EP2387930B1 - Cleaning body - Google Patents

Description

1. Field of the invention

The invention relates to a cleaning body for the machining of structured floor coverings. Such cleaning bodies are used to clean hard-to-maintain plastic floor coverings with structured surfaces.

2. State of the art

Plastic floor coverings are used in many areas, such as healthcare, industry and commerce, airports, office buildings and residential buildings. In addition to plastic floor coverings with a flat surface, those with a pronounced surface structure are available. This surface structure makes the flooring appear more natural and reduces the risk of slipping. For example, floor coverings with a slate structure, a wood structure, a hammered surface or round knobs are known. The structuring may be a few millimeters high.

Thorough cleaning of such coverings represents a major, yet not optimally solved problem. Known cleaning products and systems, such as brushing machines with brush rollers or single-disc machines, tri-machines or cleaning machines, which are used in conjunction with cleaning pads, reach deeper points of the profiled surface not, so that a thorough cleaning of the entire surface is not possible. In particular, dirt from bad areas of the profiled surface can be removed badly, since the cleaning agents reach only the raised areas of the structured surface of the floor covering. Achieve soft brush rolls Although the deeper parts of the surface structure of the soil, but their overall cleaning effect is very low.

Furthermore, pot and dish cleaning sponges are known which have a resilient, slightly profiled surface. These pot and dishwashing sponges are used for manual dishwashing and are not suitable for mechanical floor cleaning.

Also known are polishing sponges having a compliant, profiled surface that is used in conjunction with liquid polishing agents to polish automotive paint surfaces. However, the polishing sponges must not have a cleaning effect, so as not to damage the paint surface.

The DE 2010 96 52 U1 shows a cleaning sponge made of a melamine-formaldehyde resin foam for the manual removal of dirt from furniture. Dishes or cars, whereby the cleaning side of the cleaning sponge can be roughened by a surface embossing.

The DE 20 2009 003 658 U1 shows a combination Pad of specially arranged melamine for chemical cleaning of hard floors by means of a cleaning machine, the melamine is not excessively worn when cleaning on the ground, as it is embedded in the form of Melamineinlagen in a conventional cleaning pad.

The present invention therefore has for its object to provide a cleaning body for use for effective but gentle mechanical cleaning of structured floor coverings.

3. Summary of the invention

The above object is achieved by a cleaning body for cleaning structured floor coverings according to claim 1, the use of such a cleaning body according to claim 2 and a method for machine cleaning of structured floor coverings according to claim 13.

In particular, the above-mentioned object is achieved by a cleaning body for cleaning structured floor coverings, comprising a main body with a first planar side and a second side with a profiled surface, wherein the main body is yielding and consists of a melamine resin foam. Due to the fact that the base body consists of a resilient melamine resin foam and the second side has a profiled surface, the second side suitable for cleaning can easily reach the lower areas of the floor covering. In this case, parts of the resilient body are pressed into the deep areas of the surface structure of the floor covering and can also be cleaned in these deep places. This is not possible with planned cleaning bodies. Due to its structure, the flexible melamine resin foam has a slightly abrasive effect without any coatings and is therefore particularly well suited for the gentle cleaning of structured floors. By using a melamine resin foam, the actual surface of the floor covering is not attacked, so that in particular the protruding structures of the floor covering, in contrast to cleaning bodies with a Abrasivstoffbeschichtung not be damaged. For effective cleaning, only water and some detergent need to be used. Accordingly, the cleaning body according to the invention is also suitable for a particularly environmentally friendly floor cleaning.

The above-mentioned problem is also solved by the use of a cleaning body for machine cleaning of structured floor coverings, comprising a main body with a first planar side and a second side with a profiled surface, wherein the main body is flexible and consists of a melamine resin foam. Due to its soft, profiled surface and the slightly abrasive thermosetting plastic material, the cleaning body is very well suited for cleaning structured floor coverings, which are difficult to clean with other cleaning agents. Damage to the soil surface is excluded by the melamine resin foam. Another advantage of the melamine resin foam is that the Foam always wears off easily during use, does not clog up and always maintains its abrasiveness.

Preferably, the cleaning body is used, wherein the cleaning body is attached to a floor cleaning machine by merely placing the floor cleaning machine on the lying on the floor cleaning body. The attachment of the cleaning body to the floor cleaning machine can be done by merely placing the machine on the cleaning body, as this is usually difficult enough to mitzubewegen the cleaning body by friction. An optional bristle plate of the floor cleaning machine supports this attachment by static friction. Velcro systems are not necessary here.

