U.S. patent application number 12/278092 was filed with the patent office on 2009-02-12 for scouring body.
This patent application is currently assigned to Carl Freudenberg KG. Invention is credited to Stefan Duda, Gunter Jakob.
Application Number | 20090038101 12/278092 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38036375 |
Filed Date | 2009-02-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090038101 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Duda; Stefan ; et
al. |
February 12, 2009 |
SCOURING BODY
Abstract
A scouring body (1) is provided that includes a textile fabric
(2). The textile fabric (2) is provided with a scouring agent
composition (3), wherein the scouring agent composition (3)
comprises a binder (4) and scouring particles (5). The textile
fabric (2) has a cleaning surface (6) with a relief pattern (7).
The fabric (2) is arranged on a sponge body (8).
Inventors: |
Duda; Stefan; (Augsburg,
DE) ; Jakob; Gunter; (Aalen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LEYDIG VOIT & MAYER, LTD
TWO PRUDENTIAL PLAZA, SUITE 4900, 180 NORTH STETSON AVENUE
CHICAGO
IL
60601-6731
US
|
Assignee: |
Carl Freudenberg KG
Weinheim
DE
|
Family ID: |
38036375 |
Appl. No.: |
12/278092 |
Filed: |
January 26, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
January 26, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP07/00657 |
371 Date: |
September 17, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/229.11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 13/16 20130101;
B24D 15/04 20130101; B24D 11/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/229.11 |
International
Class: |
A47L 17/08 20060101
A47L017/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 4, 2006 |
DE |
10 2006 005 160.2 |
Claims
1-10. (canceled)
11. A scouring body comprising: a textile fabric including a
scouring agent composition comprising a binder and scouring
particles, the textile fabric having a cleaning surface with a
relief pattern; and a sponge body on which the textile fabric is
arranged.
12. The scouring body in accordance with claim 11, wherein the
sponge body is formed from an open-cell synthetic foam or a natural
foam material.
13. The scouring body in accordance with claim 11, further
including an additional textile fabric arranged on the sponge
body.
14. The scouring body in accordance with claim 13, wherein the
additional textile fabric contains micro-fibers.
15. The scouring body in accordance with one of claim 1, wherein
the scouring agent composition includes glass granulates.
16. The scouring body in accordance with one of claim 1, wherein
the binder is latex-, phenol resin- and/or acrylate-based.
17. The scouring body in accordance with one of claim 1, wherein
the sponge body has a quadrilateral form with edges having curved
contours.
18. The scouring body in accordance with claim 17, wherein pairs of
opposing edges are substantially congruent.
19. The scouring body in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
scouring body has a thickness of between approximately 2 cm and
approximately 5 cm.
20. A method of using the scouring body of claim 1 for a cleaning
of glass or ceramic surface.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a scouring body including a
textile fabric.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A scouring body having a textile fabric as the supporting
material that has been provided with a scouring agent composition
is known from DE 298 02 421 U1. The textile fabric comprises a
non-woven material that has been mechanically needle-punched or
hydraulically entangled. A scouring agent composition, which
contains a chemical binder and abrasive particles, is applied to
the fabric. As a result of the abrasive action of the scouring
agent composition, the known scouring body is suitable for
absorbing aqueous substances and for loosening firmly adhered
dirt.
[0003] A disadvantageous aspect of a thin, flexibly constructed
scouring body is that the ability to transfer force is limited as a
result of the limited grasping possibilities. Moreover, the
transfer of force takes place predominantly at the location at
which pressure is applied to the scouring body.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] In view of the foregoing, an object of the invention is to
provide a scouring body with more effective force transfer.
[0005] To this end, a textile fabric is arranged on a sponge body.
The textile fabric is constructed from synthetic fibers in the form
of a non-woven material, and it is preferably hydraulically
entangled. The thickness of the fabric is between 0.8 and 3 mm, and
the weight per unit surface area is between 50 and 200 g/mm.sup.2.
Such fabrics have a low weight per unit surface area and low
thickness with a simultaneously high tensile strength. The sponge
body forms a supporting material that offers a plurality of
grasping possibilities. Effective force can thereby be exerted in
different ways on the fabric that has been provided with the
scouring agent composition, so that good cleaning efficiency arises
in the case of firmly adhered dirt. The relief pattern improves the
cleaning action of the scouring body. The relief pattern can be
formed by means of a knop structure, wherein the knops are arranged
hexagonally. Clogging of the abrasive surface by the contaminant
can thereby be avoided since the dirt accumulates in the
depressions between the knops and therefore does not affect the
scouring action.
[0006] The sponge body can be formed from an open-cell synthetic
foam or a natural foam material. In particular, the foam can
thereby be formed from polyurethane or viscose. Foams of these
materials can be economically manufactured and exhibit good
mechanical properties so that they can be readily grasped and can
transfer forces well.
[0007] An additional textile fabric can be arranged on the sponge
body. The scouring body is preferably constructed in the form of a
parallelepiped, with two main surfaces. The fabric with the
scouring agent composition can be arranged on the first main
surface. The additional textile fabric is arranged on the second
main surface opposite the first main surface. Likewise, this fabric
preferably comprises a non-woven material of synthetic fibers,
wherein the non-woven material is constructed in such a way that
the additional fabric has high water absorption. The first main
surface can then be used for the post-treatment of surfaces that
have already been cleaned with the second main surface which serves
for the absorption of liquids.
