U.S. patent application number 11/650170 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-17 for disposable cleaning sheets comprising a plurality of protrusions for removing debris from surfaces.
Invention is credited to Mark Leslie Kacher, Michael Stephen Maile, Preston James Rhamy, Andrea Pfarr Switzer, Arthur Wong.
Application Number | 20070107155 11/650170 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26971965 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070107155 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kacher; Mark Leslie ; et
al. |
May 17, 2007 |
Disposable cleaning sheets comprising a plurality of protrusions
for removing debris from surfaces
Abstract
Disposable cleaning sheets for removing debris from a surface
comprise a substrate and a plurality of protrusions affixed to the
substrate. The cleaning sheets of the present invention have one or
more of the following characteristics: (a) "Protrusion Flexibility"
of at least about 0.5 grams, preferably from about 1 to about 200
grams, and more preferably from about 5 to about 70 grams; (b)
"Glide Resistance" of less than about 1200 grams, preferably from
about 25 to about 950 grams, and more preferably from about 200 to
about 750 grams; (c) "Hair Capture Efficiency" of at least about
10%, preferably at least about 30%, and more preferably at least
about 60%; and/or (d) "Sheet Capacity" of from about 0.2 to about
20 grams, preferably from about 0.5 to about 10 grams, and more
preferably from about 0.75 to about 5 grams. When the present
cleaning sheet is attached to a cleaning implement, the Attachment
Force between the cleaning sheet and the cleaning implement will
typically be at least about 600 grams, preferably at least about
1000 grams, and more preferably at least about 1400 grams. Methods
of removing debris from a surface comprise contacting the surface
with a cleaning sheet of the present invention.
Inventors: |
Kacher; Mark Leslie; (Mason,
OH) ; Maile; Michael Stephen; (Maineville, OH)
; Switzer; Andrea Pfarr; (Maineville, OH) ; Wong;
Arthur; (West Chester, OH) ; Rhamy; Preston
James; (Cincinnati, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DIVISION
WINTON HILL BUSINESS CENTER - BOX 161
6110 CENTER HILL AVENUE
CINCINNATI
OH
45224
US
|
Family ID: |
26971965 |
Appl. No.: |
11/650170 |
Filed: |
January 5, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11418608 |
May 5, 2006 |
|
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|
11650170 |
Jan 5, 2007 |
|
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|
10161444 |
Jun 3, 2002 |
|
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11418608 |
May 5, 2006 |
|
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60300760 |
Jun 25, 2001 |
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60370715 |
Apr 8, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
15/209.1 ;
15/228; 15/231 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 13/20 20130101;
A47L 13/16 20130101; A47L 25/08 20130101; Y10T 428/24017
20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/209.1 ;
015/231; 015/228 |
International
Class: |
A47L 13/16 20060101
A47L013/16 |
Claims
1-28. (canceled)
29. A substantially planar disposable cleaning sheet in combination
with a cleaning implement, said sheet comprising: i) at least one
layer of a substantially planar fibrous substrate material said
layer having a front, a back and side edges, a first outer surface
and a second outer surface, wherein said substrate comprises a
nonwoven material; and a plurality of protrusions affixed to at
least one of said first and second outer surfaces of said substrate
layer and extending outwardly therefrom and away from said
implement in order to contact a surface to be cleaned, wherein said
disposable cleaning sheet is removably attached to a cleaning
implement at a surface thereof, said surface of said cleaning
implement being generally planar and suitable for disposing said
sheet into generally planar contact with a surface to be
cleaned.
30. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 29 wherein said
protrusions have a Protrusion Flexibility of at least about 0.5
g.
31. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 30 wherein said
Protrusion Flexibility of said protrusions is from about 1.0 g to
about 200 g.
32. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 31 wherein said
Protrusion Flexibility of said protrusions is from about 5.0 g to
about 80 g.
33. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 29 wherein said cleaning
sheet has a Glide Resistance of less than about 1200 g.
34. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 33 wherein said Glide
Resistance is from about 25 g to about 950 g.
35. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 34 wherein said Glide
Resistance is from about 200 g to about 750 g.
36. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 29 wherein the
efficiency of hair capture for said disposable cleaning sheet from
said surface is from about 30 to about 100% as measured by the Hair
Capture Efficiency Test.
37. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 36 wherein said
efficiency of hair capture is from about 60 to about 100%.
38. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 36 wherein said cleaning
sheet has a total hair holding capacity of from about 0.2 to about
20 grams.
39. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 38 wherein said total
hair holding capacity is from about 0.5 to about 10 grams
40. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 37 wherein said peak
load resistance is from about 200 g to about 750 g.
41. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 29, wherein, said
protrusions are arrayed in a pattern on said at least one of said
first and second outer surfaces of substrate and said protrusion
pattern covers at least about 5% to about 100% of said at least one
of said first and second outer surfaces of substrate surface and
comprises form about 1 to about 1000 protrusions per square cm, and
wherein the balance of at least one of said first and second outer
surfaces of substrate is substantially free of protrusions.
42. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 29 wherein said
protrusions are hooks having: i) a height of from about 0.05 mm to
about 80 mm ii) a stem width at 1/3 height of form about 0.002 mm
to about 5 mm iii) a Vertical gap opening height of from about 5%
to about 100% of said height (i).
43. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 42 wherein said
protrusions comprise a thermoplastic resin with a softening point
between about 45.degree. C. to about 260.degree. C.
44. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 43 wherein said resin
has an elastic modulus of from about 0.0001 to about 0.15
kN/m.sup.2.
45. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 29 wherein said
protrusions are disposed in a checkerboard pattern.
46. The disposable cleaning sheet of claim 29 wherein said sheet is
substantially rectangular, having two pairs of parallel edges and
said protrusions are disposed in stripes.
47. The disposable sheet of claim 46 wherein said stripes are
parallel to one of said edges.
48. A disposable cleaning mitt, said cleaning mitt having a
cleaning sheet for cleaning a soft surface, said sheet comprising:
i) at least one layer of a substrate material, said layer having a
first outer surface and a second outer surface wherein at least a
portion of said substrate material is substantially planar; ii) a
polymeric additive for retaining particulate matter onto said
cleaning sheet, wherein said polymeric additive is chosen from at
least one of a pressure sensitive adhesive, a tacky polymer, and
mixtures thereof and wherein said polymeric additive is applied to
at least one of said first and second outer surfaces of said
substrate material at a level of at least about 0.1 g/m.sup.2; and
iii) a plurality of protrusions affixed to at least one of said
first and second outer surfaces of said substrate material and
extending outwardly therefrom in order to contact a surface to be
cleaned; iv) said cleaning sheet being incorporated into a mitt,
whereby a user can insert a hand onto the mitt and contact said
protrusions with a surface to be cleaned.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 11/418,608, filed May 5, 2006 which is a Continuation of U.S.
application Ser. No. 10/161,444, filed Jun. 3, 2002, which claims
the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/300,760, filed
Jun. 25, 2001; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/370,715,
filed Apr. 8, 2002.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to cleaning sheets comprising
protrusions for removing debris, such as human hair, pet hair,
dirt, dust, and the like, from soft surfaces, such as carpeting,
upholstery, and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is often difficult to remove unwanted debris from
surfaces, especially from soft surfaces. For example, it is
difficult to remove pet hair from carpeting. Conventional vacuum
cleaners often do not do a sufficient job in removing pet hair from
carpeting. Even though vacuum cleaners are capable of removing some
pet hair from carpeting, it can be inconvenient to repeatedly use a
vacuum cleaner because of its weight and power requirements. In
addition, pet hair can become entangled in the roller brush of the
vacuum cleaner requiring either cleaning or repair of the
vacuum.
[0004] A number of devices have been disclosed to address the
problem of removing debris from soft surfaces. For example, U.S.
Pat. No. 4,703,538 issued to Silverstrone discloses a cleaning tool
suited for picking up dirt, lint, and the like from rugs, floors,
upholstered furniture and other surfaces. The cleaning tool of
Silverstrone consists of an elongated handle having a pair of legs
extending outwardly to engage a cylindrically shaped cleaning
element having an external surface made of Velcro. Discs are fitted
between the ends of the cylinder and the legs of the handle to
fixedly mount the cylinder to the legs of the handle. The cleaning
tool can then be pushed over the surface to be cleaned to pick up
dirt, lint, and the like. However, this cleaning tool is
inconvenient in that the consumer must manually clean the cylinder
cleaning element after the cleaning element accumulates dirt, lint,
and the like. Since the cylinder is fixedly mounted to the legs of
the handle, the cleaning tool must be manually cleaned every time
debris accumulates in the Velcro.
[0005] A tool for removing animal hair from carpeting is disclosed
in U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,995 issued to Varon. The tool of Varon
contains a field of smooth tapered polyethylene bristles extending
down from a head attached to a broom handle. The density of the
bristles at the trailing edge is greater than elsewhere and the
bristles are arranged in a saw-tooth leading edge pattern. As the
tool is pulled through carpeting, the bristles pick up animal hair.
The bristles are permanently attached to the head of the broom
handle. As with the cleaning tool of Silverstrone, the tool of
Varon suffers from the problem of having to manually clean out the
bristles of the tool every time the bristles accumulate debris.
[0006] A device for removing fiber pills and lint from fabrics is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,561 issued to Calafut. The device
of Calafut contains a supporting substrate, such as a pliant foam
sheet, that has on one surface an abrasive coating of substantially
uniform particles having 280-600 grit size for removing pills from
fabrics and has on its other surface a fabric with slant, hook, or
loop pile to remove lint from fabrics. The device is sized to fit
in one's pocket or purse. The abrasive side of device is rubbed
against the fabric to remove pills. The lint removing side of the
device is a pile fabric having free ends disposed in a common
angular direction and demonstrates relatively good gripping and
holding ability of lint when drawn in one direction and then
readily releases the lint when drawn in the opposite direction. One
issue which is apparently not addressed in Calafut, is that some
types of hooks can potentially damage certain types of soft
surfaces. Calafut does not make any distinction between the
different types of hooks which can be used on a soft surface. In
particular, Calafut does not disclose hooks which can provide both
lint removal and surface safety. In addition, it has been observed
that a soft surface, such as for example a carpet, can typically
comprise a greater volume of hair as opposed to lint. As a result,
efficient hair removal and lint removal can be viewed as two
different problems. Another potential issue with the Calafut device
is that it is apparently not intended to be disposable.
Consequently, a user is required to clean out the lint removing
side each time it is saturated with lint in order to be able to
reuse this device.
[0007] Other types of cleaning devices comprising an adhesive
roller such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,788 issued
to Jaffri, U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,034 issued to Cox et al. and U.S.
Publication No. US20020023666A1 to Tawara et al., are known in the
art to remove debris from carpets, upholstery and other types of
fabric. However, the adhesive surface of these rollers is quickly
covered with dust, rendering the "poisoned" surface covered with
adhesive ineffective for extended cleaning, without requiring a
frequent replacement of the adhesive surface.
[0008] It has thus been desired to create a cleaning sheet that can
remove debris, such as pet hair, from surfaces, such as soft
surfaces, which can be conveniently disposed by the consumer after
use. As a result, the cleaning sheet does not have to be manually
cleaned out after each use, but instead is easily disposed of after
use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention relates to disposable cleaning sheets
or mitts for removing debris, especially hair, from a surface,
especially soft surfaces such as carpeting or upholstery. The
cleaning sheets comprise a substrate and a plurality of protrusions
affixed to the substrate. The protrusions are preferably selected
from the group consisting of hooks, slanted fibers, bristles, and
combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning
sheets are removably attachable to a cleaning implement.
[0010] The present invention provides a convenient way for a
consumer to remove debris from surfaces, especially soft surfaces
such as carpet, where it is often difficult to remove debris such
as hair, in particular pet hair. The protrusions of the present
cleaning sheets or mitts are able to effectively dislodge the
debris from the surface being cleaned, and have the ability to
retain the removed debris in the cleaning sheet. Therefore, a
consumer can simply wipe the surface with the present cleaning
sheet or mitt and conveniently dispose of it after cleaning the
surface, thus throwing away the debris along with the cleaning
sheet or mitt. The cleaning sheets or mitts herein thus do not
require to be cleaned themselves and are easily disposed of.
[0011] The present invention further relates to methods of removing
debris from a surface by contacting the surface with a cleaning
sheet or mitt of the present invention. The surfaces cleaned by the
present methods are preferably soft surfaces, such as carpet.
[0012] All documents cited herein are, in relevant part,
incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is
not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with
respect to the present invention.
