Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FLOOR CLEANING ARTICLE HAVING STRIPS WITH DIFFERENTIAL BOND PATTERN
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to cleaning articles, more particularly to
cleaning articles for
absorbing cleaning fluid from a target surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various cleaning articles have been created for dusting and light cleaning.
For example, cloth
rags and paper towels used dry or wetted with polishing and cleaning
compositions have been
used on relatively flat surfaces such as countertops, showers, sinks and
floors. But, rags and
paper towels are problematic for reasons such as hygiene (the user's hand may
touch chemicals,
dirt or the surface during cleaning), reach (it may be difficult to insert the
user's hand with the
rag or paper towel into hard-to-reach places) and inconvenience (cleaning
between closely-
spaced articles typically requires moving the articles).
To overcome the problems associated with using rags and paper towels, various
reusable dust
gathering devices using felt and hair have been utilized for more than a
century, as illustrated by
US 823,725 issued in 1906 to Hayden and using yarns as illustrated in
4,145,787. To address
the problems with reusable dust gathering devices, disposable cleaning
articles have been
developed which have limited re-usability. These disposable cleaning articles
may include brush
portions made of synthetic fiber bundles, called tow fibers, attached to a
sheet as shown in
6,813,801; 7,003,856; 7,566,671; 7,779,502; 7,937,797; 8,146,197; 8,151,402;
8,161,594,
8,186,001; 8,245,349; 8,528,151; 8,756,746 and 8,763,197.
Disposable dusters may provide for wet cleaning as disclosed in 7,566,671 and
commonly
assigned 7,803,726 and commonly assigned US 2008/0028560. But tow fibers may
become
matted when wet and not be suitable for cleaning a large or heavily wetted
surface, such as a
floor.
To overcome the problem of large and/or heavily wetted surface, floor sheets
have been
developed. The floor sheets may contain large amounts of absorbent cellulose,
as disclosed in
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7,191,486 and 7,721,381, and may include at least two interior sheets as
disclosed in 9,032,577.
Floor sheets may contain AGM to further assist in liquid absorption and
retention, as disclosed
in commonly assigned 5.960,508; 6,003,191; 6,048,123 and 6,766,552. Yet other
attempts to
make cleaning pads incorporate both hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties, as
disclosed in
7,694,379 commonly assigned 7,480,956. Another attempt includes free floating
cuffs, as
disclosed in commonly assigned 7,028,364. Other relevant attempts in the art
include US
2003/0300991; 2011/0041274; 6,245,413; 6,681,434; 6,701,567; 7,458,128;
7,624,468;
8,341,797; 8.707,505 and 8,863,347.
While these attempts are directed to absorption of liquids from a wetted
target surface,
particularly a floor, problems remain. A generally flat floor sheet presents
the same surface to
throughout the cleaning task. Dirt can be re-deposited from a saturated floor
sheet. And a
generally flat floor sheet may not adequately clean into floor crevices or
grout lines.
Thus, there is a need for a cleaning article, usable on wetted surface and
which presents
dynamically changing surface throughout the cleaning task.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention comprises a cleaning article having a laminate construction. The
cleaning article
cleaning article comprises a sheet and a hydrophilic gather strip element
having strips and joined
to the sheet at an elongate bond. The gather strip element comprises at least
a first layer
proximate to the sheet and at least one outward layer disposed outwardly
thereof. Each of the
layers is joined to the sheet by an elongate common bond. At least one layer
is also joined to the
sheet by a secondary bond not coincident with and spaced apart from said
common bond and at
least one layer is not joined to the sheet by the secondary bond.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cleaning article according to
the present invention.
Figure 2A is to scale and is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 2 -2
of Figure 1.
Figure 2B is a vertical sectional view of an alternative embodiment cleaning
article having an
inverted pyramidal geometry.
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Figure 3 is a broken bottom plan view of an alternative embodiment having a
non-straight
central bond line and inverted pyramidal geometry, with the upper portion
having a sinusoidal
bond and the lower portion having spot bonds.
Figure 4A is a bottom plan view of an alternative embodiment having two
central bond lines.
Figure 4B is a vertical sectional view taken along line 4B ¨ 4B of Figure 4A.
Figures SA ¨ SG are to scale and are vertical sectional views of alternative
embodiments of
gather strip elements, each having two sheets of material.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a handle usable with the present invention.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a floor cleaning implement usable with the
present invention.
Fig. 8 is a graphical representation of the performance of a floor sheet
according to the present
invention and a commercially available floor sheet.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to Fig. 1, the cleaning article 10 may be generally elongate, and
rectangular, although
other shapes are contemplated and feasible. The cleaning article 10 may
comprise two or more
components joined in a laminate form to provide cleaning article 10 suitable
for floor cleaning.
