WO2003007773A2

WO2003007773A2 - Synthetic wet mop head

Info

Publication number: WO2003007773A2
Application number: PCT/US2002/019724
Authority: WO
Inventors: James N. Rockwell, Jr.; Amy B. Streeton
Original assignee: Milliken and Co
Current assignee: Milliken and Co
Priority date: 2001-07-19
Filing date: 2002-06-21
Publication date: 2003-01-30
Anticipated expiration: 2004-01-19
Also published as: WO2003007773A3; AU2002315396A1

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a wet mop head (10) comprising a plurality of solution dyed synthetic yarn loops (12) that are secured by a synthetic headband (20) centrally positioned across the yarns. The yarn loops are formed by repeatedly folding a continuous yarn onto itself at a regular length equal to the desired mop head length. The headband (20), positioned in transverse relation across the central portion of the yarn, produces the loops (12) and reinforces a site of attachment to a mop handle. Additional transverse bands (40) may also be included in the wet mop head (10), these bands (40) being slightly inward of the loop ends.

Description

SYNTHETIC WET MOP HEAD

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a durable wet mop head construction for attachment to a mop tool or handle for the application of aqueous liquids in the cleaning of floors. The mop head contains a plurality of twisted yarn loops secured by a fabric headband, and has the characteristics of improved durability, colorfastness, and chemical resistance.

BACKGROUND

Typically, wet mop heads have been formed of plural cords laid generally parallel and gathered at their midpoint by a headband that is secured to the clamping jaws of a wet mop tool. The strands, which hang freely from the tool, are utilized to apply liquids, typically detergents, in the cleaning of floors and the like. End portions of the individual strands or cords of such wet mops may be connected by transverse bands or stitching or may be connected to a fabric piece or headband. In this manner, the individual cords or strands are secured in a generally bunched or fanned relationship to facilitate control of the strands during the mopping operation.

Because mop heads must contact and distribute liquids during their use, it is necessary that the strands of the mops have good liquid absorption to retain liquids and distribute them over the area to be cleaned. Therefore, it is desirable that such mop head strands be composed of highly hydrophilic materials, such as cotton, rayon, acetate, and the like. Although cotton strands are good liquid absorbing and retaining fibers, they tend to shrink and fray both during use and during laundering, as in washing in an industrial laundry. This, of course, reduces the floor surface coverage of such mops in use because the strands shorten with shrinkage. In addition, the long cotton strands rapidly weaken and fray during use thus limiting the useful life of the mop.

Mops of cotton or cotton blends also exhibit an undesirable tendency to develop mold and mildew because their long drying times can provide an opportunity for microorganism growth. Moreover, such mops are adversely affected by bleach, which limits its use as an antimicrobial mop agent. Such disadvantages result in mops of reduced service life. Moreover, coloring or dyeing such mops is often problematic due to dye washout during use and subsequent laundering, resulting in a faded appearance that is unappealing to the consumer. Finally, such mops typically have twisted strands of yarns that may untwist during use and laundering, again adversely affecting service life when the untwisted yarns become entangled with others or break.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a mop whose strands are made of a synthetic material that is resistant to mold and mildew and that are or can be made hydrophilic. Furthermore, it is desirable to provide a mop whose strands are colorable, thereby providing a colorfast product of increased eye appeal to the consumer. Finally, it is desirable to provide a mop that has a longer service life than conventional cotton wet mops.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a wet mop head comprising a plurality of solution dyed synthetic yarn loops that are secured by a synthetic headband centrally positioned across said yarns. The yarn loops are formed by repeatedly folding a continuous yarn onto itself at a regular length equal to the desired mop head length. The headband, positioned in transverse relation across the central portion of the yarn, produces the loops and reinforces a site of attachment to a mop handle. Additional transverse bands may also be included in the wet mop head, these bands being slightly inward of the loop ends.

The wet mop of the present invention tends to have improved durability and service life due to the utilization of heat-set twisted yarns. Yarns that are twisted during heating and then cooled tend to be resistant to untwisting at ambient temperatures and tend to be less susceptible to wear than untwisted fibers.

