IMPROVED SURFACE CLEANING MATERIAL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

Abstract

A surface cleaning material is provided that includes a base structure including at least one base material. The surface cleaning material also includes a plurality of fibers woven into the base structure such that a first end, a second end, and a middle portion of each of the plurality of fibers form a W-shape with the first and second ends of each of the plurality of first fibers being positioned a distance from a surface of the base structure. A method of manufacturing the surface cleaning material is also provided.

Description

FIELD

Surface cleaning materials and methods for making surface cleaning materials are provided.

BACKGROUND

Various surface cleaning devices, and methods for making the same are known. Traditionally, surface cleaning devices, such as brushrolls of vacuum cleaners, include multiple surface cleaning materials designed to inflict varying levels of agitation within or on a surface being cleaned. For example, in the case of a brushroll for a vacuum cleaner, methods exist for wrapping a soft material (e.g., a microfiber cloth) around a brushroll core and drilling holes into the brushroll core and inserting and securing tufts of bristles of a stiffer material (e.g., nylon) into the drilled holes. The known method described above can be time intensive on a tooling side. Further, the overall ratio of soft material to stiff bristles under the aforementioned method cannot easily be modified for different applications, and instead will require time intensive redesign and updates to the tooling in the event that a different ratio is desired and/or a different dispersal of stiff bristles within the brushroll core is desired.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a surface cleaning material is provided and can include a base structure formed from at least one base material. The surface cleaning material can also include a plurality of fibers woven into the base structure such that a first end, a second end, and a middle portion of each of the plurality of first fibers form a W-shape with the first and second ends of each of the plurality of first fibers being positioned a distance from a surface of the base structure.

In some embodiments, the plurality of fibers can include a plurality of first fibers and a plurality of second fibers. In some embodiments, the plurality of second fibers can have a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the plurality of first fibers.

In some embodiments, the plurality of first fibers and the plurality of second fibers can be woven into the base structure in rows extending along a length of the base structure. In some embodiments a plurality of gaps can be defined in between each of the rows.

In some embodiments, the plurality of first fibers are made from a first material including a microfiber material and the plurality of second fibers are made from a second material including nylon. In some embodiments, the microfiber material can be a microfiber yarn. The at least one base material can be polyester.

In some embodiments, the first and second ends of the plurality of first fibers can extend a first distance from the surface of the base structure, and the first and second ends of the plurality of second fibers can extend a second distance from the surface of the base structure. The first distance can be equal to or greater than the second distance.

In some embodiments, a ratio by density of the plurality of first fibers to the plurality of second fibers can be between about 99:1 and 3:1.

In some embodiments, the surface cleaning material can be wrapped around a dowel.

In another aspect, a method of manufacturing a surface cleaning material is provided. In some embodiments, the method can include weaving, from at least one base material, a first base structure and a second base structure, with a first front face of the first base structure facing a second front face of the second base structure. A gap can be provided between the first front face and the second front face. The method can also include weaving a plurality of fibers into the first base structure such that the plurality of fibers can extend across the gap between the first and second base structure. The method can also include cutting the plurality of fibers along the gap, wherein the first base structure can define a first surface cleaning material and the second base structure defines a second surface cleaning material, further wherein cut ends of the plurality of fibers extend a distance from the first front face and the second front face, respectively. The method can also include cutting the plurality of first fibers and the plurality of second fibers between the gap.

In some embodiments, the plurality of fibers can include a plurality of first fibers and a plurality of second fibers. In some aspects, the plurality of second fibers can have a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the plurality of first fibers.

In some embodiments, the plurality of fibers can be woven into the base structure in rows extending along a length of the first base structure and the second base structure, respectively. In some embodiments, a plurality of gaps can be defined between each of the rows.

In some embodiments, the plurality of first fibers can be made from a first material including a microfiber material and the plurality of second fibers can be made from a second material including nylon. In some embodiments, the microfiber material can be a microfiber yarn. The at least one base material can be polyester.

