US20190343365A1 - Cleaning element and cleaning tool - Google Patents
Cleaning element and cleaning tool Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20190343365A1 US20190343365A1 US16/520,308 US201916520308A US2019343365A1 US 20190343365 A1 US20190343365 A1 US 20190343365A1 US 201916520308 A US201916520308 A US 201916520308A US 2019343365 A1 US2019343365 A1 US 2019343365A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- cleaning element
- fusion bonded
- fiber
- fiber assembly
- cleaning
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L13/00—Implements for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
- A47L13/10—Scrubbing; Scouring; Cleaning; Polishing
- A47L13/20—Mops
- A47L13/24—Frames for mops; Mop heads
- A47L13/25—Wire frames
- A47L13/252—Wire frames for mops of textile fringes or the like
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L13/00—Implements for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
- A47L13/10—Scrubbing; Scouring; Cleaning; Polishing
- A47L13/38—Other dusting implements
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L13/00—Implements for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
- A47L13/10—Scrubbing; Scouring; Cleaning; Polishing
- A47L13/16—Cloths; Pads; Sponges
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L13/00—Implements for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
- A47L13/10—Scrubbing; Scouring; Cleaning; Polishing
- A47L13/20—Mops
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L13/00—Implements for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
- A47L13/10—Scrubbing; Scouring; Cleaning; Polishing
- A47L13/20—Mops
- A47L13/24—Frames for mops; Mop heads
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L13/00—Implements for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
- A47L13/10—Scrubbing; Scouring; Cleaning; Polishing
- A47L13/42—Details
- A47L13/46—Securing scouring or polishing cloths or sponges to the handles by gripping means, tongs, or the like
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60S—SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60S3/00—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles
- B60S3/008—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles for interiors of land vehicles
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60S—SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60S3/00—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles
- B60S3/04—Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles for exteriors of land vehicles
- B60S3/045—Other hand-held cleaning arrangements, e.g. with sponges, brushes, scrapers or the like
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Cleaning Implements For Floors, Carpets, Furniture, Walls, And The Like (AREA)
- Non-Flushing Toilets (AREA)
- Fishing Rods (AREA)
Abstract
A cleaning element includes a fiber assembly having a plurality of fibers extending in a predetermined direction and a nonwoven fabric provided on the fiber assembly. A first fusion bonded part extends in a cross direction traversing the predetermined direction to fusion-bond the fiber assembly and the nonwoven fabric, and a plurality of second fusion bonded parts is provided discontinuously in the cross direction to fusion-bond the fiber assembly and the nonwoven fabric. Each of the second fusion bonded parts has a first area and a second area. A length in the predetermined direction from the first fusion bonded part to the first area is different from a length in the predetermined direction from the first fusion bonded part to the second area.
Description
- This is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 15/292,091, filed on Oct. 12, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/092,272, filed on Nov. 27, 2013 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,526,393, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/569,739 filed Aug. 8, 2012 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,621,704; which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/440,944 filed Mar. 12, 2009 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,245,349 and is the US national phase of International Application Number PCT/JP2007/067228, filed Sep. 4, 2007, which claims priority from Japanese Application Number 2006-247215, filed Sep. 12, 2006. The disclosures of all of above-listed applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
- The present invention relates to a cleaning tool and more particularly, to a cleaning tool having a sheet-type cleaning element for cleaning a face to be cleaned inside a room or a vehicle.
- Various types of cleaning tools with a sheet-type cleaning element are known for wiping an object to be cleaned. For example, Japanese non-examined laid-open Patent Publication No. 9-154791 discloses a cleaning tool having cleaning fabric and a holder that detachably holds the cleaning fabric inserted into a holding region of the cleaning fabric. While the known cleaning tool is capable of wiping a face to be cleaned by using the cleaning fabric held via the holder, it is required to provide a further effective technique for enhancing cleaning effect.
- Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide effective technique for a higher cleaning effect and higher operability of a cleaning element.
- The above-described object is achieved by claimed invention. As one aspect of the invention, a cleaning element is provided which may be applied to faces to be cleaned such as floors, walls, ceilings, external walls, furniture, clothes, curtains, bedding, home electric appliances and so on inside and outside of houses, apartments, buildings, factories, vehicles, etc. These faces to be cleaned may be either flat or curved, uneven or stepped.
- The cleaning element according to this invention includes at least a fiber assembly, a nonwoven fabric, a first fusion bonded part and a plurality of second fusion bonded parts.
- According to the invention, the fiber assembly comprises a plurality of fibers extending in a predetermined direction. Preferably, the fiber assembly may have a planar structure having a predetermined flat or curved surface and has a three-dimensional form having a certain thickness or has a thin sheet-like form.
- The “fibers” in this invention are elements of yarn, textile or the like and defined as being thin and flexible fibers having a substantially longer length compared with the thickness. Typically, a long continuous fiber is defined as a filament and a short fiber as a staple.
- Further, the “fiber assembly” in this invention is a single fiber structure formed by the above-mentioned fibers, a fiber structure having the above-mentioned fibers aligned in the length direction and/or the radial direction (twist yarn, spun yarn, yarn to which a plurality of filaments are partially connected), or an assembly of the fiber structures.
- Typically, the fiber assembly is formed of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon, rayon or the like. In practical use, an assembly of filaments formed by opening a tow is frequently used as the fiber assembly.
- In this invention, a sheet-like nonwoven fabric is disposed on the fiber assembly. The nonwoven fabric may comprise a single nonwoven fabric sheet layer or a plurality of nonwoven fabric sheet layers having the same or different functions and stacked in layer. The “nonwoven fabric” in this invention has a sheet-like configuration formed by fixing or entangling fibers by mechanical, chemical or heat treatment. Typically, the nonwoven fabric partly includes thermal melting fibers (thermoplastic fibers) and thus can be fusion bonded.
- The first fusion bonded part of this invention extends in a direction crossing the predetermined direction in order to fusion bond the fiber assembly and the nonwoven fabric. It is essential for the first fusion bonded part in this invention to extend in a direction crossing the predetermined direction. Therefore, the configuration of the first fusion bonded part may include a configuration having a continuously linearly extending bonded portion and a configuration having a discontinuously extending bonded portion.
- The plurality of the second fusion bonded parts are formed discontinuously in a direction crossing the predetermined direction in order to fusion bond the fiber assembly. It is essential for the second fusion bonded parts in this invention to be formed discontinuously in a direction crossing the predetermined direction. Therefore, the configuration of the second fusion bonded parts may include a configuration having a plurality of bonded portions aligned on the same line and a configuration having a plurality of bonded portions not aligned on the same line.
- A distance between adjacent ones of the second fusion bonded parts which are provided in the middle of the cleaning element in the direction crossing the predetermined direction is longer than a length of unbonded portions that are formed on both sides of the pair adjacent second fusion bonded parts. In a construction in which two additional second fusion bonded parts are provided on the both sides of the pair adjacent second fusion bonded parts, the “unbonded portions” may be defined as the regions between the adjacent second fusion bonded parts and the additional second fusion bonded parts. Further, in a construction in which no additional second fusion bonded parts are provided on the both sides of the pair adjacent second fusion bonded parts, the “unbonded portions” here are defined as the regions between the adjacent second fusion bonded parts and the ends of the cleaning element.
- Fibers between the adjacent second fusion bonded parts provided in the middle of the cleaning element serve as a main cleaning part for trapping dust, and fibers of the unbonded portion formed on both sides of the pair adjacent second fusion bonded parts serve as an auxiliary cleaning part for trapping dust. Further, in this invention, one or more pairs of the adjacent second fusion bonded parts may be provided in the middle (a region covering the central portion and an area on its both sides) of the cleaning element in the direction crossing the predetermined direction.
