EP2964714A1

EP2964714A1 - A thermal adhesive tape for operating the closure of turned up parts or the coupling among many layers of fabric and provided with one removable protective layer

Info

Publication number: EP2964714A1
Application number: EP13724416.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Tamara DI PANCRAZIO; Matteo CATALDO; Michela CATALDO
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-03-04
Filing date: 2013-03-04
Publication date: 2016-01-13
Also published as: WO2014136129A1

Abstract

The present invention refers to a thermal-adhesive tape (1) for realizing turned up parts in a fabric or the coupling of two layers of fabric and comprising a first face (2') and a second face (3') between them (sewn or anyway coupled and) opposed and both provided with a thermally-activatable adhesive. In accordance with the invention, a removable protective layer (10) is further foreseen to cover at least one of said two faces (2', 3'), said protective layer being configured in such a way as not to adhere completely with the adhesive with which it is in direct contact when said adhesive is activated with temperature.

Description

TITLE

A THERMAL ADHESIVE TAPE FOR OPERATING THE CLOSURE OF TURNED UP PARTS OR THE COUPLING AMONG MANY LAYERS OF FABRIC AND PROVIDED WITH ONE REMOVABLE PROTECTIVE LAYER

Technical field

The present invention refers to the technical field relative to the making of fabrics such as clothing items (jackets, trousers, coats, skirts, etc.) but also fabrics destined to the making of curtains, for example.

In particular, the invention refers to an innovative type of thermal-adhesive tape for operating the closure of parts of fabric to couple or turn up and that allows to operate a fast and precise closure or coupling between the parts .

The invention refers also to the method of realization of the turn-up or the coupling between the parts through the use of said thermal-adhesive tape.

Background art

It is known that the realization of clothing items in general, such as jackets, skirts, trousers, coats and the like, requires the realization of turn-ups or the reciprocal union of two layers between them that were initially separated. By turn-ups it is intended that some portions have to be folded on one side of the item, generally the internal side of the item, and then fixed to it. An example can be the turn-up of the sleeves of a jacket or a coat, as well as the bottom of a pair of trousers or a skirt.

The techniques to realize such a turn-up or couplings are many.

For example, one of these comprises an operation of "blind stitch" sewing and that comprises the operation of sewing the turned up part with the internal part of the item on which it is folded. The sewing passes through the entire thickness of the turned up part but does not pass through the entire thickness of the item on which the turn-up lays down. In this way, the sewing does not emerge outside and therefore is not visible from the external part of the item itself. Nevertheless, such a type of sewing requires an adjustment of high precision for the sewing machines and such adjustment cannot be easily obtained in the case of particularly thin fabrics, such as summer clothing items.

With the aim of solving said technical problem, it has been proposed and it has been known for some time the use of a particular tape of the bi-adhesive type. The tape in fact comprises two strips of fabric which are sewn between them in an overlapped manner, that is coupled on two opposed faces and sewn together between them. The two faces opposed to the sewing are covered with a particular adhesive resin which is activated with heat.

It is therefore enough to interpose the tape between the turned up corner and the internal part of the item to which to fix the corner and proceed with the operation of ironing .

In particular, a first ironing operation of the turn up takes place, without the use of the tape, in such a way as to define the turn up to create. Subsequently, along a reference line, into the turn-up the tape is inserted and a second ironing operation of the folded turn-up takes place and containing the said tape. The heat of the iron therefore activates the resin which makes that the tape interposed adheres to both the turned up corner on one side and the inside of the fabric on which the corner has been turned up on the other one, thus joining the two parts .

In fact the tape works as an ordinary bi-adhesive tape interposed between two parts to join, in which the adhesive is activated by the reaching of a certain threshold temperature during the ironing action.

A technical problem relative to this solution is however that, following the operation of ironing the sewing that joins the two strips of tape is anyway visible from the outside because it marks deeply the fabric. The sewing obviously does not pierce the fabric but marks it by means of the effect of the ironing, therefore from the outside the profile of the underlying sewing can be seen and followed. Moreover, being the tape interposed in the turn-up it is not possible to have the certainty of its correct position since it can accidentally move and complex vacuum systems are requested to guarantee its hold in the pre-chosen position.

