Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
SYSTEM FOR SURFACE PREPARATION
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application
Serial No. 60/821,013 filed on August 01, 2006 and entitled "Device and Method
for Surface
Preparation," the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference as if fully
rewritten herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to systems, devices, and
methods for
preparing surfaces for treatment, and more specifically to a product for
sanding or roughing a
surface and then cleaning, i.e., removing particulates and debris from, the
sanded or roughed
surface. Prior to treating (i.e., coating, painting, staining, etc.) a surface
such as, for example, a
wall, floor, door, cabinet, or area of furniture, it may be desirable to
lightly sand the surface to
which paint, stain, or other material will be applied. Sanding typically
creates debris, usually in
the form of a fine dust, which often covers, partially or wholly, the surface
of interest. Because
the presence of this dust can affect the final appearance of a treated surface
and may interfere
with the application of paint, stain, or other material, it is most often
desirable to remove the dust
or other debris after the surface has been sanded and before the paint, stain,
or other material is
applied. Because the process of sanding a surface and then cleaning that
sanded surface typically
requires multiple items, such as, for example, at least one piece of sand
paper and at least one
cleaning cloth or rag (dry andlor wet), there is a need for a more convenient
means for sanding
and cleaning, i.e., preparing, surfaces prior to the application of paint,
stain, or other material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The following provides a summary of certain exemplary embodiments of
the
present invention. This summary is not an extensive overview and is not
intended to identify key
or critical aspects or elements of the present invention or to delineate its
scope.
[0004] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a system for
preparing a
surface for treatment with paint, stain, or other material or substance is
provided. This system
includes a substantially flexible surface preparation material, which is
typically formed into
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sheets, that has both a sanding portion and a wiping portion formed on a
substrate. The sanding
portion further includes at least one abrasive substance deposited on or
embedded in the
substrate. The wiping portion is physically and/or spatially separated from
the sanding portion
and further includes at least one of dry means and tacky means for removing
debris created by
the sanding portion from the surface or surfaces to be treated. A convenient
dispenser for
dispensing the flexible surface preparation material is also provided with
this embodiment.
[0005] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an item for
preparing a
surface for treatment with paint, stain, or other substance is provided. This
item includes a
flexible or semi-flexible surface preparation material, which is typically
formed into sheets or
blocks, that has a sanding portion and a wiping portion, both which are been
formed on a
substrate. The sanding portion includes at least one abrasive substance
deposited thereon or
embedded therein. The wiping portion is physically and/or spatially separated
from the sanding
portion and further includes dry and/or tacky cleaning means in the form of an
adhesive or other
tacky material for removing debris created by the sanding portion from the
surface or surfaces to
be treated.
[0006] In yet another aspect of this invention, a method of making an item for
preparing
a surface for treatment is provided. This method includes the general steps of
providing a
substrate material, wherein the substrate material further includes a top side
and a bottom side;
depositing an abrasive substance on or embedding an abrasive substance within
the top side of
the substrate material to create a sanding portion or area on one side of the
substrate material;
and forming a cleaning means on the bottom portion of the substrate material
to create a wiping
portion or area on the opposite side of the substrate material, wherein the
cleaning means
captures debris created by the sanding portion on a surface being prepared for
treatment.
[0007] Additional features and aspects of the present invention will become
apparent to
those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the
following detailed
description of the exemplary embodiments. As will be appreciated by the
skilled artisan, further
embodiments of the invention are possible without departing from the scope and
spirit of the
invention. Accordingly, the drawings and associated descriptions are to be
regarded as
illustrative and not restrictive in nature.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are now described.
Although
the following detailed description contains many specifics for the purposes of
illustration, a
person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and
alterations to the
following details are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the
following embodiments
of the invention are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without
imposing limitations
upon, the claimed invention.
[00091 The present invention relates to a reusable and disposable sanding and
cleaning
block, cloth, or multipurpose wipe that may be used to sand or rough a surface
and to then clean
that surface prior to the application of paint, stain, or other substances. As
previously indicated, a
first general embodiment of this invention provides a system for preparing a
surface for
treatment; a second general embodiment of this invention provides an item for
preparing a
surface for treatment; and a third general embodiment of this invention
provides a method for
making a device or apparatus for preparing a surface for treatment. One or
more specific
embodiments of this invention shall be described in greater detail below.
[0010] The first embodiment of this invention provides a system that includes
a dual-
purpose surface preparation material formed into sheets that are provided on a
roll, in a box, tin,
or the like. The second embodiment of this invention provides basically the
same surface
preparation material provided in sheet form, block form, or any other suitable
and useful form.