- Further, in this invention, the fiber assembly includes a first fiber extending part and a second fiber extending part. The first fiber extending part has fibers which extend from one end fixed at the first fusion bonded part to the other free end on the end of the cleaning element in the predetermined direction. The second fiber extending part has fibers which extend from one end fixed at the second fusion bonded parts to the other free end on the end of the cleaning element in the predetermined direction. The first fusion bonded part and the second fusion bonded parts are located such that a fiber extending length of the second fiber extending part is shorter than a fiber extending length of the first fiber extending part.
- With such construction of the cleaning element according to this invention, fibers joined to the sheet-type nonwoven fabric form a horizontal section having a relatively high bond strength between the first fusion bonded part and the second fusion bonded parts. Further, with the construction having this horizontal section, the cleaning element can easily conform to a horizontal face to be cleaned, during cleaning operation. Thus, this construction is effective in enhancing the cleaning effect.
- Further, according to this invention, when the cleaning element is lightly shaken or broken up into pieces by the user such that air is taken into the fiber assembly, fibers of the first fiber extending part which have a relatively long length in the fiber assembly are easily entangled with each other and depend downward.
- On the other hand, fibers of the second fiber extending part which have a relatively short length in the fiber assembly are not easily entangled with the first fiber extending part. Therefore, when air is taken into the fiber assembly, the fiber assembly is held homogeneous with a limited amount of unnecessary voids, and the fiber assembly is wholly densely spread. Thus the volume of the fiber assembly is increased. This state in which the fibers have a high density and are homogeneous can be defined as providing a high voluminous feeling, and also referred to as a “bulky state”, “volume increased state”, “high space-fullness state” or “bulk-up state”. Therefore, the cleaning effect can be enhanced by increasing the volume of the fiber assembly. Further, due to the volume increase, the fiber assembly makes closer contact with a face to be cleaned. Therefore, dirt of the fiber assembly stands out (the fiber assembly is easily blackened), so that the user can realize that dust is reliably trapped and thus can get a higher level of satisfaction.
- Further, in this invention, a distance between the two second fusion bonded parts between which the main cleaning part for trapping dust is provided is longer than a length of the unbonded portion in which the auxiliary cleaning part for trapping dust is provided. Therefore, the main cleaning part is the bulkiest in the fiber assembly and is formed in the middle of the cleaning element in a direction crossing the predetermined direction.
- Typically, in cleaning operation, the cleaning element is used with its front end side lowered than its rear end side. Therefore, the construction in which the bulkiest main cleaning part of the fiber assembly is formed in the middle of the cleaning element like in this invention has an effect that the fiber assembly easily acts upon the face to be cleaned.
- Further, in the cleaning element according to this invention, the two adjacent second fusion bonded parts provided in the middle of the cleaning element are arranged such that a distance between one of the second fusion bonded parts and one end of the cleaning element is equal to a distance between the other of the second fusion bonded parts and the other end of the cleaning element in a direction crossing the predetermined direction.
- With this construction of the cleaning element, if the user turns around the cleaning element in use, the bulkiest main cleaning part of the fiber assembly is always located in the middle of the fiber assembly, so that the user can use the cleaning element without feeling odd, just like before the orientation change.
- Further, in the cleaning element according to this invention, the first fusion bonded part is located such that fibers of the first fiber extending part have the same extending length, and the second fusion bonded parts are located such that fibers of the second fiber extending part have the same extending length.
- Such construction of the cleaning element is effective in arranging and stabilizing the shape of the fiber assembly when air is contained in the fiber assembly.
- Further, in the cleaning element according to this invention, the first fusion bonded part extends in a direction crossing the predetermined direction in the middle of the cleaning element in the predetermined direction. Further, the second fusion bonded parts are formed discontinuously in a direction crossing the predetermined direction on the both sides of the first fusion bonded part.
- With this construction of the cleaning element, the fiber assembly can have a shape well-balanced between the right and left portions on the both sides of the first fusion bonded part when air is contained in the fiber assembly.
- A cleaning tool according to this invention includes at least the above-described cleaning element and a cleaning element holder. The cleaning element holder in this invention has a grip to be held by a user in a cleaning operation and a holding portion for holding the cleaning element, and the grip and the holding portion are coupled to each other. The holding portion of the cleaning element holder is removably attached to the cleaning element. In the attached state of the cleaning element holder, the holding portion of the cleaning element holder holds the cleaning element. A user holds the grip of the cleaning element holder to perform a cleaning operation. Further, the user can replace the cleaning element by removing the cleaning element from the holding portion of the cleaning element holder as necessary.
- With such construction, a cleaning tool with a cleaning element having a higher cleaning effect can be provided. Further, various constructions may be applied to attach the cleaning element holder to the cleaning element. Typically, it may be constructed such that a protruding cleaning element holding portion is inserted into the holding space of the cleaning element.
- Further, the cleaning element attached to the holding portion of the cleaning element holder according to this invention may be of disposable type designed for single use, disposable type designed for multiple use which can be used several times, while retaining dust which has been removed from the face to be cleaned, on a brush portion, or reusable type which can be reused by washing.
- As described above, according to this invention, in a sheet-type cleaning element for wiping an object to be cleaned, particularly, a cleaning effect can be enhanced by providing improved configurations of the fusion bonded parts for fusion bonding the fiber assembly and the nonwoven fabric which form the cleaning element.
- Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood after reading the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings and the claims.
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing acleaning tool 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in a disassembled state into acleaning element 110 and acleaning element holder 120. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of thecleaning element holder 120 ofFIG. 1 in a disassembled state. -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of thecleaning element 110 ofFIG. 1 which is shown separated into component elements. -
FIG. 4 is a plan view of thecleaning element 110 shown inFIG. 1 , as viewed from the top. -
FIG. 5 is a plan view of thecleaning element 110 shown inFIG. 1 , as viewed from the back. -
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of thecleaning element 110, taken along line A-A inFIG. 4 . -
FIG. 7 is a sectional view of thecleaning element 110, taken along line B-B inFIG. 4 . -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the manner of attaching thecleaning element 110 to thecleaning element holder 120 in this embodiment. -
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the manner of attaching thecleaning element 110 to thecleaning element holder 120 in this embodiment. -
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing thecleaning element 110 shown inFIG. 9 and broken up into pieces. -
FIG. 11 is a plan view showing acleaning element 210 according to another embodiment. -
FIG. 12 is a plan view showing acleaning element 220 according to a different embodiment. -
FIG. 13 is a plan view showing acleaning element 230 according to a different embodiment. -
FIG. 14 is a plan view showing acleaning element 240 according to a different embodiment. -
FIG. 15 is a plan view showing acleaning element 250 according to a different embodiment. -
FIG. 16 is a plan view showing acleaning element 260 according to a different embodiment. -
FIG. 17 is a plan view showing acleaning element 270 according to a different embodiment. -
FIG. 18 is a plan view showing acleaning element 280 according to a different embodiment. -
FIG. 19 is a plan view showing acleaning element 290 according to a different embodiment. - Each of the additional features and method steps disclosed above and below may be utilized separately or in conjunction with other features and method steps to provide and manufacture improved cleaning elements and cleaning tools and method for using such cleaning elements and cleaning tools, as well as devices utilized therein. Representative examples of the present invention, which examples utilized many of these additional features and method steps in conjunction, will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This detailed description is merely intended to teach a person skilled in the art further details for practicing preferred aspects of the present teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Only the claims define the scope of the claimed invention. Therefore, combinations of features and steps disclosed within the following detailed description may not be necessary to practice the invention in the broadest sense, and are instead taught merely to particularly describe some representative examples of the invention, which detailed description will now be given with reference to the accompanying drawings.
