Cleaning tool

Abstract

To provide a cleaning tool with a handle, which allows for easily wiping and cleaning a corner portion of a cleaning target surface.SOLUTION: A cleaning tool 1 includes: a cleaning head 2 to which a sheet for wiping and cleaning a cleaning target surface can be detachably attached in a state of covering a bottom surface 3; and a handle 30 provided in a middle part in a lateral direction on an upper surface of the cleaning head 2. A front edge part 4a of the cleaning head 2 is formed to protrude forward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning tool with a handle that is used when wiping a surface to be cleaned. [Background technology]

[0002] A cleaning tool used to wipe and clean surfaces such as indoor floors is equipped with a cleaning head and a handle for operating it. When wiping and cleaning a floor, a dry or wet cleaning sheet is first attached to the cleaning head so that it covers the bottom surface of the cleaning head, and then the handle is grasped and the bottom surface of the cleaning head is pressed against the floor surface from above while sliding it over the floor surface to wipe and clean (see, for example, Patent Documents 1-4).

[0003] Furthermore, in order to make it easier to change the direction of the cleaning head by operating the handle when wiping the floor surface, the lower end of the handle is generally connected to the cleaning head via a universal joint. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-311954 [Patent Document 2] JP 2002-531 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2015-181901 A [Patent Document 4] Patent Publication No. 2021-87518 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-mentioned conventional cleaning tool with a handle, the cleaning head is formed in a generally rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction in a plan view, and the lower end of the handle is connected to the left-right middle part of the upper surface of the cleaning head. Therefore, when wiping corners of a floor surface, the corner between the front edge and the side edge of the cleaning head must be positioned at the corner of the floor surface, making it difficult to wipe the corners.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned technical background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning tool with a handle that can easily wipe and clean a surface to be cleaned, particularly its corners. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides the following means.

[0008] 1) A cleaning tool comprising a cleaning head, the bottom surface of which is covered with a sheet for wiping and cleaning a surface to be cleaned, which is removably attached, and a handle provided at the middle of the top surface of the cleaning head in the left-right direction, A cleaning tool in which the front edge of the cleaning head is formed into a pointed shape at the front.

[0009] 2) A cleaning tool as described in paragraph 1 above, wherein a lower end of the handle is pivotally attached to the cleaning head so that a second angle of the handle relative to the rear direction of the cleaning head can be changed in a stepwise manner while a first angle of the handle relative to the left-right direction of the cleaning head is fixed at approximately 90°.

[0010] 3) The cleaning head includes a cleaning head body having the bottom surface, and a clamping body that is fitted into a clamping recess formed in a center portion of an upper surface of the cleaning head body so as to be openable and closable relative to the clamping recess, The clamping body is fitted into the clamping recess so that a portion of the sheet covering the bottom surface of the cleaning head body that protrudes outward from the bottom surface is folded back toward the upper surface of the cleaning head body and inserted into the clamping recess, and the clamping body is fitted into the clamping recess so as to clamp the portion between the clamping body and the clamping recess, A part of an outer peripheral edge of the clamping body is pivotally attached to the cleaning head body so that the clamping body can be opened and closed upward with respect to the clamping recess, 3. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cleaning head is provided with a holding means for releasably holding the clamping body in a closed fitted state in the clamping recess.

[0011] 4) The handle is divided into a first handle segment on the lower end side and a second handle segment on the upper end side, and the lower end side of the second handle segment is pivotally attached to the upper end of the first handle segment so that the second handle segment can be folded and rotated around the pivot between a folded position where it is folded back to the rear side of the first handle segment and an extended position, A through hole is provided in a front wall of the second handle section, the front wall being located lower than the pivot portion and overlapping a front surface of the first handle section when the second handle section is in the extended position, the through hole penetrating the front wall in a thickness direction thereof, a protruding portion to be engaged is provided on a lower edge of an inner peripheral edge of the through hole so as to protrude toward an upper edge of the through hole; The first handle segment is integrally formed with an elastic locking piece having a locking claw and a pushing operation portion on the tip side, 4. The cleaning tool according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, wherein the elastic locking piece is configured to be displaceable between a locking position where the locking claw arranged inside the through hole is locked to the locked portion from its front side when the second handle section is in the extended position, thereby preventing the second handle section from bending and rotating toward the folded-back position, and a release position where the locking claw is released from the locked portion and the second handle section is allowed to be folded and rotated toward the folded-back position when the pushing section is pushed upward against the elastic restoring force of the elastic locking piece with the locking claw locked to the locked portion.

[0012] 5) A cleaning tool as described in any one of the preceding paragraphs 1 to 4, wherein at least a portion of an outer circumferential edge of the cleaning head has cushioning properties by providing a through hole penetrating the cleaning head in a thickness direction on a portion of the cleaning head that is more inside than the at least a portion of the outer circumferential edge. Effect of the Invention

[0013] The present invention provides the following advantages.

