WO2017122140A1

WO2017122140A1 - Piece of clothing including padding material comprising silk

Info

Publication number: WO2017122140A1
Application number: PCT/IB2017/050142
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nicolò GIOVAGNONI; Paolo GIOVAGNONI
Original assignee: Giovagnoni Group S.R.L.
Priority date: 2016-01-12
Filing date: 2017-01-12
Publication date: 2017-07-20
Also published as: ITUB20169919A1

Abstract

The piece of clothing (1) comprises at least a first layer (2) and at least a second layer (3) associated with one another to define at least one padding space (4), and a padding material (7) accommodated in the padding space (4) and comprising at least in part silk.

Description

PIECE OF CLOTHING INCLUDING PADDING MATERIAL COMPRISING SILK

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a piece of clothing, in particular to a padded piece of clothing.

Background Art

Padded pieces of clothing are known such as coats, jackets, heavy jackets and other similar garments, useful to thermally insulate the user in the colder season. The known pieces of clothing have padding made with materials having thermal insulation properties.

The material traditionally used for the padding of pieces of clothing is goose down since the latter has good thermal properties and is readily available.

A drawback of the pieces of clothing padded with goose down is linked to the health of the user.

The goose down, in fact, will wear out over time, forming fine dust that, by easily escaping from the fabrics, can come into contact with the user's skin or be inhaled by the user.

This fine dust often causes respiratory allergies, dermatitis and other diseases related to the inhalation, ingestion and contact with fine dust.

Another drawback linked to the use of goose down refers to the ethical aspects about the production of the goose down itself.

The production of pieces of clothing on an industrial scale requires for large amounts of goose feathers to be used.

That is why big manufacturers make use of goose feathers from animals raised in special farms.

In these farms, to meet the large demand, feathers are torn away from the skin of the animals without waiting for their natural fall, thus causing serious wounds and lacerations, sometimes lethal, for the animal.

As an alternative to goose down, it is known to make padding from synthetic materials like polyester and other similar synthetic fiber materials.

The pieces of clothing having padding made with this material have the drawback of being less valuable than those with goose down padding.

Description of the Invention The main aim of the present invention is to provide a piece of clothing that can protect a user against cold without compromising his/her health.

Within this aim, one object of the present invention is to provide a valuable piece of clothing, consistent with the principles of ethical and environmental sustainability.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a piece of clothing which allows overcoming the mentioned drawbacks of the prior art within the ambit of a simple, rational, easy, effective to use as well as affordable solution.

The above mentioned objects are achieved by this piece of clothing having the characteristics of claim 1.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear better evident from the description of three preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of a piece of clothing, illustrated by way of an indicative but non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a general view of the piece of clothing according to the invention; Figure 2 is an exploded view of a detail of the piece of clothing according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a side sectional view of a detail of a first embodiment of the piece of clothing according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a side sectional view of a detail of a second embodiment of the piece of clothing according to the invention;

Figure 5 is a side sectional view of a detail of a third embodiment of the piece of clothing according to the invention.

Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to such illustrations, reference numeral 1 globally indicates a piece of clothing, in particular a padded piece of clothing.

By way of example, Figure 1 shows a piece of clothing 1 of the type of a jacket, but other pieces of clothing cannot be ruled out such as, e.g. jerseys, pants, suits and other wearable garments and clothes in general.

The piece of clothing 1 has a first layer 2 and a second layer 3 associated with one another to define a padding space 4. The first layer 2 is the outermost part of the piece of clothing 1, that is the visible part of the piece of clothing when it is worn by the user.

The second layer 3 is the innermost part of the piece of clothing 1, that is the part of the piece of clothing intended to come into contact with the user when it is worn by the latter.

The first layer 2 and second layer 3 are usefully sewn by means of quilting at the "shoulders" of the piece of clothing 1 and at its lower hem.

Different solutions cannot be ruled out, in which the first layer 2 and the second layer 3 are made from the working of a single fabric folded and worked in such a way as to define the padding space 4, with or without seams, or in which the first layer 2 and the second layer 3 are made from the working of several fabrics.

Advantageously, the first layer 2 comprises an external over-layer 5 and an internal under-layer 6 coupled together.

In particular, the over-layer 5 is the part of the first visible layer 2, facing outwards.

In the present embodiments the over-layer 5 is made of silk.

