JP7802974B2 - Floor cleaning tools - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a floor cleaning tool that can collect dust and dirt from floor surfaces and wipe away dirt that has adhered to the floor surface.

Patent Document 1 discloses a wiping tool. This wiping tool consists of a gripping member and a cleaning head connected to this gripping member. Holding means are provided at the four corners of the cleaning head, and each holding means is made of a flexible and elastic synthetic resin and is composed of a roughly rectangular top plate and a peripheral wall that rises from slightly inward from the periphery of the top plate.

When the holding means is attached to the cleaning head, the top plate is formed with a holding slit that extends in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head, and first and second opening slits that are connected to this holding slit.

The wiping sheet can be held by the cleaning head by pushing part of the wiping sheet into the holding slit with a finger. Because the holding slit has first and second opening slits connected to it, the sawtooth and straight portions can be easily deformed in the pushing direction to push the wiping sheet into the holding slit.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-056653

However, with the holding means of Patent Document 1, even if the wiping sheet of the wiping tool is rubbed against the floor surface during cleaning, it is not possible to scrape off the deposits stuck to the floor surface.

The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a floor cleaning tool that can be used alone without attaching a cleaning part to the mounting part, and that can remove deposits that have stuck to the floor surface.

In order to achieve the above object, the floor cleaning tool of the present invention is a floor cleaning tool consisting of a shaped handle portion, a rectangular mounting portion fixed to the tip of the handle portion, and a cleaning portion that can be attached to the back surface of the mounting portion and is removable, the cleaning portion has a main body portion made of soft resin, and a large number of fiber bundles made of a plurality of fiber bristles are arranged approximately evenly over the entire back surface of the main body portion, and a blade portion made of elastic material is formed along the edge of the mounting portion, and when the cleaning portion is attached to the back surface of the mounting portion so that the center of the mounting portion including the blade portion overlaps with the center of the cleaning portion, the mounting portion including the blade portion does not protrude from the cleaning portion and is positioned above the cleaning portion, and when the cleaning portion is attached to the back surface of the mounting portion and the back surface of the cleaning portion is placed on a horizontal floor surface, the edge of the blade portion forms an acute angle facing outward in the horizontal direction .

The floor cleaning tool of the present invention can be used alone without attaching the cleaning part to the mounting part, and can scrape away deposits stuck to the floor surface with the blade part.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a floor cleaning tool according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which the floor cleaning tool is placed on the cleaning sheet. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the floor cleaning tool with the cleaning sheet attached. This is a cross-sectional view of C-C' in Figure 3. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a floor cleaning tool according to a second embodiment.

The present invention will now be described in detail based on the illustrated embodiments.

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the floor cleaning tool of Example 1. The assembled floor cleaning tool measures, for example, approximately 18 cm wide, 10 cm long, and 8 cm high, and can be held in one hand. The size of the floor cleaning tool can be selected as appropriate, as long as it can be held in one hand.

The floor cleaning tool consists of a gripping part 1, a plate-shaped mounting part 2 fixed to the tip 1a of the gripping part 1, and a cleaning part 3 of the same shape attached to the back surface of the mounting part 2.

The gripping portion 1 is U-shaped when viewed from the side, and the part that is gripped with one hand is approximately parallel to the surface 2a of the mounting portion 2. Furthermore, both ends 1a of the gripping portion 1 are connected to the mounting portion 2, but it may also be configured so that only one end is connected.

The surface 2a of the rectangular mounting part 2, made of hard resin, is formed with square through-holes 2b, each large enough to accommodate a number of pairs of fingers (two pairs in the illustration, for a total of four fingers). A hook-and-loop fastener is formed on the back surface 2c of the mounting part 2, and a hook engagement surface (not shown) is provided across the entire surface.

The cleaning unit 3 is a rectangular parallelepiped with a predetermined thickness, for example, about 2 cm, and has a main body 3a made of a soft resin such as foamed resin. The surface of this main body 3a is provided with an engaged surface 3b that forms a hook-and-loop fastener and engages with the hook engaging surface of the mounting unit 2.

The surface engagement between the hook engagement surface on the back surface 2c of the mounting part 2 and the engaged surface 3b on the front surface of the cleaning part 3 can be achieved using a suitable interlocking material such as double-sided tape, in addition to a hook-and-loop fastener. Furthermore, adhesives can be used to secure the mounting part 2 and cleaning part 3 together so that they cannot be removed.