In some embodiments, the method can include trimming the cut ends of the plurality of second fibers to extend a second distance off of the first front face, the second distance being less than the first distance.

In some embodiments, a ratio by density of the plurality of first fibers to the plurality of second fibers can be between about 99:1 and 3:1.

In some embodiments, the method can also include applying the cleaning material to a dowel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features will be more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side schematic view of one embodiment of a weaving operation for weaving two surface cleaning materials;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of an embodiment of a W-shaped weave pattern having a plurality of fibers woven into a base structure of a surface cleaning material;

FIG. 3A is a side view of another embodiment of a surface cleaning material having a W-shaped weave pattern with first and second fibers having differing heights;

FIG. 3B is a top section view of the surface cleaning material of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4 is a top section view of another embodiment of a surface cleaning material;

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of an embodiment of a portion of a surface cleaning material wrapped around a dowel and containing primarily a microfiber material;

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of another embodiment of a portion of a surface cleaning material wrapped around a dowel and containing microfiber interspersed with nylon bristles;

FIG. 6A is a perspective schematic view of an adhesive application step of a brushroll manufacturing operation, whereby adhesive is applied to a brushroll core to allow a surface cleaning material to be wrapped around, and bound to the brushroll core;

FIG. 6B is a perspective schematic view of showing the surface cleaning material being positioned relative to the brushroll core of FIG. 6A, prior to a wrapping step of the brushroll manufacturing operation;

FIG. 6C is a perspective schematic view showing the surface cleaning material being wrapped around the brushroll core of FIG. 6A, to provide a brushroll for use in various surface cleaning devices, such as a wet/dry cleaning apparatus (e.g., a floor sweeper/mop or a vacuum cleaner); and

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a surface cleaning material;

It is noted that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. The drawings are intended to depict only typical aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An improved surface cleaning material for use in various surface cleaning devices, as well as methods of manufacturing a surface cleaning material, are provided herein. The improved surface cleaning material described herein, and method of manufacturing the same, includes a base structure having fibers that are woven into the base structure using a technique that easily allows for the use of various types of fibers. In some embodiments, the base structure and the fibers can be woven at the same time by a fabric loom, or the like. In some embodiments, the materials of the fibers woven into the base can include different types of fibers, such as microfibers, nylon threads of varying thicknesses, etc. The fibers can be woven into the base structure in an infinite arrangement, defined by differing ratios of materials, different densities of individual fibers/discrete fiber bundles, and different arrangements of sequential rows of fibers within the base structure. After weaving the surface cleaning material described herein, it can be applied to a dowel or the like by simply wrapping the material around the dowel with an adhesive.

Advantageously, the improved surface cleaning material, and method of manufacturing the same, provides a manufacturer with a significant level of design freedom with the capability to change the types of materials, the ratios of the materials, the densities of individual fibers/discrete fiber bundles, and the different arrangements of sequential rows of fibers within the base structure by simply changing an input on the loom used to weave the surface cleaning material. Further, the method of manufacturing the surface cleaning material provides cost savings to a manufacturer by not requiring any extensive tooling for drilling holes into a dowel, and not requiring the meticulous placement of stiff bristles intermittently between other fabrics. The materials and manufacturing method disclosed herein allows for design changes to be made to the surface cleaning material, on-demand, without affecting the tooling of components. Accordingly, the method described herein provides significant advantages over the traditional tooling and tufting methods described above.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the improved surface cleaning material described herein can include different fiber types, such as a soft material combined with agitating bristles. Such a configuration can provide increased agitation and cleaning capabilities within a fully woven substrate to allow for improved scrubbing power for hard surfaces (e.g., hard floors), while also providing improved agitation that is required to remove debris embedded in soft surfaces (e.g., carpets). Furthermore, by weaving the fibers of the material simultaneously, the agitating bristles of the surface cleaning material described herein can be more evenly interspersed throughout the entirety of the material to provide more homogenous agitation when compared to traditional tufted surface cleaning devices. Accordingly, the surface cleaning material described herein provides an integrated, homogenous substrate, which can be designed to optimize water retention for stuck on dust, while also optimizing for deep scrubbing performance.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a weaving operation 100 for weaving two surface cleaning materials 105, 106 simultaneously. In some embodiments, the weaving operation 100 can be carried out by a loom or a 3D knitting machine, or the like (referred to herein as a “loom”). As shown in FIG. 1, the weaving operation includes weaving, from at least one base material 110, a first base structure 115 and a second base structure 116. In some embodiments, the first and second base structures 115, 116 can be woven from a polyester thread, or the like, however any suitable material can be used. The base structures 115, 116 can each be woven to form a cross-woven or cross-hatched base. Simultaneously to weaving the first and second base structures 115, 116, the loom can be configured to weave a plurality of fibers 120 into the first and second base structures 115, 116 in a predetermined pattern, as described in greater detail below. In some embodiments, the plurality of fibers 120 can include a plurality of fibers of a first material, and a plurality of fibers of a second material. In some embodiments, the first material can be a soft fiber, such as a microfiber or a blend of microfibers, and the second material can be a stiffer fiber, such as a nylon, polypropylene, or polyurethane thread, or the like, having a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the first fiber. In other embodiments, the first and second fibers can be identical.

As shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of fibers 120 can be alternately woven into the first and second base structures 115, 116 such that the fibers extend across and connect the first and second base structures 115, 116, which remain spaced a distance apart from one another. This can be achieved by weaving a first bundle of fibers 120a into the first base structure 115 and weaving a second bundle of fibers 120b into the second base structure 116 in a crisscross arrangement, as shown. In some embodiments, the plurality of fibers 120 can be woven into the first and second base structures 115, 116 to form of a plurality of W-shaped weaves 125, as shown in FIG. 1 and discussed in greater detail below. However, other weaving patterns could also be used.

While FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of the base structures 115, 116 forming a single row of woven fibers extending along a length of the surface cleaning materials 105, 106 in an X-direction, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the plurality of fibers 120 can be woven into the first and second base structures 115, 116 in sequential rows spaced along the width of the base structures 115, 116 in the Y direction. Each row of woven fibers can be formed from one or more materials that differ from the materials used to form adjacent rows, thus allowing full customization along the entire width of the base structure 115, 116.

With the plurality of fibers 120 extending across and connecting the base structures 115, 116, the weaving operation 100 can include a step of cutting, by a blade 135, the plurality of fibers 120 along a centerline 140 provided in a gap between a front face 115a of the first base structure 115 and a front face 116a of the second base structure 116, in order to produce two separate and identical surface cleaning materials 105, 106 having fibers with cut terminal ends.

Once completed, the surface cleaning materials 105, 106 can be applied to a surface cleaning apparatus for use. For example, in some embodiments, the surface cleaning materials 105, 106 can be wrapped around a brushroll core to be used in a wet/dry cleaning apparatus (e.g., a floor sweeper/mop or a vacuum cleaner). In some embodiments, the surface cleaning materials 105, 106 can cut into strips which can be wrapped around a brushroll core in a helical arrangement in order to optimize adhesion and brushroll integrity.

FIG. 2 is a diagram 200 illustrating an embodiment of W-shaped weaves of a plurality of fibers woven into a base structure of a surface cleaning material. In some embodiments, the base structure, as described above in reference to FIGS. 1, can be woven from a plurality of polyester threads 205, or the like. In some embodiments, the plurality of polyester threads 205 can each be woven together to form a cross-woven or cross-hatched base structure (e.g., base structures 115, 116 of FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 2, fibers 210 of various materials (e.g., microfiber, microfiber yarn, nylon threads of varying thicknesses, etc.) can be woven into the plurality of polyester threads 205 of the base structure in a plurality of sequential W-shaped weaves 215. Details regarding the fibers 210 of various materials are discussed in below. Each of the fibers 210 can be woven and cut to have a middle portion 225 and first and second trailing ends 220, 230, which together define the W-shaped weave 215. In some embodiments, each W-shaped weave 215 can have a width 235 which can vary based on design preference. 115116105106