In order to solve the technical problem relative to the visibility from the outside of the sewing, it has been proposed, and is already known, patent application MI98A000685 in which a tape is described whose two strips that constitute it are sewn between them through such a blind stitch that a face of the tape is not entirely passed through by the sewing or is slightly touched in a few discrete spots.

The tape is therefore interposed in the turn-up in such a way that the part with sewing faces the internal part of the clothing item, while the other adhesive strip, which is not entirely passed through by the sewing or is just touched, adheres on the part of the turn-up that faces the external part of the clothing item. In this way, following the ironing to activate the resin and operate the adhesion between the two parts, the marking will result evident just on the non-visible part of the clothing item.

The use of this improving technology has contributed in a great manner to solve the technical problems relative to the visibility of the sewing.

Nevertheless, such a tape and the preceding ones anyway present some disadvantages linked mainly to the realization process of the turn-up itself and the machineries that can be used to make such an operation.

As previously noted, in fact, currently a preliminary ironing of the turn-up is foreseen in such a way as to create its folding or pre-folding line. At this stage the turn-up is re-opened and the thermal-adhesive tape is positioned on the open fabric (preferably on the internal fabric) along that that will be the joining line. The tape is maintained in position through machineries provided with vacuums that vacuum the entire fabric. The corner on the fabric is then folded again and the ironing takes place in order to activate the resin and complete the operation of closure.

The same operation is made in the case of union of two different fabrics.

The vacuum machines cannot guarantee an adequate hold of position and therefore there is a high risk of translation of the thermal-adhesive tape before it activates. In that sense, the adhesion of the tape can easily take place in a wrong position.

Another big technical problem concerns the fact that, when the thickness and the type of fabric varies, the passage of the heat through the turn-up (as also in the case of two layers of fabric to couple) does not take place in the same manner. In fact, there is no direct contact between iron and tape and therefore the reaching of the optimal conditions of temperature for the activation of the resin can require different times and modalities according to the thicknesses and fabrics that are coupled.

It is not therefore possible to standardize the production with the risk that the temperature used or the time of contact for the activation of the resin does not result enough, taking to a closure of the turn-up that is absolutely inadequate with the consequent waste of the item.

Disclosure of invention

It is therefore the aim of the present invention to provide an innovative type of thermal-adhesive tape that solves said technical inconveniences.

In particular, it is the aim of the present invention to provide a particular type of thermal-adhesive tape that allows a coupling between the fabrics that is precise, without the risk of accidental movements of the tape and that, at the same time, guarantees an optimal activation of the adhesive for not risking to incur serious problems of quality that would cause the waste of the product.

These and other aims are therefore obtained with the present thermal-adhesive tape 1 for the coupling of two parts of fabric, for example during the making of turned up parts or the simple union of two layers of fabric, in accordance with claim 1.

The thermal-adhesive tape, in accordance with the invention, comprises a first face (2' ) and a second face (3') opposed between them and both provided with a thermally-activatable adhesive. For example, thermoplastic or thermal-hardening resins can be used as adhesives and the adhesive can be distributed in discrete spots or spread in a quite uniform way.

In accordance with the invention, at least one of said two faces (2', 3' ) provided with the thermally- activatable adhesive results further covered with a protective layer 10.

In particular, in accordance with the invention, the type of protective layer 10 is selected in such a way that, following an activation of the adhesive and its consequent cooling, this adheres slightly with the underlying adhesive material with which it is in direct contact, therefore resulting removable and leaving at the same time the adhesive on the face (2', 3) that covered still perfectly idoneous to operate one or more new cycles of activation with its adhesive power almost unvaried.

In such a way, all said technical inconveniences are solved.

In particular, in the productive process (for example in the case of the turn-up) it is not necessary anymore to interpose the tape in the turn-up before operating the activation of the adhesive.

Now, thanks to the protective layer 10, it is possible to preliminarily apply the tape directly on the open fabric without the need of a pre-turn-up and pass the iron directly in contact on the tape on the part of the protective layer, therefore avoiding that the underlying adhesive ruins or sticks to the surface of the iron despite its activation.