[0013] It should be understood that every maximum numerical
limitation given throughout this specification will include every
lower numerical limitation, as if such lower numerical limitations
were expressly written herein. Every minimum numerical limitation
given throughout this specification will include every higher
numerical limitation, as if such higher numerical limitations were
expressly written herein. Every numerical range given throughout
this specification will include every narrower numerical range that
falls within such broader numerical range, as if such narrower
numerical ranges were all expressly written herein.
[0014] All parts, ratios, and percentages herein, in the
Specification, Examples, and Claims, are by weight and all
numerical limits are used with the normal degree of accuracy
afforded by the art, unless otherwise specified.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a top view of a disposable cleaning sheet of the
present invention comprising two discrete zones of protrusions,
each zone containing a plurality of protrusions.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the disposable cleaning sheet
of FIG. 1 along X-X'.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a top view of a disposable cleaning sheet of the
present invention comprising two discrete zones of protrusions,
each zone containing a plurality of protrusions and polymeric
additive material disposed in a checkerboard pattern.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the disposable cleaning sheet
of FIG. 3 along X-X'.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a top view of a disposable cleaning sheet of the
present invention comprising six discrete zones of protrusions,
each zone containing a plurality of protrusions, and adhesive
material disposed between the discrete zones of protrusions.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the disposable cleaning sheet
of FIG. 5 along X-X'.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a protrusion that is a
J-type hook.
[0022] FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a protrusion that is a
Prong-type hook.
[0023] FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a protrusion that is a
Mushroom-type hook.
[0024] FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of a protrusion that is a
Banana-type hook.
[0025] FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of a protrusion that is a
Y-type hook.
[0026] FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a protrusion that is a
Multi-tipped-type hook.
[0027] FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of a protrusion that is
a J-type hook.
[0028] FIG. 14 is a top view of a disposable cleaning sheet of the
present invention comprising two discrete zones of protrusions,
each zone containing a plurality of protrusions, each linear
discrete zone being angled relative to the side edges of the
sheet.
[0029] FIG. 15 is a top view of a disposable cleaning sheet of the
present invention comprising two discrete zones of protrusions,
each zone containing a plurality of protrusions being angled
relative to the side edges of the sheet.
[0030] FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of a protrusion which
does not have a plane of symmetry.
[0031] FIG. 17 is a front elevational view of a protrusion which
does not have a plane of symmetry.
[0032] FIG. 18 is a cross-section of the disposable cleaning sheet
of one embodiment of the invention.
[0033] FIG. 19 is a cross-section of the disposable cleaning sheet
of one embodiment of the invention.
[0034] FIG. 20 is a cross-section of the disposable cleaning sheet
of one embodiment of the invention.
[0035] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a mop head of a cleaning
implement with a cleaning sheet of the present invention attached
thereto.
[0036] FIG. 22 is a top view of a disposable cleaning mitt of the
present invention comprising six discrete zones of protrusions,
each zone containing a plurality of protrusions.
[0037] FIG. 23 is a top view of a reusable cleaning meet of the
present invention comprising a fastening material.
[0038] FIG. 24 is a top view of a disposable cleaning sheet of the
present invention, for use with the reusable cleaning mitt of FIG.
23 comprising five discrete zones of protrusions, each zone
containing a plurality of protrusions.
[0039] FIG. 25 is a cross-section of the disposable cleaning sheet
of FIG. 24 along X-X'.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
I. Disposable Cleaning Sheets
[0040] The disposable cleaning sheets of the present invention
comprise a substrate and a plurality of protrusions, preferably
hooks, affixed to the substrate. In a preferred embodiment of the
invention, the cleaning sheet is removably attachable to a cleaning
implement. The cleaning sheets of the present invention are
especially useful in removing debris and soils that are typically
difficult to remove from soft surfaces, such as carpet or
upholstery. Pet hair and human hair are particularly difficult to
remove from soft surfaces such as carpeting. It is often difficult,
even for powered vacuum cleaners, to remove such debris. The
cleaning sheets of the present invention, however, are particularly
effective in removing such debris from soft surfaces and are
conveniently disposable after use. Thus the cleaning sheet can be
simply thrown away after use, along with all of the debris and soil
collected in the cleaning sheet.
[0041] Preferred embodiments of disposable cleaning sheets of the
present invention are shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5. Cross-section
views of the cleaning sheets of FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, which illustrate
the protrusions affixed to the substrate of the present cleaning
sheets, are shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6, respectively.
[0042] A. Substrates
[0043] The substrates useful in the present cleaning sheets include
a wide variety of different types of substrates. The substrates can
be woven or nonwoven and can be made of synthetic, natural, or
hybrid fibers. The substrates can also be a polymeric film. The
substrates can be made from a variety of processes including, but
not limited to, hydroentangled, spunbonded, meltblown, carded, and
the like. Preferably the substrates are nonwoven and made of
synthetic fibers from a hydroentangling, meltblown or spunbonded
process. The substrates can also be laminates of spunbond and
meltblown layers.
[0044] The substrates of the cleaning sheets of the present
invention can be made using either a woven or nonwoven process, or
by forming operations using melted materials laid down on forms,
especially in belts, and/or by forming operations involving
mechanical actions/modifications carried out on films. The
structures are made by any number of methods (e.g., spunbonded,
meltblown, resin bonded, air-through bonded, etc.). Preferred
substrates include nonwoven substrates selected from the group
consisting of spunbonded substrates, meltblown substrates,
hydroentangled substrates, thermoplastic film substrates, airlaid
substrates, carded substrates, and combinations thereof.
[0045] Materials particularly suitable for forming the preferred
nonwoven substrates of the present cleaning sheets include, for
example, natural cellulosics as well as synthetics such as
polyolefins (e.g., polyethylene and polypropylene), polyesters,
polyamides, synthetic cellulosics (e.g., RAYON.RTM.), and blends
thereof. Also useful are natural fibers, such as cotton or blends
thereof and those derived from various cellulosic sources.
Preferred starting materials for making the substrates of the
present cleaning sheets are synthetic materials, which may be in
the form of carded, spunbonded, meltblown, airlaid, or other
structures. Particularly preferred are polyesters, especially
carded polyester fibers, polypropylene fibers, and polyethylene
fibers. The resistance to abrasion and tearing of the substrate as
the cleaning sheet is rubbed across the surface, e.g. carpet,
upholstery, or other fabric surface, can be an important factor in
selected the form of the substrate and the fiber composition. The
degree of hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity of the fibers is further
optimized depending upon the desired goal of the sheet, either in
terms of type of soil to be removed, the type of additive that is
provided, when an additive is present, biodegradability,
availability, and combinations of such considerations. In general,
the more biodegradable materials are hydrophilic, but the more
effective materials tend to be hydrophobic.
[0046] The substrates can be formed from a single fibrous layer or
can be a laminate of two or more separate layers. Preferably, the
sheets are nonwovens made via a hydroentangling or spunbonded
process. In this regard, prior to hydroentangling discrete layers
of fibers, it may be desired to slightly entangle each of the
layers prior to joining the layers by entanglement.
[0047] To enhance the integrity of the substrate, a polymeric net
(referred to herein as a "scrim" material) can be incorporated in
the substrate, such that the scrim material is arranged with the
fibrous material, e.g., though lamination via heat or chemical
means such as adhesives, or via hydrogentanglement. Scrim materials
useful herein are described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,419.
The scrims may be formed directly at the extrusion die or can be
derived from extruded films by fibrillation or by embossment,
followed by stretching and splitting. The scrim may be derived from
a polyolefin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, copolymers
thereof, poly(butylene terephthalate), polyethylene terephthalate,
Nylon 6, Nylon 66, and the like. Scrim materials are available from
various commercial sources. A preferred scrim material useful in
the present invention is a polypropylene scrim, available from
Conwed Plastics (Minneapolis, Minn.).
[0048] The substrates of the present cleaning sheets will typically
have a basis weight of from about 15 to about 195 g/m.sup.2,
preferably from about 20 to about 90 g/m.sup.2, and more preferably
from about 30 to about 80 g/m.sup.2. The substrate can comprise one
or more fiber layers. Each fiber layer can be of the same
construction or can be of different construction.
[0049] Preferred substrates herein include a carded, thermal bonded
fibrous web having a basis weight of 70 g/m.sup.2 comprised of 80%
of polypropylene fibers and 20% of rayon fibers. Another preferred
substrate is a trilayer laminate comprising two outer spunbond
layers and an inner meltblown layer with a basic weight of 48
g/m.sup.2, and comprises 100% polypropylene. Both preferred
substrates are commercially available from BBA Nonwovens
(Simpsonville, S.C. USA). Other suitable substrates are described
in detail in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/082,349 filed May 20,
1998; U.S. application Ser. No. 09/082,396 filed May 20, 1998; and
U.S. application Ser. No. 09/729,626 filed Nov. 30, 2000.
[0050] One skilled in the art will understand that in the event a
disposable cleaning sheet is used with a cleaning implement
comprising grippers, such as the ones later described, the
substrate will be sized such that at least a portion of the
substrate is removably "grippable" by the grippers.
[0051] B. Protrusions
[0052] The cleaning sheets of the present invention further
comprise a plurality of protrusions affixed to the substrate
described herein. The protrusions of the present cleaning sheets
enhance the pick-up of particulate materials, especially animal
hair or human hair, from surfaces, especially soft surfaces such as
carpeting, upholstery, and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the
protrusions are chosen such that they do not snag or get caught by
the fibers of the surface.
[0053] The protrusions can be of a variety of shapes including, but
not limited to, hooks, slanted fibers, bristles, and the like. The
plurality of protrusions affixed to the substrate can be all of a
uniform shape or can be a combination of different shapes.
Preferably at least some of the protrusions are hook-shaped
protrusions. Preferred hook-shaped protrusions include a variety of
types, including, for example, "J-type" hooks, "Prong-type" hooks,
"Mushroom-type" hooks, "Banana-type" hooks, "Y-type" hooks,
"Multi-tipped" hooks and the like.
[0054] The protrusions incorporated into the present cleaning
sheets can be made of a variety of materials. For example, the
protrusions can be formed from materials including, but not limited
to, polymers, polymeric resins, and the like, preferably
thermoplastic resins. The thermoplastic resins preferably comprise
a thermoplastic polymer and can preferably further comprise
tackifying resins, plasticizers, and other optional ingredients
such as diluents, stabilizers, antioxidants, colorants, and
fillers. Suitable tackifying resins and plasticizers are described
in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/821,953 filed Mar. 30,
2001 by Kacher et al.
[0055] A preferred material from which to form protrusions of the
present cleaning sheets are thermoplastic resins. The thermoplastic
resins herein will typically have a softening temperature of from
about 45.degree. C. to about 260.degree. C., more preferably from
about 80.degree. C. to about 200.degree. C., and even more
preferably from about 90.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C.
"Softening temperature" of a thermoplastic resin can be measured
according to a standard method, ASTM D1525.
[0056] Preferred thermoplastic resins comprise thermoplastic
polymer selected from the group consisting of: styrene copolymer
blends, wherein the copolymer is selected from the group consisting
of butadiene, acrylonitrile, divinylbenzene, maleic anhydride;
block copolymers containing polystyrene endblocks and polyisoprene,
polybutadiene, and/or polyethylene-butylene midblocks; polyolefins
such as polyethylene, polypropylene, amorphous polypropylene,
polyisoprene, and polyethylene propylene; ethylene-vinylacetate
copolymers; acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymers; polyesters such as
polyethylene terphthalate; polyamides such as Nylon 6 and Nylon 11;
polyisobutylene; poly(vinyl ethylene-co-1,4-butadiene); natural
rubber [poly cis-isoprene]; polyacrylic acid and salts thereof;
polymethacrylic acid and salts thereof; polydimethylsiloxane;
polydiphenylsiloxane; poly methyl phenyl siloxane; polyvinyl
alcohol; polyvinyl chloride; polyvinylidene chloride; polyurethane;
and mixtures thereof.
[0057] Preferably, the thermoplastic resins used to form
protrusions have a certain degree of elasticity. The degree of
elasticity is related to Young's modulus, which is the ratio of the
tensile stress to the extension strain of a given material. The
value of Young's modulus indicates the resistance of a material to
reversible longitudinal deformation. Simplistically, it can be
considered as the theoretical stress or force required to double
the length of a specimen. The Handbook of Common Polymers--Fibres,
Films, Plastics, and Rubber, complied by W. J. Roff et al. (1971),
lists the Young's modulus for a number of materials. Young's
modulus can be measured using a standard method known as ASTM D797.
