EP1723274B1

EP1723274B1 - A process for obtaining a dust-collecting textile product, and dust-collecting products thus obtained

Info

Publication number: EP1723274B1
Application number: EP05764685A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Massimo Bottai
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-03-09
Filing date: 2005-03-03
Publication date: 2008-05-28
Anticipated expiration: 2025-03-03
Also published as: CA2553735A1; ATE397105T1; WO2005085506A1; ES2307194T3; JP2007528453A; US20070130904A1; DE602005007191D1; EP1723274A1; ITFI20040055A1

Abstract

A process for obtaining a dust-collecting textile product, wherein a multi-filament texturized synthetic yarn is used as pile yarn, the pile yarn being sewn and cut along a sewing core so as to produce a composite yarn having a relatively thick succession of whiskers projecting radially from the core, each whisker comprising a bundle of micro-filaments, the composite yarn then being fed to knitting or weaving machinery for producing the dust-collecting product. A dust-collecting textile product, in particular, a five-fingered glove, made of such a composite yarn, according to the present invention, without use of additives or chemical treatments, has a very high capability for trapping dust, a capability that remains as such, use after use, for a long time.

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention concerns the field of so-called "dust-collecting" textile products, i.e. that are able to hold dust and due to this property are intended for dusting furniture, furnishings and more generally any indoor or outdoor surface. More specifically, the invention refers to a process for obtaining a yarn to be used namely for producing a 5-finger dust-collecting glove. The invention also extends to the yarn thus obtained and to dust-collecting textile products produced with the yarn.

Description of the prior art

Various types of textile products having the property of trapping the dust are known and available. Such a property is obtained either through the use of chemical additives or else by acting on the mechanical characteristics of the fabric. In fact, it is clear that a particularly pileous or spongy product causes an impregnation effect of dust by the fabric.
This productive option, which is the one of interest as far as the present description is concerned, essentially has the advantage of allowing the textile product to be reused over long periods of time, even after numerous washes. Moreover, the fact that no chemical products are used makes the product more environmentally friendly and without contraindications with regard to the tolerability of the product for the user. However, it is difficult to match, with a purely mechanical solution, the dust-collecting capabilities obtained via chemical treatments or the like.
Another point of interest is the overall shape of the textile product. Indeed, the product can advantageously take a substantially mitt-shaped configuration, so as to make cleaning operations more convenient and effective. Regarding this, the actual shape of a five-fingered glove would be particularly advantageous, both to ensure a closer fit on the hand and for a more precise and more controllable dusting action (a single finger being able to be used to reach holes, gaps, cracks or any other motion-hampering areas). However, this path has not been followed successfully until now. The manufacture of a five-finger dust-collecting glove without use of chemical additives is indeed not a feasible option (at least due to excessively high production costs) if, like in the prior art, the pileous characteristics are achieved through treatments on the semi-finished product (i.e. on the already knitted or woven fabric). In this case then, the best one can do is coupling two sheets of fabric making a simple pocket, or at most a mitt, and this is indeed what the market currently offers see for example US 5,525,393 .
The theoretical possibility of using suitable knitting machines that make five-fingered gloves directly from yarn has not yet been properly exploited in this field. Subjecting the finished glove to conventional treatments to make the fabric pileous is clearly impossible. The alternative would be that of starting with a yarn that already has a certain bulkiness, so as to make an intrinsically pileous - or at least spongy - glove. Such an alternative has been disregarded in the past, due to the difficulty in exploiting suitable yarns, capable of ensuring that the finished glove remains sufficiently pileous even after prolonged use and multiple washes, without in any case compromising the correct operation of the knitting machine.
EP 0 806 505 discloses the use of chenille yarns which are worked into a base fabric to form a dost-collecting textile.

