AU2005202381A1 - Absorbent item - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority Related Art: Name of Applicant: Marjan Klemen Actual Inventor(s): Marjan Klemen Address for Service and Correspondence: PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 USTRALIA 9 8 Invention Title: ABSORBENT ITEM Our Ref: 745023 POF Code: 472555/472555 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): -1- 2 O ABSORBENT ITEM ;TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to absorbent items used for cleaning or applying liquids. More specifically, the absorbent items are capable of being used to clean or apply liquid substances having different characteristics.

00 BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Various absorbent items have been provided in the prior art to assist in cleaning surfaces. Well known articles such as sponges have abrasive and absorptive properties and can be used for many purposes around the home or elsewhere.

Other articles such a traditional kitchen paper towel have a mainly absorbent action and tend to be single use. A traditional bath towel is also well used for its mainly absorptive properties.

More recently, microfibre cleaning cloths have been developed which act to mechanically remove dirt from a surface and retain it.

While the consumer has many choices in terms of cleaning items for a certain purpose a difficulty arises in the use of absorbent items in that once the item is contacted by a surface, it may not be suitable for use on a different surface.

Thus, a sponge used to clean a spill from the kitchen floor will contaminate a food preparation surface that the sponge is subsequently used to clean. Given the amount of bacteria routinely found a floor, this situation is undesirable.

In a similar vein, members of a gymnasium often bring a "sweat towel" to use during their work out. Indeed, many gymnasiums insist that members bringing a sweat towel and use the towel to wipe sweat and other bodily exudates from the equipment after use. However, members the find it unacceptable to then use the same towel to wipe sweat from their own face given that the towel has contacted equipment been used by a large number of people.

Another problem occurs where an absorbent item is used to apply two different liquid substances to a surface. For example, when polishing a car it may be necessary to apply an abrasive agent first to remove oxidized paint, followed by a wax polish. Using the same cloth will inevitably result in the undesirable contamination of the wax polish with the abrasive agent leading to potential damage of the duco.

It is an aspect of the present invention to overcome a problem of the prior art by 00 providing a cleaning article that is suitable for cleaning surfaces such that material collected from a first surface is not transmitted to a second surface.

The discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles and the like is included in this specification solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not suggested or represented that any or all of these matters formed part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed in Australia before the priority date of this application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a composite absorbent item including a first absorbent region, a second absorbent region, and means for inhibiting or preventing liquid present in the first absorbent region entering the second absorbent region. The separation of the two absorbent regions by the means for inhibiting or preventing liquid present in the first absorbent region entering the second absorbent region means that moisture carrying contaminants such as bacteria, fungus, virus, salts, fats, chemicals and the like is substantially prevented from moving between the two absorbent regions.

The absorbent item can be used in a range of applications including the gymnasium whereby a user can wipe exercise equipment with the first absorbent region and their face with the second absorbent region comfortable with the fact that the liquid impervious layer prevents the egress of bacteria, sweat and the like to the second absorbent region.

Another use is in a domestic environment whereby the first absorbent region can be used for cleaning a heavily contaminated surface (a floor surface, for example), while the second absorbent region could be used to clean a surface of lower contamination (a bench-top surface, for example). The item could also ;be used in applications whereby a relatively moist cleaning surface and a relative dry cleaning surface is required. An example would be in the cleaning of glass whereby the first absorbent surface is used in the application of a glass cleaning fluid, with the second absorbent region is drier and used to polish the 00 0 glass surface.

N Another use is in the application of two different liquids to a surface, whereby the first absorbent region is impregnated with a first liquid and the second absorbent region is impregnated with a second region. Using the absorbent item described herein, the first and second liquids do not mix.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a partially exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect the present invention provides a composite absorbent item including a first absorbent region, a second absorbent region, and means for inhibiting or preventing liquid present in the first absorbent region entering the second absorbent region. Applicant proposes that an absorbent item having these features overcomes the problem of contamination of a towel used to wipe clean surfaces having a different level of cleanliness. The separation of the two absorbent regions by the means for inhibiting or preventing liquid present in the first absorbent region entering the second absorbent region means that moisture carrying contaminants such as bacteria, fungus, virus, salts, fats, chemicals and the like is substantially prevented from moving between the two absorbent regions. It is to be understood that the terminology "first region" and "second region" may be used interchangeably.

v' The invention is better understood by reference to the accompanying Figures.

