MX2008008669A - Cleaning wipe comprising integral, shaped tab portions - Google Patents

Abstract

A cleaning wipe (10) comprising integral, shaped tab portions (110) adapted to engage the fastening devices of a cleaning tool (12) is disclosed. Such wipes are generally more efficient, in that a greater percentage of the total surface area of the wipe is used for its intended purpose:cleaning and wiping. Furthermore, such wipes generally may more tenaciously engage certain kinds of fastening devices, thereby making these wipes potentially more effective. Processes for making said wipes, and packages and marketing methods for presenting said wipes to consumers, are also disclosed.

Description

CLEANING CLOTH COMPRISING CONFORMED AND INTEGRATED APPENDIX PORTIONS BACKGROUND Cleaning tools, such as mops, are commonly used to clean surfaces and other objects found in industrial and residential environments. Mops typically include an elongated handle with a mop head attached to the handle. Various types of disposable cleaning cloths are well known in the art, products that stand alone or for the attachment in some manner of cleaning tool such as a mop, a scrubbing device held in the hand and others. A disposable cleaning cloth or pad component can be attached to the mop head, with the cleaning cloth configured to collect dirt, lint, fluid and other materials from a surface when the mop head is moved on the surface. The disposable cleaning cloth can be designed to collect these materials in a dry or wet state. Once the disposable cleaning cloth reaches the end of its designated life, the user can remove the cleaning cloth from the mop head and subsequently discard the cleaning cloth. As such, a new disposable cleaning cloth can be applied to the mop head in order to resume or initiate cleaning.

The bottom surface of a conventional mop head, or other type of cleaning tool, is generally flat and the disposable cleaning cloth is tensioned flat against the surface to be cleaned, which is also typically an essentially uniform flat surface. . Various configurations have been used in the art to removably attach the disposable cleaning wipes to the mop head or other cleaning implement. For example, a conventional method utilizes fastening devices provided on the upper side of the mop head, such as slits, fasteners or other mechanical devices formed on or attached to the mop head. Such wipers have the lateral linear edges that are pulled by the user to extend over and on the upper side of the mop head to be tucked into the retention slots or otherwise hooked by the fasteners or other devices on the mop head. upper side of the mop head. That part of the disposable wiping cloth adjacent to the side edges attached to the upper side of the mop is not generally available for the purpose of cleaning attempted by the wiping cloth. For example, only that part of the cleaning cloth adjacent to the bottom side of the mop used to clean or otherwise clean surfaces is currently used for this purpose. Therefore, conventional rectangular cleaning cloths result in waste when used with such mops.

What is required is a cleaning cloth that can be used with conventional mops or other devices, including scrubbing devices held in the hand but allowing a convenient connection to the upper-side fasteners while minimizing the associated waste with some part of the cleaning cloth being not available for contact with the surfaces that are going to be cleaned or scrubbed.

SYNTHESIS We have determined that a wiper blade comprising the integral shaped appendage portions can be adapted to engage the top-side clamping devices of a mop or other hand held mopping device, while simultaneously reducing or minimizing the amount of cleaning cloth required to fold up and around the head of the cleaning cloth or scrubbing device for fastening purposes. Such novel configurations reduce waste and provide an increased percentage of the total cleaning cloth surface area that has been available for the intended purpose: cleaning and scrubbing surfaces. Furthermore, we have surprisingly found that such shaped and integral appendages can engage certain fastening devices on a mop head or mopping device held in the hand more tenaciously, thus allowing for more vigorous cleaning and scrubbing without accidental release of the cleaning cloth from one or more fastening devices.

It can be used in a variety of ways. For example, a cleaning cloth can be cut with a die, stamped or otherwise formed in such a way that the cleaning cloth has a shape analogous to the letter "H". For example, the horizontal line or a bar of the letter "H" correspond to an essentially rectangular shape and a size adapted to be placed near a rectangular bottom side of a mop head or other scrubbing device (if such a mop or scrubbing device has a rectangular bottom side). This part of the cleaning cloth can be thought of as a surface or primary cleaning substrate of the cleaning cloth, since this is the part of the surface that will be used for the purposes of cleaning and / or scrubbing. Each of the vertical lines of the letter "H" corresponds to the rectangular appendages that extend outward, and are integrally connected to the primary cleaning substrate. These appendages have a width, extend outwards by a length and are located so that the appendages can hook the clamping devices on the upper side of the scrubbing device or mop head. For example, if the upper side of a rectangular mop head had clamping devices, one at each corner of the mop head, each of the four appendages of the cleaning cloth it will extend up and around the head of the cleaning cloth so that each appendix will engage each of the four corresponding holding devices. The number, location and shape of the appendages may be varied, provided that the corresponding cleaning cloth is adapted to be fixed or attached to a mop head or other cleaning devices, such as a hand held mopping device, while waste is essentially reduced by increasing the percentage of the surface area of the cleaning cloth available for cleaning (as compared to the surface area of cleaning cloth available for cleaning on a conventional rectangular cleaning cloth). In addition, as will be discussed in more detail below, the surface of the primary cleaning substrate may have different shapes to correspond to the shape of the mop head or other support on a cleaning device. For example, if the cleaning cloth head did not have a rectangular shape, instead it had a shape similar to a triangle with two curvilinear edges and a linear edge (similar to the shape found on the ironing surface on many hand irons ), then the primary cleaning substrate or the cleaning cloth surface can be similarly shaped, with the appendices extending outwardly from the primary cleaning substrate and integrally connected thereto to engage the mop head upper clamping devices .

In another version of the invention, the cleaning cloth has an hourglass shape, for example, two of the opposite edges are linear - these edges that will lie along the ends of the head of a rectangular mop. And two of the opposite edges will define a serpentine shape (again for purposes of discussion here, each serpentine shore, each shore taken together, define an hourglass shape). As a result, the distance between these two serpentine shaped edges varies, with a minimum distance in the central part of the hourglass shape and a maximum distance at each end of the hourglass shape. Generally, the location of the maximum distance between these two opposite edges will correspond to the ends of the cleaning cloth, in a location close to the location of the upper side fasteners of the corresponding mop head or other cleaning device (again, this version assumes that the fastening devices on the upper side of the mop head or other cleaning device will be close to the four corners of a rectangular shaped mop head or cleaning device - but as discussed above, the cloth cleaner and any of the corresponding appendage elements may be shaped to correspond to other geometries). In effect, the wider ends of the hourglass-shaped cleaning cloth define the shaped appendages to be wrapped above and around the mop head to engage the mop heads. corresponding fastening elements. Many other shapes that comprise curvilinear edges are possible. One such shape comprises opposite sinusoidal waveform edges.

