Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
?CA 02265469 2003-02-11FLAT TEXTILE STRUCTURE FOR CLEANING PURPOSESThe invention relates to a flat textile structure for cleaning purposes with an all-over cut pile of fibers of different degrees of fineness which are projecting from acarrier material, as used, for example, in cleaning cioths for the cleaning of floors.For improvement of the cleaning properties, the pile in known cleaning coversoften consists of a mixture of different cotton fibers and synthetic fibers. Thesesynthetic fibers generally have a higher fiber titre relative to the cotton fibers andare intended to improve the scrubbing performance.it is hereby disadvantageous that the individual synthetic fibers each actindividually on soiled areas and that the cleaning performance or the desiredeffect is only insufficiently achieved. The reduction of the water absorption standsin the way of an increase of the synthetic fiber portion.A cleaning arrangement is furthermore known from the German Utility Model DE-GM 94 O2 509 which includes two sections positioned sequentially one behind theother in direction of operation, which each include fibers fastened to a carriermaterial and protruding with a free end from the carrier material and of which theone portion includes ?bers suited for the cleaning and the second sectionincludes fibers for wiping dry or the like. This is directed to a teaching for thedesign of cleaning covers, which means that the desired effect is achieved by acombination of known textiles. The material itself, i.e., the cleaning textile, is notchanged. The DE-GM 94 21 401 also relates to the design of a cleaning textilebut not the material itself.A cleaning cloth is known from EP-A-D 609 678, which includes a polarized fabricwith polarized threads of different titer, for example, fine, medium coarse,-1-?CA 02265469 2003-02-11whereby the polarized threads of equal titer are combined in selected surfaceportions. An arrangement of the portions in the sequence small titer, medium titer,large titer is thereby disclosed, whereby an arrangement of the threads of largertiter is present in the central region of the cleaning cloth. The regions of differentfiber fineness are thus formed in such a way that the regions are positioned sideby side according to their increasing cleaning capacity. A water absorbing regionwith small titer is thereby located beside a region with medium titer, which is inturn located beside a region with fibers of high titer. Zones with strong cleaningaction of large titer and water holding zones with small titer are thereby supposedto be active one after the other. The problem of dirt storage is not discussedtherein.A carpet cleaner is known from lJSâAâ5, 142,727, which proposes zones for dirtloosening and dirt storage different from zones for water and dirt storage. The dirtabsorption thereby takes place in the same region as the absorption of thecleaning. liquid.A further mop cover is known from WOâAâ95 22 277, which includes threedifferent functional zones. These zones are positioned side by side and divide themop cover over the whole surface into these functional zones.The invention seeks to increase the overall effect of the individual fibers presentwithout increasing the total number of the fibers.According to the present invention there is provided a fullâsurfacecl pile textilefabric for cleaning purposes, comprising: a carrier material; at least one first fiberregion comprising fibers that exhibit high water absorption capacity; a plurality ofsecond fiber regions having a large fiber surface area for taking up dirt, each ofsaid second fiber regions being outwardly bounded by the first fiber region; and?CA 02265469 2003-02-11a plurality of third fiber regions for providing a scrubbing effect for loosening dirt,each of said third fiber regions being outwardly bounded by the second fiberregion, wherein each of the fiber regions is made from a plurality of individualfibers, whose average fiber fineness differs from the average fiber fineness of theother fiber regions.By embedding fiber regions with scrubbing effect for the dirt loosening into fiberregions with high fiber surface for the dirt absorption which in turn are embeddedin zones with fibers with high water absorption, one achieves that in one moppingoperation, the dirt is loosened, absorbed, and the surface to be cleaned dried fromthe cleaning water. With an appropriate distribution and construction,?CA 02265469 2002-09-25specific cleaning effects can therefore be reinforced with certain material zonesand effect synergies can be achieved.Overall, several different fiber regions can be realized in the flat textile structure tocombine several different functional properties.A degree of fineness value in the range of 1 dtex to 200 dtex, preferably between1 dtex and 20 dtex is advantageous as a differentiation limit for the manufactureof a cleaning cloth. Different properties of the fiber regions for the cleaning areproduced within this range.The average fineness of the fibers in the fiber regions should differ by at least 2dtex from the surrounding zones to produce a clear separation of function.To achieve a diversity of effects with a flat textile structure, it is advantageous toselect a differentiation limit at a degree of fiber fineness of 1 dtex and adifferentiation limit at a degree of fiber ?neness of 3 to 20 dtex. The fibers with adegree of fineness below 1 dtex are called microfibers and overall possess alarge surface whereby the dirt absorption of already loosened dirt particlesresults. The dirt is loosened with fibers having a degree of fineness of more than3 and up to 20 dtex which have a high scrubbing performance due to theirinherent