Floor maintenance tool with mop release mechanism

Abstract

A floor maintenance too! including a handle and a tool coupled to the handle. The tool head includes a frame that supports a first engagement panel and a second engagement panel, with each panel disposed on an underside of the frame. The tool also includes a cable that extends between the tool head and the handle and that is coupled to the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel. An actuator mechanism is coupled to the cable and is manipulatable to move at least one of the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel via the cable relative to the frame to selectively engage and disengage a mop pad relative to the tool head.

1 . A floor maintenance tool comprising:
 a) a handle;   b) a tool head coupled to the handle and comprising a frame supporting a first engagement panel and a second engagement panel each disposed on an underside of the frame;   c) a cable extending between the tool head and the handle, the cable coupled to the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel; and   d) an actuator mechanism coupled to the cable and manipulatable to move at least one of the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel via the cable relative to the frame to selectively engage and disengage a mop pad relative to the tool head.   
     
     
         2 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 1 , wherein the first engagement panel comprises a first plurality of pins and the second engagement panel comprises a second plurality of pins, and wherein the first plurality of pins are angled away from the second plurality of pins. 
     
     
         3 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 2 , wherein at least some of the pins comprise barbs. 
     
     
         4 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 2 , wherein the first plurality of pins and the second plurality of pins are movable relative to the frame, and wherein the frame further comprises a third plurality of pins that remain stationary relative to the frame. 
     
     
         5 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 4 , wherein the third plurality of pins are oriented substantially vertically. 
     
     
         6 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 2 , wherein the first plurality of pins is attached to a base slidably mated to the first engagement panel. 
     
     
         7 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 1 , wherein the tool head is coupled to a distal end of the handle, and wherein the actuator mechanism is positioned on the handle approximately midway between a proximal end of the handle and the distal end. 
     
     
         8 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator mechanism is operatively coupled to the cable and comprises a housing movable relative to the handle to induce movement of the at least one of the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel relative to the frame between an mop pad engaged state and a mop pad disengaged state. 
     
     
         9 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 8 , wherein the actuator mechanism further comprises an engagement member movable with the housing and engageable with a ledge disposed on the handle to hold the at least one of the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel in the disengaged state. 
     
     
         10 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 8 , wherein the actuator mechanism further comprises an actuator disposed on the handle and movable relative to the housing to disengage the engagement member from the ledge to vary the at least one of the first engagement panel and the second engagement panel to the engaged state. 
     
     
         11 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 10 , wherein the engagement member and the actuator are at least partially encapsulated by the housing. 
     
     
         12 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 10 , wherein the actuator is biased in a first direction along an axis defined by the handle, and the actuator is movable downward to disengage the engagement member from the ledge. 
     
     
         13 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 8 , further comprising a drawbar interconnecting the actuator mechanism and the tool head. 
     
     
         14 . A floor maintenance tool comprising:
 a) a handle;   b) a tool head comprising a pivot joint to which the handle is attached, the tool head further comprising a frame supporting two engagement panels disposed on an underside of the frame; and   c) a cable coupled to at least one of the engagement panels to alter the position of the at least one engagement panel relative to the frame,   wherein the tool head defines a cable routing system such that the cable extends through the pivot joint.   
     
     
         15 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 14 , wherein the pivot joint comprises a first pivot and a second pivot, and wherein the cable extends through both pivots. 
     
     
         16 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 15 , wherein the first pivot defines a first axis and the second pivot defines a second axis that is skewed relative to the first axis to provide two degrees of freedom for the handle. 
     
     
         17 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 15 , wherein each of the first pivot and the second pivot comprises a first axle and a second axle spaced from and axially aligned with the first axle to route the cable through the pivot joint, and a set of pins that attach each first axle to the corresponding second axle, and wherein the cable extends through gaps defined between the pins of each set. 
     
     
         18 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 14 , wherein the pivot joint comprises a pivotable bushing that substantially surrounds the cable. 
     
     
         19 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 14 , wherein the pivot joint comprises a first axle and a second axle spaced from and axially aligned with the first axle to route the cable through the pivot joint. 
     
     
         20 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 19 , wherein the pivot joint further comprises a pin extending through the first axle and the second axle to secure the first and second axles for dependent rotation. 
     
     
         21 . The floor maintenance tool of  claim 19 , wherein the pivot joint further comprises two pins extending through the first axle and the second axle to secure the first and second axles for dependent rotation, and wherein the cable extends through a gap between the pins. 
     
     
         22 - 61 . (canceled)