Another version of the invention encompasses processes directed to produce the various shaped wipers of the present invention (e.g., wipers comprising integral integral appendages). In one embodiment, the design of integral and integral appendage portions (eg the perimeter design traced by the overall cleaning cloth) is selected to satisfy two criteria: (1) a shape that is adapted to engage and to be used with a mop head or other cleaning device, such as a scrubbing device held in the hand, while reducing waste and increasing the effectiveness of the wiper cloth (e.g. making more than the total surface area of the wiper cloth available for cleaning. your intended purpose); and (2) a form that reduces or eliminates waste during the production of said form (for example by selecting a shape so that the resulting cleaning cloths are not nested during production, so that for example, if a cleaning cloth has opposite sinusoidal wave shaped edges, then the sinusoidal waveform edges of this first wiper cloth will be adjacent to the sinusoidal wave shaped edges of the first immediate wiper cloth neighbors, except for those for cleaners located on one side of the linear edge of a fibrous fabric from which the wipers are cut.

Other versions of the invention cover the packaging and / or marketing of the shaped cleaning cloths of the present invention, including the association of a cleaning cloth of the present invention with names of brands or logos of cleaning cloths or formulations or cleaning agents .

Still other versions of the invention encompass cases comprising the shaped wipes of the present invention.

Other versions of the invention encompass cleaning wipes in which at least about 45% of the total surface area of one side of the wiping cloth is used for the intended purpose of cleaning or scrubbing; suitably at least about 50% of the total surface area of one side of the cleaning cloth is used for its intended purpose of cleaning or scrubbing; suitably at least about 55% of the total surface area of one side of the cleaning cloth is used for its intended purpose of cleaning or scrubbing; and suitably at least about 60% of the total surface area of one side of the cleaning cloth is used for the intended purpose.

Various features and advantages of the invention, as well as other versions and embodiments, will be set forth in part in the following description or may be obvious from the description or may be learned through the practice of the invention.

DRAWINGS Figure IA representatively depicts a top view of a flat lay-up cleaning cloth of the present invention, in this case a cleaning cloth having the edges of a sinusoidal wave shape.

Figure IB representatively depicts a top view of a mop head (attached in a pivot to a mop handle, a part of which is shown in the figure) placed on the shaped wiper cloth shown in Figure IA.

Fig. IC representatively illustrates a top view of a mop head and a shaped wiper cloth shown in Fig. IB with the difference being that the wiper blade appendage portions (defined by the sinusoidal waveform edges) have been placed above and on the upper side of the mop head. These appendage parts are in a position to make contact with any fastening device adapted to engage a cleaning cloth (for example slits on the upper side of the mop head, inside which the appendage portions of the cleaning cloth can be depressed).

Figs. 2A, 2B and 2C representatively depict the top side views of other versions of a flat layformed cleaning cloth of the present invention.

Figs. 3A and 3B representatively illustrate the top side views of other versions of a flat lay-up cleaning cloth of the present invention.

Figures 4A and 4B show the shape of the samples prepared to test the tenacity with which a cleaning cloth of the present invention and a conventional cleaning cloth will hook the holding device of a cleaning tool.

Figure 5 shows the tension tester used to test the toughness with which a cleaning cloth of the present invention and a conventional cleaning cloth engage the holding device of a cleaning tool.

Figure 6 shows a close-up view of the tester and the sample shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 shows the upper side of a mop head of a cleaning tool, including four holding devices located on the upper side, as well as the locations in which several samples were placed before being inserted into the holding device for test purposes.

Figures 8A and 8B show the position of a sample relative to three predetermined test locations of the upper part of the mop head of a cleaning tool.

Figure 9 shows a bar chart that compares the average maximum peak load at the disengagement for the samples having the integral and shaped appendages and the average peak peak chart at the disengagement for conventional rectangular samples.

DEFINITIONS Within the context of this description, each term or phrase below includes the following meaning or meanings: "Unite" and its derivatives refer to the union, adhesion, connection, fastening, sewing together, deposit, association or similar of two elements. The two elements will be considered as being held together when they are integrated with each other or directly linked to one another, such as when each is directly linked to intermediate elements. "Unite" and its derivatives include a permanent, releasable or resubstable subjection. In addition, the fastening can be completed either during the manufacturing process or by an end user.

"Unite", "inter-union" and its derivatives refer to the union, adhesion, subjection, connection, sewing together or similar of two elements. The two elements will be considered as being united or inter-linked together when they are directly linked to one another or indirectly to one another, such as when one is directly linked to intermediate elements. The "union" and its derivatives include permanent, releasable or resubstable union.

"Coform" refers to a blend of meltblown fibers and absorbent fibers such as cellulosic fibers that can be formed by air-forming a meltblown polymer material while simultaneously blowing the fibers suspended in air into the air. the stream of blown fibers with fusion. The coform material may also include other materials, such as super absorbent materials. The melt blown fibers and the absorbent fibers are reconnected on a forming surface, such as that provided by a band. The forming surface may include a gas permeable material that has been placed on the forming surface.

The "cleaning composition", "cleaning formulation", "agent", "cleaning agent", or their derivatives refer to cleaning or personal care compositions for use with a cleaning cloth of the present invention.

"Connect" and its derivatives refer to the joining, adhesion, fastening, sewing together, or the like of two elements. The two elements will be considered to be connected together when they are directly connected to each other or indirectly to one another, such as when each is directly connected to intermediate elements. "Connect" and its derivatives include a permanent, releasable or resubstable connection. In addition, the connection can be completed during either the manufacturing process or for the end user.

"Disposable" refers to items which are designed to be discarded after limited use rather than being washed or otherwise restored for re-use.

The terms "placed on" or "placed along", "placed with" or "placed towards" and variations thereof are intended to mean that an element may be integrated with another element or that an element may be a structure separate joined to or placed with or placed with another element.

"Fiber" refers to a continuous or non-continuous member that has a high ratio of length or diameter or width. Thus, a fiber can be a filament, a yarn, cord or any other member or combination of these members.

"Hydrophilic" describes fibers or surfaces of the fibers which are wetted with the aqueous liquids in contact with the fibers. The degree of wetting of the materials can, in turn, be described in terms of the contact angles and the surface tensions of the liquids and materials involved. Equipment and techniques suitable for measuring the wetting of particular fiber materials or blends of fiber materials can be provided by the Cahn SFA-222 surface force analyzer system, or an essentially equivalent system. When measured with this system, the fibers having contact angles of less than 90 degrees are designated "wettable" or hydrophilic, and the fibers having Contact angles greater than 90 degrees are designated "non-humidifying" or hydrophobic.

"Layer" when used in the singular may have the dual meaning of a single element or a plurality of elements.

"Liquid impervious" when used to describe a layer or multi-layer laminate means that the liquid will not pass through the layer or laminate, under ordinary conditions of use, in a direction generally perpendicular to the layer or laminated in the point of contact of the liquid.

"Liquid permeable" refers to any material that is not impervious to liquid.