Figure 1 illustrates the general three layer construction of one embodiment, ;showing 1 the first absorbent region, 3 the second absorbent region and 2 the water impervious layer. The components of the composite absorbent item have been separated at the upper end in this Figure simply to show the layered arrangement of the embodiment.

00 (Figure 2 illustrates one embodiment of a fully constructed absorbent item showing 1 the first absorbent region, 3 the second absorbent region and 2 the water impervious layer. Also shown is the use of a fabric strip 4 that encompasses 1 the first absorbent region, 3 the second absorbent region and 2 the water impervious layer. The article is stitched 5 to form a unitary item.

The means for inhibiting or preventing liquid present in the first absorbent region entering the second absorbent region can be any material or structure that is capable as acting a barrier to the passage of a liquid. In a preferred form of the invention the means for inhibiting or preventing liquid present in the first absorbent region entering the second absorbent region is a liquid impervious material. The skilled person will be familiar with many suitable materials such as polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polyvinyls, and the like. Such materials will act to repel liquid away and back to the absorbent region from where the liquid originated. However, it is contemplated that absorbent materials may also constitute means for inhibiting or preventing liquid present in the first absorbent region entering the second absorbent region. Thus, while the liquid is able to migrate from a first absorbent region and into the means for inhibiting or preventing liquid present in the first absorbent region entering the second absorbent region it does not further migrate into the second absorbent region.

In order to achieve this the means for inhibiting or preventing liquid present in the first absorbent region entering the second absorbent region must have sufficient absorbency such that liquid is not capable of exiting and migrating into the second absorbent region. A suitable material may be any of those commonly used in diapers and incontinence pads, or a silica gel.

O In one form of the invention a first structure includes the first absorbent region N and a second structure includes the second absorbent region. Thus, the regions may be a part of a single structure, but will preferably be two separate structures. Of course, where the first and second absorbent regions are part of a single structure, there is a higher likelihood of liquid migrating between the two regions. However, if the volume of liquid is sufficiently small this will not 00 present a major problem to the operation of the absorbent item.

The first and second absorbent regions are formed from an absorbent material.

The first and second absorbent regions may be composed of the same or different materials. Preferably, the first and/or second absorbent materials are composed of a material selected from the group consisting of a woven or nonwoven textile product, a sponge product, and a paper product. Through routine trial and experimentation the skilled person will be able to identify suitable materials. However, in one form of the invention the woven textile product is selected from the group consisting of cloth and towelling. In another form of the invention, where the material is a non-woven textile product it is selected from the group consisting of felt and cotton wool.

In constructing the absorbent item, it will be typical to place the substantially liquid impervious material between the first absorbent material and the second absorbent material.

The absorbent item may take any suitable form however it is contemplated that the most useful form will be a substantially planar form. In planar form or any other form, the three materials may bonded together to form a unitary structure.

Suitable ways of bonding the materials include stitching, gluing, heat-bonding, the use of press studs, or a hook-and-loop attachment means for example. In a preferred form of the invention the item is planar and bonded around the entire perimeter such that an item very similar to a standard hand towel is produced.

In order to best exploit the invention it will be necessary to provide means for distinguishing the first absorbent material from the second absorbent material.

This may be accomplished by any method appropriate, but include a colour, texture, or the presence of an indicium on the first and/or second absorbent material.

Also provided by the present invention is a method for cleaning a first surface and a second surface including use of an absorbent item described herein _wherein the first surface is not contaminated with dirt or moisture from a second 0 surface. The first surface may be an animate surface such as the skin, while the second surface may be inanimate such as a piece of exercise equipment.

The present invention will also have use in a domestic setting, and especially in the kitchen. The kitchen is a potential source for food contamination, especially where bacterium-laden products are used such as meats, cheeses and the like.