Variations in product form may be based on a variety of considerations such
as, for example, the
specific application for which the present invention will be used. In one form
this invention is
configured for use on floors or walls, while in another form this invention is
configured for use
on curved surfaces such as those found on furniture. Other variations are
possible. In all
embodiments, the surface preparation material of the present invention
includes a substrate,
which is typically flexible to a greater or lesser extent. One side, portion,
or area of this substrate
includes an abrasive substance that functions in a manner similar to sand
paper when the
invention is in use. Another side, portion, or area of the substrate includes
a cleaning means that
is used to remove any dust and debris created by the abrasive substance from
the surface being
prepared for treatment. The cleaning means may include a dry, textured surface
designed to
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capture dust and debris within the texture (i.e., the three-dimensional
structures comprising the
texture), and/or the cleaning means may include a sticky or tacky substance
deposited on the
substrate that captures dust and debris by causing the dust and debris to
adhere directly thereto.
[0011] The substrate included with the present invention may be any suitably
durable,
and for some specific applications, flexible, material. However, in the
exemplary embodiments
described herein, the substrate is typically one non-woven material or a
combination of non-
woven materials (i.e., fabrics) that are obtainable from commercial sources or
that are
specifically fabricated for use with this invention according to predetermined
design parameters.
The substrate may be a two-sided fabric that includes a single ply or layer of
non-woven material
or other material. Alternately, the substrate may include multiple layers of
non-woven material,
or other materials, bonded to one another by any of a number of processes
known to those of
ordinary skill in the art. In some embodiments of the present invention, at
least one impermeable
or substantially impermeable barrier layer is disposed between the different
layers of the
substrate for preventing dust and debris from sanding from passing through the
substrate into the
wiping and cleaning area of the surface preparation material of this
invention. This barrier layer
may include a non-woven material or various other impermeable or semi-
impermeable materials.
[0012) The non-woven materials used with the present invention are typically
created
using any of a variety of known processes, including (but not necessarily
limited to): spunlace
(hrydroentangled), spunbond, meltblown, SMS (spunbond / meltblown / spunbond),
SMMS
(spunbond / meltblown / meltblown / spunbond), dry lay, wet lay, airlaid,
highloft, and
needlepunch processes and/or combinations thereof. The fibers used for the non-
woven materials
include multiple blends of natural and/or synthetic fibers or filaments
including, but not limited
to, single or bi-component fibers, filaments, or yarns of various cross
sections, deniers, staple
lengths, structures, and melt characteristics. The fibers or filaments may be
natural, such as wool,
silk, cotton, and other natural fibers; or the fibers may be artificial fibers
such as, but not limited
to, polyolefin, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyamide (nylon),
acrylic, mod-acrylic,
and other synthetic fibers. One or more combinations of different fiber types
are possible for the
substrate material of the present invention. In embodiments that include a
barrier layer,
polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester film or other non-woven materials may
be utilized for the
barrier layer. These non-woven materials may bonded together using any of a
variety of known
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processes, including but not necessarily limited to: thermal bonding; thermal
point bonding;
thermal point fusion; print bonding; powder bonding; saturation bonding; spray
bonding, and
bonding processes involving fusion, air, calendar, mechanical bonding,
chemical bonding,
needlepunch, stitch bonding, ultrasound (sonic bonding), lamination,
embossing, foam, resin
bonding, ultraviolet light, and hydroentanglement. Non-woven materials and
methods and
processes associated therewith that are generally compatible with the present
invention are
disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,229,191; 6,022,818; 6,103,061; all of which are
incorporated by
reference herein, in their entirety.
100121 An abrasive substance deposited on and/or compressed into the substrate
allows
one side of the substrate (or one or more portions of the substrate) to
function in a manner similar
to sandpaper. The overall coarseness of this "sandpaper" may be increased or
decreased by
varying the grain size of the abrasive substance itself and/or varying the
physical characteristics
of the substrate and the method by which the abrasive substance is applied to
the substrate. As
will be appreciated by the skilled artisan, the grain or grit size of the
sanding portion of the
present invention may be varied to include extra coarse, coarse, medium, fine,
very fine, extra
fine, super fine, and ultra fine grains, or combinations thereof. Examples of
abrasive substances
compatible with this invention include: zirconium oxide, calcite (calcium
carbonate), emery
(impure corundum), diamond dust (including synthetic diamonds), novaculite,
pumice dust,
rouge, sand (quartz), borazon (cubic boron nitride or CBN), ceramic, aluminum
oxide
(corundum), glass powder, silicone carbide (carborundum), zirconia alumina,
tungsten carbide,
garnet, feldspar, and tripoli (rottenstone, a microscopic microcrystalline
quartz).
