JP2006503674A - Cleaning pad - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a cleaning pad that can be used with a variety of cleaning instruments. The cleaning pad includes an absorbent layer, a mounting wing attachable to a gripper located on the top surface of the mop head of the first cleaning instrument, and a loop fastener attachable to a hook fastener located on the bottom surface of the mop head of the second cleaning instrument. Have
The present invention also provides a cleaning pad that can be used with a cleaning implement that does not have any holding member capable of holding the pad.

Description

  The present invention relates to a cleaning pad that is useful for removing dirt from a hard surface and that can be used with a variety of cleaning instruments. The cleaning pad includes a structure that allows a user to removably attach the cleaning pad to the retaining means. The invention further relates to a method of using a cleaning pad with a cleaning implement to clean hard surfaces.

  The literature is full of products that can clean hard surfaces such as ceramic tile floors, hardwood floors and countertops. In relation to cleaning the floor, in particular in relation to cleaning the floor with a cleaning solution, it can be rotated to a mop head with holding means for maintaining an attached absorbent cleaning pad during the cleaning operation A number of devices with handles connected to have been described. One example of such retaining means is the SWIFFER WETJET ™, sold by The Procter & Gamble Company, with hook fasteners located on the underside of the mop head. ) Found on cleaning instruments. These hook fasteners can be conveniently fitted and retained with loop fasteners located above the cleaning pad. Another example of such a holding means is the SWIFFER® cleaning implement sold by The Procter & Gamble Company, sold by The Clorox Company. CLOROX (registered trademark), READY-MOP (registered trademark) cleaning implement, and S. C. It can be found in GO-MOP ™ cleaning instruments sold by the S.C. Johnson Company, which all have a slitted mounting structure located above the mop head. These slitable deflectable structures can mate with at least a portion of the cleaning pad so that the cleaning pad can be held around the mop head of the instrument.

  These cleaning instruments can be viewed as “pad limited” in the sense that they can only be used with cleaning pads having retainable means corresponding to the type of retaining means used with the particular cleaning instrument.

  The “pad limitation” of each cleaning device can be a source of confusion for consumers who already own the cleaning device and wish to purchase additional pads for use with their cleaning device. For example, a consumer who has purchased a cleaning instrument with a deflectable structure with slits will accidentally purchase a replacement for a cleaning pad with a loop fastener and make this type of cleaning pad effective for this type of instrument. You may notice that it cannot be installed.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning pad that can be used with a variety of cleaning instruments, regardless of the means for holding the cleaning instrument.
In addition, cleaning pads originally designed to be used with cleaning tools having slit structures can typically be mechanically fitted by a detached structure located above the mop head. It was found to have a mounting wing. These mounting wings can be made from low cost fiber materials. Despite the presence of grippable fibers in these types of materials, the attachment wings are not suitably designed to remain attached to the hook fasteners of the instrument, and the mop head is either out of the cleaning operation or the user can There is a tendency to separate from the mop head either at the time of “lifting”. Although "special loop" materials are commercially available, they are relatively expensive and can substantially increase the pad manufacturing price.

  Thus, another object of the present invention is to provide an improved cleaning pad that does not prematurely separate from the mop head by having a suitable loop fastener material and suitable design features.

  The present invention relates to a cleaning pad that can be used with a variety of cleaning implements having different types of holding means for removably fitting and holding the cleaning pad. In one embodiment, the cleaning pad includes an absorbent layer having an attachment wing portion that can be removably attached to a retaining means located above the mop head of the first cleaning instrument, and a retaining means located below the second cleaning instrument. It can have a mechanical fastener that can be removably attached. In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the mounting wing portions of the cleaning pad has a cut so that the liquid emitted by the nozzle located at the mop head of the instrument is not blocked (or disturbed) by the mounting wing portion having the cut. .

All documents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their relevant parts, but citation of any document should not be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. .
It should be understood that any maximum numerical limitation set forth throughout this specification shall be included as expressly set forth herein, including any lower numerical limitation. Any minimum numerical limitation set forth throughout this specification shall also include any higher numerical limitation as expressly set forth herein. Every numerical range recited throughout this specification also includes all narrower numerical ranges that fall within such wider numerical range as expressly set forth herein.
Unless otherwise specified, all percentages, ratios, and percentages in the specification, examples, and claims herein are by weight and all numerical limitations are Used with a degree of accuracy.

  Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals indicate like elements in all figures, and the last two digits are the same reference number ( For example, 20 and 120) mean similar elements.

(I) Definitions As used herein, the term “comprising” means that various components, components, or processes can be used together to practice the present invention. Thus, the term “comprising” encompasses the more restrictive terms “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of”.

  As used herein, the term “direct fluid communication” refers to a component or layer of two cleaning pads (eg, a floor sheet and a fluid) without substantial accumulation, transport, or restriction by an intervening layer. It means that it can be easily moved between the absorption layers. For example, tissue, nonwoven webs, build adhesives, etc., are “direct fluid communication” unless they substantially prevent or restrict fluid from passing from one component or layer to another. Can exist between two separate components.

  As used herein, the term “xy dimension” refers to a plane perpendicular to the thickness of the cleaning pad or its components. The X and Y dimensions correspond to the length and width of the cleaning pad or pad component, respectively. Generally, when using a cleaning pad in conjunction with a handle, the instrument moves in a direction parallel to the Y dimension (ie, width) of the pad.

  As used herein, the term “z dimension” refers to a dimension orthogonal to the length and width of the cleaning pad of the present invention or its components. Thus, the Z dimension corresponds to the thickness of the cleaning pad or pad component.

  Of course, the present invention is not limited to a cleaning pad having four sides. Other shapes can be used, such as circular or elliptical. It is understood that when determining the pad width at any point in the Z dimension, the pad is evaluated according to its intended use.

  As used herein, the term “layer” refers to a cleaning pad member or component whose major dimension is xy, ie, along the length and width. It should be understood that the term layer is not necessarily limited to a single layer or a single sheet of material. Thus, a layer can comprise a laminate or combination of several sheets or webs of the required type of material. Therefore, the term “layer” includes the terms “multiple layers” and “layered”.

  As used herein, the term “hydrophilic” is used to refer to a surface that is wettable by an aqueous fluid placed thereon. Hydrophilicity and wettability are usually defined by the contact angle and surface tension of the fluid and solid surfaces involved. In this regard, a publication by the American Chemical Society titled “Contact Angle, Wettability, and Adhesion” edited by Robert F. Gould (1964) Copyright), which is incorporated herein by reference. A surface is wetted by a fluid (ie, hydrophilic) either when the contact angle between the fluid and the surface is less than 90 degrees, or when the fluid tends to spread naturally across the surface. Usually, both states coexist. Conversely, a surface is said to be “hydrophobic” if the contact angle is greater than 90 degrees and the fluid does not spread naturally across the surface.

  When referring to a layer of cleaning pad or when referring to a mop head, “top surface” as used herein means the surface that is furthest away from the floor surface during normal cleaning conditions, ie, the pad is the floor It is “sandwiched” between the surface and the mop head.

  For purposes of the present invention, the “upper” layer of the cleaning pad is the layer that is relatively further away from the surface to be cleaned (ie, relative to the handle of the instrument in use in the context of the instrument). Close to). The term “lower” layer, on the contrary, means a layer of the cleaning pad that is relatively close to the surface to be cleaned (ie, further away from the handle of the instrument in use in the context of the instrument). . Accordingly, the floor sheet is preferably the lowermost layer and the absorbent layer is preferably the upper layer with respect to the floor sheet. “Upper” and “lower” are used similarly to when referring to a layer that is multi-ply (eg, when the floorsheet is a two-ply material). In the layer order (eg, first layer, second layer, and third layer), the first layer is the “lower” layer with respect to the second layer. Conversely, the third layer is the “upper” layer with respect to the second layer. The terms “top” and “bottom” are used to describe the relative position of two or more materials within the thickness of the cleaning pad. Illustratively, material A is “above” material B if material B is positioned closer to the floor surface than material A during normal cleaning conditions. Similarly, in this example, material B is “below” material A.

(II) Cleaning tools Various types of wet cleaning tools are available to the user for cleaning the floor surface.
Conventional wet cleaning instruments typically have a handle connected to a support head that may have an absorbent material in the form of a sponge or a string of absorbent material.

  “Modern” wet cleaning implements have a handle rotatably connected to the mop head. The mop heads of these instruments can have retaining means located on the upper or lower surface of the mop head for mechanically engaging and retaining the absorbent cleaning pad. Some of these wet cleaning instruments include a built-in fluid discharge mechanism for discharging the cleaning solution to the floor surface. The cleaning solution can be stored in a container that is removably attachable to the fluid release mechanism. Non-limiting examples of “latest” cleaning implements include SWIFFER® and SWIFFER WETJET sold by The Procter & Gamble Company (SWIFFER WETJET) Registered trademark cleaning instruments, CLOROX READY-MOP® sold by The Clorox Company, C. GRABBIT GO-MOP (TM) sold by The S.C. Johnson company.

  FIG. 1 shows a handle 20 rotatably connected to a mop head 30 including holding means 40 located on the top surface of the mop head and suitable for mechanically fitting and holding the cleaning pad of the present invention. An example of such a “latest” wet cleaning instrument 10 is shown. The holding means 40 located on the top surface of the mop head is described in US Pat. No. 6,305,046 (Kingry et al., October 2001) assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company. May be a deflectable structure with slits, such as those described on the 23rd, but other types of holding means are suitable for holding the cleaning pad and providing the same effect Those skilled in the art will understand that. Non-limiting examples of retaining means located on the top surface of the mop head include US Pat. No. 4,991,250 (Young, issued February 12, 1991), US Pat. No. 3,698,030. Examples include mechanical fasteners such as clamps, clips, hooks or loop fasteners, pins, etc., such as those described in No. (Rockett, published October 17, 1972). One skilled in the art will also appreciate that the aforementioned retaining means are also located at the side edges of the mop head and still provide the same effect. The mop head 30 in the illustrated example is located approximately adjacent to the leading edge of the mop head 30 and is in fluid communication with the housing 60 and a fluid discharge mechanism (not shown) located in the container 70 containing the cleaning solution. Some nozzles 50 are also included. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the nozzle can alternatively be connected to the handle of the instrument and still provide the same effect.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a cleaning implement that does not include a built-in fluid discharge mechanism, but includes holding means 40 located on the top surface of a mop head such as those described above.
3 and 4 are similar to the wet cleaning instrument shown in FIG. 1, but include such a “modern state” including retaining means 80 located on the underside of the mop head 30 as shown in FIG. Another example of the wet cleaning instrument 10 is shown. The holding means 80 located on the lower surface of the mop head 30 is suitable for mechanically fitting and holding the cleaning pad of the present invention. The holding means 80 may be a hook fastener that is attached to the lower surface of the mop head and is suitable for mechanically fitting and holding the loop fastener. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the retaining means 80 may also be a loop fastener that is attached to the underside of the mop head and can be fitted and retained by a hook fastener and still provide the same effect. .
The cleaning pads of the present invention described below are intended to be used with various types of cleaning implements, including but not limited to those described above.