- A representative embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. First, the structure of a
cleaning tool 100 according to this embodiment will now be explained with reference toFIGS. 1 to 5 . Objects to be cleaned with thecleaning tool 100 includes faces to be cleaned (floors, walls, windows, ceilings, external walls, furniture, clothes, curtains, bedding, lighting, home electric appliances, etc.) inside and outside of houses, apartments, buildings, factories, vehicles, etc. and faces of human body parts to be cleaned. These faces to be cleaned may be either flat curved, uneven or stepped. -
FIG. 1 shows thecleaning tool 100 according to this embodiment in perspective view, in a state disassembled into acleaning element 110 and acleaning element holder 120. As shown, thecleaning tool 100 comprises thecleaning element 110 and thecleaning element holder 120. - The
cleaning element 110 includes acleaning element body 111 and a holdingsheet 112 disposed on and joined to the upper face of thecleaning element body 111. Thecleaning element 110 comprises a sheet-type cleaning element having a function of removing dirt on the face to be cleaned. As shown inFIG. 1 , thecleaning element 110 is rectangular in plan view and elongate in a predetermined longitudinal direction (the direction of the length). This predetermined longitudinal direction generally corresponds to the direction crossing the direction in which the plurality of fibers forming the fiber assembly extend. Thecleaning element 110 may also be formed into a square shape in plan view as necessary. - The
cleaning element body 111 forming thecleaning element 110 includes abase sheet 111 a, afiber assembly 111 b and acleaning side sheet 111 c laminated and joined together, which will be described in more detail below. All of thebase sheet 111 a, thefiber assembly 111 b and thecleaning side sheet 111 c are of sheet type, similarly rectangular in plan view and elongate in the longitudinal direction of thecleaning element 110. Thefiber assembly 111 b and thecleaning side sheet 111 c form a brush-like part having a dirt removing function, which is also referred to as the “brush portion”. Thecleaning element 110 may be of disposable type designed for single use, disposable type designed for multiple use which can be used several times, while retaining dust which has been removed from the face to be cleaned, on the brush portion, or reusable type which can be reused by washing. Further, in this embodiment, thecleaning element body 111 of thecleaning element 110 is described as a structure having thebase sheet 111 a, thefiber assembly 111 b and thecleaning side sheet 111 c stacked in layer, but may be constructed as a structure having an additional fiber layer and/or sheet. - The
cleaning element body 111 and the holdingsheet 112 are fusion bonded together at a central joiningline 113 extending in the middle of thecleaning element 110 in its longitudinal direction and at fusion bondedparts line 113. - The central joining
line 113 is designed as a fusion bonded part at which thecleaning element body 111 and the holdingsheet 112 are joined together. The central joiningline 113 extends in the longitudinal direction through the middle of thecleaning element 110 and is a feature that corresponds to the “first fusion bonded part extending in a direction crossing the predetermined direction in order to fusion bond the fiber assembly and the nonwoven fabric” in this invention. - Further, the fusion bonded
parts base sheet 111 a and part of thefiber assembly 111 b of thecleaning element body 111 and the holdingsheet 112 are joined together. The fusion bondedparts 114 correspond to the “plurality of second fusion bonded parts formed discontinuously in a direction crossing the predetermined direction in order to fusion bond the fiber assembly and the nonwoven fabric” in this invention. - Thus, a pair of right and left holding
spaces 115 extending in the longitudinal direction are defined between the central joiningline 113 and the fusion bondedparts spaces 115 has a rearopen end 115 a and a frontopen end 115 b. A holdingplate 132 of aholder body 130 which will be described below can be inserted into the holdingspace 115 from both the rearopen end 115 a and the frontopen end 115 b. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , thecleaning element 110 having the above-described structure is removably attached to thecleaning element holder 120. Thecleaning element holder 120 includes theholder body 130 and thehandle 140 connected to each other. Thehandle 140 includes a longitudinally extendinghandle body 141 and aconnection 141 a disposed between thehandle body 141 and theholder body 130. Thehandle body 141 is held by a user and is a feature that corresponds to the “grip” in this invention. Thehandle body 141 and theholder body 130 are fixedly connected at theconnection 141 a. - In this embodiment, the
holder body 130 and the handle 140 (thehandle body 141 and theconnection 141 a) are separately molded of resin material and thereafter assembled together. With this construction, the entire cleaning tool can be reduced in weight and the manufacturing costs can be reduced. Instead of this construction, theholder body 130 and the handle 140 (thehandle body 141 and theconnection 141 a) may be integrally molded, or two of theholder body 130, thehandle body 141 and theconnection 141 a may be integrally molded, or all of them may be separately molded and then fixedly assembled together. - The
holder body 130 has a function of detachably holding thecleaning element 110 and is a feature that corresponds to the “cleaning element holding portion” in this invention. Theholder body 130 includes a base 131 on thehandle 140 side, a pair of holdingplates 132 and a retainingplate 134. The holdingplates 132 extend forward in the longitudinal direction from thebase 131 and parallel with a predetermined spacing therebetween. In other words, theholder body 130 has a bifurcated form. Each of the holdingplates 132 may have a constant width in the longitudinal direction or be tapered. - Further, two
projections 133 are formed on the front and rear portions of the outer edge of each of the holdingplates 132. Each of theprojections 133 has an elliptic contour projecting outward from the holdingplate 132 and has a convexly curved projecting surface. For example, theprojection 133 has an elliptic contour having a 180° circular arc angle, a 16 mm major axis and a 8 mm minor axis. Further, an opening orhollow portion 133 a is formed in the central portion of theprojection 133. The retainingplate 134 extends forward between thepair holding plates 132 and is convexly curved downward. The retainingplate 134 further has an engagement lug (not shown) on the underside. - The holding
plate 132 can be inserted into the associated holdingspace 115 and has a function of holding thecleaning element 110 in the inserted state. In the inserted state, the holdingplate 132 is fitted in the associated holdingspace 115 by close sliding contact, so that thecleaning element 110 is securely attached to the holdingplate 132. Further, in the inserted state, the retainingplate 134 presses thecleaning element 110 from above, and the engagement lug (not shown) formed on the underside of the retainingplate 134 serves as a stopper for preventing thecleaning element 110 from coming off. Thus, in the inserted state in which the holdingplate 132 is inserted into the holdingspace 115, thecleaning element 110 is reliably retained by theholder body 130. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of thecleaning element holder 120 ofFIG. 1 in a disassembled state. As shown, theholder body 130 and thehandle 140 are separately resin molded and thereafter disengageably connected together. Theholder body 130 has anengagement plate 131 a on the rear end of thebase 131. Thehandle 140 has a firstengaging plate 143 and a secondengaging plate 144 on the front end of thehandle body 141. Anengagement region 145 is defined between the firstengaging plate 143 and the secondengaging plate 144 and can receive theengagement plate 131 a. A projection (not shown) is provided in theengagement region 145 and can be engaged with arecess 131 b of theengagement plate 131 a. Thus, when theengagement plate 131 a is inserted into theengagement region 145, theengagement plate 131 a is sandwiched between the firstengaging plate 143 and the secondengaging plate 144. Further, the projection of theengagement region 145 is engaged with therecess 131 b of theengagement plate 131 a. Thus, theholder body 130 and thehandle 140 are joined together by a joining force acting therebetween. In this state, theholder body 130 and thehandle 140 can be disengaged from each other by pulling theholder body 130 and thehandle 140 apart from each other by a pulling force larger than the joining force. - Referring to