In addition, the main body 3a of the cleaning unit 3 has a linear notch 3c at a location that is positioned within the through-hole 2b of the mounting unit 2 when the cleaning unit 3 is attached to the underside of the mounting unit 2.

As shown in Figure 1, two pairs of linear cutouts 3c are provided along the longitudinal direction of the cleaning part 3, but other suitable linear cutouts, such as a cross shape, may also be used. Furthermore, the depth of the cutouts 3c may extend all the way through the cleaning part 3, or may be any suitable depth from the engaging surface 3b.

Across the entire back surface 3d of the main body 3a, numerous fiber bundles 3f, each consisting of multiple bundles of fiber bristles 3e made of a hard resin such as nylon, are arranged in a substantially uniform pattern, as shown in the enlarged view of the cleaning part 3 shown in the circle.

The fiber bristles 3e that make up these equally spaced fiber bundles 3f are spread out toward the tip in at least one direction A that aligns with the direction in which the grip portion 1 primarily slides, and in another direction B that is opposite to direction A and also aligns with the direction in which the grip portion 1 primarily slides.

When the handle 1 is held with one hand, the main sliding directions are direction A and direction B along the longitudinal direction of the cleaning part 3, as shown by the arrows, and therefore the fiber bristles 3e are arranged to extend in at least one direction A and the other direction B.

The cleaning sheet 4 attached to the floor cleaner is, for example, a commercially available nonwoven fabric measuring approximately 20 cm wide, 30 cm long, and 0.5 mm thick. A wet cleaning sheet containing a liquid such as alcohol, or a dry cleaning sheet can be selected and attached as appropriate.

When using the floor cleaning tool, first engage the hook engagement surface on the back of the mounting part 2 with the engaged surface 3b on the front of the cleaning part 3. As shown in Figure 2, align and attach the mounting part 2 so that the notched edge 3c is positioned within the through-hole 2b.

Next, place the cleaning part 3 attached to the attachment part 2 approximately in the center of the unfolded cleaning sheet 4, and bring the fiber bundle 3f into contact with the surface 4a of the cleaning sheet 4. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, pass the ends 4b on both longitudinal sides of the cleaning sheet 4 through the through-holes 2b in the attachment part 2 and push them with your fingers into the cut edges 3c of the cleaning part 3.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along C-C' in Figure 3 when the cleaning sheet 4 is pushed in. Because the main body 3a is made of soft resin, the end 4b of the cleaning sheet 4 can be easily pushed into the cutout edges 3c. In this way, by inserting the end 4b of the cleaning sheet 4 into each of the four cutout edges 3c, the cleaning sheet 4 is fixed to the integrated mounting part 2 and cleaning part 3.

Then, by pushing the end 4b of the cleaning sheet 4 into the cut edge 3c, the cleaning sheet 4 is pulled in the longitudinal direction, and the surface 4a of the cleaning sheet 4 is pressed against the fiber bristles 3e.

When the tips of the fiber bristles 3e, which extend in one direction A and the other direction B, are slid in one direction A and the other direction B, which are the main sliding directions of the floor cleaner, they catch on the surface 4a of the cleaning sheet 4, generating a strong frictional force against the cleaning sheet 4. Therefore, the cleaning sheet 4 does not come off from the position where it first comes into contact with the cleaning part 3, and even if the cleaning sheet 4 is rubbed hard against the floor surface during cleaning, the cleaning sheet 4 will not come off the floor cleaner.

In addition, because a strong frictional force is generated between the cleaning part 3 and the cleaning sheet 4, there is no need to hold the wiping sheet tightly with a holding means as in the conventional wiping tools described above. The cleaning sheet 4 is sufficiently fixed in place as long as there is enough holding force to press in the end 4b of the cleaning sheet 4.

In this way, by sliding the floor cleaning tool with the cleaning sheet 4 attached in one direction A and the other direction B and rubbing it against the floor surface, it is possible to collect dust and dirt on the floor surface and wipe away dirt adhering to the floor surface.

After cleaning the floor, remove the cleaning sheet 4, which is covered in dust, dirt, and grime, from the floor cleaner and discard it. If you want to clean the floor again, simply attach a new cleaning sheet 4 to the cleaning unit 3 as described above.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the floor cleaning tool of Example 2, where the same reference numerals as in Example 1 indicate the same components. In Example 1, the part of the grip 1 that is gripped with one hand is approximately parallel to the surface 2a of the attachment part 2, whereas the grip 1' of the floor cleaning tool of Example 2 is a straight rod-like body.

