Cleaning tool for white lettering

Abstract

The objective is to provide a cleaning tool for white lettering on tire sidewalls that can clean the surface of the white lettering without scraping off the black rubber layer surrounding the white lettering, and without using solvents or industrial detergents. [Solution] The cleaning tool A has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape and consists of a main body 1 made of urethane material and a polishing part 2 provided on the surface 10 of the main body 1 for polishing and cleaning the tire T. It is formed to be approximately 68 mm in length, 100 mm in width, and 24 mm in thickness. The surface 10 of the main body 1 is composed of six surfaces, but the end surfaces 11 and 12 on both sides in the longitudinal direction do not have polishing parts, leaving the end surfaces 11 and 12 exposed. The other four surfaces are provided with polishing parts 2 (consisting of polishing surfaces 21, 22, 23, and 24) formed by vapor-depositing aluminum oxide.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning tool for white letters. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cleaning tool for white letters that can clean the surface of white letters provided on the sidewall of a tire without scraping off the black rubber layer around the white letters and without using a solvent or an industrial detergent.

Background Art

[0002] Recently, tires with white letters (white letters) displaying the tire manufacturer's name, brand name, etc. on the sidewall of the tire have been mounted, mainly on off-road vehicles and SUVs. By mounting such tires with white letters, it is possible to enhance the appearance of the vehicle's undercarriage, and thus it has attracted attention among car enthusiasts.

[0003] A tire provided with white letters has a structure in which a black rubber layer forming the sidewall is laminated on top of a white rubber layer including the white letters. At the finishing stage of manufacturing the tire, the upper black rubber layer is shaved off to expose the letters (i.e., white letters) of the lower white rubber layer.

[0004] Here, when dirt adheres to the white letters, although the tire manufacturer recommends lightly rubbing and cleaning with steel wool, a wes, etc., in reality, it is difficult to completely remove the dirt, so petroleum-based solvents such as parts cleaners or strongly alkaline industrial detergents are often used. However, when these are used, components (anti-aging agents) that seep into the tire surface and suppress deterioration are removed, which may cause cracking.

[0005] Also, when cleaning white letters using a commercially available cleaning tool (such as a sponge for car washing), since the sponge for car washing is made of a soft material, it bends at the edge of the white letters and abuts so as to enclose the thick part (i.e., the side part of the white letters). Therefore, not only the surface of the white letters but also the surrounding area (the side part of the white letters) is polished.

[0006] This causes the black rubber layer around the white lettering to peel off, exposing the white rubber layer underneath. This not only makes the white lettering difficult to see clearly, but also detracts from the overall appearance.

[0007] Here, as shown in Patent Document 1, a "cleaning tool" capable of cleaning wheels or tires is disclosed. This cleaning tool is capable of cleaning the tire body (such as the sides) using a cleaning liquid with a sponge body, and it is described that the sponge body is made of a slightly firm soft foam. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3140527 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] However, the "cleaning tool" described in Patent Document 1 only states that it is a "slightly firm soft foam," without specifying the firmness. Furthermore, the reason given for making the sponge firm is "from the standpoint of avoiding damage or deterioration of the sponge," so it does not solve the problem of the white rubber layer being exposed when the black rubber layer around the white lettering is also polished during cleaning.

[0010] This invention was conceived in view of the above points, and aims to provide a cleaning tool for white letters that can clean the surface of white letters provided on the sidewall of a tire without scraping off the black rubber layer surrounding the white letters, and without using solvents or industrial detergents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To solve the above problems, the white letter cleaning tool of the present invention comprises a main body made of a foamed material and having a K6253 durometer type E hardness of 35 to 45 degrees, and a polishing part formed on at least a part of the surface of the main body and capable of polishing the surface of the white lettering provided on the sidewall of a tire.

[0012] Here, the main body, made of foam material, not only makes the white letter cleaning tool lighter and easier to handle, but the resilience of the foam material also allows for a secure grip on the main body.

[0013] Furthermore, a polishing section formed on at least a portion of the surface of the main body, capable of polishing the surface of the white lettering provided on the tire sidewall, allows for the removal of dirt by polishing the white lettering without the use of solvents or industrial detergents.

