System for carrying moist wipes

Abstract

System (2) for carrying moist wipes (10, 11), in particular reusable floor wipes (10, 11) made of a textile fabric, with - at least one wipe dispenser (12) comprising a storage chamber (30) for receiving a stack of moist wipes (10), wherein the storage chamber (30) is separated from a drip tray (32) by a drip tray (28) provided with drip openings (34), and wherein the wipe dispenser (12) has a dispensing opening (26) which opens laterally into the storage chamber (30) in such a way that each floor wipe (10) resting on the drip tray (28) can be individually removed from the storage chamber (30), and - a carrying device (24) for carrying the wipe dispenser (12) by a human person.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a system for carrying moist wipes, in particular for carrying reusable floor wipes made of a textile fabric.

[0002] Various tools are typically used for manual, wet floor cleaning. For the actual floor cleaning, a floor mop is typically used. This mop has a handle and a wiper holder, which can hold a reusable floor mop. The floor mop can be connected to the mop holder in a form-fitting manner, for example, using pockets or snap fasteners. For wet floor cleaning, a mop bucket filled with water or a water-cleaning agent mixture is also used. The mop bucket is used to moisten the floor mops and regularly refresh them during use. The mop bucket must be carried throughout the entire cleaning process.

[0003] In particular, after refreshing a floor mop, the mop bucket must be moved from the freshly cleaned area to the uncleaned area to continue cleaning. Otherwise, there is a risk that the mop bucket will be in the way and not move with the cleaned area. This repeated repositioning interrupts the cleaning flow and leads to unnecessary walking, as cleaning staff must reposition the bucket after each refresh.

[0004] Frequent carrying and moving of the cleaning bucket leads to one-sided strain on the arm and the musculoskeletal system. Cleaning stairwells, in particular, places additional strain on the knees and joints.

[0005] The water in the bucket becomes contaminated after the first rinsing of the floor mop. The repeatedly used floor mop carries dirt into the fresh water, making it unhygienic after a short time. To achieve improved hygiene, two-chamber systems are sometimes used, with separate chambers for dirty and fresh water. Even with this system, the fresh water gradually becomes contaminated through contact with the dirty water. Furthermore, two-chamber systems place an additional burden on cleaning staff due to their comparatively higher weight and non-ergonomic handling.

[0006] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a system or an arrangement that avoids the stated disadvantages and enables hygienic, ergonomic and efficient wet floor cleaning.

[0007] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a generic system or an arrangement for carrying moist, in particular reusable, wipes, in particular floor wipes made of a textile fabric. The system comprises at least one wipe dispenser comprising a storage chamber for receiving a stack of prepared, moist wipes. As an alternative to floor wipes, the wipes can also be any other known wipes for moist wiping or other types of use, such as handheld wipes for cleaning windows or other surfaces. The storage chamber is separated from a drip chamber by a draining tray provided with drain openings.The wipe dispenser has a dispensing opening that opens laterally into the storage chamber, allowing each floor wipe resting on the draining board to be removed individually. The system also includes a carrying device for a person to carry the wipe dispenser. This provides a system that eliminates the need to carry a cleaning bucket. Instead of regularly refreshing wipes, a supply of pre-moistened wipes is carried. This improves the hygienic conditions of wet floor cleaning because there is no contamination of the refreshing water.

[0008] Advantageous developments of the system according to the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0009] The carrying device, which makes the system portable, also eliminates the additional steps previously required to move a cleaning bucket, thereby increasing the efficiency of the cleaning process. Furthermore, the portability of the system reduces the physical strain on cleaning staff. This can be further reduced if the wipe dispenser can be interchangeably coupled to the carrying device. In particular, the system can comprise several wipe dispensers that can hold a predetermined number of pre-moistened wipes. When cleaning large areas for which the predetermined number of wipes is not sufficient to achieve an adequate cleaning result, the wipe dispenser can be quickly and easily replaced with one filled with fresh wipes. In this respect, it is advantageous if the carrying device has a carrying harness with shoulder straps and, if necessary, a hip belt.In particular, the carrying device can be designed so that the system can be carried like a backpack.

[0010] The drip chamber ensures that excess moisture from the wipes remains within the wipe dispenser, preventing individual wipes from becoming oversaturated with moisture. It is particularly advantageous in this context if a liquid-absorbing material is arranged in the drip chamber. The liquid-absorbing material can be replaceable.

[0011] The wipe dispenser can have a cuboid shape with a base and four side walls. The wipe dispenser can be open at the top, forming a loading opening. The wipe dispenser can be loaded with pre-moistened, preferably folded, wipes, which are particularly reusable, via the loading opening. The wipes are removed via the removal opening, which is preferably located in a side wall of the wipe dispenser, which is laterally accessible when the system is worn on a person's back.

