KR102177626B1 - Method for processing leather and leather product prepared using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a leather processing method, in particular, to a method of creating a pattern on the surface of the leather. Further, the present invention relates to a leather product produced by the method. The leather processing method according to the present invention is eco-friendly, is economical and very fast by simplifying the process, is suitable for mass production of leather products containing patterns, and thus is very useful.

Description

Leather processing method and leather products manufactured therefrom {METHOD FOR PROCESSING LEATHER AND LEATHER PRODUCT PREPARED USING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a leather processing method, in particular, to a method of creating a pattern on the surface of the leather. Further, the present invention relates to a leather article produced from the method.

Tanning is also called tanning, and refers to making the natural leather of an animal into leather by applying a chemical or mechanical treatment. The leather refers to leather that can be commercialized through tanning of natural leather. The natural hides of animals, that is, the hides, are easily perishable, expand when absorbed by water, and become hard when dried. Therefore, the hides are washed with water to remove unnecessary ingredients such as fat and hair, and an emulsion is applied. Processing tanning is required.

The tanning may be classified into vegetable tanning, chrome tanning, aluminum tanning, oil tanning, and the like according to the type of emulsion used. The emulsion reacts with collagen, the protein component of the hide, to change the properties of the leather.

The vegetable tanning is a method of using tannin extracted from plant roots, leaves, stems, fruits, etc. as an emulsion. Natural colors are expressed, and aging occurs. The aging refers to the color change or darkening of leather as natural light, moisture, sweat, oil, dust, and the like are absorbed.

The chrome tanning is a method of using a chrome emulsion as a tanning agent. It has the advantage of excellent primary color expression, excellent surface maintenance, light weight of processed leather and low manufacturing cost.

The aluminum tanning is a method of using minerals such as aluminum as an oil agent. It is often used to make the cut surface of leather appear white.

The oil tanning is a method of using oil as an emulsion. As a method of processing by including a large amount of oil during the vegetable tanning, it is used to manufacture a leather that can be washed because it is soft and flexible and has strong waterproof properties.

In the case of chromium tanning, it is reported that hexavalent chromium, which has been used in the past, irritates the respiratory tract or skin mucous membranes, causing inflammation, swelling, ulcers, etc., and long-term inhalation and accumulation causes serious diseases such as lung cancer, bronchial cancer, and septum perforation. Has become. Accordingly, the International Cancer Institute IARC designated hexavalent chromium as a first-class carcinogen. As such, hexavalent chromium has become a regulated substance that can no longer be used in tanning, and trivalent chromium has recently been used. However, when leather or leather products are dried or exposed to direct sunlight, there is a possibility that trivalent chromium is oxidized to hexavalent chromium, and when leather or leather products containing trivalent chromium are discarded, heavy metals are leaked and contaminate the soil. There is also the possibility of causing serious environmental problems. In particular, several countries, such as Europe, the United States, and Japan, strictly regulate the use of substances harmful to the human body or chemical dyes in tanning. Accordingly, the demand for leather manufactured by vegetable tanning is continuously increasing rather than leather manufactured by chrome tanning.

After the natural leather is tanned and processed into leather by the vegetable tanning method, attempts have been made to create a pattern on the leather in order to increase the value of the product and give an aesthetic feeling.

To this end, a method of generating a pattern using natural light for leather processed by a vegetable tanning method has been proposed. However, there is a disadvantage that it takes too long to display the desired level of dark pattern on the leather surface through natural light, and in particular, the method using natural light is mass-produced because it is greatly affected by external environmental factors such as weather. Not suitable for

Therefore, it is possible to effectively create a pattern on the leather surface with a certain quality, and a method suitable for mass production within a short time is still required in the industry.

The inventors have studied in various ways for a long time in order to efficiently and economically generate the desired pattern on the leather surface, and as a result, the present invention has been reached. The leather processing method according to the present invention is eco-friendly, is economical and very fast by simplifying the process, and is suitable for mass production of leather products containing patterns in a short time.