[0014] Furthermore, the main body of the K6253 durometer Type E, with a hardness of 35 to 45 degrees, has a certain degree of resilience, making it less likely to bend when pressed with a fingertip during cleaning. This allows the cleaning tool to maintain its shape along the surface of the white lettering, thus preventing the scraping off of the black rubber layer on the sides of the white lettering.

[0015] Furthermore, when the K6253 durometer Type E hardness exceeds 45 degrees, it has high resilience, so if you polish it by pressing it with your fingertips during cleaning, unevenness will occur, making it difficult to polish uniformly.

[0016] Furthermore, if the K6253 durometer Type E hardness is less than 35 degrees, the resilience of the main body is low. When cleaning white letters, pressing the white letter cleaning tool causes it to bend not only over the surface of the white letters but also around the edges of the letters, contacting the black rubber layer surrounding the white letters. If the white letters are polished in this state, not only the surface of the white letters but also the black rubber layer surrounding them will be polished, exposing the white rubber layer around the white letters and spoiling their appearance.

[0017] Furthermore, if the foam material is semi-rigid polyurethane foam, rigid polyurethane foam, or high-density polyurethane, it has high resilience, making it possible to create a cleaning tool for white letters that does not easily deform even when pressed.

[0018] Furthermore, if the hardness of the main body of the K6253 durometer Type E is between 35 and 42 degrees, the main body will deform slightly when pressed with a fingertip, allowing for close contact and cleaning with white lettering.

[0019] Furthermore, if the polishing portion is formed by depositing aluminum oxide onto the surface of the main body, the main body and the polishing portion can be provided as a single unit by depositing the aluminum oxide, thus preventing the polishing portion from peeling off the main body.

[0020] Furthermore, if the polished area is formed by vapor-depositing aluminum oxide onto the surface of the main body, the aluminum oxide has excellent corrosion resistance, which suppresses the occurrence of rust on the polished area. This prevents rust from adhering to the white lettering during cleaning.

[0021] Furthermore, if the abrasive's grit size is between 180 and 240, this grit size is generally effective at removing rust and burnt-on grit, making it easy to remove dirt adhering to white lettering.

[0022] In addition, when a part of the main body is cut out, by placing a finger on the cut-out part, the cleaning tool for white lettering can be securely gripped.

Advantages of the Invention

[0023] The cleaning tool for white lettering according to the present invention is a cleaning tool for white lettering that can clean the surface of the white lettering provided on the sidewall of a tire without scraping off the black rubber layer around the white lettering and without using a solvent or industrial detergent.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] It is a perspective explanatory view of the cleaning tool for white lettering according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a schematic explanatory view of a white letter tire. (a) is a partial explanatory view of the tire provided with white lettering, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X of (a). [Figure 3] (a) is a schematic explanatory view of the cleaning tool for white lettering having a Shore hardness of less than 38 degrees of type E using a K6253 durometer, and (b) is a schematic explanatory view of the cleaning tool for white lettering according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory view of the cleaning process using the cleaning tool for white lettering according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a perspective explanatory view of the cleaning tool for white lettering according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a perspective explanatory view of the cleaning tool for white lettering according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, a cleaning tool A for white lettering (hereinafter referred to as "cleaning tool A"), which is the first embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 to facilitate understanding of the present invention.

[0026] 〔First Embodiment〕 As shown in Figure 1, the cleaning tool A has a roughly rectangular shape and consists of a main body 1 made of urethane material, which is an example of a foamed material, and a polishing part 2 provided on the surface 10 of the main body 1 for polishing and cleaning the white lettering T2 of the tire T. It is formed to be approximately 68 mm long, 100 mm wide, and 24 mm thick. Note that the shape of the cleaning tool A is not limited to a roughly rectangular shape or the above size, and various shapes such as cubes, triangular prisms, spheres, or irregular shapes are conceivable. Furthermore, since it is held in one hand for polishing, it is desirable that it be approximately the same size as the palm of the hand.

[0027] Furthermore, while the foam material could specifically be semi-rigid polyurethane foam, rigid polyurethane foam, or high-density polyurethane, this embodiment uses rigid polyurethane foam with a hardness of "41 degrees".

[0028] The hardness of the main body was measured using a durometer (Type E hardness tester) (JIS K 6253 (ISO 6253) Type E, manufactured by Teclock Co., Ltd., GS-721N) as specified in the Japan Rubber Association standard. Hereafter, the Type E hardness measured with this instrument will be simply referred to as "hardness".