Summary of the invention

It is precisely by reassessing, and researching in depth, the productive possibility just mentioned, that the applicant has now attained to a method capable of obtaining a dust-collecting textile product having equivalent or even better dust-trapping capability than that of products with chemical additives, but without the drawbacks thereof. In particular, the result is achieved of realizing a dust-collecting five-fingered glove that matches the advantages of use deriving from its overall shape with the aforementioned dust-trapping capability intrinsically owned by the new textile material now identified.
Such a result is achieved, according to the present invention, fundamentally by providing a process for obtaining a dust-collecting textile product, in particular but not exclusively a five-fingered glove, the essential characteristics of which are defined by the first of the attached claims. Further advantageous characteristics of the process and of the dust-collecting textile products thus obtained are defined in the other claims.

Brief description of the drawings

Characteristics and advantages of the process for obtaining a dust-collecting textile product, and of the dust-collecting textile products, in particular five-fingered gloves, thus made according to the present invention shall become clearer from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given purely as an example and not for limiting purposes, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

figure 1 represents a portion of a composite yarn according to the invention;
figure 2 schematically shows a reel of yarn made in a step of the process according to the invention;
figure 3 illustrates a further, subsequent step of the process according to the invention;
figure 4 shows a perspective view of a dust-collecting five-fingered glove obtained according to the invention; and
figure 5 symbolically represents, in cross section, a portion of knitted fabric obtained according to the invention.