[0014] In the preceding paragraph 1, the front edge of the cleaning head is formed pointed forward, so that when wiping and cleaning the corners of the surface to be cleaned, the pointed front edge of the cleaning head can be positioned at the corner of the surface to be cleaned, making it easy to wipe and clean the corners of the surface to be cleaned.

[0015] In the preceding paragraph 2, the lower end of the handle is pivotally attached to the cleaning head so that the second angle of the handle can be changed in stages while the first angle of the handle is fixed at approximately 90°, thereby achieving the following effects:

[0016] In other words, when wiping a surface to be cleaned, such as an indoor floor or the top surface of a car dashboard, from above, the wipe can be easily performed by holding the handle in one hand, pointing the bottom surface of the cleaning head to which the sheet is attached downward, and changing the second angle of the handle to an angle that makes it easy to wipe the surface to be cleaned.

[0017] Next, when wiping and cleaning a surface to be cleaned from the side, such as the lower corners of a wall inside a room or the lower corners of the inner surface of a windshield of a car, it is necessary to rotate the handle about 180 degrees around its axis while holding it in one's hand, but with the cleaning tool of this paragraph 2, the cleaning head rotates together with the handle at this time, so compared to conventional cleaning tools in which the lower end of the handle is connected to the cleaning head via a universal joint, the pointed front edge of the cleaning head can be easily positioned at the lower corners of the surface to be cleaned. Therefore, it is easy to wipe and clean the lower corners of the surface to be cleaned.

[0018] In the preceding paragraph 3, when attaching the sheet to the cleaning head, for example, the bottom surface of the cleaning head body is placed on the sheet so as to cover it entirely, then the part of the sheet sticking out from the bottom surface is folded back to the upper surface side of the cleaning head body and inserted into the clamping recess, and the clamping body is rotated in the closing direction relative to the clamping recess around the pivot part with the cleaning head body so that this part is clamped between the clamping recess and the clamping body, thereby fitting it into the clamping recess, thereby maintaining the sheet attached to the cleaning head. Therefore, the work of attaching the sheet to the cleaning head can be easily performed.

[0019] Furthermore, since the cleaning head is provided with a holding means for releasably holding the clip in a closed fitted state in the clip recess, when replacing the sheet with a new one, the clip can be removed from the cleaning head by changing the clip from a closed fitted state in the clip recess to an open disengaged state in the clip recess, so that the sheet can be easily replaced.

[0020] In the above paragraph 4, the second handle segment of the handle can be firmly held in the extended position. This reliably prevents the second handle segment from accidentally bending and rotating toward the folded-back position when wiping the surface to be cleaned. Furthermore, by disposing the second handle segment in the folded-back position, the cleaning tool can be stored in a compact state.

[0021] In the preceding paragraph 5, at least a part of the outer peripheral edge of the cleaning head has cushioning properties, so that even if at least a part of the outer peripheral edge of the cleaning head collides with an obstacle present at the edge of the surface to be cleaned when wiping the surface to be cleaned, the impact can be mitigated and damage to the obstacle caused by the collision can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cleaning tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the cleaning tool. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic bottom view of the cleaning tool. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the cleaning head of the cleaning tool and its vicinity. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the cleaning head. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of the cleaner head clip. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the cleaning sheet is in the process of being attached to the cleaning head. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a cleaning sheet is attached to the cleaning head. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the pivotal attachment portion between the first handle segment and the second handle segment in the handle of the cleaning tool and its vicinity, where (a) is a schematic perspective view and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line CC. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing the first handle section and the second handle section separated from each other. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing the handle of the cleaning tool in the process of being folded and in the folded state. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the lower corner of the inner surface of an automobile windshield is being wiped and cleaned with the cleaning tool. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic plan view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a cleaning tool according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 1, the cleaning tool 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a so-called cleaning tool with a handle, and specifically comprises a cleaning head 2 and a rod-shaped handle 30 for operating the cleaning head 2. The cleaning head 2 and the handle 30 are each made of a synthetic resin molded product. Polypropylene or the like is used as the synthetic resin.

[0025] 1 refer to the up, down, left, right, front, rear directions of the cleaning tool 1. However, in this specification and claims, the up, down, left, right, front, rear directions of the handle 30 (including the parts and members provided on the handle 30) among the components of the cleaning tool 1 (cleaning head 2, handle 30, etc.) refer to the up, down, left, right, front, rear directions when the handle 30 is disposed vertically upward relative to the cleaning head 2, unless otherwise specified in the text.

[0026] The handle 30 is provided on the upper surface of the cleaning head 2 at a middle portion in the left-right and front-rear directions so as to rise from the cleaning head 2. The upper end portion of the handle 30 serves as a grip portion 30a to be held by the cleaning worker when wiping. The detailed configuration of the handle 30 will be described later.