The cleaning article may have a sheet 12, which forms a frame for attachment
of other
components thereto. The cleaning article 10 may also have a gather strip
element 25, having
plural layers 27 of stacked, outwardly extending, flexible strips 17. An
absorbent core may be
disposed between the gather strip element 25 and the sheet 12.
The cleaning article 10 may be disposable. By disposable it is meant that the
cleaning article 10
is used for one cleaning task, or generally not more than several square
meters, then discarded.
In contrast, a reusable cleaning article 10 is laundered or otherwise restored
after use.
The cleaning article 10 has at least two, more preferably at least three, four
or more laminae
joined/folded in laminate form the cleaning article 10. The sheet 12 may also
provide for
attachment to a floor cleaning implement as described below. As used herein,
unless otherwise
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specified, being joined includes a direct and contacting relationship between
two components
and a relationship having an intermediate component therebetween.
The cleaning article 10 may have a longitudinal axis LA and a transverse axis
TA orthogonal
thereto. The cleaning article 10, and respective components thereof, may have
two longitudinal
edges 20 parallel to the longitudinal axis LA and two transverse edges 22
parallel to the
transverse axis TA.
As discussed below the strips 17 may be advantageously substantially, or
preferably entirely,
contained within the footprint of the sheet 12. Particularly, the distal ends
of the strips 17 may
be contained within and bounded by the footprint defined by the two
longitudinal edges 20 and
two transverse edges 22 of the sheet 12. This arrangement is believed to
promote mobility of the
strips 17 in use, and present a dynamic surface area of the cleaning article
10 to the target
surface in use, due to the direct pressure the strip 17 encounter when the
user presses a cleaning
implement against a floor.
The length of the cleaning article 10 is taken in the longitudinal direction.
The width of the
cleaning article 10 corresponds to the transverse direction perpendicular to
the length direction
and disposed within the plane of the sheet 12. The thickness is defined as the
dimension in the z-
direction. The XY plane is defined as the plane defined by the cleaning
article 10. The Z-
direction of the cleaning article 10 is the direction perpendicular to the
plane of the sheet. The
cleaning article 10 may have a length from 20 to 50 cm and a width of 10 to 20
cm. The
cleaning article may particularly be 30 +/- 2 cm long by 14 +/- 2 cm wide, as
measured at the
greatest dimensions, in order to fit the head of a typical cleaning implement
70, as discussed
below. The optional core may particularly have a width of 6.5 +/- 2 cm and a
length of 26 +/- 2
cm. Of course, one of skill will recognize that other shapes are feasible and
within the scope of
the present invention.
The cleaning article 10 may have an outwardly facing cleaning side and an
attachment side
opposed thereto. The attachment side of the cleaning article 10 may have one
or more
attachment stripes 30 for attachment to the head of an implement, two parallel
stripes 30 being
illustrated for example. The stripes 30 may comprise loop material suitable
for complementary
attachment to a head of a cleaning implement having hooks.
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The cleaning article 10 may be thought of as having one lamina or having two,
three or more
laminae joined in face-to-face relationship. The laminae may be refolded in
serpentine fashion
to provide a plurality of laminae in the Z-direction.
More particularly, the cleaning article may comprise a construction of at
least one sheet 12 and
at least one gather strip element 25. The sheet 12 and gather strip element 25
are joined in face-
to-face relationship with at least one permanent bond to form a laminate.
The sheet 12 may serve as a chassis for attachment of the gather strip element
25 thereto. Other
laminae and features may be interposed between the sheet 12 and gather strip
element 25,
without departure from the invention.
The sheet 12 may particularly comprise a synthetic nonwoven sheet 12. A sheet
12 having
synthetic fibers provides for convenient joining of the gather strip element
25 thereto.
Nonwovens include spun bonded, carded and airlaid materials, as are known in
the art and made
from synthetic fibers. A suitable nonwoven sheet may be made according to
commonly
assigned 6,797,357.
Preferably the sheet 12 comprises cellulose, to provide absorptive capacity. A
cellulosic sheet
12 may have permanent wet strength resin added thereto, as is known in the
art. Or the sheet 12
may preferably comprise a mixture of cellulosic and synthetic fibers, to
provide both absorptive
and barrier properties, and for convenient joining of the gather strip element
25. By cellulosic it
is meant that the component comprises a predominant weight percentage of
cellulosic fibers.
The sheet 12 and/or gather strip element 25 may be hydrophilic, to
advantageously absorb water
from the surface being cleaned. By hydrophilic it is generally meant that the
component will
absorb water in use and retain such water in ordinary use without the
application of excessive
compressive force.
Particularly hydrophilic vs hydrophobic properties may be measured as follows.
A 1 gram
sample of material, is oven dried at about 110 C for 12 hours, then
conditioning at 65% relative
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humidity / 21 C for five days. The sample is then re-dried at 110 C for 12
hours. The amount
of moisture gained is measured as a percentage of moisture regained:
moisture regained = [(total conditioned sample weight at 65% RH - sample
weight after
drying) dried sample weight] x 100%.
