CN107427180B - Floor cleaning articles having strips with differential bonding patterns - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a cleaning product. The cleaning article has a laminate construction. The cleaning article includes a sheet and hydrophilic gather strip elements joined together at a plurality of bonds. The gather strip element has a plurality of layers overlapping one another to provide strips extending outwardly from the bonds. The different layers are differentially bonded to provide a configuration that allows the strip to advantageously present a dynamically changing area to the target surface during cleaning under normal use conditions. By varying the surface area, more liquid and associated debris can be cleaned from the target surface.

Description

Floor cleaning articles having strips with differential bonding patterns

technical field

The present invention relates to cleaning articles, and more particularly to cleaning articles for absorbing cleaning fluids from a target surface.

Background technique

Various cleaning products have been created for dusting and light cleaning. For example, cloth rags and paper towels, dry or moistened with polishing and cleaning compositions, have been used on relatively flat surfaces such as kitchen countertops, bathrooms, sinks, and floors. But wipes and paper towels can be problematic for reasons such as hygiene (the user's hands may come into contact with chemicals, dirt or surfaces during cleaning), reach (the user may have difficulty removing the wipes or paper towels reaching into hard-to-reach places) and inconvenience (cleaning between articles with tight clearances often requires moving the articles).

To overcome the problems associated with the use of wipes and paper towels, various reusable dust collection devices have been used for over a century using felt and hair, as shown by US 823,725 to Hayden in 1906, and Use yarn as shown in 4,145,787. To address the problems associated with reusable dust collection devices, disposable cleaning articles with limited reusability have been developed. These disposable cleaning articles may include a brush portion made of synthetic fiber bundles (referred to as tow fibers) attached to a sheet, as shown in the following patents: 6,813,801, 7,003,856, 7,566,671, 7,779,502, 7,937,797, 8,146,197 , 8,151,402, 8,161,594, 8,186,001, 8,245,349, 8,528,151, 8,756,746 and 8,763,197.

Disposable dust collectors can provide wet cleaning as disclosed in 7,566,671, and commonly assigned 7,803,726, and commonly assigned US 2008/0028560. But tow fibers can become tangled when wet and are not suitable for cleaning large or heavily wet surfaces, such as floors.

To overcome the problem of large and/or heavily wetted surfaces, floor sheets have been developed. The floor sheet may contain substantial amounts of absorbent cellulose, as disclosed in 7,191,486 and 7,721,381, and may include at least two inner sheets, as disclosed in 9,032,577. Floor sheets may contain AGM to further aid in liquid absorption and retention, as disclosed in commonly assigned 5,960,508, 6,003,191, 6,048,123 and 6,766,552. Other attempts to make cleaning pads have combined both hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties, as disclosed in 7,694,379 (commonly assigned 7,480,956). Another attempt has included free-floating hoops, as disclosed in commonly assigned 7,028,364. Other related attempts in the field include US 2003/0300991, 2011/0041274, 6,245,413, 6,681,434, 6,701,567, 7,458,128, 7,624,468, 8,341,797, 8,707,505 and 8,863,347.

While these attempts have involved absorbing liquid from a wet target surface, specifically a floor, problems remain. A substantially flat floor sheet presents the same surface for the entire cleaning task. Dirt can redeposit from saturated floor sheets. And generally flat floor sheets may not adequately clean into floor cracks or grout lines.

Therefore, there is a need for cleaning articles that can be used on wetted surfaces and that exhibit dynamically changing surfaces throughout the cleaning task.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes cleaning articles having a laminated construction. The cleaning article includes a sheet and a hydrophilic collection strip element having a strip and joined to the sheet at an elongated bond. The collection bar element includes at least a first layer adjacent to the sheet material and at least one outward layer disposed on its outer side. Each of the layers is joined to the sheet by an elongated co-bond. At least one layer is also joined to the sheet by a second bond that is not coincident with and spaced from the common bond, and at least one layer is not joined by the second bond to the sheet.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cleaning article according to the present invention.

FIG. 2A is to scale and is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 .

2B is a vertical cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment having an inverted pyramid geometry.

Figure 3 is a broken-down bottom plan view of an alternative embodiment with a non-linear intermediate bond line and an inverted pyramid geometry, wherein the upper portion has a sinusoidal bond and the lower portion has a point bond.

Figure 4A is a bottom plan view of an alternate embodiment with two intermediate bond lines.

4B is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 4B-4B of FIG. 4A.

5A-5G are to scale and are vertical cross-sectional views of alternative embodiments of collector bar elements each having two sheets of material.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a handle that can be used in the present invention.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a floor cleaning tool that can be used with the present invention.

Figure 8 is a graphical representation of the properties of a floor sheet according to the present invention and a commercially available floor sheet.