"Meltblown" refers to fibers formed by extruding a melted thermoplastic material through a plurality of thin, usually circular capillary blood vessels, such as melted threads or filaments into gas (eg, air) to high streams. speed and converging, generally heated, which attenuate the filaments of melted thermoplastic material to reduce their diameters. Then, the meltblown fibers are carried by the gas stream at high speed and are deposited on a harvested surface, a support for form a fabric of blown fibers with fusion dispersed at random. Such a process is described, for example, in US Pat. No. 3,849,241 issued to Butin et al. Meltblown processes can be used to make fibers of various dimensions, including macro fibers (with average diameters from about 40 to about 100 microns), textile fibers (with average diameters between about 10 and 40 microns). ) and microfibers (with average diameters of less than about 10 microns). Meltblowing processes are particularly suitable for making microfibers, including ultra-fine microfibers (with an average diameter of about 3 microns or less). A description of an example process of the manufacture of ultra-fine microfibers can be found, for example, in United States of America patent number 5,213,881 issued to Timons et al. The meltblown fibers may be continuous or non-continuous and are generally self-bonding when deposited on a collecting surface.

"Member" when used in the singular may have the dual meaning of a single element or a plurality of elements.

"Nonwoven" and "non-woven fabric" refers to materials and fabrics of material that have been formed without the aid of a weaving or textile screening process. For example, non-woven materials, fabrics or fabrics have been formed from many processes such as, for example, meltblowing processes, spinning processes, air placement processes, coform processes and carded and bonded knitting processes.

The "Z-direction" refers to fibers placed outside the plane of tissue orientation. A fabric is considered to have an x-axis in the machine direction, an axis and in the cross-machine direction and a z-axis in the fluff direction, with the main planes or surfaces, lying parallel with the plane xy. The term "z-direction fibers as formed" can be used herein to refer to fibers that are oriented in the z direction during the formation of the non-woven fabric as distinguished from fibers having a z-direction component. resulting from the subsequent formation process of the non-woven fabric, such as in the case of mechanically crimped or creped or otherwise interrupted non-woven fabrics.

"Essentially continuous fibers" refers to fibers which are not cut from their original length before being formed into a nonwoven fabric or fabric. The essentially continuous fibers can have average lengths ranging from more than about 15 centimeters to more than one meter and up to the length of the fabric or fabric being formed. The definition of "essentially continuous fibers" includes fibers, which are not cut before being formed in a nonwoven fabric or fabric, but which are subsequently cut when the fabric or non-woven fabric is cut and the fibers which are essentially linear or crimped.

"Tenacity" refers to the strength of the fastener between a cleaning cloth and a fastening device for a cleaning tool (for example, grooves located near the four corners of the upper side of a mop head). The examples section below provides a procedure by which tenacity can be quantified.

"Air binding" or " " means the process of joining a nonwoven, for example a bicomponent fiber fabric, in which the air which is hot enough to melt one of the polymers of which fibers are made from the tissue is forced through the tissue.

"Fibers from side to side" belongs to the class of conjugate or bicomponent fibers. The term "bicomponent fibers" refers to fibers which have been formed from at least two extruded polymers of separate extruders but spun together to form a fiber. The bicomponent fibers are sometimes also referred to as conjugated fibers or multi-component fibers. The bicomponent fibers are shown, for example, in the patent of the United States of America no. 5,382,400 awarded to Pike and others.

The polymers of conjugated fibers are usually different from each other even though some conjugated fibers can be mono component fibers. Conjugated fibers are taught in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,108,820 issued to Kaneko et al., 4,185,668 issued to Krueger et al .; and 5,336,552 granted to Strack and others. The conjugate fibers can be used to produce rippling in the fibers by employing differential expansion and contraction rates of the two (or more) polymers.

The "low machine direction orientation" and the "upper machine direction orientation" as used herein refers to the degree to which the fibers of a nonwoven fabric are allowed to fill over the transverse direction of the fabric. forming surface, for example a band or other support; or a perforated wire. The orientation fibers in the low machine direction are dispersed through the transverse direction to a greater degree than a collection of fibers exhibiting an orientation in the upper machine direction which have less dispersion over the transverse direction of the machine. Formation surface during the formation of a tissue.

Grade words, such as "around," "essentially," and the like are used herein in the sense of "in, near, when the manufacturing and material tolerances inherent to the stated circumstances occur, are used to prevent an unscrupulous invader from taking an undue advantage of the description of the invention wherein exact or absolute figures are declared as an aid to understanding the invention.

"Machine direction" or MD means the length of a fabric in the direction in which it is produced. The term "cross machine direction" or CD means the width of the fabric, for example an address generally perpendicular to the machine direction.

"Particle", "particulate", "particulate", "particulate", and the like, refer to a material that is generally in the form of discrete units. The particles may include granules, powders, powders or spheres. Therefore, the particles may have any desired shape such as, for example, cubic-like, rod-like, polyhedron, spherical or hemispherical, rounded or semi-rounded, angular, irregular, etc. forms. Shapes having a larger dimension / smaller size ratio, such as flakes, needles, and fibers, are also contemplated for use here. The use of "particles" or "particulate" can also describe an agglomeration including more than one particle, particulates or the like.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention and is not intended as a limitation of said invention. For example, the illustrated features described as part of an embodiment may be used with another embodiment to give even a third embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations.

The present invention provides a wiping cloth 10 that can be used with a cleaning tool 12 intended to clean any manner of surfaces (see generally Figures IA, IB and IC; in FIG. IA, the solid black line traces the perimeter of the cloth cleaner, including the opposite linear ends of the wiper cloth and the opposite curvilinear sides-in this case the shaped sides of sine waves-of the wiper cloth, line 10 having alternating dots and dashes, coupled with the solid black lines defining the ends 105 of the wiper cloth define a counterpart rectangular wiper which is here defined as a conventional rectangular wiper cloth that one can have without integral integral appendage portions 110; the shaped appendage portions 110 extend outward from, are integrated to and contiguous with the primary cleaning part 115; the perimeter of the Primary cleaning part is defined by the extremes opposing 105 of the cleaning cloth and lines 120 having dashes). In the illustrated embodiments, the tool 12 is illustrated as a mop. Several mop constructions are well known in the art and do not require to be written in detail here for an appreciation or understanding of the present invention. It should also be appreciated that the cleaning tool 12 is not limited to an incorporation of cleaning cloth and covers any manner of cleaning instrument that incorporates the novel aspects of the invention, such as an implement held in the hand, an implement mounted on the machine ( for example a cushion pad) and others.

Referring to Figures IB and IC, the cleaning tool 12 is indicated as a mop where the handle 14 is pivotally attached to a cleaning head 16 (mop head) by any of a conventional pivot mechanism. The cleaning head 16 includes an upper side surface 20 comprising the holding devices 22 (one next to each of the four corners of the cleaning cloth head) and an opposite face (not seen in the top view) that It is placed on top, adjacent to the cleaning cloth 10. The cleaning head 16 can be made of any conventional rigid material, such as a molded plastic and the like. In this particular version, the upper side surface of the mop head includes slits that serve as the holding 22. A user of cleaning cloth 10 and cleaning tool 12 can take each part of appendix 110, wrap the appendage part up and around mop head 16, and then press algid on each appendix part 110 inside of the slits defining the clamping device 22, resulting in a poor cleaning cloth 10 attached to a cleaning tool 12, as shown in Figure IC.