The present invention provides a method for creating a pattern on the surface of leather, comprising the following steps:

a) developing a desired pattern on the film;

b) placing the film between the UV light source and the leather; And

c) generating the pattern on the surface of the leather by irradiating UV light from a UV light source in the direction of the film.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the pattern may be at least one selected from the group consisting of a geometric pattern, a plant pattern, an animal pattern, a natural pattern, and a photographic pattern.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the leather may be a raw hide or a leather obtained after tanning application.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the leather may be a leather that has not been subjected to post-processing such as dyeing after tanning.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the tanning may be obtained by using vegetable tanning.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the UV light may have a wavelength of 320 to 400 nm.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the UV light source may be a UV-A lamp.

In one embodiment of the present invention, in the step b), the film and the leather may be pressed together by one or two glasses.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the glass may be quartz glass, white glass, or blue glass.

In one embodiment of the present invention, after step c), a step d) of manufacturing a leather product using the leather with the pattern generated may be further included.

In one embodiment of the present invention, after the step c), it may further include a step e-1) of cutting the leather with the pattern generated into one or more leather members as previously designed. Then, the step e-2) of manufacturing a leather product using the cut leather member may be further included.

In addition, the present invention provides a leather product manufactured by using the leather patterned according to the above method. In one embodiment of the present invention, the leather product may be a bag, wallet, gloves, clothes, belt, shoes, or furniture.

The method according to the invention can minimize cost and time by simplifying the process of creating a pattern on leather.

In particular, in the case of creating a pattern on leather using a film on which the pattern has been developed and natural light, it takes about 2 weeks or more for the pattern to be created to the desired level, and is greatly affected by external factors such as sunlight and weather. The method according to the invention has the advantage that not only a much shorter time is required for the pattern to be created to the desired degree on the leather, but also it can be processed quickly without being affected by external factors.

In addition, since the leather product in which the pattern is generated by the method according to the present invention can guarantee the consistency of pattern quality for each product, the method according to the present invention is particularly suitable for mass production, and thus its usefulness is very high.

Moreover, since no chemical substances or components harmful to the human body are used in the method according to the present invention, the leather or leather product with the pattern produced by the method according to the present invention is eco-friendly. Therefore, even in countries where there are many restrictions on the leather processing method, the method according to the present invention can be suitably utilized.

1A, 2A, and 3A respectively illustrate an original image of a pattern to be created on leather. That is, the patterns shown in Figs. 1A, 2A and 3A are before being developed on the film in the method according to the present invention.
1B, 2B, and 3B exemplarily show leathers in which the patterns of FIGS. 1A, 2A and 3A are respectively generated by the method according to the present invention.

The present invention will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described later in detail together with the accompanying drawings in the present specification. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but will be implemented in various forms different from each other, and only these embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. It is provided to completely inform the scope of the invention to those who have it, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Meanwhile, terms used in the present specification are for explaining embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, the singular form also includes the plural form unless specifically stated in the phrase. As used herein, “comprises” or “comprising” does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements or steps other than the mentioned elements and steps. Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but these terms should be understood as being used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components, and are interpreted as limiting components. Shouldn't.

The leather processing method according to the present invention is a method of creating a pattern on the surface of the leather, comprising the following steps:

a) developing a desired pattern on the film;

b) placing the film between the UV light source and the leather; And

c) generating the pattern on the surface of the leather by irradiating UV light from a UV light source in the direction of the film.

In the step a), developing a pattern on the film means preparing a film including the pattern. Here, the film may be a graphic arts film (process film), and includes any film commonly used for engraving.

The original image of the pattern before being developed on the film is as shown in FIGS. 1A, 2A and 3A, for example. When the original image of the pattern is developed on the film, the pattern created on the film appears opposite to the original image of the pattern. Preferably, the film obtained according to step a) is a negative film containing a pattern.

Creating a pattern on the surface of the leather in step c) means that the pattern is printed on the leather. The UV light irradiated from the UV light source in the direction of the film passes through the film (and optionally glass) to reach the leather, and the UV light that reaches the leather reacts with the melanin pigment of the leather to cause a tanning phenomenon. As a result, only a specific part of the leather is tanned to create a pattern, and the pattern printed on the leather in step c) corresponds to the original pattern before developing on the film in step a).

Leather with a pattern is as shown in Figs. 1b, 2b and 3b, for example. When the film obtained according to step a) is a negative film, the pattern of the negative film is positively printed on the leather through step c).