Detailed ways

Referring to Figure 1, the cleaning article 10 may be generally elongated and rectangular, although other shapes are conceivable and possible. The cleaning article 10 may include two or more components joined in a laminate to provide a cleaning article 10 suitable for floor cleaning. The cleaning article may have a sheet 12 that forms a frame for attaching other components thereto. The cleaning article 10 may also have a collection strip element 25 having multiple layers 27 of stacked outwardly extending flexible strips 17 . The absorbent core may be positioned between the collection strip element 25 and the sheet 12 .

The cleaning article 10 may be disposable. By disposable, it is meant that the cleaning article 10 is used for one cleaning task, or generally no more than a few square meters, and then discarded. In contrast, the reusable cleaning article 10 is washed or otherwise restored after use.

The cleaning article 10 has at least two, more preferably at least three, four or more thin layers that join/fold the cleaning article 10 in a laminate. Sheet 12 may also provide attachment to floor cleaning tools, as described below. As used herein, unless otherwise stated, engagement includes both direct contacting relationship between two components as well as a relationship between the two with intermediate components.

The cleaning article 10 may have a longitudinal axis LA and a transverse axis TA orthogonal thereto. The cleaning article 10 and its corresponding components may have two longitudinal edges 20 parallel to the longitudinal axis LA and two transverse edges 22 parallel to the transverse axis TA.

The strips 17 may advantageously be contained substantially, or preferably completely, within the footprint of the sheet 12, as described below. In particular, the distal ends of the strips 17 may be received within and defined by a footprint defined by the two longitudinal edges 20 and the two transverse edges 22 of the sheet 12 . It is believed that this arrangement promotes mobility of the strip 17 in use and presents the dynamic surface area of the cleaning article 10 to the target surface in use due to the direct pressure experienced by the strip 17 when the user presses the cleaning implement against the floor.

The length of the cleaning article 10 is taken in the longitudinal direction. The width of the cleaning article 10 corresponds to the transverse direction perpendicular to the length direction and disposed within the plane of the sheet 12 . Thickness is defined as the dimension in the z-direction. The XY plane is defined as the plane defined by the cleaning article 10 . The Z-direction of cleaning article 10 is the direction perpendicular to the plane of the sheet. Cleaning article 10 may have a length of 20 to 50 cm and a width of 10 to 20 cm. The cleaning article may be specifically 30 +/- 2 cm long by 14 +/- 2 cm wide, as measured at the largest dimension, so as to fit the head of a typical cleaning implement 70, as discussed below. The optional core may specifically have a width of 6.5 +/- 2 cm and a length of 26 +/- 2 cm. Of course, those skilled in the art will recognize that other shapes are possible and within the scope of the present invention.

The cleaning article 10 may have an outwardly facing cleaning side and an attachment site opposite thereto. The attachment site of the cleaning article 10 may have one or more attachment strips 30 for attachment to the head of the tool, such as two parallel strips 30 as shown. The strip 30 may comprise loop material suitable for complementary attachment to the head of a cleaning tool with hooks.

The cleaning article 10 can be viewed as having one sheet or having two, three, or more sheets joined in a face-to-face relationship. The lamellae can be refolded in a serpentine fashion to provide multiple lamellae in the Z direction.

More specifically, the cleaning article may include a configuration of at least one sheet 12 and at least one collection bar element 25 . The sheet 12 and the collection bar elements 25 are joined in face-to-face relationship with at least one permanent bond to form a laminate.

The sheet 12 can be used as a base structure for attaching the collection strip elements 25 thereto. Other thin layers and features may be inserted between the sheet 12 and the collection bar elements 25 without departing from the invention.

Specifically, sheet 12 may include synthetic nonwoven sheet 12 . The sheet 12 with synthetic fibres provides a convenient joining of the collecting strip elements 25 thereto. Nonwovens include spunbond, carded, and airlaid materials, as known in the art and made from synthetic fibers. Suitable nonwoven sheets can be manufactured under commonly assigned 6,797,357.

Preferably, sheet 12 includes cellulose to provide absorbent capacity. Cellulosic sheet 12 may have a permanent wet strength resin added thereto, as is known in the art. Alternatively, the sheet 12 may preferably comprise a blend of cellulosic and synthetic fibers to provide absorbent and barrier properties, and to provide convenient joining of the collection strip elements 25 . The so-called cellulose refers to the main weight percentage of the components in the cellulose fibers.

The sheet 12 and/or the collection strip elements 25 may be hydrophilic to advantageously absorb water from the surface being cleaned. By hydrophilic, it is generally meant that the components will absorb water in use and retain such water in ordinary use, but without applying excessive compressive force.