[0013] The abrasive substance described above may include both natural
components and
synthetic or artificial components. Prior to applying the abrasive substance
to the substrate, the
abrasive substance is typically combined with a resin binder, a bonding agent,
a paste, a cream,
or a combination thereof for the purpose of creating a fluid or semi-fluid
composition. This
composition is then applied to the substrate using a variety of known methods
(or a combination
of known methods), including but not necessarily limited to: roll screening,
print screening,
spraying, saturation, foam, print, coating, dip, or powder bonding. Resins,
abrasives, and various
methods and processes associated therewith that are generally compatible with
the present
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invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,227,350; 4,314,827; 5,363,604; and
5,585,438, all of
which are incorporated by reference herein, in their entirety.
[0014] In addition to the sanding portion that is formed on one portion of the
surface
preparation material of the present invention, a wiping portion is formed on
another portion of
the surface preparation material for capturing and removing dust and debris
created by the
sanding portion. The wiping portion may be formed on the side of the surface
preparation
material that is opposite the sanding portion (e.g., on the back or on the
bottom of a sheet or
block of the surface preparation material, wherein the sanding portion is on
the front or the top of
the sheet or block). In one embodiment, the sanding portion and wiping portion
are formed on
the same surface of the surface preparation material; however, the two
portions are physically
separate from one another. In another embodiment, the sanding portion and
wiping portions are
formed on adjacent surfaces that are angled away from one another (e.g., at
substantially right
angles). The wiping portion includes a cleaning means that in one embodiment
is a dry, at least
partially textured surface formed on or in the wiping portion. In another
embodiment, the
cleaning means is a sticky, tacky, or adhesive substance deposited on or
embedded within the
wiping portion.
[0015] In the embodiment of this invention wherein the cleaning means includes
a dry
surface formed on the substrate, the cleaning means may simply be the
substrate itself, which
typically includes at least some degree of texturing due to the general nature
of fabrics and due to
the nature of non-woven fabrics, in particular. Alternately, one side of the
substrate (or another
ply or layer attached to or incorporated into the substrate) may be fabricated
to specifically
include any of a variety of three-dimensional structures that provide
additional surface area on
the wiping portion for capturing and removing dust and debris. See, for
example, the textured
non-woven materials disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,429 and U.S. Pat. Pub.
No. US
2004/0248493, both which are incorporated by reference herein, in their
entirety. Textures used
with this invention may include webs, ridges, valleys, or other geometric
shapes and structures
that effectively capture and retain dust particulates and other debris from a
sanded surface that
has been rubbed or wiped with the textured portion. With this embodiment, it
is not typically
necessary to wet the wiping portion to remove unwanted dust and debris from a
sanded or
roughed item.
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[0016] In the embodiment of this invention wherein the cleaning means includes
a sticky,
tacky, or adhesive substance deposited on or embedded within the wiping
portion, a variety of
appropriately sticky or tacky adhesive substances may be used, and such
substances may be
sprayed or otherwise transferred onto the substrate. The adhesive substance is
typically free of
silicone, wax, and paraffin and may be a low tack resin, a low tack adhesive,
a low tack polymer
or co-polymer, low tack pressure sensitive adhesive, or a combination thereof.
The adhesive may
be polybutene, polyisobutylene, vinyl acetate (latex), acrylate, methyl
methacrylate, butyl
acrylate, styrene, acrylic, methacrylate, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), organic
resin, or a combination
thereof. Regarding the tacky or sticky cleaning surface; materials, methods
and processes that are
generally compatible with the present invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 5,198,292;
6,746,974; 6,808,791; and D487, 353 and Pat. Pub. Nos. US 2002/0160157; US
2002/0164465;
US 2005/0014434; US 2005/0266752; US 2006/0135012; and US 2006/0240223, all of
which
are incorporated by reference herein, in their entirety.
[0017] In each of the described embodiments, the present invention may be
provided in
the form of individual sheets or units, individual sheets or units placed in a
box, tin, or poly bag
similar to a box of tissues, or in the form of a roll of sheets having
perforated or scored edges
similar to a roll of paper towels. Individual sheets may be foldable or pre-
folded to provide
multiple usable surfaces on a single sheet and/or to facilitate removal of a
sheet from a container
such as a box. A user of the present invention uses the sanding portion on a
single cloth or wipe
to lightly sand or rough a surface that is to be painted, stained, or
otherwise treated. After the
surface has been sanded, the user flips the cloth over and uses at least a
portion of the wiping
portion to remove dust and other debris created by the sanding step. When
either the sanding
portion or the wiping portion loses its effectiveness (as with repeated use),
the entire cloth may
be discarded in favor of a new cloth.
