GB2314501A - Mop squeezer - Google Patents

Abstract

A pair of squeezer heads are mounted on standoff arms 8,9 from a pivot bar 6 which is rotatably mounted in a plastics shell 5. An operating handle 22 is also pivotally mounted in the shell, the handle being fixed with an arm 32, 33 which rotates the pivot bar 6 via an arm 36, 38 and a link 42, 43. Bracing bars 28, 29 couple the pivotal mountings of the handle 22 and pivot bar 6 to relieve stress in the shall 5. A spring 48 acts on the arm 36, 38 to rotate the squeezer heads away from a squeezing surface provided by the shell 5, but by pulling the handle 22 the heads are urged against the squeezing surface to squeeze a mop or like article therebetween.

Description

SQUEEZERS TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to squeezers for mops and the like.

BACKGROUND When cleaning a floor using a mop or similar wet cleaning implement it is necessary to squeeze excess water from the head of the implement after insertion into the cleaning water. One way of achieving this is to make use of a squeezing device (referred to herein as a "squeezer") into which the head of the implement can be inserted.

The present invention seeks to provide a squeezer which is patentably different from any known form of squeezer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention proposes a squeezer comprising a fixed squeezing surface and a squeezing head assembly including at least one squeezing head which is pivotally mounted for angular movement in co-operation with said squeezing surface to squeeze a mop head or like object therebetween, the squeezer further comprising an operating handle which is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis which is substantially parallel to, but spaced from, the pivot axis of said squeezing head assembly, said operating handle being operably coupled to said squeezing head assembly via a pivoted linkage.

A preferred from of the squeezer comprises a moulded plastics shell to which both the squeezing head assembly and the operating handle are pivotally mounted, said pivotal mountings being mutually coupled by at least one metal bracing member.

The squeezing head assembly preferably comprises a pivot bar which carries the/each squeezing head and is mounted for rotation about its axis, said linkage being pivotally coupled to an operating arm which projects from said bar. The/each squeezing head is preferably mounted from said bar via a standoff arm to which the pivot head is pivotally coupled with limited freedom of movement about an axis which is substantially parallel to the pivot axis of said bar.

The squeezing surface may extend generally horizontally between upright end walls, with said operating handle pivotally mounted on or adjacent to one of said end walls.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a mop squeezer in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the squeezer looking from the right in Fig. 1, shown partially cut-away; Figure 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2 with the end cover removed to show the squeezing mechanism in the squeezing position; Figure 4 is a plan view of the squeezing mechanism; and Figure 5 is a similar view to Fig. 3 but showing the mechanism in its normal position prior to use, with the squeezing heads raised.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring firstly to Figs. 1 and 2, the squeezer includes a moulded plastics shell 1 which incorporates a substantially rectangular and generally horizontal squeezing surface 2 containing an array of holes 3 through which water can pass into a bucket or like receptacle in use. The surface 2 extends between upright hollow end walls 4 and 5, within which is rotatably journalled a pivot bar 6, extending above the rear of the squeezing surface 2. A pair of radial arms 8 and 9 are secured at spaced positions along the bar 6 to extend above the surface 2. The arms 8 and 9 carry respective squeezing heads 10 and 11, each comprising a substantially rectangular and flat plate 12 having a pair of lugs 13 and 14 upstanding from its top surface. The heads 10 and 11 are pivotally secured to the respective arms 8 and 9 for limited freedom of movement by pivot pins 16 inserted through the lugs 13 and 14 and the free ends of the arms. Thus, upon rotation of the bar 6 the heads 10 and 11 are angularly moved towards the surface 2, the pivotal mounting of the heads 10, 11 to the arms 8 and 9 allowing for automatic angular adjustment of the heads to accommodate a mop head or like object interposed between the squeezing heads and the surface.

The mechanism for rotating the bar 6 is shown in Figs 3 to 5. The mechanism is enclosed within the end wall 5 which is formed with a plastics cover 20 (Fig. 2) secured by screws 19 inserted into pillars 21. An operating handle 22 projects from the end wall 5 (see Fig. 1 also), and a flattened end 23 of the handle is secured to a pivot pin 24 by which the handle is pivotally mounted in the end wall 5, forward of the bar 6, to rotate about an axis which is substantially parallel to that of the bar 6. The pin 24 is rotatably inserted through a pair of flat reaction bars 28 and 29 located on opposite sides of the handle, the bar 6 being rotatably inserted through the opposite ends of the reaction bars. The bars 28 and 29 are bridged part-way along their length by a stop 30. The purpose of these bars and the stop 30 will be explained below.

