EP0696432A1 - Porous scouring pad, cleaning unit, and their preparation process - Google Patents

Abstract

The block (1) is made of a porous heat shaped cellular material or from textile. It has on one (1') of its parallel working faces (1',1") a relief pattern (3) which occupies only a part of the surface, between 60% and 90%. The relief pattern, without a sharp edge at its top, has a porous structure charged with a scouring composition. The surface not occupied by the relief pattern forms a zone (4) with a compacted structure without pores and charged with the scouring composition. The scouring block is prepared by first preparing a scouring composition with a bonding base which is then induced into one face of the block. The block surface is then coated to fix the scouring composition. The coated face is then heat shaped to generate the relief pattern.

Description

• un corps monobloc de récurage, en un matériau poreux;
• un combiné de récurage, incorporant dans sa structure un tel corps;
• les procédés pour la préparation desdits corps et combiné.

The subject of the present invention is:

• a one-piece scouring body made of a porous material;
• a scouring combination, incorporating such a body into its structure;
• the processes for the preparation of said bodies and combined.

The body of the invention is based on a porous material such as synthetic foam, cellulose product (sponge, terry cloth) or textile, woven or nonwoven. It has at least one profiled work surface. It is particularly useful for cleaning and / or scouring operations.

There have been described, according to the prior art, and in particular in application FR-A-2 302 711 and its addition certificate FR-A-2 340 711 as well as in application FR-A-2 347 913 of the bodies of shaped foam and sponges. Said foam bodies and sponges have projections with sharp edges on one of their faces. At the level of said projections, at their apex or even over their entire height and at their base, one can find material with a polishing action or abrasive material. The sculpture of the surface, to obtain said projections, by the described methods of cutting or thermoforming (methods which remove material and weaken said surface), is carried out on the "virgin" substrate, not coated with the coating containing the material with polishing action or abrasive material. It retains at said surface, both at the projections, and at the grooves between the projections, a certain porosity. It will be emphasized here that, insofar as sharp-edged projections must be obtained, the thermoforming implemented - on the virgin substrate - must be obtained under very specific conditions. It is advisable to operate at high temperatures to melt and volatilize the material, without any real compression of it. Such compression would inexorably imply the destruction of sharp edges, the appearance, in place of sharp-edged projections, of "rounded" patterns.

On the bodies, made of porous material, according to the present invention, there are such "rounded" patterns. They are generated by thermoforming or embossing, during which the virgin or non-virgin substrate is actually compressed. This is explained in detail later in the present description.

It has also, according to the prior art, profiled nonwovens by thermoforming to develop, in particular leather substitutes (FR-A-2 250 846) or shock absorbing materials (US-A-3 977 928). To date, we have not, to the knowledge of the Applicant, used this technique for the development of scouring tools.

• ledit motif en relief présente une structure poreuse, chargée au moins superficiellement en une composition récurante et ne présente pas d'arêtes vives en son sommet ;
• la surface de ladite face (face qui porte le motif en relief), non occupée par ledit motif en relief, présente une structure densifiée sensiblement exempte de pores et chargée au moins superficiellement en ladite composition récurante. Cette surface définit au moins une zone.

According to its first object, the invention relates to a one-piece scouring body, made of a porous thermoformable material of the cellular or textile material type, woven or nonwoven. Said body has on at least one of its so-called working faces at least one relief pattern which occupies only part of the surface of said face. Characteristically:

• said relief pattern has a porous structure, loaded at least surface with a scouring composition and has no sharp edges at its top;
• the surface of said face (face which carries the relief pattern), not occupied by said relief pattern, has a densified structure substantially free of pores and loaded at least superficially with said scouring composition. This surface defines at least one zone.

The body of the invention is in one piece. It has at least one profiled work surface. This does not consist of an added surface. It was generated by thermoforming said body. This is explained further in this text.

The base substrate of the body of the invention can consist of any type of porous material, which has a certain flexibility. This flexibility is required by the use of said body. Used in itself or in a handset, it is called to be deformed to ensure its scouring function, especially in corners, in places difficult to access, for example in kitchen utensils when the dishes ...

Said substrate must however, and this will be easily understood by a person skilled in the art, be thermoformable. The base material (s) constituting or mixing said material (s) with a binder type product must be able to be thermoformed in order to obtain a profiled working surface (s) .

Said base substrate may in particular consist of a cellular material or of a textile, woven or nonwoven.

According to a first variant of the invention, it consists of a cellular material. In the context of this variant, it may in particular consist of a block of synthetic foam. Any type of synthetic foam, flexible and thermoformable, is suitable. Synthetic foams which are perfectly suitable are, for example, based on polyester-urethanes. Other foams, little or not thermoformable - for example, polyether-urethane foams - may also be suitable insofar as they are made thermoformable by impregnation with a binder. It can also consist of a block of cellulose alveolar. It is advantageously an artificial sponge. We do not exclude the intervention of a natural sponge but we know that such sponges are a priori reserved for other applications. Said base substrate therefore advantageously consists of a sponge or a sponge cloth, as obtained by the viscose process (thermoformable in the presence of moisture).