(III) Cleaning Pad In one aspect, the present invention relates to a cleaning pad, preferably disposable, that can be removably attached to various types of cleaning implements, the pad comprising:
(A) at least one absorbent layer;
(B) at least one attachment portion connected to the cleaning pad and capable of being fitted by holding means located above the mop head and / or by holding means located below the mop head;
(C) at least first holdable means for removably attaching the cleaning pad to holding means located on the upper surface of the cleaning implement;
(D) at least a second holding means for removably attaching the cleaning pad to the holding means located on the lower surface of the cleaning implement;
(E) Optionally, a portion of the cleaning pad so that the cleaning pad can be attached to a mounting structure also located at the mop head without blocking the cleaning solution released by the nozzle located at the mop head. At least one cut made in
(F) optionally macroscopically stretched three-dimensional plastic, preferably with a perforated film, more preferably with a tapered or funnel-shaped opening and / or surface aberration, preferably comprising a hydrophobic material A liquid permeable floor sheet that is a body web;
(G) optionally a number of flat surfaces;
(H) optionally, at least one functional cuff, preferably at least one floating loop-like functional cuff;
(I) a soot ₁₂₀₀ absorption capacity of at least 5 g / g, preferably at least 10 g / g, more preferably at least 20 g / g;
(J) optionally a density gradient across the at least one absorbent layer, preferably the density gradient is from about 0.01 g / cm ³ to about 0.15 g / cm ³ , preferably about 0.03 g / cm ³ ~ about 0.1 g / cm ^3, and more preferably a first absorbent layer having a density of about 0.04 g / cm ³ ~ about 0.06 g / cm ^3, from about 0.04 g / cm ³ ~ about 0 A second absorption having a density of about 2 g / cm ³ , preferably about 0.1 g / cm ³ to about 0.2 g / cm ³ , and more preferably about 0.12 g / cm ³ to about 0.17 g / cm ^3. And the density of the first absorbent layer is about 0.04 g / cm ³ , preferably about 0.07 g / cm ³ , and more preferably about 0.1 g / cm ³ less than the density of the second absorbent layer. Density gradient,
(K) optionally including at least one adhesive scrub strip that preferably comprises a material selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyester, polypropylene, abrasives, and mixtures thereof.

  In the course of developing the cleaning pad of the present invention, the possibility of using the cleaning pad with various types of cleaning implements having different types of holding means is mechanically fitted and held by the various holding means. It has been discovered that this relates to the ability of the cleaning pad to have holdable means to obtain.

  In one embodiment, the cleaning pad 11 includes at least an absorbent layer 21 that helps retain any fluid and / or dirt absorbed by the pad during use with the cleaning implement. The absorbent layer of the cleaning pad is described in PCT International Publication No. WO 00/27271 (Policicchio et al., Filed Nov. 9, 1999) assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company. It may be made from any type of absorbent material known in the art, such as Non-limiting examples of absorbent materials suitable for the absorbent layer of the cleaning pad are described in Section V below.

  5 and 6 show a cleaning pad 11 that can be removably attached to holding means located on either the top or bottom surface of the mop head. In one embodiment, the front and rear portions of the absorbent layer 21 form first and second mounting wing portions 121, 122 of the pad that are mechanically matable by a mounting structure located on the top surface of the mop head. As such, the pad absorbent layer 21 may have a width greater than the width of the mop head. The pad attachment wings 121, 122 may be an integral part of the absorbent layer, but the part may be a separate layer of material connected to the absorbent layer 21 and still provide the same effect. Those skilled in the art will understand what to do. In one embodiment, the width of the cleaning pad 11 is at least about 10%, preferably at least about 25%, more preferably at least about 50%, and most preferably at least about 100% greater than the width of the mop head. In one embodiment, the width of the cleaning pad is about 5 cm to about 50 cm, preferably about 10 cm to about 40 cm, more preferably about 20 cm to about 35 cm.

  In one embodiment, the cleaning pad 11 is mechanically fitted by holding means located on the underside of the instrument mop head. In a preferred embodiment, these holding means are hook fasteners attached to the underside of the mop head. In one embodiment, the absorbent layer 21 may be made from a fibrous material having grippable fibers that can be fitted and held by hook fasteners located on the underside of the mop head.

  In other embodiments, the cleaning pad 11 is at least one of the mechanical fasteners 31, 41 that can be attached to the surface of the cleaning pad 11, preferably the upper surface of the pad facing the holding means located on the lower surface of the mop head. There may be preferably two strips. In one embodiment, the mechanical fastener strips 31, 41 are loop fastener strips. In one embodiment, hook fastener strips can also be attached to the surface of the cleaning pad, either in addition to or in lieu of loop fastener strips 31, 41. In particular, the hook fastener strip allows the pad to be removably attached to a loop fastener attached to the underside of the instrument mop head.

  In one embodiment, the loop fastener strips 31, 41 can be attached to the top surface of the cleaning pad 11 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Non-limiting examples of loop fasteners 31, 41 include a strip of fibrous material that can be attached to the absorbent layer 21 with an adhesive. Non-limiting examples of suitable loop fasteners include non-woven materials described later. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the dimensions and location of the loop fastener strips 31, 41 on the absorbent layer 21 are related to the location of the hook fasteners under the mop head. In this embodiment, the cleaning pad 11 may be removably attachable to the mop head of the first cleaning instrument having retaining means located on the upper surface of the mop head, but the pad is not attached to the second cleaning instrument. It may be removably attachable to a second cleaning tool having holding means located on the lower surface of the mop head.

  The cleaning pad may be folded for convenient packaging. In one embodiment, the cleaning pad 11 has a first fold line 1121 and a second fold line 1121, 221 such that the attachment wing portions 121, 221 at least partially cover the top surface of the cleaning pad 11 as shown in FIGS. It may be folded along the fold line 1221. In this embodiment, the loop fastener strips 31, 41 are preferably attached to the upper surface of the pad attachment wing portions 121, 221. In the preferred embodiment, the two layers of loop fasteners 31, 41 are generally adjacent to the fold lines 1121, 1221 (ie, the leading and trailing edges) of the pad 11. In this embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize that the top surface of each mounting wing portion 121, 221 of the pad 11 is the surface of the wing that faces substantially upward when each mounting wing 121, 221 is folded over the cleaning pad 11. Will understand. In particular, having loop fasteners 31, 41 attached to the top surface of each attachment wing portion 121, 221 provides a visual signal to a user who can easily see the attachment wing portion of pad 121, 221 and the strip of loop fastener. . As a result, the user notices that the cleaning pad can be attached to the holding means located on the upper or lower surface of the mop head. Another effect of having loop fasteners 31, 41 attached to the upper surface of each portion 121, 221 of the pad is to spread the attachment wing portions 121, 221 in order for the consumer to approach the loop fastener strips 31, 41. Alternatively, the cleaning pad can be attached directly to the underside of the mop head with hook fasteners without the need to “open”. Yet another advantage of having a loop fastener attached to the top surface of each attachment wing portion of the pad is that when such a pad is attached to a hook fastener located on the underside of the mop head, each attachment wing portion is in the middle of the pad. In direct fluid communication with the part, so that a larger “volume” of the absorbent layer, and consequently the cleaning pad, can be used to absorb liquid from the surface.

FIG. 7 shows the cleaning pad 11 in an “open” configuration with mounting wing portions 121, 221 that can be attached to holding means located on the top of the mop head.
In one embodiment represented in FIG. 8, the loop fasteners 31, 41 can be attached to the top surface of the absorbent layer 21 such that they are “sandwiched” between the attachment wing portions 121, 221 and the central portion of the absorbent layer 21. . In this embodiment, the user “opens” the pad 11 to access the loop fastener strips 31, 41 to attach the pad to the holding means located on the underside of the mop head, as shown in FIG. There is a need.

  In one embodiment represented by FIGS. 10 and 11, the cleaning pad 11 is optionally but preferably a barrier made of a semi-permeable or almost impermeable material located on the cleaning pad 11. It has a (barrier) layer 51. The barrier layer 51 may be made from any impermeable material known in the art that almost prevents liquid migration from one side of the barrier layer to the other side of the layer. Non-limiting examples of suitable materials include plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, and similar films. In a preferred embodiment, the impermeable layer 51 is made from a clear transparent film of material that allows the user to see dirt absorbed in the absorbent layer, particularly the uppermost absorbent layer 21. A clear transparent impermeable layer is useful to inform the user of the time to replace the cleaning pad. Furthermore, the almost impermeable layer 51 may be beneficial to prevent liquid absorbed by the pad 11 from contacting the bottom surface of the mop head.

  In one embodiment, the impermeable layer 51 may be located on the upper surface of the mounting wing portions 121, 221 so that the impermeable layer almost covers the upper surfaces of the two mounting wing portions 121, 221. When the user wishes to use the cleaning pad 11 with a cleaning implement having holding means located on the top surface of the mop head, the user can attach each mounting wing portion 121, 221 to the top surface of the mop head. The impermeable layer may be easily broken, split or cut. In a preferred embodiment, the impermeable layer 51 includes perforated lines 151 to assist the user “break” (ie, separate) the impermeable layer 51. One skilled in the art will understand that the same result can be obtained by at least partially combining two separate opaque layers. In this embodiment, the loop fastener strips 31, 41 preferably allow the cleaning pad 11 to be easily attached to the underside of a mop head having hook fasteners without the user having to break the impermeable layer 51. Attached to the upper surface of the impermeable layer 51.

  In the other embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the impermeable layer 51 may also be located on the upper surface of the absorbent layer 21 so as to be “sandwiched” between the attachment wing parts 121, 221 and the intermediate part of the absorbent layer 21. Good. In this embodiment, the loop fastener strips 31, 41 can be attached to either the top surface of the attachment wing portions 121, 221 or the top surface of the impermeable layer 51 as described above. In yet another embodiment, the impermeable layer 51 can be attached to the top surface of each attachment wing portion 121, 221.

  In one embodiment, the attachment wing portions 121, 221 are at least partially attachable to the top surface of the cleaning pad 11 such that each attachment wing portion 121, 221 “sticks” to the top surface of the cleaning pad. By “at least partially attaching”, the attachment wing portions 121, 221 are partially attached to the upper surface of the absorbent layer 21 and / or the impermeable layer 51, but the user breaks these partial attachments 2121, 2221. This means that the respective attachment wing parts 121 and 221 can be “separated”. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the partial bonds 2121, 2221 can be made by any method known in the art. For example, the partial bonds 2121, 2221 can be made by applying a pressure sensitive adhesive to the top surface of the cleaning pad and then folding the same part so that each mounting wing part 121, 221 contacts the adhesive. Can do. The partial bonds 2121, 2221 can be created by thermally bonding the mounting wing portions 121, 221 to the upper surface of the cleaning pad 11. When the user wishes to attach the mounting wing portions 121, 221 to the holding structure located above the mop head, the partial anchors 2121, 2221 are attached to the mounting wing portion 121 as long as the portions can be broken by the user. 221 can be formed in any area. In particular, the partial (or tearable) bond between the attachment wing portions 121, 221 and the top surface of the cleaning pad 11 is believed to enhance the structural integrity of the pad. As a result, the cleaning pad 11 can be easily and conveniently attached to the lower surface of the mop head having the hook fastener. Partial anchors 2121, 2221 also prevent the mounting wing portions 121, 221 from turning back and forth when the user desires to attach the pad to the holding means located on the underside of the mop head.

