Cleaning pad and cleaning implement

Abstract

The present invention relates to disposable cleaning pads for removable attachment to a cleaning implement, the cleaning pad comprising an absorbent structure, and a plurality of reservoirs defined in the absorbent structure, formed by bonding or embossing throughout the thickness of the absorbent structure.

1 . A disposable cleaning pad for removable attachment to a cleaning implement, the cleaning pad comprising 
 an absorbent structure, and    a plurality of reservoirs defined in the absorbent structure, formed by bonding or embossing throughout the thickness of the absorbent structure.    
   
   
       2 . A disposable cleaning pad according to  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning pad further comprises a means for removably attaching the cleaning pad to a cleaning implement.  
   
   
       3 . A disposable cleaning pad according to  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning pad is pre-moistened with a liquid cleaning composition.  
   
   
       4 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent structure comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, and the reservoirs are formed by bonding together the upper surface and the lower surface of the absorbent structure at selected locations.  
   
   
       5 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent structure comprises an upper sheet, a lower sheet, and an absorbent core positioned between the upper and lower sheets, wherein the fluid reservoirs are defined by bonds formed between the upper sheet and the lower sheet, and each fluid reservoir comprises a discrete portion of the absorbent core.  
   
   
       6 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 1 , wherein the reservoirs are defined by intersecting bond lines extending in different directions across the cleaning pad.  
   
   
       7 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 6 , wherein the cleaning pad has side edges and the bond lines extend from one side edge of the cleaning pad to another side edge of the cleaning pad.  
   
   
       8 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 7 , wherein the bond lines define an acute angle with a side edge of the cleaning pad.  
   
   
       9 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 7 , wherein the cleaning pad is substantially square or rectangular in shape, and wherein the bond lines are substantially parallel to the side edges of the cleaning pad.  
   
   
       10 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 1 , wherein the reservoirs are defined by a plurality of bond sites separated from one another by a distance in the range 0.015 to 0.05 in.  
   
   
       11 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 1 , wherein the reservoirs are defined by a plurality of bond sites, each bond site having an aspect ratio of less than 0.01.  
   
   
       12 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 1 , wherein the reservoirs are defined by a plurality of bond sites, each bond site having a surface area of less than 0.003 sq in.  
   
   
       13 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 1 , wherein the total area of bonding comprises less than 10% of the area of the absorbent structure.  
   
   
       14 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent structure comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, and the reservoirs are formed by embossing the absorbent structure so as to bring the upper and lower surfaces into contact with one another at selected locations.  
   
   
       15 . A disposable cleaning pad for removable attachment to a cleaning implement, the cleaning pad comprising an absorbent structure, and 
 a plurality of reservoirs defined in the absorbent structure, wherein at least some of the reservoirs contain superabsorbent material.    
   
   
       16 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 15 , wherein the absorbent structure comprises an upper sheet, a lower sheet, and an absorbent core positioned between the upper and lower sheets, and wherein each reservoir comprises a discrete portion of the absorbent core.  
   
   
       17 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid reservoirs have a shape selected from circles, squares, rectangles, diamonds, ovals, triangles, hexagons and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       18 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 1 , wherein adjacent reservoirs are in fluid communication with one another.  
   
   
       19 . A cleaning pad according to  claim 1 , which further comprises a scrubbing strip of abrasive material.  
   
   
       20 . A cleaning implement comprising 
 a handle;    a head portion attached to the handle; and    removably attached to the head portion, a cleaning pad as defined in  claim 1 .    
   
   
       21 . A cleaning implement according to  claim 20 , wherein the head portion is pivotally attached to the handle.  
   
   
       22 . A cleaning kit comprising 
 a cleaning implement comprising a handle and a head portion; and    a cleaning pad as defined in any of  claim 1 , for removable attachment to the head portion.    
   
   
       23 . A method of cleaning a hard surface, comprising 
 providing a cleaning implement comprising a handle and a head portion attached thereto;    removably attaching to the head portion a cleaning pad as defined in any of  claim 1;     wiping the surface to be cleaned with the cleaning pad; and,    optionally, removing the cleaning pad.