Preferably, the cleaning body of melamine resin foam which consists of an open-cell and abrasive foam material. The open-cell structure has a particularly filigree, spatial network structure of slender and thus easily deformable webs, which contributes to the cleaning effect. In particular, a good cleaning effect is produced by the slightly abrasive action of the foam material without additional abrasive particles. Thus, the surface of the flooring is not attacked and yet thoroughly cleaned. An exemplary melamine resin foam is sold under the trademark "Basotect" by BASF AG.

The profiled surface preferably has yielding nubs. Due to the knobs, elevations arise on the base body, so that they can penetrate into deeper areas of the structured surface of the floor covering, preferably down to the bottom of the surface structure and can also remove dirt there.

The nubs preferably have a pyramidal shape, a truncated pyramidal shape, a conical shape, a truncated cone shape or a wave shape in cross-section.

In the pyramid shape and conical shape, comparatively sharp elevations of the knobs result, so that finely structured floor coverings can be better cleaned. In the truncated pyramid shape and truncated cone shape results in a flattened tip, which is advantageous for coarser textured floor coverings, especially for Noppenbeläge. When viewed in cross section waveform nubs have a rounded tip and then go over into a rather blunt nubs area. This makes them suitable for both fine and coarser textured floor coverings. The waveform is also very easy to customize. The knobbly shape and the dimpled dimensions can therefore be adapted to the structured surface of the floor covering to be cleaned.

Preferably, the nubs have a height of 2 mm - 50 mm, more preferably 10 mm - 20 mm. With such dimensions, a good balance is achieved between the flexibility of the nubs and the rigidity required for the cleaning effect.

Preferably, the studs have a distance of 3 mm - 50 mm, more preferably 10 mm - 20 mm to each other. With such intervals, the cleaning body used can be optimally adapted to the respective floor covering. This ensures that also fine depressions of the floor covering can be cleaned.

The melamine resin foam preferably has a compression hardness to DIN 53577 or ISO 3386 of 5 to 30 (0.5 to 3 kPa with 40% material compression). Thus, the foam material is soft enough to push the knobs in the recesses of the floor covering, so as to ensure a good cleaning performance.

Preferably, the base body has a thickness of 10 mm - 60 mm, more preferably 15 mm - 30 mm and more preferably 20 mm - 25 mm. By such thicknesses of the body, the required flexibility of the cleaning body is provided, which ensures that the processing layer with the necessary Pressure can penetrate into deeper areas of the structured surface, while other profiled surface areas of the processing layer can work on higher areas of the floor covering.

The flat side of the main body preferably has a hook and loop layer, in particular a velcro velor layer. A Velcro suede layer combines very well with a hook layer of a Velcro system and thus ensures a good slip-free power transmission from a cleaning machine to the cleaning body.

In a preferred embodiment, the base body is designed as a round disk, as a rectangular blank or in delta format. Thus, the cleaning body can be adapted to the particular cleaning machine with which it is used.

1. a. Bereitstellen einer Bodenreinigungsmaschine;
2. b. Bereitstellen eines Reinigungskörpers aufweisend einen Grundkörper mit einer ersten planen Seite und einer zweiten Seite mit einer profilierten Oberfläche, wobei der Grundkörper nachgiebig ist und aus einem Melaminharzschaum besteht;
3. c. Befestigen des Reinigungskörpers an der Bodenreinigungsmaschine und
4. d. Bearbeiten des strukturierten Bodenbelags mit der Bodenreinigungsmaschine, wobei Bereiche der profilierten Oberfläche des Reinigungskörpers in tiefe Bereiche des strukturierten Bodenbelags eindringen.

The above object is also achieved by a method for automated cleaning of structured floor coverings, comprising the following steps:

1. a. Providing a floor cleaning machine;
2. b. Providing a cleaning body comprising a base body having a first planar side and a second side having a profiled surface, wherein the base body is compliant and consists of a melamine resin foam;
3. c. Attaching the cleaning body to the floor cleaning machine and
4. d. Processing the structured floor covering with the floor cleaning machine, wherein areas of the profiled surface of the cleaning body penetrate into deep areas of the structured floor covering.

Again, deeper parts of a floor covering can be achieved with the cleaning body and thus be cleaned with a floor cleaning machine, because the profiled surface of the cleaning body can penetrate well into the deeper areas of the structured surface of the floor covering. With ordinary cleaning bodies so far only a cleaning of the raised areas of the floor covering was possible. The cleaning body is preferably a cleaning body according to the invention, as has been described above.

4. Brief description of the figures

Fig. 1:

einen erfindungsgemäßen Reinigungskörper in einer perspektivischen Ansicht;

Fig. 2:

eine Querschnittsansicht des erfindungsgemäßen Reinigungskörpers aus Fig. 1;

Fig. 3:

eine Querschnittsansicht einer weiteren Ausführungsform eines erfin-dungsgemäßen Reinigungskörpers;

Fig. 4:

eine mikroskopische Aufnahme eines Melaminharzschaums; und

Fig. 5A - E:

unterschiedliche Noppenformen für einen erfindungsgemäßen Reinigungskörper.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In which shows:

Fig. 1:

a cleaning body according to the invention in a perspective view;

Fig. 2:

a cross-sectional view of the cleaning body according to the invention Fig. 1 ;

3:

a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a cleaning body according to the invention;

4:

a micrograph of a melamine resin foam; and

Fig. 5A - E:

different stud shapes for a cleaning body according to the invention.

