PVF Microfoam Cleaning Cloth for Wash-Stable Gentle Cleaning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cleaning cloths struggle to balance good cleaning properties, water absorption, sliding properties, and washing stability while preventing damage to surfaces and maintaining mechanical stability during machine washing.

Innovation Solution

A cleaning cloth with a textile carrier material partially coated or impregnated with PVF microfoam, where the PVF microfoam constitutes less than 60% of the cloth's weight, and without PVA fibers, providing a wash-stable connection and excellent mechanical stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If PVA fibers are used as carrier material with PVF microfoam coating, then good adhesion and washing stability are achieved, but the cleaning cloth becomes too abrasive and damages sensitive surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewashing stabilityVSAvoidsurface damage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes the PVA fibers from the cleaning cloth composition entirely, retaining only the PVF microfoam coating on a different carrier material. This eliminates the abrasiveness caused by PVA fiber surfaces while preserving the adhesion benefits of PVF microfoam, thereby preventing surface damage to sensitive objects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the material composition parameters by specifying that PVF microfoam should constitute less than 60% by weight of the total cloth, with preferred ranges of less than 50% or even less than 30%. This parameter control ensures sufficient cleaning performance while maintaining gentleness on surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If PVF microfoam proportion is increased to improve adhesion, then washing stability improves, but water absorption and sliding properties deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadhesionVSAvoidsliding properties
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes the PVF microfoam content parameter to less than 60% by weight (preferred less than 50%, more preferably less than 30%). This parameter range maintains sufficient adhesion and washing stability while preserving adequate water absorption and sliding properties for easy operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention applies PVF microfoam as a coating or impregnation on the carrier material rather than making the entire cloth from PVA fibers. This localized application provides adhesion benefits where needed while leaving other areas to provide water absorption and sliding properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Object-affected harmful factors

If PVA fibers are removed to prevent surface damage, then gentleness on surfaces improves, but adhesion and mechanical stability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface gentlenessVSAvoidmechanical stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts PVA fibers from the composition while retaining PVF microfoam on a suitable carrier material. PVF microfoam provides the necessary adhesion and mechanical stability without the surface-damaging abrasiveness of PVA fibers, thus maintaining strength while achieving gentleness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Reliability

If cleaning cloth absorbs too much water to dissolve dirt, then cleaning performance improves, but dirt release during wringing becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning performanceVSAvoiddirt release
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention controls the PVF microfoam content parameter to less than 60% by weight, which optimizes the balance between water absorption capability for dissolving dirt and the ability to release dirt during wringing. This parameter range prevents excessive water retention that would hinder dirt release.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 cleaning cloth achieves excellent washing resistance, good cleaning performance, easy dirt release, and gentle surface cleaning while maintaining a soft handle and flexibility, suitable for various surfaces including chrome-plated or polished ones.

Implementation Method 1

the coating and/or impregnation of PVF microfoam having a weight per unit area of 50 to 100 g/m2

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Data Source

PatentEP3004453B1Cleaning cloth
Publication Date: 2019.01.16 CARL FREUDENBERG KG

AI summary

The invention relates to a cleaning cloth made of a textile support material which is provided at least partially with a PVF-microfoam in an amount such that the proportion of microfoam with relation to the total weight of the cleaning cloth is less than 60 wt %, preferably less than 40 wt %. The textile support material has no PVA or has less than 50 wt. % PVA.