Cleaning Cloth Coupling Element for Reliable Mop Base Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current floor cleaning cloths with mop bases are inefficient due to unreliable retention, frequent replacement needs, and time wastage, especially when used with wet and dirty cloths, as they require manual intervention and are prone to detachment during cleaning operations.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning cloth with a protruding, rigid or semi-rigid coupling element along its lengthwise edge, featuring a sawtooth-shaped enlargement and recesses, which securely attaches to the mop base without manual intervention, allowing both surfaces to be used for cleaning and facilitating easy wringing while attached.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cloth is retained by the mop base using conventional methods (pockets, buttons, pins), then the cloth can be attached to the base, but the retention is unreliable and the cloth detaches during cleaning operations requiring manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element is designed to be flexible during attachment (bending to engage with the base) but becomes rigid once locked, providing dynamic adaptation during operation. This allows automatic retention without manual intervention while maintaining reliability during cleaning movements.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling element automatically engages with the mop base through a snap-fit or locking mechanism that requires no manual intervention. The element self-adjusts during attachment and self-maintains retention during cleaning operations, eliminating the need for continuous manual adjustment.
2Productivity
If the cloth is frequently replaced due to detachment, then cleaning operations can continue, but time is wasted interrupting normal activities
Solution Approach 1:
The robust coupling element is designed in advance to prevent detachment during cleaning operations. By providing sufficient retention strength before cleaning begins, the system avoids interruptions and time loss from frequent cloth replacements.
3Ease of manufacture
If the cloth edge is laid out on the floor for attachment, then the connection can be made, but the operation is tiresome and time-consuming requiring precise placement
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element automatically positions itself during attachment through self-alignment features or flexible adaptation, eliminating the need for precise manual placement on the floor. The element adapts to the base geometry automatically, reducing the attachment process to a simple insertion motion.
4Reliability
If the cloth is used with wet and dirty conditions, then cleaning effectiveness is maintained, but the retention becomes even less reliable requiring even more frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling element is made from materials that maintain their mechanical properties when wet, such as synthetic polymers or treated fabrics that do not lose strength when saturated. This composite construction ensures reliable retention even in wet and dirty cleaning conditions.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention concerns a cloth equipped along one of its lengthwise edges with a protrusion, perpendicular or coplanar to the plane of the cleaning surfaces of said cloth; said protrusion being suitable for being joined to a mop base with a gripper mouth.