CH668368A5 - DEVICE AND METHOD FOR APPLYING A TREATMENT LIQUID TO SURFACES. - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a device in the form of a sheet-like structure, cushion or the like. For applying a treatment material to a carpet or other soft floor covering. The subject of the invention is also suitable for treating upholstery or any other relatively large absorbent surface. The device is particularly suitable for the application of cleaning agents, e.g. Detergent compositions, but can also be used to apply other materials e.g. Deodorants, perfumes, antistatic agents or fungicides can be used.

Various carpet cleaning products are available in retail stores. They are generally in the form of powders, liquid shampoos or aerosol sprays. The liquid products generally provide the most effective cleaning, but this has the major disadvantage of long drying times, often in the 24 hour range, which is of course inconvenient in the home.

Various small cleaning wipes and pads have been proposed for the stain cleaning of upholstery and carpets in the form of bridges. These generally provide a small volume of liquid, e.g. a liquid for dry cleaning, and can also be used to wipe or rub off the soiled area. For example, GB-PS 1 584 987 (Collo GmbH) discloses a cushion which can be used, inter alia, for carpet treatment. An active substance, for example a liquid detergent composition, is contained in particles of a porous material such as e.g. B. perlite, contained on a flexible substrate such. B. a cloth made of plastic foam or non-woven fabric with the help of an elastic adhesive, in which the particles are embedded, held. The elastic adhesive regulates the release rate of the active ingredients when the pad is pressed or squeezed out.

US Pat. No. 3,196,478 (Baymiller / Armstrong Cork Co.) discloses an upholstery which is used, among other things, for stain cleaning of carpets. The pad consists of two opposing flexible sheets (one porous) with liquid-containing, pressure-breakable microcapsules enclosed between them. US Pat. No. 3,334,374 (Watkins / Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co.) describes a similar object which is also suitable for removing stains from carpets or floors.

These existing designs are intended for the limited cleaning of small areas of bridges, carpets or upholstery by manual rubbing. However, such a method is too cumbersome for larger areas.

It has been proposed to temporarily attach dusters, wipes, or pads to the ends of the scrubbers and other cleaning devices so that these devices can be used for a wider range of cleaning activities. References describing such arrangements are GB 1 566 789 (ICI), GB 1 383 706 (Moss), GB 801 338 (Filature et Tissage du Territoire), GB 429 652 (axes and long) and GB 396 345 (Hooks) . GB 1 341 527 (American Uniform Co.) discloses a combined duster and wipe comprising a cloth which can be attached to the end of a scrubber using Velcro (trademark) tapes.

According to the present invention, a device in the form of a sheet-like structure or cushion was developed which is suitable for cleaning to a large extent or for differently treating large areas of carpets, upholstery goods and the like. The device

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can contain a relatively large volume of liquid and release it in a controlled manner and it also has a high liquid absorption or reabsorption capacity so that the treated carpet dries quickly. In addition, the article can be applied to the carpet in a manner that is not particularly troublesome or uncomfortable.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an apparatus for applying a liquid treatment material to a carpet or the like, the article comprising a flexible support material comprising a porous, solid, highly absorbent polymeric material that absorbs at least 5 ml of liquid per gram of polymer may include, wherein the liquid is retained in the absence of applied pressure, released in a controlled manner when pressure is applied, and is reabsorbed when the pressure is removed, the flexible substrate having a liquid-permeable region that is resistant to rubbing in use is rugged on the carpet and the device is provided with fasteners that removably attach the device to the end of a broom, an expressible scrubber, or other floor cleaning device.

Due to the properties of the polymeric material contained in the device of the invention, it is able to release large volumes of liquid in a graded, regulated manner as desired, the release of the liquid being controlled by the pressure generated by the device is exercised on the floor, is regulated. It is equally important that the polymeric material is also highly absorbent and that it can absorb liquid when it is in contact with the ground without pressure being applied. Therefore, the carpet is not left in a very damp state and can dry in a much shorter time than when using a conventional liquid product in a conventional manner. This ability to recover liquid from the porous polymeric material is an essential feature of the invention.

