KR101061916B1 - Flock processed substrate used as refining material - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning article comprising a floc processed substrate 1 in which the floc 3 is arranged substantially perpendicular to the substrate and comprises fibers having a maximum length of 2.0 mm and which are substantially free of abrasive particles. . In one embodiment, a flocked substrate is laminated to foam layer 9 to provide a cleaning pad for hand holding. In another embodiment, the substrate is a wipe.

Description

Flocked substrate used as refining material {FLOCKED SUBSTRATES FOR USE AS SCOURING MATERIALS}

The present invention relates to substrates suitable for use by consumers as scouring materials for surface cleaning in a variety of environments, including home environments, industrial environments, hospital environments, and food industry environments.

Substrates that provide a refining action are widely used for cleaning at home, most frequently for cleaning surfaces and cooking utensils in kitchens and bathrooms. Refining substrates already known for this use include resin-bonded nonwoven webs of the type disclosed in US-A-2 958 593. Inclusion of abrasive particles in these webs can enhance the polishing action.

In addition, as disclosed in US-A-4 991 362, pads formed from continuous tows of corrugated or undulating filaments are known for cooking cookware. These pads may also include abrasive particles to enhance wear.

GB-A-1 539 477 and WO 02/06009 also disclose the use of floc processed substrates for cleaning at home and by depositing abrasive particles (in the form of resin beads) on the free ends of the flock fibers. It has been proposed to increase the polishing action.

As the use of surfaces that can be damaged by coarse abrasive materials in many environments increases, consumers for cleaning substrates that have a smoother abrasive action and can quickly and thoroughly remove materials such as dirt, grease, burnt food, etc. Demand is growing. Consumers also require a cleaning substrate that is easy to clean itself (eg, by simply rinsing after use) and that does not contain undesirable residues and odors that may subsequently contaminate other surfaces. It is an object of the present invention to meet these requirements.

The present invention is based on the surprising finding that short flock processed substrates can efficiently act as a refining material without the need to deposit any abrasive particles on the flock fibers, as compared to flock fibers already proposed for home refining substrate applications. The absence of abrasive particles on the flock fibers reduces the likelihood that such substrate will damage the surface to be cleaned.

The present invention therefore provides a floc processed substrate for use as a domestic refining material, in which the floe comprises fibers arranged substantially perpendicular to the substrate and having a maximum length of 2.0 mm and substantially free of abrasive particles.

Flock processed substrates having a flock fiber less than 2.0 mm in length and containing no abrasive particles have already been proposed for certain industrial processes such as polishing pads (flock processing for polishing items such as optical glass and semiconductor substrates). See WO 98/45112, FR-A-2 799 403 and EP-A-1 057 590, for which the use of the substrate is disclosed. In such industrial processes, polishing pads are generally used with some types of polishing compounds.

The invention also provides a cleaning article comprising a floc processed substrate laminated to a foam layer, wherein the flocs are arranged substantially perpendicular to the substrate surface to which they are bound and have a maximum length of 2.0 mm and are substantially abrasive It includes fibers that do not contain particles. Foam has a density of the number of any type known to be suitable for washing at 75~125 Kg / m ³ range of cellulose foam and assumes a density of the polyurethane foam, including 18~30 Kg / m ³ range. This type of cleaning article, which may be in the form of a pad suitable for handholding and use, provides two useful cleaning actions, namely, the refining action provided by the floc side of the pad and the wiping action provided by the opposing foam side of the pad. do.

The present invention also provides a cleaning article comprising a floc processed wipe, wherein the flocs are arranged substantially perpendicular to the substrate surface to which they are bound and have a maximum length of 2.0 mm and are substantially free of abrasive particles. Contains fibers

As used herein, “wipe” means a liquid absorbing web material suitable for use in dry or wet conditions to remove unwanted material from the surface using a wiping action. Wipes are often "disposable" (meaning they are intended to be disposed of immediately after use), "semi-disposable" (meaning that a limited number of times can be cleaned and reused), and "reusable" (for cleaning and reuse) Means that the Known wipe materials generally have a basis weight in the range of 15 to 300 gm / m ² but higher basis weight materials can be used and include knitted, woven and nonwoven materials. Wipe materials are often hydrophilic, but may also be specifically configured to absorb non-aqueous liquids such as, for example, greases and oils.

