Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Cleaning Cloth Comprising Staple Fiber Loops
The present innovation relates to a cleaning textile for smooth
surfaces, particularly for the production of surface wipers,
consisting of a high-pile plush fabric, which has a planar
carrier structure and a lining of threads that run perpendicular
to the former, disposed closely next to one another, which are
anchored in the planar carrier structure, project at least 5 mm
above the planar carrier structure, and have a density of at
least ten threads per cm2 of the carrier structure.
Such cleaning textiles have proven themselves, in excellent
manner, as a cover for wiping mops or window cleaners. The
threads of the cleaning textiles used nowadays consist of
synthetic fibers, in most cases endless microfibers.
The high-pile plush fabric is produced using the so-called
double-plush weaving method. In this connection, two planar
carrier structures are woven closely together with the threads,
at a distance of twice the pile height. This structure is cut
open in the plane of symmetry of the carrier structures. The
threads are cut through in this connection, so that two
individual plush fabrics are formed. The lining density of the
carrier structures remains unaffected by being cut open.
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Cut-open threads of endless fibers do not cause any difficulties.
However, if the threads consist of staple fibers, particularly
short fiber segments necessarily occur when the threads are cut
through, which find insufficient hold in the knitted loops of the
thread. These fiber segments come loose from the textile, and
remain on the surface to be cleaned: The textile leaves lint.
Particularly in the case of wiping of windows, mirrors, and other
smooth surfaces, such as, in particular, PVC floor coverings, the
fibers that come loose remain behind as individual pieces of
lint; therefore this is no longer thorough cleaning. Also, the
lint formation must be understood as being textile wear, which
weakens the structure of the goods. Lint formation is further
increased by the weakening of the textile.
Some consumers do not recognize the excellent cleaning effect of
the synthetic fibers, and wish to have cleaning textiles made of
natural cotton fibers, instead. However, their length is
limited, so that they can only be spun into threads of staple
fibers. They are therefore not suitable for the production of a
lint-free, high-pile plush fabric in accordance with the double-
plush weaving method.
The present innovation is therefore based on the task of further
developing a cleaning textile of the type stated initially, in
such a manner that the threads of the lining can consist of
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staple fibers, without being exposed to the risk of lint
formation.
This is accomplished in that the threads of the lining of staple
fibers are connected into loops at their distal ends.
The advantage of the cleaning textile according to the innovation
consists in the fact that the threads of the lining are merely
looped and not cut open, so that when using staple fibers,
shorter fiber segments cannot come loose and come out.
The present cleaning textile differs from known terrycloth woven
textiles by its far greater pile height, and from tufted cleaning
textiles by its clearly greater lining density.
The production of such a cleaning textile can no longer take
place by means of the conventional double-plush weaving method
with cutting, because of the principle involved. Instead, one
uses a modified method, in which the threads are not cut open,
but rather the carrier structures are modified in such a manner
that they allow separation without cutting. This can take place,
for example, by means of tearirig them off. Likewise, a special
loom can be used, which has lancets that determine the distance
between the two carrier structures.
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The threads of the lining preferably consist at least partially
of cotton. This natural fiber material is particular popular
with consumers who are ecology-minded, and achieves a respectable
cleaning effect. Synthetic fibers can be mixed in.
Also, the cleaning textile according to the innovation allows the
use of viscose staple fibers or lyocell staple fibers, a modified
viscose. It is true that both synthetic fibers are available as
endless filaments, but it has been shown that the cleaning effect
of viscose staple fibers is clearly superior to that of the
viscose endless fibers.
The present innovation will now be explained using an exemplary
embodiment. For this purpose, the figures show, with great
magnification, in each instance:
Fig. 1: plush fabric, in perspective;
Fig. 2: production on a special loom;
Fig. 3: plush fabric, in a side view.
The cleaning textile consists of a high-pile plush fabric 1,
which in turn is composed of a planar carrier structure 2 having
a lining of threads 3 that run perpendicular to the former,
CA 02588536 2007-05-23
disposed closely next to one another. The threads 3 of the
lining consist of staple fibers, such as of cotton and/or
viscose, for example, and are connected to form loops 4 at their
distal ends. The threads 3 are therefore continuously anchored
in the carrier structure 2, so that no individual fibers can come
loose.
The cleaning textile according to the innovation is provided
using a modified double-plush weaving method. For this purpose,
two parallel carrier structures 2 are connected with the threads
3, as in the case of the conventional double-plush weaving method
with cutting. The parts of the carrier structures 2 indicated
with * are removed after weaving, for example by means of tearing
them out or by means of pulling out a corresponding device
(lancet) of the textile machine. In this connection, the threads
3 are not allowed to be damaged., Uninterrupted threads 3 remain
in the two carrier structures 2, which are connected with one
another by means of loops 4 at their distal ends. The pile
height f corresponds to the distance between the carrier
structures 2 during weaving; the original lining density, on the
other hand, is cut in half by means of the separation. In order
to achieve a good cleaning effect, the pile height f should
amount to at least five mm. The lining density should be greater
than ten threads per cm' on each carrier structure 2, after
separation.