  FIG. 13 illustrates the cleaning pad 11 viewed from above in an “open” configuration and may have at least one notch 3121 made in at least one of the attachment wing portions 121, 221. In particular, the notch 3121 allows the user to attach the pad 11 to a retaining means that is also located on the top surface of the mop head, which includes a nozzle for discharging liquid, attached to the top surface of the mop head. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the mounting wing 121 having the notch 3121 does not block or obstruct liquid being ejected from the nozzle during the cleaning operation. In the preferred embodiment, both attachment wing portions 121, 221 are notches 3121, 3221 so that the cleaning pad 11 can be attached to the mop head independently of the orientation of the leading or trailing edge of the cleaning pad 11. Each. Any type of cuts are made in the mounting wings 121, 221 as long as the nozzle of the mop head allows the cleaning solution to be dispensed onto a hard surface without the cleaning solution being blocked or obstructed by the cleaning pad. Those skilled in the art will also understand that this is possible.

  In one embodiment shown in FIG. 14, the cleaning pad 11 has one or more cuffs, preferably “floatable” functional cuffs 61, that can be attached to the leading and / or trailing edges of the cleaning pad 11. You may have. The functional cuff 61 improves the cleaning performance of the cleaning pad, for example with respect to particulates collected by the pad. The cleaning pad containing the functional cuff is rubbed back and forth across the hard surface so that the functional cuff “turns” sideways, thereby collecting and trapping particulate matter. The functional cuff 61 may be either a single layer cuff (ie, made from a single layer material that is looped) or a double layer cuff (ie, a two layer material that is both looped). Non-limiting examples of functional cuffs are PCT patents published internationally, WO 00/27271 (Policicchio et al., November 9, 1999), both assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company. PCT International Publication No. WO 02/41747 (Policicchio, filed Nov. 27, 2000).

  In one embodiment, the cleaning pad 11 may have a floor sheet that can function as a scrub layer. In one embodiment, the floor sheet is in fluid communication with the lower surface of the absorbent layer 21 of the cleaning pad 11. Non-limiting examples of suitable floor sheets are described in further detail in the next section V.

  In another embodiment shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the cleaning pad 12 has a width that is greater than the width of the mop head of the cleaning implement such that the floor sheet 72 includes first and second mounting wing portions 172,272. The floor sheet 72 that may be included and the absorbent layer 12 may be included. The first and second attachment wing portions 172, 272 can be removably fitted and held by holding means located above or below the mop head. As described above, the floor sheet attachment wing portions 172, 272 may each have cuts 1172, 1272, which allow liquid to be discharged from nozzles located above the mop head. In one embodiment, the attachment wing portions 172, 272 of the floor sheet 72 can be made from a loop fastener type material that is removably attached to a hook fastener located on the underside of the mop head. In one embodiment, the loop fastener strips 32, 42 are attached to the attachment wing portions 172, 272, preferably attachment wings, so that the cleaning pad 12 can be removably attached to a hook fastener located on the underside of the mop head. It can be attached to the top surface of the part. In one embodiment, the attachment wing portions 172, 272 can be folded over the top surface of the cleaning pad to form first and second fold lines 2172, 2272. In one embodiment, the attachment wing portions 172, 272 can be partially secured to the top surface of the cleaning pad and / or partially secured to each other as described above.

  In another embodiment shown in FIG. 17, the cleaning pad 14 includes at least one but preferably a number of absorbent layers 24. In one embodiment, the cleaning pad 14 includes at least an absorbent layer 24, a floor sheet 34 that is in direct fluid communication with the lower surface of the absorbent layer 24, a barrier layer 44 located on the upper surface of the absorbent layer 24, and a pad of the mop head. Includes attachment wings 54, 64 for releasably attaching to retaining means located on the upper surface and optionally but preferably at least one functional cuff 74.

  The absorbent layer 24 may be made from any of the materials described below. In one embodiment, the cleaning pad 14 is in continuous fluid communication and has different widths such that the entire absorbent core formed by the multiple absorbent layers 24 has multiple widths along the z-axis. At least two but preferably at least three absorbing layers 24 are included.

  In one embodiment, the barrier layer 44 (backsheet) is absorbed within the absorbent core of the pad 14 and retains the encapsulated liquid and dirt while keeping it dry and clean under the mop head. To assist, from almost impermeable materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, and similar films, or SMS (spunbond, meltblown, spunbond), spunbonded, fluffed, heat bonded, or It can be made from a semipermeable material comprising one or more nonwoven layers, such as hydroentangled. In one embodiment, the barrier layer 44 may be composed of a single layer or multiple layers. When the cleaning pad 14 is used with a cleaning instrument having a built-in fluid discharge mechanism, particularly when the fluid discharge mechanism tends to drip liquid onto the back of the pad 14 while the liquid is discharged, the barrier It is beneficial for layer 44 to be semi-permeable rather than nearly impermeable. While not intending to be bound by theory, if a liquid dripping onto the back of a pad 14 having a barrier layer 44 made from a semi-permeable material, the liquid will almost penetrate the impermeable layer, Next, it is considered that it can be absorbed by the absorbing layer 24. The semi-permeable layer reduces liquid accumulation on the back of the pad. Otherwise, it may potentially fall to the floor when the user removes the pad from the mop head. One example of a suitable semipermeable material is a perforated polyethylene film. In one embodiment, the opening may be made by cutting a hole or slit in the barrier layer 44 made from either a semi-permeable material or a substantially impermeable material. For example, the opening may be made in an already formed polyethylene film, or an example of such a method that may be made by making an opening in the film during formation of the film is described by Tredegar Industries. ) Vacuum forming technique used.

  In one embodiment, the cleaning pad 14 includes at least one pair of attachment wings 54, 64 that can be attached to one of the layers of the pad 14, preferably the barrier layer 44. The attachment wings 54, 64 are adhesives such as hot melt adhesives that can be applied to defined areas of the barrier layer 44, preferably adjacent to the front and rear edges of the barrier layer 44, such as beads, spirals, Or any pattern known in the art, such as groove coating, can be attached to the barrier layer 44.

  In one embodiment, the attachment wings 54, 64 may be made from plastic film, nonwoven fabric, paper, or any combination or laminate of these materials. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting wings 54, 64 are made from a material having good dry strength and good wet strength. "Dry strength" causes little tear when the material is almost dry, especially when the mounting wings 54, 64 are pulled and then mechanically fitted by holding means located on the mop head Or not overextending. By “wet strength” is meant that the structural properties of the material are hardly degraded when the material is wet. Good wet strength is beneficial when liquid accidentally contacts the mounting wings 54, 64 during wet mop operation. The type of material used to make the attachment means 54, 64 is its machine direction (hereinafter “MD”)) and / or its “cross direction (hereinafter CD)” One skilled in the art will understand that by “machine direction” is meant a direction in which a greater number of fibers of a substrate tend to face. The substrate is typically stronger in the machine direction and has less change in length in the machine direction. By “transverse direction” is meant a direction substantially perpendicular to the machine direction. In one embodiment, the MD of the material is oriented along the length of the pad (ie, parallel to the front / rear edge of the pad) and the CD of the material is along the width of the pad (ie, in front of the pad). The mounting wings 54, 64 can be attached to the cleaning pad 14 so as to face (substantially perpendicular to the trailing edge). While not intending to be bound by theory, in this embodiment the CD is expanded by the user when the user wishes to attach the mounting wing to the holding means on the mop head, Because of the direction in which it is pulled, it is believed that the tensile properties of the CD are particularly related to the tear resistance of the mounting wings 54,64. In other embodiments, the CD of material is oriented along the length of the pad (ie, parallel to the front / rear edge of the pad) and the MD of material is along the width of the pad 14 (ie, in front of the pad). The mounting wings 54, 64 can be attached to the cleaning pad 14 so as to face (substantially perpendicular to the trailing edge). In one embodiment, the tensile strength of the attachment wings 54, 64 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front / rear edge of the pad 14 is at least about 118 g / cm (300 g / inch), preferably at least about 196 g / cm (500 g / cm). Inches), and more preferably at least about 275 g / cm (700 g / inch). In order for the mounting wings 54, 64 to be suitably held by the holding means, the degree of bulk or thickness of the material used to make the mounting wings 54, 64 should be carefully selected. Is also possible. In one embodiment, the material used to make the mounting wings 54, 64 is at least about 0.2 mm, preferably when measured with a force of 689 Pascals (0.1 psi) using a scissors scale, preferably It has a thickness of at least about 0.25 mm, and more preferably at least about 0.3 mm. Further, it is believed that the rigidity of the mounting wings 54, 64 can affect the user's ability to “operate” the wings. In one embodiment, the material used to make the attachment wings 54, 64 is at least about 15 g / sqm (or 15 gsm), preferably at least 30 g / sqm (or 30 gsm), and more preferably at least about 40 g / It has a basis weight of sqm (or 40 gsm). In particular, when a portion of the mounting wing is “pushed” into a deflectable mounting structure or gripper with a slit that may have sharp edges, the mounting wings 54, 64 substantially tear. It can also be beneficial to be a resistor. Because the mounting wings 54, 64 remain fitted in the holding structure located above the mop head, especially during the mop operation, the material used to make the mounting wings 54, 64 is It can also be beneficial to have a certain amount of texture or roughness. “Smoother” material with a lower coefficient of friction can potentially cause the mounting wings 54, 64 to slide off the retaining means located above the mop head. Non-limiting examples of suitable materials used to make the attachment wings include nonwovens such as spunbond, spunbond meltblown spunbond, hydroentanglement. Plastic materials in the form of films typically tend to be smoother and less puncture resistant than nonwovens and are not preferred, but can still be used to make the attachment wings 54,64. In one embodiment, the attachment wings 54, 64 can be made from a plastic material having a relatively high basis weight of at least about 25 gsm, more preferably about 30 gsm, and even more preferably about 40 gsm. The mounting wings 54, 64 can also be made from a film of plastic material that can be laminated to another material. The mounting wings 54, 64 can also be made from a plastic material that can be modified to reduce the smoothness of the material, ie, a plastic material that can be made with a copolymer or by stamping. One possible way to obtain this result is to apply a hot melt or the like to the surface of the film or to apply an elastomeric material to the surface of the mounting wings 54, 64 to create bulk and / or roughness. It depends on what you do. Non-limiting examples of suitable hot melt adhesives include HL-2238, HL-1461, D-3151 made by HB Fuller Company (St. Paul, Minn.), And HL-1620 and H2737, H2738, H2736, HX5275-01, HX5258-01 made by Bostik Findley Inc (Wauwatosa, Wis.). In one embodiment, the plastic film may be deformed or corrugated by ring roll type techniques well known in the art to create bulk and / or roughness.