In the cleaning article of the present invention, the flock must be applied in such a way that at least one area of the wipe surface is left exposed. This type of cleaning article also allows for the use of two different cleaning actions useful in surface cleaning, namely, the wiping action provided by the exposed liquid absorption zone (s) and the refining action provided by the flock processing zone (s) of the wipe. To provide.

In general, both sides of the wipe provide the same wiping action. However, when the cleaning article of the present invention comprises a wipe in which a wiping action is provided only by one side of the wipe, the flock fibers must be applied such that at least part of one side of the surface remains exposed.

By way of example, embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a refining substrate.

2 is a plan view of a refining substrate containing a pattern.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning pad used by hand.

4 is a perspective view of a cleaning pad used by hand.

5 is a cross-sectional view of another cleaning article.

6 and 7 are plan views of other cleaning articles.

The refined substrate 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a flocked substrate, wherein the flock is arranged substantially perpendicular to the substrate material 5 and is bound to the substrate material by a layer of adhesive 7. It includes.

The general types of floc processed substrates shown in FIG. 1 and methods of making them are well known. In a conventional method, an adhesive layer is applied to a substrate and, while the adhesive is tacky, the flock fibers are attached so that one end is embedded in the adhesive and generally stands perpendicular to the substrate material. The substrate is then heated in an oven to dry and cure the adhesive layer.

For the manufacture of the refined substrate 1, any woven or nonwoven flexible material suitable for cleaning at home (ie capable of withstanding hot water and cleaning fluids) can be used as the base material 5. One suitable material is a woven polyester / cotton material comprising 65% polyester and 35% cotton and having a basis weight of 105 g / m ² .

Any fiber known to be suitable for floc processing and suitable for cleaning at home (ie capable of withstanding hot water and cleaning fluids) can be used as the floc 3. Particularly suitable materials are in particular polyamides in the form of nylon 6 or nylon 6.6, but polypropylene or polyester fibers can also be used. The fibers, which can be colored as desired, preferably have a finer (mass per unit length) in the range of 15 to 80 dtex (more preferably 22 to 50 dtex) and are cut to a length of 2.0 mm or less. Particularly effective refining action has been found to be obtained using 0.8 mm length and 44 dtex fineness or 0.4 mm length and 22 dtex fineness.

The floc 3 can be uniformly applied onto the base material, in which case it is preferable to apply the floc 3 in an amount of 150 to 180 g / m ² . Alternatively, the floc 3 can be applied to form a pattern on the surface of the base material 5, and a method of obtaining this is well known and the adhesive 7 can be applied to the surface by a specific type of printing method. Applying in the required pattern, and consequently, the flock fibers will adhere to the substrate only in the area where the adhesive is applied. For example, FIG. 2 shows a pattern obtained by removing the adhesive 7 from the regularly spaced rectangular patches 11 of the base material 5. In this case, the flock fibers 3 will adhere to the substrate material 5 in all areas except for these patches, where the substrate 5 remains exposed. The size of the patch 11 can be changed to change the area of the base material 5 which is not covered by the floc 3, and the shape of the patch 11 can also be changed.

The adhesive chosen to bond the floc 3 to the base material 5 should be suitable for cleaning at home (especially capable of withstanding hot water and cleaning fluids) and should not adversely affect the availability of the base material. . Suitable adhesives are acrylic adhesives and PVC (polyvinylchloride) resins and are applied in an amount that will produce a very thin layer on the substrate material (eg, about 90-140 g / m ² ).

