FR3081479A1 - METHOD OF MARKING A TEXTILE USING A THERMOEFACABLE INK - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for marking a coated textile, characterized in that the marking is carried out by applying an ink absorbing and / or reflecting at least one wavelength in the visible range when it is applied to said textile at a temperature within a predetermined range of use, said ink not absorbing or reflecting wavelength in the visible range if said textile is subjected, at least at said marking, to a temperature greater than or equal to a disappearing temperature, said ink absorbing and / or reflecting again at least one wavelength in the visible range if the textile is then subjected, at least at the level of said marking, to a temperature below a reappearance temperature, said reappearing temperature being lower than the minimum temperature of the predetermined range of use.

Description

METHOD OF MARKING A TEXTILE USING A THERMOEFFACABLE INK

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for marking a coated textile, the marking disappearing when the textile is subjected to a temperature greater than or equal to a predetermined temperature.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a marking method in which the mark is visible when it is applied to a coated textile at an ambient temperature, the mark becoming invisible if the textile is exposed to a higher temperature.

PRIOR STATE OF THE ART

Coated textiles are used in a large number of fields of application, including banner blinds, barns, truck tarpaulins, etc.

Like any material, the coating layer has a melting or softening point. This melting point depends on the constitution of the coating layer.

This characteristic is problematic when the textile is subjected to a temperature greater than or equal to the melting temperature of the coating layer in an uncontrolled manner. Indeed, the coating layer softens, even melts and spreads heterogeneously. Thus, when the textile is again at a temperature below the melting temperature of the coating layer, the coating layer is no longer uniform and the properties of the textile are impaired. For example, the seal may be lost if portions of the fabric are no longer coated.

This characteristic is also problematic, for example, in the case where the coated textile is wound on itself for its storage or its transport. Indeed, if the rolled up textile is subjected to a temperature higher or equal to the melting temperature of the coating layer, then the textile is found welded in unwanted places and this one cannot be unrolled any more the least without damaging the textile. It would be advantageous to have a simple and reliable system allowing to know if a textile has been subjected to a temperature too high to know the reasons which could have degraded the integrity of said textile.

On the other hand, this characteristic has a certain advantage when it is a question of assembling several textile bands together. In fact, the coating layer is brought to a temperature greater than or equal to its melting temperature at the level of the assembly zones. Thus, the coating layer melts and the two textiles are welded once the coating layer solidifies. This makes it possible to obtain a continuous coating layer which, among other things, ensures a good seal over the entire textile product thus made.

However, when assembling two textile strips, it is generally necessary to mark a mark on a first textile strip so as to correctly position a second textile strip relative to the first textile strip. Depending on the layout of the marker, the operators cover the marker with the second textile, or place the second textile flush with the mark.

When it is desired that the mark is no longer visible after assembly, the second textile must be positioned so as to cover the mark. The precise positioning of the two tissues is delicate, since the mark is no longer visible.

In the case where the second textile is positioned flush with said mark, the operator can leave the mark visible if the aesthetics of the textile is not restrictive. However, in general, it is preferable to erase the marker after assembly, but this task is complicated and delicate, since the marker is in an area with a certain relief.

It would be more advantageous to be able to position the second textile strip at the edge of the mark and to be able to make this mark disappear in a simple and effective manner once the two textile strips have been assembled.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

On the strength of these observations, the Applicant has developed a method for marking a coated textile in which the marking disappears when it is subjected to a predetermined temperature.

Thus, the invention relates to a method for marking a coated textile, characterized in that the marking is carried out by application of an ink absorbing and / or reflecting at least one wavelength in the visible range during its application on said textile at a temperature within a predetermined range of use, said ink neither absorbing nor reflecting wavelength in the visible range if said textile is subjected, at least at the level of said marking, to a higher temperature or equal to a disappearance temperature, said ink absorbing and / or reflecting again at least one wavelength in the visible range if the textile is then subjected, at least at the level of said marking, to a temperature below a reappearance temperature , said reappearance temperature being lower than the minimum temperature of the predetermined range of use.

Any type of coated textile can be marked by the marking process according to the invention. Preferably, the textile is coated with a coating layer based on polyvinyl chloride (PVC from the English polyvinyl chloride).

The marking is carried out by applying an ink to said coated textile. In general, the heat-erasable inks sold by the company PILOT can be used, in particular mention may be made of the ink described in patent EP 2 468 828. The step of applying said ink is carried out at a temperature of a predetermined range of use. In practice, the predetermined range of use is from 5 ° C to 70 ° C. Advantageously, the predetermined range of use corresponds to the usual working temperatures of those skilled in the art. Thus, a predetermined range of preferred use extends from 15 ° C to 40 ° C, and an even more preferred range extends from 20 ° C to 30 ° C.

The application step can be carried out by any known means. Advantageously, the ink is applied using a pen, a pad or an inking roller or the like.

According to the invention, the ink absorbs and / or reflects at least one wavelength in the visible range when it is applied at a temperature within said predetermined range of use. The ink may be opaque or transparent, but it must be visible to the naked eye when it is applied to said coated textile.

