# US 11,297,996 B2 · Floor mop > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,297,996 B2 - Document ID: US11297996B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/528,050 - Filed: 2019-07-31 - Published: 2021-02-04 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-31 - Assignees: Carl Freudenberg KG - Applicants: Carl Freudenberg KG - Inventors: Doug Metzel; Eric Wehrli - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11297996B2 ## CPC - A47L 13/254: Plate frames - A47L 13/22: with liquid-feeding devices - A47L 13/256: for mops made of cloth - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) ## Abstract A floor mop including a handle, a shaft coupled to the handle, a multidirectional joint coupled to the shaft opposite the handle, and a mop plate. The mop plate is unitarily formed and includes an upper plate including an upper surface, a substantially parallel lower plate including a lower surface, lateral faces extending between the upper and lower plate, and at least one internal web extending between the upper and lower plates. The upper plate, lower plate, lateral faces and at least one internal web are unitarily formed. The mop plate and the multidirectional joint further include complementary coupling structures. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A floor mop comprising: a handle; a shaft coupled to the handle; a multidirectional joint coupled to the shaft opposite the handle; and a mop plate coupled to the multidirectional joint, the mop plate having an upper plate, a lower plate substantially parallel to the upper plate, lateral faces extending between the upper and lower plate, and at least one internal web extending between the upper and lower plates, the upper plate including an upper surface, the lower plate including a lower surface, wherein the upper plate, the lower plate, the lateral faces and the at least one internal web are unitarily formed, the mop plate including a front edge and a rear edge, the mop plate including a U-shape defined laterally across a width of the mop plate and defining a U-shaped opening, the U-shaped opening being disposed toward the rear edge of the mop plate, the mop plate and the multidirectional joint including complementary coupling structures, wherein the complementary coupling structure of the multidirectional joint includes a pair of opposed connection rods, and the complementary coupling structure of the mop plate includes a pair of channels, the mop plate including opposed walls bordering the U-shaped opening, the pair of channels being formed within the opposed walls bordering the U-shaped opening. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The floor mop of claim 1 wherein the upper surface is substantially continuous, and the lower surface is substantially continuous. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The floor mop of claim 1 wherein the at least one internal web includes a plurality of internal webs forming channels between the internal webs and the upper and lower plates. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The floor mop of claim 3 wherein the plurality of internal webs extend in a direction between the front and rear edges. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The floor mop of claim 1 wherein each of said channels includes an entry portion, an operational portion, and at least one restraining flange, the entry portion and the operational portion being separated by the at least one restraining flange. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The floor mop of claim 1 wherein the complementary coupling structures pivotably couple the mop plate to the multidirectional joint, the complementary coupling structures permitting the mop plate to pivot at least 180° relative to the multidirectional joint. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The floor mop of claim 1 wherein the mop plate wherein the mop plate includes a plurality of rounded edges. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The floor mop of claim 1 wherein the mop plate includes a plurality of internal webs extending between the upper and lower plates, the plurality of internal webs extending in a direction between the front and rear edges and being disposed substantially parallel one another, the plurality of internal webs forming channels between the internal webs and the upper and lower plates, the channels opening to at least one of the front and rear edges, wherein the upper plate, the lower plate, the lateral faces and the internal webs are unitarily formed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The floor mop of claim 8 wherein the mop plate is formed of one or more of polymeric, metal, and composite materials. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The floor mop of claim 8 wherein the plurality of internal webs extend substantially perpendicularly to at least one of the front edge and the rear edge of the mop plate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The floor mop of claim 8 wherein the upper surface is substantially continuous, and the lower surface is substantially continuous. ### Claim 12 A floor mop comprising: a handle; a shaft coupled to the handle; a multidirectional joint coupled to the shaft opposite the handle; a mop plate coupled to the multidirectional joint, the mop plate having an upper plate, a lower plate substantially parallel to the upper plate, lateral faces extending between the upper and lower plate, and at least one internal web extending between the upper and lower plates, the upper plate including an upper surface, the lower plate including a lower surface, wherein the upper plate, the lower plate, the lateral faces and the at least one internal web are unitarily formed, the mop plate and the multidirectional joint including complementary coupling structures; a cleat, the cleat being spaced from the multidirectional joint, the multidirectional joint being adapted to allow the mop plate to pivot to a position wherein the mop plate is disposed substantially parallel to the shaft, the cleat being adapted to further couple the mop plate to the shaft in a position substantially parallel to the shaft; and a cleaning pad disposed on the mop plate, the cleaning pad including a loop disposed to engage with the cleat to couple the mop plate to the shaft in the position substantially parallel to the shaft. ### Claim 13 A floor mop comprising: a handle; a shaft coupled to the handle; a measuring cup removably attached to the shaft; a multidirectional joint coupled to the shaft opposite the handle; and a mop plate coupled to the multidirectional joint, the mop plate having an upper plate, a lower plate substantially parallel to the upper plate, lateral faces extending between the upper and lower plate, and at least one internal web extending between the upper and lower plates, the upper plate including an upper surface, the lower plate including a lower surface, wherein the upper plate, the lower plate, the lateral faces and the at least one internal web are unitarily formed, the mop plate and the multidirectional joint including complementary coupling structures. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The floor mop of claim 13 wherein the mop plate has a U-shape defined laterally across a width of the mop plate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The floor mop of claim 14 wherein the mop plate includes a front edge and a rear edge, and the U-shape of the mop plate defines a U-shaped opening, the U-shaped opening being disposed toward the rear edge of the mop plate, the U-shaped opening including the complementary coupling structure of the mop plate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The floor mop of claim 13 wherein the complementary coupling structures include at least one connection rod and at least one channel adapted to receive the at least one rod. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The floor mop of claim 13 wherein the multidirectional joint allows the mop plate to pivot substantially 180° relative to the handle to dispose either of the upper plate and the lower plate in a lowermost position.