The wet mop head is comprised of a solution dyed synthetic pile fabric that is naturally hydrophobic in its untreated form and thus fast-drying, so as to eliminate the formation of mold or mildew. Moreover, the present invention employs a solution dyed pile fabric that is resistant to harsh chemicals such as bleach and other strong disinfectant agents. This durability makes the present mops especially useful in disinfecting applications, as would be needed in hospitals and in nursing homes.

The term "yarns" as used herein is a generic term that covers all yarn and cord-like materials suitable for use in a wet mop head. The term "solution dyed" is used to describe a manufactured fiber (yarn, staple, or tow) that has been colored by the introduction of pigments or insoluble dyes into the polymer melt or spinning solution prior to extrusion. The resulting colored fibers are typically resistant to degradation from most destructive agents such as bleach.

The term "yarn count" refers to the number of 840-yard skeins of a given yarn required to weigh one pound. Under this system of measurement, a yarn having a higher number would be a finer (or smaller diameter) yarn than a yarn with a relatively low number.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the improved mop head construction of the present invention may be further described and better understood by reference to the following drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wet mop head of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring more particularly to the drawing, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wet mop head 10 of the present invention as would be attached to a wet mop tool. Headband 20 is transversely positioned across the central portion of mop head 10, as shown. The mop handle of the tool typically employs a pair of opposing elements or jaws that are pivotably connected in conventional manner and grippingly engage the headband 20 of mop head 10 during its use.

Mop head 10 comprises solution dyed synthetic yarn loops 12. Yarn loops 12 may be formed from the wrapping of a single yarn beside itself in overlapping and/or substantially parallel fashion, or may be formed by placing a plurality of pre-formed loops in overlapping and/or substantially parallel arrangement to one another. In an alternate embodiment, yarn loops 12 are cut to form a plurality of twisted cords.

Yarn loops 12 comprise multi-ply yarns having a yarn count in the range of 0.4 to 2.0. A more preferred range of yarn counts is 0.6 to 1.0. Two, four, six, or eight-ply yarns may be utilized, although four-ply yarns are more preferred.

Because wet mop head 10 is comprised of solution dyed synthetic yarn, mop head 10 resists degradation due to mold or mildew, thereby increasing its useful service life. Moreover, because yarn loops 12 are solution dyed naturally hydrophobic materials, the necessity for forced drying is eliminated inasmuch as they are considerably faster drying than cotton or other naturally hydrophilic materials. Moreover, the synthetic materials employed in yarn loops 12 of the present invention can have greater abrasion resistance than conventional mop yarns.

Other advantages of the use of solution dyed yarn include the elimination of color variation in working inventory and the reduction of color pollution of wastewater effluent. Since the need for overdyeing of mop head 10 will be effectively eliminated due to the superior washfastness of solution dyed synthetic yarns 12, wastewater pollution and cost are also reduced.

Desired water pick-up for these mops is in the range of about 100 to about 350 weight % of the weight of mop head 10 (when dry). To provide a wet mop head that is capable of holding such quantities of water, the solution dyed yarn comprising yarn loops 12 may be treated with a hydrophilicity-enhancing agent. One examples of such an agent includes Lurotex A25 from BASF.

Suitable hydrophilic fibers can be obtained by hydrophilizing hydrophobic fibers. Examples of such include surfactant-treated or silica-treated thermoplastic fibers derived from polyamides (such as Nylon 6 and Nylon 6,6); polyesters (such as those sold under the name Lutradur®, including Lutradur 7230, 7240, and 7250 sold by Freudenberg Vliesstoffe K.G., Weiheim, Germany); polyolefins (such as polypropylene and polyethylene); polyacrylics (such as Orion®); polystryrenes; and polyurethanes. Nylon and polyester are especially preferred components from a wearability standpoint.

The surface of the hydrophobic fibers can be rendered hydrophilic by treatment with a surfactant, such as a nonionic or anionic surfactant. Treatment methods include spraying the fiber with a surfactant, dipping the fiber into a surfactant, including the surfactant as part of the polymer melt in producing the fiber, and any other methods as may be known in the art. Suitable surfactants include nonionic surfactants such as Brij® 76 manufactured by ICI Americas, Inc. of Wilmington, Delaware, and various surfactants sold under the Pegosperse® trademark by Glyco Chemical, Inc. of Greenwich, Connecticut. Besides nonionic surfactants, anionic surfactants can also be used, applied at levels in the range of 0.1 to 1.0g/cm² of fiber.