5. Preferred embodiments

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Features of individual embodiments can be combined with features of other embodiments, even if this is not expressly illustrated.

The Figures 1 - 3 show a cleaning body 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. The cleaning body 1 comprises a resilient body 10, which is provided on a second side 12 with a likewise compliant profiled surface 14. The surface 14 of the cleaning body 1 comes in contact with the surface of the soil and thereby causes the cleaning action. On a first, the second side 12 of the base body 10 opposite side 16, a Klettadaptionsschicht 30 is attached in one embodiment of the cleaning body 1. With the help of this Velcro adaptation layer 30, the cleaning body 1 can be firmly but releasably attached to a cleaning machine (not shown).

As in Fig. 2 schematically illustrated, the profiled surface 14 of a plurality of resilient nubs 18. These preferably consist of the same material as the rest of the base body 10 and are formed integrally with the rest of the base body 10. As a material for the base body 10, a melamine resin foam 11 is used, as he greatly increased in Fig. 4 is shown. This open-pore material is elastic and has a compressive strength according to DIN 53577 or ISO 3386 of 5 to 30. This corresponds to a pressure of 0.5 - 3 kPa at 40% compression of the material.

Next to it is the melamine resin foam, as in Fig. 4 to see very open-celled and consists essentially of spatially arranged rod-shaped webs 13, which are interconnected at junctions 15. This very open-cell structure results in the slight abrasiveness of the used Material that is responsible for the good cleaning effect. The melamine resin foam 11 also has the advantage that the cleaning effect does not subside in the course of use. The structured surface of the cleaning body 1 is in fact easily removed during use, so that more and more webs 13 come into contact with the floor covering to be cleaned. The melamine resin foam 11 is therefore quasi "self-sharpening" and therefore always abrasive enough to achieve the desired cleaning effect.

The shape of the nubs 18 may vary depending on the application or the floor covering to be cleaned. In Fig.1 the studded shape is a waveform in cross section. Other pimple shapes are in the FIGS. 5A-E shown, where Fig. 5A a main body 10 with conical nubs 18, Fig. 5B a main body 10 with frustoconical nubs 18, Fig. 5C a base body 10 with pyramidal nubs 18, Fig. 5D a main body 10 with truncated pyramidal knobs 18 and Fig. 5E in turn shows a base body 10 with knobs 18 of wavy cross-section. However, the nubs 18 may also have other shapes and blends of the shapes shown. For the cleaning of a synthetic floor with a slate structure, it will be expedient to choose a sharpened nub form, for example a pointed pyramidal structure or conical structure, whereas a nub that is round at the top will rather be used to clean a floor with a hammered or round knobbed structure.

Usual heights h of the nubs 18 are from 2 mm - 50 mm, preferably 10 mm - 20 mm. Such heights on the one hand provide the necessary resilience and flexibility of the knobs 18, but are chosen so that at the same time for the cleaning effect necessary rigidity and stability of the knobs 18 is given. Preferably, the nubs 18, as in Fig. 1 to see arranged in a regular pattern on the surface 14, the distance a of the nubs from each other, as in Fig. 2 shown, preferably 3 mm - 50 mm. Also, a distance a of 10 mm - 20 mm has been proven for certain cleaning tasks.

Usual thicknesses D of the main body 10 are 10 mm - 60 mm, preferably 15 mm - 30 mm and more preferably 20 mm - 25 mm. The thickness D of the base body 10, the height h of the nubs 18 and their distance a is chosen so that when using the cleaning body 1, the compression of the nubs 18 at the required contact pressure of the machine on the ground in a range that provides a good penetration and thus enables a good cleaning even in the deeper areas or the reason of the surface structure. Experiments have shown that a compression of the pimples of 30-70% provides good cleaning results in textured plastic floors. Thus, the profiled surface 14 of the cleaning body 1 can adapt to the structure of the floor covering, so that a nearly uniform pressure is achieved on the entire cleaning surface.

The Velcro adaptation layer 30 may consist of a velcro velcro or Velcro which is adhered to the second side 12 of the base body 10 with a suitable adhesive. About the Velcro adaptation layer 30, the cleaning body 1 can be attached to a cleaning plate or detergent holder.

It should be mentioned that cleaning bodies 1 according to the invention are equally suitable for cleaning structured and flat plastics, rubber, wood floors, in particular plank floors, marble and fine stone floors.