As used herein, hydrophilic material has a moisture regain at 65% greater than
about 2%, 3%,
4%, 5% and preferably greater than about 6%. Table 1 below shows comparisons
of different
fiber types for % moisture regain at equilibrium in 65% RH.
Table 1
Moisture Regain (Percentage)
Hydrophilic Fibers Hydrophobic fibers
Cellulose Rayon Cotton Acetate Tr-acetate Polyester Acrylic Polyethylene
Polypropylene
12-15 11-13 7-8 6.0-6.5 4.0-4.5 0.4 1.5-2.0
<0.1 <0.1
While hydrophilic materials may be useful for the invention described herein,
such materials
may not have sufficient strength for use in even a disposable cleaning article
10. Thus, the
selection of proper materials is important.
For example, if the gather strips 17 are 100% cellulose a wet co-efficient of
friction may be so
great it is difficult for a user to move cleaning article 10 across a
particular target surface. By
intermixing different materials surface area for soil collection can be
maintained while the wet
coefficient of friction is optimized. Likewise, using gather strips 17 of
varying lengths, even
with the same material, can increase cleaning surface area without unduly
increasing wet
coefficient of friction, providing for ease of movement across the target
surface.
Referring to Figs. 2A and 2B, the sheet 12 may comprise a laminate of two,
three or more plies.
The laminate may particularly comprise three plies, an outwardly facing ply
12A for contact
with a cleaning implement, a central ply/core 12B for absorption and an
inwardly facing ply 12C
for joining to the gather strip element 25.
The outwardly facing ply 12A may comprise a hydroentangled spunbond nonwoven
with a basis
weight of 20 to 80 gsm. A 45 gsm nonwoven from Avgol Nonwovens of Tel-Aviv,
Israel has
been found suitable. As used herein a nonwoven is a component having a mixture
of airlaid
and/or wetlaid fibers not woven together.
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The central ply/core 12B may serve as a storage reservoir, to absorb and
retain liquids collected
from the target surface by the gather strip element 25. The central ply/core
12B may comprise a
bicomponent cellulose/synthetic airlaid. A 135 gsm
airlaid comprising 85:15
cellulose:bicomponent fibers available from Suominen of Helsinki, Finland is
suitable.
The central ply/core 12B may further comprise absorbent gelling materials
[AGM], as are
known in the art. The AGM may increase retention of absorbed liquid and
provide for increased
capacity of the cleaning article 10. The cleaning article 10 may be free of
foam, to conserve
costs.
The inwardly facing ply 12C may comprise a mixture of wet laid fibers formed
into a tissue
which is bonded onto a synthetic nonwoven using process such as spun lace or
hydroentangling.
The inwardly facing ply 12C may comprise 23gsm tissue with a 17 gsm
polypropylene
spunbond as a composite, sold under the name Genesis tissue by Suominen of
Helsinki, Finland.
If desired, a dedicated core 12B may be incorporated into the cleaning article
10. The dedicated
core 12B may be between any of the plies 12A, 12C of sheet 12 or disposed on
the inwardly or
outwardly oriented face of sheet 12. The core 12B may particularly comprise
the central ply.
The core 12B and/or additionallalternative central ply may be narrower than
the outwardly
facing ply 12A and inwardly facing ply 12C. The core 12B and/or central ply
may be about half
of the width of the outwardly facing ply 12A and inwardly facing ply 12C, and
centered on the
longitudinal axis. Particularly the width of the core 12B and/or central ply
may be less than or
equivalent to the spacing between the stripes 30 of attachment material.
The width of the core 12B and/or sheet 12 and gather strip element 25 is
measured as follows.
The cleaning article 10 is placed on a flat, horizontal surface. Wrinkles and
other disruptions to
general planarity are smoothed out. The cleaning article is held taut by
fingertips. A Steel Rule,
Slide Calipers or Toolmakers' Grade Square, as are commonly available from
L.S. Starrett Co.
of Athol, MA. is used to measure the width between opposed ends of the gather
strips 17 and the
core 12B. Outwardly facing plies 12A, 12C and layers 27 may be removed, as
necessary, to
provide unobstructed access for the measurements.
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The width of the core 12B is measured in the transverse direction, parallel to
the transverse axis.
If the core 12B has variable width, the width is measured at the narrowest
point. The width of
the gather strip element 25 is also measured in the transverse direction. The
width of the gather
strip element 25 is measured between the distal ends of opposed gather strips
17 oppositely
disposed across the longitudinal axis and lying in the XY plane. If the gather
strip element 25,
and particularly the opposed ends of the gather strips 17 has variable width,
the width is
measured at the widest point. A difference in width of at least 4, 6, 8, 10,
12 or 14 cm, equally
divided across the longitudinal axis, is believed suitable for the embodiment
described herein.