The device can either be in a dry form, in which case it must be moistened before use, or in a "wet" form, with the required treatment liquid already being present in the polymeric material. If desired, two or more different treatment liquids can be located in different areas of the device; Such an arrangement enables incompatible liquids, for example bleach and perfumes, to be released at the same time. These "wet" designs are completely ready for use and only need to be attached to a scrubbing brush or broom and are used directly on the carpet. Although the term "wet" has been used, these objects do not necessarily have to feel damp when touched, unless they are pressed or squeezed out because the liquid contained is within the porous polymer. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when the exact composition or concentration of the liquid or liquids to be used is important.

The dry embodiment of the device according to the invention indeed contains two different alternatives. The porous polymeric material or the carrier material or both can be pretreated with a dry concentrate of the treatment material, so that the device only needs to be moistened with water or solvent before use. On the other hand, can

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the device is completely free of any treatment material and this may be available separately. Before use, the consumer must immerse the device in the treatment liquid, which is either available as such or is manufactured by the consumer himself by diluting a concentrate.

Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that there are various intermediate options; for example, the device according to the invention could be used to apply two or more different treatment materials at the same time, one or more of which had been previously introduced into the polymeric material and another or more others could be added by the consumer if desired.

The porous polymeric material used as the liquid-carrying, releasing and absorbing medium in the device according to the invention can absorb and retain, release and resume at least 5 ml, preferably at least 10 ml, of liquid per gram of polymer. Highly porous polymers are described in EP 60 138-A (Unilever) and EP 68 830-B (Unilever); these polymers are particularly effective for absorbing and retaining non-aqueous (hydrophobic) liquids and also retain large volumes of liquids of all types, but their ability to immediately absorb (re-absorb) hydrophilic liquids may not always be suitable for the purposes of the present invention be. A group of porous, polymeric material which is capable of absorbing and storing large volumes of aqueous liquids, including electrolytes, is described and claimed in EP 105 634-A (Unilever) and the use of these polymers in the device according to the invention of special interest. The use of such polymers in particularly absorbent wipes is described and claimed in GB 2 142 225-A (Unilever), published January 16, 1985.

The sulfonated polymers described and claimed in EP 105 634-A mentioned above are sulfonated, porous, cross-linked, polymeric materials, the sulfonated hydrocarbon residues produced by sulfonating a porous, cross-linked, polymeric material with a pore volume contained in the range of 3.0 to 99.5 cc / g, the sulfonated material having an absorbency for 10% aqueous sodium chloride solution of at least 3 grams per gram of the dry sulfonated material or its salt. The hydrocarbon residues can be provided, for example, by styrene or o-vinyltoluene and the crosslinking can suitably be achieved by using divinylbenzene. At least 15% by weight of the monomer used should be capable of being sulfonated and suitably styrene or styrene equivalents; the comonomers can include alkyl acrylates and methacrylates.

The polymers are advantageously prepared by sulfonating polymers obtained by polymerizing a high internal phase emulsion with the monomers and crosslinking agent forming the continuous phase and the internal phase being water. The sulfonation can be carried out by conventional methods. Further details regarding the production and characterization of these polymers are given in the aforementioned EP 105 634, a distinction being made between three broad groups of sulfonated polystyrenes which are produced in this way. The third, most sulfonated group, which can hold particularly large amounts of aqueous liquid, is for use with the

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Subject of the invention of particular interest. These polymers are in a crumbly granular form, which is a collapsed physical structure compared to the original polymer and which swells considerably when large quantities of aqueous liquids are absorbed. Therefore, the liquid absorbed can be squeezed out in a controlled manner by applying gentle pressure, and when the pressure is removed, the polymer immediately absorbs any liquid with which it is in contact.

For the production of the device according to the invention, the polymer is preferably in the form of powder or granules or other physical forms, for example a continuous film, a large number of smaller cloths or rectangles are also within the scope of the invention. As mentioned above, the sulfonated polymers which are of particular interest for use in the present invention can easily be obtained in granular form.

If necessary, two or more different polymers can be used in the device according to the invention in order to release or absorb different liquids.

