Cleaning tool

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a cleaning tool capable of reducing manufacturing costs, strongly scraping off dust adhering to a surface to be cleaned, and cleaning the surface to be cleaned on the whole cleaning surface. [Solution] This cleaning tool 10 includes a cleaning head 1 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and an operation handle 2 fixed to an upper surface of the cleaning head 1, wherein a cleaning sheet formed of a non-woven fabric is attached so as to cover a bottom surface 1b side of the cleaning head 1. The bottom surface 1b of the cleaning head 1 has a plurality of polygonal convex parts 3, 13, 23, 33 having four or more corner parts 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and groove parts 4, 14, 24, 34 formed around each of the plurality of convex parts 3, 13, 23, 33. Two or more corner parts 3a, 3b of the convex parts 3, 13, 23, 33 are formed in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the cleaning head 1.

Description

cleaning tools

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning tool having a cleaning head and an operating handle.

[0002] A cleaning tool has been known in the past that includes a cleaning head, a cleaning tool body consisting of a base body attached to cover the underside of the cleaning head, and a handle attached to the surface opposite the underside of the cleaning head, and a cleaning sheet attached to cover the surface to be cleaned by the underside of the base body, with the cleaning sheet used to wipe the surface to be cleaned (Patent Document 1).

[0003] The cleaning tool described in Patent Document 1 has a wavy uneven surface portion on the underside of a base body, which has a wave-shaped cross-section in a direction perpendicular to a predetermined direction in which cleaning is performed by the cleaning tool body, and in a plan view, has a wave-shaped cross-section in which peaks and valleys are alternately arranged in succession, and the valleys of the wavy uneven surface portion have ends that open to the side of the base body that faces the predetermined direction, and have oblique valley portions that extend obliquely relative to the predetermined direction, and the wavy uneven surface portion is provided as part of an uneven surface that spreads in a ripple shape over the entire surface of the base body, and the wavy uneven surface is an uneven surface that spreads in a circular or diamond shape over the entire surface of the base body.

[0004] Patent No. 5307840

[0005] However, the cleaning tool described in Patent Document 1 above has a configuration in which multiple protruding ribs are provided at intervals protruding from the tops of the peaks of the corrugated uneven surface portion, because the corrugated uneven surface portion alone does not have enough power to scrape off dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned.Taking into consideration the durability of the protruding ribs, there is a problem in that the manufacturing costs are high.

[0006] The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a cleaning tool that can improve durability and reduce manufacturing costs, and that can strongly scrape off dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned, thereby cleaning the surface to be cleaned using the entire cleaning surface.

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the invention of claim 1 provides a cleaning tool having a cleaning head that is approximately rectangular in plan view, and an operating handle fixed to the top surface of the cleaning head, in which a cleaning sheet made of nonwoven fabric is attached to cover the bottom side of the cleaning head, wherein the bottom surface of the cleaning head has a plurality of polygonal protrusions with four or more corners and grooves formed around each of the plurality of protrusions, and two or more corners of the protrusions are formed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head.

[0008] In the invention of claim 1, the bottom surface of the cleaning head has a plurality of polygonal protrusions with four or more corners and grooves formed around each of the plurality of protrusions, which improves durability and reduces manufacturing costs, and allows the cleaning sheet to be firmly held in place while scraping off dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned. Furthermore, because two or more corners of the protrusions are formed perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head, when the cleaning head is moved back and forth over the surface to be cleaned, dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned can be firmly scraped off, allowing the entire surface to be cleaned.

[0009] The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1, when the cleaning tool is in use, the bottom surface of the groove is closer to the surface to be cleaned at the center side in the short direction than at the end sides. This allows the grooves at the end sides to hold relatively large dust particles, while the grooves at the center side can hold small dust particles, making it possible to gradually hold dust particles of various sizes and improving the cleaning effect.

[0010] The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that in the invention of claim 1 or 2, the plurality of protrusions are formed more in the central part of the bottom surface of the cleaning head in the short direction than in the both end parts, which allows more corners to be arranged in the central part, improving the cleaning effect.

[0011] The invention of claim 4 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1 or 2, the width of the groove is narrower at the center of the short side of the bottom surface of the cleaning head than at both end portions, thereby allowing the captured dust to be concentrated toward the center and collected and captured, improving the cleaning effect.

[0012] The invention of claim 5 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1 or 2, the corners formed on the plurality of protrusions in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head include corners formed at a reflex angle. This allows the two sides forming the reflex angle to catch and hold dust, etc., thereby improving the dust scraping and holding effects.

[0013] The invention of claim 6 is characterized in that in the invention of claim 1 or 2, the corners formed by the minor angles of the plurality of convex portions are formed at different angles, so that the minor angles of various angles come into contact with dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned, improving the dust scraping effect.

