Patent Grant
7761950
This application claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-141298, filed on May 13, 2005, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water-disintegrable cleaning tool for removing dirt in a place where water is used such as a flush toilet, which can be disposed in water after use.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese patent application laid-open No. 62-186833 discloses the invention that relates to a disposable toilet cleaning brush for cleaning a flush toilet.
The toilet cleaning brush has a brush head formed of a paper made of short fibers as wood pulp and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a binder, wherein the paper has a plurality of cuts formed therein and is rolled to form the brush head. The toilet cleaning brush is attached to an end of a paper stick handle. After the toilet cleaning brush is used for wiping the toilet bowl, the toilet cleaning brush is disposed in a flush toilet together with the stick handle, and thereafter, both of which disintegrate in the water. Also disclosed there in is that a surface of the brush is subjected to wax treatment in order to adjust the time required for dissolving the paper.
The specification of the Japanese patent application laid-open No. 62-186833 describes that the time for cleaning the toilet bowl is so short that it requires only 10 to 20 seconds, and therefore the cleaning is completed before the paper constituting the toilet cleaning brush dissolves in the water.
However, being formed of the paper made of paper pulp bound with water-soluble CMC, the toilet cleaning brush starts swelling upon getting wet with water in cleaning the toilet bowl, and strength thereof becomes significantly reduced. Therefore, the dirt adhered to the toilet bowl is hardly wiped off. Also, due to the wax treatment which the brush is subjected to, the brush has a problem that a wax component thereof prevents disintegration of the paper, and therefore it requires a long time for the brush to disintegrate in the water in a water-purifier tank, etc.
In addition, being formed of a rolled paper having cuts formed therein, the toilet cleaning brush has a low rigidity which makes it difficult to rub the toilet bowl therewith and effectively remove the dirt adhered to the toilet bowl, etc.
The present invention is made in the light of the above-described problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a water-disintegrable cleaning tool capable of effectively wiping-off dirt and grime that adheres to a surface of a toilet bowl of a flush toilet, and the like.
Further, the object of the present invention is to provide the water-disintegrable cleaning tool having enough strength to rub a surface of the toilet bowl, etc, exhibiting an excellent dirt removing effect, while capable of being disintegrated in the water within a relatively short period after use.
An aspect of the present invention is a water-disintegrable cleaning tool, comprising a cleaning part formed of a plurality of cords each formed by twisting a strip of a water-disintegrable sheet; and a holding part which holds the cleaning part.
In the water-disintegrable cleaning tool of the present invention, the cords which are formed by twisting the strip of the water-disintegrable sheet are positioned in the cleaning part. The cords have high density and high rigidity with appropriate elasticity. Bundled cords have irregularities on the surface thereof providing a large surface area. Therefore, when the toilet bowl is rubbed by the cords, the dirt adhered to the surface of the toilet bowl and the like can be effectively removed, while maintaining the shape of the cleaning part. When the cleaning tool is disposed in water after use and given a great quantity of water, the twist of the cords is loosened to decrease the density thereof, and the cords are disintegrated in the water within a relatively short period.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the plurality of cords are fixed to one another in the holding part and positioned independently from one another in the cleaning part.
When the cords are positioned independently from one another in the cleaning part, the individual cord freely moves to slide on a surface to be cleaned such as in a toilet bowl, thus making it possible to clean corners in the toilet bowl.
Further, it is preferable that the holding part is releasably held by a holder.
By holding the holding part of the cleaning tool by the holder, the toilet bowl is wiped with the cleaning part. Thereafter, the cleaning tool is released from the holder and disposed in the flush toilet. Thus, the cleaning tool after use can be easily disposed without directly touching it. Since only the cleaning tool is disposed in the water and the holder is reused, the time required for disintegration in the water becomes shorter.
Further, it is preferable that each of the cords has its end positioned in the cleaning part. Alternatively, it is also preferable that each of the cords is bent to have its bent part positioned in the cleaning part
When the cleaning tool with the bent cords is used, the bent parts of the cords come into elastic contact with the part to be cleaned. Therefore, the feel of pressing the cleaning tool against the part being cleaned is improved, and the effect of removing the dirt is enhanced. Also, even when the bent part of the cords gets wet, the twist of the cords is hardly loosened. Therefore, the wet strength of the cords can be maintained for relatively a long time.
