Three-dimensional cleaning fabric and method for its production

Description

Technical area

[0001] The invention relates to a three-dimensional cleaning textile and a method for its production.

[0002] The three-dimensional cleaning textile comprises a textile cleaning backing made of a fabric made of plush, with a front side and a back side and at least one pile made of at least one pile yarn which is non-detachably connected to the cleaning backing and projects above the front side in a raised manner, wherein the plush comprises at least a first pile height and a second pile height, wherein the second pile height is greater than the first pile height and wherein the pile yarn forms loop-shaped pile knobs on the front side or projects above the front side with a cut pile. State of the art

[0003] Such a cleaning textile and a method for its production are known from US 2012 / 060312 A1.

[0004] DE 20 2008 018 471 U1 discloses a cleaning and personal care article designed as a textile cleaning cloth element. The textile cleaning cloth element comprises a substrate layer and a plurality of ground yarns pierced through the substrate layer, thereby achieving a claw connection with the back of the textile cleaning cloth element.

[0005] Furthermore, three-dimensional cleaning textiles and methods for their production are generally known. The cleaning textile comprises a textile cleaning backing with a front and a back, the front being designed for cleaning a surface to be cleaned.

[0006] One example of a process for producing three-dimensional textile fabrics is tufting. Tufting is suitable for the production of looped or velour fabrics.

[0007] Plush is also known as a woven or knitted fabric, as well as the corresponding manufacturing processes. Plush generally has a very soft feel. Its characteristic feature is the upright, soft pile, which can be of varying heights with additional finishing. Plush fabrics are generally very durable due to the pile being firmly integrated into the base fabric.

[0008] In knitted plush, an extra thread is incorporated into a standard knitted fabric, which forms small loops on the surface. Description of the invention

[0009] The invention is based on the object of showing a three-dimensional cleaning textile with a high / low structure, which can be produced, for example, from the same fibers or yarns.

[0010] The cleaning textile should exhibit consistently good performance characteristics, in particular a consistently good cleaning result, over a long service life. The cleaning textile should be simple, cost-effective, and process-reliable to manufacture. The cleaning textile should move over a surface to be cleaned with as little friction as possible, exhibit good dirt absorption, and exhibit good water absorption and / or water release.

[0011] This object is achieved according to the invention with the features of claims 1 and 6. The subclaims referring back to claim 1 refer to an advantageous embodiment of the cleaning textile, and the subclaim referring back to claim 6 refers to an advantageous development of the method.

[0012] To achieve the object, a three-dimensional cleaning textile is provided, comprising a textile cleaning backing made of a fabric made of plush, with a front side and a back side and at least one pile made of at least one pile yarn which is non-detachably connected to the cleaning backing and projects above the front side in a raised manner, wherein the plush comprises at least a first pile height and a second pile height, wherein the second pile height is greater than the first pile height and wherein the pile yarn forms loop-shaped pile nubs on the front side or projects above the front side with a cut pile, wherein the pile yarn penetrates the cleaning backing between the front side and the back side and is connected to the cleaning backing on the back side by a claw, and wherein the pile nubs or the cut pile have a third pile height which is greater than the second pile height.It is advantageous that the cleaning textile in question has a front side with different pile heights, which are adapted to the specific conditions of the application. The cleaning backing can, for example, have a homogeneous base structure, over which the pile, consisting of at least one pile yarn, projects. The raised / lowered structure of the front side, with which it is moved over a surface to be cleaned, reduces friction and improves dirt absorption during the cleaning textile's intended use.

[0013] During the intended use of the cleaning textile, the pile yarns that protrude above the front are subjected to a relatively higher pressure load than the cleaning backing itself. Due to the comparatively greater surface pressure of the pile yarns, even stubborn dirt can be easily removed from the surface to be cleaned and then collected in the areas that are less high - relative to the pile of pile yarn.

[0014] The cleaning back is made of a plush fabric.

[0015] A plush fabric has many advantages, especially when used as a cleaning textile. Plush fabrics offer good and even water absorption and release, as well as good cleaning performance by effectively removing dirt from the surface to be cleaned. Plush has low friction when the cleaning textile is moved over the surface to be cleaned, can effectively absorb and retain small dirt particles, and exhibits good chemical resistance.

[0016] In comparison, a cleaning backing made of a flat weave would be less suitable for use as a cleaning textile because, for example, it offers lower cleaning performance. Likewise, a flat weave has significantly poorer water absorption and water release.

[0017] The plush comprises at least a first pile height and a second pile height, with the second pile height being greater than the first pile height. When such plush is used, the front side of the cleaning backing already has two different pile heights, allowing the performance characteristics of the cleaning textile to be optimally adapted to the nature and / or soiling of the surface to be cleaned.