The difference in width between the opposed gather strips17 and the core 12B
is believed to
promote stability of the core 12B and/or central ply 12B, for retaining
liquids transferred from
the gather strip element 25. Furthermore, this geometry is believed to assist
in draining the
gather strips 17 of absorbed liquid. Further, this geometry provides a gap,
which is believed to
promote movement of the gather strips 17, presenting different portions
thereof to the target
surface in response to user movement of the cleaning article 10 during
ordinary use.
The three plies 12A, 12B and 12C may be permanently joined together using
adhesive and/or
thermal bonds as are known in the art to form sheet 12. Optional attachment
stripes 30 of loop
material may be joined to the outwardly facing surface of outwardly ply 12A to
removably join
the cleaning article 10 to a handle 60 or implement. The stripes 30 may be
continuous or
discontinuous.
Referring to Fig. 3, the cleaning article 10 may further comprise hydrophilic
gather strips 17
disposed in a gather strip element 25. As used herein, gather strips 17 refer
to cantilevered strips
extending outwardly from proximal ends to respective distal ends. The
individual gather strips
17 may have a proximal end at or offset from the longitudinal centerline of
the article 10, and
having a length (taken in the transverse direction) greater than the
corresponding width (as taken
in the longitudinal direction), to provide an aspect ratio of at least 1 and
optionally 2 to 20, and
optionally 5 to 15. The gather strips 17 may have a length, taken from a
respective proximal end
juxtaposed with a bond 38 to a respective distal end, which may be juxtaposed
with a transverse
edge of the cleaning article, of 3 to 15, 4 to 12 or particularly 5 to 8 cm,
and a width of 3 to 20, 4
to 15 or particularly 6 to 8 mm. These particular dimensions have been found
suitable for use in
floor cleaning, when using a cleaning implement.
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The gather strips lie within the XY plane as intended by manufacture, although
may be deformed
out of the XY plane due to fluffing before use, and/or deformations which
occur in use due to
movement against the target surface. The gather strips 17 may be incorporated
into one of the
sheets 12 described herein or may be deployed on a separate sheet 12. The
gather strips 17 may
extend parallel to the width direction of the article, or may be disposed in
acute angular
relationship thereto. The gather strips17 may be straight, as shown, curved,
serpentine or of any
desired shape.
The gather strip element 25 may comprise the same materials as described above
for inwardly
facing ply 12C, and particularly be hydrophilic, and more particularly
cellulose. The gather strip
element 25 and/or the sheet 12 may alternatively or additionally comprise
microfiber, as is
known in the art.
Referring back to Figs. 2A and 2B, the gather strip element 25 may comprise
one or more plies
folded back on itself in serpentine fashion. This arrangement provides at
least a double, triple or
greater thickness. When the layer 27 is cut into generally transversely
oriented individual gather
strips, the double thickness provides a loop at the distal end of a respective
strip 17. The loop is
believed to be advantageous, as it helps to space apart strips 17 overlaid in
the Z-direction.
The folded configuration may be accomplished with a c-fold as shown throughout
the figures.
One of skill will recognize that c-folds may be cascaded to provide a z-fold,
w-fold or other
plural layer folds as are known in the art and which encompass a c-fold.
The gather strip element 25 may comprise from 2 to 25, 5 to 20, and
particularly about 10 layers
27 of gather strips 17, depending upon the desired absorbent capacity and
texture of the intended
target surface. The gather strips 17 disposed on each edge, particularly the
longitudinal edges
may advantageously comprise loops at the distal ends and a free end having a
single thickness at
the distal ends of the gather strips 17 to provide differential response
during cleaning and
prophetically reach and retain more debris during cleaning.
Particularly, the differential response of the gather strips is believed to
present a dynamically
changing surface area to the target surface during cleaning, under normal
usage conditions. By
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changing the surface area, more liquids, and associated debris, can be cleaned
from the target
surface.
A non-limiting gather strip element 25 having three separate gather strip
materials is shown.
The upper sheet, closer to the sheet 12, is folded upon itself to provide four
gather strip layers
27. The two lower gather strip 17 layers 27 are z-folded upon themselves to
each provide three
gather strip layers 27.
The sheet 12 and gather strip element 25 may be joined by a plurality of bonds
38, as set forth
below. The bonds 38 may be thermal, adhesive or ultrasonic, etc. as are known
in the art.
A central bond 38 may join all layers 27/laminae of the cleaning article 10,
to ensure a unitary
construction and prevent loss of individual components in use. The central
bond 38 may be
common to all layers 27 of the gather strip element 25, and directly or
indirectly join each layer
27 of the gather strip element 25 to the sheet 12.