The term'pattern (文樣)' as used herein refers to a pattern that is decoratively displayed on the surface of an object. This may include, for example, a geometric pattern, a plant pattern, an animal pattern, a natural pattern, and a photographic pattern, but is not limited thereto. The term "pattern" may be interpreted as including patterns, logos, images, designs, and the like.

The geometric pattern is mainly composed of dots and lines, such as a triangular pattern, a square pattern, a gate pattern, a lightning pattern, a radiation pattern, a sawtooth pattern, a circle pattern, an oval pattern, a concentric circle pattern, a swirl pattern, a zigzag pattern, etc. It is included as. The plant pattern includes, for example, a lotus pattern and a tree pattern. The animal patterns include, for example, various animal patterns such as dragon, phoenix, turtle, crane, tiger, horse, cow, sheep, pig, antler, wing, and butterfly. The natural pattern includes, for example, patterns of natural phenomena such as lightning and whirlwinds. The photographic pattern includes a portrait of a person, a real photo of a person, a landscape photo, and the like.

The pattern may have different brightness for each part. This difference in brightness can be achieved by varying the number, size, and density of perforations forming patterns in the film. For example, if the number of perforations constituting a specific part of the pattern on the film is larger than the number of perforations constituting other specific parts of the pattern, the amount of UV light that penetrates the film and reaches the leather becomes larger. , This can result in a darker expression of the leather pattern. On the other hand, if the number of perforations constituting a specific part of the pattern on the film is smaller than the number of perforations constituting other specific parts of the pattern, the amount of UV light that penetrates the film and reaches the leather becomes smaller, which is It can result in a softer expression of the leather pattern. Through this process, patterns created on leather can be expressed in various ways, and patterns such as gradation can also be expressed. In addition, it is also possible to naturally express real photos on leather as a pattern.

The term'UV light source' as used herein means to emit UV light. Examples include UV lamps, UV LEDs, and the like.

In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the UV light has a wavelength of 320 to 400 nm. More preferably, the UV light has a wavelength of 365 nm. Since UV light with a wavelength of 290 to 320 nm irradiated from the UV-B lamp does not pass through the glass that can be used to compress the film and leather, when using the UV lamp in the method according to the present invention, UV- It is preferable to use lamp A.

In step a), one or two or more films may be used.

After developing all the desired patterns on one film, it is possible to create a pattern on the leather using one leather corresponding to the size of the film.

Alternatively, after developing each desired pattern on two or more films, the films may be placed in contact with each other between the UV light source and the leather in step b). For example, one side of a film with a butterfly pattern and one side of a film with a tree pattern can be placed between the UV light source and the leather, and in this case, the size of one leather is It can be the same or the same size as the two attached films. As a result, you can get 1 leather with a butterfly pattern and a wooden pattern.

Alternatively, after developing each desired pattern on two or more films, each film can be placed between the UV light source and the leather in step b) in a state of being superimposed on each other. Such an embodiment can be applied when the brightness of a specific part of the pattern is desired to be expressed more deeply than the other part of the pattern. For example, by using one film on which a real photograph pattern of a dog is developed, a real photograph pattern strengthened on one leather through steps b) and c) may be generated. Subsequently, steps b) and c) are repeated using one film in which only the dog's nose pattern is developed among the real photos of the dog. As a result, the entire shape of the dog is created once on the leather and the nose part of the dog is created twice on the leather, so that the nose part of the dog appears darker than the other parts of the dog. In this way, it is possible to express dark or light only a specific part of the pattern.

In one embodiment of the present invention, steps b) and c) may be performed once, or may be performed repeatedly two or more times. For example, if the pattern on the leather is not expressed in the desired density or thickness after going through the steps a), b) and c) above, performing steps b) and c) again will produce a leather with a darker pattern. Can be obtained.

In step b), glass may be positioned on one side of the film and one side of the leather, respectively. In other words, the film and the leather can be pressed together by one or two glasses. For example, after lamination in the order of a UV light source, glass, film, and leather, UV light may be irradiated in the glass direction from the UV light source. In this case, it is possible to further compress the film and the leather, optionally by placing another glass on the leather, or by placing a compressor on the leather.

