U.S. patent number 3,802,024 [Application Number 05/264,631] was granted by the patent office on 1974-04-09 for polishing package with applicator pad.
Invention is credited to Larry A. Fenster.
United States Patent |
3,802,024 |
Fenster |
April 9, 1974 |
POLISHING PACKAGE WITH APPLICATOR PAD
Abstract
An applicator pad for an automobile polish having a resilient
foam core covered by layers of heat-sealable film and outer fabric.
The edges of the fabric are adhered together by the heat-sealed
edge of the film.
Inventors: |
Fenster; Larry A. (Roslyn,
NY) |
Family
ID: |
26950670 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/264,631 |
Filed: |
June 20, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/258; 15/208;
206/229; 401/130 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L
13/16 (20130101); B65D 51/28 (20130101); A47L
13/30 (20130101); A47L 23/04 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47L
13/10 (20060101); A47L 13/16 (20060101); A47L
13/30 (20060101); A47L 23/00 (20060101); A47L
23/04 (20060101); B65D 51/28 (20060101); B65D
51/24 (20060101); B65d 075/58 (); A47l
023/28 () |
Field of
Search: |
;401/125,130
;15/258,208,29R,21R,104.93,104.94,227 ;206/47R ;132/82R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,100,988 |
|
Jan 1968 |
|
GB |
|
302,476 |
|
Jan 1955 |
|
CH |
|
Primary Examiner: Machlin; Leon G.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sheffer; Abner
Claims
I claim:
1. A package comprising a can containing a body of automobile
polish and, in the same package, a pad for the application of said
polish to the painted surfaces of an automobile, said pad
comprising a resilient core and a fibrous fabric covering
thereover, for applying said polish to the painted surface of an
automobile by bringing said fabric covering, on said pad, into
contact with said body of polish to pick up the polish thereon and
then bringing said fabric covering, on said pad, into contact with
said painted surface to apply the polish thinly to said surface,
said pad being adapted to be compressed and then permitted to
expand during use and being adapted to be reused, said fabric
covering comprising spaced layers of air-permeable fabric, covering
opposite sides of said core, extending beyond the periphery of said
core, and having meeting free edges adjacent said core, the
improvement in which said pad comprises a film of heat-sealable
organic plastic disposed at at least one face of said core between
said core and said covering and, around the periphery of said core,
a fused band where said free fabric edges are joined to each other
and to said film by fused film material, the construction and
arrangement being such that when the pad is squeezed air passes out
of said core through said fabric and when the squeezing pressure is
released said core expands and air passes through said fabric and
into said core, said film reducing the takeup of said polish into
said core in use and reducing the deterioration of said core on
repeated use and aging.
2. A package as in claim 1 comprising said can of automobile polish
and, removably attached thereto, a container holding said pad.
3. A package as in claim 2 in which said polish contains a
hydrocarbon solvent and a wax.
4. A package as in claim 1 in which said resilient core has
substantially flat faces on opposite sides thereof and in which
said fabric covering comprises a pair of pieces of fabric, one
covering each of said faces, each of said pieces being larger than
said faces whereby said faces extend beyond the periphery of said
core, there being a film of said plastic on each of said faces and,
around the periphery of said core, a fused band where said free
fabric edges are joined to each other and to said films by fused
film material.
5. A package as in claim 4 in which said polish is adapted to be
applied with the pad moistened with water, and at least one of said
films is apertured to permit air to flow from and to said core when
said core is, respectively, compressed and permitted to expand, the
total area of any apertures in said films being less than 10
percent of the total area of said films.
6. A package as in claim 1 in which said polish is an automobile
polishing wax composition adapted to be applied with a moistened
fabric pad, said pad having a compressible elastomeric polyurethane
foam core and a water-impermeable film resistant to the
constituents of said composition surrounding said core and covered
by said fibrous fabric.
7. A package as in claim 6 in which said film is apertured to
permit egress and entry of air into said core when said pad is
compressed and allowed to expand, the total area of any apertures
in said film being less than 10% of the total area of said
film.
