Textile with Ribs on One Side, Smooth on the Other

Abstract

A stable finely knitted fabric is disclosed which includes a plurality of yarns including filaments of about 1.5 denier or less. The yarns are knitted into a fabric using a right-leaning top triangle (RTT) pattern. The fabric includes a face side having a plurality of parallel and elongated ridges and a back side having a smooth surface without elongated ridges. The fabric exhibits a wicking action from the smooth side to the ridged side of the fabric and excellent absorption. Further, the fabric may be used as a liquid applicator, when an absorbant liquid reservoir layer is added to the back side, as channels of air between the ridges increase liquid flow from the back side to the face side.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A knitted fabric comprising:
 a face side comprising a plurality of parallel and elongated ridges,   a back side comprising a surface without elongated ridges.   
     
     
         2 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein the fabric comprises a right-leaning top triangle (RTT) stitch. 
     
     
         3 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein the fabric comprises yarns spun from filaments made from a material selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein the filaments are about 1.5 denier or less. 
     
     
         5 . A mop head made from the fabric of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         6 . A cleaning cloth made from the fabric of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         7 . A knitted fabric comprising:
 a plurality of yarns spun from filaments of about 1.5 denier or less, the yarns being knitted into the fabric using a right-leaning top triangle (RTT) stitch, the fabric comprising   a first side comprising a plurality of parallel and elongated ridges,   a second side comprising a smooth surface without elongated ridges.   
     
     
         8 . The fabric of  claim 7  wherein the filaments are made from a material selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A mop pad made from the fabric of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         10 . A cleaning cloth made from the fabric of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         11 . A covered sponge comprising:
 a sponge, the sponge being enclosed within a knitted cover, the knitted cover being fabricated from a knitted fabric comprising   a first side comprising a plurality of parallel and elongated ridges,   a second side comprising a smooth surface without elongated ridges.   
     
     
         12 . The sponge of  claim 11  wherein the fabric of the cover comprises a right-leaning top triangle (RTT) stitch. 
     
     
         13 . The sponge of  claim 11  wherein the fabric of the cover comprises filaments made from a fabric selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The sponge of  claim 11  wherein the filaments of the cover are about 1.5 denier or less 
     
     
         15 . A mop head made from the covered sponge of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         16 . A method of making a knit fabric comprising:
 forming a plurality of yarns of dissimilar weights, wherein each yarn is formed by spinning filaments of 1.50 denier or less; and   forming the fabric by knitting the plurality of yarns of dissimilar weights in a right-leaning top triangle (RTT) stitch to have knitted ridges extending in a direction of the knitting and on at least one side of the fabric.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the forming of the plurality of yarns of dissimilar weights comprises spinning microfiber filaments of different weights. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the forming of the plurality of yarns of dissimilar weights comprises forming a plurality of yarns of dissimilar weights at least partially from bi-component filaments. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the forming of the plurality of yarns of dissimilar weights comprises forming a plurality of yarns of dissimilar weights from micro-denier filaments. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the knitting of the plurality of yarns of dissimilar weights to have knitted ridges further comprises knitting the yarns at imaginary intersection points of a grid such that a first yarn skips the grid and is knitted every other grid, a second yarn is knitted every grid, and a third yarn is knitted in rows along the grid to form the ridges on a front side of the fabric.