[0014] The invention of claim 7 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 5, the plurality of protrusions have corners formed at a moderate angle and corners formed at a moderate angle arranged at positions facing each other across a groove, so that when the cleaning head is moved forward and backward, dust can be reliably held by the groove sandwiched between the moderate angle and the moderate angle, and the dust scraping effect can be further improved.

[0015] The invention of claim 8 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1 or 2, the grooves formed around adjacent convex portions are connected to each other, thereby making it possible to transport the captured dust in a predetermined direction and improving the cleaning effect.

[0016] The invention of claim 9 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 8, the mutually communicating grooves are not formed in a straight line connecting one end and the other end in the short direction of the bottom surface of the cleaning head. This allows the captured dust to be held in the groove near the center, improving the cleaning effect.

[0017] The invention of claim 10 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 8, the mutually communicating grooves include grooves formed in a grid pattern of two different sizes. This allows dust particles of various sizes to be retained in stages, improving the dust scraping and retention effects and further improving the cleaning effect.

[0018] The invention of claim 11 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 8, the interconnected grooves are formed so that the groove width gradually narrows from one end side in the short direction of the bottom surface of the cleaning head toward the center. This allows the captured dust to be concentrated toward the center and the dust held in the grooves on the center side to be compressed and held firmly, further improving the cleaning effect.

[0019] The invention of claim 12 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1 or 2, the plurality of protrusions have corners formed in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head, thereby improving the dust scraping effect even when the cleaning head is moved left and right.

[0020] The invention of claim 13 is characterized in that in the invention of claim 1 or 2, the longitudinal direction of the groove is not perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head, so that when the cleaning head is moved back and forth, dust comes into contact with the side surface of the groove, improving the retention effect.

[0021] The invention of claim 14 is characterized in that in the invention of claim 1 or 2, a fixing portion for fixing the cleaning sheet is formed on the bottom side of the cleaning head, thereby making it possible to easily fix the cleaning sheet to the cleaning head.

[0022] The invention of claim 1 can reduce manufacturing costs and can scrape off dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned while firmly holding the entire cleaning sheet. Furthermore, when the cleaning head is moved back and forth over the surface to be cleaned, dust adhering to the surface can be strongly scraped off, allowing the entire surface to be cleaned. Furthermore, the inventions of claims 2 to 4 can improve cleaning effectiveness. Furthermore, the inventions of claims 5 to 7 can improve dust scraping effectiveness.

[0023] The inventions of claims 8 to 11 can improve the cleaning effect. The invention of claim 12 can improve the dust scraping effect. The invention of claim 13 can improve the dust retention effect. The invention of claim 14 can easily fix the cleaning sheet to the cleaning head.

[0024] (a) A perspective view of the cleaning tool according to the present invention as seen from the top side. (b) A perspective view of the cleaning tool according to the present invention as seen from the bottom side. (a) A bottom view of the cleaning tool according to the present invention. (b) A right side view of the cleaning tool according to the present invention. (a) A partially enlarged perspective view of the cleaning tool according to the present invention. (b) A partially enlarged bottom view of the cleaning tool according to the present invention. (a) A cross-sectional view of the cleaning tool according to the present invention taken along line A-A in FIG. 2(a). (b) A partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the cleaning tool according to the present invention when in use.

[0025] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Fig. 1(a) is a perspective view of a cleaning tool according to the present invention as seen from above, and Fig. 1(b) is a perspective view of the cleaning tool according to the present invention as seen from the bottom. Fig. 2(a) is a bottom view of the cleaning tool according to the present invention, and Fig. 2(b) is a right side view of the cleaning tool according to the present invention. The cleaning tool according to the present invention will be described in detail below using these figures.

[0026] The cleaning tool 10 according to the present invention has a cleaning head 1 that is substantially rectangular in plan view and an operating handle 2 fixed to the top surface 1a of the cleaning head 1, and is used by attaching a cleaning sheet X (see FIG. 4) made of nonwoven fabric to cover the bottom surface 1b of the cleaning head 1 by means of brush-like fixing parts 5a, 5b formed on the bottom surface 1b of the cleaning head 1 or by means of engaging groove-like fixing parts 5c, 5d formed on the side surfaces of the cleaning head and made of a soft material. The brush-like fixing parts 5a, 5b formed on the bottom surface 1b of the cleaning head 1 are made of brush members made of a plurality of bristles, and are fixed by inserting the tips of the bristles into the nonwoven fabric of the cleaning sheet X, in which the fibers of the cleaning sheet X are entangled. Specifically, each of the bristles has a protrusion at its tip that extends in the radial direction, and adjacent bristles are planted at intervals such that they interfere with each other, so that when the cleaning tool 10 is in use, the bristles and the cleaning sheet X are fixed by the protrusions of the bristles catching on the fibers of the cleaning sheet X. This allows the cleaning sheet X to be easily fixed to the cleaning head 1.