[0012] Two first side walls arranged opposite one another at the front and rear have a connecting device on one of the first side walls, preferably on both side walls in each case, for connection to a holding plate of the carrying device. A removal opening is arranged in one of the second side walls, which extend at right angles to and connect the first side walls. The wipe dispenser can thus be connected to the carrying device in such a way that the removal opening is accessible from the left or right side or optionally from one of the second side walls. The system can thus be easily and simply adapted to the different ergonomic requirements of the cleaning staff, in particular equally to the needs of right-handed and left-handed people. This can be further improved by the option of locking the wipe dispenser in different positions along the holding plate.

[0013] The at least one connecting device of the wipe dispenser preferably has at least one rail for positive engagement with at least one complementarily shaped guide rail of the holding plate to ensure a stable connection. At least one locking pin can be arranged along the guide rail, which serves to lock the wipe dispenser in different positions along the guide rail or the holding plate. This allows the position of the wipe dispenser to be adjusted to the physique of the user or cleaner when being carried.

[0014] The preferably provided waterproof bag, which can be inserted into the wipe dispenser, in particular into the loading opening, creates a simple way to collect soiled or used wipes. For this purpose, the bag preferably has a bag opening that is placed over an opening edge of the loading opening and secured to the wipe dispenser by means of a cord that surrounds the bag opening. In this way, all used wipes can be collected during a cleaning process so that they can be cleaned and reused afterwards. The volume in the storage chamber of the wipe dispenser that is increasingly freed up by removing wipes through the removal opening is thus advantageously used for collecting used wipes.

[0015] The waterproof bag serves as a hygienic barrier between dirty and fresh wipes.

[0016] It is pointed out that all features of the subject matter according to the invention described above are interchangeable or combinable with one another, unless an exchange or combination thereof is excluded for technical reasons.

[0017] The figures illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the invention. They show: Fig. 1 a side view of a system according to the invention for carrying wet wipes, Fig. 2 an exploded view of the system according to Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a perspective view of the carrying device of the system according to the invention, Fig. 4 a perspective view of the wipe dispenser of the system according to the invention according to Fig. 1 with the connecting device and Fig. 5 a perspective view of the wipe dispenser according to Fig. 4, wherein the connecting device for connection to the carrying device is hidden.

[0018] Fig. 1 shows a system 2 or an arrangement for carrying moist and fresh wipes 10, in the form of reusable floor wipes 10. As an alternative to the floor wipes 10, the wipes 10 can also be any other known wipes 10 for moist wiping or other types of use, such as handheld wipes for cleaning windows or other surfaces. The system 2 comprises a cuboid wipe dispenser 12 having a waterproof base 14 and four side walls 16, 18. Two first side walls 16 arranged at the front and rear each carry, or on only one of the two first side walls 16, connecting devices 20 in the exemplary form of rails 22 for connection to a carrying device 24 of the system 2.Second side walls 18 are arranged at right angles to the two first side walls 16, one of the two second side walls 18 having a removal opening 26. The removal opening 26 has a rectangular shape.

[0019] The removal opening 26 opens above a draining tray 28 arranged in the wipe dispenser 12 into a storage chamber 30 of the wipe dispenser 12. The draining tray 28 separates the storage chamber 30 from a drip chamber 32 and has drip openings 34 connecting the storage chamber 30 and the drip chamber 32. A water-absorbing material, for example, a sponge, can be arranged in the drip chamber 32. The water-absorbing material can be replaced when it becomes saturated.

[0020] The support device 24 for the wipe dispenser 12 has a holding plate 36 and a base plate 38. Guide rails 40 are arranged along the holding plate 36 and can be connected to the rails 22 of the wipe dispenser 12. For this purpose, locking pins 42 are positioned on the guide rails 40, which can engage in corresponding locking openings 44 of the rails 22 to create a releasable and positive locking. The rails 22 have a plurality of locking openings 44 at different heights, so that the height position of the wipe dispenser 12 relative to the holding plate 36 or the support device 24 is variable.

[0021] The carrying device 24 further comprises a carrying harness with shoulder straps 46 and optionally with a hip belt 48. The shoulder straps 46 and the optional hip belt 48 are attached to the holding plate 36.

