Cleaning fabric and related apparatus and methods
A printing system cleaning fabric ( 13 ), having a first layer ( 131 ) with a first cleaning surface ( 131 ′), and a second layer ( 132 ) with a second cleaning surface ( 1321 ) facing away therefrom. The first and second layers ( 131, 132 ) extend parallel to each other and have a respective inner surface ( 131″, 132 ″) attached to the other along an extension of the cleaning fabric ( 13 ). The first and second layers ( 131, 132 ) have different permeability characteristics.
1 . A printing system cleaning fabric for cleaning a rotating cylinder of a printing system, the cleaning fabric comprising: a first layer, a second layer, and an intermediate layer interposed between the first and second layers, the first layer having a first cleaning surface, the second layer having a second cleaning surface facing away from said first cleaning surface, the intermediate layer being impermeable to residue which is to be absorbed into the cleaning fabric from the rotating cylinder to be cleaned;
wherein the first layer, the second layer, and the intermediate layer extend parallel to each other; and
wherein the cleaning fabric is an elongated, flexible web of material configured to be wrapped around a first roller and around a second roller in a manner such that the cleaning fabric has first and second configurations relative to the rotating cylinder of the printing system when used in the printing system, wherein when in the first configuration, the cleaning fabric is wound about the first roller in a manner so as to extend from the first roller upstream of the rotating cylinder to be cleaned to the second roller downstream of the rotating cylinder to be cleaned with the first cleaning surface of the first layer of the cleaning fabric arranged to contact the rotating cylinder to be cleaned, and wherein when in the second configuration, the cleaning fabric is wound about the second roller in a manner so as to extend from the second roller upstream of the rotating cylinder to be cleaned to the first roller downstream of the rotating cylinder to be cleaned with the second cleaning surface of the second layer of the cleaning fabric arranged to contact the rotating cylinder to be cleaned.
2 . The printing system cleaning fabric according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second layers are made of any one of nonwoven and woven materials, or a combination thereof.
3 . The printing system cleaning fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second layers of the cleaning fabric are impregnated with a cleaning composition.
4 . The printing system cleaning fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second layers of the cleaning fabric have at least one of a different fiber composition, fiber density and thickness.
5 . The printing system cleaning fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises a plastic film.
6 . The printing system cleaning fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning fabric is an elongated, flexible web of material configured to be wrapped around a core to form a roll.
7 . The printing system cleaning fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning fabric has a thickness in the range of 0.20 mm to 0.80 mm.
8 . The printing system cleaning fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning fabric comprises a layer comprising a cleaning liquid encapsulated in micro capsules.
9 . The printing system cleaning fabric according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer has a thickness less than a thickness of at least one of the first layer and the second layer.
10 . A printing system cleaning machine adapted for cleaning a rotating cylinder, the cleaning machine comprising:
(i) a cleaning fabric roll including a core;
(ii) a cleaning fabric wound around the core of the cleaning fabric roll, the cleaning fabric comprising a first layer having a first cleaning surface, a second layer having a second cleaning surface facing away from said first cleaning surface, and an intermediate layer interposed between the first and second layers, the intermediate layer being impermeable to residue which is to be absorbed into the cleaning fabric from the rotating cylinder to be cleaned, the first layer, the second layer, and the intermediate layer extending parallel to each other; and
(iii) a collecting roller adapted and configured to wind used cleaning fabric;
wherein when the first cleaning surface of the first layer contacts the rotating cylinder to be cleaned, the cleaning fabric roll is arranged upstream of the rotating cylinder to be cleaned and the collecting roller is arranged downstream of the rotating cylinder to be cleaned, the cleaning fabric roll and the collecting roller are configured to be interchanged at their respective positions when the first cleaning surface of the first layer has been used such that when the second cleaning surface of the second layer contacts the rotating cylinder to be cleaned, the cleaning fabric roll is arranged downstream of the rotating cylinder to be cleaned and the collecting roller is arranged upstream of the rotating cylinder to be cleaned.
11 . A roll of the cleaning fabric used in the printing system cleaning machine according to claim 10 , wherein the roll is one of the collecting roller and the cleaning fabric roll.
12 . The printing system cleaning machine according to claim 10 , wherein the intermediate layer of the cleaning fabric has a thickness less than a thickness of at least one of the first layer of the cleaning fabric and the second layer of the cleaning fabric.
13 . The printing system cleaning machine according to claim 10 , wherein the intermediate layer of the cleaning fabric comprises a plastic film.
14 . A method of cleaning a rotating cylinder of a printing system with a printing system cleaning machine, wherein the cleaning machine comprises (i) a cleaning fabric roll including a core, (ii) a cleaning fabric wound around the core of the cleaning fabric roll, the cleaning fabric comprising a first layer having a first cleaning surface, a second layer having a second cleaning surface facing away from said first cleaning surface, and an intermediate layer interposed between the first and second layers, the intermediate layer being impermeable to residue which is to be absorbed into the cleaning fabric from the rotating cylinder to be cleaned, the first layer, the second layer, and the intermediate layer extending parallel to each other, and (iii) a collecting roller adapted and configured to wind used cleaning fabric, the method comprising the steps of:
feeding the cleaning fabric from the cleaning fabric roll towards a rotating cylinder to be cleaned;
arranging a first cleaning surface of the cleaning fabric in contact with said rotating cylinder to be cleaned;
wrapping the cleaning fabric used on its first cleaning surface onto the collecting roller, which is arranged downstream of the rotating cylinder, until the core of the cleaning fabric roll is at least partially exposed; and,
when the entire used cleaning fabric has been wound onto the collecting roller, replacing said core of the used cleaning fabric roll with the collecting roller comprising the cleaning fabric used on its first cleaning surface.
15 . The method of cleaning a rotating cylinder of a printing system according to claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:
feeding the cleaning fabric used on its first cleaning surface from the collecting roller towards the rotating cylinder to be cleaned;
placing a second cleaning surface of the cleaning fabric in contact with said rotating cylinder to be cleaned; and
wrapping the cleaning fabric used on both the first cleaning surface and the second cleaning surface onto the core arranged downstream of the rotating cylinder.