[0029] Furthermore, in the measurement method using the E hardness tester described above, the pressure surface (indenter surface) of the durometer was pressed perpendicularly from directly above against the flat surface of the cleaning tool A, which was placed horizontally, and the maximum value indicated by the meter was read.

[0030] Furthermore, a high hardness value measured by the E hardness tester indicates that the object being measured has strong resilience and is resistant to deformation even when compressed, while a low value indicates weak resilience and is easily deformed when compressed.

[0031] Furthermore, although the surface 10 of the main body 1 is composed of six surfaces, polishing sections are not provided on the end faces 11 and 12 on both sides in the longitudinal direction, leaving the end faces 11 and 12 exposed. Polishing sections 2 (consisting of polishing surfaces 21, 22, 23, and 24) are provided on the other four surfaces, formed by depositing aluminum oxide.

[0032] In this embodiment, the configuration is as described above, but it is not limited to this, and it is also conceivable to provide polishing sections 2 on both longitudinal end faces 11 and 12. Furthermore, the polishing section 2 is not limited to consisting of four polishing surfaces 21, 22, 23, and 24, and it is also conceivable that at least one of the four polishing surfaces is formed.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2(a), the sidewall T1 of the tire T, which is cleaned using cleaning tool A, is provided with a white letter section T2. ​​The white letter section T2 is a raised section that displays the tire manufacturer or brand name. During the manufacturing of the tire T, a white rubber layer is sandwiched between the sidewall T1 as the base of the tire, and then the black rubber layer on the surface is scraped off to reveal the white lettering. That is, as shown in Figure 2(b), the surface T2a of the white letter section T2 (the surface that is recognized as letters) has the white rubber layer exposed.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2(b), a black rubber layer remains on the side surface T2b, which is the thickness portion of the white letter portion T2, forming a black rubber coating T3 that covers the side surface of the white letter portion T2.

[0035] Furthermore, the height of the side T2b of the white letter section T2 varies depending on the manufacturer and tire size, but is approximately 3 to 4 mm. Therefore, the black rubber coating section T3 rises to a height of approximately 3 to 4 mm from the surface of the tire T, and the tip T3b of the black rubber coating section T3 and the surface T2a of the white letter section T2 are on roughly the same plane.

[0036] Furthermore, because the black rubber coating T3 covers the sides of the white letter section T2, the contrast between the whiteness of the white letter section T2 and the blackness of the black rubber coating T3 allows the outline of the white letter section T2 to be clearly visible, making it easy to recognize the characters displayed on the white letter section T2 and enhancing its aesthetic appeal.

[0037] Furthermore, the hardness of the main body 1 is not limited to "41 degrees," but can be set within the range of 35 to 45 degrees. In other words, if the hardness exceeds 45 degrees, it has a high repulsive force, which can cause uneven polishing when cleaned with cleaning tool A, making it difficult to polish uniformly.

[0038] On the other hand, if the hardness of the main body 1 is "less than 35 degrees", the repulsive force of the main body 1 is low. As shown in Figure 3(a), when cleaning the white letter section T2, if the cleaning tool A is pressed, the cleaning tool A bends to wrap around not only the surface T2a of the white letter section T2, but also the edge T2c of the letters, and comes into contact with the black rubber coating T3. In this state, if the white letter section T2 is polished, not only the surface T2a but also the black rubber coating T3 will be polished.

[0039] As the black rubber coating T3 is polished, the black coating T3 is gradually peeled off, exposing the side surface T2b of the white letter section T2 beneath it. This blurs the outline of the letters displayed on the white letter section T2, making it difficult to clearly recognize the letters and detracting from the aesthetic appearance.

[0040] Furthermore, when the hardness of the main body 1 is "35 to 45 degrees", as shown in Figure 3(b), the polishing surface 21 of the polishing part 2 is in contact with the surface T2a of the white letter part T2, but at the edge part T2c, the cleaning tool A is not bent and is not in contact with the black rubber coating part T3. In this state, even if the surface T2a of the white letter part T2 is polished with the cleaning tool A, there is no risk of scraping off the black rubber coating part T3, and the exposure of the side surface T2b of the white letter part T2 can be suppressed.

