Classifications

• • 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
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D01—NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
  • D01F—CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS
  • D01F6/00—Monocomponent artificial filaments or the like of synthetic polymers; Manufacture thereof
  • D01F6/02—Monocomponent artificial filaments or the like of synthetic polymers; Manufacture thereof from homopolymers obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
  • D01F6/14—Monocomponent artificial filaments or the like of synthetic polymers; Manufacture thereof from homopolymers obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds from polymers of unsaturated alcohols, e.g. polyvinyl alcohol, or of their acetals or ketals
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/29—Coated or structually defined flake, particle, cell, strand, strand portion, rod, filament, macroscopic fiber or mass thereof

Definitions

• the present invention involves a mop head and its method of disposal after use.
• the mop head fabric is comprised of fibers of polyvinyl alcohol which is water soluble at temperatures above approximately 93 °C.
• the polyvinyl alcohol fibers are produced by a process of dope extrusion and then treated with heat and stretching, the degree of crystallinity and the degree of orientation for the heated and stretched polyvinyl alcohol fibers are approximately 0.70 and 0.52, respectively.
• the degree of crystallinity and the degree of orientation are measured by IR spectroscopy.
• the degree of crystallinity is the ratio of crystalline area to amorphous area.
• the degree of orientation is the ratio of non-oriented area to oriented area.
• the water content of polyvinyl alcohol fiber is kept at a value between approximately 1.5 to 15.0% (wt.).
• the polyvinyl alcohol is further characterized as having a degree of polymerization between approximately 1300 to 1500 being produced from greater than 99% saponified polyvinyl acetate containing between approximately 0.1 to 5.0% (wt.) of an anti ⁇ blocking agent and 0.1 to 2.0% (wt.) of wetting agent.
• the present invention deals with a novel mop head and its method of disposal for use primarily in the medical industry in hospitals, out-patient facilities and home environments.
• mop heads generally come into contact with human bodily fluids such that disposal and disinfection has become a matter of major concern in light of the lack of biodegradabilit ⁇ of prior products and the potential spread of human fluid-borne diseases such as hepatitis B and AIDS.
• suitable mop heads be composed of fabric produced from fibers comprising polyvinyl alcohol which is water soluble at temperatures only above 93° C.
• Conventional mop heads are generally made from cotton or cellosic fiber. Yarn sizes are generally 1 cotton count to 0.1 cotton count and are generally present in the form of multiple plies, such as 2-ply, 3-ply or 4-ply. A typical cotton count would be 0.7/4-ply yarn. These yarns' are bundled together, parallel and formed into a mop head by sewing a binding along the mid portion of the mop head in a perpendicular fashion to the threads. Cotton mop heads are generally made from waste, whereas rayon mop heads are generally made from virgin fiber. The typical mop weighs from 16 to 24 ounces. Mop heads of the present invention are made from fabrics which are in turn created from fibers of polyvinyl alcohol.
• the fabric comprised of polyvinyl homopolymer, has been highly crystallized by postdrawing or by heat annealing. Ideal for use in the present invention would be a highly crystallized, greater than 99% saponified polyvinyl acetate.
• the mop head fabric can be configured from conventional spun yarn. However, it is preferable to process the fiber into a thermal bond, chemical bond needle punch, wet laid, air laid or other non- woven fabric utilizing tools, methods and procedures familiar to those practicing textile manufacturing art.
• the preferred weight of fabric is between 15 g/yd. and 100 g/yd. which has been formed from approximately 10 and 50 layers which are affixed along their mid- -5- section of the fabric perpendicular to at least one border thereof either by stapling, sewing or otherwise combining the layers together.
• the fabric layers can then be cut on each side to within an inch or so of their sewn together mid-section to form tendrils that are from 1/4" wide to 1 " wide.
• a 6" wide mop head would have a nominal length of 16" with 30 layers of fabric producing numerous tendrils.
• the polyvinyl alcohol fibers are created by a process of dope extrusion.
• PVA is dissolved in water under heat and is extruded into a saturated aqueous solution of glauber's salt through fine holes of a spinneret, then dehydrated and coagulated, and formed into fiber shape.
• the PVA fiber thus spun is then heat treated at a high temperature, but for the purpose of improving the fiber strength, a suitable stretching treatment is given prior to the treatment.
• the degree of crystallinity ad the degree of orientation for the heated and stretched polyvinyl alcohol fibers are approximately 0.70 and 0.52, respectively.
• the water dissolution temperature of PVA fibers is increased by the heat treatment.
• the polyvinyl alcohol fibers will not dissolve at room temperature but will in water at temperatures higher than 93 °C. It is contemplated that the final polyvinyl alcohol have between approximately 1.5 to 15% (wt.), preferably 5 to 10%
• an anti ⁇ blocking agent be employed to reduce hydrogen bonding between adjacent hydroxyl groups on separate fiber bundles.
• Suitable anti ⁇ blocking agents and members selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide (SIO 2 ) polymer, talc, calcium carbonate and fumed hydrophilic SIO 2 .
• SIO 2 silicon dioxide
• talc talc
• calcium carbonate calcium carbonate
• fumed hydrophilic SIO 2 Such material should be employed between 0.1 to 5% (wt.) and most preferably between 2 to 3% (wt.) based upon the weight of the polyvinyl alcohol.
• the polymer for use herein is comprised of polyvinyl alcohol with or without acetyl groups, cross-linked or uncross-linked. It is proposed that the polyvinyl alcohol be substantially fully hydrolyzed, that is, having greater than 99% hydrolyzed acetyl groups.
• polyvinyl alcohol fibers should have a degree of polymerization of at least 1300 and no greater than approximately 1500. Ideally, such material should have a degree of polymerization of approximately 1400 and be substantially crystallized.
• impurities such as sodium acetate and sodium sulfate are found in the resin.
• impurities must be kept below 1/2 % (wt.) or preferably below 1/4 % (wt.) of the polyvinyl alcohol resin. This can be accomplished with a methanol water rinse or extraction.
• the fiber be colored with pigments or dyes such as azo or anthraquinone molecules.
• the pigments and dyes should be employed in an amount between approximately 0.5 to 3.0% (wt.) based upon the weight of the polymeric polyvinyl alcohol.
• a wetting agent includes fluorocarbons offered by the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. sold under its trademark FC-171. This material is useful in the range of between 0.1 to 2.0% (wt.) based upon the weight of the polyvinyl alcohol polymer.
• FC-171 fluorocarbons offered by the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. sold under its trademark FC-171. This material is useful in the range of between 0.1 to 2.0% (wt.) based upon the weight of the polyvinyl alcohol polymer.
• suitable mop heads can be used in various cleaning procedures. Subsequent to use, mop heads can be introduced to a boiling water washing machine for from between 5 and 30 minutes at a temperature of 93 °C with a subsequent solution of the mop head and resulting sewer disposal.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Cleaning Implements For Floors, Carpets, Furniture, Walls, And The Like (AREA)
• Nonwoven Fabrics (AREA)
• Artificial Filaments (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=23100256

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (31)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (65)

• 1994
  • 1994-08-05 US US08/286,811 patent/US5470653A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1994-11-07 EP EP01117942A patent/EP1166707A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1994-11-07 CA CA002172388A patent/CA2172388C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1994-11-07 EP EP95901179A patent/EP0731753A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1994-11-07 WO PCT/US1994/012872 patent/WO1996004136A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1994-11-07 JP JP8506455A patent/JP3060180B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1994-11-07 CN CN94193626A patent/CN1132489A/zh active Pending
  • 1994-11-07 CA CA002370183A patent/CA2370183A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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