Description of the preferred embodiment

In the process according to the invention, use is made of a multifilament texturized synthetic yarn, available on the market, preferably a non-interlaced parallel assembled polyamide, polyester or polypropylene yarn, even more preferably count 78 dtex with 136 overall micro-filaments. A fabric made with a yarn of this type, although being soft and velvety as an effect of the generically voluminous structure of the yarn, would have a reduced capability to trap the dust since the filaments, arranged along the axis of the yarn, would clearly be tangential with respect to the surface to be cleaned.
According to the invention, said yarn is used for the formation of pile, extending radially from a sewing core, in turn made through a synthetic yarn, typically a parallel multifilament polyamide, polyester or polypropylene yarn. More specifically, the pile yarn is sewn along the core and concurrently cut so as to obtain a thick succession of radial "whiskers", each clearly consisting of a bundle of micro-filaments. This step can be carried out by means of known machinery for producing cut and sewn fancy yarns, such as an apparatus with needle spindles (in practice, small adapted circular knitting machines with a sewing needle and a cutting needle), e. g. the model LEGAFIL FT240 produced by the Italian company PAFASYSTEM S.r.l. in Montale (Pistoia).
With reference to figure 1, the composite yarn resulting from such an operation thus has a core 1 from which there extends radially, with continuity, a pile 2 of significant length (from about 3 mm to about 10 mm) as well as density along the axis of the core. An optimal effect is obtained by distributing the effect yarn with the linear density of six double whiskers per centimetre. For every centimetre of yarn there will therefore be something like 1632 micro-filaments (136 x 6 x 2), projecting with continuity from opposite sides of the core 1.
With reference now to figures 4 and 5, the composite fancy yarn thus obtained has a double advantageous effect. Firstly, there is an exponential amplification of the number of filaments in comparison with the use of a simple multi-filament texturized yarn. Assuming that the composite yarn is used for making a five-fingered glove 3 (figure 4) by means of a suitable glove-making machine (as clarified shortly hereafter), a straightforward calculation leads to the approximate number of over 14 million micro-filaments per glove. In contrast to this, one should consider an approximate number of 2448 micro-filaments (18 threads with 136 micro-filaments each) in a glove made with simple multi-filament texturized yarn available on the market.
Moreover, as can be appreciated clearly from figure 5, in the knitted fabric made with the composite yarn according to the invention, the filaments that form the pile 2, closely packed together, are arranged so as to be at an angle to a surface S to be dusted, so as to be able to remove and trap the dust as effectively as possible.
The uniformity of the pile, its linear density and the firmness with which, in a yarn of this type, it is anchored to the sewing core, cannot be found in other generically "pileous" yarns according to the prior art (bouclé yarns, raised yarns, chenille or whatever else). It is therefore clear that with such a yarn the basis is established for obtaining an effective dust-collecting textile product without additives or chemical treatments, directly by weaving or knitting of a yarn having intrinsical dust-trapping capability, and therefore without the need for refining treatments on the article already woven or knitted. Such a possibility can clearly be exploited, with a particular advantage, for making a five-fingered glove with a suitable knitting machine, for example a SHIMA SEIKI machine model SFG gauge 5, or else a MATSUYA gauge 5.
To ensure that the advantageous features of the composite yarn described above are kept as unaltered as possible in the finished product, and therefore that the same has the maximum cleaning efficiency, the invention provides for two further, important productive steps, described hereafter.
A first of these steps is related with the steaming treatment, necessary for stabilizing the yarn before weaving or knitting. In order to prevent that the steaming may cause a shortening of the filaments, during the same treatment or even after manufacture and during the lifetime of the finished dust-collecting article, it is particularly advantageous to make the yarn go through the treatment, in autoclave, in particular conditions. More specifically, an advantage has been noticed when: a reel of yarn is made with the thread guide arranged so as to maximize the crosswinding angle; and the yarn is wound very tightly on a cylindrical quill of reduced length, obtaining a reel having a large diameter D with respect to its height H (D/H ratio at least equal to about 1.5). As far as this last point is concerned, with reference to figure 2, a reel 4 with a quill 5 shall preferably have a D/H ratio of between about 1.5 and 4.5, and even more preferably between 2.5 and 4.5.
In this way, the reel is characterized by a high surface-volume ratio, thus promoting the penetration of steam into the material, at the same time with a strong mechanical compression effect of the fibre, to prevent the possible contraction of the pile. During the treatment, carried out at a temperature of about 100°C for a time of about 40 minutes, the reels are protected inside containers, for example open-top boxes covered with sheets of plastic material, to minimise the risk that the yarn might absorb the dust of the surrounding environment already in this step, getting dirty and taking an unpleasant dark colour: obviously, in this type of product a clear colouration is an extremely important feature, since it allows the user to see right away the dirt that has been removed.
A further step refers to a step after steaming, and immediately before the entry of the yarn, unwound from the reel, into the weaving or knitting machinery, in particular a glove knitting machine. With reference to figure 3, when the yarn is unwound from the reel, the filaments that form the pile 2 are inclined towards the core 1, due to the radial compression previously undergone in the formation of the same reel, with a consequent reduction in volume of the yarn. According to the invention the yarn is thus passed through a fixed ring 6 for redirecting the filaments, with the same filaments pointing towards the direction of axial advance. The diameter of the ring 6 is such as to engage with the pile and, thanks to the abutment action thus realized, to cause it to rotate backwards until it is taken back into a position substantially perpendicular to the core 1 of the yarn. The pile 2 thus once again has the maximum opening when the yarn is fed to the machine, and this will ensure that the voluminosity of the yarn can be maintained in the finished product.
As mentioned, the firmness with which the pile 2 is fixed to the core 1 ensures the stability of the yarn during the weaving or knitting step. This, as well as avoiding malfunctions and problems with the machine due to the dispersion of fragments of thread, ensures that the dust-collecting product obtained is able to ensure the maximum cleaning effectiveness, even after multiple washes.
Thanks to the present invention the objective of obtaining a dust-collecting textile product that, without making use of additives or chemical treatments, has a very strong capability to trap dust, a capability that remains as such use after use, for a long time, is thus achieved. Although the invention can advantageously be exploited to make a simple dust-collecting cloth, it shall clearly have a particularly advantageous exploitation in making a dust-collecting five-fingered glove. The special qualities of the textile material shall thus be further enhanced by a configuration that makes cleaning easier, quicker, more precise and more effective.
Variants and/or modifications can be brought to the process for obtaining a dust-collecting textile product, and to the textile products, in particular a five-fingered glove, made according to the present invention, without for this reason departing from the scope of protection of the invention itself as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

