A process for manufacturing decorated flocked products

Abstract

 In a process for obtaining patterned flock products, the following steps are included: application of fibres (1) of substantially uniform length and somewhat transparent, on a support element (2) on which a pattern has been predisposed, realised using colorants which are at least in part of a sublimating type; heat treatment, at a predetermined temperature, of the support (2) bearing the fibres (1) up until at least a partial sublimation of the colorants has been obtained from the support (2) to the fibres (1) applied thereon.

Description

[0001] The field of application of the present invention is very broad, extending to all flocked products, i.e. products obtained through a well-known system of flocking to give a velvety finish to products by causing fibres and/or microfibres, commonly known as flock, to adhere to a support element.

[0002] In particular, piled products are obtained with these processes, which can be applied in various ways, such as on mats, carpets, furnishing textiles and various types of velvety products.

[0003] The main limit of the prior art is that it is difficult simply and economically to obtain flock products bearing multi-coloured decorations or designs.

[0004] The process by which the flock is pressed on to the support using normal systems for printing on textiles or hides is not able to provide satisfactory results, mainly from the point of view of costs.

[0005] The usual technique for colouring the fibres and then carrying out various flocking observations in order to obtain the desired designs is complex, expensive and enables only very simple designs and decorations to be achieved.

[0006] The aim of the present invention is to obviate the above-described limitations and drawbacks in the prior art.

[0007] An advantage of the present invention consists in the structural simplicity of its application.

[0008] These aims and advantages and more besides are all attained by the invention as it is characterised in the appended claims.

[0009] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will better emerge from the detailed description which follows of some preferred non-exclusive embodiments thereof, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying figures, in which:

figure 1 is a schematic section made along line I-I of following figure 2, of a flocked product obtained according to the invention;

figure 2 is a schematic view from above of figure 1;

figure 3 is a schematic view from above of figure 1 relating to a flocked product in a further embodiment of the invention.

[0010] With reference to the figures, 1 denotes the single fibres which are used to carry out the flocking operation according to the process of the present invention.

[0011] The fibres are made to adhere at a predetermined angle on the surface of a support element 2 which in the example is a textile, but which could be of many types, such as leather, wood, metal, plastic and so on.

[0012] In a first embodiment of the invention, a single-coloured or multi-coloured decoration or design is directly reproduced on the surface 20 of the support element 2.

[0013] The decoration or design are made using colorants or inks, at least a part of which are of the type which sublime directly from the solid to the gassy state if heated to a certain temperature.

[0014] A thin layer of glue 3, suitable for causing the fibres to adhere to the support element 2, is spread on the surface 20 or on a part thereof, before application of the fibres 1 of the flock.

[0015] At this point the flocking operation can be carried out, by inserting the fibres, duly arranged usually perpendicular to the surface 20, into the layer of glue 3. Heat treatment is then performed at a predetermined temperature on the by-now flocked support 2 up until at least a partial sublimation of the colorants or inks in the direction going from the support 2 to the fibres 1 applied thereon has occurred.

[0016] In this way the fibres are coloured in perfect correspondence with the original pattern predisposed on the support 2.

[0017] In a second embodiment of the invention, the decoration or design - multicoloured or monochromatic - is made using the same glue, suitably coloured, which is applied on the surface of the support element 2.

[0018] In this embodiment too the flocking is done by inserting the fibres into the glue 3 at the predetermined angle (usually perpendicular to the surface 20); this time, though, the glue itself constitutes the decoration.

[0019] The pigments or colorants contained in the glue 3 are once more of a subliming type.

[0020] The ensuing heat treatment produces, together with the polymerisation of the glue, the sublimation of at least a part of the colorants which dye the fibres in perfect correspondence with the decoration originally predisposed on the support 2.

[0021] In a further embodiment the glue used to obtain the decoration is constituted by a thermoadhesive glue whose function is to guarantee the flocking operation by heat transfer. In this case the flock is heat-transferred from a temporary support, on which the fibres are initially arranged, with a predetermined pressure on to the surface 20 of the support element 2 on which the thermoadhesive glue 30 has been previously applied.

[0022] The operation can be carried out using platen or calenders.

[0023] Application of flock at the correct temperatures and for the correct times in relation to the type of thermoadhesive glue used allows for sublimation of the colorants which produce coloration of the microfibres of the flock. A more emphatic colouring of the flock can be obtained with a subsequent heat treatment carried out in an oven at a predetermined temperature which is suitable for the type of support used.

[0024] Among the original characteristics of the invention is that it provides a flock product which bears a high-definition decoration, with fibres coloured in any type of multicoloured pattern.

Claims

1. A process for manufacturing patterned flock products, wherein fibres or microfibres constituting the flock are made to adhere by means of a glue to a support element, characterised in that the process includes:

application of the fibres (1) on the support element (2) on which support element (2) a pattern has previously been predisposed using colorants, at least a part of which colorants are of a subliming type;

heat treatment, at a predetermined temperature, of the support (2) bearing the fibres (1) up until at least a partial sublimation of the colorants has been obtained from the support (2) to the fibres (1) applied thereon.

2. The process of claim 1, characterised in that the pattern is made directly on a surface (20) of the support element (2), on which surface (20) a glue (3) is spread to enable stable application of the fibres (1) thereon.

3. The process of claim 2, characterised in that the glue (3) is spread only on predetermined areas of the surface (20) of the support element (2), being areas on which said pattern is disposed.

4. The process of claim 1, characterised in that the pattern is realised by means of a glue which is applied on the surface (20) of the support element (2).

5. The process of claim 4, characterised in that the adhesive (30) applied on the surface (20) of the support element (2) is constituted by a thermoadhesive glue.

6. The process of claim 5, characterised in that the adherence of the fibres (1) is achieved by heat transfer of the fibres (1) from a temporary support, on which the fibres (1) are initially arranged, which temporary support is pressed with a predetermined pressure on to the surface (20) of the support element (2), on which surface (20) a layer of the thermoadhesive glue has previously been spread, which layer of thermoadhesive glue also constitutes the pattern.

Drawing