According to a second variant of the invention, said base substrate consists of a textile, woven or nonwoven. All types of textiles, flexible and thermoformable, are suitable. Suitable textiles are in particular based on synthetic, artificial or natural fibers or based on mixtures of said fibers. Preferably, the base substrate of the scouring body according to the invention consists of (or mainly contains) synthetic thermoplastic fibers (therefore thermoformable), particularly flexible as soon as their titer is less than 100 dtex. It can also be made up of natural cellulosic fibers like cotton and / or artificial fibers like viscose. Such cellulose fibers are thermoformable in the presence of moisture ...

It will be noted, in general, that textiles, woven or nonwoven, are very often glued, coated or impregnated with a material whose function is to be a binder of the fibers constituting them. The intervention of such a binder can perfectly make thermoformable a textile based on threads (or fibers) which, themselves, are not.

The body of the invention shows on at least one of its faces patterns (s) and area (s) having the characteristics set out above. These characteristics are detailed below. They derive directly from the process used to generate on the surface of said body the said pattern (s).
. The relief motif (s) have a porous structure loaded with a scouring composition and no sharp edge at its apex. It is a "rounded" pattern (s) which has (have) retained a porous structure and is (are) coated, at least superficially with a scouring composition. Said coating may have been applied to a variable depth. We can therefore just as well find said scouring composition on the upper part of the motif (s) only, as in all its (their) mass. It is already indicated here that this coating of the body with said composition is implemented, according to the invention, after or before the generation of the pattern (s) in relief, by thermoforming.

As regards the composition of this scouring composition, it is in itself nothing original. Said composition is based on a binder - resins or glues two-component, such as certain polyurethane adhesives; one-component resins or glues; latex ... - likely, under certain conditions (under the effect of heat, under UV, IR radiation, ...) to crosslink, in particular to solidify with the base substrate. For crosslinking, under the effect of heat, there is advantageously a catalyst. According to the invention, said crosslinking is carried out, with the binder loaded or not, coated on at least one face of the porous body. This secures the loads to said honeycomb body. Obviously, care should be taken to involve a binder of such a nature and in such quantities that it fixes itself and possibly the charges which it contains, without appreciably altering the mechanical properties (elasticity, resistance) of said porous body.

As will have already been understood, said binder can intervene charged or not. The hardnesses, forms and quantity of the dry binder and of the charges which it possibly contains, intervening, make it possible to adjust the desired scouring force.

Regarding the nature of the charges likely to occur, it is not, in itself, original. Any type of fillers, usually used in the field of scouring is suitable. Inorganic (mineral) fillers such as alumina, silica, calcite particles are advantageously used, when a strong scouring power, or even an abrasive power, is sought. we are looking for a non-abrasive scouring power, synthetic (organic) fillers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyurethane (PU) particles ...

The pattern (s) in relief, of the porous bodies according to the invention, does not have any sharp edges at its top. It (they) can (can) present, at its (their) base, sharp angles.

According to the invention, said pattern (s) are generated by real compression of the porous material, loaded or not. This is explained in detail below. It is thus possible to reinforce the resistance to rupture and tearing of the porous body. It is emphasized here that this result is not obtained with the methods of the prior art, as described in documents FR-A-2 302 711, FR-A-2 340 711 and FR-A-2 347,913; processes according to which patterns with sharp edges are generated by removing material (elimination of this by cutting or volatilization).

According to a preferred variant of the first object of the invention, the body, made of a porous material, has two so-called working faces, substantially parallel to each other and only one of said two faces is profiled within the meaning of the invention. The relief motif (s) thus exist (s) on only one of the two faces of a terry cloth or of a textile or on only one of the two faces of larger area of a block of foam or a sponge which has a substantially parallelepiped shape.

Generally, the embossed motif (s), which have the characteristics developed above, occupy from 30 to 95%, advantageously from 60 to 90% of the face on which it (s) is (are). It (s) intervene (s) advantageously on a substantial percentage of said working face insofar as it (s) contains (s) the active material: the scouring composition. It is excluded, by the structure of the porous body stated in the preamble, that it (s) completely cover (s) said surface. In fact, it is particularly advantageous for the zones which separate a plurality of patterns to represent a non-negligible percentage of said surface. Thanks to said zones, the efficiency of the porous body is improved: the water and loose dirt are more easily removed, by better circulation of said water.

Furthermore, there are advantageously said patterns, separated from each other by zones, regularly distributed over the working face on which they are located; this for reasons of efficiency of the finished product, simplicity of development thereof ... and also for reasons of aesthetics.

As regards the shape of said pattern (s), it can be almost arbitrary. It is obviously linked to that of the recesses of the thermoforming tool. The so-called "rounded" motif (s) can thus have a circular, square, rectangular, triangular, diamond, star base ...

