom plate 7a and the first and second movable bottom plates 7b, 7c, and is moved by the first and second movable bottom plates 7b, 7c and sandwiched between the fixed bottom plate 7a, so that the cleaning sheet C covers the surfaces of the fixed bottom plate 7a and the first and second movable bottom plates 7b, 7c.

By holding the handle 3 and moving the cleaning sheet C attached to the main body 2 over the floor surface, the floor surface can be cleaned with the cleaning sheet C. In this case, the bottom plate 7 is made of an elastic material and has a rough bottom surface, so that even when the cleaning sheet C is moved over the floor surface, the cleaning sheet C adheres closely to the bottom plate 7, making cleaning easy.

When cleaning is completed and the cleaning sheet C can be removed from the bottom plate portion 7, the operating part 4 is rotated to separate the first and second movable bottom plates 7b and 7c of the bottom plate portion 7 from the fixed bottom plate 7a, whereby the cleaning sheet C that had been clamped until then is released and falls off naturally.

As described above, the cleaning tool 1 according to the present invention is compact, particularly in that it is flattened in the thickness direction, making it easy to use in tight spaces, and the cleaning sheet C can be easily attached and detached by rotating the operating part 4 with a single touch.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 cleaning tool 2 main body 2b circular hole 2j pressing piece 3 handle 4 operating part 4a knob 4d drive shaft 5 control plate 5b drive hole 5c, 5d guide hole 6 moving plate 6a, 6b moving plate 6e, 6f operating shaft 6g relief groove 7 bottom plate 7a fixed bottom plate 7b, 7c movable bottom plate C cleaning sheet

Claims (9)

A rectangular main body having a circular hole at the center of an upper surface thereof to which a handle can be attached;
an operating unit that is rotatably disposed within the circular hole of the main body and has a drive shaft that protrudes downward from a position offset from the center;
a control plate portion disposed on a lower surface side of the main body portion, the control plate portion having a drive hole and a guide hole, the drive shaft of the operation portion being fitted into the drive hole, and the control plate portion being moved in a longitudinal direction relative to the main body portion by a rotational operation of the operation portion;
a pair of first and second movable plates disposed on the underside of the control plate portion, the pair having an upwardly facing operating shaft that fits into a guide hole in the control plate portion, the pair having first and second movable bottom plates disposed on lower portions along the outer edges, the pair of first and second movable plates that move relatively close to and away from each other in the short direction via the guide hole and the operating shaft as the control plate portion moves in the long direction;
a fixed bottom plate disposed flush between said first and second movable bottom plates and fixed to said main body portion. The cleaning tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive hole of the control plate portion is a long hole that is inclined slightly in the longitudinal direction of the first and second moving plates and runs along the short side direction, and the guide hole is a long hole that runs along an oblique direction. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fixed bottom plate is made of an elastic material, and the first and second movable bottom plates are made of elastic materials fixed to the first and second moving plates, respectively. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first and second movable bottom plates are integrally formed with the first and second moving plates, respectively. A pressing piece is provided on each of both sides along the longitudinal direction of the back surface of the main body,
The first and second moving plates each have an inclined relief groove at an outer edge of the upper surface thereof, the relief groove being deeper at the edge.
5. The cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the pressing piece is inserted into the relief groove when the first and second movable bottom plates are close to each other. The cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the fixed bottom plate and the first and second movable bottom plates have rough bottom surfaces. The cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first and second movable bottom plates are moved away from the fixed bottom plate by rotating the operating part in one direction, and the first and second movable bottom plates are moved closer to the fixed bottom plate by rotating the operating part in the other direction. The cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a cleaning sheet placed on a floor surface is placed directly below the fixed bottom plate and the first and second movable bottom plates, and the first and second movable bottom plates approach the fixed bottom plate by rotating the operating part, thereby sandwiching the cleaning sheet. The cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a pair of arc sections facing inward are provided on both short sides of the center of the back surface of the main body, a spring section bent like a strip is provided on both short sides of the center of the control plate with which the arc sections abut, and the arc sections are stored in one of the gaps on both sides of the spring section by the biasing force of the spring section in response to the rotation of the operating section.

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