[0022] At an upper end, the cuboid-shaped wipe dispenser 12 has a loading opening 50. The loading opening 50 is delimited by the side walls 16, 18 and has an opening edge 52 formed by a lateral, outwardly directed inversion. A waterproof bag 54, preferably made of nylon, is inserted into the loading opening 50. The bag 54 includes a bag opening whose size can be adjusted by means of a cord 56. The cord 56 runs through a bag edge that is folded outward over the opening edge 52 so that the cord 56 is arranged below the opening edge 52. The cord 56 is tightened enough to create a positive connection between the bag 54 and the wipe dispenser 12. The bag 54 projects into the storage chamber 30 and forms a collection chamber 58 for used wipes 11, which is separated from the storage chamber 30 in a watertight manner by the bag 54.

[0023] Fig. 2 shows the individual components of the system 2. The bag 54 with its inverted edge has a volume for receiving used wipes 11, which preferably corresponds to at least half to the entire volume of the storage chamber 30. The wipe dispenser 12 has rails 22 that can be positively connected to the guide rails 40 of the holding plate 36 in order to couple the wipe dispenser 12 to the carrying device 24. The base plate 38 prevents the wipe dispenser 12 from having direct contact with the floor when the system 2 is placed on the floor. In the wipe dispenser 12, in particular in the storage chamber 30, fresh wipes 10 are stacked on the draining board 28. The holding plate 36 has shoulder straps 36 so that a private or professional user or a cleaning staff 60 can carry the carrying device 24 on their back.

[0024] Fig. 3 shows the carrying device 24 in a perspective view. The holding plate 36 carries two parallel guide rails 40. Approximately centrally along the height of the holding plate 36 are two locking pins 42, which can engage in corresponding locking openings 44 located in the rails 22 of the wipe dispenser 12. The carrying device 12 according to the embodiment according to Fig. 3 also has a hip belt 48.

[0025] Fig. 4 shows the wipe dispenser 12 removed from the support device 12 with both first side walls 16. The first side walls 16 carry the rails 22 with the locking openings 44 as connecting devices 20 for connection to the support device 24. The locking openings 44 are preferably located in a lower third of the rails 22.

[0026] Fig. Figure 5 shows the wipe dispenser 12, with a first side wall 16 hidden, allowing a clear view into the storage chamber 30. Visible in particular is the draining tray 28 with the draining openings 34 leading into the draining chamber 32. The removal opening 26 arranged in one of the second side walls 18 is positioned on the draining tray 28 such that its lower edge is aligned or flush with the top of the draining tray 28.

[0027] The system 2 according to the invention can be used as follows: Before cleaning the floor, the drip chamber 32 of the wipe dispenser 12 is filled with a liquid-absorbing material. The storage chamber 30 of the wipe dispenser 12 serves to store fresh, particularly hygienically clean, reusable wipes 10 in the form of floor wipes 10. The wipes 10 are preferably made of a textile fabric and have been previously machine-washed. Before being inserted into the storage chamber 30 via the loading opening 50, they are moistened, if necessary with the addition of cleaning agents, and folded and / or wrung out if necessary. Preferably, several folded, fresh wipes 10 are stacked in the storage chamber 30.

[0028] When the storage chamber 30 is filled with sufficient fresh wipes 10, the bag 54 is inserted into the loading opening 50 and held at the opening edge 52 by the cord 56. A cord clamp can be provided for this purpose, which secures the cord 56. The loading opening 50 is thus closed, whereby the bag 54 prevents the upper, fresh wipes 10 from drying out. Liquid dripping downwards passes through the drip openings 34 into the drip chamber 32 and is absorbed by the liquid-absorbing material in the drip chamber 32.

[0029] The wipe dispenser 12 is connected to the carrying device 24, wherein the wipe dispenser 12 can optionally be arranged so that the removal opening 26 is located on the right or left side. The height of the wipe dispenser 12 can also be individually adjusted by means of the locking openings 44 according to the body size or the needs of the respective cleaning staff 60. Using the carrying device 24, the cleaning staff 60 can permanently carry the wipe dispenser 12 with the fresh wipes 10 and remove the fresh wipes 10 individually via the removal opening 26. When a fresh wipe 10 is removed 64, the fresh wipes 10 above it move forward due to gravity, and the storage volume of the bag 54 or the collection chamber 58 formed thereby increases downwards.

[0030] The cleaning staff 60 can now clean the floor using the fresh floor wipe 12 and a suitable floor wiper, for example, a mop with a floor wipe holder plate and a handle. As soon as the fresh floor wipe 10 is so dirty that it can no longer be used for effective cleaning, the cleaning staff can place the used floor wipe 11 in the bag 52 via the loading opening 50 and remove a fresh floor wipe 10 via the removal opening 26. The storage 62 and the removal 64 are in Fig. 1 by means of corresponding arrows 62, 64.