[0018] Additionally or alternatively, it is possible for the plush to have adjacent regions of higher and lower density. According to another embodiment, the plush can be interrupted by regions without plush.

[0019] A cleaning textile comprising a cleaning side with a cleaning surface which is delimited on the outer circumference by an edge, wherein the cleaning surface, viewed transversely to the wiping direction of the cleaning textile, has a lower pile density in the middle than at the edge, is known from DE 10 2015 014 069.8.

[0020] The production of the cleaning textile according to the invention can be significantly simplified by interrupting the plush with empty areas. This structure makes it visually clear where the pile yarns are to be connected to the cleaning backing.

[0021] According to an advantageous embodiment, only the lower-density regions or the areas without plush are connected to the pile yarn. Such a design has the advantage that the material requirement is significantly reduced by the lower-density regions or the areas without plush, and the cleaning textile can thus be produced cost-effectively.

[0022] Another advantage is that the areas of lower density or the areas without plush make the weight of the cleaning textile lower compared to a cleaning textile that does not have these areas.

[0023] After their intended use, cleaning textiles are typically washed in washing machines. Cleaning textiles with lower-density areas or areas without plush allow more of these cleaning textiles to be washed per wash load, which is a significant advantage in terms of reducing laundry costs and protecting the environment.

[0024] Although the first and second pile heights differ from each other, the difference in length between the two pile heights can be comparatively small due to manufacturing reasons.

[0025] Because the pile yarn is bonded to the cleaning backing, high / low structures with larger pile height differences can be created. It is also possible to create high / low structures from the same fibers / yarns.

[0026] According to a first embodiment, the pile yarn can be provided with loop-shaped pile tufts on the front side. Loop-shaped pile tufts have the advantage of reducing sliding friction when the cleaning textile moves over the surface to be cleaned. This allows the user to clean quickly and effortlessly. Furthermore, loop-shaped pile tufts are particularly effective at picking up loose dirt, such as hair.

[0027] According to a second embodiment, the pile yarn can be provided with a cut pile extending beyond the front side. The advantage here is that using such a cleaning textile results in particularly deep cleaning. This is important, for example, for the thorough cleaning of textured floors. Furthermore, corners and sharp edges can be easily cleaned because the comparatively longer cut pile prevents the lower neighboring areas from being mechanically overstressed or damaged. The non-loop-shaped, upwardly open cut pile also largely prevents the cleaning textile from becoming snagged on its surroundings during use and thus becoming damaged.

[0028] The pile tufts or cut pile have a third pile height that is higher than the second pile height. As previously described, this reduces sliding friction when using the cleaning textile. The cleaning textile has good dirt absorption capacity and, thanks to its voluminous shape, is particularly well suited for ergonomic work.

[0029] The pile yarn penetrates the cleaning backing between the front and back sides and is connected to the cleaning backing by a claw. This claw ensures that the pile yarn is not pulled out of the cleaning backing, even when the pile yarn is subjected to typical tensile loads during cleaning of a surface.

[0030] The interlocking can be formed by a textile, knot-like interlocking of the pile yarn with the cleaning backing. Such a knot-like interlocking of the pile yarn is created during the production of the cleaning textile.

[0031] The backing and the interlocking element can be permanently covered by a pile yarn retaining backing. This type of pile yarn retaining backing protects the pile yarns covering the backing of the cleaning backing from excessive mechanical stress.

[0032] According to a first embodiment, the pile yarn retaining backing can be formed by a coating that additionally secures the interlocking of the pile yarn with the cleaning backing. Such a coating can be formed, for example, by a rubber coating.

[0033] According to a second embodiment, the pile yarn retaining back can be formed by a separately produced protective fabric.

[0034] Such a protective fabric preferably has the size of the back, covers the back and the claws completely and is permanently connected to the cleaning back.

[0035] The protective fabric can be made of polypropylene (PP) or polyester (PES), for example.

[0036] The protective fabric and the cleaning backing are preferably sewn together. This stitching creates a durable bond, the pile yarns are permanently held in place in the cleaning backing, and the cleaning textile exhibits consistently good performance properties over a long service life.

[0037] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing a three-dimensional cleaning textile, wherein in a first method step the pile yarn is connected to the cleaning backing by tufting.

[0038] Tufting itself is already well known. It works on the principle of a sewing machine. Needles insert the pile yarn into the cleaning backing. Before the needles are withdrawn from the cleaning backing, the inserted pile yarn is held by grippers, creating the loop-shaped pile tufts on the front of the cleaning backing.

[0039] Depending on whether the pile yarn is to form loop-shaped pile nubs or to project over the front with a cut pile, the loops are either left unchanged or the loops are cut open with a knife, so that the cut pile described above is created.

[0040] In a second process step, the back and the claws can be coated with the coating.