In such a way, the tape can now be positioned on the extended fabric, along a closing line (indifferently on the corner or on the internal part of the fabric or simply on one of the two layers of fabric that want to be joined) . The tape is positioned in such a way that its face lacking the protective layer is in contact with the fabric on which to operate the turn-up, while the protective layer faces upwards on the opposite side, therefore in direct contact with the source of heat, either of the iron or of any other machine. Once the tape has been positioned, the user can now make the iron slide directly on the tape in contact with the protective layer. In this way, the heat will activate the adhesive that will make the tape adhere on the part in contact with the fabric but the protective tape will impede that the adhesive, though activated, grips against it or against the surface that generates the source of heat, for example the iron.

Being this operation made with the fabric open, that is without trapping the tape in the turn-up or between the two fabrics to join, the user has a way of verifying visibly the positioning of the tape so as to maintain its correct position during all the ^"application process.

Unlike the background art, there is not the risk anymore of making a fixing of the turn-up with the tape positioned wrongly.

Moreover, the surface that transmits the heat is now in direct contact with the tape 1 without the interposition of any fabric, therefore allowing a control of the temperatures and of the times of application that is very precise and independent from the fabrics to couple .

This new type of tape, above all, allows now the use of machines that are alternatives of the iron, such as continuous presses or plate presses, scissors presses and anyway all those machineries that before the invention were not used. In fact, before the use of vacuum machines was necessary to maintain the tape in position, something that is not absolutely necessary anymore. The use of irons which allowed to position the fabric on a surface provided with vacuum machines was binding.

In accordance with the invention, the user, after the process of activation of the adhesive, can without problems remove the protective layer and fold the corner on the tape to operate the closure of the turn-up, or leave the tape lacking or provided with protective layer for any other industrial passage that the fabric, or the clothing item, has to encounter in the production line. It will be enough to heat again the adhesive so that it fluidifies and re-solidifying after some seconds, creating the cohesion with the surface of the fabric with which it is placed in contact.

Advantageously, the protective layer (10) can be selected in a silicone material since it is an optimal anti-adherent .

Moreover, silicone rubbers have the peculiarity of being significantly resistant to temperature, chemical attacks and oxidation, and are optimal electric insulators. In particular, they are elastic, resistant to age and to high temperatures .

The use of silicone has the further advantage of the cheapness in its production since a low cost material can be used, for example, such as the paper tape, to then cover it with silicone. Moreover, it is resistant to oxidation and therefore resists in time.

Advantageously, in that sense, the protective layer

(10) can be a tape covered with silicone, for example a paper tape or a tape of any other material.

Alternatively to the silicone, advantageously, the protective layer (10) can be selected of Teflon.

It is equally adapted to the aims since it is a plastic material resistant to temperatures superior to 200 °C and with good "anti-adherence" features and a good chemical inertia- By anti-adherence it is intended precisely that the surface is not gluable and it is not known any adhesive capable of glueing the PTFE. These features assume further importance if it is considered that they remain basically unaltered in a temperature comprised between -80 °C and 250 °C.

In that sense, at least in terms of anti-adherence for the main aims of the invention, Teflon is an optimal valid alternative, particularly in ranges of temperature inferior to 250 °C, for example around 100 °C - 150 °C.

In all the solutions described above, advantageously, the tape can be for example formed by:

- A first strip (2) and a second strip (3) overlapped between them and connected;

- Both strips being provided with said thermally- activatable adhesive in correspondence of their respective faces opposed to that of said connection.

Advantageously, said first and second strip can be for example sewn between them.

Advantageously, the sewing can be for example of the

"blind stitch" type.

Alternatively, advantageously, said first and second strip can be joined between them with glue, thermosealing or ultrasound.

Advantageously, the thermally-activatable adhesive can be a resin, for example a thermoplastic or a thermal- hardening resin.

It is also here further described the use of a tape (1) as described above for the formation of a turn-up in a fabric or for the coupling of two or more fabrics among them.

It is also here described a roll of thermal-adhesive tape (1) as described above.

It is also here described a method for producing a thermal-adhesive tape (1) as described above; the method foreseeing the phases of:

- Unwinding of a continuous tape of protective layer (10) and unwinding of a second continuous tape provided with thermally-activatable adhesive on both its two faces (3', 4' ) ;

- Coupling of said two tapes inside a machinery in such a way that the continuous tape of protective layer (10) is overlapped on a face (3' , 4') provided with adhesive of the second continuous tape, said operation of coupling foreseeing the reaching of the temperature of activation of the adhesive;

- Re-winding of the tape produced.