  Many modern types of cleaning instruments have a built-in fluid discharge mechanism that includes a nozzle that is removably or permanently attached to the mop head or handle of the instrument. Thus, as described above, it may be beneficial for at least one of the attachment wings 54, 64 to have a cut or cut 154 as shown in FIG. This notch or cut 154 allows the user to attach the cleaning pad to the mop head of an instrument having a nozzle located above the mop head, while being blocked or obstructed by the attachment wings 54,64. Without allowing the liquid to be discharged from the nozzle. In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning pads 14 are a pair each having a notch or cut 154 so that the user can attach the cleaning pad to the mop head regardless of the orientation of the leading or trailing edge of the pad 14. Mounting wings 54, 64. Instead of having mounting wings 54, 64 made from a continuous layer of material having notches 154, 164, there is a space between these two separate mounting wings located at the same edge as shown in FIG. As such, a cleaning pad is provided having four separate mounting wings 541, 542, 641, and 642 attached in pairs on each side of the pad, ie, on the leading and / or trailing edge of the pad. Those skilled in the art will understand that the same result can be obtained.

  In one embodiment, the notch 154 can be made by cutting a generally central portion of the mounting wing 54. In one embodiment, mounting wings 54, 64 each having cuts 154, 164 provide a layer of material or web 84 from a roll of material, which is preferably central, as shown in FIG. 19a. It can be made by applying a symmetrical cut 184 to a punching knife. The portion of material cut from the continuous layer of material 84 is then quickly removed from the web using a vacuum. At this point in the process, the layer of material (web) 84 is still a single piece, but the central portion has been removed. The layer of material may then be cut along its width and cut off at the central portion to create two separate mounting wings 54, 64, as shown in FIGS. 19b and 19c.

  In the preferred embodiment depicted in FIGS. 20a-20c, the layer of material 84 is used to create perforation lines 284 that define the outer edges of the attachment wings 54, 64 while maintaining the integrity of the layer of material 84. For example, the central portion is only partially cut with a perforating blade. Since the material of the single layer 84 can follow more uniformly with respect to the rest of the pad, the manufacturing process can be simplified by maintaining layer integrity. The perforations in the central perforation line 284 may all have the same dimensions, or may vary in length, or may include a series of short perforations after a long perforation. As previously described, perforation line 284 allows the user to easily separate the attachment wings along a generally continuous line prior to attachment to the instrument head.

  In the other embodiment depicted in FIGS. 21a-21c, the mounting wings 54, 64 can be made by a “nesting” process (nesting method). During the “nesting” process, a symmetrical periodic shape 384 is cut into the web 84 of material as shown in FIG. 21a. The two layers of material obtained and ultimately forming the attachment wings 54, 64 may then be aligned as shown in FIG. 21b. The separate two layers 54, 64 may be aligned, for example, by increasing the speed with respect to one of the layers and the other. When the two separate layers are properly aligned, these layers can be cut along their width to form a pair of attachment wings 54, 64 as shown in FIG. 21c. In particular, the “nesting” process reduces the amount of material discarded as described above when the cut 184 is cut in the central area of the layer, and also simplifies the manufacturing process of the cleaning pad 14. The shape may be any symmetrical shape as long as it provides the cuts 154, 164 that allow liquid to be ejected from the nozzle without being blocked by the mounting wings 54 or 64. Non-limiting examples of suitable shapes include sinusoidal shapes, triangles, squares, or any combination thereof.

  In one embodiment, once the mounting wings 54, 64 have been cut and optionally but preferably scored, these wings are secured to the pad 14. The mounting wings 54, 64 can be secured to the pad 14 by any method known in the art. Non-limiting examples of suitable fastening methods include adhesive bonding, heat sealing, mechanical crimping (please), ultrasonic welding and the like.

  In one embodiment shown in FIG. 22, each attachment wing 54, 64 can be secured to a first area 254 and a second area 264, respectively, which can be substantially adjacent to the front and rear edges of the pad. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting wings 54, 64 are each secured to the areas 254, 264 with adhesive beads that provide suitable bond strength. In one embodiment, each anchoring area 254, 264 has a width of about 1 mm to about 15 mm. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that when the pad 14 has a fixed width W, the width of each anchoring area 254, 264 is narrower and the distance between the two attachment wings 54, 64 is longer. Optimizing the distance between the two mounting wings 54, 64 is particularly beneficial when the cleaning pad is used with a cleaning implement having a wide mop head. As mentioned above, other types of fastening methods can be used to optimize the distance between the two mounting wings while securing the mounting wings 54, 64 to the cleaning pad and providing suitable bond strength. is there. For example, the attachment wings 54, 64 can be thermally bonded to the barrier layer of the cleaning pad, but in this case the material used to make the attachment wing and barrier layer should be selected according to the bond compatibility. is there.

In one embodiment shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, the attachment wings 54, 64 are optionally but preferably a barrier of the cleaning pad in addition to being secured to the front and rear edges of the barrier layer 44. It may be partially affixed to layer 44. Each mounting wing 54, 64 is each in a certain area of the barrier layer to form a partial bond 144, 244 and so that each mounting wing 54, 64 is “sticked” to the top surface of the barrier layer 44. It may be partially fixed. Partial anchors 144, 244 prevent each attachment wing from sliding on the top surface of the barrier layer by pulling attachment wings 54, 64, and until the user “breaks” the partial anchors 144, 244. Maintain in place. While not intending to be bound by theory, when the cleaning pad 14 is attached to the underside of a mop head having hook fasteners, the partial anchors 144, 244 are particularly sensitive to the absorbent layer of the pad during the mop operation. 24 is believed to minimize the risk of the cleaning pad 14 coming off the mop head due to shear forces acting on the pad as it gradually absorbs liquid. The partial anchors 144, 244 also contribute to evenly distributing the shear force acting on the pad 14 to a large portion of the loop fastener, so that the anchors 144, 244 are sheared to the local area of the loop fastener. Avoid concentration of intensity. When the user pulls or peels the mounting wings 54, 64 to attach the cleaning pad to the holding means located on the mop head, the partial bonds 144, 244 are preferably easily fragile by the user or “ It is “breakable”. Suitable partial anchors 144, 244 can be made by any method known in the art. Non-limiting examples of suitable methods include adhesive bonding, heat sealing, mechanical crimping, ultrasonic welding and the like. In one embodiment, the partial adhesion 144, 244 is achieved by applying a low level of hot melt adhesive to a small area of the top surface of the barrier layer 44 that is preferably about 36 mm ² or less to create a spot weld. It is formed.

  In one embodiment, the partial anchor 144 may be located anywhere between the anchor area 254 and the free edge 354 of the mounting wing 54. In a preferred embodiment, the distance between the fastening area 254 and the partial fastening 144 is about 1/5 to about 4/5 of the distance between the fastening area 254 and the free edge 354 of the mounting wing 54, preferably Is about 1/3 to about 2/3, and more preferably about 1/2. In particular, leaving the free edge 354 “non-stick” allows the user to grip the edge 354 of the mounting wing 54 and pull the mounting wing 54 to break the partial fixing 144. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the size, location, and strength of the partial bond 144 can be adapted and still provide the same effect.

  In one embodiment, the bond strength of the partial bond based on maximum peak resistance is from about 11 g / cm (30 g / inch) to about 118 g / cm (width), preferably about 11 g / cm (30 g). / Inch) to about 78g / width cm (200g / inch), and more preferably from about 11g / width cm (30g / inch) to about 78g / width cm (200g / inch). The maximum peak resistance of partial adhesion can be measured according to ASTM test D1876-95 (a standard test method for peel resistance, also known as T peel test). In a preferred embodiment, when the user peels off the attachment wing (or attachment wing portion) and “breaks” the partial bond, the attachment wing (or attachment wing portion) is also an absorbent layer if no barrier layer (or barrier layer is present). ) Is also hardly damaged, i.e. not torn. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the strength of the partial bond can be adjusted depending on the dry weight of the cleaning pad and the total absorbent capacity of the pad so that the partial bond is not broken by the weight of the pad. By “total absorption capacity” is meant the total amount of deionized water that can be absorbed by the pad. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the amount of shear force acting on the pad during the cleaning operation preferably does not break the partial bond.

  In one embodiment, the mounting wings 54, 64 secured adjacent the leading and trailing edges of the pad 14 may be partially secured to each other as shown in FIG. The mounting wings 54, 64 are located at approximately one center of the layer of material by creating at least one partial anchor 484 between two separate wings on opposite sides, as described above, and as described above. They can be partially secured to each other by at least having perforated lines 284 that can be broken by the user to create mounting wings 54,64. Partial adhesion between the mounting wings 54, 64 improves the “retention” of the cleaning pad to the underside of the mop head having hook fasteners. When each mounting wing is not partially secured to the top surface of the cleaning pad and / or when the loop fastener strips 94, 104 are positioned over each mounting wing 54, 64, in particular, the loop fastener strips 94, 104. The partial anchorage 484 between the mounting wings 54, 64 is particularly valuable when is located away from the anchoring areas 254, 264.

  As mentioned above, the cleaning pad 14 of the present invention can be used with either a cleaning implement having retaining means located above the mop head or a cleaning implement having retaining means located below the mop head. . Typically, the holding means located below the mop head is a hook fastener having a hook projection suitable for mechanically engaging and holding a grippable fiber of looped material. As a result, the “retention” of the cleaning pad on the underside of the mop head with hook fasteners can be affected by the type of looped material on the cleaning pad. In one embodiment, the loop fastener strips 94, 104 may be applied to the cleaning pad 14, preferably on the surface of the cleaning pad that is directly or indirectly accessible by the hook fasteners of the mop head. Non-limiting examples of suitable loop fasteners include XPL-99139 available from 3M Corp. and series 800, 804, and 040 loops available from Aplix Corp. Series 1000 and 2000 from Velcro USA Inc. As mentioned above, the loop fastener strips 94, 104 are preferably outside the cleaning pad 14 (which can be directly accessed and mated by the mop head hook fasteners without the user having to pull the mounting wings 54, 64). Or top) added to the surface. In this configuration, the user can simply apply the upper surface of the cleaning pad to the lower surface of the mop head with hook fasteners to attach the pad to the instrument. In one embodiment, the strips 94, 104 of the loop fastener are “sandwiched” between the mounting wings 54, 64 and the barrier layer 44 so that the strip is the barrier layer 44 (or an absorbent layer if no barrier layer is used). ) May be added to the upper surface. In one embodiment, the attachment wings 54, 64 can be made from the same type of material as the functional cuff described above. In particular, these attachment wings 54, 64 are not only removably attachable to a cleaning implement having retaining means on the top surface of the mop head, but also when the pad 14 is used with a cleaning implement having hook fasteners. It provides the same effect as the mechanical cuff 74. When the cleaning pad is used with an instrument having a hook fastener under the mop head, the “unused” portion of the mounting wings 54, 64 will be on the outside to allow contact with the floor surface during a typical mop operation. It may extend downward.