[0027] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, a flexible cleaning sheet (shown by cross-hatching) 60 for wiping the surface to be cleaned is removably attached to the cleaning head 2 so as to cover the entire bottom surface 3 of the cleaning head 2.

[0028] The sheet 60 may be of a dry type or a wet type containing a cleaning liquid, and may be of a disposable type made of nonwoven fabric used, for example, for wiping the bottoms of infants. The shape of the sheet 60 is, for example, substantially rectangular in plan view. The surface to be cleaned by wiping with the sheet 60 is not limited, and may preferably be the top surface 71 of a dashboard of a car, the inner and outer sides of a windowpane (e.g., the inner surface 72 of a windshield), or the wall surfaces of a room (including the inner and outer sides of a windowpane) as shown in Fig. 14, although not shown.

[0029] The length in the front-rear direction and the width in the left-right direction of the cleaning head 2 are not limited, and for example, the length is in the range of 10 to 15 cm, and the width is in the range of 8 to 13 cm. The length of the handle 30 is not limited, and for example, the length is in the range of 30 to 50 cm.

[0030] 3 to 5, the front edge 4a of the outer circumferential edge 4 of the cleaning head 2 is formed to be pointed forward. Therefore, the outer circumferential edge 4 of the cleaning head 2 is formed to be substantially pentagonal in plan view (see FIG. 3), and more specifically, is formed to be substantially like an inverted baseball home plate.

[0031] The pointed portion 4b of the front edge 4a of the cleaning head 2 is located exactly in the middle of the front edge 4a in the left-right direction of the cleaning head 2, and the angle of the pointed portion 4b is set to a range of approximately 80° to 90° in a plan view. Furthermore, each corner of the outer circumferential edge 4 of the cleaning head 2 in a plan view is rounded to prevent damage to an obstacle (for example, a window frame 73 of a car windshield (see FIG. 14)) that exists at the edge of the surface to be cleaned when the corner collides with the obstacle during wiping of the surface to be cleaned.

[0032] As a part of the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral edge 4 of the cleaning head 2, the part consisting of the pointed part 4b of the front edge 4a of the cleaning head 2, the left and right side edges 4c, 4c, and the connecting parts 4d, 4d from the left and right side edges 4c, 4c to the front edge 4a has cushioning properties to absorb the impact when the cleaning head 2 hits an obstacle 73 (see FIG. 14) at the edge of the cleaning surface when wiping the cleaning surface and / or to prevent the obstacle from being damaged by the impact. These parts (4b, 4c, 4c, 4d, 4d) will be referred to as the cushion part of the outer peripheral edge 4 of the cleaning head 2 below.

[0033] The cushion portion has cushioning properties due to the provision of a plurality of through holes 5 made of through holes penetrating the cleaning head 2 in the thickness direction in a portion of the cleaning head 2 adjacent to the cushion portion, and is made of an elastic band-shaped frame extending in the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential edge portion 4 of the cleaning head 2 at outer positions of the through holes 5 in the cleaning head 2. Furthermore, between two adjacent through holes 5, 5 in the plurality of through holes 5, a thin elastic rib piece 6 is provided connecting the cushion portion (band-shaped frame) and the inner positions of the through holes 5 in the cleaning head 2. The through holes 5 are formed when the cleaning head 2 is molded.

[0034] 7, the cleaning head 2 includes a cleaning head body 10 including the bottom surface 3, outer peripheral edge portion 4, through hole 5, rib piece 6, etc. of the cleaning head 2, and a clamping body 20 that is fitted into a clamping recess 11 formed in the center of the upper surface of the cleaning head body 10 so as to be openable and closable relative to the clamping recess 11. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the clamping body 20 is fitted into the clamping recess 11 so that a protruding portion 61 of a sheet 60 covering the bottom surface 3 of the cleaning head body 10 (cleaning head 2) that protrudes outward from the bottom surface 3 is folded back toward the upper surface of the cleaning head body 10 and a portion 61a that is inserted into the clamping recess 11 is clamped between the clamping recess 11 and the sheet 60.

