MICROFIBER YARN ROTARY BUFFING PAD

Abstract

A microfiber yarn is provided for cleaning, polishing, and buffing a target surface. A buffing pad for auto detailing is provided that may be attached to a rotary drive tool that has a microfiber buffing surface, where the microfiber is a yarn, as opposed to a weave. Embodiments of the buffing pad operate to clean and polish a substrate such as a vehicle and ideally return the same to the original look and feel in a fast and efficient manner, while providing high quality finishes with less frequent pad changes.

Claims

1. A surface polishing pad comprising: a series of microfibers formed as a yarn cut to form fibers with free ends; said fibers formed a circular disc with the free ends projecting outward to form a polishing surface; and a backing formed from said yarn.

2. The article of claim 1 further comprising a mounting plate adapted to couple to a rotary device.

3. The article of claim 1 wherein said backing is a woven mat.

4. The article of claim 1 further comprising a coating retaining said backing a predefined shape.

5. The article of claim 1 wherein said coating is a hot melt thermoplastic, a latex, or a thermoset resin.

6. The article of claim 3 wherein the predefined shape has convex edge along the circumference of the circular shape.

7. The article of claim 6 wherein the convex edge extends relative to a planar backing center between 0.3 and 1 centimeter (cm).

8. The article of claim 3 wherein the predefined shape is a lip protruding toward the polishing surface around a central planar disc, the protruding lip then curving backwards.

9. The article of claim 8 wherein the lip extends protrudes relative to a planar backing center between 0 and 0.3 cm.

10. The article of claim 1 wherein said series of microfibers formed as a yarn comprise at least two colors of tufts.

11. A process of buffing a vehicle outer surface comprising: rotating a buffing pad of claim 1 non-orbitally around an axis at a speed of between 5 and 1000 rotations per minute; and contacting said buffing surface with the vehicle outer surface.

12. The process of claim 11 further comprising applying a buffing compound to said buffing pad.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The subject matter that is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective photographic view of an inventive microfiber buffing showing the buffing surface;

[0014] FIG. 2A is a perspective photographic view showing the attachment side of a buffing wheel fitted with the microfiber buffing pad of FIG. 1;

[0015] FIGS. 2B and 2C are cross sectional view of inventive buffing pads;

[0016] FIG. 3 is a close up view of the microfiber fibers that make up the microfiber buffing pad of FIG. 1;

[0017] FIG. 4 is a photographic view of the tufting of the microfiber used in the microfiber buffing pad of FIG. 1; and

[0018] FIG. 5 is magnified photographic view of the microfiber yarn used in the microfiber buffing pad of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The present invention has utility as an article for cleaning, polishing, and buffing a target surface. A buffing pad for auto detailing is provided that may be attached to a rotary drive tool that has a microfiber buffing surface, where the microfiber is a yarn as opposed to a weave.

[0020] The present invention operates to clean, polish, and buff a substrate such as a vehicle and ideally return the same to the original look and feel in a fast and efficient manner, while providing high quality finishes with less frequent pad changes.

[0021] Without intending to be bound to a particular theory, an inventive microfiber yarn, which is formed from long continuous lengths of interlocked microfibers, is resistant to pilling that leads to scratches or irregularities in the buff, and retention of more buffing wax. The microfiber yarn is also more resilient to wear than traditional woven microfiber.

[0022] It is to be understood that in instances where a range of values are provided that the range is intended to encompass not only the end point values of the range but also intermediate values of the range as explicitly being included within the range and varying by the last significant figure of the range. By way of example, a recited range of from 1 to 4 is intended to include 1-2, 1-3, 2-4, 3-4, and 1-4.

[0023] Referring now to the figures a buffing pad is shown generally at 10 with the microfiber yarn application surface. The buffing surface 11 has intermixed dark and light colored tufts formed from microfiber yarn for visual clarity. The buffing surface 11 has a rounded edge along the circumference of the pad 10, and the density and dispersion of the blue and white tufts is maintained along the rounded edge.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2A, in opposition to the ends of the fibers that terminate in the buffing surface 11 is a backing 12. It is appreciated that the backing 12 is readily formed as a woven mat as shown or is a nonwoven mass. The backing 12 has a coating 14. The coating 14 serves to stabilize fibers in a relative position in the backing 12 and also serves to increase the rigidity relative an embodiment lacking such a coating 14. A coating 14 is illustratively formed from a hot melt thermoplastic, a latex, a thermoset resin such as an epoxy, a polyurea, or a polyurethane. As best seen with respect to FIGS. 2A-C, a contact plate 16 fitted to the backing 12. The contact plate 16 is adapted to join to a buffing tool mount. In a specific inventive embodiment, the coating 14 is applied to create a concave edge as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The typical extent of a concave edge relative to a planar backing center is between 0.3 and 1 centimeter (cm). In still other inventive embodiments, the coating 14 is applied to create a lip protruding around a central disc, the lip then curves backwards as shown in FIG. 2C. The typical extent of lip protrusion towards that surface 11 is between 0 and 0.3 cm. The inventive pad is adapted to be connected to a non-orbital rotary tool head illustratively including a drill chuck. A central hole is conventionally used to receive the shaft of a threaded fastener that is complementary to threads in the tool head.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a close up view of the microfiber fibers showing the yarn of the dark and light tufts that make up the microfiber buffing surface 11.

[0026] FIG. 4 shows the tufting of the microfiber yarn used in the microfiber buffing surface which greatly increases the surface area of the tip of a tuft with the individual microfibers.

[0027] FIG. 5 is magnified view of the microfiber yarn used in the microfiber buffing surface 11.

[0028] A process of buffing a vehicle outer surface with an embodiment of the inventive buffing surface 10 includes rotating a buffing pad around an axis, where the buffing surface 10 is formed of a microfiber yarn at a speed of between 5 and 1000 rotations per minute (rpm), and contacting the buffing pad with the vehicle outer surface. A buffing compound may be applied to the buffing surface or to a target surface of the vehicle prior to contacting the buffing surface to the target surface. In a specific embodiment the rotating occurs without orbital rotation.

[0029] The present invention is further detailed with resort to the following non-limiting examples.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

[0030] An inventive buffing pad of FIG. 2A is mounted to a 12 Amp Corded 7 inch variable speed polisher with a hook and loop backing pad. The polisher is operated at 30 rpm with a conventional automotive buffing compound on one third of flat panel painted with automotive paint to simulate a vehicle exterior. The inventive pad retained the original texture after 4 hours of buffing.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLES

[0031] The process of Example 1 is repeated with a conventional wool buffing pad (Comparative Example A) and a conventional microfiber woven (non-tufted) buffing pad. The wool buffing pad was clogged with wax and slick to the touch after 5 minutes of buffing.

[0032] The foregoing description is illustrative of particular embodiments of the invention, but is not meant to be a limitation upon the practice thereof. The following claims, including all equivalents thereof, are intended to define the scope of the invention.