Other shapes may be selected, provided that the corresponding cleaning cloth comprises, shaped and integral appendages adapted to hook the upper side fastening devices onto a mop or other cleaning tool, including tools held in the hand. Representative examples of such shapes are shown in Figures 2A (a cleaning cloth comprising rectangular and integral appendages), 2B (a cleaning cloth comprising triangular and integrated appendages), and 2C (a cleaning cloth comprising integrated appendages having the shape of a half circle). Additional representative embodiments are shown in Figures 3A and 3B.

Such shapes can be obtained by converting any manner of fibrous substrates (the representative examples of which are discussed below) into the desired cleaning cloth. For example, the cleaning cloth can be cut with matrix from a fibrous substrate. Or a fibrous tissue may be cut in some form to form the wiping cloths of the present invention. An advantage of choosing a cleaning cloth having integral shaped appendages defined by a perimeter that can be nested with the perimeters of the adjacent cleaning cloths is a reduction in waste during production (for example, by selecting a sinusoidal waveform perimeter). , shaped, integral appendage parts of the present invention are formed and waste during production is minimized).

A particular method by which a cleaning cloth of the present invention is described can be formed. The particular method and sequence of the steps described herein is not a limitation of the present invention, but is described only as a method for producing a cleaning cloth comprising the shaped and integral appendages. A reel or roll of fibrous tissue having a certain width can be systematically unrolled and cut to subdivide the reel into multiple tapes having a certain width. Initially, a supply roll of the material being converted into the cleaning cloth 10 is unwound to provide a fabric of continuously moving material which generally has linear edges. The fabric may optionally be separated or otherwise impregnated with a liquid, as described in more detail below with with respect to cleaning agents or other ingredients that may be associated with the cleaning cloth, by any suitable means such as printing, embedding, or the like as is well known to those skilled in the art.

As stated above, a fabric of material is cut in the direction of the machine into multiple tapes, each of which can be folded into the desired fold type for the individual cleaning wiper cloth 10 (e.g., the appendage portions). they can be folded on one side of the primary cleaning part of the cleaning cloth-resulting in a C-fold and providing a facility for stacking the multiple cleaning cloths for placement in a container, bag, transport and sale). The fabric of material is cut using a cutter which configures at least a portion of the edges of each of the multiple strands of material in a non-linear pattern, such as a sine wave or zigzag pattern. For example, the fabric of material can be cut into eight ribbons which have edges configured in a sinusoidal wave pattern. The tapes of material can then be folded in a bent configuration. For example, each web of material may define a central part (e.g. a primary cleaning part) and the integral shaped appendage portions which are connected and bent over the central part along the corresponding fold lines.

Each bent tape can then be combined, a tape, a tape on top of the other, with the other seven tapes folded from the same fabric of material to form a continuous "sausage". The sausage is then cut into "clips" of eight cleaning cloths per piece and the clips of the cleaning cloths are arranged in a stacked configuration to form at least one stack of cleaning cloths. The number of clips in the stack will depend on the desired number of batteries and the number of cleaning cloths in the final package. For example, for a pack of 80 accounts having a stack ten clips of eight cleaning cloths per piece will be required to form a single stack of 80 cleaning cloths.

After the stack of cleaning cloths is properly configured, at least one stack of cleaning cloths l may be placed inside a container, such as a plastic tube, to provide a package of cleaning cloths. For a further detail on an example of a process that can be adapted to be used to produce cleaning wipes comprising shaped and integrated appendages, see U.S. Patent No. 5,540,332, entitled "Wet Wipes Having a Improved assortment "granted to Thomas J. Kopacz and others, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety in a manner that is consistent therewith.

The cleaning cloth 10 may comprise a fibrous substrate, a nonwoven or foam material, including various features to provide any desired cleaning function, such as absorbency, abrasiveness and others. In addition, various optional ingredients can be coated, sprayed, incorporated into or otherwise employed with the cleaning cloth 10. Also, the cleaning cloth can be layered or laminated, provided that the shaped appendage portions are integrated with less one of said layers in the cleaning cloth.

The cleaning cloth 10 can provide various functions in addition to presenting a surface having a desired cleaning function. For example, the cleaning cloth 10 may be configured to deliver any manner of agent to the surface to be cleaned. In particular, the agent is a cleaning agent, such as a disinfectant, bleach, or other cleaning compound that is contained within the cleaning cloth and which is released upon contact of the cleaning cloth 10 with a surface to be cleaned, this may be achieved in several ways. For example, the agent can be a liquid, a powder, a granular composition associated with the cleaning cloth 10. Alternatively, such agents can be delivered by the cleaning tool, for example by driving the cleaning agent from a reservoir in the tool to a location close to the cleaning cloth, with the agent being delivered before and / or concurrently with the use of the cleaning tool to clean a surface with the associated cleaning cloth.

It should be appreciated that the embodiments for releasing an agent contained within the cleaning cloth 10 and / or the cleaning tool 12 are non-limiting examples of any number of arrangements for releasing an agent for use with the cleaning cloth 10. All of those variations are within the scope of the invention. scope and spirit of the invention. For example, the agent may be in a granular form or powder or particle homogeneously dispersed through the cleaning cloth 10 so that at least a part of the agent is forced or pushed out of the cleaning cloth upon contact of the cleaning cloth with a surface that It can be cleaned or scrubbed. The agent may be contained in capsules that are broken to release the agent by holding the cleaning cloth 10 with the cleaning tool 12, or by compressing the cleaning cloth 10 against a surface to be cleaned.

The cleaning cloth 10 can be electrostatically charged either uniformly or in a pattern, in order to aid in the capture and retention of the particles of generally smaller size thereon. The methods for providing an electrostatic charge (for example electret) in a nonwoven fabric are well known. Examples include U.S. Patent Nos. 6,365,088 issued April 2, 2003 to Knight et al. ,401,446 granted on March 28, 1995 to Tsai et al., Both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

As described above, the cleaning cloth 10 may comprise an open cell foam material, such as an aminoplast foam (e.g. foams made of urea-formaldehyde resins or melamine-formaldehyde resins) or a phenolic foam such as a foam made of phenol-formaldehyde resins wherein the foam has mechanical properties suitable for the cleaning cloth 10 for engaging the cleaning head 16 as well as for contacting and cleaning a surface. Melamine-based foam has been recognized in the art as an effective cleaning agent. A detailed description of the foams made of aminoplasts, for example formaldehyde condensation products based on urea, melamine, dicyanodiamide and / or derivatives thereof, is found, for example, in the work Kunststof f-Handbuch, volume X, Vieweg -Becker "Duroplaste", Karl Hanser Verlag, Munich, 1968, pages 135 et seq., Especially 466-475, including the bibliography cited there. The corresponding information on phenoplast foams is found, for example, in Ullmann, Encyklopadie der technischen Chemie, 3a. Edition, volume 15 (1964), pages 190-1 including the bibliography mentioned there.