Specifically, hydrophilic versus hydrophobic properties can be measured as follows. A 1 gram sample of material was oven dried at about 110°C for 12 hours and then conditioned for five days at 65% relative humidity/21°C. The samples were then re-dried at 110°C for 12 hours. Moisture gain is measured as a percentage of moisture regain:

Moisture regain = [(total weight of conditioned sample at 65% RH - weight of sample after drying) ÷ weight of dried sample] x 100%.

As used herein, a hydrophilic material has a moisture regain at 65% greater than about 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, and preferably greater than about 6%. Table 1 below shows the comparative results of the % moisture regain for different fiber types at equilibrium in 65% RH.

Table 1 :

Moisture regain (percentage)

While hydrophilic materials may be used in the invention described herein, such materials may not have sufficient strength to be used even in disposable cleaning articles 10 . Therefore, selecting an appropriate material is important.

For example, if the collection bar 17 is 100% cellulose, the wet coefficient of friction may be too great to make it difficult for the user to move the cleaning article 10 over a particular target surface. By mixing different materials, the surface area for dirt collection can be maintained while the wet coefficient of friction is optimized. Also, the use of different lengths of collection bars 17, even when using the same material, increases the cleaning surface area without unduly increasing the wet coefficient of friction, thereby providing ease of movement on the target surface.

Referring to Figures 2A and 2B, sheet 12 may comprise a laminate of two, three or more plies. Specifically, the laminate may include three plies, an outwardly facing ply 12A for contact with the cleaning implement, an intermediate ply/core 12B for absorption, and an inwardly facing ply for joining to the collection bar element 25 The ply 12C.

The outward facing ply 12A may comprise a hydroentangled spunbond nonwoven having a basis weight of 20 to 80 gsm. A 45 gsm nonwoven from Avgol Nonwovens (Tel-Aviv, Israel) has been found to be suitable. As used herein, a nonwoven is a component having a mixture of air-laid and/or wet-laid fibers that are not woven together.

The interlayer sheet/core 12B can be used as a storage container to absorb and retain liquid collected by the collection strip elements 25 from the target surface. The interlayer sheet/core 12B may comprise bicomponent fibers/synthetic airlaid. A 135 gsm airlaid comprising 85:15 cellulose:bicomponent fibers from Suominen (Helsinki, Finland) is suitable.

The intermediate layer sheet/core 12B may also include an absorbent gelling material [AGM], as known in the art. The AGM can increase the retention of absorbed liquid and provide increased capacity of the cleaning article 10 . The cleaning article 10 may be free of foam to save costs.

The inward facing ply 12C may comprise a mixture of wet-laid fibers formed into a tissue that is bonded to a synthetic nonwoven using methods such as hydroentanglement or hydroentanglement. The inward facing ply 12C may comprise as a composite a 23 gsm tissue with 17 gsm polypropylene spunbond, sold under the trade name Genesis tissue by Suominen (Helsinki, Finland). A dedicated core 12B can be incorporated into the cleaning article 10 if desired. The dedicated core 12B may be disposed between any of the plies 12A, 12C of the sheet 12 or on the inwardly oriented or outwardly oriented face of the sheet 12 . Specifically, the core 12B may include an intermediate ply. Core 12B and/or additional/alternative intermediate plies may be narrower than outward facing plies 12A and inward facing plies 12C. The core 12B and/or the intermediate plies may be about half the width of the outward facing plies 12A and the inward facing plies 12C and centered on the longitudinal axis. In particular, the width of the core 12B and/or the intermediate plies may be less than or equal to the spacing between the strips 30 of attachment material.

The widths of core 12B and/or sheet 12 and collector bar elements 25 are measured as follows. The cleaning article 10 is disposed on a flat horizontal surface. Smoothes wrinkles and other cracks to general flatness. The cleaning article is pulled through the fingertips. A steel ruler, vernier caliper, or tool maker's grid, typically available from L.S. Starrett Co. (Athol, MA), is used to measure the width between the collection bar 17 and the opposite ends of the core 12B. Outward facing plies 12A, 12C and layer 27 may be removed to provide unobstructed access to measurements as desired.

The width of the core 12B is measured in the transverse direction parallel to the transverse axis. If the core 12B has a variable width, the width is measured at the narrowest point. The width of the collecting strip elements 25 is also measured in the transverse direction. The width of the collection bar elements 25 is measured between the distal ends of opposing collection bars 17 that are oppositely disposed on the longitudinal axis and lie in the XY plane. If the collection bar elements 25, and in particular the opposite ends of the collection bar 17, have a variable width, said width is measured at the widest point. A width difference of at least 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 14 cm equally divided along the longitudinal axis is believed to be suitable for the embodiments described herein.