With regard to its (their) dimensions, it will easily be understood that there are much less constraints for the dimensions of the base than for the height. The higher the pattern, the more fragile it is. It should be kept securely anchored. It is generally accepted that said height (H) must respect, relative to the smallest dimension of the base (L) (L = diameter for a circle, width for a rectangle ...) the formula below: $$\text{<figure-callout id="2" label="H ≦ L" filenames="imgf0001.png" state="{{state}}">H ≦ </figure-callout>}\frac{\text{L}}{}\frac{}{\text{2}}$$

• un motif en relief monobloc, "apparemment" posé sur une surface quasi lisse (sensiblement exempte de pores) ;
     ou
• une pluralité de motifs en relief, séparés les uns des autres par des zones présentant une surface quasi lisse (sensiblement exempte de pores). Lesdits motifs peuvent s'étendre longitudinalement sur toute ladite face de travail et constituer ainsi des espèces de nervures, monoblocs, de grande longueur. Selon une autre variante, lesdits motifs existent, en plus grand nombre, détachés les uns des autres, entourés de zones quasi exempte de pores, sur tout leur pourtour.

   . De façon caractéristique, la(les) zone(s), non occupée(s) par le(s) motif(s) en relief, présente(nt) en effet une structure densifiée quasi exempte de pores. Sa(Leur) surface, généralement plane, est, à l'issue du thermoformage, quasi lisse. Ladite surface n'est plus poreuse : les pores de celle-ci ont été sensiblement bouchés lors du thermoformage. Au cours dudit thermoformage selon l'invention, il n'y a pas suppression de matière mais au niveau de la(des)dite(s) zone(s) fusion et compression conjointe de celle-ci; ce qui assure, au moins en surface, un réel feutrage et une réelle densification de la matière poreuse. Ce feutrage, cette densification de la matière poreuse n'est pas sans incidence sur les performances du corps de récurage selon l'invention.As the reader will have understood from reading the above remarks, one can find on at least one of the working faces of a body of the invention:

• a one-piece relief pattern, "apparently" placed on an almost smooth surface (substantially free of pores);
  or
• a plurality of raised patterns, separated from each other by zones having an almost smooth surface (substantially free of pores). Said patterns can extend longitudinally over all of said working face and thus constitute species of ribs, monoblocks, of great length. According to another variant, said patterns exist in greater number, detached from each other, surrounded by zones almost free of pores, over their entire periphery.

. Characteristically, the area (s), not occupied by the raised motif (s), indeed have a densified structure almost free of pores. Its (Their) surface, generally flat, is, after thermoforming, almost smooth. Said surface is no longer porous: the pores thereof have been substantially blocked during thermoforming. During said thermoforming according to the invention, there is no removal of material but at the level of said zone (s) of fusion and joint compression thereof; which ensures, at least on the surface, a real felting and a real densification of the porous material. This felting, this densification of the porous material is not without impact on the performance of the scouring body according to the invention.

The areas between the relief patterns, which are thus perfectly marked and which no longer have a porous structure, are particularly effective for, during use of the scouring body, the evacuation of water (or of all other liquid) between the patterns and that of the dirt with which said water is possibly charged. Said dirt is not retained in the porosity of said areas, insofar as this no longer exists (felting). No more clogging phenomenon is observed.

The evacuation of the water, possibly charged, is made all the more easily as said zones, between the relief patterns, are continuous and open out at the edges of the profiled face of the body of the invention. This is a preferred variant of the invention.

In the context of this variant, it is advantageous to observe, on the said face (s) having the patterns in relief, zones between said patterns, in several directions. Said areas intersect and open on all the edges of the said face (s). They thus surround, around its entire periphery, each of the relief patterns.

One can thus observe, on the thermoformed face, a perfect grid. We can in the same way, have generated between the patterns sinuous zones ...

It will be recalled incidentally here that the pattern (s) in relief is (are) on at least one of the working faces of the porous body. You can actually find them on several faces. It is entirely within the scope of the present invention of blocks of foam or sponge, rectangular parallelepipeds for example, thermoformed on their six faces, on two opposite faces, on one side ...

The bodies of the invention, as described above, constitute in themselves, household tools, in particular scouring pads, very efficient.

According to a variant of the invention, said bodies are profiled (by thermoforming) on only one of their faces and laminated on a support by their face opposite to said profiled face. The assembly thus formed - porous thermoformed body + support - constitutes a scrubbing combination. Such handsets constitute the second object of the present invention. It is not excluded that within the structure of the handsets of the invention, a porous body profiled on several faces intervenes ... it intervenes several profiled porous bodies ...

Said handsets advantageously comprise a body of the invention laminated on a support, in a cellular material such as synthetic foam or cellulosic product.

Particularly preferred, according to the invention, the combinations consisting of a sponge, obtained by the viscose process, on one face of which a profiled body according to the invention has been laminated, in a synthetic foam or in a woven or nonwoven fabric (said body is secured to said sponge by its face opposite to its profiled face).

