WO2011131569A1

WO2011131569A1 - Decorative base for fabrics for the application of removable adhesives and method for providing a decoration for fabrics

Info

Publication number: WO2011131569A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/055956
Authority: WO
Inventors: Massimo Malagoli
Original assignee: Sermax S.R.L.
Priority date: 2010-04-20
Filing date: 2011-04-14
Publication date: 2011-10-27
Also published as: ITMO20100118A1; IT1399645B1; EP2561135A1

Abstract

A composition for decorative bases of fabrics, comprising at least one binder that comprises at least one mixture of polyurethane (PU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and at least one organic solvent, whose particularity resides in that it further comprises at least one additive comprising a polyester (PET, polyethylene terephthalate) dispersed uniformly within said binder.

Description

DECORATIVE BASE FOR FABRICS FOR THE APPLICATION OF REMOVABLE ADHESIVES AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A DECORATION FOR FABRICS

Technical field

The present invention relates to a composition of a decorative base for and/or for the application of decorations on fabrics, to its use in the decoration of fabrics, and to a kit comprising the fabric decorated with said composition.

The present invention also relates to a method for providing a decoration for fabrics obtained with said decorative base.

Background Art

Two-dimensional or three-dimensional adhesive labels, picture-cards or the like are known which are of the repositionable type, i.e., have a surface, opposite the exposed surface, on which an adhesive material of the type of removable adhesive is applied.

These labels or picture-cards are generally variously decorated on their exposed surface and can be associated detachably with different surfaces made of different types of material, such as for example plastic materials, wood, metallic materials, paper-like materials, or the like.

These known types of label, due to the nature of the adhesion to the surface to be decorated, are not generally suitable for decorating fabrics, such as those used to make, for example, items of clothing such as T-shirts, sweaters, caps and others, underwear or others.

If these labels or picture-cards are glued to a fabric, their adhesion in fact is not free from drawbacks, which include the fact that the adhesive, or the removable glue, does not ensure a sufficiently strong and durable bond; moreover, when the label or picture-card is removed, the adhesive carries with it parts of fabric, of fibrous material that constitutes said fabric, threads, hairs or others, which dirty the adhesive material, limiting its adhesive force until it loses its adhesive effectiveness. Therefore, the function of removability of the label or picture-card and its reuse are lost in such an application.

Furthermore, screen-printing pastes for screen printing fabrics are known which have adhesive components that bond decorations or form designs on the exposed surface to be decorated; however, these decorations are defined and cannot be manipulated, replaced or removed at will by the user of the fabric.

The Applicant, in trying the most disparate solutions in order to make the application of removable labels or picture-cards on variously decorated fabrics compatible, has tested, without satisfactory results, the application of said labels or picture-cards on the decorations and on various screen printing mixes for providing them which are of a type that is known in the field of decoration.

It has been observed from the tests that on most screen printing bases used in the textile field to provide surface decorations the adhesive material that is present on the labels either does not bond, making it pointless to apply the label or picture-card, or, if the bonding result is satisfactory, the adhesive itself attacks the decoration, since it comprises a percentage of solvent, spoiling irreparably and in any case varying over time the durability conditions of the bonding.

Disclosure of the Invention

The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks cited above of the background art by devising a composition of a decorative base for fabrics that makes it possible to constitute an interface suitable for the detachable adhesion of labels, picture-cards or similar decorations to fabrics and similar materials.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to have a decorative base that can be variously colored or colorless, is easy to apply and does not have toxicity or unwanted effects of limiting the vapor permeation of the fabric to which it is applied. An object of the invention is that it is easy to reactivate, if required by wear or loss of effectiveness, without the necessity of replacing the fabric or the decoration.

Another object of the invention is to allow the provision of fabrics, items of clothing or others which are variously decorated, with no limit to applications, which can be customized and replaced, with decorations of the removable type having the most disparate shapes and dimensions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method for providing decorations on fabrics that is easy to use, has an industrially repeatable result, and is safe to use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a kit formed by decorated fabric, such as clothes or the like, and decorative picture-cards or labels for customizing said decoration of the fabric.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a structure that is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe to use, effective in operation and has relatively low costs.

This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are all achieved by the present composition for decorative bases of fabrics, comprising at least one binder that comprises at least one mixture of polyurethane (PU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and at least one organic solvent, characterized in that it further comprises at least one additive that comprises a polyester (PET, polyethylene terephthalate) dispersed uniformly within said binder.

Another aspect of the present invention is the use of said composition as a decorative base suitable to provide at least one decoration of fabrics, suitable for the removable adhesion of decorative elements that comprise a layer of removable adhesive for bonding to said decoration.