It is believed that the difference in width between the opposing collection bars 17 and core 12B promotes the stability of the core 12B and/or the interlayer sheet 12B to retain liquid transferred from the collection bar elements 25 . In addition, it is believed that this geometry assists in draining the liquid-absorbing collection strip 17 . In addition, this geometry provides clearance that is believed to facilitate movement of the collection bar 17 so that, during normal use, the cleaning article 10 presents different portions of the target surface in response to the user moving it.

The three plies 12A, 12B and 12C may be permanently joined together using adhesives and/or thermal bonds, as is known in the art, to form sheet 12 . An optional attachment strip 30 of loop material may be joined to the outwardly facing surface of the outer ply 12A to removably join the cleaning article 10 to the handle 60 or tool. The strips 30 may be continuous or discontinuous.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the cleaning article 10 may also include a hydrophilic collection strip 17 disposed in the collection strip element 25 . As used herein, the collection bar 17 refers to a cantilevered bar that extends outward from the proximal end to the corresponding distal end. The individual collection strips 17 may have proximal ends at or offset from the longitudinal centerline of the article 10 and have a length (taken in the transverse direction) that is greater than the corresponding width (as taken in the longitudinal direction) to provide Aspect ratio of at least 1 and optionally 2 to 20, and optionally 5 to 15. The collection strip 17 may have a length of 3 to 15 cm, 4 to 12 cm, or specifically 5 to 8 cm, taken from a respective proximal end juxtaposed with the bond 38 to a respective distal end juxtaposed with a lateral edge of the cleaning article , and a width of 3 to 20mm, 4 to 15mm or specifically 6 to 8mm. These specific dimensions have been found to be suitable for floor cleaning when cleaning implements are used.

The collection strip lies within the XY plane as desired for manufacture, although it may be deformed out of the XY plane due to fluff prior to use and/or deformation during use due to movement against the target surface. The collection strip 17 may be incorporated into one of the sheets 12 described herein or may be deployed on a separate sheet 12 . The collection bar 17 may extend parallel to the width of the article, or may be disposed in an acute angular relationship therewith. The collection strip 17 may be straight, as shown, curved, serpentine, or have any desired shape.

The collection bar elements 25 may comprise the same materials as described above for the inward facing plies 12C, and are specifically hydrophilic, and more specifically fibers. Collection bar elements 25 and/or sheet 12 may alternatively or additionally include microfibers, as is known in the art.

Referring back to Figures 2A and 2B, the collection bar element 25 may comprise one or more plies that are folded back onto themselves in a serpentine fashion. This arrangement provides at least double, triple or more thicknesses. The double thickness provides loops at the distal ends of the respective strips 17 when the layers 27 are cut into generally transversely oriented individual collection strips. The ring is believed to be advantageous as it helps to space the overlapping strips 17 in the Z direction.

The folded configuration can be accomplished by a c-fold as shown throughout. Those skilled in the art will recognize that c-folds can be cascaded to provide z-folds, w-folds, or other multilayer folds, as known in the art and including c-folds.

Depending on the desired absorbent capacity and texture of the intended target surface, the collection bar elements 25 may include 2 to 25, 5 to 20, and alternatively about 10 layers 27 of the collection bars 17 . The collecting strips 17 provided on each edge, in particular the longitudinal edges, may advantageously comprise a ring at the distal end and a free end having a single thickness at the distal end of the collecting strip 17 to provide different responses during cleaning and Pre-reach and retain more debris during cleaning.

Specifically, it is believed that the differential response of the collection strip exhibits a dynamically changing surface area to the target surface during cleaning under normal use conditions. By changing the surface area, more liquid and associated debris can be cleaned from the target surface.

A non-limiting collection strip element 25 is shown with three separate collection strip materials. The upper sheet, which is closer to sheet 12 , is folded onto itself to provide four layers 27 of collecting strips. The two lower layers 27 of collector strips 17 are z-folded onto themselves to provide three layers 27 of collector strips each.

The sheet 12 and the collection bar elements 25 may be joined by a plurality of bonds 38, as shown below. The bond 38 may be a thermal bond, an adhesive bond, an ultrasonic bond, or the like, as is known in the art.

The intermediate bond 38 may join all of the layers 27/lamellae of the cleaning article 10 to ensure a unitary construction and prevent loss of individual components in use. The intermediate bond 38 may be common to all layers 27 of the collection bar element 25 and joins each layer 27 of the collection bar element 25 directly or indirectly to the sheet 12 .

Two outer bonds 38 may be provided and only the layer 27 of the collection bar elements 25 adjacent to the sheet 12 is joined. For the embodiments described herein, the outboard bonds 38 may be laterally spaced apart on the center by at least about 7 cm, such that the outboard bonds are spaced outward from the core 12B and do not overlap the core 12B. If such a bond joins only a portion of the layer 27 of the collection bar element 25 directly or indirectly to the sheet 12, then the outer bond 38 or the middle bond 38 may be considered to be the second bond 38.