The products of the invention - porous bodies in themselves and combined incorporating them into their structure - are particularly effective. Their performance results from the intrinsic characteristics of said porous bodies, characteristics inherent in thermoforming their surface coated with the scouring composition.

• améliore notamment l'élasticité, la souplesse du corps poreux;
• améliore sa résistance à la rupture et sa résistance à la déchirure. Dans le cas des nontissés, on observe également une amélioration de la résistance à l'usure par diminution du phénomène de boulochage des fibres (on explique ci-après ledit phénomène: à l'utilisation, par frottement du corps sur la surface à nettoyer, les fibres se cassent et roulent sur elles-mêmes, en générant de petites boules ...);
  (on notera ici que l'augmentation conjointe de ces deux propriétés - la solidité et la souplesse - est quelque peu inattendue).
• améliore ses performances à l'usage (évacuation facilitée de l'eau entre les motifs en relief; pas de colmatage, par des saletés, entre lesdits motifs),
• n'altére pas les caractéristiques du récurant (pouvoir décrassant, durabilité) voire les améliore. On a notamment observé avec des textiles de l'invention chargés en une composition abrasive l'amélioration de sa durabilité.

It is specified here that generally thermoforming, by generating the pattern (s) in relief and zone (s) as described above:

• improves in particular the elasticity, the flexibility of the porous body;
• improves its breaking strength and tear resistance. In the case of nonwovens, there is also an improvement in the resistance to wear by reduction of the pilling phenomenon of the fibers (the phenomenon is explained below: in use, by friction of the body on the surface to be cleaned, the fibers break and roll on themselves, generating small balls ...);
  (note here that the joint increase in these two properties - strength and flexibility - is somewhat unexpected).
• improves its performance in use (easier evacuation of water between the raised patterns; no clogging, by dirt, between said patterns),
• does not alter the characteristics of the scourer (descaling power, durability) or even improves them. It has in particular been observed with textiles of the invention loaded with an abrasive composition, the improvement in its durability.

We return below to said thermoforming or embossing. It is a key step in the process for preparing porous bodies according to the invention.

• la préparation d'une composition récurante, à base d'un liant éventuellement chargé;
• l'enduction, d'au moins une des faces d'un corps en un matériau poreux avec ladite composition ;
• le traitement dudit corps enduit pour la fixation de ladite composition sur celui-ci;
• le thermoformage de la (d'au moins l'une des) face(s) ainsi enduite(s) pour générer, sur ladite face, au moins un motif en relief, sans arête vive en son sommet, présentant une structure poreuse chargée au moins superficiellement en ladite composition et au moins une zone présentant une structure densifiée sensiblement exempte de pores et chargée au moins superficiellement en ladite composition.

Said method can be implemented according to different variants. Two of the said variants which constitute the third object of the present invention are described below in more detail.
. According to the first, said method comprises:

• the preparation of a scouring composition, based on a possibly loaded binder;
• coating at least one of the faces of a body with a porous material with said composition;
• treating said coated body to fix said composition thereon;
• thermoforming the (at least one of) face (s) thus coated (s) to generate, on said face, at least one relief pattern, without a sharp edge at its top, having a porous structure charged to the less superficially in said composition and at least one zone having a densified structure substantially free of pores and loaded at least superficially with said composition.

The preparation of the scouring composition is carried out in a conventional manner. The appropriate ingredients are brought into play: binder, possibly fillers and various additives such as catalyst, dye, etc. A hot-activatable catalyst is advantageously used to avoid premature solidification of said composition ...

In a second step, at least one side of a porous body is coated, conventionally also with said composition. This coating can be implemented according to different techniques (by doctor blade, by roller, by scarf, by transfer, by printing, by spraying, by dusting (on a pre-glued substrate, pre-impregnated or on a virgin substrate, said dusting then being followed by a treatment for fixing the sprinkled product) ...) and according to several variants ... This second step may in particular comprise a single coating, a double coating, a coating preceded by an impregnation ... any state As a result, the aim is to deposit a sufficient amount of scouring composition. A prepreg, generally in the mass of the porous body, may be judicious or even compulsory. It advantageously ensures the consolidation of said porous body and / or its coloring ... Such a prepreg, as indicated above, can be used to give said porous body its ability to be thermoformed (or to improve it ).

In a third step, the scouring composition is secured to the porous body. Such a joining can be implemented by drying said composition, by crosslinking thereof, by cooling a molten polymer ... When an energy supply is necessary (in particular for the implementation of a crosslinking), said energy can be brought in the form of calories (heat treatment), in the form of UV, IR, HF radiation, microwaves, X-rays, electron bombardment ... The reactions which come into play can be accelerated by catalysis. By joining said composition to the porous body, it is given a scouring character.

It will be noted here that this third step of joining the scouring composition to the porous body can be implemented in conjunction with the fourth step of thermoforming ... obviously assuming that said joining can be obtained by heat treatment.

