EP0537963B1 - Ustensile de nettoyage - Google Patents

Ustensile de nettoyage Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0537963B1
EP0537963B1 EP92309269A EP92309269A EP0537963B1 EP 0537963 B1 EP0537963 B1 EP 0537963B1 EP 92309269 A EP92309269 A EP 92309269A EP 92309269 A EP92309269 A EP 92309269A EP 0537963 B1 EP0537963 B1 EP 0537963B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
elements
fibres
mop
fabric
mop according
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP92309269A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0537963A1 (fr
Inventor
Maximino Sanchez Lopez
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Unilever PLC
Unilever NV
Original Assignee
Unilever PLC
Unilever NV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Unilever PLC, Unilever NV filed Critical Unilever PLC
Publication of EP0537963A1 publication Critical patent/EP0537963A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0537963B1 publication Critical patent/EP0537963B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L13/00—Implements for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
    • A47L13/10—Scrubbing; Scouring; Cleaning; Polishing
    • A47L13/20—Mops

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a mop and particularly to a mop for use on floors and other like abrasive surfaces.
  • the fibres constituting the web may be bonded into a fabric by heating where the fibres are thermoplastic.
  • the bonding may be effected simultaneously with formation of the web, as in spin bonding, or a binder can be applied by immersion, spraying, foam impregnation, or other known technique employing known binders which preferably are non-hydrophillic so that they will not soften when used in hot soapy water.
  • the binder is printed onto the fabric to be present in a greater amount adjacent to the surfaces that in the interior of the fabric. This construction is said to provide good resistance to abrasion and whilst reducing the absorptive capacity at the surface of the elements, the sides of the elements afford ready access for water to enter the interior of each element.
  • Mops having elements formed of non-woven fabric bonded by a binder applied to the surface of the fabric in a pattern as described in the preferred embodiment of USA 4114224 are on the market but are found to have certain disadvantages.
  • the feel and handle of the fabric is not soft and flexible and does not give the user the necessary assurance of its suitability in use.
  • it has been found that the ability of the elements to retain absorbed water is limited which leads to repeated wringing out of the mop in use, repeated wringing shortening the life of the mop through breakage of the elements.
  • the feel and handle of the fabric can be improved and the ability of the elements to retain absorbed water can be increased if the binder is omitted.
  • the water absorbency can also be increased by increasing the void volume of the fabric, i.e. by increasing the thickness of the fabric for a given weight of fibre per unit area. It has however, been found that such a fabric, even when mechanically bonded together e.g. by needle punching, exhibits a very low tensile strength which manifests itself in a poor ability to withstand the physical forces to which the elements are subjected in use, both when the mop is being moved across the floor and when it is being wrung out, and the elements rapidly break leading to an unduly short like of the mop.
  • a mop comprising a plurality of absorptive elements and means for attaching the elements together and joining the elements to a handle, the elements comprising a homogenous blend of viscose fibres and thermoplastic fibres thermally bonded together, the elements having a water absorbency of at least 7 grammes per gramme of fibres as herein defined and a tensile strength of at least 4 kilogrammes per centimetre width of element.
  • the water absorbency of the elements is determined by weighing the dry fabric, immersing the fabric in water for 1 minute, removing the fabric from the water and allowing it to drain in the vertical position for 30 seconds before re-weighing.
  • the necessary water retention properties are achieved for the mop to be used to remove water from a floor without requiring water to be wrung out too frequently from the mop and with a tensile strength of at least 4 killogrammes per centimetre width of element the elements nevertheless have sufficient strength that they do not rapidly break in use and the mop has an acceptable life.
  • the fibres are preferably between 1 and 10 decitex.
  • the elements preferably comprise a blend of fibres containing between 60% and 90% viscose fibres, more preferably between 70% and 90% viscose fibres.
  • the thermoplastic fibres are preferably polypropylene fibres but alternatively the thermoplastic fibres can be bicomponent filaments.
  • the structure of the elements is closely defined.
  • the thickness of the elements could be increased to give increased void volume and hence increased water absorbency but this would reduce the tensile strength.
  • using a given weight of fibres in a thinner element of greater surface area having the same void volume would have substantially the same water absorbency but considerably reduced tensile strength per unit width of element. Whilst the invention provides a mop having a range of possible elements this range is restricted by the combination of the two necessary characteristics.
  • the thickness of the elements can be increased thereby increasing the tensile strength per centimetre width of the elements. This however, reduces the surface area of the elements as well as reducing their flexibility. In order that the mop covers a satisfactory area of floor at a given sweep, and that the elements have an acceptable flexibility and surface area to rapidly absorb any water, the thickness of the elements should be between 1.4 and 3 millimetres, preferably between 2 and 2.5 millimetres.
  • a mop can comprise between 30 and 50 elements each having a free length of between 20 and 30 centimetres and width of 5 to 10 millimetres.
  • FIG. 1 a strip 1 of non-woven fabric comprising a homogenous blend of viscose and thermoplastic fibres thermally bonded together.
  • the strip is 21 millimetres wide and 500 millimetres long and 2 millimetres thick.
  • the strip is provided at its mid-point with two holes which serve to locate the strip in attaching means as described below.
  • This strip has four longitudinal cuts 3 which separate the strip into three elements 4 each side of the holes 2.
  • the mop shown in Figure 2 comprises a number of strips 1 which together provide a plurality of absorptive elements of 4.
  • the elements are held together by an attachment means 5 comprising a handle member 6 and a plug member 7.
  • the handle member has a general hemispherical form within which are two hollow pins 8.
  • the plug member 7 has two pins 9 which can be engaged within the hollow pins 8 and snap fitted therein by shouldered ends 10 on the pins 9 engaging a step 11 in the hollow pins 8.
  • a recess 12 on the handle member is adapted to be attached at one end of a handle (not shown).
  • the strips 1 are clamped between the handle member and plug member with the pins 8 or 9 passing through the holes 2 in the strips 1. It will be appreciated that in order that strips 1 do not all extend in the same direction the holes 2 in alternate strips can be disposed at different angles to the longitudinal axis of the strip to that shown in Figure 1.
  • a mop as shown was constructed of 12 strips of fabric comprising 85% viscose fibres of 1.7 decitex and 15% polypropylene fibres of 2.0 to 2.5 decitex.
  • the fabric was 2 millimetres thick and each strip of the fabric was cut to form 6 absorptive elements.
  • the total weight of fibres of the mop was 80 grammes and water absorbency was 8.9 gramme per gramme of fibre, the tensile strength being 5.2 kilogrammes per centimetre width of the fabric.
  • the mop had a soft feel and handle which appealed to users and the mop had a size which gave a good floor coverage in use. Water on the floor surface was quickly absorbed due to the surface area of the mop and the water retained well enough to require the minimum of wringing out. The elements were abrasion resistance and did not rapidly break.
  • the mop was compared to a mop constructed according to the preferred embodiment of USA 4114224 in which the fabric comprised a blend 34% viscose and modal fibres of 1.0 to 6.5 decitex, 30% polyester fibres of 1.5 decitex and 36% cotton fibres.
  • the fibres were surface bonded by printing a chequered pattern of binder on both sides of the fabric.
  • the fabric was 1.7 millimetres thick in strips 19 millimetres wide with two cuts therein to form four elements.
  • Water absorbency was 5.8 grammes per gramme of fibre and the tensile strength was 6.5 kilogramme per centimetre width of the fabric.
  • the mop comprised 20 strips of fabric each 515 millimetres long and the total weight of fibres in the mop was 103 grammes.
  • the elements were stiff and hard when compared to a mop according to the present invention.
  • the lower water absorbency meant the mop required wringing out at more regularly intervals when the mop was being used to dry a floor and the mop of the present invention lasted 2-3 times as long without the elements breaking.