The polymer is enclosed in a flexible carrier material. Suitably the device is generally in a sheet form and the polymer is sandwiched between two layers of support material. This backing material must, at least at the points intended for contact with the carpet to be treated, be liquid-permeable and yet strong enough to withstand a fairly strong rubbing. This area of the backing material can suitably consist of a textile material, and the materials that are commonly used for bedding, e.g. Cotton, polyester and mixtures thereof are highly suitable. Resistant, non-woven fabrics can also be used. Sponges and rubber or plastic foams are also suitable. In this case, the polymer in the form of powder or granules can be embedded in the pores of the sponge or foam and only a single layer of this material is required, although additional layers of the same or a different material are of course made for the purpose of starch or made of aesthetic reasons can be used.

In a preferred embodiment, the device is in the form of a flat, flexible sheet-like structure in which the polymeric material is enclosed or sandwiched between two layers of the flexible sheet-like material. Although it is only necessary that the areas intended for contact with the carpet be liquid-permeable and sufficiently stable, it is generally advantageous if an entire outer layer consists of such a material. For reasons of simpler manufacture and thus the device can be turned over and used again if the surface intended for rubbing is soiled, both outer layers can advantageously consist of such a material.

The outer layers can, if desired, be made of a textile material as described above, but a more economical method is to use resistant non-woven fabrics. Polypropylene spunbonded webs are particularly interesting, representative examples are:

Kimtex (trademark) Ex Kimberly-Clark, a spun / melted / spun polypropylene laminate with a basis weight of 61 g / m2;

Kimtex (trademark) G Ex Kimberly-Clark, a spun / melted / spun polypropylene laminate with a basis weight of 71 g / m2;

COROVIN (trademark) PP SW Ex Corovin GmbH, a polypropylene spunbond with a basis weight of 60 g / m2.

In embodiments where the porous polymer is in a particle form, the outer layers of the device according to the invention are advantageously connected to one another in a line pattern, for example in a grid pattern, so as to produce a plurality of individual compartments or cells which contain the polymer. As a result, the polymer is kept relatively uniformly distributed over the surface of the object.

The porous polymer will generally be located in a central region of the device of the invention, in a position suitable for contact with the carpet when the device is placed on the end of a scrubbing brush or broom. The two outer layers can be directly connected to one another at the edge regions.

The bonding of the two outer layers to one another, both in the peripheral areas and in the regions occupied by the porous polymer, is advantageously achieved by heat sealing. Thermoplastic materials such as non-woven polypropylene fabrics can be heat sealed without any problems; Non-thermoplastic materials can be provided with a heat-sealable coating.

The device according to the invention is provided with fastening means so that it can be fastened to the end of a broom, expressible scrubber or another device for cleaning the floor. In its preferred sheet-like embodiment, the object is sufficiently flexible to adapt to a certain degree to the broom or scrubber head. The device can therefore be used from a standing position, which is obviously more comfortable for the user than the position on hands and knees and the rubbing and cleaning of the carpet can be carried out without direct hand contact with the device and its treatment liquid.

The shape of the fastener chosen naturally depends on the size and shape of the device. If the device is in the preferred cloth or rag-like form and is large enough to be fully wrapped around the broom or scrub head, fasteners may be provided so that one part of the device is attached to the other so as to To achieve attachment. If the device is not of a suitable size or shape, one or more strips or tabs carrying fasteners may extend from the main body of the device.

Such fasteners can take any suitable form, but they are preferably relatively insensitive to the exact dimensions of the broom or scrubber head, so that the device can be firmly attached to a wide variety of differently shaped and different sized devices. Simple ribbons or tapes can extend from the device, for example, and these can be tied together. Various simple mechanical fasteners are also possible. For example, snap fasteners, hooks and eyes, buttons, toggles, buckles, zippers and clips. A strip-like snap-lock system, such as that used to close large sacks, is another possibility. As an alternative to mechanical fasteners, contact and pressure sensitive adhesives can be used

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for example in the form of adhesive cushions or double-sided coated adhesive tapes.