At the end of these three stages, a body made of a porous material is obtained, at least one of the faces of which is coated, in a uniform manner, with a scouring composition. Such products can be used in themselves and are commercially available. A process for the preparation of such products is described in particular in patent US-A-4,264,337.

According to the invention, typically, a fourth thermoforming step is added to these three steps.

It is advisable to make appear on the face, already made scouring, at least one pattern (s) in relief as (s) as defined (s) above. The said pattern (s) is (are) obtained by hot applying, on said face, a plate pierced by the appropriate recess (s) and by increasing the pressure of said application up to a given value, which depends on the nature and thickness of the body thus treated. The pressure is maintained for the period of time necessary for the irreversible appearance of the pattern (s) on the surface. Such thermoforming generates a rounded pattern (s) and provides felting with densification of the surface of the zone (zones), not occupied by the said pattern (s). ).

The parameters (pressure, temperature, time) of such thermoforming are to be optimized, by a person skilled in the art, for obtaining the expected result. This optimization does not present any particular difficulty. Said parameters obviously depend on the nature of the basic porous material and on the type of scouring composition with which it has been coated.

Said thermoforming advantageously modifies, as specified above, the "surface" structure of the porous body.

• la préparation d'une composition récurante à base d'un liant éventuellement chargé ;
• le thermoformage d'au moins une des faces d'un corps en un matériau poreux (de type matériau alvéolaire ou textile), pour générer, sur ladite face, au moins un motif en relief, sans arête vive en son sommet, présentant une structure poreuse et au moins une zone présentant une structure densifiée, sensiblement exempte de pores ;
• l'enduction d'au moins une desdites faces thermoformées ou de la face thermoformée avec ladite composition ;
• le traitement dudit corps thermoformé enduit pour la fixation de ladite composition sur celui-ci.

This variant of the process of the invention is advantageously implemented with porous bodies coated with a scouring, non-abrasive composition. Indeed, insofar as according to said variant, said coated bodies are thermoformed, the presence of abrasive particles can deteriorate the thermoforming tool ...
. According to the second variant, the scouring bodies of the invention are obtained by a process which comprises:

• preparing a scouring composition based on a possibly charged binder;
• thermoforming of at least one of the faces of a body of a porous material (of cellular or textile material type), to generate, on said face, at least one relief pattern, without a sharp edge at its top, having a structure porous and at least one area having a densified structure, substantially free of pores;
• coating at least one of said thermoformed faces or of the thermoformed face with said composition;
• treating said coated thermoformed body to fix said composition thereon.

It is understood that this process differs from the previous one by the order of implementation of the different steps and in particular by the reversal of the order of the coating and thermoforming steps.

According to this second variant, the porous body is thermoformed on one or more of these faces, not coated with the scouring composition. In the context of this variant, it will be noted that the treatment of the coated body for fixing the scouring composition is compulsory. For details on the products involved (scouring composition) and the techniques used (coating, thermoforming) in this second process, reference is made to the above description of the first.

This second process (second variant) is advantageously used for the preparation of profiled porous bodies loaded with an abrasive composition.

The body thus obtained, thermoformed on at least one of its working faces is used as such or incorporated into the structure of a handset. The process for the preparation of such a handset constitutes the last object of the present invention.

• la préparation d'un corps thermoformé, telle que décrite ci-dessus ;
• le contrecollage dudit corps, par l'une de ses faces non thermoformée sur un support.

It successively includes:

• preparing a thermoformed body, as described above;
• laminating said body, by one of its non-thermoformed faces on a support.

Said laminating involves a technique and a material (glue) familiar to those skilled in the art.

The invention is illustrated by the examples below and the appended figures. In Figure 1, there is shown in perspective a combined cleaning according to the invention.

In Figure 2, there is shown a partial section along II-II of said handset, on a larger scale.

Said handset comprises a profiled body 1 laminated on a sponge 2. Said body 1 has on its face 1 'opposite its face 1' 'laminated on the sponge 2, relief patterns 3, separated by zones 4. Said face 1 'was coated with a scouring composition. Said patterns 3 have been shown only on a part of said face 1 '.

Clearly seen in Figure 2, the specifics of the body 1 according to the invention. The relief patterns 3 have retained a porous structure and do not have a sharp edge at their top. They are loaded with scouring and / or abrasive particles (not shown) over a thickness e. The denser areas 4 than the patterns 3 have an almost flat and smooth surface, generated by thermoforming. Said zones 4 are loaded over a thickness e '(e' <e: result of the thermoforming implemented after coating) with scouring and / or abrasive particles.

Example 1

A handset of the invention was produced, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1, by implementing, with the materials specified below, the method described below.
+ As a first step, a body was developed from a foam having two substantially parallel faces, spaced 10 mm (thickness of said foam), within the meaning of the invention. Said foam is a synthetic foam with open cells (small sizes), of the PU type. It is more precisely a foam FL40 marketed by GIUSEPPE OLMO. It has a density of 40 kg / m³.