Two outboard bonds 38 may be provided and join only layers 27 of the gather
strip element 25
proximate to the sheet 12. For the embodiment described herein the outboard
bonds 38 may be
transversely spaced at least about 7 cm apart on centers, so that the outboard
bonds are spaced
outwardly of and do not overly the core 12B. The outboard bonds 38, or the
central bond 38,
may be considered secondary bonds 38 if such bonds only join a portion of the
layers 27 of the
gather strip element 25 to the sheet 12, directly or indirectly.
Typically, all layers 27 of the gather strip element 25 are joined to the
sheet 12 by at least one
bond 38. The layer 27 closest to the sheet 12 may be considered the first
layer 27. Succeeding
layers 27 are considered relatively proximate to the sheet 12 and may be
considered the second
layer 27, third layer 27, fourth layer 27, etc. in turn. Layers 27 further
from the sheet 12 and
closest to or contacting the floor are considered distal layers 27.
The bonds 38 may be longitudinally coextensive with or slightly shorter than
the sheet 12. In a
less preferred embodiment, the outboard bonds may join only the portions of
the gather strip
element 25 which are remote from and not proximate to the sheet 12.
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This arrangement provides relatively longer gather strips 17 on the target
surface and shorter
gather strips inward thereof. It is believed that having different lengths of
gather strips improves
the cleaning efficacy by allowing the gather strips 17 to move independently
of each other and
create separation therebetween. Such separation between gather strips 17, and
particularly
presenting gather strips 17 in superimposed layers, is believed important in
providing sufficient
area to surface being cleaned, for soil to be both efficaciously picked up and
retained by the
cleaning article 10. Thus the layers 27 may be made with a single fold, plural
folds, or by
simple superposition with no folds.
Referring back to Fig. 3, the gather strip element 25 may be joined to the
sheet using a
sinusoidally shaped bond 38, zig-zag bond 38, all of which are collectively
referred to as a
serpentine bond 38 or other non-straight bond 38. This bond 38 pattern
provides both relatively
longer and relatively shorter individual gather strips 17. Also, the gather
strips 17 each have a
respective proximal end which is not parallel to the longitudinal axis. This
geometry provides a
proximal end which is believed to promote twisting and disruption of the
gather strip during
cleaning.
Alternatively the central bond 38 may comprise an array of discrete bonds 38,
as disclosed in
commonly assigned EP Application Serial No. 15162895.5, P&G Docket No. 13742F.
Discrete
bonds 38 are prophetically believed to promote the dynamically changing
presentation of the
gather strip element 25 to the target surface during ordinary use.
The differential length gather strips 17 are believed to present different
strips 17 and/or portions
thereof to the target surface in use. The irregular proximal ends of the
gather strips 17 are also
believed to present different strips 17, or portion thereof, to the target
surface in use.
Generally, by presenting different gather strips 17 and/or different portions
of gather strips 17, to
the target surface in use, it is believed that saturated portions of the
cleaning article 10 do not
remain in contact with the target surface. Different portions of the gather
strip element 25 are
presented in use, minimizing re-deposition and allowing unsaturated portions
of the gather strip
element 25 to contact, absorb and retain liquid from the target surface. By
dynamically
changing the effective portions of the gather strip element 25 which contact
the target surface,
improved cleaning is believed to occur. Significantly, the dynamically
changing effective
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portions of the gather strip element 25 occurs automatically and without user
intervention, other
than the normal back and forth strokes which are part of normal cleaning.
Preferably the cleaning article is free of tow fibers. Tow fibers, tend to
matt and clump when
wetted, decreasing cleaning efficacy. But in a less preferred embodiment, the
cleaning article
may further comprise one or more laminae of tow fibers. The tow fiber lamina
may be joined to
the sheet 12 or gather strip element 25 in face-to-face relationship. The tow
fiber lamina may be
suitable for and disposed for directly contacting the target surface during
cleaning.
Alternatively, the tow fiber lamina may be disposed between the sheet 12 and
gather strip
element 25.
The tow fibers may be synthetic. As used herein "bundle fibers" and/or "tow"
refer to fibers
comprising synthetic polymers including polyester, polypropylene,
polyethylene, bio-derived
polymers such as polylactic acid, bio-polyethylene, bio-polyester and the
like. Tow fibers also
include fibers from natural sources such as cellulose, cellulose acetate,
flax, hemp, jute and
mixtures thereof manufactured wherein the individual fibers are relatively
long strands
manufactured in bundles. The bundle fibers may be defined as any fibers having
distinct end
points and at least about 1 cm in length. The tow fibers may extend
continuously and in a
substantially transverse direction, between the transverse edges of the
article 10. .
The sheet(s) 12, gather strip element 25 and optional and tow fiber layer(s)
may be joined by a
plurality of permanent bonds 38. The bonds 38 are intended to minimize or
prevent stray or
dislodged tow fibers from becoming loose. Such sheet(s) 12, gather strip
element 25 and tow
fiber layer(s) may typically be directly superimposed on one another, with or
without intervening
members or components therebetween.
