MXPA05002349A

MXPA05002349A - Flocked substrates for use as scouring materials.

Info

Publication number: MXPA05002349A
Application number: MXPA05002349A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Gomez Estrella Cabrero
Original assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Co
Priority date: 2002-09-05
Filing date: 2003-08-29
Publication date: 2005-06-06
Also published as: WO2004021855A1; EP1545284A1; JP4523412B2; AU2003268309A1; BR0313997A; CA2497438A1; KR20050057197A; JP2005537857A; CN1678233A; KR101061916B1; CN1678233B

Abstract

A cleaning article comprises a flocked substrate (1) wherein the flock (3) comprises fibres that are arranged substantially perpendicular to the substrate and have a maximum length of 2.0 mm, the fibres being substantially free of abrasive particles. In one embodiment, the flocked substrate is laminated to a layer of foam (9) to provide a hand-held cleaning pad. In another embodiment, the substrate is a wipe.

Description

FLOCATED SUBSTRATES FOR USE AS MATERIALS FOR SCRUBBING DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to substrates that are suitable for consumer use as scouring materials for surface cleaning in various media, including for the home, industrial, hospital and food industry media. The substrates that provide a scrubbing action are widely used for cleaning in the home environment, being more frequently used for cleaning utensils and for cleaning surfaces in kitchen and bathrooms. Scouring substrates which are already known for such uses include non-woven meshes adhered with resin of the type described in US-A-2 958 593. These meshes can incorporate abrasive particles to improve their abrasive action. They are also known for scrubbing kitchen utensils, the pads which are formed of a continuous wire of curled or corrugated filaments, as described in US-A-4 991 362. These pads may also incorporate abrasive particles to improve their abrasive action. It has also been proposed, in GB-A-1 539 477 and O 02/06009, the use of flocked substrates for domestic cleaning and to improve the abrasive action of the substrates.

