A covering for items of furniture, and a method for the production thereof

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a covering for chairs, seats, and items of furniture in general, comprising a fabric having aesthetic properties, which is coupled with a substrate. The substrate enables good adhesion of the covering to the underlying padding to be achieved, preventing relative sliding.

[0002] According to a first known technique, the substrate is constituted by a sheet of expanded polyurethane. However, this material has several disadvantages.

[0003] In fact it absorbs moisture easily and, given its predominantly closed-cell structure, releases the moisture with difficulty, so that it cannot be washed, even in industrial laundries. It is therefore rather unhygienic, favouring the accumulation of dust, dirt and bacteria, and preventing transpiration.

[0004] Moreover, polyurethane is sensitive to light, to air, and to heat, so that it deteriorates with time. At the same time, it cannot be recycled and its disposal is therefore problematical.

[0005] Furthermore, in the event of fire, polyurethane releases very dense smoke which is dangerous and poisonous since it contains polyalcohols, isocyanates and hydrocyanic acid. Moreover, the polyurethanes which are typically available commercially contain various additives such as antioxidants and plasticizers which are released into the environment over time, to the great detriment of man. To bring about expansion of polyurethane, substances such as chlorofluorocarbons, which are responsible for atmospheric ozone depletion, are also used - even though this practice is now being abandoned.

[0006] In the light of the various disadvantages mentioned above, the use of an expanded polyurethane substrate is therefore disadvantageous.

[0007] According to a further known technique, the substrate of the covering is constituted by a non-woven fabric which is coupled with the fabric having aesthetic properties by the interposition of an intermediate layer of adhesive.

[0008] In a first case, the intermediate layer is constituted by a film or granules of thermally meltable material which is melted by hot calendering so as to bring about adhesion of the fabric having aesthetic properties to the non-woven fabric. However, the calendering operation leads to excessive compression of the covering, which adopts an undesired flattened appearance.

[0009] In a second case, the intermediate layer is constituted by a hot-melt adhesive. However, in some cases, this can transmit to a person sitting on the covering, an unpleasant sensation as if a rigid sheet were disposed beneath the fabric having aesthetic properties. In any case, the production process in question is undoubtedly onerous.

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a covering which is improved in comparison with those of the prior art.

[0011] This object is achieved by means of a covering for chairs, seats, and items of furniture in general, comprising a fabric having aesthetic properties, coupled directly with a non-woven fabric formed at least partially of thermally meltable synthetic fibres.

[0012] The covering of the invention is free of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art which are due to the presence of polyurethane or of a layer of hot-melt adhesive, and to the use of calendering processes.

[0013] The covering of the invention also has the advantage of being a product that can be regenerated and the non-woven fabric used therein can itself be produced with regenerated fibres.

[0014] The non-woven fabric of the covering of the invention may have a layered structure and may comprise a first layer of thermally meltable synthetic fibres facing the aesthetic fabric and coupled with a second layer of incombustible fibres.

[0015] Alternatively, the non-woven fabric may be formed entirely of thermally meltable synthetic fibres or may comprise natural fibres mixed with the thermally meltable synthetic fibres. The thermally meltable synthetic fibres are advantageously made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyamide, polypropylene and mixtures thereof.

[0016] A further subject of the present invention is a method for the production of a covering of the type indicated, in which the hot coupling of the fabric having aesthetic properties with the non-woven fabric takes place by exposure of the non-woven fabric to a heat source such as, for example, a jet of superheated steam and/or hot air. In the most preferred embodiment of the production method of the invention, the exposure of the non-woven fabric to the heat source, which brings about melting of the fibres, is followed by a step of needle-felting with water. This last step renders the aesthetic fabric and the non-woven fabric cohesive and cools the assembly produced as a result of their coupling.

[0017] The method of the invention has the advantage over known methods that it is more economical, in particular by virtue of the faster speed of coupling of the fabric having aesthetic properties with the non-woven fabric.

[0018] Further advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become clear from the following example of its implementation, provided by way of non-limiting indication.

[0019] An aesthetic shuttle-woven fabric having the following characteristics:

weave	jacquard
width	50 cm
weight per unit area	225 g/cm2
warp	24.5 threads/cm
weft	11 threads/cm
composition	100% polyester

was coupled with a layer of non-woven fabric having the following characteristics:

thickness	12 mm
fibre diameter	12 dtex
density	30 kg/m3
composition	100% polyester, of which 50%
	had a melting point of 120°C.

[0020] The coupling took place by causing the non-woven fabric to pass at a speed of 25 m/min through a laminar jet of steam superheated to 160°C, arranged transversely relative to the width of the fabric and to its direction of advance.

[0021] The aesthetic fabric, advancing at a speed of 30 m/min. was coupled with the non-woven fabric immediately after the heating thereof, by the exertion of a pressure thereon.

[0022] A very short distance from the coupling region, the two coupled fabrics were cooled by blown air at ambient temperature. A layered covering having a total thickness of 11 mm, smooth surfaces, and air-permeability of 130 1/dm²*min, which was equal to that of the non-coupled aesthetic fabric, was thus obtained.

[0023] Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining the same, the details of construction and forms of embodiment may vary widely with respect to those described purely by way of example, without thereby departing from its scope.

Claims

1. A covering for chairs, seats, and items of furniture in general, comprising a fabric having aesthetic properties coupled directly with a non-woven fabric formed at least partially of thermally meltable synthetic fibres.

2. A covering according to Claim 1 in which the non-woven fabric has a layered structure and comprises a first layer of thermally meltable fibres facing towards the fabric having aesthetic properties, the first layer being coupled with a second layer of incombustible fibres.

3. A covering according to Claim 1 in which the non-woven fabric is formed entirely of thermally meltable synthetic fibres.

4. A covering according to Claim 1 in which the non-woven fabric comprises natural fibres mixed with the thermally meltable synthetic fibres.

5. A covering according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the thermally meltable synthetic fibres are made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyamide, polypropylene, and mixtures thereof.

6. A method of producing a covering according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the coupling of the non-woven fabric with the fabric having aesthetic properties takes place by exposure of the non-woven fabric to a heat source.

7. A method according to Claim 6 in which the exposure of the non-woven fabric to a heat source is followed by a step of felt-needling with water.