[0041] However, if this additional fixation is not to be achieved through a coating, but through a separately produced protective fabric, the protective fabric covers the backing and the claw in the second process step. The protective fabric can preferably be sewn onto the backing of the cleaning backing. Short description of the drawing

[0042] Four embodiments of the cleaning textile according to the invention are described below with reference to Figures 1 and 4 explained in more detail.

[0043] These each show a section of a three-dimensional cleaning textile. Figure 1 shows a cleaning textile in which the pile yarn forms loop-shaped pile nubs on the front side, Figure 2 shows a cleaning textile which extends from the cleaning textile Figure 1It differs in that the pile yarn projects over the front side with a cut pile. Figure 3 shows a cleaning textile with areas of higher and lower density, and Figure 4 shows a cleaning textile in which the plush is interrupted by areas without plush. Implementation of the invention

[0044] In the Figures 1 and 4 In each case, an embodiment of a three-dimensional cleaning textile is shown, comprising the textile cleaning backing 1 with the front side 2 and the back side 3. The cleaning backing 1 is formed by a plush fabric in the embodiments shown here.

[0045] In the embodiments shown here, the plush has two different pile heights 6, 7, namely the first pile height 6 and the second pile height 7, wherein the second pile height 7 is greater than the first pile height 6.

[0046] In Figure 1the pile yarn 5 forms 2 loop-shaped pile nubs 8 on the front side.

[0047] In Figure 2 a cleaning textile with a cut pile 9 is shown, which projects beyond the front side 2.

[0048] In the Figures 1 and 2 It is clearly visible that the three pile heights 6, 7, and 10 differ significantly from each other. The second pile height 7 is higher than the first pile height 6, and the third pile height 10 is higher than the second pile height 7.

[0049] In both embodiments, the pile yarn 5 is held by a claw 11 on the back side 3 of the cleaning backing 1, thus preventing it from accidentally coming loose from the cleaning backing during the intended use of the cleaning textile. The claw 11 is secured by a knot-shaped locking mechanism.

[0050] In Figure 1A pile yarn retaining backing 12 is provided, which is permanently connected to the backing 3. In this embodiment, the pile yarn retaining backing 12 is formed by the coating 16.

[0051] In Figure 2 In contrast, the pile yarn holding back 12 is formed by the protective fabric 17, which has the size of the back 3, completely covers the back 3 and the claw 11 and is sewn to the cleaning back 1.

[0052] In Figure 3 The cleaning backing, which, like the previously described cleaning backings, is also made of plush, has areas of higher density 13 and lower density 14. Loop-shaped pile nubs 8 are arranged in the area of ​​lower density 14, or these areas are covered with a cut pile 9.

[0053] Figure 4 differs from Figure 3in that, instead of the lower-density regions 14, plush-free regions 15 are provided, wherein the plush-free regions 15 are surrounded by plush. The pile yarn 5 is arranged in these plush-free regions 15 and projects raisedly above the front side 2.

[0054] The lower-density areas 14 or the plush-free areas 15 are easily identified visually. This makes it immediately apparent which areas need to be tufted with the pile yarn and which areas will subsequently be covered by the loop-shaped pile tufts 8 or the cut pile 9.

Claims

1. Three-dimensional cleaning textile comprising a textile cleaning base (1) made from a woven plush fabric, having a front face (2) and a rear face (3), and also at least one pile (4) composed of at least one pile yarn (5) which is permanently connected to the cleaning base (1) and is raised, projecting above the front side (2), wherein the plush comprises at least a first pile height (6) and a second pile height (7), with the second pile height (7) being greater than the first pile height (6) and wherein the pile yarn (5) forms looplike pile tufts (8) on the front face (2) or projects above the front face (2) with a cut pile (9), characterized in that the pile yarn (5) passes through the cleaning base (1) between the front face (2) and the rear face (3) and on the rear face (3) is connected to the cleaning base (1) by an interlock (11) and in that the pile tufts (8) or the cut pile (9) have a third pile height (10), which is greater than the second pile height (7).

2. Three-dimensional cleaning textile according to Claim 1, characterized in that the interlock (11) is formed by knotlike textile locking of the pile yarn (5) to the cleaning base (1).

3. Three-dimensional cleaning textile according to one of of Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the rear face (3) and the interlock (11) are permanently concealed by a pile yarn securement backing (12).

4. Three-dimensional cleaning textile according to Claim 3, characterized in that the pile yarn securement backing (12) is formed by a coating.

5. Three-dimensional cleaning textile according to Claim 4, characterized in that the coating comprises an acrylic binder.

6. Method for producing a three-dimensional cleaning textile according to any of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that in a first method step the pile yarn (5) is connected by tufting to the cleaning base (1).

7. Method according to Claim 6, characterized in that in a second method step the rear face (3) and the interlock (11) are lined with the pile yarn securement backing (12).