Cleaning article with irregularly spaced tow tufts

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cleaning articles, such as rags, paper towels, and disposable dusters with tow fibers, fail to effectively capture and retain a wide range of debris on hard surfaces due to issues like hygiene concerns, reach limitations, and inefficiency in handling granular and voluminous debris, as they do not account for differences in debris volume and density.

Innovation Solution

A cleaning article with a carrier sheet and discretely spaced tufts of tow fibers, where secondary bonds create channels for debris accumulation, allowing for differential thickness and orientation to intercept and retain various particle sizes, enhancing debris collection and retention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If tow fibers are spaced far apart, then the cleaning article can accommodate large voluminous debris, but it cannot effectively capture small granular debris

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedebris capacityVSAvoiddebris capture precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning article implements local quality by creating regions with different tuft densities. Areas with larger spacing between tufts accommodate voluminous debris, while areas with closer tuft spacing capture granular debris. This spatial variation in tuft distribution allows the single cleaning article to effectively handle multiple debris types with different size requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If tow fibers are spaced closely together, then the cleaning article can capture small granular debris, but it cannot accommodate large voluminous debris

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedebris capture precisionVSAvoiddebris capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning article implements local quality by creating regions with different tuft densities. Areas with larger spacing between tufts accommodate voluminous debris, while areas with closer tuft spacing capture granular debris. This spatial variation in tuft distribution allows the single cleaning article to effectively handle multiple debris types with different size requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If uniform tuft spacing is used, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the cleaning article cannot effectively handle both granular and voluminous debris

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetuft spacing uniformityVSAvoiddebris type adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning article implements local quality by creating regions with different tuft densities. Areas with larger spacing between tufts accommodate voluminous debris, while areas with closer tuft spacing capture granular debris. This spatial variation in tuft distribution allows the single cleaning article to effectively handle multiple debris types with different size requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The cleaning article segments the tuft distribution into different zones with varying spacing patterns. This segmentation allows different portions of the cleaning article to specialize in capturing different debris types, thereby increasing overall versatility without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12082760B2Cleaning article with irregularly spaced tow tufts

Publication Date: 2024.09.10 PROCTER & GAMBLE CO

AI summary

A cleaning article defining an XY plane and a Z direction perpendicular to the plane. The cleaning article has discrete tufts of tow fibers disposed on a carrier sheet. The discrete tufts have bond lines external to the tufts. The bond lines interrupt the Z-direction thickness of the tufts, to provide channels for improved collection and retention of debris from a target surface.