It is also here described a method for operating the union between two overlapped layers of fabric, for example in a turn-up or in the overlapping of two different fabrics initially separated, and comprising the operations of:

- Application, on a first layer of fabric, of an adhesive tape (1) provided with a first face (2' ) and a second face (3') opposed between them and both provided with a thermally-activatable adhesive;

- Application of a protective layer (10) to cover the face (2', 3' ) of the tape opposite to that in contact with the fabric; - Application directly on the protective tape (10) of a surface (300) at a pre-determined temperature (T) suitable for activating the adhesive;

- Removal of the protective layer (10), said protective layer being configured in such a way as to result removable after the activation of the adhesive, leaving at the same time the adhesive on the face (2', 3) idoneous to operate a new activation cycle.

- Application of the second layer of fabric in direct contact on the tape (1) in correspondence of the face from where the protective tape (10) has been removed and new activation of the adhesive.

In this case, therefore, the protective tape is separated and applied separately with respect to the tape of the background art provided with the adhesive.

Last, it is described here a further method for operating the union between two overlapped layers of fabric, for example in a turn-up or in the overlapping of two separate fabrics, and comprising the operations of:

- Application, on a layer of fabric, of an adhesive tape (1) provided with a first face (2' ) and a second face (3' ) opposed between them and both provided with a thermally-activatable adhesive, at least one of said two faces being further covered with a protective layer (10) configured in such a way as to result removable after the activation of the adhesive, leaving at the same time the adhesive on the face (2' , 3) idoneous to operate a new activation cycle;

- Application directly on the protective tape (10) of a surface (300) at a pre-determined temperature (T) suitable for activating the adhesive; - Removal of the protective layer (10);

- Application of the second layer of fabric in contact on the tape (1) in correspondence of the face from where the protective tape (10) has been removed and new activation of the adhesive.

In this case the protective tape is integrated to the tape provided with thermally-activatable glue and therefore the method results faster.

Advantageously, in all said cases, said two layers at choice:

Belong to a single turned-up fabric- Are two fabrics independent one from the other.

Advantageously, the operation of application of the surface (300) foresees the passage of an iron (300) or a plate press or a continuous press.

Brief description of drawings

Further features and advantages of the present tape and relative method of use, according to the invention, will result clearer with the description that follows of some of its embodiments, made to illustrate but not to limit, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

- Figure 1 shows a thermal-adhesive tape 1 in accordance with the present invention, therefore provided with a protective layer 10;

- Figure 2 shows the thermal-adhesive layer lacking the protective layer;

- Figure 3 shows anchoring spots 20 for allowing the protective tape 10 to adhere to the underlying tape also when the adhesive is not activated, in such a way as to be able to produce rolls of such a tape provided with protective tape;

- Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of such anchoring points 20; - Figures from 5 to 10 show an example of use for the realization of a turn-up or the coupling of two separate fabrics .

Description of some preferred embodiments

Figure 1 shows a thermal-adhesive tape 1 in accordance with the invention. The tape, as per the background art, and as shown in figure 2, is formed by two strips (2, 3) for example of interfacing material, fabric, nonwoven fabric, according to the needs.

The two strips, as shown in figure 2, are coupled between them by overlapping the one on top of the other, in such a way that the face of one results opposed to the face of the other one and operating a stitch 4.

The stitch can obviously be of any type and preferably, but not necessarily, of the invisible stitch type. The stitch can be realized along a seamline which is preferably in the middle of the strip but, naturally, it could be in any different position or with multiple stitches (that is many stitches) .

Other examples of stitches that can be used can be for example of rectilinear stitch, lock stitch, zig-zag, simple chain, blind stich, heavy stitching or A F, 327, 329.

Other types of coupling different from the stitch can be realized, such as for example glueing, thermosealing and/or ultrasound.

In a variant of the invention, although a thermal- adhesive tape obtained through the coupling of two separate strips of fabric is described, it is obvious that the tape can be a single fabric, for example tapes of fabric or nonwoven fabric.

Always as per the background art the two faces (3' , 4') of the tape are spread with an adhesive in the form of thermoplastic resin or of the thermal-hardening type.

With reference to figure 2 the two faces opposite to the stitch are indicated with (2' , 3' ) .