[0018] Having generally described this invention, a further understanding can
be
obtained by reference to certain specific examples detailed below, which are
provided for
purposes of illustration only and are not intended to be all inclusive or
limiting unless otherwise
specified.
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EXAMPLE 1
Abrasive Non-Woven Substrate Abrasive Material
Layer Fiber Composition 70% polyester fiber Material Corundum
30% nylon fiber (Aluminum oxide)
Thickness 12 mils (.012) Grit Designation Fine (F) 180-220
Construction Spunbond / Point Bonded Composition Resin binder,
Continuous Web bonding agent,
paste or cream
Barrier Layer Substrate
Material Pol ro lene film
Film Thickness 1.5 mils (.0015)
Construction Continuous film
Wiping Layer Non-Woven Substrate Tacky/Adhesive Material
Fiber Composition 80% polyester fiber Material Methyl methacrylate
20% rayon fiber
Thickness 10 mils (.010) Characteristics Low tack
Construction Spunlace / Hydroentangled Deposition Method Spray or
Continuous Web Roll coat
EXAMPLE 2
Abrasive Non-Woven Substrate Abrasive Material
Layer Fiber Composition 70% polyester fiber Material Carborundum
30% nylon fiber (Silcon carbide)
Thickness 12 mils (.012) Grit Designation Fine (F) 180-220
Construction Spunbond Composition Resin binder,
Continuous Web bonding agent,
paste or cream
Barrier Layer Substrate
Material Spunbond polyester
Film Thickness 1.5 mils (.0015)
Construction Continuous film
Wiping Layer Non-Woven Substrate Tack /Adhesive Material
Fiber Composition 80% polyester fiber Material Butyl acrylate
20% rayon fiber
Thickness 10 mils (.010) Characteristics Low tack
Construction Spunlace / Hydroentangled Deposition Method Spray or
Continuous Web Roll coat
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EXAMPLE 3
Abrasive Non-Woven Substrate Abrasive Material
Layer Fiber Composition 70% polyester fiber Material Carborundum
30% n lon fiber (Silcon carbide)
Thickness 12 mils (.0 1Grit Desi ation Fine (F) 180-220
Construction Spunbond / Point Bonded Composition Resin binder,
Continuous Web bonding agent,
paste or cream
Barrier Layer Substrate
Material Pol ro lene film
Film Thickness 1.5 mils (.0015)
Construction Continuous film
Wiping Layer Non-Woven Substrate Tacky/Adhesive Material
Fiber Composition 100% polyester fiber Material Polymer
Thickness 10 mils (.010) Characteristics Low tack
Construction Spunlace / Hydroentangled Deposition Method Spray or
Continuous Web Roll coat
EXAMPLE 4
Abrasive Non-Woven Substrate Abrasive Material
Layer Fiber Composition 100% nylon Material Corundum
(Aluminum oxide)
Thickness 50 mils Grit Designation Fine (F) 180-220
Construction Needlepunched high loft Composition Resin binder,
Continuous Web bonding agent,
I paste or cream
Barrier Layer Substrate
Material Spunbond
Polyester / Pol ro lene
Film Thickness 1.5 mils (.0015)
Construction Continuous film
Wiping Layer Non-Woven Substrate Tack /Adhesive Material
Fiber Composition 100% ol ester Material Co ol mer
Thickness 10 mils (.010) Characteristics Low tack
Construction Spunbond Deposition Method Spray or
Continuous Web Roll coat
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[0019] In examples 1-4, the abrasive layer, barrier layer, and wiping layer
are typically
thermally point bonded together through the simultaneous application of heat
and pressure in a
calendar nip roll, although other suitable processes may be utilized. The
abrasive material is
applied to the non-woven substrate of the abrasive layer using a perforated
print roll screen and
is then bonded to the non-woven substrate of the abrasive layer by applying
both heat and
pressure with a calendar nip roll or other device. The tacky/adhesive material
is typically sprayed
or roll coated onto the non-woven substrate of the wiping layer.
[0020] While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of
exemplary
embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in certain
detail, it is not
the intention of the Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of
the appended claims to
such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to
those skilled in the
art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to any of
the specific details,
representative devices and methods, and/or illustrative examples shown and
described.
Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from
the spirit or
scope of the applicant's general inventive concept.
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