The end 23 of the handle continues on the opposite side of the pivot pin 24 to form a first pair of plate-like spaced parallel arms 32, 33 which are angled slightly to the rear relative to the length of the handle 22. The end of the bar 6 between the reaction bars 28 and 29 is slotted to form a key with a second pair of plate-like spaced parallel arms 36 and 38. The free ends of the two pairs of arms 32, 33 and 36, 38 are coupled by a pair of linkage plates 42 and 43 which are located face-to-face between the arms, pivotally connected thereto by respective pivot pins 44 and 45.

A tension spring 48 acts between an anchorage 49 on the outer face of one of the second pair of arms 36, 38 to an anchorage 50 fixed with the plastics shell. Thus, in the rest position illustrated in Fig. 5 the spring 48 urges the second arms 36 and 38 against the stop 30 and the bar 6 holds the arms 8, 9 and the heads 10, 11 in a raised position away from the squeezing surface 2. The linkage plates 42, 43 determine the position of the operating handle 22, which is pivoted to a rearwardly-inclined position.

A mop to be squeezed is placed on the squeezing surface 2 and the handle 22 is pulled forwards to move the plates 42, 43 and arms 36, 38 rearwardly against the action of the spring 48 towards the squeezing position illustrated in Fig.s 3 and 4. This rotates the bar 6 to move the squeezing heads 10 and 11 forwardly and downwardly into contact with the mop. Pulling further on the handle in the same direction allows the user to apply the required amount of pressure to the mop, which is squeezed between the heads 10, 11 and the surface 2. During this process the reaction bars 28 and 29 carry the reaction forces between the pin 24 and the bar 6, to relieve the plastics shell of stresses which could result in creep and possibly even splitting of the shell.

It will be noted in Fig. 3 that in the squeezing position, when the squeezing heads 10 and 11 are disposed closely adjacent to or in contact with the squeezing surface 2, the axis of the pivot pin 44 is linearly aligned between the axes of the handle pivot 24 and the other linkage pivot 45. Since the spring 48 is thus unable to move the first pair of arms 32, 33 the handle will rest stably in this position, which is positively defined by contact between the linkages 42, 43 and the stop 30.

When the mop has been squeezed the handle 22 is manually moved back at a controlled rate under the action of spring 48, to return the squeezing heads 10 and 11 to the raised position.

Whilst the above description lays emphasis on those areas which, in combination, are believed to be new, protection is claimed for any inventive combination of the features disclosed herein.

Claims (15)

1. A squeezer comprising a fixed squeezing surface and a squeezing head assembly including at least one squeezing head which is mounted for pivotal movement in co-operation with said fixed squeezing surface to squeeze a mop head or like object therebetween, the squeezer further comprising an operating handle which is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis which is substantially parallel to, but spaced from, the pivot axis of said squeezing head assembly, said operating handle being operably coupled to said squeezing head assembly via a pivoted linkage.

2. A squeezer according to Claim 1, including a moulded plastics shell to which both the squeezing head assembly and the operating handle are pivotally mounted, said pivotal mountings being mutually coupled by at least one metal bracing member.

3. A squeezer according to Claim 1 or 2, in which said squeezing head assembly comprises a pivot bar which carries the/each squeezing head and is pivotally mounted for rotation about its axis

4. A squeezer according to Claim 3, in which a pivot arm projects from said pivot bar, and said linkage is pivotally coupled to said pivot arm.

5. A squeezer according to any preceding claim, including spring means acting on the squeezing head assembly to rotate the squeezing head away from said fixed squeezing surface.

6. A squeezer according to Claim 5 as appended to Claim 4, in which said spring means acts on said pivot arm to rotate the pivot bar such as to move the squeezing head assembly away from said fixed squeezing surface.

7. A squeezer according to Claim 6, in which said spring means moves said pivot arm into contact with a fixed stop.

8. A squeezer according to Claim 7, in which said stop is fixed with said metal bracing member or members.

9. A squeezer according to any preceding claim, in which the operating handle is fixed with a pivot arm.

10. A squeezer according to Claim 9, in which said linkage is pivotally coupled to said pivot arm.

11. A squeezer according to Claim 3 or any preceding claim which is appended thereto, in which the or each squeezing head is mounted from said pivot bar via a standoff arm to which the respective pivot head is pivotally coupled with limited freedom of movement about an axis which is substantially parallel to the pivot axis of the pivot bar.

12. A squeezer according to any preceding claim, in which the squeezing surface extends generally horizontally between upright end walls, with said operating handle pivotally mounted on or adjacent to one of said end walls.

13. A squeezer according to Claim 12, in which said linkage is contained within one of said end walls.

14. A squeezer according to any preceding claim, in which said fixed squeezing surface contains an array of drainage holes.

15. A squeezer substantially as described with reference to the drawings.