GB2555582A

GB2555582A - Covering

Info

Publication number: GB2555582A
Application number: GB1618259.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hayley Lusby Michelle; Louise Sherratt Victoria; Wah Ha Birch Jade; David Newland Christopher
Original assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Current assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Priority date: 2016-10-28
Filing date: 2016-10-28
Publication date: 2018-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 2036-10-28
Also published as: GB201618259D0; GB2555582B

Abstract

Covering material 1 comprising face 2 and a thickness, where face 2 is coloured with one colour (face colour 6) and the material has another colour thought its thickness (body colour 7, fig. 2). Material 1 comprises an array of perforations 9 directed through the covering material. The perforations permit the body colour to be viewed at the perforations against a ground of the face colour when the covering material 1 is viewed obliquely to the perforation direction but the face colour substantially alone is visible when the covering material is viewed face on. The covering material is preferably leather but may be a synthetic material such as PVC upholstery cloth or imitation leather. Preferably a scrim is laminated on the back of the covering material. The scrim may be coloured the same as or differently to face colour 6. Also claimed is a method of producing a covering material comprising: providing a covering material with a body colour through its thickness; dyeing the face of the covering material with the face colour; and forming perforations through the covering material. Also claimed is an article covered with covering material 1.

Description

(71) Applicant(s):

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (Incorporated in the Federal Republic of Germany) Petuelring 130, 80809 Munich, Germany (72) Inventor(s):

Michelle Hayley Lusby Victoria Louise Sherratt Jade Wah Ha Birch Christopher David Newland (74) Agent and/or Address for Service:

Nigel Brooks CPA

Hill Hampton, East Meon, PETERSFIELD, Hampshire, GU32 1QN, United Kingdom (51) INT CL:

CUB 7/00 (2006.01) B60N 2/58 (2006.01) B60R 13/02 (2006.01) (56) Documents Cited:

WO 2000/046045 A2 DE 102016002526 A1 DE 102015013070A1 (58) Field of Search:

INT CL B60N, B60R, C14B Other: WPI, EPODOC (54) Title of the Invention: Covering Abstract Title: Covering material (57) Covering material 1 comprising face 2 and a thickness, where face 2 is coloured with one colour (face colour 6) and the material has another colour thought its thickness (body colour 7, fig. 2). Material 1 comprises an array of perforations 9 directed through the covering material. The perforations permit the body colour to be viewed at the perforations against a ground of the face colour when the covering material 1 is viewed obliquely to the perforation direction but the face colour substantially alone is visible when the covering material is viewed face on. The covering material is preferably leather but may be a synthetic material such as PVC upholstery cloth or imitation leather. Preferably a scrim is laminated on the back of the covering material. The scrim may be coloured the same as or differently to face colour 6. Also claimed is a method of producing a covering material comprising: providing a covering material with a body colour through its thickness; dyeing the face of the covering material with the face colour; and forming perforations through the covering material. Also claimed is an article covered with covering material 1.

l/x

COVERING

The present invention relates to a covering material, particularly though not exclusively upholstery leather.

Whilst leather is an excellent material for covering articles as in upholstery, being easy to clean, hard wearing and porous to moisture, nevertheless in seats it can be advantageous to perforate the leather to allow enhanced dissipation of moisture. This improves comfort for the seated person.

Perforated leather is dyed the same colour throughout its thickness.

We have found that we can improve the appearance of perforated leather by colouring the face of the leather differently from the colour through its thickness. We refer to these colours as the “face colour” and the “body colour” respectively.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved covering material.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a covering material having:

• a face and a thickness, wherein the face is coloured with one colour (the “face colour”) and the material has another colour through its thickness (the “body colour”), and • an array of perforations directed through the covering material;

the perforations permitting the body colour to be viewed at the perforations against a ground of the face colour when the covering material is viewed obliquely to perforation direction, whilst the face colour substantially alone is visible when the covering material is viewed face on.

It should be noted that since the covering material is likely to be of a fibrous nature, formation of the perforations may draw a few body coloured fibres into the perforations which may be visible on close inspection when the covering material is viewed face on. Such inspection is not what is intended to be comprised within the phrase “whilst the face colour substantially alone is visible when the covering material is viewed face on”.

Normally the covering material will be leather. However it can be a synthetic material used instead of leather, such as PVC upholstery cloth, and/or imitation leather.

It is envisaged that the differentially coloured covering material of the invention will be used not only for upholstery, as in automotive seats and panels, but also for instance for luggage, particularly for a car upholstered in the material of the invention, and possibly for clothing and clothing accessories, such as leather jackets and handbags.

Typically the perforations will be in the diameter range of 1.5 to 2.5mm. However they could be smaller, for instance 1mm, or larger for instance up to 5mm.

Normally, a scrim will be laminated to the back of the covering material after formation of the perforations. This is to reinforce it at the perforations. The scrim can be coloured the same as the face colour, to enhance the uniform face colour appearance of the covering when viewed straight on.

Nevertheless the scrim can be differently coloured, uniformly or in a pattern, to cause the apertures to be visible in one or more colours contrasting with that face colour and the body colour.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a covered article, covered with a covering material of the first aspect of the invention.

The covered article can have a lining, over the article and under the covering material, the lining being of the same colour as the face colour of the covering material.

