GB2199053A

GB2199053A - Scouring pads

Info

Publication number: GB2199053A
Application number: GB08728112A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Watterson
Original assignee: WATTERSON TEXTILES Ltd
Current assignee: WATTERSON TEXTILES Ltd
Priority date: 1986-12-03
Filing date: 1987-12-01
Publication date: 1988-06-29
Also published as: GB8728112D0; GB8628891D0

Abstract

A scouring pad comprises a piece of material of open mesh structure knitted from a yarn which has a flat or a flattened cross-section, or having raised edges as shown in transverse cross-section. The structure incorporates raised loops and/or stiches at which edges of the yarn are exposed to facilitate the scouring action. The pad can take the form of a generally flat piece of double-sided material or, where the material is single-sided, a piece of material folded into the form of a flattened tube with its side edges secured together.

Description

TITLE: "SCOURING PADS" This invention relates to a material for use in scouring, and to scouring pads composed of said material.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a material for use in scouring comprises an open mesh structure knitted from a yarn or yarns having a flat or flattened cross-section, or having raised edges in its transverse cross-section.

Preferably, the structure is warp knitted.

Desirably, the structure incorporates raised loops and/or stitches at which the yarn are exposed.

Conveniently, the yarn is made of a thermoplastics material.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the yarn is of generally cruciform cross-section.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a scouring pad comprises a generally flat piece of material as defined in any one of the last three preceding paragraphs, the material being double-sided.

According to a third aspect oE the present invention, a scouring pad comprises a piece of material as defined above folded into the form of a preferably flattened tube, side edges of the piece of material being secured together, e.g.

by means of stitching or welding.

Where the material is single-sided, it is advantageously folded against the direction of its natural curl.

Where the knitted structure incorporates raised loops and/or stitches, the material is preferebly folded such that these loops and/or stitches face outwardly of the tube.

The invention will now be further described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a scouring pad according to the present invention; and Figure 2 is a loop strucuture diagram of one example of a material from which the pad shown in Figure 1 can be made.

The scouring pad shown in Figure 1 is composed of a piece of material folded into the form of a flattened tube, with side edges 10, 11 thereof secured together, for example by means of stitching 12, or by welding. As will be described in detail later, the material is of open mesh structure and is knitted from thermoplastic yarn having a flat or flattened cross-section which presents relatively sharp edges for a scouring action. In the illustrated embodiment, the material is warp knitted on a single bed machine, and is folded against the direction of its natural curl so that the resultant double thickness of material counteracts the curl, causing the pad to assume a generally flat attitude.

A user can either grasp the pad exterior and use the pad as if it were oE ordinary flat shape, or can insert his/her fingers between the thicknesses of material.

The structure of the material is chosen such that raised loops and/or stitches are Eormed at which the yarn edges are exposed. In the case of the pad shown in Figure 1 these raised loops and/or stitches extend outwardly of the flattened tube to naximise their scouring effect. At the same time, the open mesh nature of the construction causes further yarn edges to be exposed around the resultant interstices, and all of these edges contribute to the scouring action. The open mesh construction also facilitates free passage of debris through the material, thereby preventing the scouring pad from clogging.

As mentioned above, the material is produced by warp knitting, and a typical structure is shown in Figure 2, where reference numeral 13 indicates the aforesaid raised loops. In the knitting process, two or more guide bars are employed, and the basic structure is formed by a pillar stitch with an inlay (which may or may not be knitted).

In an alternative embodiment, the material is produced on a double-bed knitting machine so that it has no natural curl.

In this case, a scouring pad can be produced simply by cutting the material to size and suitably treating the edges against unravelling or alternatively the material can be produced with an in-built selvedge.

Instead of using a flat yarn or a yarn having a flattened cross-se^tion, a yarn can be employed which has raised edges in its transverse cross-section. A particular example of such a yarn is one having a generally cruciform cross-section.

The construction and yarn material employed for the above-described pads ensure that the pads have a very effective scouring action whilst not suffering from the disadvantages associated with many pads presently available.

For example, the pads will not scratch materials such as enamel, ceramic, stainless steel and glass; the open mesh construction of the constituent material ensures that unwanted food residues will be removed without clogging the pad; the pads can be cleaned effectively after use by simple rinsing, and are therefore hygienic; the material will resist unravelling and disintegration under prolonged useage; and the pads are kinder to hands than many other scouring pads presently available.

Claims

1. A material for use in scouring, characterised in that it comprises an open mesh structure knitted from a yarn or yarns having a flat or a flattened cross-section or having raised edges in its transverse cross-section.

2. A material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the structure is warp knitted.

3. A material as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the structure incorporates raised loops and/or stitches at which edges of the yarn are exposed.

4. A material as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the yarn is made of a thermoplastic material.

5. A material as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the yarn is of generally cruciform cross-section.

6. A scouring pad comprising a generally flat piece of material, the material being as claimed in any preceding claim and being double-sided.

7. A scouring pad comprising a piece of material folded into the form of a tube, the material being as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, side edges of the piece of mater-ial being secured together.

8. A scouring pad as claimed in claim 7, wherein the piece of material is folded into the form of a flattened tube.

9. A scouring pad as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the side edges of the piece of material are stitched together.

10. A scouring pad as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the side edges of thepiece of material are welded together.

11. A scouring pad as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the material is single-sided and is folded against the direction of its natural curl.

12. A scouring pad as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the structure of the material incorporates raised loops and/or stitches which face outwardly of the tube.

13. A material for scouring, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. A scouring pad substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.