FIGS. 3 to 7 , the structure of thecleaning element 110 of this embodiment will be specifically described.FIG. 3 is a perspective view of thecleaning element 110 ofFIG. 1 which is shown separated into component elements.FIG. 4 is a plan view of thecleaning element 110 shown inFIG. 1 , as viewed from the top.FIG. 5 is a plan view of thecleaning element 110 shown inFIG. 1 , as viewed from the back.FIG. 6 is a sectional view of thecleaning element 110, taken along line A-A inFIG. 4 , andFIG. 7 is a sectional view of thecleaning element 110, taken along line B-B inFIG. 4 . - As shown in
FIG. 3 , in thecleaning element 110 of this embodiment, the holdingsheet 112 is overlaid on thecleaning element body 111 on the cleaning side (which is also referred to as the “lower face side” or the “back”). Further, thecleaning element body 111 has thecleaning side sheet 111 c, thefiber assembly 111 b and thebase sheet 111 a placed one on the other in this order from the cleaning side (lower face side). In this case, the holdingsheet 112 and thebase sheet 111 a are overlaid on the upper face side of thefiber assembly 111 b to form an upper face side sheet. Thus, thefiber assembly 111 b is sandwiched between the holdingsheet 112 andbase sheet 111 a (upper face side sheet) and thecleaning side sheet 111 c (lower face side sheet). The holdingsheet 112, thebase sheet 111 a and thecleaning side sheet 111 c have a plurality of zigzag strips (strip portions) extending in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of thecleaning element 110. - Specifically, the holding
sheet 112 comprises a plurality ofstrips 112 a arranged in parallel and extending in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of thecleaning element 110. Thebase sheet 111 a comprises a plurality ofstrips 111 d arranged in parallel and extending in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of thecleaning element 110. Thecleaning side sheet 111 c comprises a plurality ofstrips 111 e arranged in parallel and extending in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of thecleaning element 110. The zigzag strips of the sheets provides a structure to easily trap dust. The strips may have the same kind or different kinds of shape appropriately selected from various shapes, such as zigzag, linear and curved shapes. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , in thebase sheet 111 a, thestrips 111 d extend outward from the fusion bondedparts cleaning element 110. Further, in the holdingsheet 112 overlaid on the upper face of thebase sheet 111 a, thestrips 112 a having the same shape as thestrips 111 d extend outward from the fusion bondedparts cleaning element 110. - Further, as shown in
FIG. 5 , in thecleaning side sheet 111 c, thestrips 111 e having a smaller width than thestrips line 113 extending along the longitudinal direction of thecleaning element 110. Therefore, the proximal ends of thestrips 111 e are joined at the central joiningline 113. Each of thestrips 111 e extends elongate from one end fixed at the central joiningline 113 to the other free end (distal end) on the side opposite to the fixed end. - The construction of the nonwoven fabric forming the above-described
base sheet 111 a, cleaningside sheet 111 c and holdingsheet 112 and the construction of thefiber assembly 111 b will now be explained in detail. - The
base sheet 111 a, thecleaning side sheet 111 c and the holdingsheet 112 can typically be formed of sheet-type nonwoven fabric comprising thermal melting fibers (thermoplastic fibers) and thus referred to as nonwoven fabric sheet. Thebase sheet 111 a and the holdingsheet 112 herein form the “sheet-type nonwoven fabric” according to this invention. The nonwoven fabric has a sheet-like configuration formed by fixing or entangling fibers by mechanical, chemical or heat treatment. - The nonwoven fabric partly includes thermoplastic fibers and thus can be fusion bonded. Further, the nonwoven fabric has a plurality of strips. Examples of the thermal melting fibers (thermoplastic fibers) include polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate. The nonwoven fabric may be manufactured by through-air bonding, spun bonding, thermal bonding, spun lacing, point bonding, melt blowing, stitch bonding, chemical bonding, needle punching or other similar processes. In order to enhance the dust wiping function, it is preferred to use a nonwoven fabric having higher rigidity. Further, as an alternative to or in addition to the nonwoven fabric, a material to be worked into strips, such as urethane, sponge, woven fabric, net and split cloth, may be used.
- The
fiber assembly 111 b is a single fiber structure formed by fibers, a fiber structure having fibers aligned in the length direction and/or the radial direction (twist yarn, spun yarn, yarn to which a plurality of filaments are partially connected), or an assembly of the fiber structures. Thefiber assembly 111 b partially includes thermoplastic fibers and can be fusion bonded. The fibers forming thefiber assembly 111 b are elements of yarn, textile or the like and defined as being thin and flexible fibers having a substantially longer length compared with the thickness. Typically, a long continuous fiber is defined as a filament and a short fiber as a staple. - The proximal ends of the fibers of the
fiber assembly 111 b are joined at the central joiningline 113 and the fusion bondedparts fiber assembly 111 b each have one end fixed at the fusion bonded parts and the other free end (distal end) on the opposite side. The fibers of thefiber assembly 111 b extend elongate in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the cleaning element 110 (or thefiber assembly 111 b). Thefiber assembly 111 b extending in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of thecleaning element 110 is a feature that corresponds to the “fiber assembly comprising a plurality of fibers extending in the predetermined direction” according to this embodiment. Thefiber assembly 111 b is also referred to as the “fiber bundle” having a plurality of fibers in a bundle. - In the representative example shown in
FIG. 3 , thefiber assembly 111 b comprises three fiber layers, but it may comprise one or more fiber layers as necessary. Preferably, thefiber assembly 111 b has a planar structure having a predetermined flat or curved face and has a three-dimensional form having a certain thickness or has a thin sheet-like form. The “fiber assembly” is typically formed of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon, rayon or the like. In practical use, an assembly of filaments formed by opening a tow is frequently used as the fiber assembly. It is particularly preferable that the fiber assembly comprises conjugated fibers having a core of polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE) and a core covering sheath of polyethylene (PE). Further, the filaments of the fiber assembly are preferred to have a fineness of 1 to 50 dtex, more preferably 2 to 10 dtex. The individual fiber assembly may contain fibers of generally the same fineness or of different finenesses. - Further, in order to enhance the dust wiping function, it is preferred to use a fiber assembly including fibers having higher rigidity or fibers having higher fineness. It is further preferred that the fiber assembly has crimped fibers. Here, the crimped fibers are fibers subjected to a predetermined crimping process and easily entangled with each other. With the fibers being crimped, the fiber assembly becomes bulkier than before the holder is attached thereto, and dust can be easily captured by the crimped portions. This structure can be realized especially by using crimped fibers opened from a tow.
- For the fiber assembly, flat yarns or split yarns may also be employed. The flat yarns are prepared by slitting a film into tapes and by stretching the tapes in the longitudinal direction. The split yarns are prepared by splitting a thermoplastic film resin in the direction perpendicular to the orientation direction of the resin so that the film is fibrillated and interconnected into a net shape. Alternatively, a nonwoven fabric which is bulky and has low fiber density, such as a through-air bonded nonwoven fabric, may be employed to form the fiber assembly.