8. A package as in claim 1 in which said fabric covering is a soft
fabric, non-abrasive to the surface being polished and sufficiently
resistant to wear so that the pad can be used for a plurality of
polishings of the automobile.
9. A package as in claim 8 in which said fabric covering is a
knitted fabric.
10. A package as in claim 8 in which said fabric covering is a
woven fabric.
11. A package as in claim 8 in which said wax is adapted to be
applied by a process in which said pad is moistened with water and
wrung out damp dry before taking up said wax and in which as said
pad gets dirty during use it is rinsed with water and wrung out,
said fabric and said resilient core being sufficiently resistant to
wear during said process that said pad can be used for a plurality
of polishings of said automobile.
Description
This invention relates to applicator pads and particularly to pads
employed for application of polishes, such as waxes, to the outer
painted surfaces of automobile bodies.
Wax compositions for the cleaning and polishing of automobiles are
well known in the art. They are commonly sold in cans having
friction-sealing lids and in association with pads for use in
applying the composition. Thus in one well known commercial product
the composition is an aqueous hydrocarbon emulsion and the
applicator pad comprises a flat circular block of polyurethane foam
enclosed between two circular pieces of tricot fabric which are
stitched together around the circular periphery of the block of
foam. The manufacturer's directions for use of the composition are
that it should be applied with the pad moistened with water and
wrung out damp dry. One section of the automobile (e.g. the hood or
a fender) at a time should be covered with the composition, by
means of the pad, using firm circular motions. As the pad gets
dirty it should be rinsed in clean water and wrung out. The
composition, which should be used sparingly and spread thinly,
should be allowed to dry to a milky haze on the automobile surface
and then wiped with a clean cloth. Typically the pad is placed in
the can of polish or in an enclosure attached to that can. One
common arrangement is the one illustrated in the accompanying FIG.
6 in which the pad 3 is situated atop the can 4 (and in contact
with the can lid 6) within a transparent plastic enclosure 7 that
is held on the can by being snapped over the outer rim of the can.
The can generally contains sufficient composition for several
polishings of the automobile and the pad is therefore used, allowed
to dry out, and then, after some time, reused by the automobile
owner when he thinks the car needs to be polished again; and this
process is repeated several times with the same pad.
Typically the waxes or polishes are now sold in association with
the pad, for use by the owner of the car, under such trademarks as
"Rally" cream wax; Johnson's pre-softened paste wax; Turtle Wax,
prewhipped formula (detergent proof): "Simonize Vista Soft and
Easy." They are intended to clean and polish automobile surfaces
including those carrying such paints as the conventional hard
acrylic and super-enamel finishes.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention there is provided a
novel applicator pad which may be used to replace the known
applicator pads described above. This novel pad is not only more
economical to manufacture but it gives unexpectedly superior
results in use. It is found to have excellent polish-application
properties, to be highly washable and rinsable, to have high
dimensional and shape stability and good appearance, and to retain
these properties throughout repeated use.
One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying
drawing in which
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the assembled components of the
product showing their relationship before the sealing
operation;
FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the assembled components of FIG.
1, with the edges of the sheets of film and fabric broken away;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view, in cross section, of the heat sealing
operation;
FIG. 4 is a plan view, looking upward, of a die; and
FIG. 5 is a view of the finished product, with parts broken
away;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a package containing the pad
and the composition;
FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic views showing the production of other
articles, such as gloves, mitts, etc.
In the assemblage shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 indicates a
piece of elastomeric foam such as polyurethane foam. In one
particularly suitable form of the invention the piece of foam is a
flat circular block, (as indicated in FIG. 2) having flat top and
bottom faces 12, 13 and a circular periphery 14.
The foam is placed between two inner sheets 16, 17 of heat sealable
film, such as the flexible heat-sealable vinyl resin film
conventionally employed for dielectric sealing, and two outer
sheets 18, 19 of fabric. At least one of the sheets of film has at
least one hole 21 which permits air to pass to and from the foam
block 11.