The flocked substrate constructed as described above with respect to FIG. 1 not only cleans kitchen and bathroom surfaces in the absence of any abrasive particles on the flock fibers 3, but also burns food from cooking utensils using conventional liquid detergents. It has been found to provide an effective refining action in the home environment, sufficient to remove it. The refining action has been found to be comparable to, or in some cases better than, currently available nonwoven, scratch-free home refining materials, including those containing plastic (or other soft) abrasive particles. On the other hand, any removal of abrasive particles from the floc processed substrate eliminates any risk of damage to the substrate to be cleaned. It has been found that the floc processed substrates do not capture residues of material removed from the surface to be cleaned, so that any residues remaining on the surface after use are easily removed by simply rinsing the substrate in water. If necessary, the substrate can be washed with hot water and detergent and then reused.

The appearance of the floc processed substrate can be varied by using a substrate material with a colored or printed design and applying the floc 3 in such a way that the color or printed design remains distinct.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flocked substrate 1 as disclosed above via FIGS. 1 and 2 is laminated to a layer of foam 9 as shown in FIG. 3. The laminate can then be cut into pads of a size suitable for cleaning at home, in particular handheld. The foam 9 can be of any type known to be suitable for cleaning at home, including cellulose foams having a density in the range of 75 to 125 Kg / m ³ and polyurethane foams having a density in the range of 18 to 30 Kg / m ^3. have.

The foam can be any suitable thickness but a thickness in the range of 0.5-5.0 cm has been found to be particularly useful for cleaning at home. When using thinner foam layers, the laminate can be cut into pads having a larger surface area (eg, about 20 × 20 cm or less in dimension). Thicker foam layers may be more suitable for pads having a smaller surface area (eg, dimensions about 7 × 9 cm).

For example, a cleaning pad 13 comprising a flocked substrate 15 laminated on a foam layer 17 is shown in FIG. 4. In this case, the floc is applied to the substrate to form the pattern illustrated in FIG. 2, but this is not essential, and the floc can be applied to form another pattern or the floc can be applied continuously onto the substrate.

FIG. 5 shows a cleaning article 21 comprising a floc processed substrate comprising fibers 23, in which flocs are arranged substantially perpendicular to the substrate 25 and bound to the substrate by an adhesive layer 27. In this case, however, the substrate 25 comprises a wipe suitable for use by the consumer in cleaning the surface. "Wipe" means "disposable" (meaning it is intended to be discarded immediately after use), "semi-disposable" (meaning that a limited number of times can be cleaned and reused), and "reusable" (for cleaning and reuse) May mean). Known wipe materials generally have a basis weight in the range of 15 to 300 gm / m ² but higher basis weight materials can be used. Fabrics and knits are suitable and non-woven materials are also suitable, including dry-lay, wet-lay and spunbond materials that can be heat-bonded, resin-bonded, ultrasonic-bonded, needle-punched, entangled with water if appropriate.

Suitable materials for disposable wipes have a basis weight in the range of 15 to 75 g / m ² and include, for example, spunbond and spunlace nonwoven materials made from PET, rayon, viscose, wood pulp, polypropylene, natural fibers, polyamides or mixtures thereof It includes. An example of a disposable wipe material is that commercially available from DuPont under the trade name "Sontara" and from Tenotex, Terno Disola, Italy under the trade name "TenoLace".

Suitable materials for the semi-disposable wipes include spunlace nonwoven materials having basis weights in the range of 75-250 g / m ² and made, for example, from fibers of polyester, polyamide, viscose or microfibers. An example of a semi-disposable wipe material is 3M, St. Paul, Minn., USA, sold under the trade name "Scotch-Brite ™ Dusting Cloth," and DuPont under the trade name "Sontara."

Suitable materials for reusable wipes have a basis weight in the range of 100 to 300 g / m ² and for example knitted fabrics, fabrics made from fibers or microfibers of PET, rayon, viscose, polypropylene, natural fibers, polyamides or mixtures thereof, Heat-adhesive materials, latex-coated materials and taxable materials. An example of a reusable wipe is commercially available under the trade name "Ideal" from Lever, Madrid, Spain.

The wipe may often be specially configured to absorb a hydrophilic or nonaqueous liquid. For example, microfiber wipes are aimed at removing grease from the surface.

