Sequentially Folded Cleaning Cloth for Cross-Contamination Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Cleaning cloths often accumulate and spread soils and bacteria due to wadding and cross-contamination between surfaces, with existing solutions like the Hale patent not fully addressing these issues.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning cloth with perpendicular fold locations dividing it into four equal quadrant cleaning areas, each marked with sequential indicators for controlled use and a disposition indicator tag with separable tabs for intended use, reducing cross-contamination and improving cleaning efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a cleaning cloth is used by wadding and wiping various surfaces, then the cleaning action is simple and effective, but the useful cleaning life of the cloth is reduced and cross-contamination occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning cloth is divided into multiple discrete panel sections by visible lines that extend across the full width of the material. Each panel can be used sequentially on different surfaces, allowing the user to track which areas have been used and prevent cross-contamination while maintaining simple wiping action.
Solution Approach 2:
The visible lines imprinted on the sleeve material create visual distinctions between different panel sections. This color/visual change helps users identify which panels have been used and which are still clean, enabling better control over cross-contamination.
2Reliability
If visible lines are imprinted on the sleeve material to divide it into discrete panel sections, then cross-contamination is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Simple visual markings (visible lines) are imprinted on the existing sleeve material rather than adding complex structural elements. This provides cross-contamination control through visual identification while minimizing increases in device complexity.
3Duration of action of moving object
If the cleaning cloth is folded into quarters with sequential indicators, then the useful cleaning life is extended, but the ease of operation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning cloth is pre-folded into quarters with sequential indicators (1, 2, 3, 4) positioned to guide the user through the folding process. This preliminary preparation extends the useful cleaning life by enabling sequential panel usage while the visual indicators simplify rather than complicate the operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Sequential indicators provide visual guidance for folding and unfolding operations. The numbered indicators make the operation easier by clearly showing which panel should be used next, offsetting the complexity of the folded structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning cloth of the invention includes: a first face including a first fold location and a second fold location that intersects and is generally perpendicular to the first fold location, the first and second fold locations dividing the entire first face into four quadrant cleaning areas of substantially equal size, each of the first and second fold locations having a length; and a set of four sequential indicators at the first face, with one of each of the set of four sequential indicators located at one of each of the four quadrant cleaning areas. The first face is free of marked lines that extend along the entire length of each of the first and second fold locations. In this fashion, a user may fold and unfold the cleaning cloth so as to expose and use one or more of the four quadrant cleaning areas in a particular sequence by reference to the sequential indicators, and whereby a user may know which of the four quadrant cleaning areas have been used by reference to the sequential indicators. In another aspect, a cleaning cloth of the invention includes: a first face; an oppositely disposed second face; and a disposition indicator tag connected to the cleaning cloth. The tag includes a plurality of tabs with each tab having an appearance visibly distinguishable from the other tab or tabs.