- The kinds and numbers of the component parts of the
cleaning element 110 are not limited to those described in the above-described example, and can be selected as necessary. Thecleaning element 110 is rectangular in plan view and is attached to thecleaning element holder 120 such that its longer side extends along the longitudinal direction of theholder body 130 and ahandle 140 of thecleaning element holder 120. - The construction of the fusion bonded parts in the
cleaning element 110 will now be explained in further detail with reference toFIGS. 4, 6 and 7 . As shown inFIG. 4 , a plurality of the fusion bondedparts line 113 at the same distance therefrom and arranged along the extending direction of the central joiningline 113. Specifically, on each of extending lines L1 on the both sides of the central joiningline 113, the fusion bondedparts 116 are formed at the rearopen end 115 a and the frontopen end 115 b, and two fusion bondedparts 114 are formed between the two fusion bondedparts 116. In this embodiment, each of the fusion bondedparts 114 has a fusion bonded portion shaped into a circle (perfect circle), and each of the fusion bondedparts 116 has a fusion bonded portion shaped into a combined form obtained by superposing a circle (perfect circle) on an ellipse and elongated in the longitudinal direction. - Each of the fusion bonded
parts 114 is disposed opposite to the central joiningline 113. A region demarcated by the fusion bondedparts 114 and the central joiningline 113 forms the holdingspace 115 into which the holdingplate 132 of theholder body 130 is inserted. The fusion bondedpart 114 has at least a circular arc portion (curved portion) bulged toward theprojection 133 of the inserted holdingplate 132 which projects outward from the holdingplate 132 of theholder body 130. With this construction, sliding resistance caused between the fusion bondedpart 114 and theprojection 133 when the holdingplate 132 is inserted into the holdingspace 115 can be reduced. Thus, the holdingplate 132 can be smoothly inserted into the holdingspace 115. Therefore, ease of attaching the holdingplates 132 of theholder body 130 to thecleaning element 110 can be enhanced. The fusion bondedpart 114 may have a curved surface shape comprising a circular arc portion of a circle or an ellipse in part or in entirety. - This effect of reducing the sliding resistance caused between the fusion bonded
part 114 and theprojection 133 can be further enhanced by providing thehollow portion 133 a in theprojection 133, in addition to the bulged shape of the fusion bondedpart 114 and theprojection 133. Specifically, when theprojection 133 slides in contact with the fusion bondedpart 114, theprojection 133 easily deforms toward the holdingplate 132 by the effect of thehollow portion 133 a. Thus, the effect of reducing the sliding resistance caused between the fusion bondedpart 114 and theprojection 133 can be enhanced. In a construction in which this effect can be obtained only by deformation of the holdingplate 132 itself or deformation of materials forming thecleaning element 110, theprojection 133 may be solid. - Further, a region demarcated by the fusion bonded
part 114 and the adjacent fusion bondedpart 116 forms ahousing region 117 for housing theprojection 133 of the inserted holdingplate 132. The fusion bondedpart 114 interferes with theprojection 133 housed in thehousing region 117 and prevents theprojection 133 from moving in the longitudinal direction of thecleaning element 110, so that theprojection 133 is positioned in the holdingspace 115. - As to a specific configuration of the fusion bonded
part 114 comprising a circular arc portion, the fusion bondedpart 114 is preferably 7 to 12 mm in circular arc diameter and 90 to 360° in circular arc angle, and more preferably 10 mm in circular arc diameter and 180° in circular arc angle. - By forming the fusion bonded
part 114 having the above-mentioned circular arc diameter, theprojection 133 can smoothly climb over the fusion bondedpart 114 when the holdingplate 132 of theholder body 130 is inserted. Further, after insertion, theprojection 133 once received in thehousing region 117 does not easily come off. If the circular arc diameter of the fusion bondedpart 114 is too small, theprojection 133 will rapidly deform when it climbs over the fusion bondedpart 114, so that smoothness cannot be obtained in the climbing movement. On the other hand, if the circular arc diameter is too large, theprojection 133 once received in thehousing region 117 will not be stabilized (not fit well) and easily come off thehousing region 117. - Further, by forming the fusion bonded
part 114 having the above-mentioned circular arc angle, the direction of insertion of the holdingplate 132 of theholder body 130 can be stabilized. Further, the degree of difficulty in forming the fusion bondedpart 114 by using a conventional thermal welding machine can be lowered, and the appearance of the fusion bonded parts can be improved. If the circular arc angle of the fusion bondedpart 114 is too small, the fusion bondedpart 114 will not be reliably engaged with theprojection 133 and the direction of insertion of the holdingplate 132 is not easily stabilized. Further, defective bonding is easily caused due to the smaller bonding area. Further, in terms of the appearance, in some cases, fusion bonded parts having a circular arc angle 180° or 360° is preferred in terms of the design. - As shown in
FIG. 6 , the central joiningline 113 is designed to join thefiber assembly 111 b in entirety in the direction of the thickness, while the fusion bondedparts 114 are designed to join thefiber assembly 111 b only in part in the direction of the thickness. With this construction, thefiber assembly 111 b is divided intoupper fibers 118 andlower fibers 119 by a dividing line L2 in the direction of the thickness. The fusion bondedparts 114 may be designed to join thefiber assembly 111 b in entirety in the direction of the thickness, as necessary. - Further, as shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7 , theupper fibers 118 have a firstfiber extending part 118 a and a secondfiber extending part 118 b. The proximal end of the firstfiber extending part 118 a is joined at the central joiningline 113. The firstfiber extending part 118 a extends elongate from one end fixed at the central joiningline 113 to the other free end (distal end) on the side opposite to the fixed end. Specifically, no fusion bonded part exists between the fixed end and the free end of the firstfiber extending part 118 a. Further, the secondfiber extending part 118 b extends elongate from one end fixed at the fusion bondedpart 114 to the other free end (distal end) on the side opposite to the fixed end. Specifically, no fusion bonded part exists between the fixed end and the free end of the secondfiber extending part 118 b. - Further, in this embodiment, the central joining
line 113 extends parallel to the long sides of the cleaning element through the middle of the cleaning element. Thus, the fibers of the firstfiber extending part 118 a have the same extending length. Further, the fusion bondedparts line 113 at the same distance therefrom and arranged along the extending direction of the central joiningline 113. Thus, the fibers of the secondfiber extending part 118 b have the same extending length. Such construction is effective in arranging and stabilizing the shape of the fiber assembly when air is contained in the fiber assembly. Particularly, thefiber assembly 111 b can have a shape well-balanced between the right and left portions on the both sides of the central joiningline 113. The bonded portion of the central joiningline 113 may continuously linearly extend or discontinuously extend. Further, the bonded portions of the fusion bondedparts - The first
fiber extending part 118 a is a feature that corresponds to the “first fiber extending part having fibers which extend from one end fixed at the first fusion bonded part to the other free end on the end of the cleaning element in the predetermined direction” according to this invention. The secondfiber extending part 118 b is a feature that corresponds to the “second fiber extending part having fibers which extend from one end fixed at the second fusion bonded parts to the other free end on the end of the cleaning element in the predetermined direction” according to this invention. - The proximal ends of the
lower fibers 119 are joined at the central joiningline 113, and each of thelower fibers 119 extends elongate from one end fixed at the central joiningline 113 to the other free end (distal end) on the side opposite to the fixed end. Specifically, no fusion bonded part exists between the fixed ends and the free ends of thelower fibers 119. Therefore, an extending length d5 of the firstfiber extending part 118 a of theupper fibers 118 and the extending length d5 of thelower fibers 119 are longer than an extending length d4 of the second extendingpart 118 b. - With this construction of the
cleaning element 110 of this embodiment, fibers joined to thebase sheet 111 a and the holdingsheet 112 at the central joiningline 113 and the fusion bondedpart 114 form a horizontal section having a relatively high bond strength between the central joiningline 113 and the fusion bondedparts 114. This construction is effective in obtaining a high bond strength which cannot be obtained by joining only thebase sheet 111 a and the holdingsheet 112. Further, with this construction in which the horizontal section is formed between the central joiningline 113 and the fusion bondedparts 114, thecleaning element 110 can easily conform to a horizontal face to be cleaned, during cleaning operation. Thus, this construction is effective in enhancing the cleaning effect. - Further, when the
cleaning element 110 is lightly shaken or broken up into pieces directly by users hand such that air is taken into thefiber assembly 111 b, fibers of the firstfiber extending part 118 a which have a relatively long length in thefiber assembly 111 b are easily entangled with each other and depend downward. On the other hand, fibers of the secondfiber extending part 118 b which have a relatively short length in thefiber assembly 111 b are not easily entangled with the firstfiber extending part 118 a. Therefore, when air is taken into thefiber assembly 111 b, thefiber assembly 111 b is held homogeneous with a limited amount of unnecessary voids, and thefiber assembly 111 b is wholly densely spread. Thus the volume of thefiber assembly 111 b is increased. - This state in which the fibers have a high density and are homogeneous can be defined as providing a high voluminous feeling, and also referred to as a “bulky state”, “volume increased state”, “high space-fullness state” or “bulk-up state”. Therefore, the cleaning effect can be enhanced by increasing the volume of the