The over-layer 5, in fact, is the type of a silk fabric, i.e. worked with a weft and warp such as to make a layered fabric.

Solutions cannot be ruled out wherein the over-layer 5 is made of materials different to silk, such as cloth, leather, various kinds of fabrics, or wherein it is made of silk mixed with other materials.

The under-layer 6 is the part of the first non-visible layer 2, facing towards the padding space 4.

In the present embodiments, the under-layer 6 is made of a waterproof material, preferably polymeric material capable of preventing the passage of water through its surface.

The coupling of the over-layer 5 to the under-layer 6, obtainable by means of different techniques (sewing, heat treatment and the like), allows obtaining a first layer 2 of the type of "technical silk", that is, the type of a material which joins silk and a technical material so as to combine the properties of silk (thermal insulation, quality, comfort) with the technical advantages of polymeric materials (waterproofing, breathability, resistance).

The second layer 3, on the other hand, in the present embodiments is of the type of a single layer of polymeric material.

Different solutions cannot be ruled out in which the second layer 3 is of a different type such as, e.g., cloth or various kinds of fabrics, silk, other synthetic materials, or in which the second layer is obtained, similarly to the first layer 2, from the coupling of one or more under-lay ers with one or more over-layers. The piece of clothing also comprises padding material 7 accommodated in the padding space 4.

According to the invention, the padding material 7 comprises at least in part silk, i.e. it is made of a silk base.

Advantageously, the padding material 7 comprises entirely silk, i.e. it is made entirely of silk.

This solution, thanks to the properties of silk, allows obtaining a padding having excellent thermal properties, lightweight, safe for the user's health and sustainable from an environmental point of view.

In particular, the padding material 7 can comprise either long silk fibers or short silk fibers.

In the first case, silk is obtained from the working operations of the silkworm cocoon which provide for obtaining long fibers, about one meter, aggregatable in voluminous silk hanks.

Hanks of this type are particularly suitable for bulky padding, useful to make baggy garments (jackets and other similar garments).

In the second case, silk is obtained from the working operations of the silkworm cocoon which provide for obtaining short fibers, about one centimeter, useful to make a substantially flat silk cloth.

A silk cloth of this type is particularly suitable for flat padding, useful to make close-fitting garments.

Advantageously, the piece of clothing comprises a supporting layer 8 arranged in the padding space 4.

The supporting layer 8 is adapted to interact with the padding material 7 to keep the material itself in position. Silk, in fact, by its very nature tends to slip due to gravity, tending to accumulate in the lower areas of the piece of clothing 1.

This would imply an uneven distribution of the padding with consequent problems related to both the aesthetic aspect, with unwanted and unsightly bulges, and the thermal aspect, with insulated and non-insulated areas.

The supporting layer 8, providing rigidity, allows exerting resistance forces useful to support the padding material 7 in position, thus preventing it from slipping downwards.

In a first embodiment (Figure 3), the supporting layer 8 is of the type of nonwoven fabric.

This solution allows facilitating the adhesion of the padding material to the supporting layer 8.

The silk fibers, in fact, intersect with the empty spaces of the weft of the nonwoven fabric thus creating greater resistance to the slipping action due to gravity.

Solutions cannot be ruled out in which the supporting layer 8 is made of different material, such as, e.g., another type of fabric, matting canvas, synthetic materials, and other materials adapted to increase resistance to slipping.

Different solutions cannot also be ruled out for retaining the padding material 7 in position.

In a second embodiment (Figure 4), in place of the supporting layer 8, the piece of clothing 1 comprises an auxiliary layer 9 inserted between the first layer 2 and the padding material 7.

The auxiliary layer 9 is fixed to the second layer 3 in at least one point to divide the padding space 4 into supporting portions 10 adapted to support the padding material 7.

In particular, the auxiliary layer 9 is quilted to the second layer 3 so as to form bag-shaped supporting portions 10 in the padding space 4.

This way, the padding material 7 is divided into each bag and the slipping downwards is prevented by the auxiliary layer 9 so arranged.

The first layer 2, furthermore, is not sewn, therefore the visual effect is aesthetically obtainable of a close-fitting and even piece of clothing without visible quilting.

Usefully, the auxiliary layer is made of polymeric material, e.g. nylon, but alternative materials cannot be ruled out.

Alternative solutions cannot be ruled out, e.g. in which the auxiliary layer 9 is fixed to the second layer 3 only in the point where the first layer 2 and second layer 3 are joined.