[0027] The bottom surface 1b of the cleaning head 1 has a plurality of polygonal protrusions 3, 13, 23, 33 each having four or more corners 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and grooves 4, 14, 24, 34 formed around each of the plurality of protrusions 3, 13, 23, 33, with two or more corners of the protrusions 3, 13, 23, 33 being formed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head 1. A plurality of triangular protrusions 43, 53 are formed on both end sides of the cleaning head 1. The bottom surface 1b of the cleaning head is made of a soft material, and when it is brought into contact with the surface to be cleaned via a cleaning sheet, it conforms to the uneven shape of the surface to be cleaned, allowing the cleaning sheet to be pressed firmly against the surface to be cleaned, improving the cleaning effect.

[0028] As described above, the cleaning tool 10 has a plurality of polygonal protrusions with four or more corners on the bottom surface of the cleaning head 1, and grooves formed around each of these protrusions, which improves durability and reduces manufacturing costs, and allows the cleaning tool 10 to scrape off dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned while firmly holding the entire cleaning sheet. Furthermore, because two or more corners of the protrusions are formed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head, when the cleaning head is moved back and forth over the surface to be cleaned, dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned can be firmly scraped off, allowing the entire surface to be cleaned.

[0029] The cleaning tool 10 has a cleaning head 1 that also functions as a suction tool for an electric vacuum cleaner, but it can also be applied to an ordinary mop that does not have this function, and this is also included in the present invention.

[0030] Of the multiple protrusions 3, 13, 23, 33 of the cleaning tool 10, there are more protrusions 3, 13 on the central side in the short direction of the bottom surface 1b of the cleaning head 1 than on the protrusions 23, 33 on both end sides. This allows more corners 3a, 3b, ..., 13a, 13b, ... to be arranged on the central side in the short direction of the bottom surface 1b of the cleaning head 1, improving the cleaning effect.

[0031] The grooves 4, 14 formed around adjacent protrusions 3, 13 of the cleaning tool 10 are connected to each other, which allows the captured dust to be transported in a predetermined direction, improving the cleaning effect.

[0032] The interconnected grooves 4, 14, 24, and 34 of the cleaning tool 10 are not formed in a straight line connecting one end and the other end in the lateral direction of the bottom surface 1b of the cleaning head 1. That is, the straight line portion extends from one or the other end in the lateral direction of the bottom surface 1b of the cleaning head 1 to near the center. This allows captured dust to be held in the grooves 4 and 14 near the center, improving the cleaning effect. Note that the cleaning effect can also be improved by interconnecting the grooves 4, 14, 24, and 34 in a wavy or stepped pattern, which is included in the present invention.

[0033] The multiple protrusions 3, 13, 23, 33 of the cleaning tool 10 have corners 3c, 3d, 13c, 13d, 23c, 23d, 33c, 33d formed in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head, thereby improving the dust scraping effect even when the cleaning head 1 is moved left and right.

[0034] The longitudinal direction of the grooves 4, 14, 24, and 34 is not perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head 1, but is formed at an angle to the perpendicular direction. This allows dust to come into contact with the side surfaces of the grooves when the cleaning head 1 is moved back and forth, improving the retention effect.

[0035] Figure 3(a) is a partially enlarged perspective view of a cleaning tool according to the present invention, and Figure 3(b) is a partially enlarged bottom view of the cleaning tool according to the present invention. As shown in these figures, the widths 4a, 14a, and 24a of the grooves of the cleaning tool 10 are narrower at the center 4a in the short direction of the bottom surface of the cleaning head 1 than at both end portions 24a. This allows captured dust to be concentrated toward the center, improving cleaning effectiveness. Note that the reference numeral 7 in Figure 3(a) denotes a blade made of a soft material. When using the cleaning tool 10, the blade 7 presses the cleaning sheet against the surface to be cleaned, improving cleaning effectiveness and preventing the cleaning sheet from slipping.

[0036] The corners of the plurality of protrusions 23 of the cleaning tool 10 that are formed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head 1 include corners that are formed at a reflex angle δ. This allows the two sides that form the reflex angle δ to catch and hold dust and other particles, thereby improving the dust scraping and holding effects.

[0037] The corners formed by the minor angles α, β, and γ of the multiple convex portions of the cleaning tool 10 are formed at different angles, so that the minor angles α, β, and γ of various angles come into contact with dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned, improving the dust scraping effect.

[0038] Furthermore, the multiple protrusions have corners formed at a minor angle α arranged at positions facing a corner formed at a reflex angle δ and across groove 4. This allows dust to be reliably held by groove 4 sandwiched between reflex angle δ and minor angle α when cleaning head 1 is moved back and forth, and further improves the dust scraping effect.