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of a cleaning body 1 according to the invention in which the first side 16 is not provided with a Velcro adaptation layer 30. This embodiment is therefore particularly suitable for floor cleaning machines having one or more turntables. Here, the floor cleaning machine can be easily placed on the lying on the floor cleaning body 1, so that it is moved by friction from the corresponding turntable. To improve the friction of the turntable may be provided on its underside with bristles which in the first side 16 of the body 10 penetrate. An anchorage via a Velcro system is not necessary in this case.

The cleaning bodies 1 according to the invention are particularly suitable for use with such floor cleaning machines. However, they can also be used with other cleaning equipment, such as hand cleaning machines. In any case, the outer contour of the cleaning body 1 is then adapted to the cleaning machine. Usual forms are round, rectangular or the so-called delta format. When using single-disc floor cleaning machines, the cleaning body 1 have a round outer contour and a diameter of 370 mm - 500 mm, depending on the machine.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

cleaning body

10

body

11

Melamine resin foam

12

second page

13

Stege

14

resilient profiled surface

15

joints

16

first page

18

yielding pimples

30

Hooking adaptation layer

Claims (14)

1. Cleaning body (1) for machine-based cleaning of structured floorings, comprising:

   a. a base body (10), comprising a first plane side (16) and a second side (12), wherein the second side (12) comprises a textured surface (14); wherein

   b. the base body (10) is resilient; and

   c. consists of a melamine resin foam (11).
2. Use of a cleaning body (1), comprising:

   a. a base body (10), comprising a first plane side (16) and a second side (12), wherein the second side (12) comprises a textured surface (14); wherein

   b. the base body (10) is resilient; and

   c. consists of a melamine resin foam (11)

   for machine-based cleaning of structured floorings.
3. Use of a cleaning body according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning body (1) is attached to a floor cleaning machine by mere putting the floor cleaning machine on the cleaning body (1) lying on the floor.
4. Cleaning body according to claim 1 or use of a cleaning body according to one of the claims 2 or 3, wherein the melamine resin foam (11) consists of an open-cell and abrasive foam material.
5. Cleaning body according to one of the claims 1 or 4 or use of a cleaning body according to one of the claims 2 to 4, wherein the textured surface (14) comprises resilient burls (18).
6. Cleaning body according to claim 5 or use of a cleaning body according to claim 5, wherein the burls (18) comprise a pyramid-shape, a pyramidfrustum-shape, a cone-shape, a cone-frustum-shape or in cross section a wave-shape.
7. Cleaning body according to one of the claims 5 or 6 or use of a cleaning body according to one of the claims 5 or 6, wherein the burls (18) comprise a height (h) of 2 mm to 50 mm, preferably of 10 mm to 20 mm.
8. Cleaning body according to one of the claims 5 to 7 or use of a cleaning body according to one of the claims 5 to 7, wherein the burls comprise a distance (a) to each other of 3 mm to 50 mm, preferably of 10 mm to 20 mm.
9. Cleaning body according to one of the claims 1 or 4 to 8 or use of a cleaning body according to one of the claims 2 to 8, wherein the melamine resin foam (11) comprises a compression hardness of 5 to 30 according to DIN 53577 and ISO 3386, respectively.
10. Cleaning body according to one of the claims 1 or 4 to 9 or use of a cleaning body according to one of the claims 2 to 9, wherein the base body (10) comprises a thickness of 10 mm to 60 mm, preferably of 15 mm to 30 mm and more preferably of 20 mm to 25 mm.
11. Cleaning body according to one of the claims 1 or 4 to 10 or use of a cleaning body according to one of the claims 2 to 10, wherein the first plane side (16) of the base body (10) comprises a hook-and-loop adaption layer (30), in particular a hook-and-loop velour layer.
12. Cleaning body according to one of the claims 1 or 4 to 11, or use of a cleaning body according to one of the claims 2 to 11, wherein the base body (10) is realized as a round disc, as a rectangular cut or in a delta format.
13. Method for machine-based cleaning of structured floorings, comprising the following steps:

    a. providing of a floor cleaning machine;

    b. providing of a cleaning body (1) comprising a base body (10), comprising a first plane side (16) and a second side (12), wherein the second side (12) comprises a textured surface (14), wherein the base body (10) is resilient and consists of a melamine resin foam (11);

    c. attaching of the cleaning body (1) to the floor cleaning machine; and

    d. processing of the structured flooring by the floor cleaning machine, wherein areas of the textured surface (14) of the cleaning body (1) enter deep areas of the structured flooring.
14. Method for machine-based cleaning of structured floorings according to claim 13, wherein the cleaning body (1) is a cleaning body according to one of the claims 1 or 4 to 12.

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