Ref. : 162166 by deposition of abrasive particles (in the form of resin droplets) on the free ends of the flock fibers. With the increased use, in many media, of surfaces that can be damaged by aggressive abrasive materials, there is a demand for consumer growth for cleaning substrates that have a smoother abrasive action but which, however, can remove materials such as dirt, grease, burnt food, etc., quickly and completely. Consumers also require cleaning substrates that are themselves easy to clean (eg, by simply rinsing after use) and that do not retain undesirable odors or undesirable residues (e.g., food debris) that may subsequently contaminate other surfaces in which could be used. It is an objective of the present invention to make possible those requirements to be satisfied. The present invention is based on the surprising discovery that flocked substrates, in which the flock fibers are short compared to those previously proposed for use in home scrubbing substrates, can function efficiently as scrubbing materials without the need of depositing any abrasive particles on the flock fibers. The absence of the abrasive particles in the flock fibers reduces the likelihood that the support will damage a surface that is being cleaned. The present invention accordingly provides, for use as a household scrubbing material, a flocked support wherein the flock comprises fibers that are arranged completely perpendicular to the support and have a maximum length of 2.0 mm, the fibers are completely free of particles abrasive Flocked substrates in which the flock fibers have a length of at least more than 2.0 mm and are free of abrasive particles have already been proposed for use as polishing pads in certain industrial processes (see WO 98/45112, FR- A-2 799 403 and EP-A-1 057 590 which describe the use of flocked substrates for polishing articles such as optical glass and semiconductor substrates). In those industrial processes, polishing pads are commonly used in combination with some forms of polishing compounds. The present invention also provides a cleaning article comprising a laminated flocked support for a sponge layer, wherein the flock comprises fibers that are arranged completely perpendicular to the surface of the support to which they are secured and have a maximum length of 2.0 mm , the fibers are completely free of abrasive particles. The sponge can be of any type known to be suitable for domestic cleaning, including cellulosic sponges having a density in the range of from 75 to 125 Kg / m 3 and polyurethane sponges having a density in the range of from 18 to 30 Kg / m 3. Such a cleaning article, which may be in the form of an appropriate pad for manual use, offers the user two different cleaning actions that are useful when cleaning the surfaces, mainly a scrubbing action provided by the aflocated surface of the pad and a cleaning action provided by the opposite sponge surface of the pad. The present invention also provides a cleaning article comprising a flocked cleaner, wherein the flock comprises fibers that are arranged completely perpendicular to the surface of the cleaner to which they are secured and have a maximum length of 2.0 mm, the fibers are completely free of abrasive particles. The term "cleaner" as used herein means a liquid absorbent mesh material that is suitable for use in any dry or wet condition to remove an unwanted substance from a surface by means of a cleaning action. Cleaners are often classified, according to their durability, as "disposable" (meaning they are intended to be discarded immediately after use), "semi-disposable" (which means that they can be washed and reused). limited number of times), and "reusable" (which means they are designed to be washed and reused). Known cleaning materials generally have a basis weight in the range of from 15 to 300 gm / m2, although materials having a larger basis weight can be used, and comprise bonded, woven and nonwoven materials. The cleaning materials are often hydrophilic but can also be manufactured specifically to absorb non-aqueous liquids, for example fats and oil. In a cleaning article according to the invention, the flock should be applied in such a way that at least one area of a liquid absorbing surface of the cleaner remains exposed. A cleaning article of that type also offers the user two different cleaning actions that are useful on the cleaning surfaces, mainly a scrub action provided by the flocked area (s) of the cleaner and a cleaning action provided by the area ( s) absorbent of exposed liquid. Commonly, both sides of a cleaner provide the same cleaning action. However, if a cleaning article according to the invention comprises a cleaner in which the cleaning action is provided on one side of the cleaner, only then the flock fibers should be applied so that part of at least the surface on that side remain exposed. By way of example, the embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the appended drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-section of a scrubbing substrate; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a pattern scrubbing substrate; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic cross section of a manual cleaning pad; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a manual cleaning pad; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic cross section of another cleaning article; and Figs. 6 and 7 are plan views of other cleaning items. The scrubbing substrate 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a flocked substrate in which the flock comprises fibers 3 arranged completely perpendicular to the material of the substrate 5, and secured to the substrate material by a layer of adhesive 7. Flocked substrates of the type General shown in Fig. 1, and the manufacturing processes of these, are well known. In conventional processes, a layer of adhesive is applied to the substrate material and, while the adhesive is still sticky, the flock fibers are attracted to it electrostatically so that they are embedded in a finish on the adhesive and stop generally 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 scrubbing substrate 1, any suitable woven or nonwoven flexible material suitable for domestic cleaning (this is capable of resisting hot water and cleaning fluids) for the substrate material 5 can be used. A suitable material is a polyester / cotton fabric comprising 65% polyester and 35% cotton, and having a basis weight of 105 g / m2. Any known fiber can be used to be suitable for flocking and also suitable for domestic cleaning (that is, capable of resisting hot water and cleaning fluids) for the flock 3. A particularly suitable material is polyamide, especially 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 required, preferably have a titer (mass per unit length) in the range of from 15 to 80 dtex (more preferably in the range of from 22 to 50 dtex) and are cut to a length not greater than 2.0 mm. It has been found that a particularly effective scouring action is achieved by using fibers having a length of 0.8 rrm and a titer of 44 dtex, or a length of 0.4 mm and a titer of 22 dtex. The flock 3 can be applied uniformly on the substrate material, in which case preferably it is applied in an amount of from 150 to 180 g / m2. Alternatively, the flock 3 can be applied so that it forms a pattern on the surface of the material of the substrate 5: a process by which this can be achieved is well known and involves the application of the adhesive 7 to the surface in the required pattern , usually by some form of printing process, with the result that the flock fibers will adhere to the substrate only in the areas to which the adhesive has been applied. Fig. 2, for example, shows a pattern that is achieved by default of the adhesive 7 of the regularly spaced rectangular patches 11 of the substrate material 5. In this case, the flock fibers 3 will adhere to the material of the substrate 5 in all parts except in those patches, where the substrate will remain exposed. The size of the patches 11 can be altered to change the area of the substrate material 5 that is not covered by the flock 3, and the shape of the patches 11 can also be changed.