Accordingly, the present invention further includes a method wherein the first surface is a food preparation surface and the second surface is a kitchen surface having a higher contamination than that desirable for a food preparation surface. An example of a first surface would be a cutting board, while the second surface may be the kitchen floor. Alternatively, the first surface may be a first side of a cutting board to prepare foodstuffs that will not be cooked (such as salad vegetables) while the second surface may be a second side of the cutting board that is used to prepare meat. Meat typically has naturally occurring bacterial contamination that is destroyed upon cooking, and use of the present invention will prevent these bacteria from contaminating a salad vegetable that is not cooked. Applicants propose that it is surprising that an absorbent item of a construction described herein would have utility in the domestic setting, and especially the kitchen where it is critical to control bacterial contamination.

The absorbent regions of the present invention may be used not only to absorb a liquid, but also to apply a liquid. The liquid may be a cosmetic composition, a polish or a paint for example. Thus, by use of an absorbent item described herein it is possible to maintain the separation of two liquids for application to a surface. For example, when polishing a car a user could apply a water rubbing compound using one absorbent surface, and a fine polish to the second O absorbent surface. Advantageously the fine polish will not be contaminated cI with the abrasives present in the rubbing compound.

;Z

_It will be understood that the absorbent item can have more than three layers, such as multiple layers a water impervious material, or a combination of water impervious material and water absorbent gel. Furthermore, the impervious 00 layer does not necessarily extend throughout the whole item.

The absorbent item may also be used to dry a user's body in a manner preventing contamination of areas likely to be frequented by pathogens (eg anogenital region, axillary region. or feet) with relatively pathogen free areas such as the face.

Either or both absorbent regions could be impregnated with a liquid by the manufacturer or the user. For example, where the item is used as a gym towel, one side of the towel could be impregnated with an antibacterial solution such that the equipment is not only cleaned and dried but also disinfected. Such impregnation would also avoid the potential contamination of the "clean" side of the towel by the hands that have been touching the gym equipment as well as the "dirty" side of the towel. The "clean" side could remain untreated and solely for absorbing sweat from the user's skin.

It will be apparent to the skilled person that many routines variations may be applied to the various methods and compositions described herein. It is intended that these variations are included with the scope of the present application.

Claims (15)

1. 2. An absorbent item according to claim 1 wherein the means for inhibiting r or preventing liquid present in the first absorbent region entering the second absorbent region is a liquid impervious material.
2. 3. An absorbent item according claim 1 wherein the liquid impervious material is non-absorbent.
3. 4. An absorbent item according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein a first structure includes the first region and a second structure includes the second region. An absorbent item according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the first and second absorbent regions are formed from an absorbent material.
4. 6. An absorbent item according to any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein the substantially liquid impervious material is positioned between the first absorbent material and the second absorbent material.
5. 7. An absorbent item according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the first and/or second absorbent materials are composed of a material selected from the group consisting of a woven or non woven textile product, a sponge product, and a paper product.
6. 8. An absorbent item according to claim 7 wherein the woven textile product is selected from the group consisting of cloth and towelling. O 9. An absorbent item according to claim 7 wherein the non woven textile c, product is selected from the group consisting of felt and cotton wool. An absorbent item according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the substantially water impervious material is selected from the group consisting of a flexible plastic, a cloth impregnated with a water proof material and a gel. 00
7. 11. An absorbent item according to claim 1 having a substantially planar form.
8. 12. An absorbent item according to any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the item includes means for distinguishing the first absorbent region from the second absorbent region.
9. 13. An absorbent item according to claim 12 wherein the means for distinguishing the first absorbent material from the second absorbent material is by a colour, texture, or the presence of an indicium on the first and/or second absorbent material.
10. 14. An absorbent item according to any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the parts of the composite are bonded together to form a unitary structure. A method for cleaning a first surface and a second surface including use of an absorbent item according to any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein in use the first surface is not contaminated with dirt or moisture from the second surface.
11. 16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the first surface is animate and the second surface is inanimate.
12. 17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the first surface is the skin and the second surface is part of a piece of exercise equipment. 11
13. 18. A method according to claim 15 wherein the first surface is a food c-i preparation surface and the second surface is a kitchen surface having a higher contamination than that desirable for a food preparation surface.
14. 19. A method for applying a first liquid and a second liquid to a surface including the use of an absorbent item according to any one of claims 1 to 14 00 wherein in use the first liquid does not substantially contaminate the second (N liquid. (N
15. 20. An absorbent item according to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the figure. Dated: 1 June, 2005 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Attorneys for: MARJAN KLEMEN