Typical values for Young's modulus for thermoplastic
resins/polymers at 20.degree. C. to 25.degree. C. of the present
invention, when said resin/polymer is in the form of filaments,
threads, or wires, and where the relative humidity is 65% when the
humidity can impact the results, are shown in the following table:
TABLE-US-00001 Young's Modulus of Common Thermoplastic
Resin/Polymer Fibers Resin/Polymer kN/m.sup.2 (.times.10.sup.-4)
Rubber (Vulcanized, soft; 0.15 thread) Polyurethane (elasteromeric
1.0 thread) Polyethylene (low density) 79 Polyvinylidene Chloride
100-150 Nylon 6 200-290 Cellulose Acetate 290-440 Polyvinyl Alcohol
200-1180 Polypropylene (monofilament) 320 Polyacrylnitrile 390-690
Polyester (Terylene) 390-1470 Polyethylene (high density) 390
Polyvinyl chloride 490 Nylon 11 490 Viscose Rayon 590-880
Polypropylene (continuous 640 filament yarn)
[0058] The preferred protrusions of the present cleaning sheets are
formed of a material having a Young's modulus of from about 1 to
about 1500 kN/m.sup.2 (.times.10-4), preferably from about 50 to
about 1000 kN/m.sup.2 (.times.104), and more preferably from about
75 to about 750 kN/m.sup.2 (.times.10-4).
[0059] Thermoplastic resins preferred herein for forming
protrusions of the present cleaning sheets include polyethylene
(which can be low density, high density and/or cross linked),
polypropylene (monofilament or continuous filament), and mixtures
thereof.
[0060] In general, the protrusions will be affixed to the
substrates such that the protrusions cover from about 5% to about
100%, preferably from about 10% to about 70%, and more preferably
from about 15% to about 60% of the surface area of at least one
outer surface of the substrate. The protrusions can be affixed to
only one outer surface of the substrate of the cleaning sheet but
the protrusions can also be affixed to both outer surfaces. One
skilled in the art will understand that a cleaning sheet comprising
protrusions in only one of its outer surfaces, can be attached to
the mop head of a cleaning implement such that the outer surface of
the substrate that is free of protrusions is oriented against the
bottom surface of the mop head, while the other outer surface to
which the protrusions are affixed will be available to contact the
surface to be cleaned.
[0061] In one embodiment, the protrusions can be affixed to the
substrate such that when the cleaning sheet is attached to a mop
head, the portion of the cleaning sheet covering the edge(s) and/or
the top of the mop head will comprise some protrusions. This
embodiment might be particularly useful to remove debris from a
vertical surface.
[0062] The protrusions are typically affixed to the substrate
herein in rows of protrusions. The protrusions will generally be
positioned such that the distance between two consecutive
protrusions in a given row will be at least 0.15 mm, from about 0.2
to about 10 mm, preferably from about 0.2 to about 5 mm, preferably
from about 0.3 to about 5 mm, more preferably from about 0.6 to
about 3 mm, even more preferably from about 0.8 to about 3 mm, and
most preferably from about 0.9 to about 2 mm. The number of
protrusions per square centimeter will typically be from about 1 to
about 1000, preferably from about 10 to about 100, and more
preferably from about 20 to about 50. In one embodiment, two or
more protrusions can share a common base and then flare outwards to
become separated.
[0063] As discussed hereinbefore, the protrusions of the present
cleaning sheets can be a variety of shapes. For example, the
protrusions can be slanted fibers. The slanted fibers preferably
have a sufficient Young's modulus to provide enough resiliency
(e.g. low elasticity) to the slanted fibers to enable the slanted
fibers to dislodge debris from the surface being cleaned. Slanted
fibers are straight protrusions that extend from the substrate at
an acute angle, with respect to the substrate.
[0064] The protrusions can also include bristles, which are similar
to slanted fibers, except that they extend perpendicularly straight
out from the substrate, forming a 90.degree. angle with the
substrate.
[0065] Preferred protrusions herein, however, are hook-shaped
protrusions. Hook-shaped protrusions can themselves come in a
variety of shapes. Preferred hook-shaped protrusions include, for
example, "J-type" hooks, "Prong-type" hooks, "Mushroom-type" hooks,
"Banana-type" hooks, "Y-type" hooks, "Multi-tipped" hooks and the
like, as described hereinafter.
[0066] The present cleaning sheets comprise a plurality of
protrusions, which can all be of the same shape or can be a
combination of protrusions having two or more different shapes. It
is also possible to have a plurality of protrusions which are all
facing towards the same direction or which are pointing towards
different directions. The shapes and resiliency of the protrusions
are preferably selected based on the surface desired to be cleaned,
especially soft surfaces such as carpet, upholstery, and the like.
In order to yield the best of debris removal and easy movement of
the cleaning sheet across the surface, the shape and resiliency of
the protrusions can also be selected based on the type of carpet or
upholstery being cleaned. For example, more aggressive hooks (e.g.
less elasticity and/or more curl in the engagement end of the hook)
can be used on plush carpet, while less aggressive hooks (e.g. more
elasticity and/or less curl in the engagement end of the hook) are
preferred for loop-type carpet, such as berber carpet. Typically,
the thinner the protrusions and the greater the distance between
individual protrusions, the less aggressive the resulting cleaning
sheet will be.
[0067] When the present cleaning sheets are contacted to the
surface to be cleaned, preferably by moving or wiping the cleaning
sheet across the surface, the protrusions of the present cleaning
sheets are capable of dislodging debris from the surface, removing
the debris from the surface, and retaining the debris on the
cleaning sheet. Since the debris is retained in the cleaning sheet,
once the user is finished cleaning the surface, the user can simply
dispose of the cleaning sheet, along with the debris retained by
the cleaning sheet.
[0068] Hook-shaped protrusions are especially effective at removing
hair, particularly animal pet hair, from soft surfaces such as
carpet.
Preferred Hook-Shaped Protrusions
[0069] As discussed herein, it is preferred that at least some of
the protrusions of the present disposable cleaning sheets are
hook-shaped protrusions. Hook-shaped protrusions generally comprise
a base, a stem, an engagement end and can either be symmetrical or
asymmetrical relative to a plane perpendicular to the protrusion's
base. The base of the protrusion secures the hook-shaped protrusion
to the substrate and can connect the individual hooks to one
another. The engagement end of the protrusion helps to dislodge and
retain debris from the surface being cleaned. The engagement end of
a hook-shaped protrusion can be especially useful for dislodging
and retaining hair, including pet hair, from carpeting.
[0070] Hook shapes preferred herein include, but are not limited
to, J-type hooks, Prong-type hooks, Mushroom-type hooks,
Banana-type hooks, Y-type hooks, Multi-tipped hooks and the like.
Non-limiting examples of hook-shaped protrusions suitable herein
are shown in FIGS. 7 to 10.
[0071] Preferred hook shapes can be selected based upon parameters,
defined hereinafter, such as: Total Height (mm); Slope (degree);
Tip Diameter (mm); Curl (degree); Length (mm); Front Stem Width;
Side Stem Width at 1/3 Height (mm); Ratio of Side Stem Width at 2/3
Height (mm) to Side Stem Width at 1/3 Height (mm); Ratio of
Vertical Hook Gap (mm) to Total Height (mm); Horizontal Hook
Opening (mm); and Vertical Hook Opening (mm). Preferred hook shapes
can be selected with these certain parameters based on the type of
surface desired to be cleaned with the present cleaning sheets.
[0072] Preferred hook-shaped protrusions of the present cleaning
sheets exhibit one or more of the following parameters: [0073] (a)
a Total Height of from about 0.5 to about 80 mm, preferably from
about 0.25 to about 6.0 mm, and more preferably from about 1.5 to
about 3 mm; [0074] (b) a Slope of from about 15 to about 90,
preferably from about 40 to about 90, and more preferably from
about 75 to about 85; [0075] (c) a Tip Diameter of from about 0.002
to about 10 mm, preferably from about 0.01 to about 1.0 mm, and
more preferably from about 0.03 to about 0.5 mm; [0076] (d) a Curl
of from about 0 to about 630, preferably from about 1 to about 180,
and more preferably from about 75 to about 160; [0077] (e) a Front
Stem Width of at least about 0.05 mm, preferably from about 0.1 to
about 1 mm, more preferably from about 0.15 to about 0.3 mm and
most preferably from about 0.2 to about 0.3 mm; [0078] (f) a Side
Stem Width at 1/3 Height of from about 0.02 to about 5 mm,
preferably from about 0.05 to about 2.5 mm, and more preferably
from about 0.1 to about 0.25 mm; [0079] (g) a ratio of Side Stem
Width at 2/3 Height (mm) to Side Stem Width at 1/3 Height (mm) of
from about 2:5 to about 1:1, preferably from about 1:2 to about
0.95:1, and more preferably from about 3:5 to about 0.9:1; [0080]
(h) a Length of from about 0.001 to about 25 mm, preferably from
about 0.01 to about 10 mm, and more preferably from about 0.8 to
about 4 mm; [0081] (i) a ratio of Vertical Hook Opening to Total
Height of from about 1:20 to about 1:1, preferably from about 2:5
to about 1:1, and more preferably from about 4:5 to about 1:1;
[0082] (j) a Horizontal Hook Opening of from about 0.05 to about
0.2 mm, preferably from about 0.07 to about 1.2 mm, and more
preferably from about 0.1 to about 0.5 mm; and/or [0083] (k) a
Vertical Hook Opening of from about 0.05 to about 0.2 mm,
preferably from about 0.07 to about 1.2 mm, and more preferably
from about 0.1 to about 0.5 mm. The preferred hook-shaped
protrusions herein will have a variety of combinations of such
parameters, depending upon the surface to be cleaned.
J-type Hooks
[0084] FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a J-type hook 70 that
is suitable as a protrusion for the present disposable cleaning
sheets. Referring to FIG. 7, a preferred J-type hook 70 generally
has a base 71, a stem 72 and an engagement end 73. The base 71 of
the J-type hook 70 is affixed to the substrate 74. At the end of
the engagement end 73 is a tip 75. The apex 76 of the J-type hook
70 is the point furthest away from the base 71, perpendicularly.
The Total Height 77 of the J-type hook 70 is measured in
millimeters as the perpendicular distance between the apex 76 and
the base 71.
[0085] The Side Stem Width at 1/3 Height 78 is measured as the side
horizontal width of the stem 72, as shown in FIG. 7, at a
perpendicular distance from the base 71 equal to 1/3 of the Total
Height 77. The Side Stem Width at 2/3 Height 79 is measured as the
horizontal width of the stem 72 at a perpendicular distance from
the base 71 equal to 2/3 of the Total Height 77.
[0086] The Front Stem Width 90 is measured as the front horizontal
width of the stem 72, as shown in FIG. 13, at a perpendicular
distance from the base 71 equal to 1/3 of the Total Height 77.
[0087] The J-type hook 70 has a longitudinal axis 80. As used
herein, the term "longitudinal axis" refers to an imaginary line
generally centered at the footprint of the base 71 longitudinally
projecting through the distal end of the stem 72 to the tip 75 of
the engagement end 73. The Length of the J-type hook 70 is equal to
the length of the longitudinal axis 80.
[0088] The Curl 81 of the J-type hook 70 is the angle between: (a)
the vertical line passing through the apex 76 of the J-type hook
70, and (b) the line which passes through the tip 75 of the
engagement end 73 and the intersection of the longitudinal axis 80
and the vertical line passing through the apex 76.
[0089] The Slope 82 of the J-type hook 70 is the angle between: (a)
the tangent line passing through the distal point 83 of the Stem
Width at 2/3 Height 79 and which is included in the plane of
symmetry of the protrusion, and (b) the base 71 of the J-type hook
70.
[0090] The Vertical Hook Gap 84 is the vertical distance between:
(a) a horizontal line passing through the tip 75 of the engagement
end 73, and (b) the base 71 of the J-type hook 70.
[0091] The Horizontal Hook Opening 85 is the horizontal distance
between: (a) the point 86 at which a horizontal line passing
through the tip 75 of the engagement end 73 intersects the stem 72,
and (b) the tip 75 of the engagement end 73.
[0092] The Vertical Hook Opening 87 is the vertical distance
between: (a) the point 88 of the interior surface of the engagement
end 73 which is at the greatest perpendicular distance from the
base 71, and (b) the tip 75 of the engagement end 73.
Prong-Type Hooks
[0093] FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a Prong-type hook 170
that is suitable as a protrusion for the present disposable
cleaning sheets. The Prong-type hook 170 of FIG. 8 is defined by
similar parameters as the J-type hook 70 of FIG. 7. The features of
the Prong-type hook 170 are identified as three digit numerals
starting with 1 and correspond to the features of the J-type hook
70 of FIG. 7.