[0035] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, shaft holes 20b, 20b are provided at both left and right ends of the rear edge 20a, which is a part of the outer periphery of the clamping body 20, and pivots 12a, 12a protruding from both left and right ends of the rear wall 12 of the clamping recess 11 of the cleaning head body 10 are rotatably fitted into these shaft holes 20b, 20b, whereby the rear edge 20a of the clamping body 20 is pivotally attached to the cleaning head body 10 so that the clamping body 20 can be opened and closed upward with respect to the clamping recess 11, as shown in Figure 9. The reference numeral "23" in Figure 6 denotes a pivotal attachment portion of the clamping body 20 to the cleaning head body 10.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 7, the bottom plate of the clamping recess 11 of the cleaning head body 10 is provided with a plurality of holes 11a for the purpose of reducing the weight of the cleaning head body 10, etc.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 5, the lower end of the handle 30 is pivotally attached to the left-right and front-rear middle part of the upper surface of the clamping body 20, which is the middle part of the upper surface of the cleaning head 2 in the left-right and front-rear directions, via an angle holding means 31 that holds the angle θ2 of the handle 30 with respect to the rear direction of the cleaning head 2 (this angle is called the "second angle θ2") so that the angle θ1 of the handle 30 with respect to the left-right direction of the cleaning head 2 (this angle is called the "first angle θ1") (see FIG. 1) is fixed to about 90°. The angle θ2 of the handle 30 with respect to the rear direction of the cleaning head 2 can be changed stepwise in at least a part of the range of about 0° to about 180° (preferably 0° to 90°). More specifically, the second angle θ2 means the rising angle of the handle 30 with respect to the rear direction of the cleaning head 2. The configuration of the angle holding means 31 will be described later.

[0038] 6, the cleaning head 2 is provided with a holding means 8 that releasably holds the clip 20 in a closed fitted state in the clip recess 11. The configuration of this holding means 8 will be described below.

[0039] The upper end of the front wall 13 of the clamping recess 11 of the cleaning head body 10 is integrally formed with a latched portion 14 protruding backward. On the other hand, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, a tongue-shaped elastic locking piece 21 whose tip side is elastically deformable in the up-down direction is integrally formed in the left-right direction middle part of the front part of the clamping body 20 so as to protrude forward, and a locking portion 22 consisting of a generally arcuate cross-sectional surface protruding forward is integrally formed at the tip of the elastic locking piece 21. As shown in Fig. 6, the locking portion 22 is disposed at a position protruding slightly forward from the front edge of the clamping body 20, and is a portion that is elastically locked to the latched portion 14 from its underside by the elastic restoring force of the elastic locking piece 21 when the clamping body 20 is in a closed fitted state in the clamping recess 11. The holding means 8 is provided with such a latched portion 14 and elastic locking piece 21.

[0040] As shown in the figure, when the clamping body 20 is in a closed fitted state in the clamping recess 11, the locking portion 22 of the elastic locking piece 21 is disposed at an locking position where it is elastically locked to the locked portion 14, thereby holding the clamping body 20 in a closed fitted state in the clamping recess 11. In this state, when a rotational force in the opening direction D larger than the elastic locking force of the locking portion 22 to the locked portion 14 is applied to the clamping body 20, the tip side of the elastic locking piece 21 elastically deforms downward relative to the clamping body 20 against its own elastic restoring force, while the locking portion 22 slides upward against the locked portion 14, and when the locking portion 22 is no longer in contact with the locked portion 14, the elastic locking of the locking portion 22 to the locked portion 14 is released (i.e., the holding of the clamping body 20 by the holding means 8 is released), and the clamping body 20 becomes rotatable about the pivot portion 23 in a state where it is open upward relative to the clamping recess 11. When the engaging portion 22 is no longer in contact with the engaged portion 14, the elastic engaging piece 21 is deformed to its original shape by its own elastic restoring force, and the engaging portion 22 returns to its original position relative to the clamping body 20.

[0041] Furthermore, when a rotational force is applied in the closing direction (i.e., the direction opposite to the opening direction D) to the clamping body 20 arranged in an open position relative to the clamping recess 11, the locking portion 22 comes into contact with the locked portion 14 from above while the clamping body 20 is rotating about the pivot portion 23 in the closing direction relative to the clamping recess 11 (more specifically, immediately before the clamping body 20 fits into the clamping recess 11), and the locking portion 22 moves downward in sliding contact with the locked portion 14 while the tip side of the elastic locking piece 21 elastically deforms upward relative to the clamping body 20 against its own elastic restoring force, and when the locking portion 22 is no longer in contact with the locked portion 14, the elastic locking piece 21 is deformed back to its original shape by its own elastic restoring force, so that the locking portion 22 returns to the above-mentioned locking position and is elastically locked to the locked portion 14, and the clamping body 20 is held in a closed fitted state relative to the clamping recess 11. The holding means 8 is configured in this manner.