  In one embodiment, each attachment wing 54, 64 optionally includes a perforation line 454, 464 substantially adjacent to the anchoring area 254, 264, respectively, such that the user can optionally remove the attachment wing 54, 64 from the pad 14. Can have. This may be the case when the mounting wings 54, 64 are not required to hold the pad around the mop head of an instrument with hook fasteners.

As described above, the loop fastener strips 94, 104 can be attached to the top surface of the barrier layer 44 or to the top surface of the attachment wings 54, 64. The material is "optimized" in the sense that many loop fastener type materials are specifically designed to maintain good retention properties while being fitted and removed several times by hook fastener material. Can be seen. By “optimized looped material” is meant a material having a peel resistance greater than about 200 grams as measured in the peel resistance test described in further detail below. However, the cleaning pad 14 used with a cleaning implement having hook fasteners is only attached and removed from the mop head a relatively small number of times before the pad is used and discarded. As a result, the “optimized” loop material may not require the pad 14 to be held by hook fasteners located on the underside of the mop head. Furthermore, “optimized” loop type materials can be quite expensive. In order to provide a suitable pad that can be used with various types of cleaning implements and to minimize the manufacturing cost of the cleaning pad, the cleaning pad 14 comprises a relatively small strip of “optimized” looped material. May be included. “Acceptable retention characteristics” ensure that the cleaning pad 14 should remain almost attached to the mop head with hook fasteners during the mop operation and / or almost to the mop head when the mop head is lifted from the floor surface. Means that it should remain attached. In one embodiment, the cleaning pad 14 has at least ^two “optimized” loop-like materials each having an area of at least about 100 mm ² , preferably at least about 250 mm ² , and more preferably at least about 500 mm 2. Includes book strips 94, 104.

  Surprisingly, other types of loop-like materials can be used for specific applications, such as cleaning pads attached to mop head hook fasteners, and still the same as "optimized" type loop fasteners It has been found that it can provide an effect. In one embodiment, the cleaning pad 14 may include attachment wings 54, 64 made from a loop fastener material made from a non-woven material having a suitable degree of grippable fibers, bulk, and / or thickness. The ability of the loop fastener type material to be retained by the hook fastener and, as a result, the ability of the cleaning pad to remain attached to the mop head may be reduced if the liquid is absorbed by the loop fastener type material. It has been found. Synthetic fibers are almost hydrophobic and consequently absorb little liquid. In a preferred embodiment, the loop fastener can be made from a nonwoven material comprising synthetic fibers that may be in the form of a single or multi-layer type material. In one embodiment, the cleaning pad 14 may further include strips 94, 104 of nonwoven loop type material attached to the attachment wings 54, 64 or to the barrier layer 44 as described above. When additional strips 94, 104 of loop fasteners are added to the cleaning pad, the mounting wings 54, 64 can be made from a material having a peel resistance greater than about 30g, but the mounting wings 54, 64 are preferably about 30g. It is made from a material having a peel resistance of less than

  In one embodiment shown in FIG. 25, the cleaning pad 14 may have mounting wings 54, 64 made from a generally non-woven loop fastener type material. In particular, the use of a non-woven loop type material to make the attachment wings 54, 64 simplifies the manufacturing process of the cleaning pad because no additional strips of loop fasteners are required. As mentioned above, the thickness of the mounting wings 54, 64 related to the degree of bulk may affect the ability of the mounting wings 54, 64 to be held by the mounting structure located above the mop head. . The thickness of the mounting wings 54, 64 affects the degree of rigidity of the mounting wings, so that the user's ability to “open” (or pull) the mounting wings and then attach the cleaning pad 14 to the mop head. May have an effect. Furthermore, the attachment wings 54, 64 made from thick / hard material may have a tendency to return (or bounce back) to their original folded shape. This tendency to return to the original folded and / or unfolded form may not be well accepted by the user. On the other hand, the mounting wings 54, 64 made from a thin material are easier to open by the user and have the same tendency to return to the initial folded and / or unfolded form once the user opens. Absent. The advantages provided by the thin mounting wings 54, 64, especially when the mounting wings 54, 64 are mounted on a structure with a sharp slit, must be balanced with their relatively weak tear resistance and low degree of bulk. is there. From a consumer point of view, while trying to limit the relative weakness of the thin attachment means, to suggest its advantages, the attachment wings 54, 64 are shown in FIG. 24 with a central portion 474 of the pad. To overlap, the cleaning pad may include mounting wings 54, 64 having a width that is greater than about 50% of the width of the pad 14. By increasing the width of the mounting wings 54, 64, more material is inserted into each mounting structure with slits in the mop head so that the bulk and / or retention of the cleaning pad 14 on the mop head is increased. One skilled in the art will understand that it is possible to increase. In one embodiment, at least a portion 554, 564 of the mounting wings 54, 64, preferably the portion of the mounting wing that is fitted by the mop head mounting structure, is thicker than the overall thickness of the mounting wings 54, 64. Has a thickness.

In one embodiment, a layer of material can be secured to a portion of each mounting wing 54, 64 to increase the thickness of that portion.
In another embodiment shown in FIG. 26, to increase the thickness of the mounting wings 54, 64, ie, to double, a portion of the layer of material used to make the mounting wings 54, 64 is May be folded (or looped) along its length and secured. In yet other embodiments, each mounting wing 54, 64 can be made from at least two layers of material juxtaposed. In particular, increasing the thickness of at least a portion of each mounting wing 54, 64 may increase the retention of this portion of the mounting wing to the slitted mounting structure. Increasing the thickness of at least a portion of the mounting wing also increases the retention of the mounting wing to the hook fastener at the lower surface of the mop head.

(IV) Test Method Suitable nonwoven or nonwoven laminate materials that can be used as loop type fasteners will be demonstrated in the following test. These tests are aimed at reproducing the usage of the cleaning pad in both dry and wet environments and determining the peel resistance of a suitable loop fastener material.

"Dry" and "wet" tests Mounting wings that attach to the same cleaning pad as the SWIFFER WETJET (R) cleaning pad sold by The Procter & Gamble Company Alternatively, various nonwoven materials are used during “dry” and “wet” tests to make strips of loop fasteners. In addition, a Readymop® cleaning pad sold by The Clorox Company; C. Other commercially available cleaning pads are tested as well, such as the GoMop ™ cleaning pad sold by the SC Johnson Company.

The first test is performed to evaluate the retention of the almost dry cleaning pad on the hook fastener on the underside of the mop head of the cleaning pad of the SWIFFER WETJET® cleaning instrument.
The second test is to evaluate the retention of a cleaning pad that has absorbed about 100 ml of deionized water on a hook fastener on the underside of the mop head of a SWIFFER WETJET® cleaning instrument. Done.
These two tests are performed as follows.

Almost Dry Pad Attaching Test Several cleaning pads are placed so that their lower surface is flat on a vinyl floor surface measuring approximately 0.91 mx 0.91 m (3 ft x 3 ft). A SWIFFER WETJET® cleaning device with hook fasteners on the underside of the mop head should be carefully applied over the top surface of the cleaning pad so that the cleaning pad is approximately in line with the underside of the mop head. Is called. A stable pressure of about 3.4 kilopascals (0.5 psi) is applied to the cleaning implement handle downward for about 3 seconds. Next, the pad is rubbed against the floor surface 6 times by moving back and forth while moving the mop head from left to right. The same movement is repeated from right to left. The pressure applied to the handle of the cleaning implement used during the rubbing movement is about 1.72 kilopascals (0.25 psi). The instrument mop head is then lifted from the floor surface and fried approximately 12 inches from the floor. If the cleaning pad remains almost attached to the mop head, it is recorded as having passed the “dry test”. If the cleaning pad falls from the mop head, it is recorded that the “drying test” has failed.

Pad test with almost wet condition Next, the pad is placed on a test bench so that the lower surface of each pad of the previous test faces upward. Next, 100 ml of deionized water is poured evenly onto each pad. In order for the deionized water to penetrate evenly into the pad, each cleaning pad is left on the laboratory bench for about 1 minute.

  As in the “dry test” described above, each cleaning pad is placed so that its floor sheet is flat on the same vinyl floor surface. Next, a SWIFFER WETJET® cleaning implement is carefully applied over the back of the cleaning pad so that the cleaning pad is approximately in line with the underside of the mop head. A stable pressure of about 3.4 kilopascals (0.5 psi) is applied to the cleaning implement handle downward for about 3 seconds. Next, while moving from left to right, the pad is rubbed against the floor surface six times in the back and forth motion. The same movement is repeated from right to left. The pressure applied to the handle of the cleaning implement used during the rubbing movement is about 1.72 kilopascals (0.25 psi). The instrument mop head is then lifted from the floor surface and fried about 12 inches from the floor. If the cleaning pad remains almost attached to the mop head, the cleaning pad is recorded as having passed the “wet test”. If the cleaning pad falls from the mop head, it is recorded that the “wetting test” has failed.

(Explanation of results recorded in Table 1)
As mentioned above, the “dry test” and “wet test” reveal suitable materials that can be used as loop fasteners to make mounting wings or to make strips of loop fasteners attached to pads. It is intended to be In addition, these tests reveal the appropriate design features of the cleaning pad (installation wings partially attached to the cleaning pad, attachment wings partially attached to each other, need / position of additional strips of loop fasteners). It is also intended to be.

Examples I, II, and III demonstrate that none of the currently available absorbent cleaning pads (as of November 2002) can be used with a variety of cleaning instruments.
The absorbent cleaning pads of Examples I and II with mounting wings are suitable for use with cleaning implements having retaining means located on the mop head, but are of the hook type located on the lower surface of the mop head. Cannot be used with cleaning devices with fasteners.
Conversely, the absorbent cleaning pad of Example III without any mounting wings can be used with a cleaning implement having hook fasteners on the underside of the mop head, but with a cleaning implement having retaining means located on the top surface of the mop head. Can not.

  The cleaning pads of Examples 1 to 10 are Swifer Wetjet® type absorbent cleaning pads made from various materials and modified to include mounting wings having various design features. is there. The pad attachment wings of Examples 1 to 10 are suitable for removably attaching the pad to an instrument having holding means located on the top surface of the mop head. In Examples 1-10, the attachment wing is a single retaining means used to removably attach the pad to the hook type fastener, i.e., no additional strip of loop fastener material is added to the pad.

The pad wings of Example 1, Example 2 and Example 3 are made from the same material (ie, 40 gsm spunbond material), especially when the cleaning pad is wet and the top surface of the pad. The effect of creating a partial bond between the two or a mounting wing facing each other (perforation line) is shown.
The pad mounting wing of Example 4 is made from a material that has the same design features as the mounting wing of Example 1, i.e., the mounting wing has no partial sticking, but has a different basis weight (20 gsm of spunbond material). Is done.

  The pad mounting wings of Example 5 are made from the same material as the mounting wings of Example 4, but have different design features, i.e., they are partially affixed to the top surface of the cleaning pad (Examples). As in 2). Example 5 shows that even a material with a low basis weight can benefit from partial adhesion between the mounting wing and the top surface of the pad and can enhance the retention of the pad.