In other embodiments, the cleaning cloth 10 may comprise a material formed in a porous structure and open which is adapted to engage a cleaning tool that is shown in Figures IB and IC, and hardness to form a rough surface for use in cleaning or scrubbing. Suitable materials are plentiful and can be either natural or synthetic materials. Possible example materials can include any known abrasive material formed in the desired open structure. Possible synthetic materials can be polymeric materials such as, for example, spun and melt nonwoven fabrics formed from a melted or uncured polymer which can then be cured to form the desired abrasive layer.

Other materials used as abrasives in the known commercial scouring products may also be used, such as perforated nylon covers, nylon nets and materials similar to those found in other abrasive products such as, for example, SCOTCHBRITE pads. 3M Corporation (of Minneapolis, MN).

In one embodiment, the cleaning cloth 10 comprises a melt spun fabric, such as can be formed using a thermoplastic polymer material. Generally, any suitable thermoplastic polymer can be used to form meltblown non-woven fabrics can be used for the abrasive layer of the scrubbing pads. For example, in one embodiment, the material may include non-woven fabrics blown with melt formed with a polyethylene or a polypropylene thermoplastic polymer. Polymer alloys can also be used, including, for example, in any abrasive layer, such as polypropylene alloy fibers and other polymers such as PET. Compatibilizers may be necessary for some polymer combinations to provide an effective mixture.

Thermoset polymers can also be used, as well as photo-cured polymers and other polymers that can be cured.

The cleaning cloth 10 may be a fabric comprising fibers of any suitable cross section. For example, the fibers of the abrasive layer may include rough fibers with circular or non-circular cross sections. In addition, non-circular cross-section fibers may include grooved fibers or multiple lobe fibers such as, for example, "4DG" fibers. (especially PET deep grooved fibers, with the cross-sectional shape of eight legs). Additionally, the fibers can be single component fibers formed of a single polymer or copolymer can be multi-component fibers.

In an effort to produce a cleaning cloth having desirable combinations of physical properties, in one embodiment, the non-woven polymeric fabrics made of Multicomponent or bicomponent fibers and filaments can be used. The bicomponent or multicomponent polymeric filaments or fibers include two or more polymeric components which remain distinct. The various components of the multicomponent filaments are arranged in essentially different areas across the cross section of the filaments and extend continuously along the length of the filaments. For example, bicomponent filaments may have a side-by-side or core and sheath arrangement. Typically, one component exhibits different properties than the other so that the filaments exhibit properties of the two components. For example, one component can be polypropylene which is relatively strong and the other component can be polyethylene which is relatively soft. The final result is a soft but strong nonwoven fabric.

In one embodiment, the cleaning cloth comprises metallocene polypropylene or "single site" polyolefins. Examples of unique site materials are available from H.B. Fuller Company, from Vadnais Heights, Minnesota In another embodiment, the cleaning cloth may include a fabric comprising a flat nonwoven substrate having a distribution of meltable and attenuated thermoplastic fibers such as polypropylene fibers. about it. The fabric can be heated to cause the thermoplastic fibers to shrink and form remnants of nodulated fibers imparting an abrasive character to the resulting woven material. The nodular fiber remnants may comprise between about 10% and about 50% by weight of the total fiber content of the fabric and may have an average particle size of about 100 microns or more. In addition to the fibers that are used to form nodular remnants, the fabric may contain the cellulosic fibers and the synthetic fibers having at least one component with a higher melting point than the polypropylene to provide strength. The fabric can then be placed wet, placed by air or made by other methods. In one embodiment, the fabric is essentially free of fibers to be paper. For example, the fabric may be a fibrous nylon fabric containing polypropylene fibers (for example a bonded and carded fabric comprising both nylon fibers and polypropylene fibers).

The material used to form the cleaning cloth 10 may also contain various additives as desired. For example, the various stabilizers can be added to a polymer, such as light stabilizers, heat stabilizers, processing aids and additives that increase the thermal aging stability of the polymer. In addition, auxiliary wetting agents, such as hexanol, antistatic agents such as potassium alkyl phosphate and alcohol repellents such as various fluoropolymers (for example DuPont Repellent 9356H) may also be present.

As described, the cleaning cloth 10 can be any conventional non-woven "soft" fabric capable of polishing a surface. Alternatively, the fabric can be made of a rough material.

As discussed generally herein, the cleaning cloth 10 can be made with numerous materials including, but not limited to non-woven fabrics, woven and / or woven fabrics, porous films and foams, foams and cross-linked films and others. Exemplary non-woven fabrics include, but are not limited to, spun-bonded fabrics, bonded and bonded fabrics and laminates thereof. The methods for making the materials are well known in the art. However, by way of example only, the exemplary materials are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,727,615 issued to Duchane; 3,802,817 awarded to Matsuki and others; 3,849,241 granted to Butin and others; 4,041,203 granted to Brock and others; 4,100,324 issued to Anderson and others; 4,720,415 granted to VanderWielen; 4,781,962 granted to Zamarripa and others; 4,965,122 granted to Morman; 5,284,703 added to Everhart and others; 5,382,400 awarded to Pike and others; 5,385,775 granted to right; 5,707,707 granted to Burnes and others; 5,714,107 granted to Levy and others; 5,858,515 issued to Stokes and others; 6,315,864 granted to Anderson and others.

The cleaning device 10 can be made using suitable elastomeric fiber-forming mixtures or resins. For example, cleaning cloth 10 may include fiber made from block copolymers having the general formula ABA 'wherein A and A' are each a thermoplastic polymer end block which contains a styrenic moiety such as a poly (vinyl arene) ) and wherein B is a middle block of elastomeric polymer such as a conjugated diene or a lower alkene polymer. The block copolymers can be, for example, (polystyrene / poly (ethylene-butylene) / polystyrene) block copolymers available from Shell Chemical Company under the trademark KRATON G. One of such block copolymer can be, for example KRATON G -1657 Other example materials which may be used include polyurethane materials such as, for example, those available under the trademark TIN from B.F. Goodrich & Co. , polyamide materials such as, for example, those available under the trademark PEBAX from Rilsan Company, and polyester materials such as, for example, those available under the trade designation Hytrel from E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Company The formation of the blown fibers with fusion of the polyester materials are described in, for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,741,949 issued to Morman et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety in a manner consistent therewith. Useful polymers also include, for example, copolymers of ethylene and at least one vinyl monomer such as, for example, vinyl acetates, aliphatic and saturated monocarboxylic acids and esters of such monocarboxylic acids. Copolymers and the formation of melt blown fibers of these polymers are described in, for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,803,117.