[0042] When attaching the sheet 60 to the cleaning head 2, as shown in Fig. 9, the clamping body 20 is opened relative to the clamping recess 11, and the entire bottom surface 3 of the cleaning head body 10 (cleaning head 2) is covered with the sheet 60. That is, the cleaning head body 10 is fixed with one hand, and the handle 30 is gripped with the other hand. By pulling the handle 30 in the direction D in which the clamping body 20 opens relative to the clamping recess 11, a rotation force in the opening direction D that is greater than the elastic locking force of the locking part 22 to the locked part 14 is applied from the handle 30 to the clamping body 20. This releases the elastic locking of the locking part 22 to the locked part 14, and the clamping body 20 is opened relative to the clamping recess 11. In addition, the bottom surface 3 of the cleaning head body 10 is placed on the left-right middle part of a sheet 60 that is approximately rectangular in plan view and laid on a flat surface such as a floor, so that the rear edge of the cleaning head body 10 is aligned near the rear edge of the sheet 60, thereby covering the entire bottom surface 3 with the sheet 60.

[0043] Next, the protruding portion 61 of the sheet 60 protruding outward from the bottom surface 3 of the cleaning head body 10 is folded toward the upper surface of the cleaning head body 10, and the outer periphery 61a is inserted into the clamping recess 11. Then, the handle 30 is held and the clamping body 20 is pushed so as to forcibly fit the clamping body 20 into the clamping recess 11, thereby rotating the clamping body 20 in the closing direction about the pivoting portion 23 relative to the clamping recess 11, and the locking portion 22 is elastically locked to the locked portion 14. As a result, the clamping body 20 is held in a closed, fitted state relative to the clamping recess 11, and the outer periphery 61a of the protruding portion 61 of the sheet 60 that is inserted into the clamping recess 11 is clamped and held between the clamping recess 11 and the clamping body 20. As a result, the sheet 60 is attached to the cleaning head 2 in a state in which it covers the entire bottom surface 3 of the cleaning head body 10 (cleaning head 2) as shown in FIG. 10.

[0044] When replacing the sheet 60 attached to the cleaning head 2 with a new one, the clamping body 20 is opened relative to the clamping recess 11 in the same procedure as the opening procedure from the clamping recess 11 described above. This releases the outer periphery 61a of the protruding portion 61 of the sheet 60 from being clamped between the clamping recess 11 and the clamping body 20, allowing the sheet 60 to be removed from the cleaning head 2. After removing the sheet 60, a new sheet 60 is attached to the cleaning head 2 in the same procedure as the attachment procedure to the cleaning head 2 described above. In this manner, the sheet 60 is replaced.

[0045] Next, the configuration of the angle maintaining means 31 of the handle 30 will be described below.

[0046] 7 and 8, the angle holding means 31 includes a pair of left and right bearing brackets 24, 24 formed in an upwardly protruding manner at a substantially intermediate portion of the clamping body 20 in the left-right and front-rear directions, which is an intermediate portion of the upper surface of the cleaning head 2 in the left-right and front-rear directions, and an elastic receiving plate portion 27 formed between a pair of left and right slit holes 26, 26 spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction and extending in the front-rear direction on the bottom plate 25 located between the two bearing brackets 24, 24 of the clamping body 20. Therefore, both the front and rear sides of the elastic receiving plate portion 27 are connected to the bottom plate 25, and both the left and right sides of the elastic receiving plate portion 27 are separated from the bottom plate 25 by the slit holes 26, 26, so that the elastic restoring force of the elastic receiving plate portion 27 is moderately relaxed compared to the elastic restoring force of the entire bottom plate 25. The intermediate portion of the elastic receiving plate portion 27 in the front-rear direction is elastically deformable in the up-down direction. Each bearing bracket 24 is provided with an axis hole 24a.

[0047] Pivots 30b, 30b are provided to protrude laterally from both left and right side walls of the lower end of the handle 30. Furthermore, a plurality of first engagement portions 32 extending in the left-right direction are provided in parallel in the circumferential direction around the pivot 30b on the lower end surface of the lower end of the handle 30 (see FIG. 6).

[0048] A second engagement portion 28 for restricting continuous change of the second angle θ2 (see FIG. 1) of the handle 30 is provided on the upper surface of the intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of the elastic receiving plate portion 27. The second engagement portion 28 is elastically engaged with the first engagement portion 32 by the elastic restoring force of the elastic receiving plate portion 27. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the second engagement portion 28 is urged toward the first engagement portion 32 (i.e., upward) by the elastic restoring force of the elastic receiving plate portion 27 in a state where it is engaged with the first engagement portion 32, so that the engagement state between the first engagement portion 32 and the second engagement portion 28 is maintained. The engagement between the first engagement portion 32 and the second engagement portion 28 is elastically released by a forced change of the second angle θ2 caused by applying a rotation force in the directions E1 and E2 for changing the second angle θ2, which is greater than the elastic engagement force between the first engagement portion 32 and the second engagement portion 28, to the handle 30.

[0049] Each of the multiple first engagement portions 32 elastically engages with the second engagement portion 28 to hold (restrict) the second angle θ2 of the handle 30 at a predetermined angle.