[0041] Furthermore, the hardness of the main body 1 is preferably "35 to 42 degrees" from the viewpoint of ease of processing, and moreover, from the viewpoint of maintaining the property that the main body 1 does not easily bend even when a predetermined pressing force is applied, a hardness of "38 to 42 degrees" is preferable.

[0042] Generally speaking, the hardness of summer tires is said to be "around 70 degrees." On the other hand, the hardness of the main body 1 is "41 degrees," and since the main body 1 is softer than a typical tire, it seems that the black rubber coating T3 will not be scraped off even if the tire T is polished with the cleaning tool A using the main body 1. However, as shown in Figure 2(b), the black rubber coating T3 has a tapered shape from its base T3a to its tip T3b, so it is thought that it is prone to peeling off when subjected to external forces such as polishing.

[0043] In this embodiment, the grit size of the polishing section 2 is "220," but it is not limited to this, and a grit size in the range of "180 to 240" is suitable. In other words, if the grit size is greater than 240, the small size of the abrasive makes it difficult to efficiently remove dirt from the white letter section T2. ​​Also, if the grit size is less than 180, the large size of the abrasive may cause scratches when polishing the white letter section T2.

[0044] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of cleaning efficiency, the grit size of the polishing section 2 should preferably be "180 to 220," and from the viewpoint of maintaining the smoothness of the surface after polishing, a grit size of "200 to 220" is preferable.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the polishing portion 2 is formed by depositing aluminum oxide onto the surface 10 of the main body portion 1, but this is not the only option. For example, silicon carbide (carborundum), silicon carbide, ceramics, etc., could also be used.

[0046] Furthermore, the polishing section 2 is not limited to being formed by depositing aluminum oxide onto the surface 10 of the main body 1; for example, it is also conceivable to wrap and attach a polishing member having a predetermined particle size to the main body 1.

[0047] Thus, by having a polishing section 2, the cleaning tool A can clean the white letter section T2 without using solvents or industrial detergents, thereby maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the white letter section T2.

[0048] [Cleaning method using cleaning tool A] Next, as shown in Figure 4, a method for cleaning tire T using cleaning tool A will be described. (ST1; contact process) First, the polishing surface 21 (or polishing surface 22) of the cleaning tool A is brought into contact with the surface T2a of the white letter section T2. ​​At this time, since the hardness of the main body 1 is "41 degrees", even if the cleaning tool A is pressed with a moderate force, there is no risk of it bending and covering the edge T2c of the white letter section T2.

[0049] (ST2; polishing process) Next, surface T2a is polished with cleaning tool A. This removes dirt from surface T2a of the white letter section T2. ​​Note that at this time, the edge section T2c is not covered by cleaning tool A, so there is no risk of the black rubber coating T3 being stripped off by polishing with cleaning tool A.

[0050] Furthermore, during the polishing process, the polishing surface 21 of the cleaning tool A comes into contact with the surface T2a, so that dirt on the white letter section T2 can be removed without using solvents or industrial detergents, as in the conventional method.

[0051] (ST3; Rinse process) Finally, when polishing surface T2a, the shavings removed from surface T2a are washed off with water or diluted neutral detergent (hereinafter referred to as "water, etc."). This washes away any shavings adhering to surface T2a and the polished surface portion 21.

[0052] [Second Embodiment] The second embodiment, a cleaning tool B for white letters (hereinafter referred to as "cleaning tool B"), will be described below with reference to Figure 5. Note that the configuration of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their explanation here is omitted.

[0053] As shown in Figure 5, the cleaning tool B consists of a main body 3 made of rigid urethane foam having a hardness of "41 degrees" and a polishing part 4 formed by depositing aluminum oxide onto the surface 30 of the main body 3.

[0054] Furthermore, the main body 3 is formed in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape, with one of its four corners cut out. In this embodiment, the cutout is approximately half the width of the main body 3 and about one-third the length of its longitudinal direction.

[0055] As a result, the main body 3 has a shape consisting of a base 31 made up of a roughly rectangular parallelepiped and an extended portion 32 that extends from one end of the base 31 and is positioned closer to the thumb when the cleaning tool B is grasped. However, the shape of the main body 3 is not limited to this shape; for example, it is also conceivable to position the extended portion 32 not closer to the thumb, but closer to the center in the width direction of the cleaning tool B.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the polishing portion 4 is provided on the surface of the extended portion 32, with a polishing surface 4a and a polishing surface 4b which is the surface opposite to the polishing surface 4a.