FIG. 3A illustrates a side view of another embodiment of a surface cleaning material 300. In this embodiment, the surface cleaning material 300 is similar to the surface cleaning materials 105, 106 of FIG. 1. Similarly as described above, the surface cleaning material 300 can include a plurality of fibers, including a plurality of fibers of a first material 305 and a plurality of fibers of a second material 310 woven into a base structure 315. In some embodiments, the first material 305 can be a soft material, such as a microfiber or a blend of microfibers, and the second material 310 can be an agitator material such as a nylon, polypropylene, or polyurethane thread, or the like. Accordingly, the second material 310 can have a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the first material 305. For example, in some embodiments, the plurality of fibers of the second material can range in diameter from about 0.01 mm-0.30 mm, however, other diameters may be used. The base structure 315 material can be similar to the materials discussed above with respect to base structures 115, 116 of FIG. 1.

The plurality of fibers of the first material 305 and the plurality of fibers of a second material 310 can be woven into the base structure 315 in the form of a plurality of W-shaped weaves 340, as discussed above in reference to FIGS. 1-2. During a weaving operation (e.g., weaving operation 100 of FIG. 1), both the plurality of fibers of the first material 305 and the plurality of fibers of a second material 310 can be woven into the base structure 315 and cut such that they extend a first distance 320 from a front surface of the base structure 315. In some embodiments, the surface cleaning material 300 can be used with the lengths of the plurality of fibers of the first material 305 and second material 310 extending the first distance 320 from a front surface of the base structure 315. However, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3A, the plurality of fibers of the second material 310 can be trimmed to extend a second distance 325 from a front surface of the base structure 315. The trimming of the plurality of fibers of the second material 310 can be done, as a post-processing step of the weaving operation 100 of FIG. 1. In some embodiments, similar post-process trimming can be applied to the plurality of fibers of the first material 305. For example, in some embodiments, the first distance 320 can range from about 5 mm-20 mm, and the second distance 325 can range from about 3 mm-15 mm, however, other distances/lengths can be used. In some embodiments, the trimming can be executed by a trimming apparatus (e.g., clippers) that can trim along the surface cleaning material.

Further, FIG. 3A illustrates both the plurality of fibers of the first material 305 and the plurality of fibers of a second material 310 woven into the base structure 315 in tufts, or discrete bundles of fibers. However, it is also contemplated that either the plurality of fibers of the first material 305 or the plurality of fibers of a second material 310 can be woven into the base structure 315 as individual fibers in the same W-shaped form described above.

