U.S. patent application number 11/784592 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-09 for cleaning cloth.
Invention is credited to Yung-Tai Tung.
Application Number | 20080244844 11/784592 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39825641 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080244844 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tung; Yung-Tai |
October 9, 2008 |
Cleaning cloth
Abstract
A cleaning cloth includes a single piece of a polyvinyl alcohol
(PVA)-based sheet that has a working surface formed with a
plurality of protrusions protruding therefrom. In one preferred
embodiment, any two adjacent ones of the protrusions have an
interval ranging from 1.0 to 10.0 mm therebetween. In another
preferred embodiment, each of the protrusions has a height ranging
from 0.1 to 1.0 mm relative to the working surface.
Inventors: |
Tung; Yung-Tai; (Ping-Tung
Hsien, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LADAS & PARRY
5670 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, SUITE 2100
LOS ANGELES
CA
90036-5679
US
|
Family ID: |
39825641 |
Appl. No.: |
11/784592 |
Filed: |
April 5, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/104.001 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 13/16 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/104.001 |
International
Class: |
A47L 13/16 20060101
A47L013/16 |
Claims
1. A cleaning cloth, comprising: a single piece of a polyvinyl
alcohol (PVA)-based sheet that has a working surface formed with a
plurality of protrusions protruding therefrom.
2. The cleaning cloth of claim 1, wherein said PVA-based sheet is
made from PVA.
3. The cleaning cloth of claim 1, wherein any two adjacent ones of
said protrusions have an interval ranging from 1.0 to 10.0 mm
therebetween.
4. The cleaning cloth of claim 1, wherein each of said protrusions
has a circular cross-section.
5. The cleaning cloth of claim 4, wherein the circular
cross-section of each of said protrusions at said working surface
has a diameter ranging from 1.0 to 4.0 mm.
6. The cleaning cloth of claim 1, wherein each of said protrusions
has an oval cross-section.
7. The cleaning cloth of claim 6, wherein the oval cross-section of
each of said protrusions at said working surface has a maximum
diameter ranging from 1.0 to 4.0 mm.
8. The cleaning cloth of claim 1, wherein each of said protrusions
has a height ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 mm relative to said working
surface.
9. The cleaning cloth of claim 1, wherein said protrusions are
arranged in arrays, and wherein any two adjacent ones of said
arrays have an interval ranging from 1.0 to 10.0 mm therebetween.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a cleaning cloth, more
particularly to a cleaning cloth including a single piece of a
polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based sheet that has a working surface
formed with protrusions protruding therefrom.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] PVA is a stable, nontoxic and water-soluble synthetic
polymer with hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups. Since PVA is
excellent in film-forming, abrasion-resistance, tensile strength,
water-absorption and flexibility, it has been widely applied to
various industries, such as textile and paper-making
industries.
[0005] Conventional cleaning cloths made from PVA include a porous
hydrophilic matrix formed with pores communicated with each other
so as to have a good water-absorption property. However, the
microstructure of the porous matrix will greatly increase specific
surface area of the conventional cleaning cloths. Hence, when the
conventional cleaning cloths are used in wiping a surface of an
article, they are unable to move smoothly on the surface, thus
resulting in inconvenience during use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide
a cleaning cloth having an improved structure so as to alleviate
the aforesaid drawback of the prior art.
[0007] According to this invention, a cleaning cloth includes a
single piece of a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based sheet that has a
working surface formed with a plurality of protrusions protruding
therefrom.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent in the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments of this invention, with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view to illustrate the first
preferred embodiment of a cleaning cloth according to this
invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the first
preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1; and
[0011] FIG. 3 is a schematic view to illustrate the second
preferred embodiment of a cleaning cloth according to this
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the first preferred embodiment
of a cleaning cloth 1 according to this invention includes a single
piece of a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based sheet 11 that has a
working surface 111 formed with a plurality of protrusions 12
protruding therefrom. Preferably, the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based
sheet 11 is made from PVA.
