GB2178338A - Coated fabrics - Google Patents

Abstract

A fabric strip has one or more first areas which carry a substantially uniform coating of thermoplastic material, and one or more second, relatively weak areas which carry no, or a thinner coating of, thermoplastic material, characterised in that the or each first area is in the form of a band a having a high length:width ratio, and that the fabric is continuous. A garment, e.g. a belt or waistband, including a fusible interlining having a desired array of one or more parallel lines of weakness, may be made by (1) manufacturing a roll 3 of a first fabric strip as defined above (in which second areas 2A define lines of weakness along the length of the strip) having a plurality of the desired arrays and adjacent arrays being separated by a further line of weakness 2B; (2) taking off the roll a second strip (4) (part of the first) having the desired array, while tearing the first strip at the further line 2B adjacent to the second strip 4; and (3) bonding the second strip 4 to an outer fabric 5. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Coated fabrics This invention relates to coated fabrics. In particular, it relates to fabrics having a discontinuous coating of thermoplastic material, e.g. for use as non-woven fusible interlinings.

Fusible interlinings comprise a fabric carrying on either or both surfaces a discontinuous coating of an adhesive which softens on heating. The interlining is bonded to a textile fabric by hot pressing, e.g. on a Hoffman Press or on an electric press at from 100 to 1 70C. The heat and pressure cause fusion of the adhesive and, on subsequent solidification, a bond between the two fabrics.

It is known to produce fabric lengths or strips on which there is a discontinuous coating of thermoplastic adhesive material, by printing from a nickel rotary printing cylinder. The nature of the thermoplastic material which is printed is such that there is little flow between areas of application, and the product therefore comprises a number of points or larger discrete areas of thermoplastic material coating. These points or areas may merge to some extent when the coated fabric is heated, in use as a fusible interlining, but the coated fabric at least has no continuous line of stiffening effect.

Fusible interlinings having a line of weakness are known. For example, GB-A-1 512859 discloses an adhesive-coated non-woven fabric in the shape of an under-collar stiffener, from which an elongate curved narrow slot has been cut in order to provide a fold line.

GB-A-1147962, GB-A-1538347 and GB-A-1540100 disclose fabric strips carrying an adhesive, in which there is a linear array of longitudinal slots (and sometimes also transverse slits). The common characteristic of these materials is that the fabric is cut, and the common characteristic of their production is that two steps, coating and cutting, are required.

The "castle effect" is observed when a fusible interlining of this type is used in a garment, owing to the fact that the garment, along one line, comprises sections which are relatively thick (garment plus interlining) separated by areas (the slotted areas) in which there is no interlining.

A fabric strip according to the present invention has one or more first areas which carry a substantially uniform coating of thermoplastic material and one or more second, relatively weak areas which carry no, or a thinner coating of, thermoplastic material, in which the or each first area is in the form of a band having a high length:width ratio, and in which the fabric is continuous. Accordingly, a fabric of the invention is unslotted.

The fabric is preferably a non-woven. The thermoplastic material can be a conventional adhesive.

A product of the invention is preferably in the form of a non-woven fusible interlining.

A strip of the invention may be in the form of screen or roll-printed product, i.e. with a length of at least 2 m and a repeating pattern. Such a strip is the immediate product of manufacture. It can be stored, e.g. as a roll.

It is intended for sub-division, laterally and/or longitudinally, into a number of units for incorporation, e.g.

as a fusible interlining, into articles of clothing or other material.

A strip of the invention can also be a piece of fabric already cut from a longer length, e.g. as described in the previous paragraph, for use as a single piece in an article of clothing or other material. Such a unit may be, for example, from 50 mm to 1 m long.

In any case, a fabric strip of the invention has, over at least an area thereof, a continuous band, e.g. line or other two-dimensional area, coated with thermoplastic material. Preferably, at least one dimension of the or each first area is no shorter than the width of the strip, although that dimension need not be across the width of the strip. At one limit, in this case, a first area may comprise a continuous line extending from one edge of the strip to the other. Continuous lines or bands of thermoplastic material may also extend diagonally across or longitudinally along the fabric strip, but in all cases the minimum dimension of a substantially uniform coating is distinct from individual discrete areas of the type previously achieved by printing thermoplastic material on to fabrics.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the first areas are relatively thin lines extending diagonally, in both directions, across and along the fabric strip.

These lines may be no more than 1 or 2 mm thick, with parallel lines being spaced by at least 5 mm, and often by at least 10 mm. Such lines define parallelogrammic, e.g. rhomboidal or square, second areas whose total area is large relative to that of the first areas. Such a product, in combination with a textile fabric, gives a good quilted appearance.