The bond(s) 38 may be formed by adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, ultrasonic
bonding, etc.
In thermal bonding and ultrasonic bonding, energy and compressive pressure are
applied to local
bond 38 sites. The synthetic sheet 12 and synthetic tow fibers are melted at
such local sites.
Upon refreezing, the local materials of sheet 12 and tow fibers are refreeze
together at such local
sites, forming localized welds which are the bonds 38.
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If desired, the sheet 12 may be covered by an outwardly facing liquid
impermeable barrier. The
barrier prevents absorbed liquids from contacting the user's hand, implement,
etc. A suitable
barrier includes LDPE film as is known in the art.
Referring to Fig. 2B, the gather strip element 25 may comprise a serpentine
folded member with
the width decreasing as the distal edge of the gather strip element 25 is
approached. This
geometry provides an inverted pyramidal construction, in use. Such a
construction of the gather
strip element 25 may provide for plural layers 27 of the gather strip element
25 having plural
widths. The widths may decrease from the first layer 27 to the distal layers
27 and may
particularly monotonically decrease in width from the first layer 27 to the
distal layers 27. The
inverted pyramidal construction is prophetically believed to advantageously
present more edges
to the target surface during cleaning.
Referring to Figs. 4A ¨ 4B, the cleaning article may be free of a common bond
38 which joins
all layers 27 of the gather strip element 25 to the sheet 12. Instead, a first
bond 38 may join one
or more proximal layers 27 to the sheet 12. A second bond 38 may join one or
more distal layers
27 to the proximal layers 27, without joining the distal layers 27 directly to
the sheet. This
arrangement prophetically provides the benefit that if the cleaning article 10
is particularly thick
in the z-direction, a bond 38 through all components thereof is avoided.
Any of the sheet 12, gather strip element 25 and/or optional layer of tow
fibers may optionally
be completely or partially coated with adhesive, wax, Newtonian or non-
Newtonian oils or a
combination thereof, in order to improve cleaning and increase retention of
absorbed debris. If
desired, the cleaning article 10 may optionally be used with a cleaning
solution or other solution
usable for other purposes such as treating the surface for appearance or
disinfectant, etc. The
cleaning solution may be pre-applied to the cleaning article 10, creating a
pre-moistened
cleaning article 10 or may be contained within a separate reservoir for dosing
onto the cleaning
article 10 and/or target surface. The cleaning solution may comprise a
majority water, and at
least about 0.5, 2, 5 or 10 weight % solids, or at least about 30 or 50 weight
% aqueous solvents,
non-aqueous solutions or mixtures thereof.
Referring to Figs. 5A ¨ 5G, various alternative gather strip elements 25 are
shown. While each
gather strip element 25 is show to have two layers 25, one of skill will
recognize the invention is
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not so limited. The gather strip element 25 may have one, two, three or more
layers 27, with the
bonds 38 as illustrated, or with different bonds 38. One of skill will also
recognize that that
various combinations and hybrids of these embodiments may be combined, as
desired, into a
single cleaning article 10.
Referring to Fig. 5A, the gather strip element 25 may comprise two sheets of
material, each
sheet having an open c-fold. This arrangement is prophetically believed to
advantageously
provide a generally symmetrically opposite geometry, which aids in cleaning
with a common
back and forth motion, and provides a cleaning article 10 of generally equal
thickness.
Referring to Fig. 5B, the gather strip element 25 may comprise two sheets of
material, each sheet
having a z-fold with shortened outer legs. This arrangement is prophetically
believed to
advantageously provide a generally symmetrically opposite geometry. Each
longitudinal edge of
the cleaning article 10 has two c-fold which provide a loop gather strip 17
and two free ends of
gather strips 17. This arrangement, providing both free ends and loop ends of
the gather strips
17 and generally constant thickness, is believed to aid in cleaning with a
common back and forth
motion.
Referring to Fig. 5C, the gather strip element 25 may comprise two sheets of
material, each sheet
having a c-fold oriented in opposite directions. This arrangement is
prophetically believed to
advantageously provide a generally symmetrically opposite geometry. Each
longitudinal edge of
the cleaning article 10 has a c-fold which provides a loop gather strip 17 and
two free ends of
gather strips 17. This arrangement, providing both free ends and loop ends of
the gather strips
17, is believed to aid in cleaning with a common back and forth motion.
Referring to Fig. 5D, the gather strip element 25 may comprise two sheets of
material, each
sheet having a c-fold oriented in the same directions. This arrangement is
prophetically believed
to advantageously provide loop gather strips 17 on one longitudinal edge and
and free ends of
gather strips 17 on the other longitudinal edge. This arrangement providing
different types of
gather strips 17 suitable for different cleaning task.
Referring to Fig. 5E, the gather strip element 25 may comprise two sheets of
material, each sheet
having a z-fold with shortened outer legs and arranged to provide a W-fold.