[0031] The bag 54 filled with used wipes 11 is then closed with the drawstring 56. The bag 54 thus serves as a transport container for hygienically processing the used wipes 11 after the cleaning process. For example, the used wipes 11 can be cleaned in a washing machine and then prepared for reuse, in particular by re-moistening and folding.

[0032] In the event that the volume of the storage chamber 30 is insufficient to carry enough fresh wipes 10 to clean a specific floor area, multiple wipe dispensers 12 can be prepared with fresh wipes 10. As soon as a wipe dispenser 12 is emptied, i.e., no longer contains fresh wipes 10, it can then be replaced with another wipe dispenser 12 with fresh wipes 10. This leads to considerable time savings and increased efficiency.

[0033] Alternatively, it is possible to prepare waterproof, cleaned bags 54 with fresh wipes 10 so that only one wipe dispenser 12 needs to be inserted. The fresh wipes 10 from the bag 54 can be used to refill the wipe dispenser 12. The then empty bag 54 can then be reinserted into the loading opening 50 as a collection receptacle for used wipes 11.

Claims

[1] System (2) for carrying moist wipes (10, 11), in particular reusable floor wipes (10, 11) made of a textile fabric, with - at least one wipe dispenser (12) comprising a storage chamber (30) for receiving a stack of moist wipes (10), wherein the storage chamber (30) is separated from a drip chamber (32) by a drip tray (28) provided with drip openings (34), and wherein the wipe dispenser (12) has a removal opening (26) which opens laterally into the storage chamber (30) in such a way that the floor wipe (10) resting on the drip tray (28) can be removed individually from the storage chamber (30), and - a carrying device (24) for carrying the wipe dispenser (12) by a human person. [2] System (2) according to claim 1, characterized by that the wipe dispenser (12) can be interchangeably coupled to the carrying device (24). [3] System (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the wipe dispenser (12) can be fixed at different positions along a holding plate (36) of the carrying device (24). [4] System (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the carrying device (24) has a carrying harness with shoulder straps (46) for connecting the carrying device (24) to an upper body of a human person. [5] System (2) according to claim 4, characterized by that the carrying harness has at least one hip belt (48) for distributing at least part of the carrying load to a hip of a human person. [6] System (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a preferably replaceable liquid-absorbing means is arranged in the drip chamber (32). [7] System (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the removal opening (26) is arranged in a side wall (18) of the wipe dispenser (12). [8] System (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a height and a width of the removal opening (26) are adapted to a height and a width of a, in particular folded, reusable floor wipe (10). [9] System (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a lower edge of the removal opening (26) is aligned with a surface of the draining base (28). [10] System (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the wipe dispenser (12) is cuboid-shaped with a waterproof base (14) and four waterproof side walls (16, 18) [11] System (2) according to claim 10, characterized by that the side walls (16, 18) have a height which is greater than a width and depth of the base (14). [12] System (2) according to claim 11, characterized by that two opposite, first side walls (16) have at least one connecting device (20) for connection to a holding plate (36) of the carrying device (24), wherein the removal opening (26) is arranged in one of the two second side walls (18) connecting the first side walls (16), and wherein the wipe dispenser (12) can be coupled to the carrying device (24) via at least one of the first side walls (16) in such a way that the removal opening (26) can be positioned on the left or right side. [13] System (2) according to claim 12, characterized by that the holding plate (36) has at least one guide rail (40) for positive engagement in a complementary rail (22) of the wipe dispenser (12). [14] System (2) according to claim 13, characterized by that the guide rail (40) has a locking pin (42) for locking the wipe dispenser (12) in different positions along the holding plate (36). [15] System (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a waterproof bag (54) is provided for holding used wipes (11), which can be inserted into the wipe dispenser (12). [16] System (2) according to claim 15, characterized by that the bag (54) has a volume which corresponds to at least half the volume of the storage chamber (30). [17] System (2) according to claim 15 or 16, characterized by that the bag (54) can be inserted into the wipe dispenser (12) in such a way that it fills a loading opening (50) of the wipe dispenser (12). [18] System (2) according to one of claims 15 to 17, characterized by that the bag (54) has a bag opening which can be put over an opening edge (52) of the loading opening (50) and fixed to the wipe dispenser (12) by means of a cord (56) encompassing the bag opening. [19] System (2) according to claim 18, characterized bythat the opening edge (52) of the loading opening (50) forms a radially outwardly directed inversion, so that the bag opening can be fixed in a form-fitting manner to the loading opening (50). [20] System (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the draining base (28) can be removed from the wipe dispenser (12).

Images