1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cleaning implement for cleaning a floor surface or the like by using a rotative brush and a wiping member at the same time.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is a cleaning implement for cleaning carpets that comprises wheels and a rotative brush adapted to rotate around a horizontal rotative shaft in operative association with said wheels, the cleaning implement being moved while rolling the wheels on a carpet by pushing (or pulling) a handle attached thereto, the dust on the carpet being swept up by the rotative brush rotating in operative association with the wheels, so as to receive the dust in a dust receiver in the cleaning implement.
However, when this kind of cleaning implement is used for cleaning relatively flat surfaces, such as various kinds of floor surfaces, tatami mat surfaces or the like, made of flooring material, boad, plastic material or the like, it is difficult to sufficiently sweep up the dust, with the dust and the like, particularly fine dust particles and the like often remaining on the floor surface or the like.
On the other hand, in the cleaning of various kinds of floor surfaces, an arrangement is well known wherein the wipe cleaning of a floor surface is effected by a wiping member, such as a non-woven fabric, attached to the lower surface of a mop head. The mop using such wiping member, however, lacks the ability of wiping relatively large dust particles on the floor.
Further, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. Sho 61 (1986)-75255 discloses “a floor surface cleaner characterized in that a rotative brush having driving wheels of somewhat small diameter at both ends is rotatably mounted in a main body case opened in the lower surface in such a manner that the lower portions of said driving wheels project downward through said main body case, a dust room for receiving dust is disposed in the vicinity of the rear of said rotative brush in said main body case, and a mop having a shape for contact with a floor surface and extending substantially along the outer periphery of said rotative brush is installed in the vicinity of the rear of said rotative brush.”
In this floor surface cleaner, rotation of the rotative brush causes dust on the floor surface to be swept up along the mop having a shape extending substantially along the outer periphery of the rotative brush and received in the dust room, while the mop wipes the floor surface. Some dust that is not swept up is collected by the front end of the mop by means of mop movement and stays thereon, so that it is swept up by the continuous sweep-up action produced by the rotation of the rotative brush and is received in the dust room.
The mop of this floor surface cleaner, however, is required to have a shape extending substantially along the outer periphery of the rotative brush; therefore, it is impossible to use a sheet-like wiping member, such as a non-woven fabric, or a wiping member of normal form, such as a cleaning rag, and the continuing of rotation of the rotative brush in contact with the mop tends to damage the mop and shortens the life of the wiping member.
An object of the present invention, which as been accomplished with the above prior art problems in mind, is to provide a cleaning implement capable of efficiently and reliably effecting the cleaning of various kinds of floor surface, tatami mat surfaces or the like using a wiping member without impairing its durability.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds