CA1302026C - Cut-fibre brush for cleaning woven textiles - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract A cut-fibre brush to clean woven textiles, this consisting of a carrier that is fitted with a covering of synthetic cut-fibre material, for example, of nylon velour, the covering of cut-fibre materialis being divided in a direction that is perpendicular to the (normal and customary) working direction, and the sections of cut-fibre material (2, 3) being attached to the carrier (1) so that the orientation of the cut fibres in the sections is opposite to each other. Between the sections (2, 3 of covering there is an area that is not covered with cut-fibre material, in which there is a recessed, trough-like insert that serves as a collector for the dirt and lint removed from the textile.

Description

The presen~ invention relakes to a cut-fibre brush for cleaning woven textiles, this brush comprising a carrier that is provided with a synthetic cut-fibre coverinq of, for example, nylon velour.
ut-fibre brushes of the type described above have proved themselves to the extent tha~ they display an outstanding cleaning action when they are moved against the direction of the nap because of the one-sided orienta~ion of the fibres, for the particles of lint or dust are not brushed off and into the atmosphere, but are picked up by the cut-pile brush. This effect is only achieved when ~he brush moves in the proper directlon, i.e., ayainst the direction of the cut fibres, so that after each stroke the brush has to be raised and returned, which means that, in particular for the left-handed user, it is necessary to work in a direction th~t is opposed to their naturally preferred direction. In addition, the particles of dirt, etc., that are picked up collect into large clumps so that, after a very short while~ there is a resoiling of ~he fabric being cleaned because the cut-pile brush becomes overloaded, i.e., the particles that have been brushed off the fabric are redeposited on it. This ~eans that the brush has to be cleaned fre~uently when it is used, and this can be difficult because o~ the great retentive properties of the cut-fibre covering.
It is the task of the present invention to create a cut-fibre brush of the type described above, with the help of which it is possible to clean a woven textile regardless of the direction in which the brush is moved.

~zo~æ

The invention provides a brush comprising: a support head; a collection zone loca~ed on said sup~ort head and positioned perpendicularly to a working direction of said head;
and a syntheti~ fiber pile covering including a fir~t area of unidirectional fibers and a second area of unidirectional fibers, said first area and said second area attached to saicl suppor~ head on opposi~e sides of said collectlon zone, wherein each said area is oriented with said uniclirectional fibers thereof clirected ~oward said collection zone.
Because of the division and arrangement of the areas or sections with opposing orientation of the unidirec:tional flbres, l.e. of the nap, it is possible to clean textile fabrics reyardless of direction, and the brush can be used w:lthout interruption by both left-handed and right-handed users with equally good results. During the back and forth brushing movements, when the movement is ayainst the orientation of the fibres of one area, dust and lint particles are removed from the textile and then, when the brushing movemellt is reversed the~ are moved inwards and transported into the collection zone in the central area, to be removed from there when concentrated and collected.
Preferably within the collection zone that is not ~30æ~

covered with the cut-fibre material there is a trough~like, recessed insert, for instance of plastic, that acts as a coll~ctor for the lint that has been brushed off the textile.
In this way, what is achieved is close tc) a self-cleaning effect in that the particles of dirt are always removed duriny movement against the direction of the cut fibres and when th~
brush is moved in the direction of said cut fibres these particles are moved to the middle of the brush until they collected in the uncovered zone that is loeated between the sections, from which they can be picked out with the fingers.
The incorporation of a recessed trough increases the volume of the collector area so that the dirt need be removed only after longer intervals of time.
The present invention is described in greater detail below on the basis of the drawings appended hereto, which show the following:
Figure 1: The brush in plan view Figure 2: A cross-section on the line A-A in figure 1.
The cut-fibre brush shown in the drawings, and which is used to clean woven textile, consists of a carrier 1 that is covered with a synthetie eut-fibre eovering, of nylon velour, for example, which has the cut fibres oriented in one direetion, with, according to the present invention, the cut-fibre eovering being divided in a direetion that is perpendieular to the (normal and customary) wor~ing direction, and the covering sections 2 and 3 being installed on the carrier 1 such that their fibres are oriented inwards, opposite each other. In the case of the embodiment shown, between the covering sections 2, 3 there is an area that is not covered with the cut-fibre covering, in which in this example there is also a trough-like, recessed insert 4, e.g., of plastic that acts as a collector for the lint that is brushed off the textile.
In ordar to clean a textile the brush is moved back and forth over the fabric in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to its longitudinal extent when, because of the orientation of the cut-fibres inwards and towards each other, particles of dirt are picked up by the covering sections 2 and 3 in hoth directions, and when the brush is moved in the opposite direction these are moved in the opposite direction towards the centre of the brush until they collect in the middle area in the trough 4. From time to time the collected dirt particles can be removed very simply with the fingers. The danger of resoiling of the textile that is to be cleaned is to a very great extent eliminated.

Claims (4)

1. A brush comprising:
a support head:
a collection zone located on said support head and positioned perpendicularly to a working direction of said head;
and a synthetic fiber pile covering including a first area of unidirectional fibers and a second area of unidirectional fibers, said first area and said second area attached to said support head on opposite sides of said collection zone, wherein each said area is oriented with said unidirectional fibers thereof directed toward said collection zone.

2. A brush according to claim 1 wherein said fiber pile is made of nylon velour.

3. A brush according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising a shallow channel shaped member disposed in said collection zone.

4. A brush according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said collection zone is configured as a shallow, recessed longitudinal channel in said support head extending substantially the length of said synthetic fiber pile.