elasticity. The water required for the cleaning is absorbed by suitablefibers having a degree of fineness between the above-mentioned fibers, so that adrying of the surface takes place. A cloth with two or three functions can beconstructed.The use of other ?ber types or other ?ber mixtures for the fiber regions comparedto the surrounding zones is also advantageous. Principally different functions, forexample, water absorption and dirt removal, are thereby adapted by arespectively suitable fiber type or fiber mixture.?CA 02265469 2002-09-25When the fiber regions are shaped as fiber islands, which means as regionssurrounded on all sides by the adjacent zone, any distribution according to theapplication purpose is made possible. Especially, uneven distributions withparticularly active regions can be achieved.The coherent formation of the fiber regions relative to each other, for example, inthe form of a grid, allows the design of the flat textile structure according to theapplication purpose.Both above-mentioned further developments can be constructed in such a waythat an isotropical effect is provided, which means the effects are present in alldirections of application.If a preferred direction of use is desired, the fiber regions can be shaped in theform of essentially linear stripes.Strongly intertwined stripes, for example, a wave pattern, wherein the wavevalleys and wave peaks of the stripes overlap, lead however to an attenuation ofthe anisotropy.In order to achieve an improved supportive action, the minimum surface of theindividual fiber regions is 4 mmz, measured at 1 mm distance above the carriermaterial.It is especially advantageous when the surface of the fiber islands is over 20 mmz,since optically detectable patterns can be formed thereby in addition to thefunctional effect improvement.The advantages of the invention are achieved already with a fiber density of atleast 500 fiber ends per cmâ.?CA 02265469 2003-02-11Depending on the requirements. the number of the ?ber ends in the fiber regionsor the surrounding zones can be different, even amongst the fiber regions.A further development consists in guiding the pile fibers so that they protrudemore than 1 mm from the carrier material.In a further development, knitted carrier material is used from which the pileprotrudes. Pile fibers can be guided into the carrier, for example, according to theWildman technique.It is sufficient for the manufacture of the fiber islands to use a ratio of 1 to 5 islandstitches to 10 or more carrier stitches. In a preferred embodiment 10 or morecarrier stitches are combined with 1 to 10 island stitches. The carrier stitches withthe fibers bound therein can thereby form the surrounding zone.Different flat textile structures for cleaning purposes are illustrated in the drawingsas shown.FIG. 1 a cleaning cloth and top view with fiber islands of different distribution;FIG. 2 a cleaning cloth and top view with continuous fiber regions in grid form;FIG. 3 a cleaning cloth and top view with surface regions in stripe form;FIG. 4 a section through a cleaning cloth illustrated in FIG. 3 along the line A-Aand enlargement of the indicated region.The flat textile structure illustrated in FIG. 1 is a section of a cleaning cloth with apile of cotton fibers and synthetic fibers. Fiber islands 2 of synthetic fibers areembedded into the zones 1 of cotton fibers and surrounded on all sides by thecotton fibers. The fiber islands 2 are evenly distributed over the surface as well as?CA 02265469 2002-09-25positioned in regions 3 of increased density. The surface ratio of fiber islands 2 tothe zone 1 over the whole cloth is less than 50%.FIG. 2 illustrates another distribution of the ?ber regions 2 of synthetic fibers withhigh degree of fineness and the zone 1 of cotton fibers with low degree offineness. The fiber regions 2 thus form a grid of synthetic fibers which enclosesthe surfaces of the cotton fibers of zone 1. These surfaces consequentlythemselves form islands.The cleaning cloth illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 has isotrophic effect properties,which means the effect of the cleaning cloth is independent of the direction ofmovement.A cleaning cloth is illustrated in FIG. 3 wherein strips 6, 7 of synthetic fibers forcleaning purposes as well as microfibers for dirt absorption are positioned in abase material of cotton fibers 1. The strips 7 consisting of microfibers for dirtabsorption thereby flank on both sides the strip 6 of synthetic fibers for the dirtremoval. The cleaning water is absorbed by the cotton fibers 1 which leads to adrying. Of course, the strips 6, 7 can be interrupted, whereby fiber islands arethen formed.This cleaning cloth is in its effect dependent on the direction of motion. Amovement in direction of the strips 6, 7 only leads to cleaning of the soiledsurface in the width of the strips 6, 7, whereby the intermediate space 8positioned therebetween is not cleaned. On the other hand, with a direction ofmovement perpendicular to the strips, a cleaning effect is achieved over the fullwidth of the cloth.The construction of the flat structure is illustrated in FIG. 4. In a base material ofcotton fibers 1 with a degree of fineness of 1 to 4 dtex, microfibers 7 areembedded with a surface fineness value below 1 dtex, into which synthetic fibers-5-?CA 02265469 2003-02-206 are in turn incorporated with a degree of fineness above 3 and up to 20 dtex.Several individual fibres of the same type are thereby positioned in the individualregions.The fiber ends 1, 6, 7 which form the pile 11 protrude from a carrier 12. Eachfiber end can thereby protrude essentially straight from the carrier 12, forexample, 1 to 10 mm long, or can be intertwined._6a_