• prépolymère (adhésif polyuréthanne monocomposant à base d'isocyanate aromatique, commercialisé par CECA sous la dénomination NOVAFLEX NM36)   70,95 %
• polyol (polyéther linéaire, comportant des groupements hydroxyle (à raison de 3,4 % environ), commercialisé par BAYER sous la dénomination DESMOPHEN 1600 U)   26,65 %
• catalyseur (activable à chaud, mélange de sels d'amine (1,8-diazabicyclo (5,4,0)undec-7-ène) et d'acide organique, commercialisé par AIR PRODUCTS sous la dénomination POLYCAT SA-102/10)   0,42 %
• colorant (vert, le VERT AM362 commercialisé par RICHARD FAPCO)    1,98 %

Said foam is firstly impregnated, in its entire mass, by padding, with a mixture which has the following composition (% by weight):

• prepolymer (one-component polyurethane adhesive based on aromatic isocyanate, marketed by CECA under the name NOVAFLEX NM36) 70.95%
• polyol (linear polyether, comprising hydroxyl groups (at a rate of approximately 3.4%), marketed by BAYER under the name DESMOPHEN 1600 U) 26.65%
• catalyst (hot-activatable, mixture of amine salts (1,8-diazabicyclo (5,4,0) undec-7-ene) and organic acid, marketed by AIR PRODUCTS under the name POLYCAT SA-102/10 ) 0.42%
• dye (green, GREEN AM362 marketed by RICHARD FAPCO) 1.98%

For this impregnation, said mixture is used at the rate of 500 g / m of foam. Such an impregnation colors said foam and improves both its resistance and its ability to be thermoformed.

• prépolymère (adhésif polyuréthanne monocomposant à base d'isocyanate aromatique, commercialisé par CECA sous la dénomination NOVAFLEX NM 36)   44,7 %
• polyol (polyéther linéaire, comportant des groupements hydroxyle (à raison de 3,4 % environ), commercialisé par BAYER sous la dénomination DESMOPHEN 1600 U)   7,45 %
• catalyseur (activable à chaud, mélange de sels d'amine (1,8-diaza-bicyclo(5,4,0)undec-7-ène) et d'acide organique, commercialisé par AIR PRODUCTS sous la dénomination POLYCAT SA-102/10)   0,20 %
• colorant (vert, le VERT AM362 commercialisé par RICHARD FAPCO)    0,75 %
• charges (polymétacrylate de méthyle, particules de granulométrie comprise entre 250 et 500 µm)   20,85 %
• charges (silice, particules de granulométrie comprise entre 1 et 40 µm, commercialisée par SIFRACO sous la dénomination MILLISIL C400)   26,05 %

Said foam thus impregnated is then coated, by means of a doctor blade, on one of its faces, with a scouring composition resulting from the mixture of (% by weight):

• prepolymer (one-component polyurethane adhesive based on aromatic isocyanate, marketed by CECA under the name NOVAFLEX NM 36) 44.7%
• polyol (linear polyether, comprising hydroxyl groups (approximately 3.4%), marketed by BAYER under the name DESMOPHEN 1600 U) 7.45%
• catalyst (hot-activatable, mixture of amine salts (1,8-diaza-bicyclo (5,4,0) undec-7-ene) and organic acid, marketed by AIR PRODUCTS under the name POLYCAT SA-102 / 10) 0.20%
• dye (green, GREEN AM362 marketed by RICHARD FAPCO) 0.75%
• fillers (polymethyl methacrylate, particles with a particle size between 250 and 500 µm) 20.85%
• fillers (silica, particles with a particle size between 1 and 40 µm, sold by SIFRACO under the name MILLISIL C400) 26.05%

For this coating, said composition is used at a rate of 600 g / m of impregnated foam.

In view of the nature and granulometry of the fillers involved (polymethyl methacrylate particles) in said mixture, the foam body is given scouring, non-abrasive properties. We generate a non-scratching scourer.

Small silica particles are involved in adjusting the viscosity of the mixture.

The successively impregnated and coated foam is then heat treated (5 minutes at 105 ° C. in an oven). The crosslinking of the prepolymer resulting from this heat treatment ensures the fixing of the mixtures (impregnation and coating) in the foam body, more particularly the fixing of the fillers.

The foam thus heat treated is then, on its coated side, thermoformed. A plate, pierced by the desired pattern, brought to 225 ° C is applied at 20 bars, for 1 minute, on said coated face. The relief patterns are thus generated. Said relief patterns have the following dimensions:
L xlxh; L = 12mm
l = 6 mm
h varying from 2 to 5 mm.

They are regularly distributed on the coated side. They cover it at around 80%. (The areas between the patterns are approximately 1 mm wide).