Other hydrophilicity-enhancing agents include soil release agents that improve the wet pick-up and washability of the fabric pile. Preferred soil release agents include those that provide hydrophilicity to the surface of the pile fabric. The preferred soil release agents contemplated within this invention may be found in U.S. Patents 3,377,249; 3,540,835; and 3,563,795. These patents, which are representative of the art, are accordingly incorporated herein by reference.

Alternately, a combination of fiber types may be employed with the same results. In a preferred embodiment, a hydrophilic fiber such as rayon may be combined during the yarn-making process with a more durable fiber such as polyester. The resulting blended yarn exhibits water absorbency that is approximately equivalent to that of cotton and bleach resistance and durability that is superior to cotton. Patrick Yarn Mills of Kings Mountain, North Carolina is one supplier of such blended yarns.

Additionally, one or more fiber components may be treated with an antimicrobial agent to ensure that no growth of mold, mildew, or fungus will occur. In one embodiment, the silver-based antimicrobial sold under the tradename Agion® is added during extrusion to approximately 15% of the polyester fibers used in the blended yarn described above. Polypropylene may also be used in a blended yarn to carry such an antimicrobial agent. The chosen antimicrobial agent may vary depending on which fiber types are included in the blended yarn, as some antimicrobial agents may not be capable of withstanding high extrusion temperatures.

Headband 20 of mop head 10 is composed of a generally rectangular piece of fabric.

Suitable synthetic material for the headband can be selected from the group consisting of nylon 6, nylon 6,6, polyester, polyolefins, and combinations thereof, and may include the hydrophilic fibers listed above. Preferably, headband 20 is a woven nylon or polyester fabric, although other fiber types may be used and other fabric constructions (such as knitted or non-woven) may be employed. The fabric comprising headband 20 should be of a material and construction to facilitate frictional engagement and retention of headband 20 by the gripping elements of a mop tool.

After securing headband 20 to the central portion of mop head 10, yarn loops 12 are folded about the center stitch line 25 of headband 20. Additional transverse bands 40 may also be secured to yarn loops 12 slightly inward of the loop ends.

Claims

1. A wet mop head comprising a plurality of solution dyed synthetic yarn loops secured by a synthetic headband, said yarn loops comprising at least one twisted, heat-set yarn and said headband being positioned in transverse relation to the central portion of said yarn loops.

2. The wet mop head of Claim 1 wherein said yarn loops comprise a multi-ply yarn.

3. The wet mop of Claim 2 wherein said yarn loops comprise a four-ply yarn.

4. The wet mop head of Claim 1 wherein said yarn loops comprise a yarn having a yarn count in the range of 0.4 to 2.0.

5. The wet mop head of Claim 4 wherein said yarn loops comprise a yarn having a yarn count in the range of 0.6 to 1.0.

6. The wet mop head of Claim 1 wherein said mop head has a water pick-up rate in the range of about 100 to about 350 weight % of the dry weight of said mop head.

7. The wet mop head of Claim 1 wherein said yarn loops comprise at least one yarn, said yarn being selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyester, polyolefin, acrylic, polystyrene, and polyurethane.

8. The wet mop head of Claim 1 wherein said yarn loops comprise nylon.

9. The wet mop head of Claim 1 wherein said yarn loops comprise nylon 6.

10. The wet mop head of Claim 1 wherein said yarn loops comprise nylon 6,6.

11. The wet mop head of Claim 1 wherein said yarn loops comprise polyester.

12. The wet mop head of Claim 1 wherein said yarn loops comprise a blended yarn, said blended yarn having at least one hydrophilic component and at least one durable component.

13. The wet mop head of Claim 12 wherein said blended yarn comprises rayon and polyester.

14. The wet mop head of Claim 13 wherein said blended yarn includes about 45% rayon and about 55% polyester.

15. The wet mop head of Claim 13 wherein said blended yarn further comprises a silver-based antimicrobial agent.

16. The wet mop head of Claim 13 wherein said blended yarn further comprises polypropylene.