[0039] The interconnected grooves 4, 14, 24 of the cleaning tool 10 include two different sizes of grooves formed in a grid pattern, which allows dust particles of various sizes to be retained in stages, improving the dust scraping and retention effects and further improving the cleaning effect.

[0040] The interconnected grooves 4, 14, and 24 are formed so that their widths gradually narrow from one end of the short side of the bottom surface 1b of the cleaning head 1 toward the center (4a<14a<24a). This allows captured dust to be concentrated toward the center, and the dust held in the central grooves 4 and 14 is compressed and firmly held, further improving cleaning effectiveness. Openings 6a and 6b are formed at the ends of the grooves 24 and 34 on both ends, making it easier for dust adhering to the surface to be cleaned to be captured into the grooves 24 and 34. The bottom surface 1b of the cleaning head 1 is also formed with multiple protrusions and grooves that are line-symmetrical on both ends, with the boundary at approximately the center in the short side. This improves cleaning effectiveness whether the cleaning head 1 is moved forward or backward during use.

[0041] Fig. 4(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 2(a), and Fig. 4(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the cleaning tool according to the present invention when in use. As shown in Fig. 4(a), the cleaning tool 10 according to the present invention is configured to also function as a suction tool of an electric vacuum cleaner, and relatively large dust particles sucked in through the suction port 2a are transported to the vacuum cleaner body via the suction passage 2b formed in the operating handle 2.

[0042] On the other hand, dust Z that is attached to the surface Y to be cleaned and cannot be easily removed by the suction force of the vacuum cleaner is scraped off by polygonal convex portions 3, 13, 23, 33 with four or more corners formed on the bottom surface 1b of the cleaning head 1, and is held in groove portions 4, 14, 24, 34 via the cleaning sheet X.

[0043] 4(b), when the cleaning tool is in use, the bottom surfaces 4b, 24b of the grooves are configured so that the central side 4b in the width direction is closer to the surface Y to be cleaned than the end sides 24b. This allows the grooves 24 on the end sides to hold relatively large dust particles Z. Furthermore, the central groove 4 can hold small dust particles Z, so dust particles of various sizes can be held in stages, further improving the cleaning effect.

[0044] The cleaning tool according to the present invention is used as a cleaning tool for removing dirt, dust, etc. from floors, walls, windows, etc. in a room.

[0045] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 cleaning head 1a top surface 1b bottom surface 2 operating handle 2a suction port 2b suction passage 3, 13, 23, 33, 43 convex portion 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 23a, 33a corner portion 4, 14, 24, 34 groove portion 4a, 14a, 24a groove width 4b, 24b groove bottom surface 5a, 5b brush-shaped fixing portion 5c, 5d engagement groove-shaped fixing portion 6a, 6b opening 7 blade 10 cleaning tool X cleaning sheet Y surface to be cleaned Z dust α, β, γ minor angle δ major angle

Claims

1. A cleaning tool having a cleaning head that is approximately rectangular in plan view and an operating handle fixed to the top surface of the cleaning head, and a cleaning sheet made of nonwoven fabric attached to cover the bottom side of the cleaning head, characterized in that the bottom surface of the cleaning head has a plurality of polygonal protrusions with four or more corners and a groove formed around each of the plurality of protrusions, and two or more corners of the protrusions are formed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head.

2. A cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein when the cleaning tool is in use, the bottom surface of the groove is closer to the surface to be cleaned at the center in the lateral direction than at both ends.

3. A cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the number of protrusions is greater at the center of the bottom surface of the cleaning head in the lateral direction than at both ends.

4. A cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the width of the groove is narrower at the center of the bottom surface of the cleaning head in the short direction than at both ends.

5. A cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the corners formed on the plurality of protrusions in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head include corners formed at an oblique angle.

6. A cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the corners of the plurality of convex portions formed by the minor angles are formed at different angles.

7. A cleaning tool according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of protrusions are arranged such that corners formed at a moderate angle are disposed at positions opposite each other across a groove.

8. A cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the grooves formed around adjacent protrusions are connected to each other.

9. A cleaning tool according to claim 8, wherein the mutually communicating grooves are not formed in a straight line connecting one end and the other end in the short direction of the bottom surface of the cleaning head.

10. The cleaning tool according to claim 8, wherein the mutually communicating grooves include grooves formed in a grid pattern of two different sizes.

11. A cleaning tool according to claim 8, wherein the mutually communicating grooves are formed so that the groove width gradually narrows from one end of the bottom surface of the cleaning head in the lateral direction toward the center.

12. A cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of protrusions have corners formed in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head.

13. A cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the longitudinal direction of the groove is not perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cleaning head.

14. The cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a fixing portion for fixing the cleaning sheet is formed on the bottom side of the cleaning head.

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