[0013] In one preferred embodiment, any two adjacent ones of the
protrusions 12 have an interval ranging from 1.0 to 10.0 mm
therebetween. In yet another preferred embodiment, the protrusions
12 are arranged in arrays, and any two adjacent ones of the arrays
have an interval ranging from 1.0 to 10.0 mm therebetween.
Preferably, each of the protrusions 12 has a height ranging from
0.1 to 1.0 mm relative to the working surface 111. More preferably,
each of the protrusions 12 has a circular cross-section. Most
preferably, the circular cross-section of each of the protrusions
12 at the working surface 111 has a diameter ranging from 1.0 to
4.0 mm.
[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates the second preferred embodiment of the
cleaning cloth according to this invention. In this preferred
embodiment, each of the protrusions 12 has an oval cross-section.
Preferably, the oval cross-section of each of the protrusions 12 at
the working surface 111 has a maximum diameter ranging from 1.0 to
4.0 mm.
Friction Test
[0015] A sample of the cleaning cloth according to this invention
was prepared from PVA Chamois (Item No. TJC-770, obtained from
Twenty-First Century Intl., Deve. Co., Ltd., Taiwan). The sample
has a size of 100 mm.times.150 mm and is formed with a plurality of
protrusions. Each of the protrusions has a circular cross-section,
a diameter of 2.5 mm, and a height of 0.7 mm. The interval between
any two adjacent ones of the protrusions is 2 mm. The sample was
subsequently cut into three equal pieces 1, 2, and 3. Each of the
pieces 1, 2, and 3 was attached to a wooden board, and the wooden
board was subsequently placed on a glass plate in such a manner
that the corresponding one of the pieces 1, 2, and 3 was in contact
with a surface of the glass plate.
[0016] A load of 2 kg was applied to a surface of the wooden board
opposite to the surface of the glass plate. A horizontal force was
applied to the glass plate steadily. A minimum value of the
horizontal force that was required to move the glass plate was
recorded as the pulling force. Coefficient of friction (.mu.) of
the cleaning cloth was calculated by dividing the value of the
pulling force by the value of the load (2 kg).
[0017] A comparative sample of a comparative cleaning cloth was
prepared in a manner similar to the above sample of this invention,
except that the comparative cleaning cloth was formed with no
protrusions. The comparative sample was likewise subjected to
measurement of coefficient of friction (.mu.). Results of the
coefficient of friction (.mu.) of the above sample and comparative
samples are shown in the following Table 1 and Table 2,
respectively.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Pieces of the Sample Coefficient of Friction
(.mu.) Piece 1 0.31 Piece 2 0.27 Piece 3 0.33 Average of the value
(.mu.) of 0.30 pieces 1 to 3
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Pieces of the Comparative Sample Coefficient
of Friction (.mu.) Piece 1 0.44 Piece 2 0.43 Piece 3 0.40 Average
of the value (.mu.) of 0.42 pieces 1 to 3
[0018] Based on the results shown in Table 1 and Table 2, it is
apparent that the cleaning cloth with protrusions according to this
invention has a lower coefficient of friction than that of the
comparative cleaning cloth without the protrusions. Since the
cleaning cloth of this invention is in contact with an article only
in the portion formed with the protrusions when the cleaning cloth
is used for wiping the article, the contact area between the
cleaning cloth and the article is reduced so as to decrease
frictional resistance.
[0019] It is noted that the interval between any two adjacent ones
of the protrusions 12 of the cleaning cloth 1 of this invention has
a function of receiving contaminants, such as dust therein. Hence,
not only can the cleaning cloth 1 move smoothly on the article to
be cleaned, the article can also be efficiently cleaned. Besides,
since the cleaning cloth 1 is relatively flexible, the contaminants
received in the intervals among the protrusions 12 will be squeezed
out during washing.
[0020] In addition, by virtue of the interval between any two
adjacent ones of the protrusions 12 ranging from 1.0 to 10 mm and
the height of each protrusion 12 ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 mm
relative to the working surface 111, each of the protrusions 12 is
able to efficiently remove the contaminants on the article to be
cleaned. Consequently, the contaminants on the article can be
efficiently and thoroughly removed.
[0021] While the present invention has been described in connection
with what are considered the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to
the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest
interpretation and equivalent arrangements.
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