[0008] The additional fabric may contain micro-fibers. Micro-fibers
have a fiber diameter that is less than 1 .mu.m. The fabrics that
comprise the micro-fibers can have a high absorption capacity for
liquids such as water and fats.
[0009] The scouring agent composition can contain glass granulates.
Glass granulates exhibit high hardness and are especially suitable
for cleaning glass or ceramic surfaces, such as cooking areas and
fireplaces screens.
[0010] The binder can be latex-, phenol resin- and/or
acrylate-based. A phenol resin-based binder has a high hardness and
a high abrasion resistance. In another embodiment, the binder can
be acrylate-based. Acrylate-based binders have a pleasant feel.
Latex-based binders have high elasticity. Mixtures of latex binders
and phenol resin binders have a high bending strength as a result
of the phenol resin, with the bending strength being sufficiently
reduced by the latex fraction that the scouring body can be wrung
out well. In another embodiment, the binder can comprise a mixture
of acrylate and phenol resin. The properties of the two binder
materials can influence the feel and hardness of the material. The
binder can thereby be formed on the fabric in such a way that it is
essentially impermeable to water. Thus, during cleaning, a film of
cleaning liquid can remain between the fabric with the scouring
agent composition and the surface that is to be cleaned. Dirt is
dissolved in the cleaning liquid, which results in gentle and
effective cleaning of the surface to be cleaned. The binder can
also be formed in such a way that the fabric is torsionally rigid.
Especially good force transfer thereby results with an improved
cleaning action with respect to firmly adhered dirt. Additional
binders that are possible are melamine resin, nitrile rubber,
polyurethane or compounds comprising all the designated
binders.
[0011] The sponge body can be in the form of a quadrilateral,
wherein the edges have curved contours. Thus, areas that can only
be reached with difficulty can be cleaned efficiently. Moreover,
with such a configuration, the sponge body can be grasped in a
number of different ways.
[0012] The opposing edges can be constructed in a relatively
congruent manner. The scouring body is usually manufactured from a
flat intermediate product by a punching out process. A waste free
and therefore economical manufacture of scouring bodies with a
curved edge configuration can thereby result from this type of
shaping process.
[0013] The scouring body can have a thickness of 2 through 5 cm.
Many grasping possibilities and good force transfer result
particularly with a thickness of 4 cm for the scouring body.
[0014] Because of its advantageous configuration, the scouring body
described above is particularly suitable for use in the cleaning of
glass and/or ceramic surfaces.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Embodiments of the scouring body in accordance with the
invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to
the figures.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary
scouring body according to the invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic lateral cross-sectional view of the
scouring body of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a scouring body 1 particularly for
cleaning glass and/or ceramic surfaces. The scouring body 1
comprises a textile fabric 2 that forms a cleaning surface 6 with a
relief pattern 7 that is formed from projecting knops. The fabric 2
is arranged on a sponge body 8 and is joined to it in a
material-fitting manner by an adhesive. In the illustrated
embodiment, the sponge body 8 is formed from open-cell polyurethane
foam. The scouring body 1 is constructed in the form of a
quadrilateral, and the edges 10, 11, 12, 13 of the scouring body 1
have curved contours. The mutually opposing edges 10, 11 and 12, 13
are constructed in a relatively congruent manner. The illustrated
scouring body 1 has a thickness of 4 cm. An additional textile
fabric 9 is arranged on the side of the sponge body 8 located
opposite the cleaning surface 6 and contains micro-fibers with a
fiber diameter of less than 1 .mu.m. The additional fabric 9 is
also joined to the sponge body 8 in a material-fitting manner by
means of an adhesive.
[0019] FIG. 2 shows the scouring body 1 of FIG. 1 in a different
view. The fabric 2 comprises a hydraulically entangled non-woven
material made up of synthetic fibers of different weight per unit
surface area that are between 50 and 200 g/m.sup.2. The fabric 2 is
provided with a scouring agent composition 3 that contains a binder
4 and scouring particles 5. In the illustrated embodiment, the
binder 4 comprises a composition containing a latex and phenol
resin. The scouring particles 5 comprise glass granulates. The
composition of the binder 4 is selected in such a way that the
fabric 2 is constructed so that it is impermeable to water,
torsionally rigid and can be wrung out well. The properties of the
binder 4 can be realized via a subsequently applied heat treatment.
The total thickness of the fabric 2 is between 0.9 and 2 mm.
[0020] In order to manufacture the scouring body 1, a textile
fabric 2, formed from a non-woven material, can be first
manufactured from a fiber material. The binding of the textile
fabric 2 can be effected by hydraulic entanglement. The cleaning
surface 6 can be shaped in the same process step. The relief
pattern 7 with the knops can also be produced via hydraulic
entanglement. The scouring agent composition 3 can be produced by
mixing the binder composition 4 with the scouring particles 5 that
comprise glass granulates. The scouring agent composition 3 can be
sprayed onto the cleaning surface 6. The fabric 2 can be
heat-treated in an oven to fully cure the scouring agent
composition 3. The fabric 2 can then be adhesively attached to a
flat intermediate product that comprises an open-cell polyurethane
foam material. In other embodiments, the sponge body 8 can also
consist of viscose. An additional fabric 9 can be adhesively
attached to the opposite side. The scouring body 1 with the curved
edges 10, 11, 12, 13 can then be punched out of the flat
intermediate product.
* * * * *