Mop with drying mechanism

Abstract

A mop includes a hollow lower stick including a bottom flared part, lower longitudinal parallel grooves, and intermediate helical grooves; an upper stick slidable in the lower stick; an inner sleeve including a bottom flared member, two steel balls slidably disposed in two opposite lateral tubes proximate the flared member, and a top stopper; a bundle of loose members having both ends fastened to the flared part and the flared member; and an outer sleeve including a flared enlargement adapted to surround and confine the steel balls. After moping, a person may push the enlargement downward toward the flared part for pushing the steel balls inward to urge against the helical grooves, and it is adapted to helically pull the lower stick upward along the helical grooves for moving the lower end of the bundle of loose members upward toward the upper end thereof for drying.

1 . A mop with drying mechanism comprising: 
 a stick including a hollow lower stick including a flared part at a lower end, a plurality of longitudinal parallel grooves extended upward from the flared part, a plurality of helical grooves extended upward from the parallel grooves, and top threads; and an upper stick including a flared nut at its lower end and adapted to threadedly secure to the threads for fastening the lower and upper sticks together;    a bundle of loose members having a lower end fastened to the flared part;    an inner sleeve put on both the parallel grooves and the helical grooves and including a flared member at a lower end, and an annular trough around a lower edge of the flared member with an upper end of the bundle of loose members fastened thereto, a cylinder, two opposite lateral tubes at a joining point of the cylinder and the flared member, two steel balls slidably disposed in the tubes, and a top stopper secured to an upper portion of the cylinder; and    an outer sleeve including an enlargement at a lower end put on the joining point of the cylinder and the flared member, the enlargement having an inner surface tapered upward and adapted to surround the steel balls for preventing the steel balls from disengaging with the tubes wherein the outer sleeve is confined to slide between the stopper and the joining point of the cylinder and the flared member;    wherein in a ready to use state of the mop the upper and lower ends of the bundle of loose members are fully extended, the enlargement is in contact with the steel balls, the steel balls are not engaged with the helical grooves, and the lower stick is adapted to pass the inner sleeve downward;    wherein after moping it is adapted to push the enlargement downward toward the flared part for causing the enlargement to push the steel balls inward to urge against the helical grooves, and it is further adapted to helically pull the lower stick upward along the helical grooves for moving the lower end of the bundle of loose members upward toward the upper end thereof for drying;    wherein after the drying it is adapted to place the bundle of loose members upright and push both the outer and inner sleeves downward to move the upper end of the bundle of loose members downward toward the lower end thereof for further drying; and    wherein after the further drying it is adapted to push both the lower stick and the inner sleeve downward to disengage the steel balls with the enlargement, and the lower stick is adapted to move downward through the inner sleeve until the bundle of loose members is fully extended.    
   
   
       2 . The mop as defined by  claim 1 , wherein the flared part comprises two opposite lateral holes, and further comprising a pin inserted through the holes and the lower end of the bundle of loose members for fastening the bundle of loose members to the flared part.  
   
   
       3 . The mop as defined by  claim 1 , wherein the loose members of the bundle are rags.  
   
   
       4 . The mop as defined by  claim 1 , wherein the loose members of the bundle are yarns.