Typically, all layers 27 of the collection bar element 25 are joined to the sheet 12 by at least one bond 38 . The layer 27 closest to the sheet 12 may be considered the first layer 27 . Subsequent layers 27 are considered relatively adjacent to sheet 12, and may be considered to be second layer 27, third layer 27, fourth layer 27, etc. in that order. The layer 27 remote from the sheet 12 and closest to or in contact with the floor is considered to be the distal layer 27 .

Bond 38 may be longitudinally coextensive with sheet 12 or slightly shorter than sheet 12 . In a slightly less preferred embodiment, the outer bond may only engage the portion of the collection bar element 25 that is remote from and not adjacent to the sheet 12 .

This arrangement provides a relatively long collection strip 17 on the target surface and a shorter collection strip inside it. It is believed that the collection bars of different lengths improve cleaning efficacy by allowing the collection bars 17 to move independently of each other and to create a space therebetween. It is believed that such spacing between the collection bars 17 , and in particular presenting the collection bars 17 in overlapping layers, is important in providing sufficient area for the surface being cleaned to effectively pick up and retain soil by the cleaning article 10 . Thus, the layer 27 can be prepared from a single fold, multiple folds or by simple stacking without folds.

Referring back to FIG. 3 , the collector bar elements 25 may be joined to the sheet using sinusoidal bonds 38 , serrated bonds 38 , all of which are collectively referred to as serpentine bonds 38 or other non-linear bonds 38 . This pattern of bonds 38 provides relatively long and relatively short individual collection bars 17 . Additionally, the collection bars 17 each have a respective proximal end that is not parallel to the longitudinal axis. This geometry provides a proximal end that is believed to facilitate twisting and breaking of the collection strip during cleaning.

Alternatively, the intermediate bonds 38 may comprise an array of discrete bonds 38 as disclosed in commonly assigned EP application serial number 15162895.5, P&G case number 13742F. It is believed that the discrete bonds 38 facilitate the dynamic presentation of the collection strip elements 25 to the target surface during normal use.

It is believed that collection strips 17 of different lengths present different strips 17 and/or portions thereof to the target surface when in use. It is also believed that the irregular proximal ends of the collection strips 17 present different strips 17, or portions thereof, to the target surface when in use.

In general, by presenting different collection bars 17 and/or different portions of collection bars 17 to the target surface in use, it is believed that saturated portions of cleaning article 10 do not remain in contact with the target surface. Presenting different portions of the collection bar element 25 in use minimizes redeposition and allows the unsaturated portion of the collection bar element 25 to contact, absorb and retain liquid from the target surface. It is believed that improved cleaning occurs by dynamically changing the active portion of the collection bar elements 25 that contact the target surface. Importantly, aside from the normal back and forth travel as part of normal cleaning, dynamically changing the active portion of the collection bar element 25 occurs automatically and requires no user intervention.

Preferably, the cleaning article has no tow fibers. Tow fibers tend to tangle and clump when wet, reducing cleaning efficacy. In less preferred embodiments, however, the cleaning article may also include one or more thin layers of tow fibers. The sheets of tow fibers may be joined to the sheet 12 or the collecting bar elements 25 in a face-to-face relationship. The thin layer of tow fibers may be adapted and arranged for direct contact with the target surface during cleaning. Alternatively, a thin layer of tow fibers may be provided between the sheet 12 and the collecting bar element 25 .

Tow fibers can be synthetic. As used herein, "tow fibers" and/or "tows" refer to fibers comprising synthetic polymers including polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, biologically derived polymers such as poly Lactic acid, bio-polyethylene, bio-polyester, etc. Tow fibers also include fibers from natural sources, such as cellulose, cellulose acetate, flax, hemp, jute, and manufactured mixtures thereof, where the individual fibers are relatively long strands made in tow form. A bundle of fibers can be defined as any fiber with a distinct endpoint and a length of at least about 1 cm. The tow fibers may extend continuously and substantially in the transverse direction between the transverse edges of the article 10 .

One or more sheets 12 , collection bar elements 25 , and optionally one or more layers of tow fibers may be joined by a plurality of permanent bonds 38 . Bond 38 is intended to minimize or prevent loosening of stray or shed tow fibers. One or more of such sheets 12, collection bar elements 25, and one or more layers of tow fibers may generally overlap directly with each other with or without intervening members or components therebetween.

The one or more bonds 38 may be formed by adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding, or the like. During thermal bonding and ultrasonic bonding, energy and compressive pressure are applied to the localized bonding 38 sites. The synthetic sheet 12 and synthetic tow fibers melt at such localized sites. Upon refreezing, the localized material of the sheet 12 and tow fibers refreezes together at such localized sites, forming localized welds, which are bonds 38 .

