Disposable cleaning sheets comprising a plurality of protrusions for removing debris from surfaces

Abstract

Disposable cleaning sheets for removing debris from a surface comprise a substrate and a plurality of protrusions affixed to the substrate, wherein the cleaning sheet is removably attachable to a cleaning implement. The protrusions are preferably hook-shaped. The preferred hook-shaped protrusions can be made of certain thermoplastic resins and can have certain geometric configurations. The protrusions can be affixed to the substrate via a variety of process and are preferably affixed to the substrate in one or more zones of the substrate. Methods of removing debris from a surface comprise contacting the surface with a cleaning sheet of the present invention.

1 . A disposable cleaning sheet for removing debris from a surface, said cleaning sheet comprising: 
 (a) a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, a leading edge and a trailing edge;    (b) a plurality of protrusions affixed to said bottom surface of said substrate; and    (c) a polymeric additive having adhesive properties at ambient temperature wherein said polymeric additive is applied to said substrate and/or said protrusions;    wherein said leading and trailing edges of said substrate are substantially free of protrusions such that said cleaning sheet is removably attachable to a cleaning implement, said cleaning implement having a forward margin and a rearward margin each having a width and being bounded by vertical edges, said bottom of said sheet having a forward margin corresponding to said forward margin of said cleaning implement and a rearward margin corresponding to said rearward margin of said cleaning implement when attached thereto, each of said forward margin of said sheet and said rearward margin of said sheet being substantially free of said protrusions across the entire width thereof, whereby said protrusions are disposed between forward margin and said rearward margin of said sheet.    
   
   
       2 . The disposable cleaning sheet of  claim 1  wherein said protrusions are affixed to said bottom surface of said substrate in one or more discrete zone(s) and said zone(s) of protrusions cover at least about 5% to about 100% of a surface of said substrate and said zone(s) comprises from about 1 to about 1000 protrusions per square cm; wherein the balance of said substrate is substantially free of protrusions; and wherein the distance between individual protrusions in said zone(s) is from about 0.2 to about 10 mm.  
   
   
       3 - 6 . (canceled)  
   
   
       7 . The disposable cleaning sheet of  claim 1  wherein said edges of said substrate comprise a pressure sensitive adhesive; wherein said pressure sensitive adhesive forms a temporary attachment between said substrate and said cleaning implement.  
   
   
       8 . The disposable cleaning sheet of  claim 1  wherein at least some of said protrusions have: 
 (a) a Total Height of from about 0.05 mm to about 80 mm;    (b) a Stem Width at ⅓ Height of from about 0.002 to about 5 mm; or    (c) a ratio of Vertical Hook Opening to Total Height of from about 1:20 to about 1:1.    
   
   
       9 . (canceled)  
   
   
       10 . The disposable cleaning sheet of  claim 8 , wherein said thermoplastic resin has adhesive properties at ambient temperature.  
   
   
       11 . The disposable cleaning sheet of  claim 1  wherein said polymeric additive is a pressure sensitive adhesive.  
   
   
       12 . (canceled)  
   
   
       13 . The disposable cleaning sheet of  claim 8  wherein said protrusions comprise at least two types of protrusions affixed to said substrate; wherein said types of protrusions differ in Total Height, Stem Width at ⅓ Height, ratio of Vertical Hook Opening to Total Height, Curl, or Tip Diameter.  
   
   
       14 . The disposable cleaning sheet of  claim 13  wherein said types of protrusions comprise primary protrusions and secondary protrusions; wherein a ratio of Total Height of said primary protrusions to Total Height of said secondary protrusions is from about 1:1 to about 10:1.  
   
   
       15 . The disposable sheet of  claim 14  wherein said primary protrusions are hook-shaped and are selected from the group consisting of: Prong-type hooks, Banana-type hooks, Y-type hooks and combinations thereof; and wherein said secondary protrusions are hook-shaped and are selected from the group consisting of: J-type hooks, Mushroom-type hooks, Banana-type hooks, Y-type hooks, Multi-tipped type hooks and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       16 . The disposable cleaning sheet of  claim 14  wherein said substrate comprises rows of said primary protrusions, alternating rows of said primary protrusions and said secondary protrusions, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       17 . The disposable cleaning sheet of  claim 14  wherein said primary protrusions and said secondary protrusions comprise thermoplastic resin; wherein said primary protrusions are comprised of a thermoplastic resin having a lower Young's modulus than said thermoplastic resin comprising said secondary protrusions.  
   
   
       18 . (canceled)  
   
   
       19 . The disposable cleaning sheet of  claim 8  wherein said protrusions have: a Slope of from about 40° to about 90°; a Tip Diameter of from about 0.01 to about 1.0 mm; a Curl of form about 1° to about 180°; a ratio of Stem Width at ⅔ Height to Stem Width at ⅓ Height of from about 1:2 to about 0.95:1; or a Length of from about 0.01 to about 10 mm.  
   
   
       20 . The disposable cleaning sheet of  claim 8  wherein said protrusions comprise at least two engagement ends; wherein said engagement ends point in at least two different directions.  
   
   
       21 - 22 . (canceled)  
   
   
       23 . The disposable cleaning sheet of claim  22  wherein regions of said platforms and regions of said protrusions form a geometric pattern, and wherein size of each platform is from about 0.25 to about 25 square cm.  
   
   
       24 - 27 . (canceled)  
   
   
       28 . The cleaning sheet of  claim 11  wherein said pressure sensitive adhesive has an adhesive characteristic selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) a Tack Value of from about 100 to about 500;    (b) a Cohesive/Adhesive Ratio of from about 0.2 to about 20;    (c) a Stringiness Value of from about 2.5 to about 12.0; and    (d) combinations thereof.    
   
   
       29 - 32 . (canceled)  
   
   
       33 . The disposable cleaning sheet of claim  32  wherein said substrate has a softening temperature no greater than 30° C. higher than a softening temperature of said thermoplastic resin of said protrusions.  
   
   
       34 - 48 . (canceled)  
   
   
       49 . A disposable cleaning sheet for removing debris from a surface, said cleaning sheet comprising: 
 (a) a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, a leading edge and a trailing edge;    at least one strip of material attached to said bottom surface of said substrate wherein said strip comprises a plurality of protrusions and    (c) a polymeric additive having adhesive properties at ambient temperature wherein said polymeric additive is applied to said substrate and/or said protrusions;    wherein said leading and trailing edges of said substrate are substantially free of protrusions such that said cleaning sheet is removably attachable to a cleaning implement, said cleaning implement having a forward margin and a rearward margin each having a width and being bounded by vertical edges said bottom of said sheet having a forward margin corresponding to said forward margin of said cleaning implement and a rearward margin corresponding to said rearward margin of said cleaning implement when attached thereto, each of said forward margin of said sheet and said rearward margin of said sheet being substantially free of said protrusions across the entire width thereof, whereby said protrusions are disposed between forward margin and said rearward margin of said sheet.    
   
   
       50 . (canceled)  
   
   
       51 . The disposable cleaning sheet of  claim 49  wherein said protrusions are hooks selected from the group consisting of J-type protrusion, Prong-type protrusion, Banana-type protrusion, Mushroom-type protrusion, Y-type protrusion, Multi-tipped protrusion and any combinations thereof.  
   
   
       52 - 56 . (canceled)  
   
   
       57 . The disposable cleaning sheet of  claim 51  wherein the engagement ends of the protrusions of two-consecutive rows are pointing towards opposite directions.  
   
   
       58 - 67 . (canceled)