The water-disintegrable sheet forming the cords is made of fibers having a fiber length of 20 mm or less, which can be dispersed in water when a large quantity of water is present. For example, the water-disintegrable sheet can be a sheet which is formed of only pulp fibers joined by hydrogen bonding force or by using a water-soluble binder. According to the present invention, the water-disintegrable sheet is preferably a fiber entangled nonwoven fabric in which fibers having fiber lengths of 20 mm or less are entangled.
The fiber entangled nonwoven fabric has a high strength in wet condition and is hardly broken when rubbing the part to be cleaned by the cords. Also, the fiber entangled nonwoven fabric is constituted by fibers having fiber lengths of 20 mm or less, and therefore when a large quantity of water is given thereto, the fibers can be dispersed separately in a relatively short period of time.
Alternately, according to the present invention, the cords are formed of the fiber entangled nonwoven fabric wherein the fibers having fiber lengths of 20 mm or less are entangled, and a water-disintegrable paper comprising cellulose-based fibers.
When the cords are formed by twisting the fiber entangled nonwoven fabric and the water-disintegrable paper together, the cords can be firmly and strongly twisted due to the hydrogen bonding force of the fibers of the water-disintegrable paper, and further a twisted shape thereof can be maintained while dry. In addition, when water is given and the paper is loosened, the strength of the cords can be maintained by a fiber entanglement of the nonwoven fabric.
For example, the fiber entangled nonwoven fabric of the present invention is constituted by entanglable pulp fibers and other fibers having fiber lengths of 20 mm or less, and contains 10 mass % to 90 mass % of the pulp fibers, and 10 mass % to 90 mass % of the other fibers. As an example of the aforementioned other fibers, rayon fiber is given.
The fiber entangled nonwoven fabric is so constituted that mainly other fibers having fiber lengths of 20 mm or less are entangled, and a shape of the cords is maintained while dry by the hydrogen bonding force of the pulp fibers. Therefore, the strongly twisted shape of the cords can be maintained while dry due to the hydrogen bonding force of the pulp fibers, while the cord can exhibit a proper surface strength by an entangling force of other fibers when the fabric gets wet by water. Further, when a large quantity of water is given thereto, dispersion of the pulp fibers is caused, resulting in easy dispersion of the fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric. In order to increase strength while dry, the fabric preferably contains 10 mass % or more of the pulp fibers, and in order to exhibit the strength by the fiber entanglement in wet condition, the fabric preferably contains 10 mass % or more of other fibers.
Further, according to the present invention, the cleaning part may include, in addition to the water-disintegrable cords, a water-disintegrable sheet member (sheet-shaped water-disintegrable material) and/or a water-disintegrable block member (block-shaped water-disintegrable material).
When the water-disintegrable sheet member or block member is used in conjunction with the water-disintegrable cords, the strength of the cleaning part is increased by these sheet member or block member, thus making it passible to strongly rub the cleaning part against the toilet bowl and so forth.
The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
Embodiments of the present invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings, wherein like members are designated by like reference characters.
As shown in
A holder 10 shown in
A torsion spring (not shown) is provided in the pin 15. The lever 14 is biased to rotate by the torsion spring with the pin 15 as a fulcrum, in a direction in which the pressing part 13 approaches the storage part 12. A handle is provided on an upper part of the handle part 11, and an operating lever is provided in this handle. The operating wire 16 is a thick wire, whose upper end is connected to the operating lever. When the operating lever is lifted, the operating wire 16 is also lifted relative to the handle part 11, and the lever 14 is rotated counterclockwise about the pin 15, and the pressing part 13 is moved away from the storage part 12. When holding the cleaning tool 1 by the holder 10, the pressing part 13 and the storage part 12 are held in a state separated from each other by lifting the operating lever, the holding part 2 of the cleaning tool 1 is inserted between the storage part 12 and the pressing part 13, and the operating lever is released. Then, by the biasing force of the torsion spring, the lever 14 is rotated clockwise, and the holding part 2 of the cleaning tool 1 is held by the storage part 12 and the pressing part 13 therebetween. By rubbing the part to be cleaned of the toilet bowl and the like with the cleaning part 3 of the cleaning tool 1 held by the holder 10, the dirt adhered to the surface of the toilet bowl and the like can be removed. At this time, it is also possible to wipe-off the toilet bowl with the cleaning part 3 wetted by water in the toilet bowl. When a cleaning work is completed, by lifting the operating lever and removing a pressing force of the pressing part 13 against the cleaning tool 1, the cleaning tool 1 can be released to be disposed in the toilet bowl, without directly touching it.
As shown in
As shown in
The twist shape of the cord 4 is maintained by the hydrogen bonding force of the water-disintegrable paper, or the water-soluble binder can be added to the twisted water-disintegrable paper to thereby maintain the shape of the cords 4.
It is also possible to use the water-disintegrable sheet, wherein the pulp fibers are subjected to waterproof treatment to slightly lower hydrophilicity and are mutually joined by the water-soluble binder. The cords 4 formed of this water-disintegrable sheet can maintain the shape thereof even in wet condition during cleaning.
In order to maintain the strength of the twisted cords 4A when wet, the water-disintegrable sheet 8 is formed as a water-disintegrable fiber entangled nonwoven fabric. The fiber entangled nonwoven fabric can be formed by laminating entanglable fibers having fiber lengths of 20 mm or less on a conveyor of a mesh-like perforated screen, and entangling the fibers by water-jet processing.
For example, the fiber entangled nonwoven fabric is constituted by pulp fibers and fibers having fiber lengths of 20 mm or less, which can be entangled by the water-jet processing. When the nonwoven fabric is constituted by the pulp fibers and other fibers having fiber lengths of 20 mm or less, the aforementioned other fibers are entangled by the water-jet processing, and hydrogen bonding are formed between the pulp fibers and between the pulp fiber and the aforementioned other fibers. The fiber entangled nonwoven fabric thus formed is capable of maintaining the strength when dry and also maintaining the twisted shape by the hydrogen bonding of the pulp fibers. Also, the fiber entangled nonwoven fabric is capable of maintaining its high surface strength when wet by the entangling force of the aforementioned entanglable other fibers having fiber lengths of 20 mm or less. When disposed in the water and given a large quantity of water, the twist of the cord is loosened by disintegration of pulp fibers, having the entanglement of other fibers loosened. Therefore, the fibers are broken into pieces in relatively a short period.
As the other fibers having fiber lengths of 20 mm or less which can be entangled by the water-jet processing, it is preferable to use biodegradable fibers. It is also preferable to use a regenerated cellulose fiber such as viscose rayon, solvent spun rayon, polynosic rayon, cuprammonium rayon, and alginate rayon. As other fibers having fiber lengths of 20 mm or less which can be entangled by the water-jet processing, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon fiber, and polypropylene (PP) fiber can be used.
Also, in addition to the pulp fibers, or instead of the pulp fibers, natural fibers such as hemp and cotton, and other natural fibers such as bagasse, banana, pineapple, bamboo, and so forth may be used.
Further, the strength of the water-disintegrable sheet 8 may be increased by adding polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber as water-soluble resin, and water-soluble or water swellable carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a binder. Alternately, a fiber entangled nonwoven fabric which is made by a wet papermaking process and the water-jet processing thereafter of the fiber having fiber lengths of 20 mm or less and a fibrillated rayon made by beating rayon having fiber lengths of about 3 to 7 mm to have on the surface thereof a plurality of micro fibers having fiber lengths of 1 mm or less peeled off, can be used. In the nonwoven fabric, the fibers having fiber lengths of 20 mm or less are entangled, and the fibers are bound together by the hydrogen bonding force of the fibrillated rayon. Therefore, the strength thereof in a dry state and in a wet state is enhanced, and the strength when dry is particularly increased. This contributes to maintaining a tightly twisted shape of the cords 4.
Preferably, the fiber entangled nonwoven fabric of which the twisted cords 4A are formed, contains 10 mass % or more of natural fibers such as pulp fibers, and contains 10 mass % or more of other fibers having fiber lengths of 20 mm or less which can be entangled by water-jet processing like rayon fibers. By containing 10 mass % or more of natural fibers, the hydrogen bonding force can be increased to thereby enable tightly twisting the fabric for forming the twisted cord. Also, by containing 10 mass % or more of the other fibers, the strength at the time of getting wet can be enhanced.
The disintegrable sheet 8 made of the fiber entangled nonwoven fabric preferably has a fabric base weight of 30 g/m2 or more and 120 g/m2 or less, and preferably a thickness of a sheet of 0.1 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less.
Further, after forming the cords 4A by twisting the water-disintegrable sheet, the above-mentioned binder may be coated thereon to maintain the shape of the twisted cords 4A.