The adhesive selected to adhere the flock 3 to the material of the substrate 5 should also be suitable for domestic cleaning (in particular, this should be able to withstand hot water and cleaning fluids), and should not adversely affect the flexibility of the substrate material. Suitable adhesives are acrylic adhesives and PVC resins (polyvinyl chloride), and are applied in an amount (eg, about 90 to 140 g / m2) which will produce a very thin layer in the substrate material. It has been found that a flocked substrate manufactured as described above with reference to Pig. 1 will provide an effective scrubbing action in the home environment, sufficient not only to clean kitchen and bathroom surfaces but also to remove burnt food from kitchen utensils using normal cleaning detergents, despite the absence of any abrasive particles in the flock fibers 3. Scouring action has been found to be comparable to, and in some cases better than, that of non-scratch household scouring materials or fabrics that are commonly commercially available including some containing plastic abrasive particles (or others soft). On the other hand, the absence of abrasive particles from the flocked substrate completely eliminates the risk of any damage to the surface being cleaned. The flocked substrate has been found not to trap residues of materials removed from the surface being cleaned, so that any residue that remains on the substrate after use is easily removed by simply rinsing the substrate in water. If desired, the substrate can be washed in hot water and detergent, and then reused. The appearance of the flocked substrate can be varied by the use of a substrate material which is colored, or which carries a printed design, and the application of the flock 3 in such a way that the printed color or design remains visible. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a flocked substrate 1 as described above with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 is laminated to a sponge layer 9 as shown in Fig. 3. The laminate can then be cut into pads of an appropriate size for domestic cleaning, in particular for manual use. The sponge 9 can be of any type known to be suitable for domestic cleaning, including cellulosic sponges having a density in the range of from 75 to 125 Kg / m 3 and polyurethane sponges having a density in the range of from 18 to 30 Kg / m3. The sponge may be of any suitable thickness but it has been found that thicknesses in the range of 0.5 to 5.0 cm are particularly useful for domestic cleaning. When a thinner layer of sponge is used, the laminate can be cut into pads having a larger surface area (for example, having dimensions of up to 20 cm by 20 cm). A thinner layer of sponge may be more suitable for pads having a smaller surface area (for example, about 7 cm by 9 cm). By way of example, a cleaning pad 13 comprising a flocked substrate 15 laminated to a sponge layer 17 is shown in Fig. 4. In this case, the flock is applied on the substrate to form the pattern illustrated in Fig. .2: however this is not essential, and the flock can be applied to form other patterns, or applied continuously on the substrate. Fig. 5 shows a cleaning article 21 which also comprises a flocked substrate in which the flock comprises fibers 23 arranged completely perpendicular to the substrate 25, and secured to the substrate by a layer of adhesive 27. However, in this case the substrate 25 comprises a cleaner suitable for consumer use for surface cleaning. CLEANER 25 can be easily "(means it is designed to be discarded immediately after use), "semi-disposable" (which means that it is possible to wash it and reuse it a limited number of times), or "reusable" (which means that it is designed to be washed and reused). Known cleaning materials generally have a basis weight in the range of from 15 to 300 gm / m2, although materials having a larger basis weight can be used. Bonded materials and fabrics are appropriate, as are non-woven materials that include dry-weave, wet-weave materials and fused filaments which can, as appropriate, be thermally bonded, adhered by resins, ultrasonically adhered, stitched with needle, hydroentangled, etc. Available materials for disposable cleaners include nonwoven materials with fused filaments and spun-lace having a basis weight in the range of from 15 to 75 g / m2 and formed, for example, from PET, rayon, viscose, wood pulp, polypropylene, natural fibers, polyamide or mixtures thereof. Examples of disposable cleaning materials are available under the trade names: "Sontara" from DuPont; and "TenoLace" by Tenotex from Terno d'Isola, Italy. Suitable materials for semi-washable cleaners include filament-fit nonwovens having a basis weight in the range of from 75 to 250 g / m2 and formed, for example, from fibers or polyester, polyamide, viscose fibers or microfibers. Examples of semi-disposable cleaning materials are available under the tradenames "Scotc-Brite ™ D sting Cloth" from 3M Company of St. Paul, Minnesota, USA; and "Sontara" by DuPont. Suitable materials for reusable cleaners include knitted, woven, heat-bonded, latex-coated and suede-like materials having a basis weight in the range of from 100 to 300 g / m2 and formed, for example, from fibers or microfibres. of PET, rayon, viscose, polypropylene, natural fibers, polyamide or mixtures thereof. An example of a reusable cleaner is available under the "Ideal" trade name of Lever in Madrid, Spain. Cleaners are often hydrophilic but can also be specifically manufactured to absorb non-aqueous liquids. Microfiber cleaners, for example, are designed to remove grease from surfaces. Commonly, both sides of the cleaner 25 will provide the same cleaning action. However, if only one side of the cleaner 25 provides a cleaning action then the flock fibers 23 are applied to the cleaner in such a way that a sufficient area of that side of the cleaner remains exposed and can be used to provide a cleaning action. . For example, in such a case the flock fibers 23 can be applied only to the other side (not cleaning) of the cleaner 25. The above description of the flock 3 of Figs. 1 to 3, also applies to the flock 23 of the cleaning article 21. The flock 23 can be applied in the same manner either uniformly on the surface of the cleaner 25, in which case this is preferably applied in an amount of from 150 to 180 g / m2, or more preferably so that it forms a pattern on the surface of the cleaner 25 in the manner described above. In the latter case, the use of a screen coating process is preferred for application of the adhesive 27 in a desired pattern on the surface of the cleaning material, because this makes a very thin layer of a high viscosity adhesive possible to be used. applied; which, in turn, enables the liquid-absorbing properties of the uncoated regions of the surface and the liquid-absorbing properties of the other surface of the cleaner (as appropriate) to be retained. The flock 23 can be applied to the surface of the cleaner 25 in the pattern illustrated in Fig. 2 or, by way of example, in the alternate patterns illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. Other patterns may be used, including unordered patterns if desired.

