GB2494670A

GB2494670A - Wet wipes

Info

Publication number: GB2494670A
Application number: GB201115939A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Daniel Palumbo; Jian Reeves
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-09-15
Filing date: 2011-09-15
Publication date: 2013-03-20
Also published as: GB201115939D0

Abstract

A wet wipe, non-woven wipe or folded, packaged wipe comprises a flexible sheet 1 with a perimeter pocket 2. The pocket has an opening which faces towards the main body of the sheet whereby the pocket can serve as a finger socket to enable a user to insert at least one finger in the pocket and thereby manipulate the sheet over surfaces to be cleaned. A fold of the sheet can form the pocket. Alternatively, the pocket can be formed by a small panel or tab, of the same or different sheet material, that is stitched, adhered or otherwise fastened to the sheet. Preferably, the sheet has a brushing means (3, Fig. 2), or an abrasive or roughened surface, wherein the brushing means may comprise protrusions, bristles or brush hairs for brushing away dirt.

Description

Wet Wipe

Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns improvements in and relating to wet-wipes, ie sheet items for cleaning or disinfecting comprising a small piece of flexible sheet material that is normally non-woven, usually paper or cloth of one or more layers that is normally pre-moistened with isopropyl alcohol, water or another suitable cleansing liquid. This item may generally be folded to a pocket-size form and may be individually wrapped for convenience.

Background of the Invention

Wet-wipes, or towelettes', are mainly sold and used for personal hygiene.

However, over the years they have acquired a wide range of alternative uses.

One alternative use of wet wipes that is growing in popularity, most notably amongst some sportspeople and businessmen, is use of the wipe for cleaning footwear such as shoes or trainers quickly and efficiently while on the move, enabling removal of acquired dirt without need for carrying around brushes, pads or a cleaning solution. However, conventional wet wipes are not ideal for such use, despite their relative convenience, since they are liable to scrunch up and! or shred, making them useless and or causing the users fingers to be scraped or fouled, when trying to clean the uneven and often rough surfaces and seams of the footwear.

It is an object of the present invention to address the problem of shredding or bunching of the wet wipe and provide better protection for the user when using it for cleaning uneven and rough surfaces.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a wet wipe or a folded, packaged wipe that comprises a flexible sheet, having a perimeter pocket with an opening that faces towards the main body of the sheet whereby the pocket may serve as a finger socket to enable a user to insert at least one finger (eg index finger) in the pocket and thereby manipulate! manoeuvre the sheet over surfaces to be cleaned. This arrangement considerably improves ease of use for cleaning of shoes and other articles that have rough or irregular surfaces, not least since the user's operating finger is protected from direct contact with the dirt on the shoe or other article being cleaned. Suitably the sheet is a polygonal! rectangular, flexible sheet and the pocket is a corner pocket.

The pocket is suitably formed by a fold of the sheet or by a small panel! tab of the same or a different sheet material that is stitched, adhered or otherwise fastened to the sheet. For a rectangular sheet with a right-angled corner the pocket is suitably triangular and preferably has the form of an isosceles or equilateral triangle.

The sheet maybe of one layer or of multiple layers and is preferably of non-woven material, paper or cloth. The sheet may be of natural or synthetic materials but suitably is absorbent and particularly preferably is pre-moistened with isopropyl alcohol, water or another suitable cleansing liquid.

As a further particularly preferred improvement the sheet may be provided with a brushing means or abrasive or roughened surface at the corner of the corner pocket. This may suitably comprise protrusions, bristles or brush hairs and serve as a means for brushing dirt away. It is suitably provided on the wipe's face opposite to the corner pocket (the underside of the wipe -ie that side! face which is opposite to the hand in use and intended to be used to clean the article with) to enhance cleaning! brushing away of dirt. However, it may alternatively be provided on the pocket panel! tab itself, thereby simplifying the manufacture by allowing the pocket to be formed from a separate panel! tab to the main body of the wipe and which has the required abrasive or roughened surface on it.

