GB1566798A

GB1566798A - Mop pads

Info

Publication number: GB1566798A
Application number: GB4273675A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd
Priority date: 1975-10-17
Filing date: 1975-10-17
Publication date: 1980-05-08

Description

(54) MOP PADS (71) We, IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED, Imperial Chemical House, Millbank, London SW1P 3JF a British Company do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to: This invention relates to mops and in particular to pads suitable for attaching to a mop head.

Mops have traditionally comprised a long handle to the end of which is attached a head of fibre for spreading and absorbing cleaning liquid onto and from a surface such as a í' Xr.

More recently the head has included a piecc ?.f flexible open-celled foam material mounted o a flat rigid base; the base may be composed Oi two hinged portions that may be pressed together to squeeze liquid from the foam. The head may be rigidly attached to the handle but is preferably attached to the handle through a universal coupling or hinge so that the flat base of the head remains in contact with the floor during the mopping action.

According to the present invention a pad is provided for attaching to a mop head which pad comprises a sheet of tack-spun pile surfaced material and a flexibile strip of non pilesurfaced material extending from at least part of each opposite side of the sheet.

In use of the present pad, the sheet of pile surfaced material is located on a flat base of a mop head preferably with the pile surface on the outside, and the flexibile strips are used to secure the pad on the head. The base may also be provided with a piece of resilient material such as flexible foam between the sheet and the base so that the sheet may more efficiently conform to the contour of the surface to be mopped.

The sheet may be made from any pile surfaced material produced from a thermoplastic material as described in British patent specifications 1334672, 1378638, 1378639 and 1378640 and Belgian patent specification 807879 and German patent application (Offenlegungsschrift) 2359565.

In the techniques (hereinafter referred to as tack-spinning) of eg. these patents, a laminar pile surfaced material is formed by feeding a thermoplastic material and a backing to a heated surface with the thermoplastic material between the backing and the heated surface so that the thermoplastic softens and bonds to the backing as well as adhering to the heated surface so that the combination of the :.1ermoplastic and the backing may be peeled away from the heated surface so that the thermoplastic is drawn into fibrils or tufts to provide a pile surface. In this process, the backing may be nonporous such as a film but for the present pad it is preferably porous because of associated higher absorption of liquids. Suitable porous backings include woven and nonwoven materials such as hessian, cotton, linen, nylon and polyester fabrics and nets. However, in one embodiment paper may be used as the backing and the strength of the backing is surprisingly only marginally affected by water. The thermoplastic from which the pile surface is formed may be any of those materials described in the aforesaid British patent specifications but is preferably polyethylene, or a blend of low and high density polyethylene. A most preferred blend is that comprising 80 to 95% by weight of low density polyethylene and 20 to 5% by weight of high density polyethylene as such improves slip and wear properties of the pad whilst maintaining ease of manufacture.

The pad preferably comprises a square or rectangular sheet of pile surfaced material to opposite sides, preferably to one pair of opposite sides and in the case of a rectangular sheet, preferably to the pair of longer sides, of which are attached flexible strips. The flexible strips are used to secure the pad to the base of the mop for example by cooperating with studs provided on the base particularly on the back of the base, or by acting as ribbon ties which may be tied at the back of the base, or the flexible strips may be one piece of flexible material so that the present pad is in the form of an open ended sleeve. Preferably the sheet of pile-surfaced material is rectangular and most preferably the flexible material extends from and is attached along the entire length of the longer pair of sides. The flexible material may be any material which can be used to secure the pad to the base as herein before described.

Preferably the flexible material is a fabric such as for example that of the backing of the sheet or polymer film such as for example polyethylene which can be heat sealed to the sheet. Where the backing is paper, the flexible strips may be heat sealed to the pile side of the pile surfaced material, preferably with the materials of the pile being used as the heat seal.