Landscapes

  • Cleaning Implements For Floors, Carpets, Furniture, Walls, And The Like (AREA)
  • Absorbent Articles And Supports Therefor (AREA)

Claims (7)

  1. Ustensile de nettoyage comprenant des éléments absorbants et des moyens pour fixer les éléments ensemble et pour joindre les éléments à une poignée, les éléments comprenant un mélange homogène de fibres de viscose et de fibres thermoplastiques liées thermiquement ensemble, caractérisé en ce que les éléments ont une capacité d'absorption d'eau d'au moins 7 grammes par gramme de fibres, comme défini ci-dessus, et une résistance à la traction d'au moins 4 kilogrammes par centimètre de largeur d'élément.
  2. Ustensile de nettoyage selon la revendication 1? caractérisé en ce que les fibres sont de 1 à 10 decitex.
  3. Ustensile de nettoyage selon la revendication 1 ou la revendication 2, caractérisé en ce que les éléments comprennent un mélange de fibres contenant entre 60% et 80% de fibres visqueuses.
  4. Ustensile de nettoyage selon la revendication 3, caractérisé en ce que les fibres thermoplastiques sont des fibres de polypropylène.
  5. Ustensile de nettoyage selon la revendication 3, caractérisé en ce que les fibres thermoplastiques sont des filaments à deux composants.
  6. Ustensile de nettoyage selon une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que les éléments ont une épaisseur comprise entre 1,4 et 3 millimètres.
  7. Ustensile de nettoyage selon la revendication 6, caractérisé en ce qu'il est prévu entre 30 et 50 éléments, chaque élément ayant une longueur libre comprise entre 20 et 30 cm et une largeur comprise entre 5 et 10 millimètres.
EP92309269A 1991-10-14 1992-10-12 Ustensile de nettoyage Expired - Lifetime EP0537963B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9121778 1991-10-14
GB919121778A GB9121778D0 (en) 1991-10-14 1991-10-14 Cleaning device