Mushroom-Type Hooks
[0094] FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a Mushroom-type hook
270 that is suitable as a protrusion for the present disposable
cleaning sheets. The Mushroom-type hook 270 of FIG. 9 is defined by
parameters similar to those of the J-type hook 70 of FIG. 7. The
features of the Mushroom-type hook 270 are identified as three
digit numerals starting with 2 and correspond to the features of
the J-type hook 70 of FIG. 7.
Banana-Type Hooks
[0095] FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of a Banana-type hook 370
that is suitable as a protrusion for the present disposable
cleaning sheets. The Banana-type hook 370 of FIG. 10 is defined by
parameters similar to those of the J-type hook 70 of FIG. 7. The
features of the Banana-type hook 370 are identified as three digit
numerals starting with 3 and correspond to the features of the
J-type hook 70 of FIG. 7. In one embodiment, the Banana-type hook
can be assimilated to a J-type or Prong-type hook further
comprising at least one, preferably two engagement ends extending
from the stem of the hook at the same height and pointing towards
different directions.
Y-Type Hooks
[0096] FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of a Y-type hook 470 that
is suitable as a protrusion for the present disposable cleaning
sheets. The Y-type hook 470 of FIG. 11 is defined by parameters
similar to those of the J-type hook 70 of FIG. 7. The features of
the Y-type hook 470 are identified as three digit numerals starting
with 4 and correspond to the features of the J-type hook 70 of FIG.
7. In one embodiment, the Y-type hook 470 can be assimilated to two
J-type hooks or two Prong-type hooks "sharing" the same base and
stem but having two engagement ends facing opposite directions.
Multi-Tipped Hooks
[0097] FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a Multi-tipped hook
570 that is suitable as a protrusion for the present disposable
cleaning sheets. The Multi-tipped hook 570 of FIG. 12 is defined by
parameters similar to those of the J-type hook 70 of FIG. 7. The
features of the Banana-type hook 570 are identified as three digit
numerals starting with 5 and correspond to the features of the
J-type hook 70 of FIG. 7. By Multi-tipped hook, it is meant a
protrusion comprising a base, a stem and at least three engagement
ends. In one embodiment of the invention, the Multi-tipped hook can
be assimilated to at least three J-type or Prong-type hooks
"sharing" the same base and stem but having three engagement ends
pointing towards different directions. In another embodiment, the
Multi-tipped hook can be assimilated to a Banana-type hook as
previously described comprising a plurality of engagement ends
extending from the stem of the hook at different heights and
pointing towards the same or different directions
[0098] In one embodiment of the invention, the foregoing hook type
protrusions can be disposed on the substrate forming the sheet such
that the plane of symmetry of these protrusions is substantially
parallel to the side edges of the sheet as shown if FIG. 1. This
disposition of hooks can be achieved for example by placing at
least one row of hooks on the substrate where all these hooks have
a plane of symmetry which is perpendicular to this row and such
that this row is perpendicular to the side edges of the sheet as
shown in FIG. 1. A row of protrusions can be substantially linear
but one skilled in the art will understand that other forms, shapes
and/or configurations might be used and provide the same benefits.
For example, the protrusions can be disposed such that they form a
circle, a sinusoidal, an arc, or any other linear or non-linear
shape.
[0099] In another embodiment of the invention, the hook type
protrusions can be disposed on the substrate such that the plane of
symmetry of these protrusions is angled relative to the side edges
of the sheet. This result can be achieved for example by placing at
least one row of hooks on the substrate such that this
substantially linear row of protrusions 91 is not perpendicular to
the side edges of the sheet as shown in FIG. 14. Another possible
way to achieve this result is to angle the hooks during the
manufacturing process of the hooks. The strips 92 pre-angled of
hooks can then be attached to the substrate such that each strip is
perpendicular to the side edges of the sheet as schematically shown
in FIG. 15. The angle between the plan of symmetry of the hook and
one of the side edges can be comprised between about 0 and 55
degrees, preferably between 3 and 45 degrees and most preferably
between 3 and 30 degrees. One skilled in the art will understand
that the previous values of the angle between the plan of symmetry
of the protrusions and one of the side edges of the sheet is given
in the absolute but could also be negative values depending on the
chosen referential. In another embodiment of the invention
schematically represented in FIG. 15, a row of protrusions, all
having a plane of symmetry, comprises a combination of protrusions
having different angles relative to one of the side edges of the
sheet. A non-limiting example of such a combination can be a row 93
comprising protrusions angled at 45 degrees, protrusions angled at
0 degree (i.e. being parallel to the side edges of the sheet) and
protrusions angled at +45 degrees. One skilled in the art will
understand that other combinations of hooks having different angles
might be possible and provide the same benefits.
[0100] In another embodiment of the invention, the hook type
protrusions, which are positioned on the substrate, do not have a
plane of symmetry. This can be the case for example with a hook 70'
which has a single tip and where the longitudinal axis 80' of this
hook is not included in its entirety in a plane which is
perpendicular to the basis of the hook as schematically represented
in FIG. 16 (for the side view) and 17 (for the front view). In this
embodiment, the tip 75' of the hook appears as if it were twisted
out of the plane perpendicular to the base such as for example, the
tip of a screw.
[0101] In another embodiment of the invention, a combination of
hooks having a symmetrical plane being parallel to the side edges
of the sheet and/or hooks having a symmetrical plane being angled
relative to the side edges of the sheet and/or hooks having which
do not have a plane of symmetry can be disposed on a sheet.
1. Processes for Making Protrusions
[0102] The protrusions herein can be produced by a variety of
processes. For example, the protrusions herein can be produced by
an extrusion process, cut-loop formation process, modified gravure
printing process, screen printing process, and the like.
[0103] The protrusions are preferably produced by an extrusion
process. A preferred extrusion process comprises integrally molding
a base and forming a plurality of protrusions spaced apart in rows
extending along at least a portion of the length and width of the
base. It is preferred that the base and protrusions are of the same
composition. Extrusion processes for producing protrusions,
especially the preferred hook-shaped protrusions disclosed herein,
are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,614,045; 4,056,593 and 4,872,243.
The extruded protrusions produced thereby can include the base upon
which adhesive tape or adhesive material can be applied for
affixing the protrusions to the substrate of the present cleaning
sheets. Suitable extruded protrusions for the present cleaning
sheets are commercially available from APLIX.RTM., Inc. While these
references disclose methods for making hook shaped protrusions for
fastener systems, the same methods can be applied to make the
protrusions of the present invention. In one embodiment, strips
comprising a plurality of protrusions are made by first extruding a
strip of material which comprises longitudinal "ribs" on at least
one side and second, by cutting notches across these ribs such that
substantially hooked shaped protrusions are obtained. It might be
preferred to stretch this strip of material in a drawing frame
prior to cutting the notches in order to increase the space between
the hook shaped protrusions.
[0104] Another process of making protrusions includes a coextrusion
process such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,922 issued
August 2000 to Cejka et al. In this process, two layers of material
which can be meltable and have different properties, are coextruded
to form protrusions such that these protrusions comprise a core of
a first material and an outer layer formed of a second
material.
[0105] Another process for making protrusions includes a cut-loop
formation process. A cut-loop process is commonly used to make hook
fastener systems and comprises fabricating a series of relatively
stiff loops on a surface and cutting these loops to form a long,
curved side that forms a hook and a shorter, straight protrusion
(e.g. bristle). A cut-loop formation process is described in U.S.
Pat. No. 3,785,012. Suitable hook-shaped protrusions made from a
cut-loop formation process include those commercially available
from Velcro Industries B.V. under the trade name VELCRO.RTM..
Preferred cut-loop hooks include VELCRO.RTM. Model #088 and
cut-loop hooks used in a commercially available hair roller. As
with extruded protrusions, cut-loop protrusions can include a base
upon which adhesive tape or adhesive material can be applied for
affixing the protrusions to the substrate of the present cleaning
sheets.
[0106] The protrusions can also be produced using a modified
gravure printing process or a screen printing process, by printing
the thermoplastic resin/polymer in its molten state onto the
substrate in discrete units, severing the material in a manner that
allows stretching of a portion of the thermoplastic resin/polymer
prior to severance, and allowing the stretched molten material to
"freeze" resulting in protrusions. These "printed" protrusions and
methods and apparatus for making such "printed" protrusions are
more fully detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,851 issued Jul. 27, 1993
to Dennis A. Thomas; U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,247, issued Oct. 22, 1991
to Dennis A. Thomas and Ted L. Blaney; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,563,
issued May 26, 1992 to Dennis A. Thomas and David J. K.
Goulait.
[0107] Processes of orienting "printed" protrusions relative to the
machine direction, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,534 issued
Jan. 19, 1993 to Dennis A. Thomas, David J. K. Goulait, and Robert
G. Cox, Jr.
2. Affixing Protrusions to the Substrate
[0108] The protrusions can be formed on a base material discrete
from the substrate of the present cleaning sheets to create a strip
of material having protrusions and then cut and affixed to the
substrate of the cleaning sheet. Processes such as extrusion or
cut-loop formation can be used to form protrusions on a base
material. In these processes, the base material upon which the
protrusions are formed will typically have adhesive tape or
adhesive material, preferably a hot melt pressure sensitive
adhesive, applied thereto to facilitate affixing the protrusions
and/or base material to the substrate. The strips of protrusions
can also be affixed to the substrate via heat bonding. In another
embodiment, an adhesive material, which can be a hot melt adhesive,
is first applied to the substrate. Then, one or more strips of
comprising a plurality of protrusions is applied to the adhesive
coated substrate.
[0109] A base can comprise a plurality of protrusions and the base
can be affixed to the substrate as a single piece or in multiple
strips. In a preferred embodiment, multiple strips of a base
comprising a plurality of protrusions are applied to the substrate
parallel to one another, with each strip having the same or
different combination of protrusion shapes.
[0110] In another embodiment, a strip of base material comprising
protrusions on at least one surface can be removably attached to a
cleaning device such as a cleaning implement or a cleaning mitt or
even be used by hand without the need for an additional device. A
non-limiting example can be a strip of base material comprising on
at least one surface, a plurality of protrusions, such as the ones
previously described, and also having means for fastening the strip
to a cleaning device. Suitable examples of means for fastening the
strip can be, a pressure sensitive adhesive applied to a surface of
the strip and/or a surface of the cleaning device such that the
strip is retained about the cleaning device when the strip and
cleaning device are in contact, any type of elastic band, hooks or
loops fasteners for engaging loops or hooks fasteners, mechanical
means such as grippers or clips and any combinations thereof.
[0111] The protrusions can also be formed directly on the substrate
of the present cleaning sheets as the cleaning sheet is being made,
and the orientation of the protrusions can be controlled by
azimuthally angling the individual protrusions according to the
processes of the above-referenced patents. In this aspect, the
protrusions can be "printed" directly onto the substrate of the
present cleaning sheets.
Local Distribution of the Protrusions on the Base
[0112] In one embodiment of the invention, the base or strip of
material, which is discrete from the substrate, comprises at least
one row of protrusions. An odd number of rows of protrusions can be
formed onto the strip of material but an even number of rows may be
preferred. The local distribution and orientation of the
protrusions on each row may impact on the glide or coefficient of
friction of the sheet onto a surface as well as its cleaning
performance. When the base material forming the strip comprises two
rows of prong-type protrusions, 4 possible arrangements can be used
to make the base as shown in FIG. 18 and FIG. 19. For example, a
strip 94 or 95 can comprise two rows of protrusions pointing
towards the same direction It is also possible to have a strip 96
comprising protrusions where the first row of protrusion can be
facing the second row of protrusions. It is also possible to have a
strip 97 having two rows of protrusions pointing towards opposite
directions. One skill in the art will understand that the more rows
are formed in the base material, the more arrangements of these
rows can be created. If N is the integer number equal to the number
of rows, the number of arrangements can be determined by using the
mathematical formula 2.sup.N. In a preferred embodiment shown in
FIG. 20, the base material comprises four rows of protrusions such
that the 2 outer rows are pointing towards opposite directions and
the 2 inner rows are facing each other. Without intending to be
bound by any theory, it is believed that this disposition is
particularly suitable for better hair pick up since the 2 inner
rows can "trap" hairs by acting like "pliers". This is particularly
true when an additive such as a pressure sensitive adhesive 99 is
applied to the protrusion or in the alternative between the rows of
protrusions. In addition, this bi-directional distribution of
protrusions improves hair pick up when the sheet is moved forward
and backward on the soft surface. One skilled in the art will
understand that the foregoing number of arrangements is given with
the assumption that the protrusions of a single row are pointing
towards the same direction and can be preferred for ease of
manufacturing. However, it will be understood that it might be
possible to have rows of protrusions where not all the protrusions
of a single row are pointing towards the same direction. One skill
in the art will also understand that a base material comprising
several rows of protrusions can be attached to the substrate but
that the same benefits may be obtained when several "strips" of
base material comprising a single row of protrusions are attached
to the substrate to form a sheet.
