Consumer scrubbing article with stain release and method of making same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing scrubbing articles lack effective stain release properties and often suffer from poor adhesion of texture layers, which compromises their scrubbing efficiency and durability.
Innovation Solution
A scrubbing article with a substrate coated in a stain release agent, such as polyethylene oxide or sulfonated polyester, and a texture layer formed over the coating, ensuring the texture layer adheres well and provides enhanced stain release and scrubbing capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hard polymer coating is applied to provide stain resistance, then stain release properties are improved, but conformability of the scrubbing article deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin film coating approach rather than a thick hard polymer layer. This thin film provides sufficient stain release properties while maintaining the flexibility and conformability of the scrubbing article, allowing it to adapt to various surface geometries.
Solution Approach 2:
The stain release properties are localized to specific regions or layers of the scrubbing article, rather than requiring a uniform hard coating throughout. This allows the article to maintain overall flexibility while providing stain resistance where needed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a scrubbing article with improved stain release and adhesion of the texture layer, maintaining scrubbing efficiency and durability, while preventing stain formation and facilitating easy stain removal.
Implementation Method 1
The stain release coating includes a stain release agent. In some embodiments, the stain release agent includes a polymer containing polyethylene oxide or a sulfonated polyester
Implementation Method 2
The scrubbing articles of the present disclosure provide a stain-release feature and are surprisingly found to exhibit appropriate adhesion of the texture layer to the stain release coating
Data Source
AI summary
A scrubbing article including a substrate, a stain release coating and a texture layer. The stain release coating is applied to the substrate and is present over a at least a major surface of the substrate, and the texture layer is formed over the stain release coating opposite the substrate. In some embodiments, the texture layer is printed on to the stain release coating. The substrate can assume various forms, such as nonwoven, fabric (e.g., woven or knitted), foam, film and sponge material or combinations thereof.