If desired, the sheet 12 may be covered by an outwardly facing liquid impermeable barrier. The barrier prevents the absorbent liquid from contacting the user's hands, tools, and the like. Suitable barriers include LDPE films, as known in the art.

Referring to FIG. 2B , the collection bar element 25 may include a serpentine folded member that decreases in width as the distal edge of the collection bar element 25 is approached. This geometry provides an inverted cone configuration in use. The construction of such collection bar elements 25 may provide multiple layers 27 of collection bar elements 25 having multiple widths. The width may decrease from the first layer 27 to the distal layer 27 , and in particular the width may decrease monotonically from the first layer 27 to the distal layer 27 . It is believed that the inverted pyramid configuration advantageously presents more edges to the target surface during cleaning.

Referring to FIGS. 4A-4B , the cleaning article may be free of the common bond 38 that joins all layers 27 of the collection bar element 25 to the sheet 12 . Rather, first bond 38 may join one or more proximal layers 27 to sheet 12 . The second bond 38 may join one or more of the distal layers 27 to the proximal layer 27, but not directly join the distal layer 27 to the sheet. This arrangement is expected to provide the benefit that if the cleaning article 10 is particularly thick in the z-direction, bonds 38 through all of its components are avoided.

Any of the sheet 12, the collecting bar elements 25, and/or the optional tow fiber layer may optionally be fully or partially coated with a binder, wax, Newtonian or non-Newtonian oil, or a combination thereof for improved cleaning and increased retention of absorbed debris. If desired, cleaning article 10 can optionally be used with cleaning solutions or other solutions that can be used for other purposes, such as treating exterior surfaces or disinfecting, and the like. The cleaning solution may be pre-applied to the cleaning article 10, resulting in a pre-moistened cleaning article 10, or may be contained in a separate reservoir for dosing the cleaning article 10 and/or the target surface. The cleaning solution may comprise a majority of water and at least about 0.5, 2, 5, or 10 wt% solids, or at least about 30 or 50 wt% aqueous solvent, non-aqueous solvent, or mixtures thereof.

Referring to Figures 5A-5G, various alternative collection bar elements 25 are shown. While various collection bar elements 25 are shown with two layers 25, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not so limited. The collection bar element 25 may have one, two, three or more layers 27 with bonds 38 as shown, or with different bonds 38 . Those skilled in the art will also recognize that various combinations and blends of these embodiments may be incorporated into a single cleaning article 10 as desired.

Referring to Figure 5A, the collection bar element 25 may comprise two sheets of material, each sheet having an open c-fold. It is believed that this arrangement advantageously provides a generally symmetrical relative geometry, which facilitates cleaning with common back-and-forth motions, and provides cleaning articles 10 of approximately equal thickness.

Referring to Figure 5B, the collection bar element 25 may comprise two sheets of material, each sheet having a z-fold with shortened outer legs. It is believed that this arrangement advantageously provides a generally symmetrical relative geometry. Each longitudinal edge of the cleaning article 10 has two c-folds which provide an annular collecting bar 17 and two free ends of the collecting bar 17 . It is believed that this arrangement of providing the free and loop ends of the collection strip 17 and a substantially constant thickness facilitates cleaning with a common back-and-forth motion.

Referring to Figure 5C, the collection bar element 25 may comprise two sheets of material, each sheet having c-folds oriented in opposite directions. It is believed that this arrangement advantageously provides a generally symmetrical relative geometry. Each longitudinal edge of the cleaning article 10 has a c-fold which provides an annular collecting bar 17 and two free ends of the collecting bar 17 . It is believed that this arrangement of providing the free and looped ends of the collection strip 17 facilitates cleaning with a common back-and-forth motion.

Referring to Figure 5D, the collection bar element 25 may comprise two sheets of material, each sheet having a c-fold oriented in the same direction. It is believed that this arrangement advantageously provides an annular collection strip 17 on one longitudinal edge and a free end of the collection strip 17 on the other longitudinal edge. This arrangement provides different types of collection bars 17 suitable for different cleaning tasks.

Referring to Figure 5E, the collection bar element 25 may comprise two sheets of material, each sheet having a z-fold with shortened outer legs and arranged to provide a W-fold. It is contemplated that this arrangement advantageously provides two outwardly facing annular collection strips on each longitudinal edge of the cleaning article 10 .

Referring to Figure 5F, the collection bar element 25 may comprise two sheets of interfolded material. It is believed that this arrangement advantageously provides a generally symmetrical relative geometry. Each longitudinal edge of the cleaning article 10 has a c-fold that provides an annular collection strip 17 and a single free end of the collection strip 17 with a thicker central region. It is believed that having a thicker central region allows the collection bar 17 to move and present a different surface area to the floor when in use.