After the step of applying the ink to said coated textile, a mark is thus visible. Said mark remains visible as long as the coated textile, at least, the part of the marked textile, is not subjected to a temperature greater than or equal to a disappearance temperature.

The disappearance temperature corresponds to the temperature at which said ink disappears. Thus, when the ink is subjected to a temperature greater than or equal to the disappearance temperature, said ink neither absorbs nor reflects a wavelength in the visible range. In other words, the ink becomes transparent and colorless.

In other words, said mark becomes invisible to the naked eye when the textile is heated to a temperature greater than or equal to the disappearance temperature.

The disappearance temperature advantageously corresponds to the melting temperature of the coating layer of said coated textile so that the mark is no longer visible to the naked eye when the textile has been subjected to a temperature greater than or equal to the melting temperature of the coating layer.

The reappearance temperature is lower than the temperature corresponding to the lower limit of the predetermined range of use. Indeed, it is preferable that the brand does not reappear under normal conditions of use to obtain the expected result. If the mark was visible after exceeding the disappearance temperature and returning to a temperature within the predetermined range of use, then one could not know whether the disappearance temperature was reached at a given time or not.

In other words, the brand does not reappear at the disappearing temperature when the temperature decreases. Thus, the disappearance temperature is higher than the reappearance temperature and the reappearance temperature is lower than the temperature corresponding to the lower limit of the predetermined range of use.

If the reappearance temperature is reached, the mark disappears again only if the disappearance temperature is reached again.

Even if in general, the ink has the same optical properties before disappearance and after reappearance, it may be advantageous in certain applications, that the ink absorbs and or reflects at least one different wavelength in the visible after reappearance. In other words, it is advantageous if the optical properties of the ink are different if the ink has disappeared and reappeared than if the ink has not disappeared. This is advantageous because it is then possible to detect whether the textile has been subjected to a temperature greater than or equal to the disappearance temperature and then to a temperature less than or equal to the reappearance temperature.

In other words, it is advantageous for the mark present on the textile after reappearance to be of a different color and / or opacity than the mark initially affixed on the textile.

The invention also relates to a textile obtained from the process described above, said textile having a mark. In other words, the invention also relates to a textile marked with a heat-erasable ink.

The brand can take many forms. In general, the mark can be a one-dimensional pattern, that is to say composed of lines or curves, a segment, a line, a curve, a letter, a word or a sentence, a drawing or a two-dimensional pattern, or a QR code coding information related to the textile concerned. In the case where the mark is a design, it may be a company logo. If the mark is a letter, word or phrase, it may be a trademark or a warning.

The invention also relates to the use of the textile described above, to detect whether the textile has been subjected, in particular during its transport, to a temperature greater than or equal to the disappearance temperature.

As part of this use, the brand can be positioned anywhere on the textile.

Advantageously, said mark is positioned on an edge of said textile. Positioning said mark on a selvedge makes it possible to quickly and efficiently visualize whether the textile has been subjected to a temperature greater than or equal to the disappearance temperature. Indeed, it is preferable that the user can identify with certainty and quickly the location of the mark in order to visualize whether said mark has disappeared or not.

Advantageously, the mark may contain information on a maximum temperature to which the textile has been subjected, on the date of manufacture at the lot number or even the identity of the transporter and the dates of transport of the textile. Thus, as indicated previously, the mark can be a QR code or a drawing, said drawing possibly representing a gauge.

If a QR code is drawn, the QR code may refer to a website presenting information. We can for example consider drawing several QR codes with different inks so that each one is erased independently depending on the temperature reached.

If a gauge is drawn, it may be advantageous to use several inks with a different disappearance temperature. This is advantageous because it is then possible to determine directly by simple reading, or with reference to an explanatory note if the textile has been subjected to a temperature higher than the temperature of disappearance of one or more of the inks.

In a particular embodiment, the mark is an outline delimiting an area intended to be covered by at least one other textile. This embodiment facilitates the work of making operators. As indicated above, to date, so that the mark is no longer visible after assembly, operators must superimpose the mark and the fabric which creates uncertainty as to the correct positioning of the two textiles in relation to the other or erase the mark after assembly, which is a complicated and delicate task. In this particular embodiment, the operator can position the second textile at the edge of the brand, which considerably reduces the risks of incorrect positioning.

Thus, the invention also relates to a process for welding at least two textiles coated with each other, comprising at least the following steps:

obtaining a textile having a mark representing a contour as described above, obtaining at least one other coated textile, positioning of at least one other textile on said textile having a mark representing a contour, at the edge of said contour, welding said textiles at a temperature greater than or equal to the disappearance temperature.

During the welding step, the textile is therefore subjected, locally to the mark, to a temperature greater than or equal to the disappearance temperature. Thus, the brand is no longer visible once the textiles are welded together.