In
The twisted cords 4B shown in
When the water-disintegrable sheet 8 and the water-disintegrable paper 9 are stacked on each other and twisted together at the same time, since the water-disintegrable sheet 8 which is the fiber entangled nonwoven fabric has greater strength, a tight twist of the cord 4B can be obtained. The shape of the twisted cord 4B can be maintained at the time of drying by the hydrogen bonding force of the fibers constituting the water-disintegrable paper 9. Therefore, the twisted cords 4B can have high density and the shape thereof can be maintained. In the case the cords 4 of the cleaning tool 1 are formed of the twisted cords 4B having high density as shown in
When the water-disintegrable sheet 8 and the water-disintegrable paper 9 are stacked on each other and twisted together at the same time, a plurality of irregularities are formed on the surface of the twisted cords 4B, thus increasing the effect of removing the dirt. In addition, the twisted cords 4B may be constituted by using at least one of the plural sheets of the water-disintegrable sheet 8 and water-disintegrable paper 9.
In the twisted cords 4B shown in
When the twisted cords 4B of
The cords 4C shown in
The number of twists of the twisted cords 4A, 4B, and 4C is preferably 4 to 30 times per unit length of 250 mm of the twisted cords. When the number of twists is fewer than the aforementioned number, the density of the cords is decreased, and the cords become easy to break and cannot withstand a frictional force during wiping work. Meanwhile, when the number of twists is beyond the aforementioned number, an excess load is applied to a sheet during the twisting process, posing a possibility of breakage of the cord. The thickness of the twisted cords 4A, 4B, and 4C is preferably 1 to 10 mm. This range gives a tactile feel when wiping is performed with the cords 4, while eliminating the possibility of piping clogging when the cleaning tool is disposed in the flush toilet or the like.
The cords 4 constituting the cleaning tool 1 shown in
The holding part 2 of the cleaning tool 1 is held by the storage part 12 and the pressing part 13 of the holder 10 shown in
Further, the cords 4 in the cleaning part 3 may be mutually bonded by the water-soluble adhesive or the hydrogen bonding force. In this case, when wiping the toilet bowl, etc, with the cleaning part 3, and moisture is given to the cleaning part 3, the cords 4 therein becomes independently separated from each other, and the wiping is performed by the separated individual cords 4.
In the case where the fixing force of the cords 4 in the holding part 2 is set low, the time required for the cords 4 in the holding part 2 to be separated from each other becomes shorter than the time required for disintegrating the cords 4 themselves. When the cleaning tool 1 is disposed in the flush toilet and the like, and a large quantity of water is given thereto, a bonding force of the cords 4 in the holding part 2 first disappears, whereby the cords 4 are quickly separated from one another. This makes it possible to disintegrate the individual cord 4 thereafter in the water in a short period.
The water disintegration time of the individual cord 4 is preferably 700 seconds or less, or further preferably 600 seconds or less, or still further preferably 300 seconds or less, per one cord 4 of a length of 100 mm when the time is measured pursuant to JIS P4501 (toilet paper releasability test). The measurement was performed as follows. 300 milliliter of ion exchange water having water temperature of 20±5° C. was put in a beaker having a volume of 300 milliliter, and the cords 4 were put in the ion exchange water, then, a stirrer was rotated at a revolution number of 600 rpm in the water to stir the cords together with the ion exchange water. The measurement is performed from the time when the cords 4 were put in the ion exchange water till the time when the shape of the cords disappear with no sheet-like shape left and the fibers of the cords are dispersed into the water.
Next, a method of using the cleaning tool 1 will be explained.
The holding part 2 of the cleaning tool 1 shown in
After cleaning the toilet bowl, when the pressing part 13 is released from the storage part 12, the cleaning tool 1 drops into the water of the flush toilet and can be flushed with cleaning water. Since the fixing force of the holding part 2 disappears in the water and the cords 4 are separated into individual cords 4, the cords 4 can be flushed without causing the piping to be clogged. Then, the cords 4 are disintegrated in the piping or water-purifier tank into separated fibers.
In this cleaning tool 21, the cords 4 of predetermined lengths are bundled, and the water-disintegrable holding material 5 is wound therearound over the whole lengths of the bundle, with the inner side thereof bonded to the plurality of cords 4 by the water-soluble adhesive. Either end part 21a or end part 21b of the cleaning tool 21 can be used as the holding part, and the rest of the end parts can be used as the cleaning part. Namely, in the cleaning tool 21, either of the end part 21a or end part 21b can be held between the storage part 12 and the pressing part 13 of the holder 10. According to this embodiment of the present invention, the holding part and the cleaning part may be indistinguishable in structure from each other.