This arrangement is
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prophetically believed to advantageously provide two outwardly facing loop
gather strips on
each longitudinal edge of the cleaning article 10.
Referring to Fig. 5F, the gather strip element 25 may comprise two sheets of
interfolded
material. This arrangement is prophetically believed to advantageously provide
a generally
symmetrically opposite geometry. Each longitudinal edge of the cleaning
article 10 has a c-fold
which provides a loop gather strip 17 and single free end of gather strips 17
with a thicker
central region. Having a thicker central region, is prophetically believed
having gather strips 17
which move and present different surface areas to the floor in use.
Referring to Fig. 5G the gather strip element 25 may comprise two or more
independent,
serpentine layers 27. Each gather strip element 25 may be joined to the sheet
12 by a dedicated
bond 38. Each such gather strip element 25 may, in turn, have two outwardly
extending banks
of gather strips 17. The arrangement provides the benefit that additional
gather strips 17 are
available and inwardly oriented gather strips 17 may intertwine during use. It
is prophetically
believed that having different gather strips 17 with different functionalities
and increases the
amount of dynamic surface area presented to the floor in use.
Of course, one of skill will recognize combinations and hybrids of the
foregoing alternatives are
feasible and contemplated herein. For example, a cleaning article 10 may have
two more lines
of bonds 38. One such line of bonds 38 may be straight or all lines of bonds
38 may be non-
straight. If three lines of bonds 38 are used, for example, the lines of bonds
38 may be
symmetrically opposite and serpentine while the central line of bonds 38 is
straight. Or a single
gather strip element 25 may be joined to the sheet by plural lines of bonds.
Referring to Fig. 6, the cleaning article 10 may be removably attachable to a
handle 60.
Particularly, an attachment system may provide for removable attachment of the
cleaning article
10 to a suitable and optional handle 60. The cleaning article 10 attachment
system and optional
complementary handle 60 attachment may comprise adhesive joining, cohesive
joining,
mechanical engagement through sleeves. etc. One common attachment system
comprises
sleeves into which the tine[s] of the handle 60 may be inserted. Suitable
handles 60 are
disclosed in commonly assigned US 8,578,564 and D674,949 S.
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16
Referring to Fig. 7, the cleaning article 10 may be removably attachable to an
implement 70.
Particularly, a floor cleaning implement 70 may allow for cleaning of the
floor while the user is
upright, and may also provide for spraying of cleaning solution or other
liquid to the floor. A
typical floor cleaning implement 70 has a handle 72 for grasping by the user
and a head 74
attached thereto, and preferably pivotally attached thereto. The head 74 moves
against the floor,
or other target surface. The cleaning implement 70 may be removably attached
to the bottom of
the head. Preferably the strips 17 are bounded by the footprint of the head 74
in use, promoting
dynamic movement of the strips 17 during cleaning.
Removable attachment of the cleaning article 10 to the implement 70 may be
accomplished
using adhesive, hook and loop systems, and grippers. Grippers and a suitable
cleaning
implement 70 are disclosed in commonly assigned 6,484,356. A suitable vacuum
implement 70
is disclosed in 7,137,169. Suitable spray implements 70 are disclosed in
commonly assigned
5,888,006; 5,988,920; 6,842,936; 7,182,537; 7,536,743; 7,676,877 and
8,186,898.
The cleaning article 10 may also be used manually, without a handle 60 or
implement 70. If
desired, various cleaning articles 10 described herein may be packaged and
sold in a kit. This
arrangement provides the benefit that the user has a choice of different
cleaning articles 10 for
different tasks. For example, if desired, plural sizes of the cleaning
articles 10 may be sold
together as a single kit. This arrangement allows the user to select the
particular cleaning article
best suited for the immediate task.
The cleaning article 10 of the present invention is believed to address the
unmet need for
cleaning modern wood/laminates. A particular cleaning article 10 is
constructed with 10 layers
27 of strips 17. Each strip 17 is about 7 mm in width. All 10 layers 27 are
joined at a central
bond 38. The four layers 27 adjacent and closest to sheet 12 are also joined
thereto with
additional bonds 38, disposed transversely outboard of the central bond 38.
The cleaning article 10 according to the present invention, described above,
and two
commercially available control samples were tested. The first control sample
was a WetJet floor
sheet, marketed by the instant assignee. This sample contained AGM and is
generally
considered disposable. The second control sample was a microfiber floor sheet
marketed by
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17
Bona and is generally considered re-usable for multiple cleaning tasks. It is
believed these two
samples represented a broad spectrum of disposable and reusable floor sheets.
The tests were conducted on a 6 mm thick transparent polycarbonate plexi-glass
surface
disposed on matte black card stock. For each sample tested, the gloss of this
surface was
measured using a BYK-Gardner gloss meter.