An aspect of the invention which is no less important is a method for providing a decoration on fabric which comprises the steps of:

- arranging at least one fabric to be decorated; - applying by screen printing at least one layer of at least one said composition on at least one surface of said fabric that is destined to be in view;

- diying said layer;

- hot-pressing said layer, by means of at least one hot press, in order to soften and/or melt the polyester comprised in said composition and form a surface layer that comprises polyester that adheres to said layer;

~ interposing between said layer and said hot mold, prior to said hot- pressing step, at least one sheet of siliconized paper for smoothing said surface layer;

- cooling said layer and said surface layer for adhesion to the at least one exposed surface of said fabric.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a kit for decorating textile products, comprising at least one fabric, at least one portion of which is decorated by application of a decoration according to said method, and at least one decorative element, on at least one surface of which a layer of removable adhesive is applied which can be applied removably to said decoration.

In the following, some embodiments of the invention will be described without the intention to limit its scope.

The term "comprising" also comprises "including", as well as "constituted"; e.g., a composition "comprising" X can be constituted exclusively by X or can include other additional substances, for example X+Y.

Ways of carrying out the Invention

The present invention relates to a composition for decorative bases of fabrics, comprising at least one binder intended to be integral with at least one fabric, which comprises at least one mixture of polyurethane (PU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and at least one organic solvent.

Preferably, to achieve the above cited aim and objects of the present invention, the composition according to the invention furthermore comprises at least one additive that comprises a polyester finely dispersed within the mixture of binder.

Advantageously, the additive comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET), preferably a co-polyester, for example polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) in granules.

Moreover, the co-polyester (PETG) granules have a particle size distribution comprised between 0.1 and 100 μιτι, preferably 70 μηι.

The additive is present in the mixture in a quantity comprised substantially between 0.5% and 3%, preferably substantially between 0.8% and 1%.

All percentages referring to the doses of the composition are in % by weight, with reference to the total weight of the composition.

The binder comprises polyurethane (PU) in a quantity comprised substantially between 50% and 92.5%, polyvinyl chloride in a quantity comprised substantially between 2.5 and 25%, and solvent based on aliphatic hydrocarbons in a quantity comprised substantially between 5% and 25%.

In particular, the binder is of the type of the product known commercially by the trade-name TEXMETAL BOND N®, the solvent being of the type of white spirit, and the additive is of the type of the product known commercially by the name TUBITRANS ELASTOMELT 100F®.

The binder has a density (at 20°C) comprised substantially between 0.8 and 1 g/cm³ and is, therefore, in the form of a paste with a dynamic viscosity (at 20°C) substantially comprised between 20,000 and 28,000 mPas,

The composition, according to the invention, may furthermore comprise at least one color which is dispersed in the binder mix to ensure a more disparate coloring, or otherwise can be substantially colorless and clear. In particular, the composition is used, for the purposes of the present invention, as a decorative base for providing at least one decoration of fabrics adapted for the removable adhesion of decorative elements, such as picture-cards, labels and the like, which comprise a layer of removable adhesive for removable adhesion to said decoration.

Advantageously, the use of an above cited composition for decorating fabrics occurs by means of the method for providing a decoration on fabric that comprises the steps of:

- arranging at least one fabric to be decorated;

- applying by screen printing at least one layer of at least one composition described above on at least one surface of said fabric that is destined to be in view, i.e., to be decorated;

- drying the applied layer.

Application by screen printing can be performed, for example, by means of a screen-printing screen with filaments comprised between 20 and 49 T, for the application of a layer of composition having a thickness that can vary substantially between 0.2 and 0.3 mm.

The step of drying the applied layer is performed, for example, by means of the passage of the fabric, with the layer applied, in a hot air tunnel at a temperature of no more than 140°C and for a time that does not exceed 180 seconds.

Preferably, to achieve the intended results for said invention, the method further comprises the step of hot-pressing the layer, applied and dried on the fabric, by means of at least one hot press, in order to soften and/ or melt the polyester (co-polyester) comprised in the composition and form a surface layer that comprises and in particular, in terms of percentage, is rich in polyester (co-polyester) that adheres firmly to the layer.

In practice, hot-pressing allows the formation of a film of polyester which is firmly anchored to the bonding mix, which in turn is firmly anchored to the fabric. Moreover, the method comprises the step of interposing between the layer and the hot mold, prior to the hot-pressing step, at least one sheet of siliconized paper for smoothing, flattening or substantially decreasing the surface roughness of the surface layer, which, in terms of percentage, is rich in polyester (co-polyester) and must function as a smooth backing for the removable adhesion of the repositionable decorative elements and at the same time allow a high chemical resistance to the attacks of the solvents that are present in the adhesives used for said decorative elements.