The covered article can have a lining, over the article and under the covering material, the lining being of a colour or having a colour pattern, in either case, the colour contrasting with both the face colour and the body colour.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of producing a covering material of the first aspect of the invention, the method consisting in the steps of:

• providing the covering material with a body colour through its thickness;

• dyeing the face of the covering material with the face colour; and • forming the perforations through the covering material.

Where the covering material is synthetic sheet material, it can be provided with its body colour by use of dyed synthetic material. Where the covering material is of leather, it can be provided with the body colour by dyeing.

The face of the covering material can be dyed by brush spray or roller application of the face colour.

The perforations can be formed by punching, but are preferably cut by water jet.

The perforations could be of any convenient shape but are preferably circular.

The array of the perforations is likely to be in accordance with an aesthetic design, but can be a regular array.

To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a scrap plan view of a piece of leather in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the piece of leather of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a diagram showing production to the piece of leather;

Figure 4 is a front view of a head restraint upholstered with the piece of leather.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 & 2 show a piece of leather 1 in accordance with the invention. It has a face 2, that is to say the surface of the leather that is outermost or exposed to view in use, and a body 3 inside the face. The body has a thickness 4 from the face to the opposite side 5 of the leather. The face is dyed one colour 6, the face colour, and the body is dyed another colour 7, the body colour. The body colour can be seen at a cut edge 8 of the leather, although in use cut edges are likely to be hidden.

The piece of leather has an array of perforations 9. When the leather is viewed face on, that is along a right-angle angle of incidence where the perforations are at right angles to the face, the only colour of the leather that can be seen is the face colour. The colour of a substrate against which the leather is placed may be visible through the perforations, which may be desirable or it may not. Normally it will not and a scrim is adhered to the opposite side 5 of the leather.

If the leather is viewed obliquely, the body colour is visible at the perforations. Thus an aesthetic effect can be revealed by use of the leather in accordance with the invention.

Referring to Figure 3, production of the leather 1 will now be described.

• In a preliminary step, the leather is dyed to the body colour;

• Next the face of the leather is dyed with a contrasting face colour. As shown, this is by spraying dye from a spray nozzle 11 onto the face of the leather;

• Thereafter, once the face dye has thoroughly dried to a fast colour that will not run on contact with water, the perforations are formed by water jet from a jet nozzle 12. The leather is supported on a table 14 and the nozzle is traversed across the table and the leather under control of a servo machine 15.

Turning now to Figure 4, there is shown by way of example a head restraint of a car seat. The seat is upholstered with leather in accordance with the invention. The head rest is also and it only is described and shown for the sake of simplicity.

It has a foam body, not visible, which gives the head rest its shape. It is upholstered on its ends 21, and other faces which are not visible with conventionally dyed imperforate leather. It front 22 and top 23 are upholstered with leather in accordance with the invention. For appreciation of the invention it should be noted that in Figure 4, the front of the head rest is seen face on and the top is seen increasingly obliquely as the front blends into the top.

The front and top leather is dyed a dark colour indicated by cross-hatching 24. The scrim visible through the perforations is the same colour, with the result that the perforations are scarcely visible in the front. They are shown with the cross-hatching running across them to indicate this. However as the front blends into the top, the perforations become obliquely oriented. The body colour is visible in them. This shown by discontinuity 25 of the cross hatching at the perforations.

The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiment. For instance, for instance, whilst the perforations have been described as being perpendicular to the face, they could cut other angles, whereby the body colour is visible when the leather is viewed face on, but not when viewed obliquely in line with the perforations.

The perforations can be circular as shown in the drawings. They can also be of other shapes to enhance visibility of body colour when viewed at certain angle with respect to the perforation shape.

The scrim can be omitted in selected regions of the array of the perforations, to allow visibility of a substrate colour, contrasting with both the face colour and the body colour. The substrate colour is the colour of the covered item such as the foam body of the head rest above or a lining over it.

The perforations can be all of the same size or can be of varying sizes in their array. In particular, the perforation size can be progressively increased from one row to the next.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A covering material having:

2. A covering material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the covering material is leather.

3. A covering material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the covering material is a synthetic material used instead of leather, typically PVC upholstery cloth, and/or imitation leather.

4. A covering material as claimed in claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the perforations are in the diameter range of 1.0 to 5.0mm and preferably 1.5 to 2.5mm.

5. A covering material as claimed in any preceding claim, including:

• a scrim will be laminated to the back of the covering material.

6. A covering material as claimed in claim 5, wherein the scrim is coloured the same as the face colour.

7. A covering material as claimed in claim 5, wherein the scrim is coloured differently from the face colour.

8. A covered article, covered with a covering material as claimed in any preceding claim.

9. A covered article as claimed in claim 8, including a lining, over the article and under the covering material, the lining being of the same colour as the face colour of the covering material.

10. A covered article as claimed in claim 8, including a lining, over the article and under the covering material, the lining being of a colour or having a colour pattern, in either case, the colour contrasting with both the face colour and the body colour.

11. A method of producing a covering material as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, the method consisting in the steps of:

• providing the covering material with a body colour through its thickness;

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the covering material is synthetic sheet 5 material, it is provided with its body colour by use of dyed synthetic material.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the covering material is of leather, it is provided with the body colour by dyeing.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11, claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the face of the covering material is dyed by brush spray or roller application of the face colour.

10

15. A method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the perforations are formed by punching.

16. A method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the perforations are formed by water jet cutting.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: GB1618259.4 Examiner: Dr Richard Wood