[0050] In the first embodiment, the first engagement portion 32 is an engagement protrusion having a generally triangular cross section (specifically, a generally isosceles triangular cross section), and the second engagement portion 28 is an engagement recess having a generally V-shaped cross section corresponding to the first engagement portion 32. Note that in the present invention, the first engagement portion 32 may be an engagement recess, and the second engagement portion 28 may be an engagement protrusion.

[0051] The second angle θ2 of the handle 30 held by the elastic engagement between the first engagement portions 32 and the second engagement portions 28 is determined corresponding to the first engagement portions 32 that are engaged with the second engagement portions 28 among the multiple first engagement portions 32. Then, by applying a rotation force in the change directions E1, E2 of the second angle θ2 to the handle 30 that is greater than the elastic engagement force between the first engagement portions 32 and the second engagement portions 28, the multiple first engagement portions 32 elastically engage with the second engagement portions 28 one by one, and therefore the second angle θ2 of the handle 30 is changed stepwise by a predetermined angle.

[0052] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the angle holding means 31 is configured such that, with the lower end of the handle 30 positioned between the two bearing brackets 24, 24 and the first engagement portion 32 elastically engaged with the second engagement portion 28, the two pivots 30b, 30b of the handle 30 are rotatably fitted into the axial holes 24a, 24a of the two bearing brackets 24, 24, thereby fixing the first angle θ1 of the handle 30 to approximately 90° by the two bearing brackets 24, 24 and holding the second angle θ2 of the handle 30 in a stepwise changeable manner.

[0053] In the angle holding means 31, the second angle θ2 of the handle 30 can be changed stepwise in at least a part of the range between about 0° and about 180°, and can be changed continuously in the other range between about 0° and about 180°. Specifically, θ2 can be changed in the range between about 0° and about 120° at intervals of about 30° (i.e., θ2 is held when θ2 is about 0°, about 30°, about 60°, about 90°, and about 120°), and further, θ2 can be changed continuously in the range exceeding about 120° to about 180°. Therefore, the angle holding means 31 can change and hold θ2 at an angle that makes it easy to wipe and clean the surface to be cleaned.

[0054] The effect of such angle maintaining means 31 can be similarly achieved even in a cleaning head in which the front edge 4a is not formed in a pointed shape.

[0055] Next, the structure of the handle 30 will be described below.

[0056] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the handle 30 is divided into a first handle section 33 at the lower end and a second handle section 40 at the upper end. The first handle section 33 has a generally U-shaped cross section that opens toward the rear, and has a front wall 33a and both left and right side walls 33b, 33b. The second handle section 40 has a generally U-shaped cross section that opens toward the rear so that the first handle section 33 can be fitted inside the second handle section 40, and has a front wall 40a and both left and right side walls 40b, 40b. The above-mentioned grip portion 30a (see Figure 1) is provided on the upper part of the second handle section 40.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 12, pivots 34, 34 are provided on both left and right side walls 33b, 33b at the upper end of the first handle section 33, protruding laterally. Axle holes 41, 41 are provided on both left and right side walls 40b, 40b at the lower end of the second handle section 40. The upper end of the first handle section 33 is fitted inside the lower end of the second handle section 40, and the two pivots 34, 34 are rotatably fitted into the two shaft holes 41, 41, so that the lower end of the second handle section 40 is pivotally attached to the upper end of the first handle section 33. As a result, as shown in Fig. 13, the handle 30 is configured to be bent and rotated between a folded position where the second handle section 40 is folded back approximately overlapping the first handle section 33 around the pivot attachment part 45 between the first handle section 33 and the second handle section 40 to the rear side of the first handle section 33, and an extended position shown in Fig. 1, which is positioned when wiping the surface to be cleaned.

[0058] As shown in the figure, when the second handle segment 40 is folded back to the rear side of the first handle segment 33, the first handle segment 33 is rotated horizontally forward about the pivot point (pivot shaft 30b) with the cleaning head 2 as the center, with the entire first handle segment 33 fitted inside the second handle segment 40, and the cleaning tool 1 is folded into a compact state. When the cleaning tool 1 is not in use, it is stored in this compact folded state.

[0059] As shown by solid lines in Fig. 11, when the second handle section 40 is in the extended position, a front wall 40c of the second handle section 40 lower than the pivot-mounting portion 45 (hereinafter referred to as the "lower front wall 40c") abuts against and is overlapped with a front surface 33d of the front wall 33a of the first handle section 33. Then, as shown in Fig. 12, a through hole 42 having a substantially rectangular cross section is provided through a portion of the lower front wall 40c in the thickness direction. A locked projection 43 is integrally formed on the lower edge of the inner periphery of the through hole 42, projecting slightly towards the upper edge 42a (i.e., upward).