In general, both sides of the wipe 25 will provide the same wiping action. However, if only one side of the wipe 25 provides the wiping action, then the flock fiber 23 is applied to the wipe in such a way that a sufficient area of one side of the wipe can be exposed and used to provide the wiping action. For example, in this case the flock fibers 23 can be applied only to the other side (non-wiping side) of the wipe 25.

This disclosure of the floc 3 of FIGS. 1-3 applies also to the floc 23 of the cleaning article 21. The floc 23 is likewise applied uniformly on the surface of the wipe 25 (preferably in this case in an amount of 150 to 180 g / m ² ), or more preferably in the manner disclosed above 25) to form a pattern on the surface. In the latter case, in order to apply the adhesive 27 in a predetermined pattern on the surface of the wipe material, a very thin layer of high viscosity adhesive can be applied, so as to absorb liquid properties of the uncoated area of the wipe and (if appropriate) the other side of the wipe. It is preferable to use the screen coating method which can maintain the liquid absorption characteristic of the.

Flock 23 may be applied to the surface of wipe 25 in the pattern illustrated in FIG. 2, or in alternative patterns illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, for example. If desired, other patterns can be used, including irregular patterns.

FIG. 6 shows a pattern obtained by printing on the wipe 25 as two sets of parallel lines perpendicular to the adhesive 27, and FIG. 7 prints on the wipe 25 as a set of parallel lines on the adhesive 27. The pattern obtained by showing is shown. When the surface of the wipe 25 to which the floe is applied is liquid absorbent, it is preferable to apply the floc in such a manner that the liquid absorption property is maintained in the non-floc processed region. The floc is also preferably applied in such a way that any liquid absorption properties of the other side of the wipe are not affected. In some applications, it may be desirable to apply the floc to only one selected area of wipe 25, such as one corner.

The adhesive selected to bond the floc 23 to the wipe 25 must be suitable for use even under the conditions in which the wipe is used (eg, must be able to withstand hydrothermal and cleaning fluids). Preferably, it should not adversely affect the flexibility of the wipe or the degree of absorption of the uncoated portion of the wipe surface as already mentioned. Suitable adhesive and coating weights are as described above for the adhesive 7 in FIG. 1.

If desired, after applying the floc and then curing the first adhesive layer, an additional adhesive coating can be applied on top of the first layer. Such further processing steps are already known in the textile industry in increasing the durability of the floc material.

The floc processed wipes constructed as described above with reference to FIG. 5, through the use of the floc processed surface, not only clean the surface of use, but also any conventional liquid detergent, even if there are no abrasive particles on the flock fibers 23. Has been found to provide an effective refining action to remove burnt food from cooking utensils. This refining action has been found to be comparable to, or in some cases better than, currently available nonwoven, scratch-free home refining materials, including refining materials containing plastic (or other soft) abrasive particles. On the other hand, removal of abrasive particles from the flock fibers 23 substantially eliminates any risk of damage to the surface to be cleaned. At the same time, the non-flocked surface or surface area of the wipe can be used to provide the conventional wiping action desired by the wipe 25. The flocked surface or surface area of wipe 25 does not capture residue of material removed from the surface to be cleaned, so any residue remaining on the wipe after use has been found to be easily removed by simply rinsing the wipe in water. .

Wipe 25 will generally be of a size that is suitable for hand use, such as a larger size for use on a mop head for floor cleaning.

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Claims (33)

A cleaning article comprising a flocked cleaning surface on one side and a foamed cleaning surface on the opposite side, the cleaning article comprising a flocked substrate laminated to a foam layer, wherein the flocked substrate is directed to the surface of the substrate. And vertically arranged and bonded to the substrate by an adhesive, the fiber having a maximum length of 2.0 mm and no abrasive particles. A cleaning article comprising a flocked wipe, wherein the wipe comprises a material coated with an adhesive, wherein both sides of the flocked wipe have a wiping action, and the flock is arranged perpendicularly to the surface of the wipe and by an adhesive A flocked fiber, the fiber having a maximum length of 2.0 mm and no abrasive particles, wherein the floc is applied to the wipe in such a way that at least one area of the wipe surface is exposed; What is it, a cleaning article. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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