fiber assembly 111 b. Further, due to the volume increase, thefiber assembly 111 b makes closer contact with a face to be cleaned. Therefore, dirt of thefiber assembly 111 b stands out (thefiber assembly 111 b is easily blackened), so that the user can get a higher level of satisfaction, realizing that dust is reliably trapped. - Particularly, in this embodiment, a distance d2 between the adjacent fusion bonded
parts 114 disposed in the middle of the cleaning element in the longitudinal direction is longer than a distance d2 between the front fusion bondedparts parts parts 114 serve as a main cleaning part (amain cleaning part 111 f which is shown inFIG. 10 and will be described below) for trapping dust. - Fibers of the unbonded portion between the fusion bonded
part 114 and the fusion bondedpart 116, and fibers of the unbonded portion between the fusion bondedpart 116 and the cleaning element end serve as an auxiliary cleaning part (anauxiliary cleaning part 111 g which is shown inFIG. 10 and will be described below) for trapping dust. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the main cleaning part is the bulkiest in thefiber assembly 111 b and is formed in the middle of the cleaning element between the two fusion bondedparts 114 in the longitudinal direction. Typically, in cleaning operation, thecleaning element 110 is used with its front end side lowered than its rear end side. Therefore, the construction in which the bulkiest main cleaning part of thefiber assembly 111 b is formed in the middle of the cleaning element like in this embodiment has an effect that thefiber assembly 111 b easily acts upon the face to be cleaned. - Further, in this embodiment, preferably, the distance between the front fusion bonded
part 114 and the front end of thecleaning element 110 is equal to the distance between the rear fusion bondedpart 114 and the rear end of thecleaning element 110. With this construction, whether the holdingplate 132 of theholder body 140 is inserted from the rearopen end 115 a or the frontopen end 115 b, the bulkiest main cleaning part of thefiber assembly 111 b is always located in a predetermined middle position of thefiber assembly 111 b. Therefore, if the user turns around thecleaning element 110 in use, the user can use thecleaning element 110 without strange feeling, just like before the change of orientation of thecleaning element 110. - The fusion bonded
parts 116 are formed at the rearopen end 115 a and the frontopen end 115 b and provide a function of guiding the holdingplate 132 of theholder body 130 to be smoothly inserted into the holdingspace 115. Therefore, the fusion bondedparts 116 extend in the longitudinal direction and preferably includes a linear portion extending linearly in the longitudinal direction toward the holdingspace 115. In this manner, when the holdingplate 132 of theholder body 130 is inserted into the holdingspace 115, the holdingplate 132 can be more smoothly guided into the holdingspace 115. - As to a specific configuration of the fusion bonded
part 116, the fusion bondedpart 116 is preferably 10 to 17 mm or more preferably 15 mm, in extending length in the longitudinal direction. By forming the fusion bondedpart 116 having such an extending length, the operation of inserting the holdingplate 132 of theholder body 130 can be stabilized. Further, the area of insertion of the holdingplate 132 can be easily recognized, and the degree of difficulty in forming the fusion bondedpart 116 by using a conventional thermal welding machine can be lowered. If the extending length of the fusion bondedpart 116 is too short, the operation of inserting the holdingplate 132 cannot be stabilized and the area of insertion of the holdingplate 132 cannot be easily recognized. Further, if the fusion bondedpart 116 is formed at a position displaced from a specified joining position, the fiber assembly 11 b, thebase sheet 111 a and the holdingsheet 112 cannot be reliably joined together. - Usage of the
cleaning tool 100 having the above-described construction will now be described with reference toFIGS. 8 to 10 .FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views showing the manner of attaching thecleaning element 110 to thecleaning element holder 120 in this embodiment.FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing thecleaning element 110 shown inFIG. 9 and broken up into pieces. - In order to use the
cleaning tool 100, as shown inFIG. 8 , the holdingplates 132 of theholder body 130 are inserted from the rearopen end 115 a of the holdingspace 115, so that thecleaning element 110 is attached to thecleaning element holder 120. With the construction of this embodiment in which the holdingspace 115 has the rearopen end 115 a and the frontopen end 115 b, the holdingplate 132 of theholder body 130 can be inserted from the frontopen end 115 b of the holdingspace 115, as necessary, so that thecleaning element 110 can also be attached to thecleaning element holder 120 in the inverted position. - In order to attach the
cleaning element 110 to thecleaning element holder 120, first, the front ends of the holdingplates 132 are inserted into the holdingspace 115. At this time, thefront projection 133 of each of the holdingplates 132 is engaged with the inner edge portion of the fusion bondedpart 116. Thus, the holdingplate 132 is positioned with respect to the holdingspace 115. In this embodiment, the fusion bondedpart 116 has components extending in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the direction of movement of the holdingplate 132 can be naturally fixed on a line even if the user does not care about it, and the holdingplate 132 can be smoothly guided forward in the holdingspace 115. - Further, when the holding
plate 132 is inserted into the holdingspace 115, thefront projection 133 climbs over the circular arc portion of the rear fusion bondedpart 114 and then over the circular arc portion of the front fusion bondedpart 114. At this time, each time thefront projection 133 climbs over the circular arc portions of the fusion bondedparts 114, the holdingplate 132 and theprojection 133 itself repeat inward deformation and reversion (recovery). Thus, the resistance acted upon the user continuously changes. The user feels such change of the resistance as movement of the holdingplates 132 which moves toward and away from each other. - When the front and
rear projections 133 are received in therespective housing regions 117, thebase 131 of theholder body 130 interferes with the rearopen end 115 a, so that theholder body 130 is prevented from further moving forward. In this state, thecleaning element holder 120 is attached to thecleaning element 110. In this attached state, the fusion bondedparts projections 133 prevent theprojections 133 from moving. Thus, thecleaning element 110 is prevented from coming off thecleaning element holder 120 just by lightly shaking thecleaning element holder 120. - In this manner, the
cleaning tool 100 is provided in the state shown inFIG. 9 . In this state, the thickness of thecleaning element 110 is kept to a minimum. Further, thecleaning side sheet 111 c facing the face to be cleaned is held separated from thefiber assembly 111 b, so that it cannot perform a desired cleaning function. In order to obtain a desired cleaning function, preferably, thecleaning element 110 is lightly shaken or broken up into pieces directly by hand, or lightly shaken with thecleaning element holder 120 held by hand, such that air is taken into thefiber assembly 111 b and thefiber assembly 111 b expands three-dimensionally. - By such breaking-up or shaking of the
cleaning element 110, the fibers of thefiber assembly 111 b are mixed with thestrips 111 e of thecleaning side sheet 111 c. Upon swinging movement of thestrips 111 e about the fixed ends or the central fusion-bonding line 113, the outer free ends of thestrips 111 e depend downward under the own weight. At this time, the fibers of thefiber assembly 111 b depend downward around the bonded portion of the central fusion-bonding line 113 together with thestrips 111 e of thecleaning side sheet 111 c. Thus, containing air in thefiber bundle 111 b, thecleaning element 110 is made bulkier than before thecleaning element holder 120 is attached. Specifically, in synchronization with the swinging movement of thestrips 111 e of thecleaning side sheet 111 c, thecleaning element 110 expands by containing air between the fibers of thefiber assembly 111 b. - Particularly, in this embodiment, the
strips 111 e of thecleaning side sheet 111 c have a relatively smaller width than thestrips 111 d of thebase sheet 111 a. Therefore, the volume of thefiber assembly 111 b can be increased without causing a problem that thestrips 111 e impair elasticity of thefiber assembly 111 b. Thus, the users can gain higher expectations and peace of mind with respect to the dust trapping function. Further, by forming thefiber assembly 111 b by using crimped fibers as mentioned above, the fibers of thefiber assembly 111 b can be easily entangled with thestrips 111 e of thecleaning side sheet 111 c. - Thus, as shown in
FIG. 10 , the fibers of thefiber assembly 111 b are mixed with thestrips 111 e of thecleaning side sheet 111 c and themain cleaning part 111 f of thefiber assembly 111 b is increased in volume, so that thefiber assembly 111 b expands three-dimensionally. By expansion of themain cleaning part 111 f formed between the front and rearauxiliary cleaning parts 111 g in thecleaning element 110, themain cleaning part 111 f can more easily conform to (or make close contact with) irregular or curved surfaces of the object to be cleaned. At this time, the fibers of thefiber assembly 111 b which are mixed with thestrips 111 e of thecleaning side sheet 111 c perform a cleaning function in cooperation with thestrips 111 e. - Particularly, the
fiber assembly 111 b serves as a core of a dirt collecting function as dirt is entangled between the fibers of thefiber assembly 111 b or on the crimped portions of the fibers. Further, thefiber assembly 111 b is exposed downward from thestrips 111 e and thus appears to be increased in volume, which can provide the users with higher expectations and peace of mind with respect to the dust trapping function. Thestrips 111 e have a dirt collecting function as a supplement to thefiber assembly 111 b serving as a core of the dirt collecting function. Thestrips 111 e can easily reach into finer irregularities or curved surfaces of the object to be cleaned and retain the dust between the strips or on the strip faces, thus performing a cleaning function. Thestrips 111 d of thebase sheet 111 a and thestrips 112 a of the holdingsheet 112 are not easily affected by the movement of thefiber assembly 111 b and perform a dust wiping-out function independently of the movement of thefiber assembly 111 b. - The present invention is not limited to the embodiment as described above, but rather, may be added to, changed, replaced with alternatives or otherwise modified. For example, the following provisions can be made in application of this embodiment.