Examples of such a type of resin can comprise the Polyamide, Co-Polyamide, Interlining (PA-PES) , Polyester, Polyurethane resins.

Such resins can be spread on the faces 2' and 3' of the two strips (or of the single strip if the tape is in a single strip) either in a point way (therefore generating discrete points of resin on the said two surfaces) or spreading in a uniform way.

Such resins are such as to be activated with the increase of the temperature when a threshold temperature is reached. In particular, the so-called "parameters of activation of the resins" are of importance, which are temperature (T) , time (t) and pressure (p) .

Once the threshold temperature is reached, with the passing of time and according to the pressure exerted, the resin passes from the solid state to a rubber state until the subsequent transformation in fluid or semi-liquid, on the basis of the specific resin used.

This transformation makes that the resin, at the rubber state or anyway semi-liquid, acquires an adhesive power and creates a cohesion with the fabric with which it is coupled following a new subsequent solidification and therefore realizing a glueing. This is so because during the solidification, obviously, a grip is created with the surface with which the resin is in direct contact.

In accordance with the invention, as shown in figure 1, the tape is covered in correspondence of at least one of its faces (for example the face 2' or the face 3' ) with a protective layer 10.

In a first embodiment of the invention such a protective layer is selected in a silicone material, for example silicone treated paper or siliconized paper.

By siliconized paper it is intended a tape of paper covered externally with a silicone layer arranged at least in the part destined to go in direct contact with the resin. The silicone can be pure or charged with other substances according to mixtures anyway containing a good percentage of silicone.

It is obvious that the tape does not have to be necessarily of paper but can be realized of any other material, for example fabric, which is then externally covered with silicone.

Preferably, the protective layer 10 is entirely siliconized externally.

The protective layer thus obtained does not impede the passage of heat but its composition is such that the resin, when it passes with the increase of temperature to the fluid state to then become solid again with the decrease of temperature, creates a minimal adhesion with the tape itself, thus guaranteeing a minimal and essential seal, which is long-lasting.

The resin point, in fact, once heated reaches a rubber state that allows as per the background art a strong anchoring in the case there is direct application on the fabric. In case of use of the siliconized protective tape 10, even taking the resin to the rubber or fluid state, following the cooling the anchoring to the tape is minimal since the silicone is refracting to the anchoring with the adhesive. In this way, a minimum seal of the protective tape and an easy removal thereof are simply guaranteed, leaving at the same time the underlying resin integral, ready for a new use.

Such resins have in fact the property of suffering several fusions and coolings before starting to lose adhesive or glueing features.

The silicone does not adhere to the resin, or rather adheres in a very light way, since it has good anti- adherence features so that the structure of the resin cannot grasp the silicone layer.

Having said that, the productive process preferred to produce a roll of thermal-adhesive tape 1 as per figure 1 is the following.

Once the two strips (3, 4) are sewn, the tape that is found in reels of different sizes is obtained. It is now necessary to couple to it the protective layer 10 in such a way as to obtain a final tape as per figure 1.

To that aim, to be able to join the silicone paper with the sewn tape, it is necessary to activate (through exposition to heat) the resin present in one of the two adhesive faces (2' , 3' ) in such a way that the silicone protective tape anchors in a light way to the face to which it is coupled.

To that aim, both the tape formed by the coupling of the two strips (3, 4) and the tape of silicone paper unwind with the help of a continuous press. Basically, in input to the continuous press there arrive separately the tape formed by the two strips coupled provided with resin and a tape of silicone paper. These couple inside the machinery in such a way that the silicone paper overlaps one of the two faces (2', 3')· During such a coupling the machinery produces also an increase of temperature to activate the resin.

In exit the two tapes (the one of silicone-treated paper and the one provided with resin) are coupled as per figure 1 and the immediate cooling of the resin, as explained, makes that the protective tape 10 adheres with a minimum value of adhesion.

In this way a roll ready for use is obtained.

By minimum adhesion value, as already explained, is intended the possibility of removing it easily without causing tears to the silicone-treated tape itself or to the underlying strip to which it is coupled and leaving integral and functioning the underlying layer of thermal- adhesive resin applied to the face (2', 3' ) .

This is possible, as said, thanks to the intrinsic physical properties of silicone.