Fig. 6 shows a pattern that is achieved by printing the adhesive 27 on the cleaner 25 as two perpendicular sets of parallel lines; and Fig. 7 shows a pattern that is achieved by printing the adhesive 27 on the cleaner 25 as a set of parallel lines. When the surface of the cleaner 25 to which the flock is applied is liquid absorbent, the flock is preferably applied in a form such that the liquid absorbing properties are maintained in the non-flocked areas. The flock preferably also is applied in such a way that any liquid-absorbing property of the other surface of the cleaner is not affected. For some applications, it may be desirable to apply the flock only to a selected area of the cleaner 25, for example in a corner. The adhesive selected to adhere the flock 23 to the cleaner 25 should also be suitable for use under the conditions for which the cleaner is projected (eg, capable of resisting hot water and cleaning fluids). Preferably, this should not adversely affect the flexibility of the cleaner or, as already mentioned, the liquid absorbency of uncoated portions of the cleaner surface. Suitable adhesives and coating weights are described above for the adhesive 7 of Fig. 1. If desired, a further coating of adhesive may be applied on top of the first layer, after the flock has been applied. and the first layer of adhesive has cured. This additional process step is already known in the textile technique to increase the durability of flocked materials. It has been found that a flocked cleaner manufactured as described above with reference to Fig. 5, through the use of the afloat surface, will provide an effective scrubbing action sufficient not only to clean working surfaces but also to remove burnt foods from cooking utensils using normal liquid detergents, despite the absence of any abrasive particles in the flock fibers 23. The scrubbing action has been found to be comparable with, and in some cases better than, those scouring materials for the home Non-scratching, non-woven fabrics that are commercially available commonly including some that contain plastic (or other soft) abrasive particles. On the other hand, the absence of abrasive particles from the flock fibers 23 completely eliminates the risk of any damage done to the surface being cleaned. At the same time, the non-flocked surface or surface areas of the cleaner are available to provide the normal cleaning action for which the cleaner 25 is designed. The flocked surface or the surface areas of the cleaner 25 have been found not to trap residues of materials removed from a surface being cleaned, so any residue remaining on the cleaner after use is easily removed by simply rinsing the cleaner in water. . The cleaner 25 will commonly be of an appropriate size for manual use but may, for example, be of a larger size suitable for use in a mop head for floor cleaning. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects to which it relates.

Claims

CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property. 1. The use, as a scrubbing material for the home, of a flocked substrate wherein the flock comprises fibers that are arranged substantially perpendicular to the substrate and have a maximum length of 2.0 mm, the fibers are completely free of abrasive particles. 2. The use of a flocked substrate according to claim 1, wherein the flock comprises fibers having a length in the range from 0.4 to 0.8 mm. 3. The use of a flocked substrate according to claim 1, wherein the flock comprises fibers having a titre in the range from 15 to 80 dtex. 4. The use of a flocked substrate according to claim 1, wherein the flock comprises fibers of a polyamide material. 5. The use of a flocked substrate according to claim 1, wherein the flock is secured to the substrate by an adhesive layer that does not substantially alter the flexibility of the substrate. 6. A cleaning article comprising a flocked substrate laminated to a sponge layer, characterized in that the flock comprises fibers that are arranged substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate to which they are secured and have a maximum length of 2.0 mm, the fibers they are substantially free of abrasive particles. The cleaning article according to claim 14, characterized in that the sponge layer comprises a pad suitable for manual use. 8. The cleaning article according to claim 15, characterized in that the sponge is a polyurethane or a cellulose sponge. 9. The cleaning article according to claim 16, characterized in that the sponge has a thickness in the range from 0.5 to 5.0 cm. A cleaning article comprising a flocked cleaner, characterized in that the flock comprises fibers that are arranged substantially perpendicular to the surface of the cleaner to which they are secured and have a maximum length of
2.0 mm, the fibers are substantially free of abrasive particles . The cleaning article according to claim 20, characterized in that the cleaner comprises a material having a basis weight in the range of from 15 to 300 gm / m2.