- In the above-described embodiment, the distance between the front fusion bonded
part 114 and the front end of thecleaning element 110 is described as being equal to the distance between the rear fusion bondedpart 114 and the rear end of thecleaning element 110. However, in this invention, the distance between the front fusion bondedpart 114 and the front end of thecleaning element 110 may be different from the distance between the rear fusion bondedpart 114 and the rear end of thecleaning element 110. - Further, although, in this embodiment, the fusion bonded
parts cleaning element 110 are described as being formed on the both sides of the central joiningline 113, the fusion bondedparts line 113. - Further, although, in this embodiment, the fusion bonded
parts 114 are described as having a circular shape as shown inFIG. 4 , it is essential for the fusion bonded parts to have at least a bulged portion protruding toward the central joiningline 113. The shape and the number of the fusion bonded parts can be changed as necessary. For example, the fusion bonded parts may be shaped as shown inFIGS. 11 to 16 .Cleaning elements FIGS. 11 to 16 have substantially the same construction as thecleaning element 110 except for the shape or the number of the first fusion bonded parts. - The
cleaning element 210 shown inFIG. 11 has first fusion bondedparts 211 having a circular angle of 180°. Thecleaning element 220 shown inFIG. 12 has first fusion bondedparts 221 having a solid filled circular shape (joined over the whole circular area). With the first fusion bondedparts 221 having such a shape, the joint area is increased, so that the bond strength is increased. Further, a powerful appearance can be obtained, and the position of the holding space can be easily recognized by the user. - Further, the
cleaning element 230 shown inFIG. 13 has first fusion bondedparts 231 having a configuration of a double circle. With the first fusion bondedparts 231 having such a configuration, the appearance can be enhanced, and the bond strength is increased. Thecleaning element 240 shown inFIG. 14 has first fusion bondedparts 241 having a combined configuration of a plurality of circles with different diameters. With the first fusion bondedparts 241 having such a configuration, the appearance can be enhanced, and fine joining operation can be performed. - The
cleaning elements FIGS. 15 and 16 have an increased number of the fusion bondedparts 114. Particularly, thecleaning element 260 shown inFIG. 16 has an additional fusion bondedpart 114 between the two fusion bondedparts 114 which are provided on each side in the middle of thecleaning element 110 shown inFIG. 4 . In this case, two pairs of the adjacent fusion bondedparts 114 are provided on each side in the middle of the cleaning element. Also in this construction, like in thecleaning element 110, preferably, the distance d1 between the adjacent fusion bondedparts 114 is longer than the distance d2 between the front fusion bondedparts parts - Further, in this embodiment, the fusion bonded
parts 116 are described as being shaped into a combined form of a circle (perfect circle) and an ellipse as shown inFIG. 4 , it is essential for the fusion bonded parts to have at least an elongated portion extending in the longitudinal direction. The shape and the number of the fusion bonded parts can be changed as necessary. For example, the fusion bonded parts may be shaped as shown inFIGS. 17 to 19 .Cleaning elements FIGS. 17 to 19 have substantially the same construction as thecleaning element 110 except for the shape or the number of the second fusion bonded parts. - The
cleaning element 270 shown inFIG. 17 has second fusion bondedparts 271 having an elliptic shape. Thecleaning element 280 shown inFIG. 18 has second fusion bondedparts 281 shaped to comprise only a part of an elliptic fusion bonded part. Thecleaning element 290 shown inFIG. 19 has second fusion bondedparts 291 shaped into a combined form of two circular fusion bonded parts and elongated in the longitudinal direction. Also with the second fusion bondedparts parts 116, the operation of inserting the holdingplate 132 can be stabilized. Particularly, with the second fusion bondedparts 291, the joint area is increased, so that the bond strength is increased.
Claims (2)
1. A cleaning element, comprising:
a fiber assembly having a plurality of fibers extending in a predetermined direction,
a nonwoven fabric disposed on the fiber assembly,
a first fusion bonded part extending in a cross direction crossing the predetermined direction to fusion bond the fiber assembly and the nonwoven fabric,
a plurality of second fusion bonded parts formed discontinuously in the cross direction to fusion bond the fiber assembly and the nonwoven fabric,
wherein
the fiber assembly includes a first portion and a second portion which is disposed on the opposite side of the first portion from the nonwoven fabric.
the first portion includes a first fiber extending part and a second fiber extending part,
the first fusion bonded part extends all the way through the fiber assembly in a thickness direction of the cleaning element,
the plurality of second fusion bonded parts extend through only the second fiber extending part in the thickness direction,
the first fabric extending part of the first portion and the second portion have fibers each of which extends in the predetermined from one, fixed end at the first fusion bonded part to the other, free end on an end of the cleaning element,
the second fabric extending part of the first potion has fibers each of which extends in the predetermined from one, fixed end at the second fusion bonded parts to the other, free end on the end of the cleaning element, and
a fiber length of the second fiber extending part is shorter than a fiber length each of the first fiber extending part and the second portion.