A BYKGardnerTM 'Scrub' Abrasion Tester scrubbing machine was used for
consistency
between samples. After an initial gloss measurement, the surface was treated
with 2 mls of a
common cleaning solution, marketed under Swiffer brand as WetJet liquid and
generally equally
sprayed over the test surface. A weight of 200 grams was placed on each
sample. Each sample
was cycled hack and forth 50 times. The tested surface was then allowed to air
dry. The surface
was tested for final gloss, and the respective readings subtracted.
No soil was used for this test. Thus, a change in gloss represents surface
damage caused by the
respective samples.
Four replicates were tested for each sample. Each replicate was tested on
three different
locations of the test surface, to determine the effect on gloss. The results
are shown in Table 2.
Thus, each entry for change in gloss represents an average of 12 data points.
Relative surface
area of the samples was also determined.
Table 2
Initial Gloss Final Gloss Change in Normalized
Average/ Std dev Average/Std dev gloss Surface
Area
(unitless) (unitless) (unitless)
Control 1 125.5/0.45 121.1/0.95 -4.4 1
Weflet commercially
available floor sheet
code
41764787420320
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18
Control 2 125.5/0.45 118.4/0.73 -7.1 3.3
Bona Microfiber
commercially
available floor sheet
Item #AX0003053
Invention 125.5/0.45 125.0/0.45 -0.5 10
The data in Table 2 show that Bona micro-fiber samples disadvantageously cause
significant
decline in gloss when tested as described above. The WetJet sample causes a
smaller loss in
gloss than the Bona microfiber sample. The loss in gloss indicates surface
damage can occur by
ordinary cleaning on an unsoiled test surface. Without being bound by theory
it is believed the
greater surface damage from the microfiber sample may be due containing
relatively abrasive
materials, such as nylon.
Surprisingly, the invention samples show minimal loss in gloss, having a
difference almost
within the standard deviation. Without being bound by theory it is believed
the lesser surface
damage from the microfiber sample may be due the benefits of having mobile
strips 17, which
present a dynamic surface area to the target surface in use.
The above test was repeated using 0.77 square meters of RN 104577 Santos
Mahogany
engineered hardwood plank laminate wood flooring distributed by Home Legend of
Fontana,
CA. This flooring was spiked with soil containing about 2% Ultra Fine Dust
(clay soil sold by
PTI soils) suspended in a water / alcohol solution. About 2 mls of this
solution was applied to
the test surface using a paint roller and allowed to air dry. The soil was
then re-wetted with 2
mls of cleaning solution. Each sample was then cycled back and forth 25 times
on this flooring.
The resulting gloss differential between samples is shown in Table 3 below.
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19
Table 3 Soiled Initial Gloss Final Gloss Change in
Surface Damage Average/ Std dev Average/Std dev gloss
Testing (unitless) (unitless) (unitless)
Control 1 90.7/0.4 85.6/0.95 -5.1
WetJet
commercially
available floor
sheet
code
41764787420320
Control 2 91.6/0.5 87.4/0.73 -4.2
Bona Microfiber
commercially
available floor
sheet
Item #AX0003053
Invention 91.0/0.45 90.8/0.5 -0.2
Table 3 shows that the inventive cleaning article 10, even in presence of more
rigorous testing
with particulate soil on a newer floor material, minimized potential for
surface damage relative
to control samples.
Referring to Fig. 8, the Bona floor sheet and a floor sheet 10 according to
the present invention
were tested for 10 cycles each on the aforementioned RN 104577 Santos Mahogany
engineered
hardwood plank flooring. The flooring was divided into two halves, with each
hald being used
for one sample. The flooring was cleaned with and initial gloss recorded. An
solution of soil,
oil and isopropyl alcohol was applied to the flooring and air dried.
Commercially available
WetJet cleaning liquid, sold by the instant assigned was sprayed onto the test
surface.
Each sample was tested with eight back and forth wipes in each direction to
cover about 2.8
square meters, representing one cycle. After each cycle, the test surface was
measured for both
20
filming, i.e. the appearance of haze, and for streaking. The process was
repeated with the same
sample, until 10 cycles were completed.
Fig. 8 shows that the commercially available Bona microfiber sample exhibited
both streaking
and hazing above the subjective visible detection threshold. Both proprerties
generally increased
in the unfavorable direction throughout the test. In contrast, the cleaning
article 10 according to
the present invention advantageously exhibited both streaking and hazing well
below the visible
detection threshold [1 on a unitless scale] throughout all 10 cycles.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being
strictly limited to
the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each
such dimension is
intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range
surrounding that
value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean
"about 40 mm."
The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with
respect to any invention
disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any
other reference or
references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. Further, to the
extent that any
meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or
definition of the
same term in a document cited herein, the meaning or definition assigned to
that term in this
document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated
and described, it
would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and
modifications can be
made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is
therefore intended to
cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are
within the scope of this
invention.
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