MELAMINE FOAM PADS FOR MOTORIZED FLOOR CLEANING MACHINES
A cleaning pad system for use on a motorized floor cleaning or polishing machine is described wherein the pad has melamine resin based foam.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/152,079 filed Feb. 12, 2009, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates generally to tools, implements, systems, and methods for cleaning hard surface floors, and more particularly to melamine foam for use on motorized floor cleaning or polishing machines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONConventional motorized floor cleaning or polishing machines have typically included abrasive floor cleaning/polishing pads that do not conform to floor surface irregularities and therefore do not adequately clean hard surface floors. Tile floors having grout lines can be a problem in themselves, but even floors without grout lines can have depressions and scratches with a similar or even greater impact on cleanability.
Further, brush-block attachments also do not adequately clean grouted floors. The grout lines are typically recessed to adjacent tiles and the cleaning action of a moving (rotating) brush does not adequately scrub the surface of the grout lines. Smaller pads or hand held cleaning tools have therefore been required in order to manually clean grout lines between tiles. Existing pads are typically abrasive and can therefore scratch hard surface floors.
In the cleaning of hard surface floors, even without grout lines, soiled conditions may be particularly problematic. These conditions include but are not limited to, (1) the removal of scuff marks left by shoes on a waxed floor surface, (2) the removal of soil in scratches in the wax on a waxed floor surface, and (3) removal of soil in pits and textures of tile and grouted floors.
The scuff marks as in (1) or soil as in (2), typically have been repeatedly buffed (or just worn down) into the wax, and are very hard to remove. In conventional prior practice, removal of scuff marks or dirt in scratches has required that the operator of the floor machine must first strip the top coats of wax from the surface using a high pH chemical stripper (known as top scrubbing). The stripper is worked into the wax with an abrasive pad to turn the wax into an emulsification sludge on the floor. This emulsification sludge is quite slippery and can be hazardous. This sludge must be collected by a wet/dry vacuum, or another method, before it has time to dry. Once this is done, the floor technician has removed the layer(s) of wax containing the marks/scratches. Then the operator must clean/neutralize the remaining floor finish, typically by mopping with rinse water containing neutralizer, followed by another fresh water mopping. Now that no wax or only a thin coat remains, and it is dull, the technician must re-coat the floor finish (i.e., apply another layer or two of wax), and then buff the final coat to acquire the desired look/shine. This procedure is very time consuming, labor intensive, and involves transporting, using, and disposing-of strong chemicals. The procedure may be required several times per year depending on foot traffic and/or building management preferences.
Conventional practice for removing soil from pits and textures (including grout lines) in tile and grouted floors as in (3), required either the application of chemicals using deck brushes (very time consuming, labor intensive, and involves transporting, using, and disposing—of strong chemicals), or using a floor machine with a typical brush block or stripping pad. The latter process is not very effective in soil removal, and the stripping pad wears down quickly.
Technicians have tried a variety of hand techniques, including using cleaning erasers, for example a Mr. Clean Brand Magic Eraser marketed by the Procter and Gamble Fabric and Home Care Division, Cincinnati, Ohio. According to the Material Safety Data Sheet, the ingredient name of a Mr. Clean Brand Magic Eraser is Formaldehyde-Melamine-Sodium Bisulfite Copolymer. This material, commonly known as a melamine foam, is also packaged and sold for use under other generic and store brands as a “cleaning eraser”. The melamine foam is made in Germany by BASF chemical company, under the registered name of Basotect. Specifically, an example open cell foam block made for the production of cleaning appliances is identified on the BASF (specifically BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany) Safety Data Sheet as Basotect V3012 2500 mm×1250 mm×500 mm. Cleaning erasers tend to be small and intended for hand-use on small areas. Commercial floor cleaning companies use motorized floor machines over a large area but have resorted to using cleaning erasers by hand on problem areas. Erasers, whether used by hand, or with machinery, tend to wear down rapidly due to uneven pressure of the eraser.
There is, therefore, a demonstrated need for a cleaning pad structure for use on motorized floor cleaning or polishing machines that can effectively clean a hard surface floor, including a tile floor with grout lines, without scratching the floor surface and without wearing down quickly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to melamine resin based foam for use on motorized floor cleaning or polishing machines.
In one embodiment a cleaning pad for use on a motorized floor cleaning or polishing machine has a substantially circular melamine foam disk. The disk has a diameter, a thickness, a first scrubbing surface comprised of melamine foam and a second surface spaced from the scrubbing surface by the thickness. The cleaning pad also has a backing disk not of melamine foam that is substantially the same diameter, and a fastener fixedly coupling the backing disk to the second surface.