Brief description of the figures

The manner of carrying out the invention, as well as the advantages which result therefrom, will emerge clearly from the description of the embodiments which follow, with the support of the appended figures in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of a textile according to a first embodiment of the invention, in which the mark is a design positioned on an edge of the textile, Figure 2 is a temperature curve to which has been subjected the textile of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a top view of the textile of FIG. after having been subjected to the temperature curve of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a temperature curve to which the textile of Figure 1, Figure 5 is a top view of the textile of the figure after having been subjected to the temperature curve of Figure 4, Figure 6 is a temperature curve to which the textile of Figure 1 has been subjected , Figure 7 is a top view of the textile of the figure after having been subjected to the temperature curve of Figure 6, Figure 8 is a top view of a textile according to a second embodiment of the invention , in which the mark is an outline delimiting an area and a second textile intended to cover said area, FIG. 9 is a top view of the two textiles of FIG. 8 positioned for their welding, FIG. 10 is a top view of the two textiles of the Figure 9 during the welding step, Figure 11 is a top view of the two textiles of Figure 9 after the welding step.

Of course, the dimensions and proportions of the elements illustrated in Figures 1 and 11 may have been exaggerated compared to reality, and have been given only in order to facilitate understanding of the invention.

Detailed description

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the textile 1 bears a mark 2, in the form of a drawing, positioned on an edge 11 of said textile 1.

FIG. 2 represents a temperature curve to which the textile 1 has been subjected. The textile was subjected to a temperature greater than or equal to the disappearance temperature 3, but was not subjected to a temperature lower than the reappearance temperature 4.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, in the case where the textile 1 is subjected to the temperature curve of FIG. 2, the mark 2 is no longer visible to the naked eye and the user finds himself in possession of a textile 1 showing no design. The user then knows that the textile 1 has been damaged by exposure to excessive heat during its storage and / or transport.

FIG. 4 represents a temperature curve to which the textile 1 has been subjected. The textile was neither subjected to a temperature greater than or equal to the disappearance temperature 3, nor to a temperature lower than the reappearance temperature 4.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, in the case where the textile 1 is subjected to the temperature curve of FIG. 4, the mark 2, which has not been modified, is still visible to the naked eye and the user finds himself in possession of a textile 1 having a design. The user then knows that the textile 1 has not been exposed to excessive heat during its storage and / or transport.

FIG. 6 represents a temperature curve to which the textile 1 has been subjected. The textile was subjected to a temperature greater than or equal to the disappearance temperature 3, and was subjected to a temperature lower than the reappearance temperature 4.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, in the case where the textile 1 is subjected to the temperature curve of FIG. 6, the mark 21 is visible to the naked eye and the user finds himself in possession of a textile 1 having a design whose optical properties are different from the mark 2. The user then knows that the textile 1 has been damaged by exposure to excessive heat during its storage and / or transport.

Of course, the textile 1 can bear marks 2 in several places. In this case, it is possible to determine whether the textile 1 was only locally subjected to excessive heat.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the textile 5 has a selvedge 51 and a mark 6 representing the outline of the area to be covered by the second textile 7. The textile 7 has a selvedge 71.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the textile 7 is positioned on the textile 5 so that the edge 71 of the textile 7 is at the edge of the mark 6 of the textile 5. Thus, part of the textile 5 is positioned below the textile 7 and the edge 51 of textile 5 is therefore found below textile 7.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, the textile 5 and the textile 7 are then welded together using a welding means 8 moved in the direction of the arrow 9. The mark 6 disappears as the welding means 8 passes on textiles 5 and 7.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, once the welding step is finished, the textile assembly 10 does not have a mark 6.

The marks on textiles 1 and 5 were made with an ink as described in patent EP 2 468 828.

Claims (8)

claims 1. Method for marking a coated textile (1, 5), characterized in that the marking (2, 6) is carried out by applying an ink absorbing and / or reflecting at least one wavelength in the field visible when it is applied to said textile (1, 5,) at a temperature within a predetermined range of use, said ink neither absorbing nor reflecting wavelength in the visible range if said textile is subjected to at least at the level of said marking (2, 6), at a temperature greater than or equal to a disappearance temperature (3), said ink absorbing and / or reflecting again at least one wavelength in the visible range if the textile is then subjected, at least at the level of said marking (2, 6), to a temperature below a reappearance temperature (4), said reappearance temperature (4) being below the minimum temperature of the predetermined range of use. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the ink is applied using a pen, a pad or an ink roller or the like. 3. Textile (1, 5, 7) obtained from the method according to one of the preceding claims, said textile (1.5) having a mark (2, 6). 4. Textile according to claim 3, characterized in that the mark (2) is a segment, a straight line, a curve, a drawing, a letter, a word or a sentence. 5. Textile according to claim 3, characterized in that the mark (6) is a contour delimiting an area intended to be covered by at least one other textile. 6. Use of the textile according to one of claims 3 or 4, to detect if the textile (1) has been subjected, in particular during transport, to a temperature greater than or equal to the disappearance temperature. 7. Use according to claim 6, characterized in that said mark (2) is positioned on an edge (11). 8. Method for welding at least two coated textiles (5, 7) together, comprising at least the following steps: obtaining a textile (5) according to claim 5, obtaining at least one other coated textile (7), 5 - positioning of at least one other textile (7) on said textile (5) according to claim 6, flush with said contour (6), welding of textiles at a temperature greater than or equal to the disappearance temperature.