Referring to FIG. 5G , the collection bar element 25 may include two or more separate serpentine layers 27 . Each collection bar element 25 may be joined to the sheet 12 by means of dedicated bonds 38 . In turn, each such collection bar element 25 may have two outwardly extending banks of the collection bar 17 . Said arrangement provides the benefit that additional collector strips 17 are available and the inwardly oriented collector strips 17 can be wound during use. It is expected that this enables different collection strips 17 to have different functions and increases the amount of dynamic surface area presented to the floor in use.

Of course, those skilled in the art will recognize that combinations and mixtures of the foregoing alternative alternatives are possible and contemplated herein. For example, the cleaning article 10 may have more than two bond lines 38 . One such bond line 38 may be straight or all bond lines 38 may not be straight. If three bond lines 38 are used, for example, the bond lines 38 may be symmetrically opposed and serpentine, while the central bond line 38 is straight. Alternatively, a single collector strip element 25 may be joined to the sheet by means of multiple bond lines.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the cleaning article 10 may be removably attached to the handle 60 . Specifically, the attachment system can provide for removable attachment of the cleaning article 10 to a suitable and optional handle 60 . The cleaning article 10 attachment system and optional complementary handle 60 attachment may include adhesive bonding, cohesive bonding, mechanical bonding through a sleeve, and the like. One common attachment system includes a cannula into which the tip of handle 60 can be inserted. Suitable handles 60 are disclosed in commonly assigned US 8,578,564 and D674,949 S.

Referring to FIG. 7 , cleaning article 10 may be removably attached to tool 70 . Specifically, the floor cleaning tool 70 may allow the floor to be cleaned while the user is standing, and may also provide for spraying a cleaning solution or other liquid on the floor. A typical floor cleaning tool 70 has a handle 72 for being grasped by a user and to which a head 74 is attached, and preferably pivotally attached thereto. The head 74 moves against the floor or other target surface. The cleaning tool 70 may be removably attached to the bottom of the head. Preferably, the strip 17 is defined by the footprint of the head 74 during use, thereby facilitating dynamic movement of the strip 17 during cleaning.

Removable attachment of the cleaning article 10 to the tool 70 can be accomplished using adhesives, hook-and-loop systems, and clamps. A clamp and suitable cleaning tool 70 are disclosed in commonly assigned 6,484,356. A suitable vacuum tool 70 is disclosed in 7,137,169. Suitable spray tools 70 are disclosed in commonly assigned 5,888,006, 5,988,920, 6,842,936, 7,182,537, 7,536,743, 7,676,877 and 8,186,898.

The cleaning article 10 can also be used manually without the handle 60 or tool 70 . If desired, the various cleaning articles 10 described herein may be packaged and sold in kits. This arrangement provides the benefit that the user has the choice of different cleaning articles 10 for different tasks. For example, multiple sizes of cleaning articles 10 may be sold together in a single kit, if desired. This arrangement allows the user to select the specific cleaning article 10 best suited for the task at hand.

The cleaning article 10 of the present invention is believed to address an unmet need for cleaning modern wood/laminates. A particular cleaning article 10 is constructed from 10 layers 27 of strip 17 . The width of each strip 17 is about 7 mm. All 10 layers 27 are joined at the intermediate bond 38 . The four layers 27 adjacent and closest to the sheet 12 are also attached thereto by means of additional bonds 38 provided laterally outward of the intermediate bonds 38 .

Cleaning articles 10 according to the present invention were tested as described above, along with two commercially available control samples. The first control sample was a WetJet floor sheet sold by the present assignee. This sample contains AGM and is generally considered to be disposable. The second control sample is a microfiber floor sheet sold by Bona and is generally believed to be reusable for multiple cleaning tasks. These two samples are believed to represent a wide range of single-use and reusable flooring sheets.

The test was carried out on a 6 mm thick transparent polycarbonate plexi-glass surface set on matte black cardboard. For each sample tested, the gloss of the surface was measured using a BYK-Gardner glossmeter.

A BYK-Gardner ^™ "Scrub" Abrasion Test Scrub was used for sample-to-sample consistency. After the initial gloss measurement, the surfaces were treated with 2 ml of a common cleaning solution, sold under the brand Swiffer as WetJet liquid, and generally sprayed evenly on the test surface. A 200 gram weight was placed on each sample. Each sample was cycled back and forth 50 times. The test surfaces were then allowed to air dry. The final gloss of the surface was tested and the corresponding reading was subtracted.

Dirt was not used for this test. Therefore, the change in gloss represents the surface damage caused by the corresponding sample.

Four replicates were performed for each sample. Each replicate was performed on three different locations on the test surface to determine the effect on gloss. The results are shown in Table 2. Thus, each entry for change in gloss represents the average of 12 data points. The relative surface area of the samples was also determined.