In another embodiment a cleaning pad for use on a motorized floor cleaning or polishing machine, has a substantially circular melamine foam disk having a diameter, a thickness, a first scrubbing surface of melamine foam and a second surface spaced from the scrubbing surface by the thickness. A fastener is secured to the second surface. In some embodiment the fastener may be a hook part of a hook and loop system.
Another embodiment is a floor cleaning system having a melamine foam disk scrubbing portion that is s rotationally driven by a rotating member of a floor machine. In exemplary embodiments the rotating member may be a pad driver, or may be an abrasive stripping pad operatively attached to the motorized floor cleaning machine. The melamine foam disk is driven by friction.
Another embodiment is a no-strip method of cleaning a waxed floor that uses water or a cleaning solution, for example a detergent solution, and a rotary floor machine at low speed driving a circular melamine foam pad to remove dirt from depressions in the waxed floor without stripping off wax prior to doing so.
Another embodiment is a no-strip method of cleaning a waxed floor by using a rotary cleaner and water or a detergent solution and a rotary machine at low speed with a circular melamine foam pad having a polyurethane foam backer attached to the melamine foam. The backer is penetrated by a pad driver of the rotary machine to rotationally drive the melamine foam pad and remove dirt from scratches and grout lines in the waxed floor.
Another embodiment is a method of maintaining a floor having a waxed surface. The method includes, without stripping wax from the floor, securing a disc-like melamine foam pad under a pad driver of a low speed floor cleaning machine and then depositing a liquid on the waxed surface and operating the low speed floor cleaning machine to rotate the melamine foam pad at a low rotation speed on the waxed surface so that the melamine foam pad enters depressions in the floor and moves substantially all the dirt from depressions in the waxed floor surface to the liquid. The method also includes removing the liquid and buffing with a buffing pad.
The invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description of representative embodiments thereof read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that form a part of this disclosure.
Whereas melamine resin is disclosed as a binder of fibrous materials and abrasive particles in rotary floor machine pads, for example those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,042 to Demetriades, a melamine foam rotary floor pad has not been used, other than when augmented by surrounding support and scouring brush structure as in Japanese published patent application JP 2008-99768(A) to Morishita. Although melamine eraser pads have shown short lifetimes, experiments have indicated that the current invention, which supports the melamine foam and brings it into contact with the floor at a consistent pressure, displayed unexpected results and unexpected longevity.
In the illustrated embodiment the floor pad 10 covers the central area. Although not shown, the floor pad 10 may have a centrally removable portion, or the like, to provide access to hub hardware at the center of rotation, depending on the style of machine 2 and pad driver 4. Pad drivers come in a variety of forms and configurations, and their attachment to the machine is not a subject of the current application.
Floor pad 10 is substantially circular or oval in shape and may be of substantially any diameter or thickness as needed to apply to a specific floor machine 2 and pad driver 4. Typical ranges of the diameter are from about three inches to about twenty inches. Typical thicknesses of pad 10 range from about one-half inch to about three inches. In one embodiment melamine foam portion 12 has a thickness of about one inch and backer portion 14 has a thickness of about three quarters of an inch. Although the embodiment in
In
Conventional hook and loop systems useful in the invention may include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,313, incorporated by reference herein, or the system known commercially as VELCRO. Other means of securing pad 10 to the rotatable pad driver 4 of machine 2 may include mechanical fasteners or other means as would occur to the skilled artisan practicing the invention, the specific attaching means not considered limiting of the invention or of the appended claims.
In yet another embodiment, not illustrated but possible for one of ordinary skill in the art of setting up and operating rotary floor machines to understand, the hook portion 102 may be eliminated allowing the fibrous pad 104 to rest directly on the melamine portion 12. In this embodiment the coefficient of friction between the fibrous pad 104 and the melamine portion 12, and the weight of machine 2, is relied upon to rotate the melamine portion 12. One example of a fibrous pad is a commercially available abrasive stripping pad, varieties of which are supplied by the JonDon company of Roselle, Ill. Adjustment of speeds may make it easier for a friction-only interface as in this embodiment to work, but trade-off with cleaning effectiveness and efficiency may be associated with changing speed.
Another embodiment contemplated but not illustrated is to have the bristles 106 contact the melamine foam 12 directly, without a backer in between. However this would require additional melamine foam thickness to maintain a comparable distance 36 (
Some aspects of the cleaning actions of pad 10, and its methods of use are now described with reference to
Referring to
The method of using the floor pad 10 is illustrated in
As one skilled in the art would know, small spot waxing and buffing may be done in place of or in addition to buffing the surrounding wax. This addition of wax is done without any stripping, and therefore there are no harsh chemicals and chemical waste.