Another embodiment of the invention which provides a garment with a quilted appearance, and indeed a random, crumpled effect as may be required according to fashion, comprises linear first areas randomly distributed across the fabric. There may be, for example, a large number of rectilinear or curvilinear first areas; some may intersect, as may be appropriate.

Again, it is generally the case that the total of first areas is considerably less than the total of second areas; there may be one continuous second area, by way of background to the random arrangement, in this embodiment of the invention.

In a contrasting aspect of the invention, the first area or areas are, in total, larger than the second area or areas. Examples of such an arrangements are products in which the second areas have the configuration of the cut-outs or slots (and sometimes slits) disclosed in GB-A-1147962, GB-A-1512859, GB-A-1538347 and GB-A-1 540100. There is then only one first area, covering the majority of a fabric strip of the invention, while the second area or areas define a relatively weak line which can be used to facilitate folding of a collar, waist-band, pocket turn-over or other item of clothing, without losing the integrity of the fabric.

Particularly for use in waist-bands and pocket turn-overs, a strip of the invention may comprise one, two or three longitudinally-oriented lines of elongate second areas, as illustrated in Figures 1, 8 and 9 of GB-A-1 538347. The strips and second areas may have the length and dimensions disclosed respectively for the strips and slots specifically described at from page 1 line 51 to page 2 line 5 of GB-A-1538347; the products may be used in the same way as described in that specification. They may also be of any of the sizes or configurations described for strips and slots in GB-A-1540100. In the present invention, however, because the fabric retains its integrity, the "slots" in any one direction can be much longer, e.g. at least 40 mm long or even continuous, if desired.

Because the fabric of the invention is unslotted, a garment including such a fabric, in which the or each second area defines a line of weakness along the length of the fabric strip, the "castle effect" is reduced by comparison with the use of slotted fabrics. This effect is absent if the second area defining a line of weakness is continuous.

Further, collar interlinings may be produced having a configuration as illustrated in GB-A-1512859. The slot described for each collar in that case is tapered, and a corresponding second area in a product of this invention may be tapered or be of substantially the same thickness, e.g. 3 to 7 mm, substantially along its entire length.

A fabric strip according to the invention is preferably produced by printing the thermoplastic material from a roll onto a continuous length of the fabric. The pattern of first and second areas is achieved by careful control of the printing conditions, materials and apparatus.

The latter is preferably a wire mesh screen of the type marketed under the trade name "Durascreen" which allows printing material passing through adjacent meshes to merge and become substantially uniform on the coated fabric, as is essential in the present invention. Conventional nickel screens, however, may also be modified to provide the same result.

It is convenient to allow first areas to be produced by normal usage of a printing screen, and to produce second areas on a fabric strip of the invention by blocking off corresponding areas on the screen. The result is that the second areas are substantially uniformly uncoated.

Printing from a roll inevitably achieves a repeating pattern on a continuous length of fabric. As has been indicated, this may be in a form of continuous hatching of the fabric with two sets of parallel lines of thermoplastic material which cross each other, across and along the fabric length. Longitudinal "slotting", or rather longitudinal lines of weakness (of uncoated fabric), may be achieved in the same way.

A product of the invention in the form of an under-collar stiffener is preferably produced by printing from a screen onto a continuous length of fabric in which the desired elongate curved second areas extend across the width of the fabric length. On separation into individual stiffeners, there will be a continuous first area surrounding a single elongate curved second area which effectively extends along the length, and not the width, of the product. Both the uncut length and discrete stiffeners are products in accordance with the present invention.

A fusible interlining of the invention may be used in conventional manner, by bonding to a textile fabric.

For example, a pocket turn-over may be constructed as described in GB-A-1147962; a waist-band or pleated skirt may be constructed as described in GB-A1538347; and a collar may be constructed as described in GB-A-1512859.

The length:width ratio of a first area in a fabric strip according to the invention is generally at least 3:1, preferably at least 5:1, and often at least 10:1. Thus, in general, the band defining a first area in a product of the invention will usually be at least 3 mm long; it is usually in fact at least 50 mm long.

As has been described above, a fabric strip according to the invention may include one or more defined lines of weakness. The primary intention of these lines is that they should provide preferential folding, but it is also the case that a fabric of the invention can be relatively easily torn along such lines. While it is convenient to provide a strip of the invention in a form of a roll much wider than is required in, say, a belt or waistband, it might be considered necessary to cut individual strips from such a waistband, before use, in a separate operation.