The film and fabric layers are then heat sealed together and their
edges are cut at the heat seal zone. As illustrated in FIG. 3 the
assemblage rests on the platen 23 of a heat-sealing press, below
the heat-sealing and cutting die 24 of the press. The die 24 is
mounted for reciprocating movement up and down and it has a
downwardly projecting lip or rule 26 which, when the die is
lowered, presses down on the upper layer of fabric around the
periphery of the block of foam thereby pressing the assemblage of
fabric and film layers along a continuous narrow band, between the
rule 26 and the platen 23. At this time heat is generated
dielectrically (in conventional manner by localized high frequency
radiation, as is well known in the operation of dielectric heat
sealing presses) in the film; this causes the film layers to become
soft enough so that they are bonded to each other and to the
adjacent fabric layers along the narrow compressed band 27.
Adjacent the pressing and heat-sealing rule 26 there is a sharp
cutting rule 28. The parts are arranged so that the same downward
motion of the die causes the fabric and film to be cut by rule 28,
along the outer periphery of the heat sealed band.
The die 24 also has a face 29 which is situated within the boundary
defined by the rule 26 and which is spaced vertically from the
lower edge of that rule by a distance which is less than the
thickness of the foam block. Accordingly, when the die is lowered
the face 29 presses against the assemblage and compresses and
flattens the foam block. This causes the foam block to expand
somewhat in a lateral direction. Air is forced from the foam during
this compression, and escapes through the hole 21 of the film and
through the interstices of the fabric. The rule 26 is preferably so
positioned that it permits such lateral expansion; that is, it
surrounds and conforms closely the compressed laterally expanded
foam block, but does not itself exert any downward pressure or
heat-sealing effect thereon. In the illustrated embodiment the rule
26 is circular in plan view (see FIG. 4) to conform to the circular
block of foam.
Preferably a conventional suitable buffering paper is placed on the
platen in a position under the rules 26, 28. This serves the known
function of aiding in the generation of dielectric heat (owing to
the moisture in the paper) and in reducing loss of heat to the
platen.
After the heat-sealing and cutting operation the die is raised,
permitting the resulting complete pad to be removed. The removal of
the pressure exerted on the foam block, by the face 29, permits the
foam block to expand. Obviously, this expansion is accompanied by
movement of air through said fabric, through said hole 21, and into
said core. It thereby presses gently against the broad faces of the
enclosing layers of film and fabric, making those faces smooth and
taut. This also causes a decrease in the diameter of the heat
sealed assembly and thereby causes the heat-sealed band 27 to
assume an attractive wavy or scalloped configuration as indicated
in FIG. 5. (It will be understood that the length of the
heat-sealed band is fixed by the heat-sealing operation which bonds
the various layers together along that band, and that when the
diameter decreases this fixed length is accommodated by a folding
of the band into the wavy configuration.)
The outer periphery of band 27 has a clean non-ravelling edge. Even
when the fabric of the outer layers of the pad is one which
ordinarily tends to unravel at a cut edge thereof, that tendency is
substantially nullified by the heat-seal bonding.
The size and shape of the block of foam should be such that the
finished pad is small enough to be held conveniently in the hand
and large enough to take up a suitable amount of the polishing
composition for efficient application. Generally it will be less
than 7 inches and more than 2 inches in width; thus the diameter is
typically on the order of 4 or 5 inches. Similar considerations
apply to the thickness of the pad which is generally more than
one-fourth inch and less than 4 inches; thus a typical thickness is
on the order of 1 inch.
Polyurethane foam, well known in the art, is an excellent material
for this purpose. Generally, for reasons of feel and economy, it is
found preferable to use an open-celled polyurethane foam having a
specific gravity within the range of, say, about 0.01 to 0.05 (e.g.
a density of 1 to 2 lbs. per cubic foot). A typical foam of this
type may be readily compressed, by simple pressure between thumb
and finger, to about 5 or 10 percent of its uncompressed thickness
and will then return to its original thickness on release of the
pressure. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that
other resilient fillings may be used, such as blocks of other
foamed polymers, e.g. foamed polyvinyl resins (such as foamed vinyl
chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers or foamed polyethylene) or other
materials of sufficient strength to withstand the compression and
release of pressure that accompanies normal use (including
wringing) of the applicator pad. It is also within the broader
scope of the invention to use a collection of smaller pieces of
resilient material instead of a unitary block thereof.