In one embodiment of the invention, the fastening means in a first arrangement comprise a hook strip with a multiplicity of small outwardly extending hook particles which are suitable for snapping into the small loops which are parts of a complementary loop strip in a second arrangement. These hook strip / loop strip combinations are generally made of nylon and are commercially available under the trademark "Velcro". The strip with the hooks and the complementary strip with the loops are each arranged so that when the device is wrapped around or attached to the head of the broom or scrubber, the connection of the strips can hold the device firmly in place. The same reasoning applies equally to push buttons and other types of fasteners, but the use of strips with hooks and loops has the particular advantage that they do not unite in one position only, but in a large number of continuously variable positions, so that the device can be attached to the head of the broom or scrubber as securely as possible.

However, it has been found that however tightly the device is wrapped around the head of the broom or scrubber, the significant friction created by rubbing the carpet always causes the device to shift relative to the broom or scrubber head. This is particularly noticeable with brooms, where the bending of the bristles exacerbates the problem.

Accordingly, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the device is provided with fastening means which it attaches directly to the head of the scrubber or broom instead of attaching it to another part of the device. These means preferably comprise adhesive areas which enable a strong temporary bond between the device and the head of the device. The adhesive areas are generally protected by peelable strips that can be removed by the consumer immediately before use. Depending on the size and shape of the device, the adhesive areas may be on or extend onto the main body of the device itself.

The use of adhesives is problematic, especially in the case of “moist” devices according to the invention which contain a relatively large amount of liquid. But there is no obvious alternative to the adhesives used to attach these devices to the heads of scrubbers or brooms that are not themselves equipped with special fasteners. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fastening means can therefore be separate, non-integrated adhesive-coated strips which are packed separately; and the device is provided with a number of slots through which the strips can be threaded. One end of each strip can then be pulled through a slot and returned to itself and connected to itself to form a closed loop with which it is attached to the device; and the other end can be used to connect to the head of the device. If the device according to the invention has a square or rectangular shape, the slots can suitably be located near the corners, in areas in which no porous polymer is present.

Four slots and four corresponding strips are generally sufficient.

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As previously mentioned, the device according to the invention can be used to apply any advantageous treatment liquid to carpets, upholstery and the like, for example cleaning agents, deodorants, perfumes, fungicides, insect repellants, solvents for dry cleaning, disinfectants or antistatic agents. For the carpet cleaning, a dilute aqueous solution can suitably be used, for example with 2 to 5% by weight of an active ingredient such as an anionic detergent. Suitable anionic detergents include alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates and other compounds well known in the carpet cleaning art.

The object of the invention can be used particularly advantageously to apply a composition which has both cleaning and antistatic properties. Such a composition may advantageously contain a cationic surfactant that suitably combines these two properties. Suitable cationic surface active compounds include quaternary ammonium salts with two long hydrocarbon chains and two smaller residues, for example, two C&C20 alkyl groups and two CiC3 alkyl groups. Examples of such materials are di (hardened tallow alkyl) dimethyl ammonium chloride and methosulfate.

The devices according to the invention are described in more detail by way of example with the aid of the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of a first device;

Figure 2 shows a partial section along the line II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the device of Figures 1 and 2 wrapped around a broom head;

Figure 4 shows a schematic plan view of a second article and

Figure 5 shows a partial section along the line V-V of Figure 4.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, a cloth-like device for cleaning carpets, generally designated by number 1, is formed by two layers 2, 3 of cotton fabric which are sewn together (not shown). Between the two layers 1 and 2 there are two layers of heat-sealable non-woven fabric 4, 5; these do not extend over the entire surface of the cloth, but comprise a central region, which is approximately indicated by the dashed line 6. The nonwoven fabric may be inherently heat sealable, for example it may contain a portion of thermoplastic fibers; or it can be a heat sealable coating such as have sintered polyethylene. The two layers 4 and 5 are heat sealed together at their ends and also in a lattice pattern, which is indicated by the broken lines 7 so as to form a plurality of partitions 8, each containing powdery, highly porous polymeric material 9 . As previously mentioned, the polymeric material can be dry, loaded with a dry concentrate of a treatment material, or loaded with a moist, fully formulated treatment material.