The abrasive or roughened surface I brush means if provided on the wipe's underside may extend beyond the corner and could be for substantially the whole area of the wipe but is most preferably localised to the corner since that optimises compactness, flexibility and cost economy.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be more particularly described, solely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of wipe from above showing index and middle fingers inserted in the corner pocket for use; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the of the wipe along the line A-A in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view of the of a wipe corresponding to the view along the line A-A in Figure 1 but of a second embodiment of the wipe, having the brush provided on the pocket panel.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring firstly to Figure 1, the illustrated wipe here comprises a flexible sheet 1 of a non-woven cloth. This may, for example, be formed of cotton fibres with one or more plastics resins such as polyester, polyethylene or polypropylene pressed into sheet form. This sheet 1 is absorbent and is pre-moistened with isopropyl alcohol, water or another suitable cleansing liquid prior to folding and packaging in a wrapper.

The wipe differs from a conventional wet wipe firstly in that the surface Ia of the sheet 1 that is held by the user has a corner pocket 2. The corner pocket 2 has an opening 2a that faces towards the main body! central region of the sheet whereby the pocket 2 may serve as a finger socket to enable the user to insert at least their index finger in the pocket 2 and thereby manipulate! manoeuvre the sheet over surfaces to be cleaned. When cleaning shoes (or other articles that have rough or irregular surfaces) this protects the user's operating finger from direct contact with the dirt on the shoe and from grazing friction with the shoe.

The pocket 2 in this illustrated embodiment is formed by a small panel! tab 2b of the same sheet material as the sheet 1 of the wipe and which is stitched or adhered to the sheet. The pocket 2 is triangular conforming to the right angled corner of the rectangular sheet.

As a further unique innovation, the sheet has a brushing means 3 at the corner of the corner pocket 2. This comprises bristles! brush hairs but could instead comprise nodules or other protrusions! abrasive or roughened surface and serves as a means for brushing dirt away. It is, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, provided on the wipe's face opposite to the corner pocket 2 -ie on that side! face which is opposite to the hand in use and intended to be used to clean the article) to enhance cleaning! brushing away of dirt. In a variant of this embodiment the bristles! brush hairs could extend across the whole of the sheet, if desired. It is shown as a separate bristled panel 3 that is adhered, stitched or otherwise affixed to the sheet 1. The bristled panel 3 is suitably moulded from a relatively tough plastics such as nylon and though it may have some flex it will generally be more rigid than the sheet 1.

In an alternative embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the brush means 3 is provided on the pocket panel! tab 2b itself, thereby simplifying the manufacture by allowing the pocket 2 to be formed from a separate panel! tab 2b to the sheet! main body of the wipe and which has the required brush 3 means on it.

Claims

<claim-text>Claims 1. A wet wipe, non-woven wipe or folded, packaged wipe that comprises a flexible sheet, having a perimeter pocket with an opening that faces towards the main body of the sheet whereby the pocket may serve as a finger socket to enable a user to insert at least one finger (eg index finger) in the pocket and thereby manipulate! manoeuvre the sheet over surfaces to be cleaned.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. A wipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet is a polygonal! rectangular, flexible sheet and the pocket is a corner pocket.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. A wipe as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the pocket is formed by a fold of the sheet 4. A wipe as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the pocket is formed by a small panel! tab of the same or a different sheet material that is stitched, adhered or otherwise fastened to the sheet.5. A wipe as claimed in cIam 1, 2 or 3, wherein the sheet is of non-woven material and is pre-moistened with isopropyl alcohol, water or another suitable cleansing liquid.6. A wipe as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sheet has a brushing means, abrasive or roughened surface at least at the locale of the pocket.7. A wipe as claimed in claim 6, wherein the brushing means comprises protrusions, bristles or brush hairs for brushing dirt away.8. A wipe as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the brushing means is provided on the wipe's face opposite to the pocket.9. A wipe as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the brushing means is provided on the pocket panel! tab where the pocket is formed from a separate panel! tab to the main body of the wipe and which has the brush means' bristles, protrusions, abrasive or roughened surface on it.10. A wipe as claimed in claim 8, wherein the brush means! abrasive or roughened surface is provided extend beyond the pocket to substantially the whole area of the wipe.11. A wipe as claimed in claim 8, wherein the brush means! abrasive or roughened surface is provided only localised to the area of the pocket.12. A wipe substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.</claim-text>