This process has the advantage of being quick and of requiring just an activation of the resin, without having to make physical modifications to the external silicone layer to obtain the anchoring.

A productive variant, although the one above is to be considered the preferred one for the advantages mentioned, can foresee in alternative as shown in figure 3, the creation of anchoring spots 20 that allow the fixing. Such anchoring spots 20 create a kind of local thickening with greater coefficient of friction since, locally, asperities enter in corresponding micrometric cavities formed by the underlying hard layer of resin. A still better grip can be obtained always by activating the resin, as described above, even if the realization of said anchoring spots obviously complicates the productive process of the silicone-treated paper.

Alternatively, remaining what has already been described valid, a tape in Teflon, whose behavior with respect to the resin is similar to the silicone, can be added to the protective tape of silicone.

Obviously, other materials treated with chemical components refracting to the anchoring of the resin or of the glue could be used. Having said that, the subsequent figures from 5 to 10 show an example of use of the present tape in accordance with the invention. The example shows the case of realization of a turn-up but it is obvious that the same technology can be used to couple two or more fabrics among them and not just in the field of clothing but also in other fields such as in the realization of curtains.

Figure 5 shows the arrangement on the fabric 100, on which to operate the turn-up, of the thermal-adhesive tape 1 in accordance with the invention. The dotted line 200 represents the border line of the turn-up.

Thanks to the presence of the protective tape 10 (for example of silicone or of Teflon as said), now it is not necessary anymore to have to operate preliminarily the folding to then interpose the tape to iron the folding.

It is in fact possible to apply directly the tape 1 in the pre-chosen position and pass the iron in such a way that it reaches the temperature of activation of the thermo-resin .

Figure 6 shows in fact the advancement of the iron

300 along a direction indicated with the direction of arrow .

During the passage of the iron 300 the resin is activated and on one part, that in direct contact with the fabric 100, grips as soon as it solidifies in a solid manner (in a few seconds) . In the same way, contextually, the resin in contact with the protective tape is activated but during its solidification the degree of seal is minimal by means of the properties of silicone.

Figure 7 enlarges the passage of the iron and highlights the protective layer 10 and the strip provided with thermally-activatable resin and interposed precisely between the fabric 100 and the protective tape. At the end of the passage of the iron the situation will be that by which the resin activated has gripped both on the fabric and on the protective layer 10 but with a coefficient of seal that is significantly different. In the fabric the grip is strong and definite while, as said before, the seal of the protective tape is minimal so that said tape results easily removable, leaving almost unaltered the underlying layer of resin arranged on the face of the strip and ready for use again.

It is obvious that the use of a protective tape thus made allows to modify the process of realization of a turn-up or of coupling between the fabrics, solving the technical problems of the background art.

Now, being the iron in direct contact with the tape 1 without the interposition of the folding fabric, the correct position of the tape during the passage of the heating surface of the iron can be controlled visibly and in a more precise manner. Moreover, there is an optimal control of the process since the parameters of temperature, time and pressure result less subject to falls of temperature that would not guarantee the correct glueing of the thermal-adhesive during the application.

As per figure 8 the protective tape 10 can now be removed. The resin, turned to the solid state, presents itself slightly crushed, having suffered the pressure of the iron or of the press, though maintaining unaltered all its capacities.

It is only now that the turn-up assumes its definite form since, as per figure 9 and 10, is folded on the strip lacking the protective tape and then the iron is passed on the fabric again, making that the resin point previously cooled can be re-activated and can anchor again (this time directly on the folded fabric) . This solution allows the use not just of the iron but also of any other machine capable of exercising a pressure with a pre-determined surface at temperature, for example a press.

The example of figure 6 and 7 in which the passage of an iron is highlighted is not therefore to be considered in a limiting manner.

In a further variant nothing would impede the use of a thermal-adhesive tape as per the background art which is covered with a separate sheet of silicone-treated paper or Teflon at the moment in which, operatively, the turn-up has to be made and therefore the passage of the iron has to be made.

The sheet of siliconized paper or Teflon is therefore taken and is applied on the thermal-adhesive tape laid on the fabric and the procedure follows exactly as described, without the need to have to purchase a roll of tape 1 as per figure 1.