The pads of the present invention may be made by a variety of methods depending on the nature of the flexible strips. If the strips are made from the same material as the backing of the sheet but without a pile surface then the flexible strips may be formed for example by cutting surplus material away to leave the strips which can then be used as ties as herein before described; the material may be left uncut to make a single strip along each of at least one pair of opposite sides of the sheet and the pad is fixed to the mop base by cooperating studs on the back of the base. In a preferred embodiment the strips are made from thermoplastic film such as poly-ethylene for example in the form of two or more loops which extend between opposite sides of the sheet so that the pad-is secured to the mop base by placing the loops over the base; there may only be one loop in which case it should extend over substantially the whole area of the back of the sheet so forming a sleeve whereby the pad can be slid over the mop base and secured to the base by, for example trapping the strip between the mop handle and a cooperating socket on the back of the mop base; in a further embodiment the flexible drip of the sleeve may have a slit extending F xtially along the centre line of the longitudinal axis of the pad so that the strip may be slipped over the base of the mop.

The pile and/or the backing layers of the pad of the present invention may if desired be impregnated with additives to aid the subsequent cleaning operation for example water, polishes, anti-static agents, detergents and other additives known in the cleaning trade. Where the backing of the pile surfaced material is porous, such additives may be provided in a premoistened pad adjacent to the backing. In order to reduce loss of moisture in storage and contamination of the mop head and hence for example hospital wards during use of the mop, the premoistened pad may itself be provided with an impermeable backing eg polyethylene film so that said pad according to the invention comprises a three-layer laminate of pile-surfaced material, premoistened pad, impermeable backing.

The pads of the present invention may be provided in a dispenser carton for example a cardboard box having a dispensing aperture appropriately located for convenient withdrawal of a pad. In storage the aperture would preferably be closed by a tear-off covering.

The invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying Figures 1 to 9 of which Figures 1 to 4 and 6 are plan views from the back of pads according to the invention and Figures 5 and 7 are sections on the line I-I of Figure 4 and Il-Il of Figure 6 in the direction of the arrows; Figure 8 illustrates a mop pad according to the invention attached to a mop; Figure 9 is a section of the mop on the line I-I of Figure 8.

In Figures 1 to 7, Sheet 1 is a pile-surfaced product having a polyethylene pile on a nonwoven backing. The sheet is cut in the shape of a rectangle having a longer pair of opposite sides 2,3. Flexible strips 4 are secured to the opposite sides 2,3.

In Figure 1, the pile surface extends over the face of sheet 1 up to point marked by dashed lines 5 to leave a selvedge 6. Flexible strips 4 are extensions of the backing layer used in manufacture of the pile surfaced product so that the pad illustrated in Figure 1 may be made by pressing out portions 9 from a sheet of pile surfaced material.

In Figure 2, strips 4 are made from low density polyethylene film and have been attached to sheet 1 by heat sealing at regions such as 7.

In Figure 3, the strips 4 are made from low density polyethylene film and extend along the entire length of the opposite sides 2,3.

The strips are attached to sheet 1 by heatsealing at regions 7.

In Figure 4, the strip 4 is in the form of a single sheet of low density polyethylene film heat sealed at regions 7 to the sheet to form a sleeve as more clearly illustrated in Figure 5.

The sleeve may be attached to a mop base by sliding the sleeve over the base and clamping the strip 4 between the handle of the mop and cooperating socket of the handle on the head of the mop.

The pad illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 is similar to that illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 except that a slit 8 is provided extending partially along the centre line of the longitu dinal axis of the pad.

The embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 may be made by extending the slit 8 in Figures 6 and 7 along the entire length of the pad in which case the width of strip 4 of Figure 3 would be half the width of the pad.

Figure 8 illustrates in perspective a mop having a mop pad according to the present invention attached thereto. In Figure 8, mop head (10) has a rectangular base (11) provided on its lower surface with a resilient foam layer (12). On its upper surface are provided four flaps (13) attached to said upper surface with hinges (14). Recesses (15) are provided in the upper surface under the flaps; edges (16) of the flaps (13) abutting corresponding inside edges (17) of the recesses. Mop pad (18) is located on layer (12) with pile surface (19) on the outside. The mop pad (18) is secured to the base (11) by means of flexible strips (20) which are secured in recesses (15) by trapping the strips (20) between flaps (13) and corresponding inside edges (17). The mop head is attached to a handle (21) by hinge generally indicated (22).