The mounting wings of Example 6 are made of the same material as the mounting wings of Examples 4 and 5, and are partially secured to each other by a perforated line.
The mounting wing of Example 7 is additionally secured to the upper surface of the pad as compared to the mounting wing of Example 6 which is not. Examples 6 and 7 also demonstrate the effect and superiority of creating a partial bond between the mounting wing and the top surface of the pad.
Further, Example 3 and Example 6 show that the basis weight, thickness, and degree of rigidity of the materials used to make the mounting wings, especially when the cleaning pad is wet, retain the cleaning pad. It may have an effect on
The cleaning pad mounting wings of Examples 8-10 have the same design configuration, i.e., the wings are partially secured to the top surface of the pad and partially secured to each other by perforated lines, but various Made of a material having a large basis weight (spunbond / meltblown / spunbond).

  Surprisingly, with this particular design feature, the only cleaning pad that passed both the “dry test” and the “wet test” is a cleaning pad with a wing made from the lowest basis weight material. There was found. Without intending to be bound by theory, it is believed that the meltblown component of this type of nonwoven material (SMS) has a tendency to bind some of the grippable fibers of the same material. Furthermore, the SMS material has a lower degree of grippable fibers than the spunbond materials tested in Examples 1-7. It is also conceivable that the hook protrusion of the hook fastener can better “penetrate” the layer of material having the lowest basis weight. This ability to “penetrate” the material with the lowest basis weight explains why the mounting wing of Example 10 enhances the retention of the pad on the underside of the mop head, especially when the cleaning pad is wet. it can.

The cleaning pads of Examples 11-19 were modified to include additional strips of loop fastener material SWIFFER WETJET®, READY-MOP®, Or a GO-MOP (registered trademark) type cleaning pad.
The cleaning pad mounting wings of Example 11 and Example 12 are made from the same type of material, but have different design features. Additional strips of “optimized” type loop fasteners (3MXPL-99139), such as those located on the barrier layer of the currently marketed SWIFFER WETJET® cleaning pad, each Fixed to the top surface of the mounting wing. Examples 11 and 12 show that the cleaning pad demonstrates excellent retention on the underside of the mop head regardless of the design configuration of the mounting wing. While not intending to be bound by theory, it is believed that the superior retention of these pads is due to the highly grippable fibers of the “optimized” strip of loop fasteners.

  An additional strip of the loop fastener of the pad of Example 13 is made from a breathable nonwoven material laminated with a perforated molded film. The breathable nonwoven fabric component is composed of 100% synthetic bicomponent fibers having an inner core that is a high melting point polymer and an outer sheath that is a low melting point polymer. This type of non-woven material has a high degree of grippable fibers so that no embossing is required to increase its integrity. The integrity of the material is obtained by partially melting the two-component outer polymer that fuses the fibers to form this matrix. Since the nonwoven fabric has a relatively low tensile strength, it is preferred that this material be laminated to another nonwoven to produce a composite material with significant grippable fibers having suitable tensile strength.

Example 11, embodiment 12, and example 13 show that the loop fastener with a high degree of “fiber to hook” fit is a measure of the stiffness of the material used to make the wing, or on the pad. It shows that it is beneficial regardless of the design form of the mounting wing.
Examples 14 and 15 have a relatively low basis weight, a low degree of stiffness, and a relatively low degree of “fiber to hook” fit to the material used for the additional strip of loop fasteners. In some cases, the attachment wing is partially fixed to the upper surface of the pad. While not intending to be bound by theory, the partial adhesion between the mounting wing and the top surface of the pad tends to “slide” on the pad's barrier layer, especially when the pad is wet. It is considered that the shearing force acting on the mounting wing can be offset.

The cleaning pads of Examples 16-19 are made from 20 gsm spunbond material, secured to the top surface of the mounting wing, and modified to include loop fastener strips that are tested in various design configurations. READY-MOP (registered trademark) and GO-MOP (registered trademark) type cleaning pads.
Again, when compared to the pads of Examples 16 and 18, the pads of Examples 17 and 19 are partially between the mounting wing and the top surface of the cleaning pad, particularly when the cleaning pad contains liquid. It shows the effect of making sticking.

As described above, the cleaning pads of Examples 1 to 15 are improved SWIFFER WETJET® cleaning pads that are commercially available as of November 2002. These SWIFFER WETJET® cleaning pads have a dry weight of about 20 g and a total absorption capacity of about 250 ml of liquid. As a result, the “wet weight” of the SWIFFER WETJET® cleaning pad is about 270 g. Furthermore, the underlayers of these pads, i.e. the layers that are in direct contact with the floor surface during the mop operation, are made from a perforated polyethylene film having a coefficient of friction of about 4 g / sq cm when rubbed against the dry floor surface. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the results obtained in the “dry test” and “wet test” can be influenced by the “dry” and “wet” weight of the pad being tested. For example, a “light” pad is more easily held by a mop head hook fastener compared to a “heavy” pad. Furthermore, the total absorbent capacity of the cleaning pad can also affect the retention of the pad, especially when the pad is fully saturated. For example, two cleaning pads having the same dry weight but different absorption capabilities do not require loop fasteners having the same retention characteristics. Absorption capacity measures the ability of the pad to absorb liquid, so when both cleaning pads are fully saturated with liquid, the cleaning pad with the lowest absorption capacity is more than the cleaning pad with the highest absorption capacity. "light".
Furthermore, the coefficient of friction between the cleaning pad underlayer and the floor surface during the cleaning operation can also affect the pad retention of the mop head hook fastener. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that when this coefficient of friction is low, the shear force acting on the cleaning pad is low compared to the high coefficient of friction acting on the pad, resulting in a greater shear force.

(Peel resistance test)
In order to better identify suitable materials that can be used for mounting wings and / or additional strips of loop fasteners, different tests are performed on various types of materials.
For nonwoven materials, a series of peel resistance tests are performed to determine the retention of the material with hook fasteners taken from a SWIFFER WETJET® cleaning instrument.
Prior to the test, the hook fastener strip is removed from the underside of the mop head of the SWIFFER WETJET® cleaning instrument and then a thin paper strip to facilitate operation during the test. Attached to the sheet with adhesive.
The peel resistance test performed follows the test protocol from the ASTM test D1876-95 (standard test method for peel resistance, also known as the T peel test) with the following minor modifications.

1. The test samples consist of various nonwovens and nonwoven laminates that are tested with hook fasteners from a SWIFFER WETJET® cleaning instrument.
2. The test sample is a non-woven strip that is approximately 25 mm wide by 128 mm long.

Each test sample is placed on a flat laboratory bench. The hook fastener strip is approximately 25 mm x 128 mm long. A hook fastener strip is applied over the sample so that it is approximately in line with the nonwoven test sample. A thin piece of foam backing (about 2 mm thick) is attached to the underside of the weight so as to cover the entire underside of the weight of about 550 g and about 40 mm wide x about 140 mm long. The foam backing and weight are then carefully applied over the hook fastener and test sample. Without applying extra pressure, move the weight forward 15 inches (6 inches) and then backward 6 inches (15.24 cm) and slide gently over the sample. This sliding of the weight is repeated three times. The purpose of sliding the weight is to move back and forth to simulate hook engagement to the nonwoven in both the Z and XY directions that typically occurs when the cleaning implement is used. Applying a pressure of 1.72 kilopascals (0.25 psi). Note that the nonwoven test samples and hook fasteners do not require the humidity conditioning recommended in section 6.1 of ASTM test D1876-95.
3. From this point, the method described in ASTM test D1876-95 is followed. First, the approximately 12 mm portion is separated at the end of the hook / nonwoven composite and bent into a T-shape as described in section 5.2 of ASTM test D1876-95.
4). Next, as described in section 7.1 of ASTM test D1876-95, the hook fastener is the lower clamp, the nonwoven is the upper clamp, and the non-stick free end is in the gripper of the tension tester. Clamped.
5. The tension tester is rotated and operated until the material is completely separated. The maximum load of force recorded and expressed in grams defines the peel resistance strength, while the composite sample is peeled off. The test is repeated at least 5 times, each time using a new piece of nonwoven substrate, each time using the same hook fastener piece. When a nonwoven sample is tested, the hook fastener strip is applied to a new untested piece.

  Table 2 provides peel resistance results measured on various samples of nonwoven material applied to hook fasteners removed from a SWIFFER WETJET® cleaning instrument. For comparison purposes, Table 2 also includes a summary from Table 1 of the results obtained from the aforementioned “dry test” and “wet test”.

（１）取り付けウイングの上に位置するループファスナの追加ストリップとして試験される材料
（２）実際のウイングとして試験される材料

(1) Material to be tested as an additional strip of loop fastener located above the mounting wing (2) Material to be tested as an actual wing

  The results of the peel resistance of the SMS (spunbond, meltblown spunbond) materials of Example 5, Example 6, and Example 7 confirm the aforementioned surprising results. The SMS material with the lowest basis weight (Example 6) has a greater peel resistance than similar materials with higher basis weights (Example 6 and Example 7).

  Based on the results recorded in Table 2, materials suitable for making cleaning pad mounting wings, or materials suitable for making suitable strips of loop fasteners that may be added to the pad, are particularly When wet, a peel resistance of at least about 30 g, preferably at least about 40 g, more preferably at least about 50 g, and even more preferably at least about 60 g to provide adequate retention for the cleaning pad. It is thought to have.

In one embodiment, a suitable loop material may have a peel resistance of less than about 200 g, preferably less than about 180 g, more preferably less than about 150 g.
In one embodiment, the cleaning pad may have a loop fastener such that the cleaning pad can be removably attached to a hook fastener located on the underside of the mop head. In a preferred embodiment, the loop fastener type material of the cleaning pad is such that when the cleaning pad is fully saturated with liquid, the absorbed liquid weight in addition to the pad weight will cause the mop head to rise above the floor surface. When pulled up, the cleaning pad is selected to drop onto the floor surface. Among other things, such a cleaning pad informs the user when to replace the pad without having to manipulate the dirty pad to visually check whether the pad can still absorb more liquid.

  In one embodiment shown in FIG. 27, the pressure sensitive adhesive is such that the cleaning pad is removably attached to the cleaning implement regardless of the presence of retaining means located on the top or bottom surface of the mop head of the cleaning implement. Can be applied to a portion of at least one layer of any of the foregoing cleaning pads.

  In one embodiment, the cleaning pad 16 is applied to the top surface of the barrier layer 36 so that the absorbent layer 26, the barrier layer 36, and the cleaning pad 16 can be removably attached to the bottom surface of the mop head of any cleaning implement. Pressure sensitive adhesive 46. The pressure sensitive adhesive 46 preferably has a surface covered by the pressure sensitive adhesive having a surface equal to at least about 10%, preferably at least 33%, more preferably at least 66% of the total top surface of the barrier layer 36. In addition, it is applied to a substantially central area of the upper surface of the barrier layer 36. The pressure sensitive adhesive 46 may be applied to form a homogeneous layer, stripe, spiral, bead, or any combination thereof on the top surface of the barrier layer 36. The pressure sensitive adhesive 46 is selected such that the pad is held on the underside of the mop head in either a dry or wet environment. In a preferred embodiment, the pressure sensitive adhesive 46 exhibits good tack properties to reduce the risk of residues remaining on the underside of the mop head.