The method then continues with the step of cooling the layer and the surface layer for final adhesion to the exposed surface of the fabric.

Advantageously, the hot-pressing step occurs at 160°C, substantially for a time equal to 8 seconds and at an applied pressure of 4 bar, for optimizing the processes of polymerization of the binder and the softening of the additive.

Moreover, the invention can be packaged in a decorative kit of textile products that comprises at least one fabric (for example a T-shirt, a cap, any item of clothing or the like), a portion of which is decorated by applying a decoration according to the method cited above.

Moreover, the kit comprises at least one decorative element or a plurality thereof, of the type of picture-cards, labels or the like, on at least one surface of which a layer of removable adhesive is applied which can be applied removably to the decoration applied to the fabric.

Moreover, the kit can comprise at least one sheet of siliconized paper, useful for reactivating the surface of the decoration, i.e., for smoothing or reducing the surface roughness of the surface layer thereof by interposing said siliconized paper with respect to the iron or other similar tool used to hot-press said fabric.

In practice it has been found that the described invention achieves the intended aim and objects, and in particular the fact is stressed that the composition of a decorative base for fabrics, according to the invention, makes it possible to constitute an interface that is suitable for the removable adhesion of labels, picture-cards or similar decorations to fabrics and similar materials. Moreover, the composition according to the invention can be variously colored or colorless, can be easy to apply and does not have toxicity or undesirable problems of limiting the vapor permeability of the fabric to which it is applied.

It has been shown that the composition according to the invention can be easily reactivated, if rendered necessary by wear or loss of effectiveness, without the necessity of replacing said fabric or said decoration; moreover, it allows the provision of fabrics, clothes or others which are variously decorated, without limits to the application, which can be customized and replaced, with decorations of the removable type having the most disparate shapes and dimensions.

The invention as provided furthermore provides a method for providing decorations of fabrics that has been found to be easy to use, with an industrially repeatable result, safe to use, and allows the provision of a kit formed by decorated fabric, such as clothes or the like, and decorative picture-cards or labels for customizing said decoration of the fabric having the most disparate shapes, dimensions, colors and decorations.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements without thereby abandoning the protective scope of the appended claims.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MO2010A0001 18 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1, A composition for decorative bases of fabrics, comprising at least one binder that comprises at least one mixture of poiyurethane (PU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and at least one organic solvent, characterized in that it further comprises at least one additive that comprises a polyester (PET, polyethylene terephthalate) dispersed uniformly within said binder.

2. The composition according to claim 1 , characterized in that said additive comprises co-polyester in granules that are adapted to be mixed uniformly with said binder.

3. The composition according to claim 2, characterized in that said co-polyester granules (PETG) have a particle size distribution comprised between 0.1 and 100 μιτι.

4. The composition according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said additive is present in said mixture in a quantity comprised substantially between 0.5% and 3% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

5. The composition according to claim 4, characterized in that said additive is present in said mixture in a quantity comprised substantially between 0.8% and 1% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

6. The composition according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said binder comprises poiyurethane in a quantity comprised substantially between 50% and 92.5% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition, polyvinyl chloride in a quantity comprised substantially between 2.5 and 25% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition, and solvent based on aliphatic hydrocarbons in a quantity comprised substantially between 5% and 25% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

7. The composition according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said binder has a density at 20°C comprised substantially between 0.8 and 1 g/cm³ and is in the form of a paste,

8. The composition according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one color which is dispersed in said binder.

9. The use of a composition according to one or more of the preceding claims as a decorative base adapted to provide at least one decoration of fabrics, which is adapted for the removable adhesion of decorative elements that comprise a removable adhesive layer for adhesive bonding to said decoration.

10. A method for providing a decoration on fabric, comprising the steps of:

- arranging at least one fabric to be decorated;

- applying by screen printing at least one layer of at least one composition according to one or more of claims 1 to 8 on at least one surface of said fabric that is destined to be in view;

- drying said layer;

- interposing between said layer and said hot mold, prior to said hot- pressing step, at least one sheet of siliconized paper for smoothing said surface layer;

1 1. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the hot- pressing step occurs at 160°C, substantially for a time equal to 8 seconds and at an applied pressure of 4 bar.

12. A kit for decorating textile products, comprising at least one fabric, at least one portion of which is decorated by applying a decoration according to the method of claim 10 or 1 1 , and at least one decorative element, on at least one surface of which a layer of removable adhesive is applied which can be applied removably to said decoration.

13. The kit according to claim 12, characterized in that it further comprises at least one auxiliary sheet of siliconized paper.