In a particularly preferred aspect of the invention, a method of making a garment, e.g. a belt or waistband, including a fusible interlining having a desired array of one or more parallel lines of weakness, comprises (1) manufacturing a roll of a first fabric strip of the invention in which, across the width of the roll, there is a plurality of second areas defining lines of weakness along the length of the strip, in a pattern of the desired arrays, each adjacent pair of arrays being separated by a further line of weakness; (2) taking off the roll a second strip (part of the first) having the desired array, while tearing the first strip at the further line adjacent to the second strip; and (3) bonding the second strip to the garment. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the longitudinal cutting step is conducted in the same overall procedure as the garment formation.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with references to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures I to 7 are schematic plan views of fabric strips according to the invention; and Figure 8 is a partial perspective view of a product according to the invention, in use in accordance with the method aspect described immediately above.

Figure 1 shows an under-collar similar to that shown in Figure 1 of GB-A-1512859. It has been cut from a longer fabric strip predominantly covered by a substantially uniform coating of thermoplastic material in a first area 1, and in which there is an uncovered, second area 2 defining a fold line along its length and the dotted lines.

Figures 2 to 5 show cut-away fabric strips, again predominantly covered by a substantially uniform coating of thermoplastic material in a first area 1. In Figure 2, 3 and 4, there are respectively 1, 2 and 3 lines of uncoated, second areas 2 each defining a line of weakness/fold line. These embodiments of the invention are comparable to the illustrated embodiments in GB-A-1538347. The embodiment of Figure 5 is comparable to that of Figure 3, except that the uncoated areas are continuous.

Figures 6 and 7 show embodiments of the invention in which the total of first, coated areas 1 is small relative to the total of uncoated, second area or areas 2. The first areas 1 are substantially linear. Such embodiments of the invention can be used to provide a garment with a quilted or crumpled look.

Figure 8 shows a roll 3 of a first fabric strip according to the invention, having first areas 1 and linear second areas 2A and 2B. The fabric is for use in preparing waistbands having defined fold lines, by fusion of a second fabric strip 4 with an outer fabric 5 in the form of a roll 6. In operation, fabrics 4 and 5 are unwound from their respective rolls 3 and 6 in the direction of the respective arrows, passed over a bar 7, through a belt guide 8 and then to a fusion press (not shown).

For convenience, and by way of exemplification only, fabric 4 is shown as having two parallel lines of second areas 2A (as illustrated in Figure 3; Figures 2, 4 and 5 are alternative illustrative embodiments).. Its edge 9 is defined by tearing along a line 2B (which, for ease of illustration, is continuous). When the fabric 4 has been completely unrolled, another such fabric can be taken off the roll 3 in analogous manner; no separate longitudinal cutting step of the fabric on the roll 3 is necessary.

Claims (2)

1. A fabric strip which has one or more first areas which carry a substantially uniform coating of thermoplastic material, and one or more second, relatively weak areas which carry no, or a thinner coating of, thermoplastic material, characterised in that the or each first area is in the form of a band having a high length:width ratio, and that the fabric is continuous.

2. A strip according to claim 1, in which the lines are at least as long as the width of the strip.

"(c) Claims 9 above have been re-numbered as 5 and their appendancies corrected.

2. A strip according to claim 1, in which there is a plurality of linear first areas.

3. A strip according to claim 2, in which the lines extend across the strip and define a repeating pattern of parallelogrammic second areas.

4. A strip according to claim 2, in which the lines are randomly distributed.

5. A strip according to claim 1, in which the or each first area has a dimension at least as long as the width of the strip.

6. A strip according to claim 5, in which the or each second area defines a line of weakness along the length of the strip.

7. A strip according to claim 6, in which the second area defining each line of weakness is continuous.

8. A strip according to any preceding claim, in which the length:width ratio is at least 5:1.

9. A garment which comprises a textile fabric bonded to a strip according to any preceding claim, and in which the areas are discrete.

10. A method of making a garment, e.g. belt or waistband, including a fusible interlining having a desired array of one or more parallel lines of weakness, which comprises (1) manufacturing a roll of a first fabric strip according to claim 6 or claim 7, in which there is a plurality of the desired arrays and each pair of adjacent arrays is separated by a further line of weakness; (2) taking off the roll a second strip (part of the first) having the desired array, while tearing the first strip at the further line adjacent to the second strip; and (3) bonding the second strip to the garment.

Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: "(a) Claims 1, 2, 5-8 & 10 above have been deleted or textually amended.

(b) New or textually amended claims have been filed as follows:

1. A continuous fabric strip which has a plurality of linear first areas which carry a substantially uniform coating of thermoplastic material, and one or more second, relatively weak areas which carry no, or a thinner coating of, thermoplastic material, characterised in that the lines are not parallel to the length of the strip.