[0113] In one embodiment for use with an implement on carpeting,
less than about 50%, preferably less than about 33% of the
protrusions are made of a low density polyethylene or any
equivalent soft polymers, and more than about 50%, preferably more
than about 67%, more preferably 100% of the protrusions are made of
a polypropylene or any equivalent polymers having similar hardness.
It can also be preferred that the front stem width is form about
0.15 mm to about 0.30 mm, and the distance between protrusions in a
row is from about 0.6 to about 1.8 mm, even more preferably, from
about 1.0 to about 1.5 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning
sheet comprises prong-type protrusions. Preferably more than 50% of
the protrusions are prong-type protrusions, even more preferably
more than 85% of the protrusions are prong-type protrusions.
[0114] In another embodiment, a cleaning sheet which can be used by
hand on upholstery, comprises at least about 33%, preferably at
least about 75%, more preferably 100% of the protrusions which are
made of a low density polyethylene or any equivalent soft polymer,
and less than about 67%, preferably less than about 25% of
protrusions made form polypropylene or any equivalent polymers
having similar hardness polymers. It can be preferred to have
protrusions having a front stem width comprised between about 0.15
mm to about 0.3 mm, preferably between about 0.15 mm to about 0.25
mm, and rows of protrusions such that the distance between 2
consecutive protrusions in a given row is comprised between about
0.6 mm to about 1.8 mm, preferably between about 0.9 mm to about
1.8 mm. It can also be preferred that the protrusions of this
cleaning sheet are predominately prongs, preferably between about
50% to about 100% of the protrusions are prong-type protrusions,
more preferably more than about 80% of the protrusions are
prong-type protrusions.
Zoned Application of Protrusions
[0115] The protrusions of the present cleaning sheets can be
distributed in a random or non-random pattern on the substrates of
the present cleaning sheet. The protrusions can be arranged in one
or more discrete "zones" with respect to the substrate of the
cleaning sheet, wherein each zone comprises a plurality of
protrusions. Each zone is typically adjacent to an area of the
substrate that is free of protrusions.
[0116] The present cleaning sheets preferably comprise at least two
discrete zones of protrusions, more preferably at least three
discrete zones of protrusions, and even more preferably at least
four discrete zones of protrusions, wherein each zone comprises a
plurality of protrusions.
[0117] For example, FIG. 1 depicts a cleaning sheet 10 of the
present invention wherein the protrusions 12 are affixed to the
substrate 14 in two discrete zones 16, wherein each zone 16
comprises a plurality of protrusions 12. FIG. 2, which is a
cross-section of the cleaning sheet 10 of FIG. 1, shows the
arrangement of protrusions 12 in each zone 16.
[0118] FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment of a cleaning sheet 30 of
the present invention wherein the protrusions 32 are affixed to the
substrate 34 of the cleaning sheet 30 in two discrete zones 36,
wherein each zone 36 comprises a plurality of protrusions 32 and
polymeric additive material 38 disposed in a checkerboard pattern.
FIG. 4, which is a cross-section of the cleaning sheet 30 of FIG.
3, shows the arrangement of the protrusions 32 and polymeric
additive material 38 in each zone 36. In this embodiment, the
height of the polymeric additive material 38, with respect to the
substrate 34, is preferably equal to or greater than the height of
at least some of the protrusions 32.
[0119] FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of a cleaning sheet 50 of
the present invention wherein the protrusions 52, 53 are affixed to
the substrate 54 of the cleaning sheet 50 in six discrete zones 56,
57, wherein each zone 56, 57 comprises a plurality of protrusions
52, 53. Adhesive material 58 is disposed between the discrete zones
56, 57 of protrusions 52, 53. FIG. 6, which is a cross-section of
the cleaning sheet of FIG. 5, shows that certain zones 56 contain
only prong-type protrusions 52, while other zones 57 contain a
combination of prong-type protrusions 52 and mushroom-type
protrusions 53. FIG. 6 also shows adhesive material 58 affixed to
the substrate 54 between the discrete zones 56, 57 of protrusions
52, 53.
[0120] In a preferred embodiment, the protrusions are arranged in a
zone on the substrate of the cleaning sheet that is centered on the
substrate, such that when the cleaning sheet is attached to a mop
head of a cleaning implement, the protrusions are aligned with the
bottom surface (and/or sides) of the mop head so as to be contacted
with the surface to be cleaned. The areas of the substrate of the
cleaning sheet adjacent to the centered zone comprising a plurality
of protrusions are free of protrusions and can be used to attach
the cleaning sheet to the mop head of the cleaning implement, as
shown in FIG. 11.
[0121] In another preferred embodiment, when a cleaning sheet of
the present invention is attached to a mop head of a cleaning
implement, a plurality of protrusions are affixed to the substrate
in a zone along the leading and/or trailing edge of the mop head,
or around the vertical edges of the mop head.
[0122] In yet another embodiment, a cleaning sheet can comprise any
of the previously described protrusions, combination of
protrusions, rows of protrusions and/or zoned application of
protrusions, on both sides of the sheet. This embodiment offers the
advantage of doubling the "mileage" of a single sheet. A user can
simply attach the sheet to a cleaning implement as later described
and use it to clean a soft surface. When the sheet appears
"saturated" with hair or particles, the user can simply remove the
sheet from the implement, and re-attach the sheet such that the
still clean side of the sheet can now be used to clean the soft
surface.
[0123] C. Additive Material
[0124] The present disposable cleaning sheets can optionally, but
preferably, further comprise an additive material. The additive
material can be affixed to the substrate of the present cleaning
sheets in order to enhance the ability of the present cleaning
sheets to better retain debris, especially small particulate
matter, that has been removed from a surface being cleaned.
[0125] A number of additive materials can be suitable for
incorporation into the cleaning sheets of the present invention.
Preferred additives of the present invention that are particularly
useful with the present cleaning sheets are polymeric additives,
especially those with specific adhesive characteristics such as
specific Tack Values, Adhesive Work Values, Cohesion/Adhesion
Ratios, Stringiness Values, T.sub.g Values, and/or molecular
weight. Other optional additive materials in the present invention
include, but are not limited to waxes, oils, powders, and mixtures
thereof. The additive material is selected in order to improve the
pick-up of fine particulate matter such as dust, lint, and hair,
and especially larger particulate matter typically found on
household floors and surfaces such as crumbs, dirt, sand, hair,
crushed food, grass clippings and mulch. In addition, the type and
amount of the additive material is carefully selected in order to
improve particulate pick-up of the cleaning sheet, while
maintaining the ability of the cleaning sheet to easily glide
across the surface being cleaned. If the cleaning sheet is too
tacky as a result of the additives incorporated therein, the
cleaning sheet will not easily glide across the surface, leading to
consumer dissatisfaction.
[0126] Preferred polymeric additives include, but are not limited
to, those selected from the group consisting of pressure sensitive
adhesives, tacky polymers, and mixtures thereof. Suitable pressure
sensitive adhesives comprise an adhesive polymer, which is
optionally in combination with a tackifying resin, plasticizer,
and/or other optional components. Suitable tacky polymers include,
but are not limited to, polyisobutylene polymers,
N-decylmethacrylate polymers, and mixtures thereof.
[0127] Preferred pressure sensitive adhesives are selected for
incorporation in the present cleaning sheets based on the adhesive
characteristics of the pressure sensitive adhesive, including
Adhesive Work Value, Tack Value, Cohesive/Adhesive Ratio, and
Stringiness Value. These adhesive characteristics, and methods for
measuring such adhesive characteristics, have been described in
detail in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/821,953 filed
Mar. 30, 2001 by Kacher et al.
[0128] Preferred pressure sensitive adhesives typically exhibit an
Adhesive Work Value at 5 grams of pressure of from about 130 to
about 1000, preferably from about 160 to about 750, and more
preferably from about 250 to about 650.
[0129] In general, the Tack Value at 5 grams of pressure of the
pressure sensitive adhesives is from about 100 to about 500,
preferably from about 150 to about 400, and more preferably from
about 200 to about 350.
[0130] A typical Cohesive/Adhesive Ratio at 5 grams of pressure of
the present pressure sensitive adhesives is from about 0.2 to about
30, preferably from about 1.0 to about 6.0, and more preferably
from about 3.0 to about 6.0.
[0131] The present pressure sensitive adhesives normally have a
Stringiness Value at 5 grams of pressure of from about 2.5 to about
12.0, preferably from about 2.5 to about 8.5, and more preferably
from about 3.0 to about 5.0.
[0132] Examples of preferred pressure sensitive adhesives for use
in the present cleaning sheets herein include, but are not limited
to, a series of pressure sensitive adhesives commercially available
from H.B. Fuller Company under the trade names HL-1496, HL-1500,
HM-1597, HM-1902, HM-1972, HM-2713, and the like. Other preferred
pressure sensitive adhesives include those available from the Rohm
& Haas Company under the trade names ROBOND.RTM. PS 75R,
ROBOND.RTM. PS 20, RHOPLEX.RTM. VS; ACRONOL.RTM. DS 3432, and
mixtures thereof.
[0133] The additive material herein can also be a silicone
polymeric additive material, such as household silicone adhesive
caulk material.
[0134] The additive material can be affixed to the substrate
itself, or can be affixed to the protrusions herein, which are then
affixed to the substrate. The additive material can be applied
uniformly to the substrate and/or protrusions, or can be applied in
"zones". When applying the additive material in zones, the additive
material can be applied in a random or non-random pattern, such as
a checkerboard pattern, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In a preferred
embodiment, the additive material is distributed evenly across a
wide central portion of the substrate. The strips of protrusions
are then applied on the additive such that the strips are secured
to the substrate. It can also be preferred to leave a space in
between each strips of protrusions such that a portion of the
additive which is not covered by any strips can contribute to
debris and hair pick up.
[0135] Other suitable additive materials include wax, oil, powder,
and mixtures thereof. Preferred wax is paraffin wax and preferred
oil is mineral oil. Suitable powders for use herein include, but
are not limited to, those selected from the group consisting of
talc, starch, magnesium carbonate, and mixtures thereof.
[0136] Other additive materials include perfumes, pest control
ingredients, antimicrobials, including fungicides, and the like.
Preferred additive materials are described in detail in co-pending
U.S. application Ser. No. 09/821,953 filed Mar. 30, 2001 by Kacher
et al.
[0137] Typically, the additive materials, such as polymeric
additives, are impregnated onto the present cleaning sheets at a
level of polymeric additive of no greater than about 10.0
g/m.sup.2, preferably no greater than about 6.0 g/m.sup.2, more
preferably no greater than about 4.0 g/m.sup.2, and still more
preferably no greater than about 2.0 g/m.sup.2. Also, the additive
materials, such as polymeric additives, are typically impregnated
onto the present cleaning sheets at a level of polymeric additive
of at least about 0.1 g/m.sup.2, preferably at least about 0.2
g/m.sup.2, more preferably at least about 0.4 g/m.sup.2, and still
more preferably at least about 0.6 g/m.sup.2.
[0138] The polymeric additive can be applied directly to the
substrate by any conventional means such as spraying, slot coating,
printing, or kiss coating. When an additive material such as
polymeric additives, is applied to the protrusions, it might be
preferred to have a majority of the additive be located at the
lower half of the protrusions (i.e. closer to the protrusions' base
or away from the protrusions' tip). In one embodiment, an aqueous
dispersion of polymeric additive is sprayed on the protrusions. It
was observed that the sprayed solution drains from the tip towards
the base prior to drying when the sheet lays flat. In another
embodiment, the polymeric additive is applied directly to the base
of the protrusions by applying the polymeric additive by
co-extrusion or other distribution means between the rows of
protrusions.
[0139] When the polymeric additives are aqueous dispersions, it can
be desirable to obtain good wetting and spreading on the
hydrophobic prong surface. In one embodiment, a coating composition
is added to the hydrophobic prong surface prior to the addition of
the polymeric additive. The coating composition comprises aqueous
mixtures of components selected from the group consisting of
hydrophilic nanoparticles, nonionic surfactants, anionic
surfactants, and mixtures thereof.
[0140] Suitable examples of nanoparticles that can be used are
disclosed in Copending U.S. Patent application to Cramer et al.,
Ser. No. 10/060,582 filed Jan. 30, 2002 which includes particles
with a largest dimension (e.g., a diameter) of less than, or less
than or equal to about 750 nm (nanometers). The particles that are
useful can also include any set of particles that have a largest
dimension that is less than, or less than or equal to any number
which is an increment of 5 nm less than 750 nm, and in some cases
may even include larger particles. Also incorporated and included
herein, as if expressly written herein, are all ranges of particle
sizes that are between 0 nm and 750 nm. Synthetic hectorite is a
suitable nanoparticle which was first synthesized in the early
1960's and is now commercially marketed under the trade name
LAPONITE.TM. by Southern Clay Products, Inc. There are many grades
or variants and isomorphous substitutions of LAPONITE.TM. marketed.