Table 2 :

The data in Table 2 show that the Bona microfiber samples disadvantageously resulted in a significant drop in gloss when tested as described above. The WetJet samples resulted in less loss of gloss than the Bona microfiber samples. The loss of gloss indicates that surface damage can occur by ordinary cleaning on the uncontaminated test surface. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that the greater surface damage from the microfiber samples may be due to the inclusion of relatively abrasive materials, such as nylon.

Surprisingly, the inventive samples showed minimal loss of gloss with differences almost within standard deviation. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that the less surface damage of the microfiber samples may be due to the beneficial effect of having a moving bar 17 which, in use, presents a dynamic surface area to the target surface.

The above test was repeated using 0.77 square meters of RN 104577 Santos Mahogany engineered hard plank laminate wood flooring (assigned by Home Legend, Fontana, CA). The floor was spiked with a soil (clay soil sold by PTI soils) containing about 2% ultrafine dust suspended in a water/pure solution. About 2 ml of this solution was applied to the test surface using a paint roller and allowed to air dry. Then re-moisten the dirt with 2ml of cleaning solution. Then, cycle each sample back and forth on the floor 25 times. The resulting differences in gloss between samples are shown in Table 3 below.

Table 3 shows that cleaning articles 10 of the present invention minimize the potential for surface damage relative to the control samples, even in the presence of more rigorous testing on newer floor materials with granular soils.

Referring to Figure 8, 10 cycles of Bona floor sheet and floor sheet 10 according to the present invention were tested each on the aforementioned RN 104577 Santos Mahogany engineered hard plank floor. Divide the floor into two halves, where each half is used for one sample. Clean the floor and record the initial gloss. A solution of dirt, oil and isopropyl alcohol was applied to the floor and air dried. Commercially available WetJet cleaning liquid sold by the assignor was sprayed on the test surface.

Each sample was tested with eight front and rear wipes in each direction to cover approximately 2.8 square meters, thus representing one cycle. After each cycle, the test surfaces were measured for the appearance of both film formation, ie, haze, and streaks were tested. The process was repeated with the same samples until 10 cycles were completed.

Figure 8 shows that a commercially available Bona microfiber sample exhibits both streak and haze above the subjectively visible detection threshold. Both characteristics generally increase in the unfavorable direction during testing. In contrast, the cleaning article 10 according to the present invention advantageously exhibited streaks and haze well below the visible detection threshold [1 dimensionless scale] for all 10 cycles.

Dimensions and values disclosed herein should not be construed as strictly limited to the precise numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40mm" is intended to mean "about 40mm".

Unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited, each document cited herein, including any cross-reference or related patents or applications, is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is relative to any prior art disclosed herein or claimed herein, or is not presented individually or in combination with any other reference or references , suggest or disclose any such invention. Furthermore, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of this invention.

Claims (6)

1. An elongated cleaning article for cleaning a wetted target surface, the elongated cleaning article having two opposing longitudinal edges and two opposing transverse edges, defining a width between the longitudinal edges, at the transverse edges Defining a length therebetween, the elongated cleaning article includes: a nonwoven sheet having an inwardly oriented face and an outwardly oriented face opposite the inwardly oriented face; an absorbent core joined to the inwardly oriented face of the nonwoven sheet, the absorbent core having a core width; and A hydrophilic acquisition strip (44) element having a acquisition strip element width joined to at least one of the absorbent core and the nonwoven sheet at two outer elongated bonds, each Each of the outer elongated bonds is disposed laterally outward of the absorbent core and does not overlap the absorbent core, the collection strip element comprising at least two overlapping layers, each of the overlapping layers having a width from the absorbent core an outwardly extending strip of the outer elongated bond, the strip having an aspect ratio defined by the ratio of the length to the width of the strip, the aspect ratio being at least 1, the collecting strip element width being greater than the core width . 2. The elongated cleaning article of claim 1 further comprising a co-bond disposed intermediate the outer elongated bonds, the co-bond joining all of the overlapping A layer is bonded to the nonwoven sheet. 3. The elongated cleaning article of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising two attachment strips disposed on the outwards of the nonwoven sheet oriented face and disposed on the laterally outer side of the outer elongated bond. 4. The elongated cleaning article of claim 3, wherein at least two of the overlapping layers of the hydrophilic collection strip elements are c-folded into each other. 5. The elongated cleaning article of claim 3, wherein at least three of the overlapping layers of the hydrophilic collection strip element are z-folded with each other. 6. The elongated cleaning article of claim 1 removably attached to a cleaning implement, the cleaning implement comprising a head and a pivotally attached to the head A handle, the head removably receiving the elongated cleaning article.

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