CLEANING PAD

• US 20150128364A1
• Filed: 11/11/2014
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: DOOLEY, Michael, ROMANOV, Nikolai, WILLIAMS, Marcus, JOHNSON, Joseph M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,615,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/98
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/12 with reciprocating or oscillating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/125 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/284 having reciprocating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/408 Means for supplying cleaning or surface treating agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/16 Cloths; Pads; Sponges metal scraping sponges A47L13/07
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/20 Mops
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/36 Surgical swabs, e.g. for absorbency or packing body cavities during surgery A61F13/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/12 on paper layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/04 Cellulosic plastic fibres, e.g. rayon
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/067 Wood fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/14 Mixture of at least two fibres made of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7145 : Rot proof, resistant to bacteria, mildew, mould, fungi
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/718 : Weight, e.g. weight per square meter
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/726 : Permeability to liquids, absorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/73 : Hydrophobic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2432/00 : Cleaning articles, e.g. mops, wipes personal care B32B2555/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/14 : comprising synthetic rubber copolymers B32B25/18 and B32B25/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 29/002 : as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a layer of a particular substance B32B9/06; next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/06; next to a water-setting substance layer B32B13/08; next to a metal layer B32B15/12; next to a glass layer B32B17/065; next to a layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles B32B19/046; next to a wood layer B32B21/06; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/06; next to a natural or synthetic rubber layer B32B25/06; next to a synthetic resin layer B32B27/10
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/04 : characterised by at least one layer folded at the edge, e.g. over another layer ; characterised by at least one layer enveloping or enclosing a material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 : Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 : another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 : using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties

Abstract

A pad particularly adapted for surface cleaning. The pad includes an absorbent core having the ability to absorb and retain liquid material, and a liner layer in contact with and covering at least one side of the absorbent core. The liner layer has the ability to retain and wick liquid material through the liner layer. Cleaning apparatus containing such pads and methods of using such pads are also described.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning pad comprising:

an absorbent core containing fiber material which absorbs and retains liquid material,

a liner layer in contact with and covering at least one side of the absorbent core, containing fiber material which retains and wicks liquid material through the liner layer.

2. The pad of claim 1, wherein the core material absorbs up to about 7 to about 10 times its weight.

3. The pad of claim 1, wherein the liner layer retains up to about 10% of the liquid material absorbed.

4. The pad of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core comprises non-woven cellulose wood pulp.

5. The pad of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core additionally contains a surface layer comprising acrylic latex.

6. The pad of claim 1, wherein the pad includes a cardboard backing layer affixed to the pad, the cardboard backing layer configured to attach the pad to a cleaning apparatus and being coated with a hydrophobic polymer of less than 0.1 cm thick.

7. The pad of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core comprises first, second, and third airlaid layers, each airlaid layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface of the first airlaid layer disposed on the top surface of the second airlaid layer, the bottom surface of the second airlaid layer disposed on the top surface of the third airlaid layer.

8. The pad of claim 7, wherein the layers are adhered to each other by means of an adhesive material.

9. The pad of claim 8 wherein the adhesive material is applied in at least two evenly spaced strips along the length of at least one side of an airlaid layer and covers not more than 10% of the surface area of the at least one side

10. The pad of claim 8 wherein the adhesive material is sprayed on the length of at least one side of an airlaid layer and covers not more than 10% of the surface area of the at least one side.

11. The pad of claim 1, wherein the liner layer is wrapped around at least four sides of the absorbent core.

12. The pad of claim 1, wherein the liner layer comprises a spunlace layer.

13. The pad of claim 1, wherein the liner layer comprises a hydroentangled spunbond layer having reduced thickness indentations therein on a floor facing surface and having a basis weight of 35-40 gsm.

14. The pad of claim 1, wherein the liner layer includes meltblown abrasive fibers adhered to the side of the liner layer not in contact with the absorbent core.

15. The pad of claim 14, wherein the meltblown fibers have a diameter of between about 0.1 μ

m and about 20 μ

m.

16. The pad of claim 14, wherein the meltblown abrasive fibers cover between about 44 percent and about 75 percent of the surface of the liner layer.

17. The pad of claim 14, wherein the meltblown abrasive-fibers and the liner layer have a collective thickness of between about 0.5 mm and about 0.7 mm on the surface of the liner layer.

18. The pad of claim 1, wherein the liner layer has a thickness of between about 0.5 mm and about 0.7 mm.

19. The pad of claim 1, wherein the pad increases in thickness by less than 30% after liquid material absorption.

20. The pad of claim 1, wherein the pad additionally contains one or more of a scent agent, cleaning agent, surfactant, foaming agent, glossing agent, chemical preservative, an adhesive formulation and/or anti-bacterial agent.

21. The pad of claim 1, wherein the pad has a thickness of between about 6.5 millimeters and about 8.5 millimeters, a width of between about 68 millimeters and about 80 millimeters and a length of between about 165 millimeters and about 212 millimeters, and the absorbent core retains up to about 180 mL.

22. A mobile floor cleaning robot comprising:

a robot body defining a forward drive direction;

a drive supporting the robot body to maneuver the robot across a surface

the drive comprising right and left drive wheels disposed on corresponding right and left portions of the robot body; and

a cleaning assembly disposed on the robot body, the cleaning assembly comprising;

a pad holder disposed forward of the drive wheels and having a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion having a bottom surface arranged within between about ½

cm and about 1½

cm of the surface and configured to receive a cleaning pad, the bottom surface of the pad holder comprising at least 40% of a surface area of a footprint of the robot, and the bottom portion having raised protrusions extending therefrom; and

an orbital oscillator having less than 1 cm of orbital range disposed on the top portion of the pad holder;

wherein the pad holder is configured to permit more than 80 percent of the orbital range of the orbital oscillator to be transmitted from the top of the received cleaning pad to the bottom surface of the received cleaning pad and wherein the pad holder has a release mechanism configured to eject the pad from the bottom surface of the pad holder upon actuation of a release mechanism.

23. The robot of claim 22, wherein the cleaning assembly further comprises:

a reservoir to hold a volume of fluid; and

a fluid applicator in fluid communication with the reservoir, the fluid applicator configured to apply the fluid along the forward drive direction forward of the pad holder.

24. The robot of claim 22, wherein the cleaning pad is configured to absorb about 90% of the fluid volume held in the reservoir.

25. The robot of claim 22, further comprising a backing layer on the cleaning pad for engaging with the pad holder.

26. The robot of claim 25, wherein at least one raised protrusion on the bottom of the pad holder is positioned for aligning to and engaging with a shaped slot cut out of the backing layer.

27. The robot of claim 22, wherein the overall weight of the robot without retaining any fluid is between about 1 kg and about 1.5 kg pounds and with retaining fluid is between about 1.5 kg to 4.5 kg.

28. The robot of claim 22, wherein the robot applies fluid to the floor surface at an initial volumetric flow rate to moisten the cleaning pad, the initial volumetric flow rate being relatively higher than a subsequent volumetric flow rate when the cleaning pad is moistened.

29. The robot of claim 28, the initial volumetric flow rate is set by spraying 1 mL of fluid every 30 cm for a period of about 1 to 3 minutes, and the second volumetric flow rate is set by spraying every 3 feet, wherein each spray of fluid is less than 1 mL of volume.