Examples of commercial hectorites are LAPONITE B.TM., LAPONITE
S.TM., LAPONITE XLS.TM., LAPONITE RD.TM., LAPONITE XLG.TM., and
LAPONITE RDS.TM.. One embodiment of this invention uses LAPONITE
XLS.TM. having the following characteristics: analysis (dry basis)
SiO2 59.8%, MgO 27.2%, Na2 O 4.4%, Li2 O 0.8%, structural H2 O
7.8%, with the addition of tetrasodium pyrophosphate (6%); specific
gravity 2.53; bulk density 1.0.
[0141] In one embodiment, a surfactant is used in the coating
composition. This surfactant may be added at an effective amount to
facilitate the application of the coating composition and/or to
provide one, or more of the benefits described herein. Typically,
surfactants can be included in an amount from about 0.01% to about
60%, or more, by weight of the composition, or any amount or range
within this range, including, but not limited to from about 0.01%
to about 20%, and from about 0.01% to about 10%.
[0142] Non-limiting examples of surfactants, including other
nonionic surfactants, useful herein typically at levels from about
1% to about 50%, by weight, include the conventional Cl1-C18 alkyl
benzene sulfonates ("LAS") and primary, branched-chain and random
C10-C20 alkyl sulfates ("AS"), the C10-C18 secondary (2,3) alkyl
sulfates of the formula CH3(CH2)x(CHOSO3-M+) CH3 and CH3
(CH2)y(CHOSO3-M+) CH2CH3 where x and (y+1) are integers of at least
about 7, alternatively at least about 9, and M is a
water-solubilizing cation, especially sodium, unsaturated sulfates
such as oleyl sulfate, the C10-C18 alkyl alkoxy sulfates ("AExS";
especially EO 1-7 ethoxy sulfates), C10-C18 alkyl alkoxy
carboxylates (especially the EO 1-5 ethoxycarboxylates), the C10-18
glycerol ethers, the C10-C18 alkyl polyglycosides and their
corresponding sulfated polyglycosides, and C12-C18 alpha-sulfonated
fatty acid esters. If desired, the conventional nonionic and
amphoteric surfactants such as the C12-C18 alkyl ethoxylates ("AE")
including the so-called narrow peaked alkyl ethoxylates and C6-C12
alkyl phenol alkoxylates (especially ethoxylates and mixed
ethoxy/propoxy), C12-C18 betaines and sulfobetaines ("sultaines"),
C10-C18 amine oxides, and the like, can also be included in the
overall compositions. The C10-C18 N-alkyl polyhydroxy fatty acid
amides can also be used. Typical examples include the C12-C18
N-methylglucamides. See WO 9,206,154. Other sugar-derived
surfactants include the N-alkoxy polyhydroxy fatty acid amides,
such as C10-C18 N-(3-methoxypropyl) glucamide. The N-propyl through
N-hexyl C12-C18 glucamides can be used for low sudsing. C10-C20
conventional soaps may also be used. If high sudsing is desired,
the branched-chain C10-C16 soaps may be used. Mixtures of anionic
and nonionic surfactants are especially useful. Other conventional
useful surfactants are listed in standard texts.
[0143] The coating composition can be applied by either dipping the
protrusions in the coating composition, or by spraying the coating
composition on the surface, or in the alternative by slot or kiss
coating the coating composition across the protrusions surface, or
by any other conventional means of coating an aqueous solution on a
surface. The polymeric additive can be applied directly after said
coating composition is added or but it might be preferred to apply
the polymeric additive once the coating composition has dried.
[0144] The present cleaning sheets are preferably free of abrasive
materials, including abrasive particles, such as aluminum oxide,
having a grit size of from about 280 to about 600.
II. Cleaning Implements
[0145] The disposable cleaning sheets of the present invention are
preferably attached to a mop head of a cleaning implement. The
cleaning implement can then be used to move the disposable cleaning
sheet across the surface being cleaned, e.g. carpet. After the
surface has been cleaned, the disposable cleaning sheet can be
removed from the mop head of the cleaning implement and
discarded.
[0146] The cleaning implement preferably comprises a handle and a
mop head. The mop head is attached to the handle via a joint. The
joint can be any number of suitable joints, for example, universal
joint, ratcheted joint, ball and socket joint, and the like.
Preferably, the joint is a "lockable joint". As used herein, the
term "lockable joint" refers to a joint that can be locked into a
certain position such that the mop head and handle do not freely
move with respect to one another.
[0147] The cleaning implement preferably comprises gliders, which
can be attached to, or incorporated into, the bottom surface of the
mop head of the cleaning implement. Gliders are preferred because
some embodiments of the present cleaning sheets having excellent
debris removing and retaining performance can exhibit good glide
characteristics on certain surfaces, such as plush carpet, but
exhibit poor glide characteristics on other surfaces, such as
berber carpet, when the cleaning sheet is flat and in full contact
with the surface. Suitable gliders are described in co-pending U.S.
Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/300,765 filed Jun. 25, 2001 by
Streutker et al. (P&G Case 8606P), and U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 60/370,871 filed Apr. 8, 2002 by Streutker et
al. (P&G Case 8606P2).
[0148] To further improve glide characteristics when a present
cleaning sheet is attached to a cleaning implement, the mop head of
the cleaning implement can have curved profile on the bottom
surface of the mop head. Suitable mop heads have curved bottom
surfaces are described in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No.
09/821,953 filed Mar. 30, 2001 by Kacher et al.
[0149] Suitable cleaning implements are shown in U.S. Design Patent
Nos. D-409,343; and D-423,742. Preferred cleaning implements are
described in detail in co-pending U.S. Provisional Application Ser.
No. 60/300,765 filed Jun. 25, 2001 by Streutker et al. (P&G
Case 8606P), and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/370,871
filed Apr. 8, 2002 by Streutker et al. (P&G Case 8606P2).
[0150] A preferred cleaning implement is shown in FIG. 21. The
cleaning implement 630 comprises a handle 632 and a mop head 634.
The mop head 634 is attached to the handle 632 by a lockable joint
636. The mop head 634 includes a pair of spring-loaded gliders 638,
which facilitate the movement of the cleaning implement 630 across
the surface being cleaned.
[0151] A cleaning sheet 639 of the present invention is attached to
the mop head 634 via four grippers 635 located near the four
corners of the mop head 634. The lockable joint 636 can be unlocked
by twisting the handle 632 clockwise. Once the lockable joint 636
is unlocked, the handle 632 can be adjusted to increase or decrease
the angle between the handle 632 and the mop head 634. Once the
desired angle is obtained, the lockable joint 636 can be locked by
twisting the handle 632 counterclockwise. Once the handle 632 and
lockable joint 636 is locked into the desired position, the user
can then clean a surface by moving the cleaning implement 630
across the surface.
[0152] The present cleaning sheet can be attached to the cleaning
implement via a number of attachments. "Grippers" are preferred way
to attach the present cleaning sheets to a cleaning implement, as
shown in FIG. 21. Preferred grippers are described in detail in
co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/374,714 filed Aug. 13, 1999
by Kingry et al. Another way to attach the present cleaning sheets
to a cleaning implement is via a hook-and-loop fastener system. If
a hook-and-loop fastener system is used, the substrate of the
cleaning sheet will have either hooks or loop material affixed to
the surface of the substrate in contact with the mop head of the
cleaning implement, which will have complementary loop or hook
material affixed thereto to engage the hook or loop material of the
cleaning sheet. One skilled in the art will understand that other
types of implement might be used in conjunction with the cleaning
sheet. A non-limiting example of implement can be a handle where a
portion of this handle can be "gripped" by the user's hand and
another portion of the handle can be used to retain a sheet. This
type of implement might be particularly suitable for hard to reach
areas and/or small surfaces to be cleaned.
III. Hand Use
[0153] A cleaning sheet comprising protrusion can be used with an
implement in order to remove particles such as lint or hair from a
soft surface such as a carpet or upholstery. However, for ease of
use of the cleaning sheet on surfaces which are not substantially
flat like the fabric covering furniture or which have dimensions
rendering the use of the cleaning implement previously described
not convenient, the present invention also relates to the use of a
previously described sheet by a user without any implement. For
example a user may want to use any of the previously described
sheets as she would use a wipe.
[0154] In another embodiment, a cleaning sheet can be held against
the hand of a user by elastic bands wrapped around both the hand
and the cleaning sheet which provide a good grip during use. In
still another embodiment, the lengthwise edges of the sheet
comprise attachment means such as for example, an adhesive or hook
and loop fastener for connecting one end to the other. In this
embodiment, the ends of the sheet can be wrapped around the hand
and secured to one another to form a snug fit.
[0155] In another embodiment of the invention, schematically
represented in FIG. 22, any of the previously described sheets can
be used to form a disposable mitt 700 comprising at least a layer
of substrate having protrusions. A non-limiting example of a
cleaning mitt can comprise a first side 710 having a first internal
surface and a first external surface, a second side 720 having a
second internal surface and a second external surface, an internal
cavity 730 between said first and second sides and at least one
opening, 740 such that said internal cavity is externally
accessible by the user's hand. A cleaning mitt suitable to remove
particles such as lint or hair can be made by securing strips 750
of base material comprising protrusions to a mitt or by forming a
mitt with the previously described cleaning sheets. A user can
simply insert his hand in the mitt and use it to clean a soft
surface. Since the substrate used to make the mitt can be
substantially non-rigid, a user can use his hand to adopt the
contours of the surface to be cleaned. Once the cleaning side(s) of
the mitt is(are) saturated, the user can simply dispose of the
mitt.
[0156] As already previously described, a mitt can comprise a
single opening but a mitt can also comprise two opening. This may
be the case for example when the substrate comprising the
protrusions is formed into a sleeve. One skilled in the art will
understand that such a sleeve comprising protrusions might be
suitable for hand use but that it might also be used with a
cleaning implement having a mop head. Such a sleeve can be sized
such that it can be "threaded" on at least a portion of a mop head.
In one embodiment, two sleeves comprising protrusions are threaded
on each side of a mop head relative the handle of a cleaning
implement.
[0157] In another embodiment, the sleeve can be attached to the mop
head of the implement by a clip fitting over top of the sleeve, or
by any other system suitable for fastening the sleeve to the
implement, such as for example, hook and loop fasteners, grippers,
or adhesive.
[0158] In another embodiment, another type of cleaning implement
can be a mitt or glove which is made of a substantially non-rigid
material such as for example, a fabric made of any type of natural
or synthetic fibers, leather, plastic or any suitable material.
This mitt/glove 800 comprises on at least one side an area having
fastening material 810 such as hooks or loops fasteners or an
additive material such as a pressure sensitive adhesive. This area
of hooks or loops fasteners on the mitt or glove, can be used to
secure a cleaning sheet 820, as schematically shown in FIGS. 24 and
25, having on one side respectively a fastening material 821, which
can be loops or hooks fasteners, and on the other side hooks-type
protrusions 822 as previously described. In another embodiment, a
disposable cleaning sheet may also comprise an adhesive on one side
and hook-type protrusions on the other. In this embodiment, the
adhesive can be used to fasten the disposable cleaning sheet to a
reusable mitt or glove. In this embodiment, the user can removably
attach a disposable cleaning sheet to the mitt or glove and throw
this cleaning sheet away after use. This embodiment presents the
advantage that the mitt or glove is reusable and only the
disposable cleaning sheet needs to be replaced. In a preferred
embodiment, the mitt or glove comprises hooks-type fasteners, which
can engage the loops of a disposable cleaning sheet as previously
described.
IV. METHODS OF USE
[0159] The present invention further relates to methods of using
the disposable cleaning sheets of the present invention to remove
debris from surfaces, especially soft surfaces, such as carpeting,
upholstery, and the like.
[0160] The present methods generally comprise the step of
contacting a surface with a cleaning sheet of the present
invention. The surface is preferably contacted by wiping the
surface with the cleaning sheet. The present methods can also
comprise the step of disposing of the cleaning sheet containing the
debris after use. Many different surfaces can be cleaning with the
present cleaning sheets, including carpet, upholstery, and fabrics,
which can be found in the household, including the stairs of a
house, automobile, and the like.
[0161] The present cleaning sheets can be used to clean a variety
of surfaces. The surface cleaned with the present cleaning sheets
is preferably a fibrous surface, comprising filaments, threads, or
mixtures thereof. The filaments or threads can be made of wool,
silk, cotton, nylon, polypropylene, polyester, or mixtures thereof.