Returning to
Referring to
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SLM-371, a high-tack; moderate dead load acrylic adhesive coated 2 mils on both sides of a high quality polyester film has been successfully used for adhesive 16. SLM-371 is available from United Foam in Grand Rapids, Mich. Information about SLM-371 is as follows:
The cleaning pad of the invention described herein can be configured for use with conventional motorized floor scrubbing/polishing machines. The cleaning pad readily conforms to floor surface irregularities and applies even pressure over the surface of the floor contacted by the pad, which results in even cleaning action over the entire floor surface. Scuff marks are easily removed, which may obviate the need for the floor to be top scrubbed and re-waxed. The floor is substantially cleaner because of the application of even pressure over the surface area of the pad. Using the invention, a brighter/shinier floor finish is obtained as an end result, all with minimum chemical use, labor time, and facility down-time required for allowing coats of new wax to dry. This greatly reduces the number of top scrubs and re-coats per year that would otherwise be required for proper floor surface maintenance.
The melamine based foam pad structure according to the invention demonstrates improved efficiency over prior art methods using melamine based foam in that the melamine based foam is longer lasting and resists disintegrating or crumbling away, as prior art melamine erasers break down quickly on tile and grouted surfaces. Because the pad applies pressure substantially uniformly and conforms to surface irregularities, it can effectively clean hard surface floors comprising tile and grout lines without scratching the floor surfaces.
The invention therefore provides a foam pad structure comprising melamine foam for use on motorized floor cleaning or polishing machines. It also provides a method of cleaning floors without first stripping the wax. It is understood that modifications to the invention may be made as might occur to one with skill in the field of the invention within the scope of the appended claims. All embodiments contemplated hereunder that achieve the benefits of the invention have therefore not been shown in complete detail. Other embodiments may be developed without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A cleaning pad for use on a motorized floor cleaning or polishing machine, comprising:
- a substantially circular melamine foam disk having a diameter, a thickness, a first scrubbing surface comprised substantially exclusively of melamine foam and;
- a second surface spaced from said scrubbing surface by the thickness;
- a backing disk not of melamine foam having substantially the same diameter; and
- a fastener fixedly coupling the backing disk to the second surface.
2. The cleaning pad of claim 1 wherein the fastener is an adhesive.
3. The cleaning pad of claim 2 wherein the backing disk is a foam.
4. The cleaning pad of claim 3 wherein the backing disk is a polyurethane foam.
5. The cleaning pad of claim 4 wherein the backing disk is at least ¾ inch thick.
6. A cleaning pad for use on a motorized floor cleaning or polishing machine, comprising:
- a substantially circular melamine foam disk having a diameter, a thickness, a first scrubbing surface comprised substantially exclusively of melamine foam and;
- a second surface spaced from said scrubbing surface by the thickness;
- a fastener secured to the second surface.
7. The cleaning pad of claim 6 wherein the fastener is a hook part of a hook and loop system.
8. The cleaning pad of claim 6 wherein the thickness is at least ½ inch.
9. A floor cleaning system comprising a scrubbing portion that is substantially exclusively a melamine foam disk rotationally driven by a rotating member of a floor machine.
10. The floor cleaning system of claim 9 wherein the rotating member is a pad driver.
11. The floor cleaning system of claim 9 wherein the rotating member is an abrasive stripping pad operatively attached to said motorized floor cleaning machine and wherein said melamine foam disk is disposed against said stripping pad, whereby said melamine foam disk is held to said stripping pad by friction at the interface of said melamine foam disk and said stripping pad.
12. A no-strip method of cleaning a waxed floor comprising:
- using water or a detergent solution and a rotary floor machine at low speed driving a circular melamine foam pad to remove dirt from depressions in the waxed floor without stripping off wax prior to doing so.
13. A no-strip method of cleaning a waxed floor by using a rotary machine comprising:
- without first stripping wax, using a cleaning fluid and the rotary machine at low speed with a circular melamine foam pad having a polyurethane foam backer attached to the melamine foam, said backer penetrated by a pad driver of the machine to rotationally drive the melamine foam pad and remove dirt from scratches and grout lines in the waxed floor.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the cleaning fluid is water.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the cleaning fluid is a detergent solution.
16. A method of maintaining a floor having a waxed surface comprising:
- without stripping wax from the floor, securing a disc-like melamine foam pad under a pad driver of a low speed floor cleaning machine; depositing a cleaning liquid on the waxed surface; and operating the low speed floor cleaning machine to rotate the melamine foam pad at a low rotation speed on the waxed surface so that the melamine foam pad enters depressions in the floor and moves substantially all the dirt from depressions in the waxed floor surface to the liquid;
- removing the cleaning liquid;
- buffing the wax surface with a buffing pad.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 11, 2010
Publication Date: Sep 9, 2010
Inventors: Laura A. Lowe (Georgetown, OH), Anthony D. Miller, II (Maineville, OH)
Application Number: 12/704,220
International Classification: A47L 13/10 (20060101);