  In one embodiment, a protective release sheet 136 of material, such as a thin paper sheet, may be applied over the area covered by the pressure sensitive adhesive 46. In particular, the protective release sheet 136 of this material preserves the tack of the pressure sensitive adhesive 46 and also allows the cleaning pads to be folded and / or stacked on top of each other for packaging. When the user wishes to attach the pad 16 to the underside of the mop head, the user can easily peel off the protective sheet 136 of this material.

  Such a cleaning pad 16 may be attached to the mounting wings 56, 66, and / or loop fasteners so that the cleaning pad 16 may be removably secured to retaining means located on the top or bottom surface of the mop head of the cleaning implement. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that additional strips 76, 86 may also be included. If the user wishes to use the cleaning pad 16 with the pressure sensitive adhesive 46 together with a cleaning implement having holding means located on the top or bottom surface of the mop head, the user removes the protective release sheet 136 from the pad 16. Those skilled in the art will understand that they may be instructed not to peel off.

In one embodiment represented in FIG. 28, the pressure sensitive adhesive may be applied to the mounting wings 56, 66 (or mounting wing portions) of any of the aforementioned cleaning pads. In a preferred embodiment, the pressure sensitive adhesive 46 is applied to the inner surface of the mounting wings 56, 66. The “inner surface” allows the attachment wings 56, 66 to face the top surface of the cleaning pad 16 when the attachment wings 56, 66 are “folded” onto the pad 16, ie, the absorbent layer 26 and / or the barrier layer 36. Means a face. As described above, the protective release material sheets 156, 166 are applied over the areas of the mounting wings 56, 66 that are each covered by the pressure sensitive adhesive 46 in order to preserve the adhesive tack for an extended period of time. It may be broken. When the user wishes to attach the cleaning pad 16 to the top surface of the mop head, especially when there is no holding means on the top surface of the mop head, the user can easily remove the protective release sheets 156, 166 of this material. . The user can press the inner surface of the mounting wings 56, 66 against the top surface of the mop head so that the pressure sensitive adhesive 46 secures the mounting wing to the mop head. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the cleaning pad 16 can also be used with a cleaning implement having retaining means located on the top and / or bottom of the mop head.
One skilled in the art will appreciate that such a cleaning pad 16 can also be attached to a cleaning implement having retaining means located on the top and / or bottom of the mop head.

  In another embodiment shown in FIG. 29, the cleaning pad 18 includes at least an absorbent layer 28, a barrier layer 38, optionally but preferably attached to the top surface of the absorbent layer 28, and the leading and trailing edges of the pad. And at least two mounting wings 48, 58 that may each be mounted adjacent to each other and may have fixing members 148, 158 for mounting the two mounting wings together. In one embodiment, the attachment wing 48 may have a “male” fixation member 148 for mating with a “female” fixation member of the attachment wing 58. Non-limiting examples of “male” and “female” securing members 148, 158 include snaps, loop and hook fasteners, belt designs, adhesives.

In particular, the cleaning pad 18 having mounting wings 48, 58 having male and female securing members 148, 158 includes a handle 168 and a mop head 268 and fits with a cleaning pad located on the upper or lower surface of the mop head 268. And can be attached to the cleaning implement schematically represented in FIG. 29 without any holding means suitable for holding. One example of such a cleaning implement is a sponge mop having a handle connected to an almost flat support head having an absorbent material such as a sponge. During the cleaning operation, the user typically immerses the mop head in a bucket filled with a cleaning solution. Once the sponge absorbs some cleaning solution, the user can clean the floor surface. However, the floor surface often needs to be washed away, and depending on the amount of liquid remaining on the surface, it may take a long time to dry. Furthermore, dirt, bacteria, and most of the bacteria are not removed from the surface when this type of sponge mop is used. Absorption of Τ ₁₂₀₀ of at least 5 g / g, preferably at least 10 g / g, more preferably at least 20 g / g, which can be used with a cleaning pad, in particular with a cleaning implement having a holding means for engaging and holding the cleaning pad. A cleaning pad that has the ability to absorb dirty liquid and then be discarded can greatly improve cleaning effectiveness by reducing the level of dirt, bacteria, and bacteria remaining on the floor surface. Since the consumer may hesitate to purchase a new cleaning instrument, any of the foregoing cleaning pads, but preferably a cleaning pad with mounting wings including male and female fastening members 148, 158, It may be sold as a kit. The kit is at least one, but preferably may have a plurality of cleaning pads, and not necessarily any holding means for fitting and holding this type of cleaning pad with the handle and the cleaning pad. Use with any instrument having a support head that does not have the consumer try this type of cleaning pad. The kit attaches a cleaning pad around the equipment support head, pours cleaning solution onto the floor surface, cleans the floor surface with the cleaning pad attached to the equipment, then removes and discards the used cleaning pad May be included. The instructions may further instruct the user not to immerse the support head with the cleaning pad in a bucket filled with cleaning solution. The instructions may further instruct the user to pour the cleaning solution directly onto the floor surface. These instructions may be particularly beneficial when the cleaning pad used with the instrument has a relatively low squeeze value and / or includes a superabsorbent material. In other embodiments, the kit further comprises a container filled with a cleaning solution. Non-limiting examples of cleaning solutions are described after Section V. In one embodiment, the container may have a cap with a lifting lid or squirt cap. The container may be a trigger spray container, a squat bottle, or any other container that allows the user to pour the cleaning solution onto the floor surface. The instructions include an explanation that the mop head needs to be completely dry before attaching the pad. To further enhance the experience, a bottle of cleaning solution as described above may be included in the trial kit. In particular, this kit allows the consumer to experience the convenience of a cleaning system that uses a cleaning pad without having to incur the expense of a new cleaning instrument. The kit includes a cleaning instrument including a handle rotatably connected to a mop head having holding means located on the top or bottom surface of the mop head for mechanically holding the cleaning pad, and a fluid discharge mechanism connected to the handle. A discount voucher for a cleaning system may also be included. The fluid discharge mechanism may be in fluid communication with a nozzle attached to the mop head to discharge the cleaning solution to the floor surface. The cleaning system may also include a container that is removably attachable to the fluid discharge mechanism.

  A consumer may try any of the previously disclosed cleaning pads and make the use of such a cleaning pad a more convenient sponge or string mop or suitable holding means located on the top or bottom surface of the mop head Cleaning that is used by the consumer to clean the floor surface, with regard to the consumer's cleaning habits by the frequency of cleaning the floor surface, to allow comparison with the use of other types of cleaning implements having Information from the consumer regarding the type of appliance can be collected. The collected information may also include the type of floor surface to be cleaned (wood surface, linoleum surface, ceramic tile surface) and optionally but preferably the number and size of rooms to be cleaned. Information may be collected in any manner known in the art. Non-limiting examples of methods of collecting information include immediate or telephone surveys, surveys sent by mail or email, surveys obtained by consumers accessing Internet websites, and these Any combination of can be mentioned. Once the information is collected, a floor cleaning product system can be selected according to the collected information. For example, consumers who have cleaning implements located on the top or bottom surface of a mop head and without a holding means suitable for removably holding a cleaning pad may have a “male” fixing member and a “female” fixing. At least one cleaning pad that is almost dry, including a mounting wing with a member, and optionally a container with a cleaning solution may be provided. Another example is a consumer having a cleaning implement that has retaining means located on the top surface of the mop head but does not include a built-in liquid discharge mechanism. In this example, the consumer may be provided with an almost dry cleaning pad with mounting wings (or mounting wing portions) and a container with a cleaning solution. The number of cleaning pads provided in this system may be related to the frequency of floor surface cleaning by the consumer. In one embodiment, the system may be a kit that includes at least one of any of the aforementioned cleaning pads that may be selected depending on the type of cleaning implement used by the consumer and the cleaning frequency. In one embodiment, the system may also include a container that contains a cleaning solution. The consumer may also be provided with information including such instructions as to how to install and use the cleaning pad.

(V) Others Absorbent material suitable for the absorbent layer.
The cleaning pad of the present invention includes at least one absorbent layer.
The layer that forms the cleaning pad including the absorbent layer is preferably made from a material such that the pad has a soot ₁₂₀₀ absorbent capacity of at least 5 g / g, more preferably at least 10 g / g, and most preferably at least 20 g / g. Is done.

  Non-limiting examples of absorbent materials suitable for the absorbent layer of the cleaning pad include cotton, African hanega, bagasse, kelp, flax, silk, wool, wood pulp, chemically modified wood pulp, jute, Natural fibers (modified or unmodified) such as ethyl cellulose and cellulose acetate, and polyacrylic such as polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene chloride, ORLON (registered trademark) , Polyvinyl acetate, rayon (registered trademark), polyethyl vinyl acetate, insoluble or soluble polyvinyl alcohol, polyolefins such as polyethylene (eg, PULPEX (registered trademark)) and polypropylene, polyamides such as nylon, dacron (DACRON) (registered trademark) or KODEL (registered trademark) Which polyesters, polyurethanes, can be made from such polystyrenes include made synthetically fibers.

In one embodiment, the absorbent layer may include only naturally occurring fibers, only synthetic fibers, or any compatible combination of naturally occurring fibers and synthetic fibers.
The fibers useful herein may be hydrophilic, hydrophobic, or a combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic fibers. Suitable hydrophilic fibers for use in the present invention include cellulose fibers, modified cellulose fibers, rayon, polyester fibers such as hydrophilic nylon (HYDROFIL®). Suitable hydrophilic fibers include hydrophobizing hydrophobic fibers and surfactants such as thermoplastic fibers derived from polyolefins such as polyethylene or polypropylene, polyacrylics, polyamides, polystyrenes, polyurethanes, etc. It can also be obtained by treatment or silica treatment.

  Suitable wood pulp fibers include well-known chemical processes such as the craft and sulfite process, groundwood process, refiner mechanical process, thermomechanical process, chemimechanical process, and chemi thermomechanical pulp process. Derived from mechanical processes.

In addition, the fibers may optionally be thermally bonded with a thermoplastic material to provide further overall integrity to the cleaning pad. The thermoplastic material useful in the present invention may be in any form, including particulate, fiber, or a combination of particulate and fiber. Thermoplastic materials, and in particular thermoplastic fibers, are polyolefins such as polyethylene (eg, PULPEX®) and polypropylene, polyesters, copolyesters, polyvinyl acetate, polyethyl vinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride, Made of various thermoplastic polymers, including polyvinylidene chloride, polyacrylics, polyamides, copolyamides, polystyrenes, polyurethanes, and copolymers such as any of the foregoing vinyl chloride / vinyl acetates Can do.
Suitable thermoplastic fibers can be made of a single polymer (single component fibers) or can be made of two or more polymers (eg, bicomponent fibers).