2. A cleaning tool, comprising:
a cleaning element; and
a cleaning element holder having a grip to be held by a user for cleaning operation, and a holding portion coupled to the grip,
wherein
the cleaning element holding portion of the cleaning element holder is removably attached to the cleaning element, and
the cleaning element includes
a fiber assembly having a plurality of fibers extending in a predetermined direction,
a nonwoven fabric disposed on the fiber assembly,
a first fusion bonded part extending in a cross direction crossing the predetermined direction to fusion bond the fiber assembly and the nonwoven fabric,
a plurality of second fusion bonded parts formed discontinuously in the cross direction to fusion bond the fiber assembly and the nonwoven fabric,
wherein
the fiber assembly includes a first portion and a second portion which is disposed on the opposite side of the first portion from the nonwoven fabric.
the first portion includes a first fiber extending part and a second fiber extending part,
the first fusion bonded part extends all the way through the fiber assembly in a thickness direction of the cleaning element,
the plurality of second fusion bonded parts extend through only the second fiber extending part in the thickness direction,
the first fabric extending part of the first portion and the second portion have fibers each of which extends in the predetermined from one, fixed end at the first fusion bonded part to the other, free end on an end of the cleaning element,
the second fabric extending part of the first potion has fibers each of which extends in the predetermined from one, fixed end at the second fusion bonded parts to the other, free end on the end of the cleaning element, and
a fiber length of the second fiber extending part is shorter than a fiber length each of the first fiber extending part and the second portion.
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JP2006247215A JP4709105B2 (en) | 2006-09-12 | 2006-09-12 | Cleaning body and cleaning tool |
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US44094409A | 2009-03-12 | 2009-03-12 | |
US13/569,739 US8621704B2 (en) | 2006-09-12 | 2012-08-08 | Cleaning element and cleaning tool |
US14/092,272 US9526393B2 (en) | 2006-09-12 | 2013-11-27 | Cleaning element and cleaning tool |
US15/292,091 US10398281B2 (en) | 2006-09-12 | 2016-10-12 | Cleaning element and cleaning tool |
US16/520,308 US20190343365A1 (en) | 2006-09-12 | 2019-07-23 | Cleaning element and cleaning tool |
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US14/092,272 Active US9526393B2 (en) | 2006-09-12 | 2013-11-27 | Cleaning element and cleaning tool |
US14/092,177 Active 2027-12-28 US9357896B2 (en) | 2006-09-12 | 2013-11-27 | Cleaning element and cleaning tool |
US15/292,091 Active 2028-07-15 US10398281B2 (en) | 2006-09-12 | 2016-10-12 | Cleaning element and cleaning tool |
US16/520,308 Abandoned US20190343365A1 (en) | 2006-09-12 | 2019-07-23 | Cleaning element and cleaning tool |
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US12/440,944 Active 2028-12-22 US8245349B2 (en) | 2006-09-12 | 2007-09-04 | Cleaning element and cleaning tool |
US13/569,739 Active US8621704B2 (en) | 2006-09-12 | 2012-08-08 | Cleaning element and cleaning tool |
US14/092,272 Active US9526393B2 (en) | 2006-09-12 | 2013-11-27 | Cleaning element and cleaning tool |
US14/092,177 Active 2027-12-28 US9357896B2 (en) | 2006-09-12 | 2013-11-27 | Cleaning element and cleaning tool |
US15/292,091 Active 2028-07-15 US10398281B2 (en) | 2006-09-12 | 2016-10-12 | Cleaning element and cleaning tool |
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US (6) | US8245349B2 (en) |
EP (2) | EP2080471B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4709105B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR101066532B1 (en) |
CN (2) | CN101511253B (en) |
AT (1) | ATE542463T1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2663264C (en) |
ES (1) | ES2383260T3 (en) |
MX (1) | MX2009002728A (en) |
SA (1) | SA07280491B1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2008032612A1 (en) |
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JPH0924010A (en) * | 1995-07-10 | 1997-01-28 | Fumio Nakaya | Cleaning tool for every nook and corner |
JP2977477B2 (en) | 1995-12-08 | 1999-11-15 | 花王株式会社 | Cleaning tools |
CN1768694A (en) | 2000-07-10 | 2006-05-10 | 尤妮佳股份有限公司 | Cleaning article |
JP4050035B2 (en) | 2000-10-27 | 2008-02-20 | ユニ・チャーム株式会社 | Handy mop |
CN1768695B (en) | 2000-10-27 | 2011-08-31 | 尤妮佳股份有限公司 | Handy mop |
US20050029285A1 (en) * | 2003-03-24 | 2005-02-10 | Pbm Plastics, Inc. | Containers and methods for the on-demand dispensing of flowable materials |
CN101940456B (en) | 2004-04-01 | 2014-06-25 | 山田菊夫 | Cleaning tool sheet and cleaning tool |
US7870635B2 (en) | 2004-04-01 | 2011-01-18 | Kikuo Yamada | Cleaning tool sheet and cleaning tool |
JP4785369B2 (en) | 2004-11-16 | 2011-10-05 | ユニ・チャーム株式会社 | Cleaning goods |
AU2005320857B2 (en) | 2004-12-27 | 2009-03-19 | Kikuo Yamada | Cleaning device and process for producing the same |
JP4657075B2 (en) | 2005-10-21 | 2011-03-23 | 花王株式会社 | Cleaning goods |
JP4709105B2 (en) * | 2006-09-12 | 2011-06-22 | ユニ・チャーム株式会社 | Cleaning body and cleaning tool |
JP4731433B2 (en) * | 2006-09-12 | 2011-07-27 | ユニ・チャーム株式会社 | Cleaning body and cleaning tool |
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2006
- 2006-09-12 JP JP2006247215A patent/JP4709105B2/en active Active
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2007
- 2007-09-04 AT AT07806683T patent/ATE542463T1/en active
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- 2007-09-04 CN CN2007800337102A patent/CN101511253B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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- 2007-09-04 CN CN201010536808.3A patent/CN101982155B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2007-09-04 EP EP10171437.6A patent/EP2255713B1/en not_active Revoked
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- 2007-09-04 KR KR1020097007439A patent/KR101066532B1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2007-09-04 US US12/440,944 patent/US8245349B2/en active Active
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2012
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- 2013-11-27 US US14/092,177 patent/US9357896B2/en active Active
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2016
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2019
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Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US11375867B2 (en) * | 2018-04-03 | 2022-07-05 | The Procter & Gamble Company | Cleaning article with differential sized tow tufts |
US11903542B2 (en) * | 2018-04-03 | 2024-02-20 | The Procter & Gamble Company | Cleaning article with double bonded tow tufts |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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EP2255713A3 (en) | 2011-01-05 |
CN101982155B (en) | 2014-07-16 |
ATE542463T1 (en) | 2012-02-15 |
US20140075701A1 (en) | 2014-03-20 |
US20100037410A1 (en) | 2010-02-18 |
MX2009002728A (en) | 2009-04-30 |
EP2255713A9 (en) | 2011-05-18 |
ES2383260T3 (en) | 2012-06-19 |
SA07280491B1 (en) | 2011-11-16 |
CN101511253A (en) | 2009-08-19 |
US8245349B2 (en) | 2012-08-21 |
US8621704B2 (en) | 2014-01-07 |
CN101511253B (en) | 2011-05-04 |
JP2008067782A (en) | 2008-03-27 |
US20140082872A1 (en) | 2014-03-27 |
EP2255713A2 (en) | 2010-12-01 |
JP4709105B2 (en) | 2011-06-22 |
US10398281B2 (en) | 2019-09-03 |
KR20090063253A (en) | 2009-06-17 |
CA2663264A1 (en) | 2008-03-20 |
US20120297563A1 (en) | 2012-11-29 |
US9357896B2 (en) | 2016-06-07 |
WO2008032612A1 (en) | 2008-03-20 |
EP2080471B1 (en) | 2012-01-25 |
US9526393B2 (en) | 2016-12-27 |
EP2080471A4 (en) | 2009-11-18 |
KR101066532B1 (en) | 2011-09-21 |
CN101982155A (en) | 2011-03-02 |
EP2080471A1 (en) | 2009-07-22 |
US20170028446A1 (en) | 2017-02-02 |
EP2255713B1 (en) | 2013-12-25 |
CA2663264C (en) | 2014-11-18 |
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