The pile surface of the mop pad is conveniently narrow since cleaning generally occurs to a greater extent at the edges and is preferably 8 to 20 cm, preferably 10 to 15 cm, wide. The pad should not be so long as to be associated with an unduly heavy and unwieldy mop; conveniently the length is 40 to 100 cm, preferably 50 to 70 cm.

Pile surfaced material suitable for the pads of the present invention were prepared by the method described in Belgian patent 807879 and German patent application 2359565, and as described in the following Examples 1 to 3.

The term Nm3 means cubic metres per hour, the volume normalised to standard conditions.

EXAMPLE 1 A film of low density polyethylene (65 gm-2) and non-woven sheet of cellulose material (50 gm-2) were fed at the rate of lm per minute against a heated roll (170 C), the polyethylene side of the laminate so formed being in contact with the heated roll. The laminate was held in contact against the heated roll by a rubber pressure roll. The laminate was peeled from the heated roll over a bar (diameter 3mm) located 5mm from the heated roll.

The pile so formed was cooled and stabilised by air at ambient temperature blown against the cellulose side of the material into the pile forming area from apertures in the bar. The flow rate of the air was 200 Nm3 over a bar length of 750 mm.

The resulting material has a long hairy polyethylene pile.

EXAMPLE 2 The procedure of Example 1 was repeated except that (1) the rubber roll was omitted and the laminate was held against the heated roll by tension in the laminate and (2) the pile was cooled and stabilised by air at ambient temperatue and flow rate 200 Nm3 blown onto the pile from a jet located 3mm from the heated roll and 3mm from a line drawn through the centre of the heated roll and tangential to the bar, said jet directing the air at an angle of 450 to said line.

The pile comprises soft polyethylene fibrils.

EXAMPLE 3 A film comprising a blend of (90:10) low and high density polyethylenes (70 gm2) and a non-woven cellulose web (30 gm were fed at the rate of 1.5my minute against a heated roll (185"C), the polyethylene side of the laminate being in contact with the heated roll.

The laminate was peeled from the heated roll over a bar (dia:3mm) located 4,0 mm from the heated roll. The pile so formed was cooled and stabilised by air at ambient temperatues blown against the cellulose side of the material into the pile forming area from apertures in the bar. The flow rate of air was 120 Nm3 over a bar length of 750 mm. The resulting material has a long hairy polyethylene pile.

A mop pad made therefrom had superior wear and slip properties to those of a mop pad made from the material described in Example 1.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A pad for attaching to a mop head which pad comprises a sheet of tack spun pile surfaced material and flexible strip of non-pile surfaced material extending from at least part of each opposite side of the sheet.

2. A pad according to claim 1 in which the sheet is rectangular.

3. A pad according to any one of claims 1 or 2 in which respective strips are attached to at least one pair of opposite parallel sides of the sheet.

4. A pad according to claim 2 in which the strips are attached to rhe 'onger sair of opposite parallel sides.

5. A pad according to any or \ of claims 1 to 4 in which the strips are ribbon ties.

6. A pat according any one Or claims 1 to 4 in which the strips comprise two or more loops which extend between opposite sides of the sheet.

7. A pad according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the strip is in the form of a loop which extends over substantially the whole area of the back of the sheet.

8. A pad according to claim 7 in which said loop is provided with a slit extending partially along the centre line of the longitudinal axis of the sheet.