At the edge regions 10 and 11, the object has no inner layers and the two cotton layers 2 and 3 are directly connected to one another. These edge areas are shaped in such a way that the use is adapted to the broomstick, as shown in FIG. 3. The marginal

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on 10 on one side of the object carries Velcro hook strips 12 and the edge region 11 on the other side carries Velcro loop strips 13.

Figure 3 shows the article 1 wrapped around a broom head ready for use on a carpet. The edge regions 10 and 11 were connected to one another using Velcro strips, and the curved regions between them leave space for the broom handle 15.

If the device contains a pre-formulated carpet treatment composition, it is now ready for use. A downward pressure on the broomstick releases the required liquid and excess liquid can be taken up again after the cleaning action by moving the object gently over the carpet without applying pressure. If the device is of the dry type, it can first be activated by immersion in water or in a previously prepared solution of the appropriate treatment liquid. If desired, the latter type can be washed out after use, dried and used again at a later occasion.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings, a second cloth-like device, generally designated by reference number 16, is formed from two layers 17, 18 of a tough, non-woven fabric, for example a polypropylene spun / melted / spun laminate connected together by heat sealing at the ends and in a grid pattern represented by broken lines 19 so as to form a plurality of partitions, each containing highly porous polymeric material.

The device is equipped with a slot 21 in each corner region. In particular, Figure 5 shows a strip 22 of suitable strong flexible material which has an adhesive coating 23 on each end and is threaded through a protector 21 of the device, and one end 24 of the strip 22 is connected to the region 25 of the strip 22 in order to to form a closed loop. The other end 26 of the strip 22 can be used for connection to the head of a broom or scrubber.

This type of attachment is particularly suitable for "wet" devices that contain a fully formulated carpet treatment composition. Four strips 22 are provided with the article 16, one for each slot 21, and these are packaged separately so that they do not come into contact with moisture or solvent from the article 16.

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples.

example 1

Production of a highly porous sulfonated polystyrene.

A polystyrene with an empty volume of approximately 97.5% was produced using the following materials:

Styrene 66.7 ml

Divinylbenzene (crosslinker) 6.7 ml

Sorbitan monooleate (emulsifier) 13.3 g

Sodium persulfate (initiator)

(0.2% solution) 2000 ml

The styrene, divinylbenzene and sorbitan monooleate were placed in a two liter beaker equipped with a helical stirrer coated with poly-tetrafluoroethylene. The sodium persulfate was added dropwise, stirring carefully controlled to produce a "water-in-oil" type emulsion, and the reaction was then left at 50 ° C for polymerization overnight. The solid thus produced was cut out of the cup, chopped into cubes approximately 1 cm in size, pressed out almost to dryness with the aid of a mangle, and then dried in a vacuum oven at 60 ° for 48 hours.

100 g of the chopped, dried polystyrene were stirred into 51 concentrated (98%) sulfuric acid, which was heated to 120 ° C. The material wetted after 10 minutes and then swelled to absorb all of the acid over a 2 hour period. The mixture was then left to cool overnight and then filtered through a cloth consisting of 15 g / m2 polypropylene / viscose nonwoven fabric using a 38 cm filter nutsche, applying pressure with a polytetrafluoroethylene dam . 2.51 of the acid was collected and discarded. The pressed, sulfonated polymer was slowly and carefully added to 12 liters of deionized water in a large container, during which substantial heat developed. The polymer was then filtered. The crude polymer sulfonic acid so obtained was squeezed almost to dryness and then added to 12 liters of a 10% sodium hydroxide solution, filtered again, washed with another 12 liters of deionized water, filtered again and squeezed out to make a cake to surrender. This solid was then placed in a cotton sack and washed and centrifuged repeatedly until the wash solutions were no longer alkaline; about 6 washes were needed. The centrifuged solid (about 120 g) was dried in vacuo at 100 ° C overnight.

A sample was found to take up about 85 g / g of 0.1 N saline.

Example 2

Manufacture of a device for cleaning carpets.