A foam body, coated and profiled, was thus developed within the meaning of the invention.
+ In a second step, said foam body is laminated on a sponge support of approximately 21 mm thick. A scouring handset is thus obtained, within the meaning of the invention.

The heat treated foam was tested before and after thermoforming.

The INSTRÖN test was used to measure the elongation at break and the breaking force.

The test pieces are samples of 5 cm by 7 cm, of variable thickness depending on whether or not they have undergone thermoforming.

The distance between the jaws is 5 cm. The width and the length of stress are therefore identical and equal to 5 cm.

The value of the breaking force is the value read on the screen and is not related to the stress section (= thickness x width).

The results obtained are given in Table 1 below: Test Heat treated foam without thermoforming Heat treated and thermoformed foam Elongation at break (%) INSTRÖN 125.2 270 Breaking force (N) INSTRÖN 70.5 135

These figures clearly show that thermoforming improves the elasticity and the breaking strength of the sample.

An improvement is, in any event, obtained, in terms of mechanical properties, whatever the shape and the distribution of the patterns, insofar as thermoforming densifies, in places, the foam.

Furthermore, it has been verified that said thermoforming does not alter the scouring performance of the foam (scouring power, durability).

Example 2 2a

• 70 % en poids de fibres de polyamide de 17 dtex,
• 30 % en poids de fibres de polyester de 17 dtex,

de 250 g/m, est imprégnée de 50 g/m d'un mélange de latex acrylique et de colorant. Ce nontissé est dénommé le substrat. Ce substrat de 300 g/m a une épaisseur de 9 mm et présente un volume massique de 30 cm³/g environ. Il est donc très poreux. Ledit substrat est thermoformé sur une de ses faces avant enduction. Plus précisément, ledit substrat (échantillon 30 x 30 cm) est thermoformé à la presse à 200°C sous 50 bars pendant 1 min. Le thermoformage génère à sa surface des motifs en S, tels que schématisés sur la figure 1. Lesdits motifs couvrent 80 % de la surface de la face thermoformée. Ladite face ainsi thermoformée est alors enduite, par pulvérisation, d'une composition récurante chargée en particules abrasives puis séchée. Le dépôt, après séchage et réticulation à 170°C, est de 200 g/m environ. Il contient 50 g/m du liant constitué d'une résine formophénolique et 150 g/m de charges abrasives d'alumine et de silice. Le corps obtenu est référencé C1.A sheet of fibers, pre-needled, composed of:

• 70% by weight of polyamide fibers of 17 dtex,
• 30% by weight of polyester fibers of 17 dtex,

250 g / m, is impregnated with 50 g / m of a mixture of acrylic latex and dye. This nonwoven is called the substrate. This substrate of 300 g / m has a thickness of 9 mm and has a mass volume of approximately 30 cm³ / g. It is therefore very porous. Said substrate is thermoformed on one of its faces before coating. More precisely, said substrate (sample 30 x 30 cm) is thermoformed in the press at 200 ° C under 50 bars for 1 min. Thermoforming generates S-shaped patterns on its surface, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1. Said patterns cover 80% of the surface of the thermoformed face. Said face thus thermoformed is then coated, by spraying, with a scouring composition loaded with abrasive particles and then dried. The deposit, after drying and crosslinking at 170 ° C, is about 200 g / m. It contains 50 g / m of the binder consisting of a formophenolic resin and 150 g / m of abrasive fillers of alumina and silica. The body obtained is referenced C1.

A sample of said substrate is not thermoformed (it has a "relief" in the sense of the invention of 100%). It is coated with drying and crosslinking as indicated above. He is a witness T.

2b

Said substrate of Example 2a is thermoformed by passing through a heating calender provided with two heating steel rollers. The lower roller is smooth and kept at the temperature of 70 ° C. The upper roller is engraved with helical grooves 20 degrees from the axis of the roller. These grooves form an undulation with a depth of 3.5 mm, the rounded vertices of which are regularly 11 mm apart. It is heated to 200 ° C. The 40 x 40 cm samples are introduced into the calender at 1 m / min under the linear pressure of 60 N / cm. The width of the lines or width of the densified areas is approximately 1.7 mm. The densified surface is approximately 15%. The relief surface according to the "lines" motif is therefore approximately 85%. The thermoformed samples are coated, dried and crosslinked as indicated previously in Example 2a. The body obtained is referenced C2.

2c

From the thermoformed substrates of Example 2b, scouring bodies C3 are prepared by a second passage in the shell, in a position offset by 90 degrees followed by the steps of coating, drying and crosslinking as described in FIG. 'example 2a. We thus created on the thermoformed face of said bodies C3 diamonds in relief. The relief surface according to said diamond patterns represents approximately 73% of the surface of the thermoformed face. About 27% of said face has been densified.