A preferred surface herein is carpet, including woven, cut-and-loop
pile, plush, saxony, loop, berber, oriental, braided, sculptured,
textured, shag, and combinations thereof. Other preferred surfaces
include fabric upholstery, fabric window treatments such as drapes
and curtains, clothing, bedspread, quilts, and the like.
[0162] When cleaning difficult surfaces such as loop or berber
carpeting, a preferred step includes placing a mesh screen over the
protrusions of the cleaning sheet. The mesh screen helps to reduce
the aggressiveness of the protrusions, while still allowing the
protrusions to remove and retain debris from the surface being
cleaned. A suitable mesh screen includes a mesh screen used in
patio and/or sliding doors.
[0163] When the surface being cleaned is carpet, the present
methods can comprise the steps of vacuuming the carpet and then
contacting the carpet with a cleaning sheet of the present
invention. The present cleaning sheets are particularly effective
in removing debris that is typically difficult to remove with
conventional vacuum cleaners, such as pet hair.
[0164] With a cleaning sheet comprising protrusions such that the
open ends of the protrusions are predominately angled in a common
direction and the open ends or slants are facing in the direction
of motion of the sheet, a method to remove debris from a soft
surface can be to move the sheet in one direction in order to pick
up debris and then to rub it in the opposite direction against, for
example, the hand of the user or another surface, thereby remove
the debris from the sheet. In one embodiment, a cleaning sheet can
comprise protrusions such that when the sheet is attached, for
example, to the mop head of a cleaning implement, at least a
portion of the sheet covering the side(s) or top portion of the mop
head, also comprises protrusions. It is possible to rotate the mop
head and use the portion of the sheet having protrusions on the
side(s) or top of the mop head to remove debris from vertical
surfaces, corners and/or edges.
[0165] The present methods can also encompass removing allergens
from a surface, or reducing allergens in the air, comprising the
step of contacting the surface with a disposable cleaning sheet of
the present invention.
[0166] In another embodiment, the previously described disposable
cleaning sheets or mitts can be contained in a package either
separately or with at least one other cleaning sheet or mitt. It
might be beneficial to communicate to the user instructions on how
to use the cleaning sheet or mitt as well as the benefits provided
by the cleaning sheets or mitts. A non-limiting example of a manner
to communicate the instructions and/or benefits, is to print these
instructions and/or benefits on the package containing the cleaning
sheet(s) and/or mitt(s). Non-limiting examples of instructions
which can be printed on a package containing the previously
described cleaning sheet, are: [0167] i. use a disposable cleaning
sheets on surfaces selected from the group consisting of: carpets,
upholstery, stairs, rugs, floor mats, bath mats, car upholstery,
car carpets, drapes, curtains, clothes, any fabric surface, and
combinations thereof; [0168] ii. use a disposable cleaning sheets
on surfaces selected from the group consisting of: carpets,
upholstery, stairs, rugs, floor mats, bath mats, car upholstery,
car carpets, drapes, curtains, clothes, any fabric surface, and
combinations thereof, to easily capture hair, dust, and other
debris; [0169] iii. safe to use a disposable cleaning sheets on
surfaces selected from the group consisting of: carpets,
upholstery, stairs, rugs, floor mats, bath mats, car upholstery,
car carpets, drapes, curtains, clothes, any fabric surface, and
combinations thereof; [0170] iv. for use on upholstery or stairs,
use a disposable cleaning sheet by hand; [0171] v. for use on
upholstery or stairs, use a cleaning sheet attached to an implement
with the handle removed from said implement; [0172] vi. for best
results, move the implement with the attached disposable cleaning
sheet in raking motion, pulling sweeper towards user [0173] vii.
for best results, move the implement with the attached disposable
cleaning sheet across surface in a back and forth motion [0174]
viii. if hair or other debris builds up on the disposable cleaning
sheet, pull off and remove excess hair or debris, then continue to
use the disposable cleaning cloth; [0175] ix. when task is
complete, dispose in trash receptacle the disposable cleaning cloth
[0176] x. when the disposable cleaning sheet is full of debris,
dispose in a trash receptacle; [0177] xi. when raking sound is no
longer audible, the cleaning sheet is full; [0178] xii. when
protrusions cannot be felt, the cleaning sheet is full [0179] xiii.
when there is no longer any resistance between the cleaning sheet
and the surface, the sheet is full; and [0180] xiv. combinations
thereof; In addition or in the alternative, the disposable cleaning
sheet can be described as disposable cloths, disposable clothes
with descriptors of protrusions selected from the group consisting
of: teeth, microbrushes, microbristles, microfingers,
micrograspers, and microcombs.
[0181] One skilled in the art will understand that the above
instructions do not have to be printed and can also be communicated
to the user by any other suitable way such as audio communication,
visual communication (including TV commercials, animated
demonstrations other the internet, live display and public
demonstration). One skilled in the art will also understand that
some of foregoing instructions can also be communicated to the user
for a cleaning mitt.
V. Test Methods
[0182] A. Protrusion Flexibility Test Method
[0183] The following test method can be used to measure the
Protrusion Flexibility of protrusions of the present cleaning
sheets. The results of the test method are reported as force in
grams at peak load.
[0184] Preparation: This method uses an Instron tensile tester
(model #5564) and the TestWorks for Windows (version 3.07, by MTS
Systems Corporation) software program. Using a 2.5N or 50N load
cell, calibrate the machine for that load cell according to the
instructions in the TestWorks for Windows operator's manual. Attach
one clamp to the load cell at the crosshead and one at the base of
the machine. The lower, stationary clamp will hold the hook
material in place while the upper clamp, attached to the load cell,
will hold the hair in place. Prepare the hook material by cutting a
3''.times.1'' strip and place it in the lower clamp in such a way
that the individual hooks to be tested are facing downward, or away
from the other clamp. It may also make it easier, when looping the
hair around the hook, if every other hook in the first row is
removed leaving at least one set (5 hooks) for testing. Mark each
hook after it is used and do not re-use hooks. Do not use any hooks
that have been clamped, even if they don't look damaged. Prepare a
single hair (pet hair) by finding one that is at least 1.5'' long
and relatively coarse. Put the two ends together and wrap them with
a piece of tape, which will easily slide into the clamp. When the
hair is clamped in place, it will look like a loop of hair hanging
down from the clamp. Since the load cell is sensitive, it may be
desirable to make a lighter-weight clamp out of wood that attaches
the same way as the metal clamp. Replace the hair sample after
every set of 5 hooks, unless it becomes damaged.
[0185] Running the Test Method: Once the hook material and hair are
in place, begin by lowering the crosshead until the hair can be
looped around a single hook. Carefully loop the hair around the
hook using tweezers or a blunt probe if necessary. Raise the
crosshead just enough so that the hair won't pull away, but loose
enough so that no force is pulling down on the hair. Zero the
crosshead at the starting position before each test. The crosshead
position will be different each time depending on the lengths of
the hair and the hook. Set the test speed for 25 mm/min. Start the
test by clicking "run" on the computer screen. The hair will pull
up on the hook until it slides off. When the test is completed, the
crosshead will stop and return to the "0" (starting) position.
Depending on the variability of the hooks, 5-15 replicates are
performed for one hook type using different hooks for each
replicate. Set the test method to show in the results page the peak
load in grams, the % strain at peak load, the energy to peak load
in kg-mm, and the total energy in kg-mm.
[0186] B. Glide Resistance Test Method
[0187] The following test method can be used to measure the amount
of Glide Resistance of a cleaning sheet comprising a plurality of
protrusions. This test method requires the following equipment and
follows the following procedure.
Equipment:
1. Instron Tensile Tester (model #5564) connected to a computer
(recommended software: TestWorks for Windows version 3.07, by MTS
Systems Corporation).
2. 500N load cell to fit the Instron
3. Platform with clamp and pulley to attach at the base of the
Instron.
4. 2''.times.2'' wood/steel sled with 50 lb test fishing line tied
at the front (total weight=112 g).
[0188] 5. 2''.times.2'' sheets made of (a) substrate and (b) a
1.5''.times.1.5'' piece of the hook material to be tested, attached
at the center with carpet tape. The sheet must fit and cover the
bottom of the sled. Leave tabs on either end of the sheet so it
will easily attach to the sled.
6. 100 g weight or weights (to increase weight of sled to 212
g)
7. 6''.times.11'' piece of carpeting
8. Plastic or wood board for a guide (optional)
Procedure:
[0189] 1. Prepare Instron tensile tester (1) by obtaining a 500N
load cell (2) and a platform that can be attached to the base of
the machine (3). The platform must contain a clamp at one end (to
hold the carpet in place) and a pulley at the other (so that the
pulley is directly under the point where the string attaches to the
Instron). [0190] 2. To the 2''.times.2'' sled (4) add 100 g
weight(s) (6), for a total weight of 212 g. It may also be helpful
to attach a small piece of wood that is screwed to the sled to
clamp the substrate in place. [0191] 3. Attach to the sled a small
piece of substrate (5a) that completely covers the bottom of the
sled. Securely attach to the substrate ahead of time using carpet
tape a 1.5''.times.1.5'' square piece of the hook material to be
tested (5b). [0192] 4. Insert the 500N load cell and calibrate the
machine according to the instructions in the TestWorks for Windows
version 3.07 operator's manual. [0193] 5. Place the carpet (7) on
the platform and clamp it into place. Be sure there is enough room
for the sled to travel 8 inches from the clamp to the end of the
carpet. If needed, place a guide made of plastic or smooth wood (8)
on either side of the sled to keep it straight during the test.
[0194] 6. Place the sled facing the Instron close to the clamp. Run
the string through the pulley and up to the attachment area on the
machine. [0195] 7. Set the test speed for 10 mm/sec and the runway
length for 8 inches. Also, set the machine to read the peak load
and the average load in grams by adjusting the settings in
TestWorks. Run three tests for each hook/carpet combination and
average the results.
[0196] C. HAIR CAPTURE EFFICIENCY AND SHEET CAPACITY TEST
METHOD
[0197] Obtain a cleaning sheet, a cleaning implement, and a
3'.times.4' piece of carpeting that has been thoroughly vacuumed.
Weigh the sheet and record its initial weight. Weigh out 0.5 g of
pet hair in a plastic weigh boat. Spread hair evenly over a
1.5'.times.3' area of the carpet. Roll hair 10 to 12 times over the
carpet using a 35 lb metal vinyl flooring roller. Securely attach
the cleaning sheet to the cleaning implement and mop the area until
no hair is visible on the carpet surface. The mopping motion is
either (1) one-way, where the implement is placed on the carpet
away from the operator who then pulls the implement along the
carpet towards him, lifts the implement and places it away from him
again and repeats the motion, or (2) two-way, where the implement
is pushed and pulled along the carpet without being lifted between
passes. Weigh out an additional 0.5 g of pet hair in the weigh boat
and soil the carpet again as before. Mop the area as described
above until no hair is seen remaining on the floor. Repeat this
process (weigh, soil, roll, mop) until the sheet becomes so full
that no more hair is being picked up, or hair begins to fall back
off during mopping. Weigh the sheet with all the hair and record
the final weight. Calculate the number of grams of hair picked up
by the sheet by subtracting the initial weight of the cleaning
sheet from the final weight of the cleaning sheet. This calculated
value is the Sheet Capacity of the cleaning sheet.
[0198] The Hair Capture Efficiency of the cleaning sheet is
calculated by dividing the number of grams of hair picked up by the
cleaning sheet by the total grams of hair deposited on the carpet
throughout the test procedure, and multiplying by one-hundred
percent.
EXAMPLE I
[0199] An example of a cleaning sheet of the present invention, as
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is produced as follows. First, two
nonwoven, hydroentangled substrates having a basis weight of 65
g/m.sup.2 and having dimensions of 20 cm.times.28 cm are adhered
together using a two-sided medical adhesive tape (3M Transfer
Adhesive #1524) as follows. The first nonwoven, hydroentangled
substrate is laid on a flat surface and then the first side of the
two-sided tape is adhered to the entire surface of the first
nonwoven substrate. The second nonwoven substrate is then adhered
to the second side of the two-sided tape to form a laminate
substrate. The laminate substrate is then rolled with a 1 to 2 inch
diameter roller to ensure good contact and bonding between each
nonwoven substrate and the two-sided tape, trimming the edges if
necessary.