The processing aids can be added to the polymer. For example, a polyolefin can be mixed with the polymer (e.g., the elastomeric block copolymer A-B-A) to improve the processing of the composition. The polyolefin must be one which, when so mixed and subjected to an appropriate combination of high temperature and high pressure conditions, extruded in a mixed form, with the polymer. Useful blending polyolefin materials include, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene and polybutene, including ethylene copolymers, propylene copolymers and butene copolymers. A particularly useful polyethylene can be obtained from U.S. I. Chemical Company under the trade designation Petrothene NA 601 (also referred to herein as PE NA 601 or polyethylene NA 601). Two or more of the polyolefins they can be used. Extruded blends of polymers and polyolefins are described in, for example, the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 4,663,220.

The materials used to make the cleaning cloth 10 may have some tack and adhesiveness to improve the autogenous bond. For example, the polymer itself can be tacky when formed into fibers and / or yarns, or alternatively, a compatible tackifying resin can be added to the extruded compositions described above to provide self-binding bonded fibers and / or glutinized yarns. In relation to glutinizing resins and compositions that can be glutinized extrudates, it should be noted that the resins and compositions are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,787,699, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety in a manner that is consistent with the same.

Any binder resin can be used which is compatible with the polymer and can withstand processing temperatures (for example extrusion). If the polymer (for example the elastomeric block copolymer A-B-A) is mixed with processing aids such as, for example, polyolefins or extension oils, the glutinizing resin must also be compatible with those processing aids. Generally, resins hydrogenated hydrocarbons are preferred glutinizing resins, due to their better temperature stability. The glutinizing resins of the REGALREZ and ARKON series are examples of hydrogenated hydrocarbon resins. The light ZONATAK 501 is an example of a terpene hydrocarbon. REGALREZ hydrocarbon resins are available from Hercules Incorporated. Resins of the ARKON series are available from Arakawa Chemical (U.S.A.) Incorporated. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the use of such three glutinizing resins, and other glutinizing resins which are compatible with the other components of the composition and can withstand processing temperatures can also be used.

The cleaning cloth 10 may comprise a mixture of elastic or non-elastic particles or fibers. For an example of such a mixture, reference is made to U.S. Patent No. 4,209,563 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety in a manner that is consistent therewith, in which elastomeric and non-elastomeric fibers they are crushed to form a single coherent fabric of fibers randomly sorted. Another example of such a composite fabric will be one made by a technique such as described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent 4,741,949. The patent discloses an elastic nonwoven material which includes a blend of meltblown thermoplastic fibers and other materials. The fibers and the others materials are combined in the gas stream in which the meltblown fibers are carried such that an intimate and mixed entanglement of the blown fibers with melt and other materials occurs, for example wood pulp, short or particulate fibers such such as, for example, activated carbon, clays, starches or hydrocolloid particles (hydrogel) commonly referred to as super absorbent prior to harvesting the fibers on a collection device to form a coherent fabric of randomly dispersed fibers.

The cleaning cloth 10 of the present invention may include a fabric comprising polyolefins using single site catalysts, sometimes referred to as metallocene catalysts, may also be used to be the interlinked fibrous layer and / or the reinforcing yarns. Many polyolefins are available for fiber production, for example, polyethylenes such as linear low density polyethylene ASPUN7 6811A from Dow Chemical, 2553 LLDPE and 25355 and 12350 high density polyethylene are such suitable polymers. The polyethylenes have melt flow rates respectively of about 26, 40, 25. and 12. Fiber-forming polypropylenes include 3155 polypropylene from Exxon Chemical Company and PF-304 and / or PF-015 from Montell Chemical Company. Many other polyolefins are commercially available.

The biodegradable polymers are also available to be a cleaning cloth 10 and are suitable polymers including polylactic acid (PLA) and a mixture of the BIONOLLE adipic acid, and the UNITHOX (BAU). PLA is not a mixture but a polypropylene of pure polymer type. The BAU represents a mixture of BIONOLLE, adipic acid and UNITHOX at different percentages. Typically, the blend for the short fiber is 44.1% BIONOLLE 1020, 44.1% BIONOLLE 3020, 9.8% adipic acid and 2% UNITHOX 480, even though the BAU fibers bonded with yarn are typically used at around 15% of adipic acid. BIONOLLE 1020 is a polybutylene succinate, BIONOLLE 3020 is an adipate copolymer of polybutylene succinate, and UNITHOX 480 is an ethoxylated alcohol. BIONOLLE is a brand of Showa Highpolymer Co. , from Japan. UNITHOX is a brand of Baker Petolite which is subsequently a subsidiary of Baker Hughes International.

Representative Package (s) For Cloths Cleaners of the Present Invention The manufacturer or distributor of a cleaning cloth of the present invention can form messages, declarations, or copies to be transmitted to a buyer, consumer or a user of the cleaning cloth. Such messages, statements or copies may be formed to help facilitate or establish an association in the mind of a user of the cleaning cloth between a cleaning cloth of the present invention or the use thereof, and one or more mental states, psychological states or welfare states. The communication, statements or copy may include several alphanumeric strings including, for example: clean, fresh, mountain, field, excitement, sea, sky, health, hygiene, water, waterfall, humidity, moisten, perfume, convenient, unique, child, environment, disposable, derivatives or combinations thereof or other words or states. In one embodiment, the communication, statements or copy associates a cleaning cloth of the present invention and less waste, increased efficiency, increased effectiveness or some combination thereof. In another embodiment, the communication, statements or copy associates a cleaning cloth of the present invention and the arrangement. In another embodiment, the communication, statements or copy associates a cleaning cloth of the present invention and a registered trademark or community law of the seller, manufacturer and / or distributor of the device. For example, a statement can be placed on or in a container containing a cleaning cloth of the present invention that associates the cleaning cloth with the logo or trademark of the name Mr. Clean®, Pledge®, Mr. Proper®, Flash®, AJAX ®, Fabuloso®, Cif®, Clorox®, Pine-Sol®, Lysol®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Fantastic®, 409®, Tilex®, Scrubby®, Comet®, Swiffer ™, Viva®, Kleenex®, Scott®, Febreze®, and combinations thereof. The statement can associate a cleaning cloth of the present invention with other cleaning formulations or cleaning substrates like those mentioned in the preceding sentence.