FIG. 3B illustrates a top section view of the surface cleaning material 300 of FIG. 3A, taken along section A-A. As shown in FIG. 3B, the plurality of fibers of the first material 305 and the plurality of fibers of a second material 310 are woven into the base structure 315 in sequential rows (e.g., rows 330a-330g, etc.). In some embodiments, each row can include the plurality of sequential W-shaped weaves 340. In some embodiments, the plurality of sequential W-shaped weaves of the second material 310 can each be separated by a plurality of gaps 335. Further, as described above in reference to FIG. 2, each W-shaped weave can be formed by a first end (e.g., 310a), a middle portion (e.g., 310b), and a second end (e.g., 310c) that together define the W-shaped weave 340. The widths of each W-shaped weave 340a in each row, as well as the distance 345 between sequential rows can be variable, based on design preference. The design of the widths of each W-shaped weave, as well as the distance 345 between sequential rows can affect the overall density of the surface cleaning material 300. Additionally, the ratio of fibers of the first material 305 to the fibers of the second material 310 can be easily modified by the manufacturer to achieve different cleaning performance for different applications. For example, in some embodiments, the plurality of fibers of the first material 305 and the plurality of fibers of the second material 310 can be woven into the base structure 315 such that the plurality of fibers of the second material 310 occupy about 1-25% of the front surface of the base structure 315, by density. In this case, the remaining about 99-75% of the front surface of the base structure 315 can be occupied by the plurality of fibers of the first material 305. It should be noted that the percentage, by density, that the plurality of fibers occupies is depended both on the diameters of the fibers, as well as the number of fibers per unit area (e.g., filaments/cm{circumflex over ( )}2). For example, fibers of the second material 310 can occupy 2% of the front surface of the base structure 315 in an infinite number of ways, by varying the diameters of the fibers, as well as the density of the fibers (in fil/cm{circumflex over ( )}2). By varying the density ratio of the fibers, different ratios of agitation to cleaning performance can be realized. Further, in some embodiments, the trimming operation described above, in reference to FIG. 3A, can include trimming, by a trimming apparatus, the plurality of fibers of the second material 310 along their respective rows (e.g., rows 330a, 330c, 330e, 330g). In some embodiments, the trimming apparatus can trim the plurality of rows (e.g., rows 330a, 330c, 330e, 330g) sequentially, however, the trimming apparatus can also be configured to trim the rows at the same time.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of another embodiment of a surface cleaning material 400, according to the subject matter described herein. As shown in FIG. 4, the illustrated surface cleaning material 400 includes a plurality of fibers of a first material 405 and a plurality of fibers of a second material 410 woven into a base structure 415 in sequential rows 430a-430o. The fibers 405, 410 can be similar to the fibers 205, 210 described above, however, as shown in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the first material 405 can be a microfiber and the plurality of fibers of a first material 405 can be twisted into a microfiber yarn prior to being woven into the base structure 415 by a loom. In this case, the yarn of the first material 405 (e.g., a collection of microfiber bundles) can be woven into the base structure 415 through discrete holes (e.g., hole 405a). In some embodiments, the yarn of the first material 405 and the plurality of fibers of the second material 410 can be woven into each row 430a-430o in a plurality of sequential W-shaped weaves, as discussed above. Similarly to as described above, the W-shaped weaves in the rows of the second material 410) (e.g., rows 430b, 430f, 430j, and 430n) can be separated by a plurality of gaps 435 on the base structure 415. Further, as described above in reference to FIG. 2, each W-shaped weave can be formed by a first end (e.g., 405l), a middle portion (e.g., 405m) and a second end (e.g., 405t) that together define each W-shaped weave 440. Widths 440a of each W-shaped weave 440, of either the yarn of the first material 405 or the plurality of fibers of the second material 410, can be variable, based on design preference. Additionally, in some embodiments, the widths of each W-shaped weaves of the yarn of the first material 405 and the plurality of fibers of the second material 410) can differ from one another. Once the surface cleaning material 400 is cut from the loom (e.g., during a cutting operation by the blade 130 of FIG. 1), the yarn of the first material 405 (which is woven through discrete holes in rows 430a, 430c-430e, 430g-430i, 430k-430m and 430o) can be configured to disperse into individual microfibers to fully occupy shaded regions 450 shown in rows 430a, 430c-430e, 430g-430i, 430k-430m and 430o. The design of the widths 440 of each W-shaped weave can affect the overall density of the surface cleaning material 400. Additionally, design decisions made regarding a distance 445 between sequential rows of the plurality of fibers of the second material 410 can affect a ratio of fibers of the first material 405 to the fibers of the second material 410 to achieve different cleaning performance for different applications. For example, in some embodiments, the plurality of fibers of the first material 405 and the plurality of fibers of the second material 410 can be woven into the base structure 415 such that the plurality of fibers of the second material 410 occupy about 1-25% of the front surface of the base structure 415, by density. In this case, the remaining about 99-75% of the front surface of the base structure 415 can be occupied by the plurality of fibers of the first material 405. By varying the density ratio of the fibers, different ratios of agitation to cleaning performance can be realized.

FIG. 5A illustrates a surface cleaning material 500 according to the subject matter herein. The surface cleaning material 500 can be wrapped around a brushroll core of a cleaning apparatus (e.g., a wet/dry vacuum cleaner), as discussed in greater detail below. As shown in FIG. 5A, the surface cleaning material 500 can comprise primarily a blend of microfiber materials 505, 510.