An apparatus as described above with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings was made using the polymer made in Example 1 in granular form. The backing material consisted of hi-loft (trademark) moisture-proof paper, ex Scott Paper Co., each with a layer of sintered polyethylene on one surface to make it heat-sealable. The device contained an array of 54 compartments or cells (9 x 6), each measuring 3 cm x 4 cm and its overall dimensions being approximately 20 cm x 30 cm. The total dry weight of the device was 48 g, including 5 g of polymer.

A carpet cleaning solution was prepared containing 8% by weight di (hardened tallow alkyl) dimethylammonium chloride, 4% by weight nonionic surfactant (an amine oxide) and small amounts of perfume, solvent, antibacterial and buffer. A sample of this cleaning solution was diluted to 2.5% by weight of its original concentration in a bucket.

The device described was attached to the head of a broom using its Velcro strips and the broom head was then immersed in the diluted cleaning solution and excess liquid was squeezed out by hand. The device, containing 5 g of polymer as mentioned above, took up 127 g of liquid.

The device attached to the broom was then used to clean a naturally soiled nylon tufted loop carpet. The cleaned area was 5 - 10 m2 before the device had to be rinsed out. The drying time, which was subjectively estimated by touch, was about 15 minutes.

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For comparison, another area of the same carpet was treated with a commercially available aerosol carpet shampoo. The cleaning results were subjectively compared visually; the device according to the invention obviously gave just as good or slightly better results than the shampoo. The drying time of the shampoo, which was subjectively estimated by touch, was about an hour.

After both areas of the carpet were dry, the softness was again subjectively compared by touch. The device of the invention was found to give better results in terms of softness.

Example 3

An apparatus as described above, as shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings, was made in granular form using a polymer similar to that of Example 1. The backing material consisted of two cloths from Kimtex E non-woven fabric, such as

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previously described. The dimensions of the device and the weight of the polymer used were similar to that of Example 2.

The device was impregnated with a cleaning liquid with the following composition:

%

Disodium monolaurylethanolamidosulfosuccinate

(Rewopol [trademark] SBL 203 Ex Rewo) 2.0 sodium lauryl sulfate

(Sulfopon [trademark] 101) 1.3

Formaldehyde 0.04

Water ad 100

The impregnated device was attached to the head of a broom using the adhesive strips provided and was used to clean a soiled carpet, the cleaning results being similar to that of the article described in Example 2.

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Claims (11)

668 368 PATENT CLAIMS 1. Device for applying a treatment liquid to a soft, absorbent surface, with a flexible carrier material, which includes a porous, highly absorbent polymeric material, characterized in that the polymeric material (9) at least Able to absorb 5 ml of a liquid per gram of polymer, which is able to retain liquid in the absence of applied pressure, is able to release the liquid in a regulated manner by hand pressure, the flexible carrier material (2, 3, 17, 18) having a liquid-permeable area (4 , 5,17,18), which is resistant to friction on the soft, adsorbent surface, and that the flexible carrier material (2,3,17,18) with means (12,13,21,22) for releasable fastening on the head of a floor cleaning device. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the porous polymeric material is able to absorb and retain at least 10 ml of liquid per gram of polymer. 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the porous polymeric material is a sulfonated polystyrene. 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the device is in the form of a flexible sheet-like structure and the flexible carrier material comprises two outer layers of flexible sheet material, at least one of which is liquid-permeable, and the porous polymeric material itself between them. 5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the outer layers are connected to each other to form a plurality of partitions in which the polymeric material is in particulate form. 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the fastening means are able to form a connection or fastening directly to the head of a device for floor cleaning in such a way that movement of the device relative to the head of the device is substantially prevented when rubbed on a carpet. 7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the fastening means comprise adhesive areas which are able to form a strong, temporary bond with the head of a device for floor cleaning. 8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the fastening means includes associated but separate strips of flexible adhesive-coated material which can be guided through slots in the device to form a closed loop. 9. A method of applying a treatment liquid to a soft absorbent surface, characterized in that the liquid is applied to the surface by the device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is attached to the head of a floor cleaning device. 10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the treatment liquid comprises a detergent composition, an antistatic agent, a deodorant, a perfume, an antibacterial agent, a fungicide, a solvent for dry cleaning or a mixture thereof. 11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the treatment liquid includes a cationic surface-active compound.