The fabric layers may also be of any suitable material. Thus,
stretchy materials such as tricot knit cotton fabric (e.g. of the
type conventionally employed for men's undershirts) or other knit
material may be employed, as may be woven materials such as cotton
terry cloth. It is also within the broad scope of the invention to
use nonwoven fabrics. The fabric may be of natural or synthetic
fibers (e.g. polyethylene terephthalate, nylon-6 or nylon-6,6) or
of blends thereof. It is also within the broader scope of the
invention to use, instead of two distinct pieces of fabric, a
single piece folded over the foam core or a tubular fabric (e.g. a
knit tube of known type) which surrounds the foam core. The bonding
can then be done at the remaining free edges of the fabric, or all
around the core as well, if desired.
Suitable dielectrically heat sealable grades of plastic film are
well known in the art. The thickness of the film may be varied. For
instance, when used with a tricot undershirt type of fabric a film
4 to 5 mils (0.004-0.005 inch) in thickness gives excellent
results, but when thicker fabrics are employed, such as terrycloth,
improved bonding may be obtained by using correspondingly thicker
films (e.g. of 8 to 10 mils thickness). Typically the film has a
relatively low fusion temperature. It may, as is well known, be
made of such materials as polyvinyl chloride, high- or low-density
polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. The technique of "electronic" or
dielectric sealing is described, for instance, in the Modern
Packaging Encyclopedia (pub. by McGraw-Hill, Inc.) July 1971 (Vol.
44, No. 7A) and suitable heat-sealable films and sheets are
described in that Encyclopedia at pages 144-146, for instance; it
will be seen there that, depending on the material, the temperature
at which the heat sealing takes place is usually in the range of
about 200.degree.-450.degree.F.
While a flat circular pad has been illustrated, it will be
understood that other shapes (e.g. square, rectangular or even
spherical or ellipsoidal) will readily suggest themselves to those
skilled in the art.
The hole in the film may be rather small. Thus, excellent results
have been obtained when it was a single circular hole about
three-sixteenth inch diameter. In another suitable construction
there are four spaced one eighth inch diameter holes in each layer
of film. In such constructions the total area of the holes is a
very small fraction, well below 10 percent and generally not over
about 2 percent (e.g. about 1 or 0.5 percent), of the total area of
film. It will be appreciated that the interchange, if any, of water
and polishing or cleaning material between the foam body and the
outer fabric layer will take place at quite a different rate in the
illustrated product (which uses a film which is substantially
impermeable to these ingredients) as compared to prior art
fabric-on-foam pads described above. Nevertheless, the illustrated
pads have shown outstanding properties in application, rinsing and
reuse. In fact they are found to be very long lasting. Unlike
conventional pads used for the same purpose, their polyurethane
foam cores take up relatively little of the wax in use. On repeated
use and aging there is little or no substantial deposit of hardened
wax in the pad and little deterioration of the foam core.
It will be understood that it is within the broader scope of the
invention to use films which have a great many small holes, or
larger holes, or to employ only one sheet of film so that the
fabric on one side of the pad is directly in contact with the foam
core.