FIG. 5B illustrates another surface cleaning material 515 according to the subject matter herein. The surface cleaning material 515 can also be wrapped around a brushroll core of a cleaning apparatus (e.g., a wet/dry vacuum cleaner), similarly to the surface cleaning material 500, as discussed in greater detail below. As shown in FIG. 5B, the surface cleaning material 515 can comprise the blend of microfiber materials 505, 510, along with a plurality of relatively stiff bristles 520 interspersed among the blend of microfiber materials 505, 510. Accordingly, the surface cleaning material 515 provides an advantage over the discretely tufted bristle structure of traditional surface cleaning devices described above, by providing a surface cleaning material having a more evenly dispersed arrangement of stiff bristles to allow for more homogenous agitation.

FIG. 5B illustrates another surface cleaning material 515 according to the subject matter herein. The surface cleaning material 515 can also be wrapped around a brushroll core of a cleaning apparatus (e.g., a wet/dry vacuum cleaner), similarly to the surface cleaning material 500, as discussed in greater detail below. As shown in FIG. 5B, the surface cleaning material 515 can comprise the blend of microfiber materials 505, 510, along with a plurality of relatively stiff bristles 520 interspersed among the blend of microfiber materials 505, 510. Accordingly, the surface cleaning material 515 provides an advantage over the discretely tufted bristle structure of traditional surface cleaning devices described above, by providing a surface cleaning material having a more evenly dispersed arrangement of stiff bristles to allow for more homogenous agitation.

In some embodiments, any of the surface cleaning materials described herein can be attached to a brushroll core using an adhesive. FIGS. 6A-6C illustrate a wrapping operation 600, whereby a surface cleaning material is wrapped around a brushroll core 605, to provide a brushroll for use in various surface cleaning devices, such as a wet/dry cleaning apparatus (e.g., a floor sweeper/mop or a vacuum cleaner). In some embodiments, this the wrapping operation 600 can be executed manually, by a human operator, or by a machine 640, as described below, or any combination thereof.

As shown in FIG. 6A, an adhesive 610 can be applied to the brushroll core 605 by the machine 640.

As shown in FIG. 6B, once the adhesive 610 is applied to the brushroll core 605, a first end 615a of a surface cleaning material 615 can be placed on a first end 605a of the brushroll core 605. In some embodiments, the surface cleaning material 615 can be placed on an alignment platform 620 of the machine 640 that is configured to align the surface cleaning material at an angle θ relative to a central axis of the brushroll core 605 to aid in accurate wrapping of the surface cleaning material 615 around the brushroll core 605. In some embodiments, the surface cleaning material can be cut in a rhomboidal shape, to allow for accurate streamlined wrapping of the surface cleaning material around the brushroll core 605, as described in greater detail below. Further, in some embodiments, a roller mechanism 625 of the machine 640 can be configured to hold the surface cleaning material 615 in contact with the alignment platform 620, while allowing the cleaning material 615 to slide in a direction A to be wrapped around the brushroll core 605. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the machine 640 can include a holding mechanism 630 configured to hold the first end 615a of the surface cleaning material 615 in contact with the first end 605a of the brushroll core 605 during the wrapping operation 600.

Once the surface cleaning material 615 is placed on an alignment platform 620, with the first end 615a of the surface cleaning material 615 being held onto the first end 605a of the brushroll core 605 by the holding mechanism 630, the surface cleaning material 615 can be applied to the brushroll core 605. As shown in FIG. 6C, the machine 640 can be configured to rotate the brushroll core 605 about its central axis in a direction B, causing the surface cleaning material 615 to be pulled onto the brushroll core 605 in the direction A and wrapped around the brushroll core at the angle θ to provide a brushroll for use in various surface cleaning devices, such as a wet/dry cleaning apparatus (e.g., a floor sweeper/mop or a vacuum cleaner).