The glass is used for the purpose of allowing the film and the leather to be pressed together. Preferably, the film and leather are vacuum pressed. If the film and the leather are not properly pressed, a problem may occur that the pattern of the film is not normally generated on the leather. As the above problem, for example, a pattern of a film may appear unclear on leather, or a phenomenon may occur where parts other than the pattern and the pattern are not accurately distinguished and appear blurry. In addition, if a fixing member such as a tape is used when pressing the film and leather, the color of the part where the fixing member is located does not change or does not change during UV light irradiation, and the fixing member has a function of pressing the film and the leather together. There was a problem that could not be done properly. On the other hand, when the film and leather are pressed by glass, the pattern of the film is created on the leather as it is, which guarantees the consistency of the quality in which the pattern is expressed.

The glass may be, for example, quartz glass, white glass, blue glass, or the like. The glass is a white glass is advantageous in terms of UV transmittance compared to the price.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the leather may be leather from which foreign substances such as dust and hair attached to the surface are removed. The leather may be raw or leather. Preferably, the leather is a leather produced from tanning, in particular a leather produced from tanning using vegetable tanning. Preferably, the leather is a leather in which no chemical substances or components harmful to the human body are used in the process of tanning from the raw skin. Preferably, the leather is not naturally dyed or chemically dyed, and it is difficult to produce a pattern on the dyed leather to a desired thickness. Preferably, the leather is a leather that has not been post-processed after tanning.

The term'raw skin' as used herein refers to raw animal skins. For example, leathers such as cows, goats, horses, sheep, crocodiles, kangaroos, and snakes may be included, but are not limited thereto.

In one embodiment of the present invention, step c) is a step of generating a pattern on leather by irradiating UV light from the UV light source in the direction of the film. Step c) is preferably carried out for about 1 to 8 hours. When UV light was irradiated for less than 1 hour, the pattern created on the leather was too light to properly express the pattern, and in this case, the finished product made using leather gradually changed over time. The fading time was short, and there was a phenomenon that it was difficult to clearly distinguish between the patterned parts and the non-patterned parts. When UV light was irradiated for more than 8 hours (for example, for 16 hours), the thickness of the pattern on the film was similar to each other compared to when UV light was irradiated for 8 hours.

In one embodiment of the present invention, after step c), a step d) of manufacturing a leather product using the leather with the pattern generated may be included.

In one embodiment of the present invention, after the step c), it may include a step e-1) of cutting the leather with the pattern into one or more leather members as previously designed. The step e-2) of manufacturing a leather product using the cut leather member after the step e-1) may be further included. For example, it is possible to create multiple patterns within a single piece of leather, and cut the parts where each pattern is created, and use it to manufacture individual leather products. As another example, the front, back, left, right, and bottom of the bag may all be included in a single piece of leather, and each part is cut according to the design and then connected, bonded or attached to each other. You can make finished bags. This step allows the leather to be used economically without unnecessary waste, and the cost is low because the process of creating a pattern is also required only once.

The present invention provides a leather product manufactured from raw hides by a hide processing method. The leather products may be, for example, bags, wallets, gloves, clothes, belts, shoes, furniture, etc., but are not limited thereto.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with the above-mentioned preferred embodiments, it is possible to make various modifications or variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the appended claims should be construed as including such modifications or variations as long as they fall within the gist of the present invention.

Claims (10)

As a method of creating patterns on the surface of leather,
The leather is a raw hide or a leather obtained after tanning application,
A method characterized by comprising the following steps:
a) developing a desired pattern on the film;
b) placing the film between the UV light source and the leather; And
c) generating the pattern on the surface of the leather by irradiating UV light from a UV light source in the direction of the film. The method of claim 1,
The method, characterized in that at least one selected from the group consisting of geometric patterns, plant patterns, animal patterns, natural patterns, and photographic patterns. delete The method of claim 1,
The tanning method, characterized in that vegetable tanning is used. The method of claim 1,
The UV light is a method, characterized in that the wavelength 320 to 400 nm. The method of claim 1,
After the step c), the method further comprising the step d) of manufacturing a leather product using the leather pattern is generated. The method of claim 1,
After the step c), the method further comprising the step e-1) of cutting the leather with the pattern generated into one or more leather members as previously designed. The method of claim 7,
After the step e-1), the method further comprising the step e-2) of manufacturing a leather product by using the cut leather member. A leather product manufactured using leather with a pattern created according to the method of claim 1,
The leather product is a leather product, characterized in that it is a bag, wallet, gloves, clothing, belt, shoes or furniture. delete

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