Messages, copies, declarations and / or alphanumeric strings such as those mentioned above can be used either alone, adjacent or in combination with other alphanumeric strings. The communication, statements, messages or copies can take the form of (for example, getting involved in a tangible medium such as) a newspaper ad, a television ad, a radio ad or other audio ad, articles sent directly to the addresses , articles sent by email to addresses of Internet web pages or other forms, inserts that stand alone and free, coupons, various promotions (for example, commercial promotions), joint promotions with other companies, copies and the like, boxes and packages containing the product (in this case a device of the present invention) and other forms of dissemination and information to consumers or potential consumers. Other example versions of such communications, statements, messages and / or copies may be found in, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 6,612,846 and 6,896,521, both entitled "Method for Disposing of Learning Materials for Use of the Toilet and Exhibition Kiosk Using the Same "; the jointly pending United States of America patent application number 10/831476 entitled "Method for Announcing an Engraved Message Previously Relative to Learning to Use the Toilet in Response to a Contact, "jointly pending United States of America patent application 10/956763 entitled" Manufacturing Method and Method of Marketing Specific Gender-Specific Absorbent Articles Having Liquid Handling Properties " Made for each Gender ", each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety in a manner that is consistent therewith For example, a message involved in a tangible medium may associate a cleaning cloth of the present invention with a logo or brand name Mr. Clean®, Pledge®, Mr. Proper®, Flash®, AJAX®, Fabuloso®, Cif®, Clorox®, Pine-Sol®, Lysol®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Fantastic®, 409®, Tilex®, Scrubby®, Comet® , Swiffer ™, Viva®, Kleenex®, Scott®, Febreze® and combinations thereof. A message involved in a tangible medium may associate a cleaning cloth of the present invention with other cleaning formulations or cleaning substrates such as those mentioned in the preceding sentence.

It should be noted that when statements, copies, messages or other communications are associated with a package (for example, a printed text, images, symbols, graphics, colors or the like on the package, or by placing the instructions printed on the package, or by associating or joining such instructions, a coupon or other materials for the package or the like) containing the wiping cloths of the present invention, the building materials of said package can be selected to reduce, impede or eliminate the passage of water or steam through at least a part of the package. In addition, the construction materials of said package can be selected to minimize or prevent the passage of light through said package, including minimizing or impeding the passage of electromagnetic waves of a selected wavelength or wavelengths.

As noted above, some embodiments of the present invention comprise a cleaning composition, a wetting composition, an agent, some combination thereof and the like. Such compositions may contain water. Therefore, packages, containers, envelopes, bags and the like that reduce or minimize or eliminate the evaporation or transmission of water or steam from the cleaning cloths contained therein can be beneficial. In addition, the cleaning cloths can be individually wrapped in containers, packages, envelopes, bags, wraps or the like that inhibit, reduce or eliminate the passage or transmission of water or steam from the cleaning cloths contained therein. For the purposes of this application, "package", "container", "envelope", "bag", "package", and the like are interchangeable in the sense that they refer to any material adapted to enclose and contain either cloths individual cleaners (as in for example an individual package containing a single cleaning cloth) or a plurality of wiping cloths (as in a flexible bag made of a plastic film container containing a plurality of wiping cloths, whether each of the individual wiping cloths are enclosed and held in a separate material - such as the individual packages) .

In some embodiments of the present invention, a package will contain not only one or more cleaning wipes of the present invention, but other products for health and hygiene. In one embodiment, a cleaning cloth of the present invention is sold, transferred, distributed or marketed with a cleaning tool. It should be noted that such combinations may be marketed or packaged as described in the preceding paragraphs. It should also be noted that segments or packets, improper messages on tangible media and packages such as those described in this paragraph may be associated with a brand name or logo of a private label (meaning that a product or article of manufacture, such as a cleaning cloth of the present invention is made by a company for sale under a logo or brand of another company, frequently the logo or trademark of a retailer or distributor).

Reference is now made to several embodiments of the invention, examples of which are set forth below. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention and not as a limitation of said invention. From In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations of this invention can be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

Example 1 Rolls of non-woven material were obtained from N Mont, China. The material had a basis weight of 65 grams per square meter, a thickness of about 0.55 millimeters, and was made from a mixture of 70%: 30% (by weight) of rayon (70%) and polyethylene terephthalate (TET) 30%). Samples of this material were converted into a cleaning cloth comprising parts, of appendix integrated and conformed in one of two ways. In an approach a pattern was placed on the material and hand seals were used to cut the wipers with integral appendage parts. In another approach, the press-matrix team, in this case, FIPL / Hudson Auto Die Press Model SB20, was used to form the cleaning cloths with integral appendage parts. A design with appendix and nested was prepared by mounting the metal having a curvilinear edge on a plexiglass backrest. This prepared matrix was then attached to the matrix press, which was then used to form the cleaning cloths having the integral appendage portions formed of the material obtained from NBond.

Samples prepared according to the above procedures were made. The samples had the opposite edges of a sinusoidal waveform, as was generally shown in Figures IA, IB and IC; and as discussed generally in example 2 given below. These samples were adapted to hook the clamping devices onto a Swiffer® brand cleaning tool. When mounted on a Swiffer® brand cleaning tool, approximately 51% of the total surface area on one side of the cleaning cloth of the present invention was available for cleaning or scrubbing (in this case a cleaning cloth having sides in the shape of opposed sine wave), while 42% of the total surface area of the conventional rectangular Swiffer® brand wiper cloth was available for cleaning.

Example 2 Samples of brand wiper cloth parts Swiffer® were tested on how well these samples hooked the fasteners found on the top side of a brand cleaning tool Swiffer®. The first Swiffer® brand disposable wipes were obtained. A sample 200, shown in Figure 4B, represents a part of a conventional rectangular cleaning cloth (for example lacking shaped and integral appendages of the present invention) was prepared by cutting a first side 202, having a length of 142 millimeters and a second side 204, having a length of 106 millimeters , to form a rectangle of a disposable branded cloth Swiffer®. A second sample 210, indicated in Figure 4A, was prepared by cutting a sample that indeed had the same initial dimension of the first sample (for example a first side 212 having a length of 142 millimeters and a second side having a length 106 mm), but which, along one bank was cut so that its perimeter corresponded to a sinusoidal wave (with a centrally located peak along the length of this perimeter), with the base 214 of the sine wave located 70 millimeters from the opposite linear edge; and the peak 216 of the sine wave of the wave extending 36 millimeters from the base of the sine wave, and 106 millimeters from the opposite linear shore). These sample parts are shown in Figure 4A and 4B. We prepare thirty of each of these samples.

The test was carried out using an Instron 300 voltage tester, as shown in Figure 5. First, a 50 Newton letter cell was attached to the voltage tester.

Next, the head 302 of a brand cleaning tool Swiffer was held by the jaw. The mop head was positioned so that the clamping device, in this case a series of slits for engaging a wiper cloth or rag, was centered with respect to the upper jaw 306. In figure 5, a sample 308, in this In this case, a sample having an integral shaped appendage part of the present invention was fastened to the fastening device at the top of the mop head and upper jaw 306. The method by which the sample was attached to the upper jaw and the upper head fastening device is discussed in the following paragraphs. The edge of the rigid plastic part of the mop head 302 closer to the upper jaw was 4 centimeters from the upper jaw. The upper jaw was zeroed to a measurement length corresponding to 4 centimeters measured as stated in the preceding sentence. Figure 6 shows an approach to the arrangement shown in Figure 5. The test of these samples was done in a room maintained at a relative humidity of 50% +/- 2% and at a temperature of 73.4 ° F +/- 1.8 ° F .

