Vehicle laundry element and method of making same

• US 6,733,861 B1
• Filed: 04/04/1997
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Washme Properties, LLC
• Original Assignee: Belanger, Inc. (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Belanger, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cole, Elizabeth M.
• Application Number:
  US08/820,506
• Time in Patent Office: 2,594 Days
• Field of Search: 428/114, 428/192, 428/193, 442/326, 442/388, 442/389, 442/402, 442/403, 15/973
• US Class Current: 428/114
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2323/10 Polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/00 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• 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: D04H 1/4374 using different kinds of webs, e.g. by layering webs
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/46 by needling or like operations to cause entanglement of fibres D04H1/45 takes precedence; needling machines D04H18/00
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/498 entanglement of layered webs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24132 including grain, strips, or filamentary elements in different layers or components parallel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24777 Edge feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24785 including layer embodying mechanically interengaged strands, strand portions or strand-like strips [e.g., weave, knit, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/59 At least three layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/667 Needled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/668 Separate nonwoven fabric layers comprise chemically different strand or fiber material

Abstract

A vehicle carwash element of the type which contacts the vehicle made by needle-punching three layers of synthetic strand material such as polyester, polypropylene or other polymeric strands. The quantities of material are arranged in layers with similar colors on the outside and a contrasting color on the inside. The layers are then needle punched to physically integrate them to the point of producing a unitary sheet-like body but insufficiently to totally blend the colors such that a center stripe of contrasting color appears on the edges of the resulting body and on any smaller body which is cut from the sheet which is manufactured according to the process described above.

Claims

1. A three layer, pliable, sheet-like vehicle laundry element in which the two outer layers are of one color and the intermediate layer is of a second contrasting color made according to the process which comprises the steps of:

(a) providing a first quantity of non-woven synthetic strands of said first color;

(b) providing a second quantity of non-woven synthetic strands of said second color;

(c) providing a third quantity of non-woven synthetic strands of said first color;

(d) needle punching the three quantities for a sufficient time to physically, non-adhesively integrate them into a sheet-like body in which the colors of the intermediate layers remains visually readily identifiable; and

(e) cutting the resulting sheet-like body into the desired shape of the vehicle laundry element to expose the distinct color of the intermediate layer as an edge stripe.

2. A multipale layer, pliable, sheet-like carwash brush body comprising at least first and second layers of contrasting colors which are non-adhesively integrated by needle punching to create an essentially unitary structure while preserving the distinct colors of said layers;

said body having at least one attachment structure formed therein.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said body is partially divided into a plurality of parallel strip-like fingers extending to at least one edge surface thereof.

4. An elongate pliable sheet-like carwash element comprising front and back surface layers of a first blended color and an intermediate layer of a second essentially unblended color which contrasts visually with the first blended color, said intermediate layer extending to and being visible at and along the peripheral edges of said element;

and

attachment means being formed in said element adjacent one end thereof.

5. The element defined in claim 4 wherein all of the layers are composed of non-woven synthetic filaments which are physically integrated with one another by needle punching therethrough, the denier of the intermediate layer being smaller than that of the surface layers.