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a method 700 for manufacturing a surface cleaning material comprising according to the subject matter described herein. In some embodiments, the method can include a step 710 of weaving, from at least one base material, a first base structure and a second base structure. The first and second base structures include a first front face and a second front face, respectively, wherein the base structures are woven such that the first front face faces the second front face, and a gap is provided between the first front face and the second front face.

The method 700 can also include a step 720 of weaving a plurality of first fibers of a first material and a plurality of second fibers of a second material into the first base structure and the second base structure. The second material has a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the first material.

The method 700 can also include a step 730 of cutting the plurality of first fibers and the plurality of second fibers along the gap, wherein the first base structure defines a first surface cleaning material and the second base structure defines a second surface cleaning material. The cut ends of the plurality of first fibers and the plurality of second fibers extend a distance from the first front face and the second front face, respectively.

Certain exemplary embodiments have been described to provide an overall understanding of the principles of the structure, function, manufacture, and use of the systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein. One or more examples of these embodiments have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the systems, devices, and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments and that the scope of the present invention is defined solely by the claims. The features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with the features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. Further, in the present disclosure, like-named components of the embodiments generally have similar features, and thus within a particular embodiment each feature of each like-named component is not necessarily fully elaborated upon.

Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “about,” “approximately,” and “substantially,” are not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations may be combined and/or interchanged, such ranges are identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise.

One skilled in the art will appreciate further features and advantages of the invention based on the above-described embodiments. Accordingly, the present application is not to be limited by what has been particularly shown and described, except as indicated by the appended claims. All publications and references cited herein are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning material, comprising:

a base structure comprising at least one base material; and

a plurality of fibers woven into the base structure such that a first end, a second end, and a middle portion of each of the plurality of first fibers form a W-shape with the first and second ends of each of the plurality of first fibers being positioned a distance from a surface of the base structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fibers comprises a plurality of first fibers and a plurality of second fibers, the plurality of second fibers having a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the plurality of first fibers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fibers are woven into the base structure in rows extending along a length of the base structure.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a plurality of gaps are defined between each of the rows.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of first fibers are made from a first material comprising a microfiber material and the plurality of second fibers are made from a second material comprising nylon.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the microfiber material is a microfiber yarn.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one base material comprises polyester.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second ends of the plurality of first fibers extend a first distance from the surface of the base structure, and the first and second ends of the plurality of second fibers extend a second distance from the surface of the base structure, the first distance being equal to or greater than the second distance.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a ratio by density of the plurality of first fibers to the plurality of second fibers is between 99:1 and 3:1.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface cleaning material is wrapped around a dowel.

11. A method of manufacturing a surface cleaning material comprising:

weaving, from at least one base material, a first base structure and a second base structure, with a first front face of the first base structure facing a second front face of the second base structure, wherein a gap is provided between the first front face and the second front face;

weaving a plurality of fibers into the first base structure and the second base structure such that the plurality of fibers extend across the gap between the first and second base structure; and

cutting the plurality of fibers along the gap, wherein the first base structure defines a first surface cleaning material and the second base structure defines a second surface cleaning material, further wherein cut ends of the plurality of fibers extend a distance from the first front face and the second front face, respectively.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of fibers comprise a plurality of first fibers and a plurality of second fibers, the plurality of second fibers having a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the plurality of first fibers.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of fibers are woven into the base structure in rows extending along a length of the first base structure and the second base structure, respectively.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a plurality of gaps are defined between each of the rows.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of first fibers are made from a first material comprising a microfiber material and the plurality of second fibers are made from a second material comprising nylon.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the microfiber material is a microfiber yarn.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising trimming the cut ends of the plurality of second fibers to extend a second distance off of the first front face, the second distance being less than the first distance.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein a ratio by density of the plurality of first fibers to the plurality of second fibers is between 99:1 and 3:1.

19. The method of claim 11. wherein the at least one base material comprises polyester.

20. The method of claim 11. further comprising applying the cleaning material to a dowel.