The absorbent layer of the cleaning pad may also comprise a uniform material, such as a mixture of cellulose fibers (optionally heat bonded) and a superabsorbent material known in the art. As used herein, the term “superabsorbent material” refers to a g / g absorption into water of at least about 15 g / g when measured under a 2.0 kPa limited pressure. Any absorbent material having a quantity is meant. Since most of the cleaning fluids useful with the present invention are aqueous based, it is preferred that the superabsorbent material has a relatively high g / g absorption for water or water based fluids. Non-limiting examples of suitable superabsorbent materials include US patent application 09/831 assigned to the Procter & Gamble Company, which also describes a method for measuring す る₁₂₀₀ absorption capacity. 480 (Policicchio et al., Filed Nov. 9, 1999), water-insoluble, water-swellable superabsorbent gelling polymers (herein referred to as “superabsorbent gelling polymers”). "). These materials exhibit a very high absorption capacity for water.
Alternatively, the absorbent layer may include separate layers of material, such as a layer of thermally bonded airlaid material and a separate layer of superabsorbent material.

  In a preferred embodiment, the absorbent layer comprises cellulose fibers (Flint River available from Weyerhaeuser, Washington) and AL Thermal C (Danaklon a / s ) (Thermoplastic resin available from Varde, Denmark) and a swellable hydrogel-forming superabsorbent polymer. The superabsorbent polymer is preferably incorporated such that a separate layer is located near the surface of the absorbent layer away from the floorsheet. Preferably, for example, a thin layer of cellulose fibers (optionally heat bonded) is placed over the superabsorbent gelling polymer to enhance confinement.

(Any liquid permeable floor sheet)
The floor sheet is the part of the cleaning pad that contacts the soiled surface during cleaning. Therefore, a material useful as a floorsheet must be sufficiently durable that the layer retains its integrity during the cleaning process. Further, when the cleaning pad is used in combination with a solution, the floor sheet needs to be at least partially liquid permeable so that liquid and dirt can be transferred to the absorbent layer. The floor sheet may be a single layer or a multi-layer structure, and one or more layers of the layer may rub the dirty surface and facilitate lifting of particulate matter. A slit may be inserted. The floorsheet preferably includes openings (eg, slits, tapered capillaries, or holes) that provide easy passage for large particulate matter to enter freely and be trapped within the absorbent layer of the pad. In order to further facilitate the transport of particulate matter to the absorbent layer of the pad, a low density structure is preferred for use as a floor sheet. The floor sheet is described in PCT International Publication No. WO 00/27271 (Policicchio et al., Filed Nov. 9, 1999) assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company. It may be made from any permeable material known in the art. Non-limiting examples of such permeable materials suitable for floorsheets include polymers such as woven and nonwoven materials, perforated molded thermoplastic films, perforated plastic films, and hydroformed thermoplastic films. Materials, porous foams, reticulated foams, reticulated thermoplastic films, and thermoplastic scrims. Suitable woven and non-woven materials include natural fibers (eg, wood or cotton fibers), polyolefins (eg, polyethylene and polypropylene), polyesters, polyamides, and synthetic cellulose (eg, RAYON®). )) Or a combination of natural and synthetic fibers. In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning pad 10 includes a liquid permeable floor sheet that at least partially includes a perforated molded film.

  In one embodiment, the floor sheet may also include a material that provides a significant texture to the pad on at least a portion of the lower surface of the pad. For example, a preferred means for providing such a texture is to form a multilayer composite comprising a scrim material (eg, polypropylene) and a spunlace material (eg, polyester).

(Cleaning solution)
As described above, the cleaning pad may be used with a cleaning instrument having a built-in fluid discharge mechanism and / or with a cleaning instrument and a container that allows the user to dispense the cleaning solution directly to the floor surface. .
The cleaning solution comprises water, at least a surfactant, optionally a solvent, optionally a foam suppressant, optionally a buffer, optionally a polymer, optionally a perfume, and optionally an antibacterial agent.

  Non-limiting examples of suitable compositions can be found in US patent application 09 / 655,211 (Godfroid et al., September 2000), all assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company. US patent application 09 / 671,718 (Sherry et al., Filed Sep. 27, 2000), and US patent application 09 / 671,080 (Godfroid et al., September 2000). 27th application).

  While specific embodiments of the subject invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations of the subject invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, while the present invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments, it has been limited by means of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and as broad as recognized in the prior art. Should be interpreted.

1 is an isometric view of an example of a cleaning instrument that can be used with the present invention. FIG. FIG. 6 is an isometric view of another example of a cleaning implement that can be used with the present invention. FIG. 6 is an isometric view of another example of a cleaning implement that can be used with the present invention. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the cleaning instrument shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the cleaning pad of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a side view of the “closed” arrangement of the cleaning pad shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a side view of the “open” arrangement of the cleaning pad shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a side view of another cleaning pad shown in a “closed” configuration. FIG. 10 is a side view of the cleaning pad of FIG. 9 shown in an “open” configuration. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of one cleaning pad of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a side view of the “closed” arrangement of the cleaning pad shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 6 is a side view of another embodiment shown in a “closed” configuration. FIG. 3 is a plan view of an embodiment shown in an “open” configuration. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of one cleaning pad of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of one cleaning pad of the present invention shown in an “open” configuration. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of one cleaning pad of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of one cleaning pad of the present invention shown in an “open” configuration. FIG. 6 is an isometric view of another embodiment of the present invention shown in an “open” configuration. 1 is a schematic representation of the first step of one method of making the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of the second step of one method of making the present invention. Schematic of the third step of one method of making the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first step of another method of making the present invention. Schematic of the second step of another method of making the present invention. Schematic of the third step of another method of making the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first step of another method of making the present invention. Schematic of the second step of another method of making the present invention. Schematic of the third step of another method of making the present invention. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of one cleaning pad of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of another cleaning pad of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of another cleaning pad of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of another cleaning pad of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of another cleaning pad of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of another cleaning pad of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of another cleaning pad of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of another cleaning pad of the present invention.

Claims (15)

A first cleaning instrument having a first mop head having a length and a width; and a holding means positioned on the first mop head;
In the cleaning pad which can use together the 2nd mop head which has length and width, and the 2nd cleaning implement which has the holding means located in the undersurface of the 2nd mop head,
First and second attachment wing portions, each having an upper surface and a lower surface, an absorption layer having a length and a width, removably attachable to the holding means located on the upper surface of the mop head of the first cleaning instrument An absorbent layer having a width of the absorbent layer greater than the width of the mop head of the first cleaning instrument,
And at least one strip of mechanical fasteners attached to the cleaning pad such that the cleaning pad is removably attachable to the holding means located on the lower surface of the mop head of the second cleaning instrument. The cleaning pad as described above.   The first and second attachment wing portions are folded over the absorbent layer such that each of the first and second attachment wing portions at least partially covers an upper surface of the absorbent layer, whereby the first and second attachment wing portions are folded over the absorbent layer. The cleaning pad according to claim 1, which forms a second fold line. The holding means located on the lower surface of the mop head of the second cleaning implement is a hook fastener;
A first strip of loop fastener attached to the top surface of the folded first mounting wing portion and a second loop fastener attached to the top surface of the folded second mounting wing portion. With strips,
The cleaning pad according to claim 2, wherein the first strip and the second strip of a loop fastener are directly attachable to the hook fastener. The first strip of loop fastener is substantially adjacent to the first fold line;
The cleaning pad of claim 3, wherein the second strip of loop fastener is substantially adjacent to the second fold line.   The cleaning pad according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the first and second attachment wing portions are partially fixed to an upper surface of the absorption layer.   The cleaning pad according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the first attachment wing portion is partially fixed to the second attachment wing portion.   The cleaning pad according to claim 1, further comprising an impermeable layer attached to upper surfaces of the first and second attachment wing portions. The holding means located on the lower surface of the mop head of the second cleaning implement is a hook fastener;
The impermeable layer is attached to a first strip of loop fastener attached to a portion of the impermeable layer that covers the first attachment wing portion and to a portion of the impermeable layer that covers the second attachment wing portion. A second strip of loop fasteners,
The cleaning pad of claim 7, wherein the first and second strips of loop fasteners are attachable directly to the hook fasteners.   The cleaning pad according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the impermeable layer includes perforations along the length of the impermeable layer.   The cleaning pad according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least one of the first and second attachment wing portions includes a cut.   11. A cleaning pad according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one strip of loop fastener is made from a material having a peel resistance of at least 30g. A first cleaning implement having a mop head having a length and a width, and holding means positioned on the mop head;
In a cleaning pad that can be used together with a mop head having a length and a width and a second cleaning instrument having a holding means located on the lower surface of the mop head,
An absorbent layer having a length and a width;
A floor sheet having a length and a width, wherein the floor sheet is in direct fluid communication with the absorbent layer and is removably attachable to the holding means located on the top surface of the mop head of the first cleaning implement. A floor sheet having a width of the floor sheet greater than the width of the mop head of the first cleaning implement, so as to include first and second attachment wing portions;
At least one strip of loop fasteners attached to the cleaning pad so that the cleaning pad can be removably attached to the holding means located on the lower surface of the mop head of the second cleaning instrument. Pad characterized by. A first cleaning implement having a mop head having a length and a width, and holding means positioned on the mop head;
In a cleaning pad that can be used together with a mop head having a length and a width and a second cleaning instrument having a holding means located on the lower surface of the mop head,
An absorbent layer having upper and lower surfaces, a length and width, and a leading edge and a trailing edge;
A first attachment wing connected to the front edge of the absorbent layer, removably attachable to the holding means of the first cleaning implement;
A second attachment wing connected to the rear edge of the absorbent layer, removably attachable to the holding means of the first cleaning implement;
The pad, wherein the first and second attachment wings are made from a material having a peel resistance of at least 30 g. A first cleaning implement having a mop head having a length and a width, and holding means positioned on the mop head;
In a cleaning pad that can be used together with a mop head having a length and a width and a second cleaning instrument having a holding means located on the lower surface of the mop head,
An absorbent layer having upper and lower surfaces, a length and width, and a leading edge and a trailing edge;
A mounting layer connected to the absorbent layer substantially adjacent to the leading edge and the trailing edge of the absorbent layer, the mounting layer comprising a breakable perforation line along its length; The cleaning pad comprising: an attachment layer, wherein the first and second attachment wings are detachably attachable to the holding means of the first cleaning instrument when the line breaks. A first cleaning implement having a mop head having a length and a width, and holding means positioned on the mop head;
In a cleaning pad that can be used together with a mop head having a length and a width and a second cleaning instrument having a holding means located on the lower surface of the mop head,
An absorbent layer having upper and lower surfaces, a length and width, and a leading edge and a trailing edge;
An impermeable layer attached to the upper surface of the absorbent layer;
A first attachment wing connected to the impermeable layer, removably attachable to the holding means of the first cleaning implement;
A second attachment wing connected to the impermeable layer, removably attachable to the holding means of the first cleaning implement;
A first strip of loop fastener attached to the top surface of the first attachment wing;
A second strip of loop fasteners attached to the upper surface of the second attachment wing;
The cleaning pad, wherein the first and second strips of loop fasteners are made from a material having a peel resistance of at least 30 g.

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