[0200] Next, two strips of hook material (VELCRO.RTM. #088), which
have an adhesive backing, are provided having a dimension of 1.25
to 3.8 cm in width and 17 to 20 cm in length. The two strips (i.e.
zones) of hook material are positioned near the center of the
laminate sheet as shown in FIG. 1, with the distance between them
being from 1.25 to 3.8 cm apart, such that the ends of the strips
of hook material are between 1.25 to 1.9 cm from the perimeter
edges of the laminate substrate. The laminate sheet is again rolled
using the roller to provide adequate and even pressure to help in
affixing the two strips of hook material to the laminate sheet.
[0201] Optionally, the perimeter of the laminate sheet and the
perimeter of each of the two strips of hook material are heat
sealed using an impulse bag sealer to insure additional
bonding.
EXAMPLE II
[0202] An alternative embodiment of the cleaning sheet of the
present invention is similar to the cleaning sheet of Example I,
except the second nonwoven substrate has two cut-out areas, almost
equal in dimension to the two strips of hook material, such that
the hook material shows through two cut-out areas of the additional
nonwoven substrate, when it is adhered to the first nonwoven
substrate to form a laminate substrate. This cleaning sheet is
produced as follows. The first nonwoven substrate is laid on a flat
surface and the two strips of hook material are positioned on the
first nonwoven substrate as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and as
described in Example I.
[0203] In a preferred embodiment, an additional nonwoven substrate
is adhered to the second nonwoven substrate of the laminate
substrate by first adhering the first side of a piece of two-sided
tape to the second substrate of the laminate substrate and then
adhering the additional nonwoven substrate to the second side of
the two-sided tape. The additional nonwoven substrate has two
cut-out areas, almost equal in dimension to the strip hook
material, such that the hook material shows through two cut-out
areas of the additional nonwoven substrate, when it is adhered to
the second nonwoven substrate of the laminate substrate. The
cut-out areas have a dimension that is about one-eighth to
one-quarter an inch smaller in width and length than the hook
dimensions to allow. Again, two-sided adhesive tape is used around
the perimeter of the cut-out on the underneath side of this window
sheet as well as along the perimeter of the sheet to hold it to the
sheet with the hooks. Normally when the window design is used, then
only one layer of substrate is used on the bottom sheet to attach
the hook material to, so that if a window or non-window design is
used, the substrate consists of only two substrate layers and the
hook-shaped protrusions.
EXAMPLE III
[0204] An alternative embodiment of the cleaning sheet of the
present invention, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, begins with a
cleaning sheet as described in Example II, wherein the hook
material is between the two layers of substrate and shows through
the cut-out areas.
[0205] Using a short, unidirectional, J-type hook material, the
cleaning sheet is assembled so that for each strip of hook material
the engagement ends of the hooks are facing the same direction.
Clear household silicone adhesive caulk is applied directly to the
hook material in 1.3 cm squares, such that they alternate in rows
between 1.3 cm squares of exposed hook material, similar to the
squares of a checkerboard. See FIGS. 3 and 4. After every 5 squares
are applied, the silicone is blotted (with a paper towel) so that
it completely fills the space between the apex and the base of the
hooks, and slightly covers the apex of the hooks. Only small
amounts of silicone are used so that the squares don't spread out
when blotting. Both strips of hook material are covered with this
checkerboard pattern of clear household silicone caulk. The sheet
is placed in a fume hood and the silicone is completely cured.
[0206] Optionally, before use, the hooks can be conditioned to
glide more smoothly over looped carpeting and other difficult
surfaces. This is achieved by placing the cleaning sheet on a
cleaning implement and making several passes over clean cut-pile
carpeting first, and then over clean berber carpeting.
EXAMPLE IV
[0207] An alternative embodiment of the cleaning sheet of the
present invention is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, wherein hook-shaped
protrusions are applied directly, using adhesive material, to a
spunbonded substrate having a basis weight of 70 g/m.sup.2 and
comprising 80% of polypropylene fibers and 20% of rayon fibers.
[0208] The hook-shaped protrusions of this Example include two
different types of hooks, J-type hooks, similar to that of FIG. 7,
and Mushroom-type hooks, similar to that of FIG. 9. The hook
material in this example is first cut into strips of 20 cm length
and attached to 4 cm width carpet tape, such that three strips of
hook material having 4 rows of hook-shaped protrusions each and 0.9
cm wide, are laid down in parallel lines, with 0.9 cm between the
edge of the carpet tape and the first strip, and 0.5 cm between
strips. The first two strips consist of long, less aggressive
prongs, and the third strip consists of a hook material that has
alternating weak prongs and aggressive hinged hooks. The hooks of
all three strips are facing the same direction. This is repeated
for a second piece of 4 cm width carpet tape. These two strips of
tape with hooks attached are placed side by side, with no space
between them, in the center of the substrate parallel to the 20 cm
sides of the sheet. All of the hooks on both strips of carpet tape
are facing the same direction. A strip of 1.25 cm width 3M transfer
adhesive is placed along the edge of the carpet tape on one side,
parallel to the rows of hooks, so that the hooks are facing away
from it. The entire sheet is rolled to provide adequate adhesion to
the laminate substrate. The backing is then removed from the 3M
adhesive.
[0209] Optionally, before use, the hooks can be conditioned to
glide more smoothly over looped carpeting and other difficult
surfaces. This is achieved by placing the cleaning sheet on a
cleaning implement and making several passes over clean cut-pile
carpeting first, and then over clean berber carpeting.
EXAMPLE V
[0210] An alternative embodiment of the cleaning sheet of the
present invention has strips of hook material attached to the
center of an 8 inch.times.11 inch piece of 70 gsm basis weight
spunbond substrate. The strips of hook material consist of 8 rows
of long, slightly curved prongs which all lean in the same
direction. Two and a half strips of hook material, having a total
of 20 rows of hooks, are used on one 1.5 inch width piece of carpet
tape. Each strip is applied so that all the prongs are facing the
same direction. Two pieces of carpet tape containing 20 rows of
hooks each are placed in the center of the substrate, parallel to
the 8 inch sides, a half inch apart. The hooks of both carpet tape
strips are facing the same direction. The hooks are then rolled to
provide adequate adhesion of the tape to the substrate and the hook
material.
[0211] Optionally, before use, the hooks can be conditioned to
glide more smoothly over looped carpeting and other difficult
surfaces. This is achieved by placing the cleaning sheet on a
cleaning implement and making several passes over clean cut-pile
carpeting first, and then over clean berber carpeting.
EXAMPLES VI-XII
[0212] The following Examples VI-XII illustrate preferred
hook-shaped protrusions suitable for the present disposable
cleaning sheets. Measurement of the parameters of the exemplified
hooks are carried out as follows.
[0213] Hook parameter measurements are taken from scanning electron
microscope images produced by an Aspex Instruments PSEM 2000
scanning electron microscope (SEM). The hook material is placed on
a platform that is cut at a 45.degree. angle to the electron beam.
The platform is then tilted 45.degree. so that the image is taken
at a 90.degree. angle to the plane of the hook material.
Appropriate adjustments to the image quality are made using the
Personal SEM Console (version 1.3) software. Measurements in
micrometers are made using the "Ruler" function of the computer
software, and are then converted to millimeters. Angle measurements
are made using a protractor on the magnified photographs taken with
the SEM. TABLE-US-00002 EXAMPLES VI-XII VI VII VIII IX X XI XII
Hook Type Mushroom Mushroom Prong Banana J-Type Cut-loop Cut-loop
Height, mm 1.28 1.04 1.72 1.86 0.76 1.65 3.24 Slope, degree 77 74
76 90 87 80 85 Curl, degree 140-144 130 82 126 161 139 55 Width at
2/3 height, mm 0.23 0.50 0.16 0.26 0.16 0.25 0.21 Width at 1/3
height, mm 0.37 0.60 0.35 0.29 0.23 0.27 0.19 Tip diameter, mm 0.10
0.13 0.07 0.04 0.04 0.30 0.18 Vertical hook gap, mm 0.95 0.65 --
1.18-1.28 1.36 1.10 -- Horizontal hook opening, mm 0.15-0.18 0.18
-- 0.15 0.30 0.73 -- Vertical Hook Opening, mm 0.13-0.19 0.10 --
0.12 0.35 1.24 --
EXAMPLES XIII-XIX
[0214] The following Examples XIII-XIX illustrate the Protrusion
Flexibility of a variety of hook types, made from different
materials. The Cross Directional Width, is the width of the stem
perpendicular to the Stem Width at 2/3 Height, measured in
millimeters. The Protrusion Flexibility results are reported below.
TABLE-US-00003 EXAMPLES XIII-XIX XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX
Hook Type EX. VIII EX. VIII EX. VIII EX. VI EX. IX EX. XI EX. XII
Material LDPE .sup.a PP .sup.b PP .sup.b PP .sup.b PP .sup.b Nylon
Nylon Cross 0.25 0.25 0.30 0.19 0.30 0.25 0.21 Directional Width
(mm) Protrusion 53 65 91 35 53 70 7 Flexibility (Avg. Peak Load,
grams) .sup.a LDPE = Low Density Polyethylene .sup.b PP =
Polypropylene
EXAMPLES XX-XXV
[0215] The following Examples XX-XXV illustrate various types of
hooks affixed to a substrate in certain configurations, as shown in
FIG. 1, 3, or 5. The Glide Resistance for each cleaning sheet is
measured according to the Glide Resistance Test Method described in
Section IV._, supra, using Cut Pile Carpet and also Berber Carpet.
The Glide Resistance results are reported below. TABLE-US-00004
EXAMPLES XX-XXV XX XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXV Hook Type Velcro J-Type
+ Prong-type Banana-type Prong-type + Prong-type + Polymer Platform
Mushroom-type Mushroom-type Sheet Configuration Glide Resistance,
364 340 514 525 392 659 Cut Pile Carpet (Avg. Peak Load, grams)
Glide Resistance, 1121 755 536 1575 1050 707 Berber Carpet (Avg.
Peak Load, grams)
EXAMPLE XXVI
[0216] An alternative embodiment of the cleaning sheet of the
present invention is produced as follows. In this embodiment, a
tape of protrusions of about 10 mm wide is used. This tape
comprises alternating prongs consisting of 4 rows of prongs, with
the two outermost rows facing outward in opposite directions, while
the two inner rows are facing each other (Figure XXXX). This tape
of alternating prongs is cut into seven strips of about 21.6 cm
each. The strips are dipped in a solution containing 0.055%
Lamponite B (2% active), a nanoparticle clay, 0.084% Tergitol
Min-Foam surfactant (mixed EO/PO alkoxylate of secondary alcohol,
10% active), and 96.4% UV treated DI water for between about 5-10
minutes. Then, these strips of prongs are let dry completely before
being used at ambient conditions from about 3 hours to overnight.
Using 5.08 cm wide and about XXX long double-sided Manco brand
indoor/outdoor carpet tape (model #IO-2), place the first strip of
prongs along the long edge of the adhesive tape. Place a second
strip of prongs half way on and half way off the other long edge of
the tape. Place two strips evenly between these for a total of four
strips across this first piece of adhesive tape. Next, take a new
piece of about 5.08 cm wide and about XXX long adhesive tape and
adjoin the two pieces of adhesive tape using the strip of material
that is half way on the first piece such that it is also half way
on a long edge of the second adhesive tape. Now the total tape
width should be about four inches. Place the remaining three strips
of material evenly across the second piece of tape so that the last
one is placed right along the edge of the second adhesive tape.
Next, cut the side edges down to about 20.3 cm long by cutting a
little off along each side edges. The total area should be about
20.3 cm.times.10.2 cm. Then, cut a substantially rectangular piece
of SMS substrate material of about 27.9 cm long and about 20.3 cm
wide. The SMS substrate used in this example is a 3 layered having
two outer spunbond layers and an inner meltblown layer, and has a
basis weight of about 47.5 gsm. One suitable SMS substrate is
manufactured by Aspen Technology Company. Remove the tape backing
from the double-sided carpet adhesive tape which has the strips of
prongs and place the tape in the center of the piece of substrate
so that the 20.3 cm length of the tape goes across the 20.3 cm
width of the substrate. The entire sheet is rolled to provide
adequate adhesion to the laminate substrate.
[0217] Optionally, spray the completed sheet evenly with an 8%
diluted dispersion of polyacrylate adhesive, Robond PS75R (Rohm
& Haas) containing 15% Robond (52.5% active), 42.5% DI water,
and 42.5% isopropanol. Make six quick passes evenly over the sheet
and let it dry. Spray the sheet two more times in the same way,
allowing the sheet to dry for at least about one hour in between
sprays. After the final spray, let the sheet dry overnight before
using. The final adhesive weight on the sheets is about 0.45 to
about 0.55 gsm.
[0218] 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".
[0219] All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the
Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference;
the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission
that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. 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 incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition
assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
[0220] 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.
* * * * *