The band 27 along which the film and fabric are bonded together is
generally narrow, for instance well below one-half inch, preferably
less than 0.3 inch, but usually well above 0.02 inch. For example,
a very effective bond has been obtained (using tricot knit fabric)
along a band width of about 0.05-0.1 inch (e.g. one-sixteenth
inch). The heat sealing under pressure causes the two films to fuse
together along this band; it also often effects a marked flow of
the material of the films into the interstices of the fabrics and
their fibers, so that when the heat-sealed band is cooled to set
the fused material, the fabrics are often physically locked
together by the plastic which has taken on a physical configuration
complementary to that of the fabrics on its opposite sides. The
fibers of the fabric may be of a material, such as cotton, which
retains its fibrous structure and does not itself become sticky at
the temperature used for fusion of the film. It is also within the
broader scope of the invention to use fabrics made in whole or in
part of fusible fibers such as cellulose acetate or nylon-6 or
nylon-66.
For use in an applicator pad for aqueous compositions, the various
materials of which the pad is made are preferably resistant to
attack by water and by the aqueous composition.
When the pad is to be used for applying automobile wax the fabric
layers should be relatively soft, non-abrasive to the surface being
polished, resistant to constituents of the wax (e.g. hydrocarbon or
other solvents) and preferably sufficiently resistant to wear so
that the pad can be used for a plurality of polishings of the
automobile (preferably a number of polishings corresponding at
least to the amount of wax in the accompanying container).
Particularly good results have been obtained with woven cotton
terry cloth fabric weighing about 7, 8 or 9 ounces per square yard
and tricot knit cotton undershirting fabric weighing about 4 ounces
per square yard.
As indicated earlier, the disclosed method may also be employed for
the production of other articles such as gloves, mittens,
car-washing mitts, slippers, etc. For example in the manufacture of
a glove one may employ an assemblage of a layer 41 of fabric (FIG.
7), a sheet 42 of heat-sealable film, a sheet 43 of relatively thin
polyurethane foam (e.g. about one-eighth inch thick), second and
third sheets 44, 46 of heat-sealable film, a second layer 47 of the
thin foam, a fourth sheet 48 of film, and a second layer 49 of
fabric. The rules of the die have the configuration of the outline
of the glove and they thus heat-seal and cut the various elements
to that outline. Both of the sheets of polyurethane foam are
pre-cut to conform to the shape of the outline of the glove but
slightly smaller in size so that there is, say a one-eighth inch
margin (for the heat-sealed band) between the cut edges of the
assemblage and the edges of the foam. Suitable aligning means may
be employed to obtain the desired registration of the parts; for
instance one may use a series of locating pins penetrating through
both foam layers and adapted to be fitted into aligning holes of
the platen. At the portion of the glove which is to be open, a
suitable barrier material (such as conventional non-adhering
release paper) may be disposed between the two innermost sheets of
film 44, 46 underneath the heat-sealing die rule so as to prevent
those two sheets from sticking together. In the finished article
shown schematically in FIG. 8, layers 41, 42 and 43 are heat sealed
together at one end (at the right) and similarly the layers 46, 48
and 49 are heat sealed together at that end, but layers 44, 46 are
not there bonded together. Thus, there is a space for a portion of
the body, such as the hand, to be inserted (from the right in FIG.
8) between the two sheets of film 44, 46,. At the opposite end all
the layers of film and fabric are preferably dielectrically heat
sealed together as shown. If desired, one more of the film layers
may have holes, as in the case of the pad. Also, the film layers
may be of film material which has been microperforated in known
manner throughout all, or most of its area to provide
"breathability" and greater comfort. It will be understood that it
is also within the broader scope of the invention to have an inner
fibrous layer (e.g. of knitted, woven or non-woven fabric) next to
the film layer 44 and heat-sealed thereto all around (and, if
desired, a similar fibrous layer next to film layer 46) so that the
hand or other inserted body portion will be in contact with fibrous
material rather than film.
As mentioned previously, the automobile wax composition may contain
a hydrocarbon solvent. Examples of such solvents are given in U.S.
Pat. No. 2,949,374, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by
reference. In that patent there is present not only a wax and a
solvent, but also a finely divided abrasive, a silicone and a
thickener.
It is understood that the foregoing detailed description is given
merely by way of illustration and that variations may be made
therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. The
"Abstract" given above is merely for the convenience of technical
searchers and is not to be given any weight with respect to the
scope of the invention.
* * * * *