[0060] 11(b) and 12, a substantially rectangular notch 35 is provided in part of the portion where the lower front wall 40c of the second handle section 40, which is located below the pivot point 45 (pivot 34) in the front wall 33a of the first handle section 33 and is positioned in the extended position, is overlapped, and a resilient locking piece 37 is integrally formed so as to extend substantially obliquely upward and forward from the rear side of the front wall 33a toward the inside of the notch 35 via a bent portion 36 that is bent rearward from a lower edge 35a of the notch 35 in the front wall 33a. A locking claw 38 that protrudes slightly downward is formed at the tip of the resilient locking piece 37, and a pushing operation portion 39 is formed on the tip surface of the tip of the resilient locking piece 37.

[0061] As shown in Figure 11 (b), when the second handle section 40 is in the extended position, as described above, the lower front wall 40c of the second handle section 40 is overlapped on the front surface 33d of the front wall 33a of the first handle section 33, and the locking claw 38 of the elastic locking piece 37 is positioned inside the through hole 42 and the pushing operation portion 39 is positioned to protrude slightly forward from the inner position of the through hole 42.

[0062] Furthermore, the elastic locking piece 37 is configured to be able to move between an engagement position in which the locking claw 38 is engaged with the locked protrusion 43 from its front side when the second handle section 40 is in the extended position, thereby preventing the second handle section 40 from bending and rotating toward the folded-back position, and an engagement release position in which, when the locking claw 38 is engaged with the locked protrusion 43, the pushing operation portion 39 is pushed upward (including diagonally upward and rearward) F against the elastic restoring force of the elastic locking piece 37 by the force of the fingers of a cleaning worker, etc., thereby causing the locking claw 38 to move upward and disengage from the locked protrusion 43, thereby allowing the second handle section 40 to be folded and rotated toward the folded-back position.

[0063] Furthermore, when the second handle segment 40 is positioned on the folded-back position side and the locking claw 38 is not engaged with the locked protrusion 43, no elastic restoring force is accumulated in the elastic locking piece 37, and therefore the elastic locking piece 37 is positioned in its original position, the locking position.

[0064] The rear surface 43a of the locked projection 43 is inclined forward with respect to the protruding direction (upward) of the locked projection 43, and the front surface 38a of the locking claw 38 is inclined backward with respect to the protruding direction (downward) of the locking claw 38. As a result, the elastic locking piece 37 is configured such that just before the second handle section 40 is moved from the folded-back position to the extended position, the rear surface 43a of the locked projection 43 comes into sliding contact with the front surface 38a of the locking claw 38, and the elastic locking piece 37 is displaced from the locked position to the unlocked position against its own elastic restoring force, and when the second handle section 40 is moved to the extended position, the rear surface 43a of the locked projection 43 no longer comes into contact with the front surface 38a of the locking claw 38, and the elastic locking piece 37 is displaced to the locked position by its own elastic restoring force, so that the locking claw 38 is locked to the locked projection 43.

[0065] Furthermore, when the second handle section 40 is disposed in the extended position, not only is the locking claw 38 engaged with the locking projection 43 to prevent the second handle section 40 from bending toward the folded-back position, but the lower front wall 40c of the second handle section 40 is overlapped with the front surface 33d of the first handle section 33 to prevent the second handle section 40 from bending toward the opposite side from the folded-back position. Thus, the second handle section 40 is firmly held in the extended position. When wiping the surface to be cleaned, the second handle section 40 is held in this extended position to perform the wiping operation.

[0066] The effect of the elastic locking piece 37 of the handle 30 can be similarly achieved even in a cleaning head in which the front edge 4a is not formed in a pointed shape.

[0067] When using the cleaning tool 1 of this first embodiment to sequentially wipe and clean the top surface 71 of a car dashboard and the inner surface 72 of the windshield as surfaces 70 to be cleaned, as shown in Figure 14, the handle 30 is held in an extended state, the sheet 60 is attached to the cleaning head 2, and the gripping portion 30a of the handle 30 is held in the hand so that the bottom surface 3 (see Figure 1) of the cleaning head 2 faces downward, and the second angle θ2 (see Figure 1) of the handle 30 is changed and held at an angle relative to the top surface 71 of the dashboard that makes it easy to wipe and clean. This makes it easy to wipe and clean the top surface 71 of the dashboard.

[0068] Next, when wiping and cleaning the lower corner 72a of the inner surface 72 of the windshield, the handle 30 is rotated about its axis while being held by hand. This causes the cleaning head 2 to rotate integrally with the handle 30, so that the pointed portion 4b of the front edge of the cleaning head 2 can be easily positioned at the lower corner 72a of the inner surface 72 of the windshield, compared to a conventional cleaning tool in which the lower end of the handle 30 is connected to the cleaning head via a universal joint. Therefore, the lower corner 72a of the inner surface 72 of the windshield can also be easily wiped and cleaned. The cleaning tool 1 can also easily wipe and clean the upper corner of the inner surface 72 of the windshield.