A process for manufacturing a dust-collecting textile product by making use of a multifilament texturized synthetic yarn, characterised in that a composite yarn is formed by cutting and sewing said texturized yarn as a pile yarn (2) to a core yarn (1), so as to obtain a thick succession of whiskers projecting radially from said core yarn (1), each whisker consisting of a bundle of micro-filaments, said composite yarn being fed to knitting or weaving machinery for realizing said dust-collecting product.
The process according to claim 1, wherein said texturized pile yarn (2) is a non-interlaced parallel assembled polyamide, polyester or polypropylene yarn.
The process according to claim 2, wherein said texturized pile yarn (2) has a count 78 dtex with 136 micro-filaments overall.
The process according to any of the previous claims, wherein said core yarn (1) is a parallel multi-filament polyamide, polyester or polypropylene yarn.
The process according to any of the previous claims, wherein said whiskers extending with continuity from said core yarn have a length comprised between 3 mm and 10 mm.
The process according to any of the previous claims, wherein said pile yarn (2) is distributed with the linear density of six double whiskers per centimetre of core yarn (1).
The process according to any of the previous claims, wherein said composite yarn is realized by means of a small adapted circular knitting machine with a sewing needle and a cutting needle.
The process according to any of the previous claims, wherein, prior to feeding said composite yarn to the knitting or weaving machinery, reels (4) are made by tightly winding the composite yarn so as to maximize the crosswinding angle around a cylindrical quill (5) of reduced length, said reels having a diameter/height ratio (D/H) at least equal to about 1.5, said reels undergoing a steaming treatment for the stabilization of the yarn.
The process according to claim 8, wherein said ratio (D/H) is between 1.5 and 4.5.
The process according to claim 9, wherein said ratio (D/H) is between 2.5 and 4.5.
The process according to any of the claims 8 to 10, wherein said steaming treatment is carried out in an autoclave with said reels (4) protected inside open-top boxes covered with sheets of plastic material.
The process according to claim 11, wherein said steaming treatment is carried out at a temperature of about 100°C for a time of about 40 minutes.
The process according to any of the previous claims, wherein prior to entry into said knitting or weaving machinery, said composite yarn is passed through a fixed ring (6) for redirecting said pile yarn (2), the diameter of said ring being such as to engage with said pile yarn (2) and, thanks to the abutment action thus produced, to cause it to rotate backwards to a position substantially perpendicular to said core yarn (1).
The process according to any of the previous claims, wherein said composite yarn is fed to a knitting machine for making five-fingered gloves (3) directly from yarn.
A dust-collecting textile product characterised in that it is made with a composite yarn formed by cutting and sewing a multifilament texturized synthetic yarn as a pile yarn (2) to a core yarn (1) so as to obtain a thick succession of whiskers projecting radially from said core yarn (1), each whisker consisting of a bundle of micro-filaments.
The dust-collecting textile product according to claim 15, wherein said texturized pile yarn is a non-interlaced parallel assembled polyamide, polyester or polypropylene yarn.
The dust-collecting textile product according to claim 16, wherein said texturized pile yarn (2) has a count 78 dTex with 136 micro-filaments overall.
The dust-collecting textile product according to any of the claims 15 to 17, wherein said core yarn (1) is a parallel multi-filament polyamide, polyester or polypropylene yarn.
The dust-collecting textile product according to any of the claims 15 to 17, wherein said whiskers extending with continuity from said core yarn (1) have a length comprised between 3 mm and 10 mm.
The dust-collecting textile product according to any of the claims 15 to 19, wherein said pile yarn (2) is distributed with the linear density of six double whiskers per centimetre of core yarn (1).
The dust-collecting textile product according to any of the claims 15 to 20, wherein said product is a five-fingered glove (3).