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0537963A1 EP0537963A1 (fr) 1993-04-21
EP0537963B1 true EP0537963B1 (fr) 1995-09-13

Family

ID=10702895

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP92309269A Expired - Lifetime EP0537963B1 (fr) 1991-10-14 1992-10-12 Ustensile de nettoyage

Country Status (9)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0537963B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH05199974A (fr)
BR (1) BR9203962A (fr)
DE (1) DE69204795T2 (fr)
ES (1) ES2078664T3 (fr)
GB (1) GB9121778D0 (fr)
GR (1) GR3018269T3 (fr)
TR (1) TR27184A (fr)
ZA (1) ZA927919B (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7631391B2 (en) 2004-03-01 2009-12-15 3M Innovative Properties Company Head for a strip mop
EP4104739A1 (fr) * 2021-06-17 2022-12-21 Juan Emilio Pastor Fita Tête de récurage

Families Citing this family (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES2110880B1 (es) * 1994-06-14 1998-10-16 Vileda Iberica S A S En C Material perfeccionado para la fabricacion de articulos de limpieza sometidos a esfuerzos de traccion.
GB9418713D0 (en) * 1994-09-16 1994-11-02 Unilever Plc Mops
ES1030456Y (es) * 1995-03-22 1996-02-16 Mery Sa Mopa friegasuelos.
EP0759283A1 (fr) * 1995-08-18 1997-02-26 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Balai à franges
AR004144A1 (es) * 1996-02-22 1998-09-30 Unilever Nv Cabezal para mochos de friegasuelos
DE19833553C1 (de) * 1998-07-24 1999-12-30 Freudenberg Carl Fa Mop
US8402589B2 (en) * 2001-07-25 2013-03-26 The Libman Company Cleaning implement
KR100457459B1 (ko) * 2001-12-26 2004-11-17 권재열 봉걸레
ITFI20080078A1 (it) * 2008-04-15 2009-10-16 Giori Di Giori Paolo & C S N C Dispositivo per il trattenimento del fiocco di un mop
DE102012001932A1 (de) * 2012-02-02 2013-08-08 Carl Freudenberg Kg Mopp mit strangartig herabhängenden Reinigungselementen
DE102016007543A1 (de) 2016-06-22 2017-12-28 Carl Freudenberg Kg Moppkopf und Mopp
US11419472B2 (en) 2020-03-13 2022-08-23 The Libman Company Cleaning implement

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4114224A (en) * 1976-04-13 1978-09-19 Firma Carl Freudenberg Mop comprising bonded nonwoven fabric absorptive elements
US4313774A (en) * 1980-07-10 1982-02-02 Wm. E. Hooper & Sons Co. Mophead and method of manufacturing
DE3505020A1 (de) * 1985-02-14 1986-08-14 Herbert 2100 Hamburg Fesher Wischkoerper fuer ein nasswischgeraet
US4995133A (en) * 1988-05-02 1991-02-26 Newell Robert D Mop head comprising capacitive web elements, and method of making the same

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7631391B2 (en) 2004-03-01 2009-12-15 3M Innovative Properties Company Head for a strip mop
EP4104739A1 (fr) * 2021-06-17 2022-12-21 Juan Emilio Pastor Fita Tête de récurage

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0537963A1 (fr) 1993-04-21
BR9203962A (pt) 1993-04-27
TR27184A (tr) 1994-11-29
DE69204795T2 (de) 1996-04-18
GB9121778D0 (en) 1991-11-27
DE69204795D1 (de) 1995-10-19
ES2078664T3 (es) 1995-12-16
ZA927919B (en) 1994-04-14
JPH05199974A (ja) 1993-08-10
GR3018269T3 (en) 1996-02-29

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