[0069] The cleaning tool according to the present invention is not limited to the cleaning tool 1 of the first embodiment described above, and may be, for example, a cleaning tool 1A according to a second embodiment shown in Fig. 15. In this figure, the same reference numerals are used to designate elements that perform the same functions as elements of the cleaning tool 1 of the first embodiment described above.

[0070] In the cleaning tool 1A of the second embodiment, the cleaning head 2 is slightly larger in plan view than the cleaning head 2 of the cleaning tool 1 of the first embodiment. In addition, as a part of the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral edge 4 of the cleaning head 2, a part excluding the rear edge of the outer peripheral edge 4 of the cleaning head 2, i.e., a part consisting of the front edge 4a including the pointed part 4b and the left and right side edges 4c, 4c, has a cushioning property due to the provision of a plurality of through holes 5 that penetrate the cleaning head 2 (cleaning head body 10) in the thickness direction in a part of the cleaning head 2 near the inside of the part (4a, 4c, 4c) of the cleaning head 2.

[0071] The other configuration of this cleaning tool 1A is the same as that of the cleaning tool 1 of the above-mentioned first embodiment.

[0072] Furthermore, the cleaning tool according to the present invention is not limited to the cleaning tools 1, 1A of the first and second embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0073] The present invention can be used in a cleaning tool with a handle that is used when wiping a surface to be cleaned. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1: Cleaning tool 2: Cleaning head 3: Bottom surface 4a: Front edge 4b: Pointed part 5: Through hole 8: Holding means 10: Cleaning head body 11: Clamp recess 20: Clamp body 30: Handle 31: Angle holding means 33: First handle segment 37: Elastic locking piece 38: Locking claw 39: Push operation part 40: second handle segment 40c: lower front wall 42: Through hole 43: Locked protrusion 45: Pivot part 60: Cleaning sheet 61: Extrusion of sheet 70: Surface to be cleaned

Claims

1. A cleaning tool comprising a cleaning head having a sheet for wiping and cleaning a surface to be cleaned, the sheet being attached so as to be detachably attached in a state in which the sheet covers the bottom surface, and a handle provided in a left-right middle portion on the top surface of the cleaning head, A cleaning tool in which the front edge of the cleaning head is formed into a pointed shape at the front.

2. 2. The cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the handle is pivotally attached to the cleaning head so that a second angle of the handle relative to a rearward direction of the cleaning head can be changed in a stepwise manner while a first angle of the handle relative to a left-right direction of the cleaning head is fixed at approximately 90 degrees.

3. The cleaning head includes a cleaning head body having the bottom surface, and a clamping body that is fitted into a clamping recess formed in a central portion of an upper surface of the cleaning head body so as to be openable and closable relative to the clamping recess, The clamping body is fitted into the clamping recess so that a portion of the sheet covering the bottom surface of the cleaning head body that protrudes outward from the bottom surface is folded back toward the upper surface of the cleaning head body and inserted into the clamping recess, and the clamping body is fitted into the clamping recess so as to clamp the portion between the clamping body and the clamping recess, A part of an outer peripheral edge of the clamping body is pivotally attached to the cleaning head body so that the clamping body can be opened and closed upward with respect to the clamping recess, 3. The cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning head includes a holding means for releasably holding the clips in a closed, fitted state in the clip recess.

4. The handle is divided into a first handle segment on the lower end side and a second handle segment on the upper end side, and the lower end side of the second handle segment is pivotally attached to the upper end of the first handle segment so that the second handle segment can be folded and rotated around the pivot between a folded position where the second handle segment is folded back to the rear side of the first handle segment and an extended position, a through hole penetrating in a thickness direction of a front wall of the second handle section, the front wall being located lower than the pivot portion and overlapping a front surface of the first handle section when the second handle section is in the extended position; a protruding portion to be engaged is provided on a lower edge of an inner peripheral edge of the through hole so as to protrude toward an upper edge of the through hole; The first handle segment is integrally formed with an elastic locking piece having a locking claw and a pushing operation portion on the tip side, 3. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the elastic locking piece is configured to be displaceable between a locking position in which the locking claw arranged inside the through hole is engaged with the locked portion from its front side when the second handle section is in the extended position, thereby preventing the second handle section from bending and rotating toward the folded-back position, and a release position in which the locking claw is disengaged from the locked portion and the second handle section is allowed to be folded and rotated toward the folded-back position when the pushing section is pushed upward against the elastic restoring force of the elastic locking piece with the locking claw engaged with the locked portion.

5. 3. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least a portion of the outer peripheral edge of the cleaning head in the circumferential direction has cushioning properties by providing a through hole penetrating the thickness direction of the cleaning head in a portion inside the at least a portion of the cleaning head.

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