Apertured Wiping Cloth

Abstract

The present invention provides a wiping cloth which has unique surface properties, tactile feel and enhanced wiping performance for wiping both wet and dry surfaces. The wiping cloth has a series of three-dimensional projections which encircles apertures. The wiping cloth is made from a substrate which contains a thermoplastic polymer.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention generally relates to an apertured wiping cloth having essentially collapse resistant surface projections.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Aperturing of nonwovens is generally known in the art. Aperturing has been used in the hygiene business for improving fluid handling in absorbent personal care articles. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,632 to Van Iten et al. By placing apertures in the nonwoven coversheet, fluid coming into contact with the cover sheet is more easily passed through the cover sheet to the absorbent core.[0003]In the wiping cloth art, apertured wiping cloths are known. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,734 to Minto, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,854 to Currie. Apertured wiping cloths provide some advantages, such as fluid retention and pick-up. However, the prior art apertured wiping cloths did not have surface projection or had surface projections which are not stable when wetted. As a result, the surface projection...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]Generally stated, the present invention provides a wiping cloth for wiping both wet and dry surfaces. The wiping cloth has a substrate containing thermoplastic fibers. This substrate has a first side and a second side and the substrate has a plurality of apertures therethrough. At least a portion of the apertures have a plurality of three-dimensional fibrous projections encircling each aperture in the portion. Each three-dimensional fibrous projection contains thermoplastic fibers and a portion of the thermoplastic fibers in each of the three-dimensional fibrous projections are deformed. This deformation of the thermoplastic fibers assists in retaining the shape of the three-dimensional fibrous projections during use.

[0015]The present invention provides a wiping cloth which has unique surface and tactile properties, and enhanced wiping performance for wiping both wet and dry surfaces. The wiping cloth also has a visual appearance which will appeal to a user by retaining is shape and function before and during use in both a wet state and a dry state.

Problems solved by technology

However, the prior art apertured wiping cloths did not have surface projection or had surface projections which are not stable when wetted.

As a result, the surface projections would tend to substantially lose their shape during use.

That is, prior apertured wiping cloths that had some degree of surface projections typically lost their surface projections when the wiping cloth became wet or during use.

One problem with the surface projections taught in the '941 patent is that the projections are not stable and tend to collapse when the nonwoven web becomes wet.

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