In the cleaning tool 21, the individual cord 4 may not be mutually bonded. By having the holding material 5 wound around the bundle of the cords, the shape of the cleaning tool 21 shown in
In the cleaning tool 21 shown in
In a cleaning tool 31 of a third embodiment shown in
In this cleaning tool 31, the bent parts 4b of the cords 4 are positioned in the cleaning part 33. Since both of the end parts of the bent cords 4 are bundled in the holding part 32 and no cut end face 4a thereof is exposed in the cleaning part 33, the twist of the each cord 4 is hardly loosened and the rigidity thereof can be maintained relatively longer, even when water is adhered to the tip part of the cleaning part 33 and the bent parts 4b get wet. Therefore, the dirt adhered to the surface of the part to be cleaned can be easily removed by rubbing the bent parts 4b against the part to be cleaned.
In a water-disintegrable cleaning tool 41 of a fourth embodiment shown in
In the holder for holding the cleaning tool 41, differently from the case of the holder shown in
In the cleaning tool 41, the loop parts 4c of the cords 4 are positioned in the cleaning part 43. Since both of the end parts of the looped cords 4 are bonded to each other in the holding part 42 and no cut end face 4a thereof is exposed in the cleaning part 43, the twist of the each cord 4 is hardly loosened and the rigidity thereof can be maintained relatively longer, even when water is adhered to the tip part of the cleaning part 43 and the loop parts 4c get wet. Further, when the loop parts 4c are made to slide on the surface of the part to be cleaned in X direction which is an arrangement direction of the loop parts 4c, the individual loop parts 4c rubs the surface of the part to be cleaned independently, thereby effectively removing the dirt adhered to the surface.
In the embodiments shown in
The water-disintegrable sheet member 6 is a sheet-shaped water-disintegrable material called a sheet pulp, which is formed by stacking layers of pulp fibers and pressing the layers into a sheet shape. The sheet pulp maintains the sheet shape thereof by the hydrogen bonding of the pulp fibers. Alternately, the pulp fibers may be bonded by the water-soluble adhesive such as PVA. The fabric base weight of the sheet pulp is about 500 to 1000 g/m2, which is sufficiently large compared with the water-disintegrable paper 9 of
Disposed in the flush toilet after use, the sheet pulp is disintegrated into pulp fibers in relatively a short period.
In a water-disintegrable cleaning tool 51 of a fifth embodiment shown in
When the cleaning tool 51 is used, the tip part of the cleaning part 53 is pressed against a surface of the part to be cleaned and slid thereon. At this time, the surface is rubbed by the distal end side of the sheet member 6, while the individual cords 4 can spread over a wide area of the surface and reach corners of the toilet bowl, etc. The bent parts 4b of the cords 4 shown in
A water-disintegrable cleaning tool 61 of a sixth embodiment is provided, as shown in
When the cleaning part 63 of the cleaning tool 61 is made to slide on the surface of the part to be cleaned in Y direction shown in
A water-disintegrable cleaning tool 71 of a seventh embodiment shown in
The cleaning tool 71 thus formed can also perform the above-mentioned wiping-off operation, using the cords 4 and the water-disintegrable sheet members 6 of sheet pulps. In addition, the cords 4 on outer sides of the sheet members 6 may have the bent parts 4b shown in
In the embodiments shown in
The water-disintegrable block member 7 is a solid block-shaped water-disintegrable material which is formed of biodegradable fibers dispersible into water such as pulp fibers. A method of manufacturing the block member 7 includes the steps of: dispersing the pulp fibers into water; pouring the water containing the dispersed pulp fibers into a mold in a concave-shape such as a cylindrical shape and the like, having a perforated dewatering screen on a bottom thereof; and dewatering, heating and drying the pulp fibers. Another method of manufacturing the block member 7 includes steps of: pouring the pulp fibers in the aforementioned mold or other shaped press mold; pressing by a press machine after dewatering or during dewatering; and drying the pressed pulp fibers. Still another method of manufacturing the block member 7 includes steps of: discharging a sludge-like raw material obtained by mixing pulp fibers, a thickening agent, and the water-soluble adhesive from a screw extruder; and dewatering, heating and drying the product discharged from the screw extruder.
The water-disintegrable block member 7 is formed in such a way that the pulp fibers or the other fibers are bound by the hydrogen bonding in an aggregated state, or the fibers are bonded by the water-soluble adhesive.
In a cleaning tool 81 of an eighth embodiment shown in
A cleaning tool 91 of a ninth embodiment shown in
In the cleaning tool 81 shown in
A cleaning tool 101 of a tenth embodiment shown in
In the cleaning tool 101, the block member 7 serves as a core member to support the cords 4, when the loop parts 4c of the cords 4 are pressed against the part to be cleaned and slid thereon for cleaning. Therefore, it becomes possible to firmly press the loop parts 4c of the cords 4 against the part to be cleaned, thereby effectively removing the dirt.