9. A pad according to any one of claims

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. similar to that illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 except that a slit 8 is provided extending partially along the centre line of the longitu dinal axis of the pad. The embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 may be made by extending the slit 8 in Figures 6 and 7 along the entire length of the pad in which case the width of strip 4 of Figure 3 would be half the width of the pad. Figure 8 illustrates in perspective a mop having a mop pad according to the present invention attached thereto. In Figure 8, mop head (10) has a rectangular base (11) provided on its lower surface with a resilient foam layer (12). On its upper surface are provided four flaps (13) attached to said upper surface with hinges (14). Recesses (15) are provided in the upper surface under the flaps; edges (16) of the flaps (13) abutting corresponding inside edges (17) of the recesses. Mop pad (18) is located on layer (12) with pile surface (19) on the outside. The mop pad (18) is secured to the base (11) by means of flexible strips (20) which are secured in recesses (15) by trapping the strips (20) between flaps (13) and corresponding inside edges (17). The mop head is attached to a handle (21) by hinge generally indicated (22). The pile surface of the mop pad is conveniently narrow since cleaning generally occurs to a greater extent at the edges and is preferably 8 to 20 cm, preferably 10 to 15 cm, wide. The pad should not be so long as to be associated with an unduly heavy and unwieldy mop; conveniently the length is 40 to 100 cm, preferably 50 to 70 cm. Pile surfaced material suitable for the pads of the present invention were prepared by the method described in Belgian patent 807879 and German patent application 2359565, and as described in the following Examples 1 to 3. The term Nm3 means cubic metres per hour, the volume normalised to standard conditions. EXAMPLE 1 A film of low density polyethylene (65 gm-2) and non-woven sheet of cellulose material (50 gm-2) were fed at the rate of lm per minute against a heated roll (170 C), the polyethylene side of the laminate so formed being in contact with the heated roll. The laminate was held in contact against the heated roll by a rubber pressure roll. The laminate was peeled from the heated roll over a bar (diameter 3mm) located 5mm from the heated roll. The pile so formed was cooled and stabilised by air at ambient temperature blown against the cellulose side of the material into the pile forming area from apertures in the bar. The flow rate of the air was 200 Nm3 over a bar length of 750 mm. The resulting material has a long hairy polyethylene pile. EXAMPLE 2 The procedure of Example 1 was repeated except that (1) the rubber roll was omitted and the laminate was held against the heated roll by tension in the laminate and (2) the pile was cooled and stabilised by air at ambient temperatue and flow rate 200 Nm3 blown onto the pile from a jet located 3mm from the heated roll and 3mm from a line drawn through the centre of the heated roll and tangential to the bar, said jet directing the air at an angle of 450 to said line. The pile comprises soft polyethylene fibrils. EXAMPLE 3 A film comprising a blend of (90:10) low and high density polyethylenes (70 gm2) and a non-woven cellulose web (30 gm were fed at the rate of 1.5my minute against a heated roll (185"C), the polyethylene side of the laminate being in contact with the heated roll. The laminate was peeled from the heated roll over a bar (dia:3mm) located 4,0 mm from the heated roll. The pile so formed was cooled and stabilised by air at ambient temperatues blown against the cellulose side of the material into the pile forming area from apertures in the bar. The flow rate of air was 120 Nm3 over a bar length of 750 mm. The resulting material has a long hairy polyethylene pile. A mop pad made therefrom had superior wear and slip properties to those of a mop pad made from the material described in Example 1. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A pad for attaching to a mop head which pad comprises a sheet of tack spun pile surfaced material and flexible strip of non-pile surfaced material extending from at least part of each opposite side of the sheet.

2. A pad according to claim 1 in which the sheet is rectangular.

9. A pad according to any one of claims

1 to 4 in which strips are provided which extend along the entire length of each opposite side of the sheet.

10. A pad according to any one of claims 1 to 9 in which the strips are attached to the pile surfaced material by heat sealing.

11. A pad according to any one of claims 1 to 10 in which the backing of the pile surfaced material is paper.

12. A pad according to any one of claims 1 to 11 in which the strips are fabricated from low density polyethylene film.

13. A pad according to any one of claims 1 to 9 in which the strips are extension of the backing layer of the pile-surfaced material.

14. A pad according to any one of claims 1 to 13 in which the backing layer of the pile-surfaced material is porous.

15. A pad according to any one of claims 1 to 14 in which either or both of the pile and backing layers are impregnated with a cleaning additive.

16. A pad according to claim 14 in which a premoistened pad is provided adjacent the porous backing layer.

17. A pad according to claim 16 in which the premoistened pad is provided with a backing layer of impermeable material.

18. A pad according to any one of claims 1 to 17 in which the pile comprises low density polyethylene fibres.

19. A pad according to any one of claims 1 to 17 in which the pile comprises fibres made from a blend of low density and high density polyethylene.

20. A pad according to claim 19 in which the blend comprises 80 to 95% by weight low density polyethylene and 20 to 5% by weight high density polyethylene.

21. A pad according to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to any one of the Figures and the Examples.

22. A dispenser carton comprising a box containing pads as claimed in any one of claims 1 two 21.

23. A mop comprising a pad as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21.