Figure 7 shows the upper side of a mop head of a Swiffer brand cleaning tool. The mop head was marked so that the end of a sample, before being depressed in the slits to serve as a clamping device, was in one of three locations: location 1 (designated 400) in figure 7); location 2 (designated 402 in Figure 7), which is 5 millimeters from location 1; and location 3 (designated 404 in Figure 7), which is 5 millimeters from location 2.

Figures 8A and 8B show a part of the cleaning cloth of the present invention, and a conventional rectangular cleaning cloth, with a edge or spout aligned with the location 1 (designated as 400 in Figures 8A and 8B). For any tests beginning at location 2, the peak or bank shown as aligned with location 1 in Figures 8A and 8B was simply moved in 5 millimeters so that, before beginning the test, the peak or bank was aligned with the location 2. (for example, 402 in Figures 8A and 8B). For any test beginning at location 3, the peak or bank shown as aligned with location 1 in Figures 8A and 8B was simply moved in 10 millimeters in a way, before the start of a test, the peak or bank was aligned with the location 3 (for example 404 in Figures 8A and 8B).

To insert either a rectangular sample or a sinusoidal sample into the Swiffer brand cleaning tool, a pen was used, positioned so that it was centrally located on the corresponding clamping device, to push the sample into the slits of the clamping device until the pen could no longer be inserted. The pen remained in this position for 3 seconds and then it was removed. After this part of the sample has been inserted into the clamping device as shown in Figure 6, the opposite edge of the sample was clamped in place using the upper jaw. Each corner of the sample corresponding to this opposite bank was bent inwards as shown in figure 6 so that the sample could be caught in place. The sample was then started, with the jaws spreading at a speed of 10 inches per minute. The test was run until the sample was disengaged from the clamping device. A peak load was then recorded.

The results of the experiment are shown in Figure 9. In locations 1, 2 and 3, respectively, the sinusoidal waveform samples disengaged at average measured values of 524 (standard deviation of 141); 485 (standard deviation of 124); and 481 (standard deviation of 145). In locations 1, 2 and 3, respectively, the rectangular shaped samples disengaged at average measured values of 494 (standard deviation of 163); 430 (standard deviation of 125); and 393 (standard deviation of 155). Again, as noted above, these averages and standard deviations were computed from ten individual measurements.

As can be seen in Figure 9, the sample corresponding to a cleaning cloth of the present invention, in this case, a sample corresponding to a cleaning cloth having an integral sinusoidal waveform perimeter, appears to have a maximum average peak peak load. to the release that the maximum peak peak load corresponding to the release for the rectangular sample.

Claims (21)

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S

1. A cleaning cloth comprising integrated integral appendages adapted to engage a plurality of upper-side holding devices of a cleaning tool.

2. The cleaning cloth as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the perimeter of each shaped appendage part is curvilinear.

3. The cleaning cloth as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the perimeter of each shaped appendage part defines a triangle.

4. The cleaning cloth as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the perimeter of each shaped appendage part defines a rectangle.

5. The cleaning cloth as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the cleaning cloth comprises a cleaning composition.

6. The cleaning cloth as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the cleaning cloth comprises electrettes.

7. The cleaning cloth as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the cleaning cloth defines a total surface area corresponding to one side of the cleaning cloth, and wherein the percentage of the total surface area used for cleaning when the cloth Cleaner is attached to a cleaning tool is greater than the corresponding percentage obtained for a conventional rectangular cleaning cloth attached to the same cleaning tool.

8. The cleaning cloth as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the cleaning cloth is adapted to engage the fastening devices of a Swiffer brand cleaning tool.

9. The cleaning cloth as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the cleaning cloth is adapted to engage the holding devices of a Pledge brand cleaning tool.

10. The cleaning cloth as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the cleaning cloth is adapted to engage the holding devices of a private label brand cleaning tool.

11. The cleaning cloth as claimed in clause 7, characterized in that at least about 45% of the total surface area of the cleaning cloth is used for the intended purpose of cleaning.

12. The cleaning cloth as claimed in clause 7, characterized in that at least around 50% of the total surface area of the cleaning cloth is used for its intended cleaning purpose.

13. A process for making cleaning cloth comprising formed and integral appendages, the process comprises the steps of: provide a fibrous substrate; Y cutting the fibrous substrate into separate wiping pads comprising shaped and integral appendage portions.

14. The process as claimed in clause 13, characterized in that some part of the perimeter of the cleaning cloth nests with some part of the perimeter of one or more adjacent cleaning cloths, reducing or minimizing the amount of waste produced during cutting.

15. A package comprising: a container; Y a cleaning cloth as claimed in clause 1, contained in said container.

16. The package as claimed in clause 15, characterized in that the package comprises a material impermeable to liquid.

17. The package as claimed in clause 15, characterized in that it acomprises a statement placed in or on said container, and wherein the statement associates the cleaning cloth with improved effectiveness, reduced waste or both.

18. The package as claimed in clause 15, characterized in that it acomprises a cleaning tool comprising clamping devices, wherein the cleaning cloth is adapted to engage the clamping devices of the cleaning tool.

19. The package as claimed in clause 15, characterized in that it acomprises a declaration placed in or on said package, and wherein the statement associates the cleaning cloth with a logo and / or brand name of a cleaning formulation, a cleaning substrate or both.

20. The package as claimed in clause 19, characterized in that it also comprises a statement placed on or in said package, and wherein the statement associates the cleaning cloth with a logo and / or brand name selected from the group consisting of Mr Clean®, Pledge®, Mr. Proper®, Flash®, AJAX®, Fabuloso®, Cif®, Clorox®, Pine-Sol®, Lysol®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Fantastic® 409®, Tilex®, Scrubby®, Comet®, Swiffer®, Viva®, Kleenex®, Scott®, Febreze®, and combinations thereof.

21. A message embedded in a tangible medium adapted to be transmitted to consumers, where the message refers to the cleaning cloth of clause 1 and a logo and / or brand name selected from the group consisting of Mr. Clean®, Pledge ®, Mr. Proper®, Flash®, AJAX®, Fabuloso®, Cif®, Clorox®, Pine-Sol®, Lysol®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Fantastic® 409®, Tilex®, Scrubby®, Comet®, Swiffer®, Viva®, Kleenex®, Scott®, Febreze®, and combinations thereof. SUMMARY A cleaning cloth comprising integral and shaped appendages adapted to engage the holding devices of a cleaning tool is described. Such wipers are generally more efficient in the sense that a greater percentage of the total surface area of the wiper cloth is used for its intended purpose: Cleaning and scrubbing. In addition, such wiping cloths can generally more tenaciously engage certain kinds of fastening devices, thereby making these wipes potentially more effective. Processes for making such cleaning cloths and packages and marketing methods for presenting such cleaning cloths to consumers are also described.