EP0168847A2

EP0168847A2 - Procedure for writing on plastic material fabrics, in particular awnings and product thus obtained

Info

Publication number: EP0168847A2
Application number: EP85200514A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giorgio Cipelli
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-07-18
Filing date: 1985-04-03
Publication date: 1986-01-22
Also published as: EP0168847A3; IT8421931A0; IT8421931A1; IT1176413B

Abstract

The writing on the fabric (1) is accomplished by welding of letters punched (5) in plastic material with a meltable base (7) which interpenetrates with the fabric material (1). The welding is accomplished by application of high frequency voltage with appropriately shaped electrodes (8).

Description

The present invention relates to a procedure for writing on plastic material fabrics, in particular awnings, and the product obtained with said procedure.
The advent of plastic material fabrics is recent, particularly for the creation of various types of awnings.
For fabrics of this type the problem has appeared of providing them with inscriptions for their use, for example, in commercial concerns.
The techniques presently employed are silk screening and the application of adhesive letters, but neither one is satisfactory. Silk screening creates problems of cleaning, toxic gas influence and still others, while adhesive letters are easily subject to detachment.
The object of the present invention is to accomplish a new advantageous procedure for writing on plastic material fabrics.
According to the invention said object has been achieved by means of a procedure characterized in that it includes the preparation of letters punched in plastic material with a meltable base, the superimposition of said punched letters on the fabric to be subjected to writing and the welding of said punched letters to the underlying fabric by the application of high-frequency voltage which accomplishes the melting and mutual interpenetration of the meltable base of the punched letters and the underlying fabric.
In this manner the letters remain firmly and definitively attached to the fabric, having undergone also a clean and safe procedure like the one described.
The various steps of the procedure according to the invention will be better understood by referring to the annexed drawings, wherein:-

Fig. 1 shows a plan view from above of a piece of plastic material net fabric, on which is applicable the procedure according to the invention;
Fig. 2 shows said piece of fabric in enlarged section along the line of cut II-II in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shows a plan view from above of a letter of the alphabet to be applied to the piece of fabric of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 shows said letter of the alphabet in section along the line of cut IV-IV of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 shows the front elevation of an electrode supplied with high-frequency voltage for welding of the letter of Fig. 3 on the fabric of Fig. 1;
Fig. 6 shows said electrode in plan view from below;
Fig. 7 shows a section of the piece of fabric with a superimposed letter and a welding electrode in operation;
Fig. 8 shows a plan view from above of the piece of fabric with a letter superimposed and welded.

With particular reference to Figs. 1 and 2, a piece of plastic material fabric (1) is shown in which a net structure is defined by drops of plastic (2) with interconnexions (3) and by transversal connecting filaments (4).
Figs. 3 and 4 in turn show an alphabetical letter "R", which is indicated' as a whole with the reference number (5), and is punched out of two coupled sheets of plastic material (6) and (7), the first of which will comprise the visible face, while the second comprises a meltable base for attachment to the fabric.
Figs. 5 and 6 finally show a welding electrode (8), which operates by application of high frequency electrical voltage. The electrode (8) plainly has a base (9) shaped like the letter (5) to be applied, that is like an "R".
In conformity with the procedure according to the invention, the alphabetical letter (5) of Figs. 3 and 4, previously -prepared and punched, is superimposed on the fabric (1) with the meltable base (7) resting on the fabric, and the welding electrode (8) is subsequently applied on the letter (5) and appropriately supplied with high frequency electrical voltage.
The high frequency electrical voltage causes melting and mutual interpenetration of the meltable base (7) of the letter (5) and of the corresponding portion of the fabric (1), so that at the end of the procedure the fabric (1) is provided with an inscription in R form firmly and definitively attached to the fabric.
The appearance of the finished fabric with the related inscription can be seen in Figures 7 and 8.

Claims

l. Procedure for writing on plastic material fabrics, in particular for awnings, characterized in that it includes preparation of the punched letters in plastic material with a meltable base, the superimposition of said punched letters on the fabric to be subjected to writing and the welding of said punched letters to the underlying fabric by the application of high frequency voltage which accomplishes the melting and mutual interpenetration of the meltable base of the punched letters and the underlying fabric.
2. Procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that said letters consist of two coupled sheets comprising respectively the meltable base and the visible face.
3. Product obtained with the above procedure, characterized in that it consists of a plastic material fabric bearing letters with a meltable base welded and interpenetrated with the material of the fabric.