The abrasiveness and durability of the scouring bodies according to the invention C₁, C₂ and C₃ and of the control T were evaluated by tests of the Taber test type. Said samples, previously wetted, the abrasive face of which is brought into contact with two aluminum rollers (each roller holder is ballasted with a weight of 1.25 kg), rollers which have been precisely determined (to the tenth of mg) mass, are rotated at a rate of 1 revolution / second (speed of rotation of the disc carrying said samples). A tachometer totals the number of rotations of said disc.

The abrasiveness of the test sample is measured by the weight loss of the rollers after a determined number of rotations.

Durability is assessed by taking the number of turns necessary to pierce the sample.

The abrasiveness results, given in table 2 below, are expressed in loss of mass (K in mg) of the aluminum rollers between the weighing of the rollers before the test and their weighing after the number of turns (N) considered. The abrasiveness is expressed in mg / 1,000 revolutions (i.e. 1,000 x K / N). The abrasivities are noted after 500 revolutions (K 500), 1000 revolutions (K 1000), 1500 revolutions (K 1500) and 2000 revolutions (K 2000).

The rigidity of said bodies C₁, C₂, C₃ and of witness T. was also evaluated.

Rigidity is measured, by placing 15 x 7 cm test pieces between two grooved plates, by the compressive force necessary to fold them across their width. The grooves are 13 mm deep, 17 mm open and 6 mm wide at the bottom of the groove. The stiffness or lateral compression force, expressed in Newton, is the average of the stiffnesses measured on test pieces cut in the forward and cross directions of the sample. Table 2 T C₁ C₂ C₃ RELIEF "100%" 80% (S) 85% (lines) 73% (diamonds) Number of patterns per dm 0 120 9 82 Abrasiveness Taber (mg / 1,000 turns) K 500 226 384 269 370 K 1000 131 330 181 209 K 1,500 102 276 142 176 K 2,000 86 244 120 156 Abrasiveness between 1,000 and 2,000 turns in mg 41 158 59 103 Durability Taber N (turns) 1,750 > 2,000 2,000 > 2000 Rigidity (NOT) 11.7 7.8 7.5 9.5

This table shows that the bodies according to the invention are more abrasive and more durable and that it is expedient to multiply the number of patterns: the rigidity is reduced which indicates that the flexibility is improved.

Claims (13)

One-piece scouring body (1), made of a porous thermoformable material of the cellular or textile material type, woven or nonwoven, having on at least one (1 ') of its so-called working faces (1', 1 '') at least one relief pattern (3) which occupies only part of the surface of said face (1 '), characterized in that said relief pattern (3), without a sharp edge at its top, has a porous structure, charged at least superficially in a scouring composition, while the surface of said face (1 ') not occupied by said relief pattern (3), defining at least one zone (4), has a densified structure, substantially free of pores, charged at least superficially in said scouring composition. Body (1) according to claim 1, in a cellular material of the synthetic foam type or cellulosic product. Body (1) according to claim 1, in a textile, woven or nonwoven based on synthetic, natural and / or artificial fibers. Body (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said scouring composition contains mineral fillers or organic fillers. Body (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it has two so-called working faces (1 ', 1' ') substantially parallel, one (1') only of said two faces (1 ', 1' ') having at least one relief pattern (3). Body (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said (said) pattern (s) (3) cover (s) from 60 to 90% of the face (1 ') on which it ( s) is (are). Body (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said zones (4) between said patterns (3) are continuous and open at the edges of said face (1 '). Body (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said zones (4) between said patterns (3) intersect and open on all the edges thereof. Scrubbing combination, characterized in that it comprises a body according to any one of claims 1 to 8 - advantageously a body of synthetic foam or a textile, woven or nonwoven - laminated on a support (2) of a cellular material of the synthetic foam or cellulose product type - advantageously on an artificial sponge -. Process for the preparation of a body (1) according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises: - The preparation of a scouring composition, based on a possibly charged binder; - coating, at least one (1 ') of the faces (1', 1 '') of a body of a porous material with said composition; - treatment of said coated body for fixing said composition thereon; - thermoforming of at least one (1 ') of said coated faces (1', 1 '') or of the coated face (1 '), to generate, on said face (1'), at least one relief pattern (3), without a sharp edge at its top, having a porous structure loaded at least surface with said composition and at least one area (4) having a densified structure, substantially free of pores, loaded at least surface with said composition. Process for the preparation of a body (1) according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises: - The preparation of a scouring composition, based on a possibly charged binder; - thermoforming of at least one of the faces of a body of a porous material, to generate, on said face, at least one relief pattern, without sharp edge at its top, having a porous structure and at least one area having a densified structure, substantially free of pores; - coating at least one of said thermoformed faces or of the thermoformed face with said composition; - The treatment of said coated thermoformed body for fixing said composition thereon. Method according to one of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the coating with the scouring composition is preceded by an impregnation in the mass of the virgin or thermoformed body. Process for the preparation of a handset according to claim 9, characterized in that it successively comprises: - the preparation of a body (1) according to any one of claims 10 to 12, - the laminating of said body (1), by one (1 '') of its non-thermoformed faces, on the support (2).

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