In addition, in the mop-shaped floor cleaning tool shown in Figure 5, the grip portion 1' is attached at an angle to the mounting portion 2. The grip portion 1' may also be attached perpendicular to the mounting portion 2, and furthermore, the tip 1a' of the grip portion 1' may be fixed to the mounting portion 2 via a rotating portion (not shown) that allows the grip portion 1' to be rotated at an appropriate angle.

The removable mounting part 2 is attached to the cleaning part 3 with a hook-and-loop fastener, but can also be used alone without the cleaning part 3 attached. The blade part 2d used in this case is formed along the length of the edge of the mounting part 2, with the edge angled outward. This blade part 2d is made of an elastic material such as silicone, and can scrape away deposits stuck to the floor surface.

The main method of use of the floor cleaning tool of Example 2 is the same as that of the floor cleaning tool of Example 1: attaching the cleaning sheet 4 to the floor cleaning tool before cleaning, and removing and discarding the cleaning sheet after cleaning. The main sliding directions during cleaning are one direction D and the other direction E along the short side of the cleaning part 3, as shown by the arrows, and the fiber bristles 3e are arranged to extend at least in one direction D and the other direction E of the cleaning part 3.

Furthermore, the floor cleaners of Examples 1 and 2 can also be used to clean floor surfaces using the cleaning unit 3 without attaching the cleaning sheet 4. In this case, the bristles 3e on the back surface of the cleaning unit 3 function like a brush, so the bristles 3e can be rubbed directly against the floor surface.

If used without the cleaning sheet 4 attached, the back surface 3d of the cleaning part 3 is washed with water or the like after cleaning. In this case, the cleaning part 3 may be removed from the attachment part 2 and then washed.

In this way, the floor cleaning tool of Example 2 can be used alone without attaching the cleaning part 3 to the mounting part 2, and can scrape off any deposits that have stuck to the floor surface using the blade part 2d.

1, 1' Grip portion 2 Mounting portion 2a Surface 2b Through hole 2c Back surface 2d Blade portion 3 Cleaning portion 3a Main body portion 3b Engaged surface 3c Cut edge 3e Fiber bristles 3f Fiber bundle 4 Cleaning sheet 4a Surface 4b End portion

Claims (7)

A floor cleaning tool comprising a rod-shaped gripping part, a rectangular mounting part fixed to the tip of the gripping part, and a removable cleaning part attached to the back surface of the mounting part,
The cleaning unit has a main body made of soft resin, and a large number of fiber bundles each made of a plurality of fiber bristles are arranged substantially uniformly on the entire back surface of the main body,
A blade portion made of an elastic material is formed along a side portion of the attachment portion,
when the cleaning unit is attached to the rear surface of the attachment unit so that the center of the attachment unit including the blade unit overlaps the center of the cleaning unit, the attachment unit including the blade unit does not protrude from the cleaning unit and is positioned above the cleaning unit,
A floor cleaning tool characterized in that when the cleaning part is attached to the back surface of the mounting part and the back surface of the cleaning part is placed on a horizontal floor surface, the end edge of the blade part forms an acute angle facing outward in the horizontal direction . The floor cleaning tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the gripping portion is attached to the attachment portion at an angle inclined toward the other side opposite the one side on which the blade portion is formed. 3. The floor cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein the blade portion is made of an elastic material. 4. The floor cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning part is surface-engaged with the rear surface of the attachment part via a hook-and-loop fastener. A floor cleaning tool as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the fiber bristles of the fiber bundle extend toward the tip in at least one direction that is aligned with the direction in which the gripping portion is primarily slid, and in another direction that is opposite to the one direction and aligned with the sliding direction. A plurality of pairs of through holes are provided on the surface of the mounting portion,
A floor cleaning tool as described in any one of claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that the main body portion has a linear cut edge at a location that is located within the through hole when the cleaning part is attached to the mounting part. The floor cleaning tool of claim 6, characterized in that the cleaning sheet is fixed to the mounting part and cleaning part by placing the cleaning sheet directly below the cleaning part attached to the mounting part, contacting the bristles with the surface of the cleaning sheet, and then inserting the end of the cleaning sheet through the through-hole and into the cut edge.