Several kinds of the cords 4 of the aforementioned embodiments were tested, and strength and water disintegration time thereof were measured.
As shown in
The water-disintegrable sheets of the examples 1 to 6 were all manufactured by a wet papermaking process. The water-disintegrable sheets of the examples 1 to 5 were subjected to a water-jet processing thereafter to be the fiber entangled nonwoven fabric. In the example 6, the water-disintegrable paper to which the water-jet processing was not applied was used.
In the water-jet processing, a jet water stream was applied to a layer of fiber web of each example 1 to 5 formed on a plastic wire screen by papermaking, using a high-pressure water-jet machine, without applying a drying treatment to the webs. The high pressure water-jet machine has 2000 nozzles arranged at a pitch of 0.5 mm in a direction perpendicular to a direction of web travel. Each of the nozzles has an opening diameter of 95 μm. A water-jet processing energy of 0.24682 kW/m2 per unit area was given to the fiber web being transferred at a speed of 30 m/min by the high-pressure water-jet machine. Further, the web was subjected to a second water-jet processing under the same condition, and thereafter dried by a Yankee drying drum. Note that in the example 6, the web was dried by the Yankee drying drum without the water jet processing being applied.
The thickness and fiber density of the water-disintegrable sheet thus obtained are shown in the column of “values of physical properties of water-disintegrable sheet” and the columns of “thickness” and “density” in the table of
The water-disintegrable sheets of the examples 1 to 6 were cut into samples having a length in the direction of web travel through manufacturing (MD) of 150 mm and a width in the direction (CD) perpendicular to the direction of web travel of 25 mm, and a dry strength and a wet strength thereof were measured. This measurement was performed in such a way that each sample was held between chucks of the tensile test device 100 mm apart in a longitudinal direction of the sample, and a tensile test was performed by moving the chucks apart from each other at a speed of 100 mm/min. A maximum load at which the sample of the sheet breaks was set to a breaking strength (N/25 mm) of the tested sheet.
The dry strength is a result of the tensile test performed on each sample in a dry condition. The wet strength is a result of the tensile test performed on each sample after being immersed in the ion exchange water for 10 seconds. This test was performed under an environment of a room temperature of 25° C. and a relative humidity of 65%. In the table of
Next, each water-disintegrable sheet of the examples 1 to 4 was cut into a strip shape having the width in CD of 50 mm, and twisted in one direction as shown in
Note that the tensile test was performed for obtaining the wet strength of each sample. The sample was immersed in the ion exchange water for 10 seconds before the test, while being held between chucks to avoid loosening the twist of the cord. The test results are shown in the column of “values of physical properties after twisting” and the columns of “dry strength” and “wet strength”.
A water-disintegrability was measured by the same measurement method as described in the explanations of the embodiments. Each water-disintegrable sheet of the examples 1 to 6 was cut into a size of 100 mm×100 mm, and the sheet thus cut was used to measure the water disintegration time. Each cord of examples 1 to 4 was cut into the length of 100 mm, and the cord thus cut was also used to measure the water disintegration time. The measurement results are shown in the row of “disintegrable property” of the table of
The water-disintegrable sheets of the examples 2 to 4 of
The water-disintegrable sheets of examples A to F of
Further, each of the water-disintegrable sheets of the examples A to F was twisted to form a twisted cord as shown in
It is preferable as shown in
The preferred embodiments described herein are illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention may be practiced or embodied in other ways without departing from the spirit or essential character thereof. The scope of the invention being indicated by the claims, and all variations which come within the meaning of claims are intended to be embraced herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-141298 | May 2005 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 713827 | Winn | Nov 1902 | A |
| 1047703 | Rapson | Dec 1912 | A |
| 1683538 | Francois, Sr. | Sep 1928 | A |
| 2572178 | Monroe et al. | Oct 1951 | A |
| 3222705 | Peterka | Dec 1965 | A |
| 4995133 | Newell | Feb 1991 | A |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 601621976 | May 1976 | JP |
| 62-186833 | Aug 1987 | JP |
| 914701989 | Jun 1989 | JP |
| 9-276194 | Oct 1997 | JP |
| 2000-254060 | Sep 2000 | JP |
| 3103299 | Aug 2004 | JP |
| 3105217 | Oct 2004 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20060254013 A1 | Nov 2006 | US |