In such a case there would be only one supporting portion 10 which would coincide with the padding space 4.

The solution in which the auxiliary layer 9 coincides with the under-layer 6 cannot also be ruled out.

In a third embodiment (Figure 5), the piece of clothing is free of both the supporting layer 8 and the auxiliary layer 9, and the first layer 2 is fixed to the second layer 3 in at least one point so as to divide the padding space 4 into supporting portions 10 adapted to support the padding material 7.

The technical effect obtained with this solution is similar to that described in the second embodiment, with the slipping of silk which is prevented directly by the first layer 2.

In this third embodiment, the aesthetic effect obtained will be different because, the first layer 2 being concerned with quilting, the convexities corresponding to the supporting portions 10 will be visible.

Embodiments cannot however be ruled out that provide for the combination of those previously described.

The operation of the present invention is as follows.

The padding material 7 comprising silk performs the function of a thermal insulation layer, retaining body heat and preventing its dispersion.

The presence of silk, since it has excellent thermal properties, promotes this effect.

In the first embodiment silk, tending to slip due to gravity, is retained in position by the interaction of the silk itself with the supporting layer 8 made of nonwoven fabric.

In the second embodiment, the auxiliary layer 9 is sewn to the second layer 3 so as to make supporting portions 10 adapted to prevent silk from slipping. This solution remains hidden, not visible, because the auxiliary layer 9 is internal to the piece of clothing 1 and the first layer 2 is not concerned with seams or other working.

In the third embodiment, the first layer 2 is sewn (quilted) to the second layer 3 so as to form supporting portions 10 similar to those described in the second embodiment.

In this case the effect is visible, the first layer 2 being concerned directly.

It has in practice been found that the described invention achieves the intended objects and in particular the fact is underlined that the piece of clothing allows protecting a user from cold without compromising his/her health.

Silk, in fact, is by its very nature a lightweight material with excellent thermal properties, particularly suitable for being used as a padding material.

Unlike goose down, then, it doesn't wear out by forming the typical fine dust which can escape from the piece of clothing.

There is no risk, therefore, that the padding can be inhaled or ingested and, if it comes into direct contact with a user, it does not cause allergies, dermatitis or other diseases.

The piece of clothing, furthermore, turns out to be valuable, since silk is traditionally considered a valuable material.

Finally, the piece of clothing devised is consistent with the principles of ethical and environmental sustainability.

Silk, in fact, is obtained from processes which are traditionally accepted in all world cultures, not particularly violent when compared with conventional methods for obtaining goose down, and not particularly harmful for the environment and natural resources to exploit.

The proposed technical solution in the second embodiment, in particular, allows making padding entirely consisting of long silk fibers.

In fact, this type of padding, swollen and bulky, is more likely to slip downwards when compared with padding consisting of short silk fibers, flat and thinned.

This way it is possible to obtain high thermal insulation by using, thanks to the carrying action of the auxiliary layer, exclusively a padding of only long fibers, thus avoiding using multiple layers of short fibers padding that would entail an increase in costs and working times.

Claims

1) Piece of clothing (1) comprising:

at least a first layer (2) and at least a second layer (3) associated with one another to define at least one padding space (4);

- padding material (7) accommodated in said padding space (4);

characterized by the fact that said padding material (7) comprises at least in part silk.

2) Piece of clothing (1) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said padding material (7) comprises entirely silk.

3) Piece of clothing (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one supporting layer (8) arranged in said padding space (4) and able to interact with said padding material (7) to keep the padding material (7) in position.

4) Piece of clothing (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said supporting layer (8) is of the type of nonwoven fabric.

5) Piece of clothing (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises an auxiliary layer (9) inserted between said first layer (2) and said padding material (7), fixed to said second layer (3) in at least one point to divide said padding space (4) into supporting portions (10) adapted to support said padding material (7).

6) Piece of clothing (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said first layer (2) is fixed to said second layer (3) in at least one point to divide said padding space (4) into supporting portions (10) adapted to support said padding material (7).

7) Piece of clothing (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said first layer (2) comprises an external over- layer (5) and an internal under-layer (6) coupled together.

8) Piece of clothing (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said over-layer (5) comprises silk.

9) Piece of clothing (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said under-layer (6) comprises impermeable material.

10) Piece of clothing (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said padding material (7) comprises at least one of long silk fibers and short silk fibers.