Claims

1. A thermal-adhesive tape (1) for realizing turned up parts in a fabric or the coupling of two separate layers of fabric and comprising:

- A first face (2' ) and a second face (3' ) opposed between them and both provided with a thermally- activatable adhesive;

Characterized in that a protective layer (10) is further foreseen to cover at least one of said two faces (2' , 3' ) and configured in such a way as to result removable after the activation of the adhesive, leaving at the same time the adhesive, on the face (2' , 3) of which it was placed to cover, idoneous to operate a new activation cycle.

2. A thermal-adhesive tape (1), as per claim 1, wherein said protective layer (10) is of silicone material.

3. A thermal-adhesive tape (1), as per claim 1 or 2, wherein said protective layer (10) is a tape covered with silicone.

4. A thermal-adhesive tape (1), as per claim 3, wherein said tape is of paper.

5. A thermal-adhesive tape (1), as per claim 1, wherein said protective layer (10) is a layer of Teflon.

6. A thermal-adhesive tape (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the tape is formed of:

- Both strips being provided with said thermally- activatable adhesive in correspondence of their respective faces (2', 3' ) opposed to that of said connection .

7. A thermal-adhesive tape (1), as per claim 6, wherein said first and second strip are sewn between them.

8. A thermal-adhesive tape (1), as per claim 7, wherein said sewing is of the "blind stitch" type.

9. A thermal-adhesive tape (1), as per claim 6, wherein said first and second strip can be connected between them at choice with:

- Glue;

- Thermosealing;

- Ultrasound.

10. A thermal-adhesive tape (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said thermally-activatable adhesive is a resin.

11. A thermal-adhesive tape (1), as per claim 10, wherein said resin is a thermoplastic resin or a resin of the thermal-hardening type.

12. The use of a tape (1) as per one or more of the preceding claims for the formation of a turn-up in a fabric or for the coupling of two or more fabrics between them.

13. A roll of thermal-adhesive tape (1) as per one or more of the preceding claims from 1 to 11.

14. A method for producing a thermal-adhesive tape (1) as per one or more of claims from 1 to 11, the method foreseeing the phases of:

- Unwinding of a continuous tape of protective layer (10) and unwinding of a second continuous tape provided with thermally-activatable adhesive on both its two faces (3' , A');

- Coupling of said two tapes inside a machinery in such a way that the continuous tape of protective layer (10) is overlapped on a face (3', 4') provided with adhesive of the second continuous tape, said operation of coupling foreseeing the reaching of the temperature of activation of the adhesive;

- Re-winding of the tape produced.

15. A method for operating the union between two overlapped layers of fabric, for example in a turn-up or in the overlapping of two separate fabrics, and comprising the operations of:

- Application, on a layer of fabric, of an adhesive tape (1) provided with a first face (2' ) and a second face (3' ) opposed between them and both provided with a thermally-activatable adhesive;

- Application of a protective layer (10) to cover the face (2', 3' ) of the tape opposite to that in contact with the fabric;

- Application directly on the protective tape (10) of a surface (300) at a pre-determined temperature (T) suitable for activating the adhesive;

- Removal of the protective layer (10) , said protective layer being configured in such a way as to result removable after the activation of the adhesive, leaving at the same time the adhesive on the face (2', 3) idoneous to operate a new activation cycle.

A method for operating the union between two overlapped layers of fabric, for example in a turn-up or in the overlapping of two different fabrics, and comprising the operations of:

Application, on a layer of fabric, of an adhesive tape (1) provided with a first face (2') and a second face (3' ) opposed between them and both provided with a thermally-activatable adhesive, at least one of said two faces being further covered with a protective layer (10) configured in such a way as to result removable after the activation of the adhesive, leaving at the same time the adhesive on the face (2' , 3) idoneous to operate a new activation cycle;

Application directly on the protective tape (10) of a surface (300) at a pre-determined temperature (T) suitable for activating the adhesive;

Removal of the protective layer (10);

Application of the second layer of fabric in contact on the tape (1) in correspondence of the face from where the protective tape (10) has been removed and new activation of the adhesive. 17. A method, as per claim 15 or 16, wherein said two layers at choice:

- Belong to a single turned-up fabric;

- Are two fabrics independent one from the other. A method, as per one or more of claims from 15 to 17, wherein the operation of application of the surface (300) foresees the passage of an iron (300) or of a plate press or continuous press.