Disposable cleaning sheets comprising a plurality of protrusions for removing debris from surfaces

Abstract

Disposable cleaning sheets for removing debris from a surface comprise a substrate and a plurality of protrusions affixed to the substrate. The cleaning sheets of the present invention have one or more of the following characteristics: (a) “Protrusion Flexibility” of at least about 0.5 grams, preferably from about 1 to about 200 grams, and more preferably from about 5 to about 70 grams; (b) “Glide Resistance” of less than about 1200 grams, preferably from about 25 to about 950 grams, and more preferably from about 200 to about 750 grams; (c) “Hair Capture Efficiency” of at least about 10%, preferably at least about 30%, and more preferably at least about 60%; and / or (d) “Sheet Capacity” of from about 0.2 to about 20 grams, preferably from about 0.5 to about 10 grams, and more preferably from about 0.75 to about 5 grams. When the present cleaning sheet is attached to a cleaning implement, the Attachment Force between the cleaning sheet and the cleaning implement will typically be at least about 600 grams, preferably at least about 1000 grams, and more preferably at least about 1400 grams. Methods of removing debris from a surface comprise contacting the surface with a cleaning sheet of the present invention.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 161,444, filed Jun. 3, 2002 (Attorney Docket No. 8605), which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 300,760, filed Jun. 25, 2001 (Attorney Docket No. 8605P); and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 370,715, filed Apr. 8, 2002 (Attorney Docket No. 8605P2).TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The present invention relates to cleaning sheets comprising protrusions for removing debris, such as human hair, pet hair, dirt, dust, and the like, from soft surfaces, such as carpeting, upholstery, and the like. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] It is often difficult to remove unwanted debris from surfaces, especially from soft surfaces. For example, it is difficult to remove pet hair from carpeting. Conventional vacuum cleaners often do not do a sufficient job in removing pet hair from carpeting. Even though vacuum cleaners are capable of remo...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] The present invention provides a convenient way for a consumer to remove debris from surfaces, especially soft surfaces such as carpet, where it is often difficult to remove debris such as hair, in particular pet hair. The protrusions of the present cleaning sheets or mitts are able to effectively dislodge the debris from the surface being cleaned, and have the ability to retain the removed debris in the cleaning sheet. Therefore, a consumer can simply wipe the surface with the present cleaning sheet or mitt and conveniently dispose of it after cleaning the surface, thus throwing away the debris along with the cleaning sheet or mitt. The cleaning sheets or mitts herein thus do not require to be cleaned themselves and are easily disposed of.

Problems solved by technology

It is often difficult to remove unwanted debris from surfaces, especially from soft surfaces.

For example, it is difficult to remove pet hair from carpeting.

Conventional vacuum cleaners often do not do a sufficient job in removing pet hair from carpeting.

Even though vacuum cleaners are capable of removing some pet hair from carpeting, it can be inconvenient to repeatedly use a vacuum cleaner because of its weight and power requirements.

In addition, pet hair can become entangled in the roller brush of the vacuum cleaner requiring either cleaning or repair of the vacuum.

However, this cleaning tool is inconvenient in that the consumer must manually clean the cylinder cleaning element after the cleaning element accumulates dirt, lint, and the like.

As with the cleaning tool of Silverstrone, the tool of Varon suffers from the problem of having to manually clean out the bristles of the tool every time the bristles accumulate debris.

One issue which is apparently not addressed in Calafut, is that some types of hooks can potentially damage certain types of soft surfaces.

In particular, Calafut does not disclose hooks which can provide both lint removal and surface safety.

As a result, efficient hair removal and lint removal can be viewed as two different problems.

Another potential issue with the Calafut device is that it is apparently not intended to be disposable.

However, the adhesive surface of these rollers is quickly covered with dust, rendering the “poisoned” surface covered with adhesive ineffective for extended cleaning, without requiring a frequent replacement of the adhesive surface.

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