[0057] When cleaning the white letter section T2 using cleaning tool B, place your palm on the base 31, your index and middle fingers on the extended section 32, and your ring and little fingers on the notched section, and grasp cleaning tool B with your entire right hand.

[0058] Here, since the extension 32 is provided on the left side of the base 31 (the thumb side when the cleaning tool B is held in the right hand), when polishing with the cleaning tool B, it is possible to polish while visually confirming that the polishing surface 4b and the white letter portion T2 are in contact. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent polishing the black rubber coating portion T3 when polishing the edge portion T2c of the white letter portion T2.

[0059] Furthermore, by placing the ring finger and little finger on the notched portion of the main body 3, it becomes easier to grip the cleaning tool B with the ring finger and little finger, allowing the cleaning tool B to be moved stably.

[0060] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes the polishing method using the right hand to hold the cleaning tool B, it can also be used with the left hand by reversing the cleaning tool B. In this case, polishing is performed on the polishing surface 4a, which is the surface opposite to the polishing surface 4b.

[0061] [Third Embodiment] Next, we will describe the third embodiment, a cleaning tool C for white letters (hereinafter referred to as "cleaning tool C"). Note that the configuration of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their explanation here will be omitted.

[0062] First, the cleaning tool C is provided with a water-retaining section 5 that can hold a predetermined amount of moisture, in contact with the end face 12, which is one end in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning tool A described in the first embodiment.

[0063] Furthermore, the water-retaining section 5 of the cleaning tool C is provided continuously with the main body section 1, and together they form the cleaning tool C. The water-retaining section 5 is made of a water-absorbing sponge material.

[0064] Furthermore, the water-retaining section 5 does not need to have a predetermined hardness like the main body section 1. Considering that it is required to retain a predetermined amount of water, as will be described later, it is desirable that it be made of a soft material. Specifically, polyurethane foam, polyester, or melamine foam are possible materials.

[0065] Furthermore, unlike the main body 1, the water-retaining section 5 does not have an abrasive section 2. This is because it would make it difficult to quickly squeeze out the water and other substances contained in the water-retaining section 5.

[0066] Next, the method of using cleaning tool C will be explained below. First, the water-retaining part 5 of the cleaning tool C is soaked in a predetermined amount of water or the like. Specifically, the cleaning tool C is immersed in water or the like in a container such as a bucket, so that the water-retaining part 5 is thoroughly soaked in water or the like.

[0067] Next, the white letter section T2 is polished using the polishing surface 2. This polishing process generates shavings, so the operator firmly grips the water-retaining section 5 and squeezes out a predetermined amount of water contained inside, then pours it onto the white letter section T2. ​​This allows the shavings to be easily washed away.

[0068] Furthermore, the above usage method is not the only option; after the polishing work is complete, it is also possible to soak the water-retaining section 5 with water, etc., and then apply water, etc., to the white letter section T2.

[0069] As described above, the white letter cleaning tool according to the present invention is a white letter cleaning tool that can clean the surface of white letters provided on the sidewall of a tire without scraping off the black rubber layer surrounding the white letters, and without using solvents or industrial detergents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] A cleaning tool B. Cleaning tools T-tire T1 Sidewall T2 White Lettering Section T2a surface 1. Main body 10 surface 2 Polishing section 3. Main body

Claims

1. The main body is made of foamed material and has a K6253 durometer type E hardness of 35 to 45 degrees, The main body comprises a polishing portion formed on at least a portion of its surface, which is capable of polishing the surface of the white lettering provided on the tire's sidewall. Cleaning tool for white lettering.

2. The aforementioned foam material is semi-rigid polyurethane foam, rigid polyurethane foam, or high-density polyurethane. A cleaning tool for white lettering as described in claim 1.

3. The K6253 durometer type E hardness of the main body is 35 to 42 degrees. A cleaning tool for white lettering according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The polished portion is formed by depositing aluminum oxide onto the surface of the main body. A cleaning tool for white letters according to claim 1 or claim 2.

5. The grit size of the polishing part is between 180 and 240. A cleaning tool for white letters according to claim 1 or claim 2.

6. The main body is partially cut out. A cleaning tool for white letters according to claim 1 or claim 2.

Images