Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Discontinuous or differential coating – impregnation or bond
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-18
2001-11-20
Ashton, Rosemary (Department: 1752)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond
C428S169000, C428S193000, C442S170000, C015S209100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319593
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to disposable cleaning sheets having a soft surface and excellent dust-collecting properties.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cleaning sheets formed from short fibers, or filaments, are conventionally used as a dusting or cleaning agent. In particular, a conventional disposable cleaning sheet has a wiping surface area formed from nonwoven fabric consisting of relatively short fibers. The cleaning sheets may be attached to a cleaning tool such as a mop or similar device, or used by hand.
However, the conventional disposable cleaning sheet is not very effective for capturing relatively large dust particles, and the fibers have a tendency to fall out of the cleaning sheet, thereby further reducing the effectiveness. These problems arise from the use of relatively short fibers in the nonwoven fabric.
Another disadvantage of conventional cleaning sheets is that they have relatively hard or “scratchy” wiping surfaces. As a consequence, when the object to be cleaned, such as furniture or other household effect having a soft or painted surface, is wiped with force using a conventional cleaning sheet there is a possibility that the surface will be scratched. In addition, since the wiping area of conventional cleaning sheets is flat, the dirt and dust adheres mostly to the peripheral portions of the cleaning sheet when in use so that the middle area of the cleaning sheet surface is not effectively used.
One example of a disposable wiping tool, described in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei-9-135798, includes a cleaning sheet that contains a base sheet having a surface layer of filaments which are relatively longer than the short fibers of conventional cleaning sheets. The filaments are bonded to the base sheet at fusion-bonding lines and are also maintained in the sheet using intermittently arranged wires, resulting in a cleaning surface that is not flat. The use of longer fibers and wires helps to prevent the filaments from falling out. However, this wiping tool has difficulty capturing larger dust particles. Furthermore, while filaments disposed at the uppermost region of the surface layer can capture dust during use, filaments disposed near the bottom of the surface layer (near to the base sheet) are not utilized effectively.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a cleaning sheet which effectively captures both large and small particles of dust, is soft enough to prevent the scratching of a surface to be cleaned, uses a greater surface area of the surface layer, and has a decreased tendency to lose the fibers which form the cleaning surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a cleaning sheet having a base sheet and a surface layer of filaments, which filaments are relatively longer than fibers used in conventional cleaning sheets and which are bonded to the base sheet at fusion-bonding lines. The longer filaments used in the invention do not fall out of the cleaning surface. The cleaning sheet of the invention has excellent dust collecting properties for capturing large dust particles, and a soft surface to prevent damage to the surfaces of the object cleaned.
The present invention provides a cleaning sheet comprising a base sheet and at least one surface layer containing filaments or strip-shaped materials placed on the base sheet. The filaments or strip-shaped materials are oriented in one direction and each extends over the entire length of the surface layer in the extension direction of the filaments or strip-shaped materials. The base sheet and the surface layer are bonded to each other at a plurality of bonding lines intersecting the extension direction of the filaments or strip-shaped materials, the surface layer including a plurality of holding regions. Each holding region is formed between two bonding lines adjacent to each other in the extension direction, thereby holding each of the filaments or strip-shaped materials positioned therein to the base sheet at said two bonding lines. Each of the holding regions includes at least one end of a bonding line other than said two bonding lines.
In each of the holding regions of the cleaning sheet, the filaments or strip-shaped materials of the surface layer are divided into two portions such that a difference in level is formed therebetween, and a gap between the surface layer and the base sheet is slightly exposed so as to have an entrance. Therefore, the gaps function like pockets capable of capturing relatively large particles such as crumbs. Both the filaments exposed at the surface of the cleaning sheet and the filaments disposed near the base sheet contribute during a wiping operation. As a result, the dust-collecting property of the cleaning sheet is enhanced by the whole sheet.
Moreover, since the surface layer is composed of the filaments or strip-shaped materials, the sheet surface used for wiping is satisfactorily soft. Accordingly, even when the cleaning sheet is used for wiping objects vulnerable to scratching, such as furniture or household effects having soft or coated surfaces, scratches or similar damage is prevented.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the base sheet and the surface layer contain thermoplastic resin and the bonding lines are formed by fusion-bonding.
Further, it is preferable that the bonding lines include first bonding lines having first columns and second bonding lines having second columns, each of the columns including bonding lines arranged at regular intervals in the extension direction, wherein the first and second columns alternate with each other in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction. In addition, it is preferable that the first bonding lines are inclined at a first angle to the extension direction and the second bonding lines are inclined at a second angle to the extension direction, the first and second inclination angles being symmetrical to each other with respect to the extension direction.
Alternatively, it is also preferable that the bonding lines include long bonding lines and short bonding lines, wherein the long bonding lines are arranged at regular intervals in the extension direction and each continuously traverses the surface layer, and that holding regions are formed between the long bonding lines, which are adjacent to each other in the extension direction and which include a plurality of the short bonding lines arranged therein.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the surface layer has a wiping area wherein the surface layer is exposed on the cleaning sheet and the bonding lines are formed more densely in the peripheral portions of the wiping area than in the middle portion of the wiping area, or peripheral portions of the wiping area are pressed without bonding thereof so that volume of the peripheral portions is smaller than that of the middle portion.
Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable that the cleaning sheet is impregnated with an oil-based agent.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5229191 (1993-07-01), Austin
patent: 5964742 (1999-10-01), McCormack et al.
patent: 2262121 (1974-07-01), None
patent: 0 289 198 (1988-11-01), None
patent: 05 245 090 (1993-09-01), None
patent: 0 774 229 A2 (1997-05-01), None
patent: 0 774 229 A3 (1998-04-01), None
patent: 09135798 (1997-05-01), None
Iida Yukiko
Kenmochi Yasuhiko
Tanaka Yoshinori
Ashton Rosemary
Darby & Darby
Uni-Charm Corporation
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