Simplified method for making an impermeable joining on three-layer or bi-layer fabric materials, either with or without a complex construction on a joining side thereof and being preliminarily joined by a stitching or ultrasound joining arrangement

Abstract

A simplified method for making an impermeable joining on three-layer or bi-layer fabric materials, either with or without a complex construction on a joining side thereof, and being preliminarily joined by a stitching or ultrasound joining arrangement, wherein the method comprises only two method steps, a first joining step of joining two fabric material panels and a second impermeabilizing step carried out by cauterizing and sealing a strip element, and being performed by a single machine in a single operation thereof.

Claims

1. A method for making an impermeable joining on two fabric material panels on a joining side thereof, wherein said fabric material panels comprise each at least a fabric material layer of a constant thickness with surface fabric material fibers and wherein said method consists of performing two method steps comprising: (a) performing a first joining step of joining said two fabric material panels by stitching or ultrasound joining to provide a joining line of said panels; and (b) performing a second step after said first joining step has been performed, the second step comprising: blowing overheated air jets on said inner portion of said fabric material panels at said joining line and on portions of said fabric material panels adjacent to said joining line, said overheated air jets being ejected with a temperature from 200° C. to 350° C. and a pressure from 1.5 to 2.5 bars to thermally modify textile structure of the portions of said fabric material panels adjacent to said joining line by bringing said surface fibers to a plasticized, flattened and partially removed status; and applying and heat welding a sealing adhesive impermeable strip on a thermally modified inner portion of said fabric material panels after the blowing and without application of additional heating.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said fabric material layer of a constant thickness comprises surface piles and wherein said second impermeabilizing step partially removes said surface piles to transform said fabric material layer of a constant thickness into a smooth and compact fabric material layer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative but not limitative example, in the accompanying drawings, where:

(2) FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are cross-section views showing an operating sequence of an operating step for forming an impermeable joint on three-layer fabric materials, being joined by ultrasounds;

(3) FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are further cross-section views showing an operating sequence for forming an impermeable joint on three-layer fabric materials, which are joined by a simple stitching or seaming operation; and

(4) FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are further cross-section views showing an operating sequence for forming an impermeable joint on three-layer fabric materials, which are joined to one another by a folded seam.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(5) With reference to the number references of the above mentioned figures, the simplified method for making an impermeable joining on three-layer or bi-layer fabric materials, either with or without a complex construction on a joining side thereof, and being preliminarily joined by a stitching or ultrasound joining arrangement, comprises only two operating steps: a first operating step for joining the two fabric or textile panels or pieces, generally indicated by the reference numbers 11 and 12, by a stitching or a ultrasound joining, and a second impermeabilizing joining operation consisting of a cauterizing and seaming step being performed by a single machine in a single processing operation.

(6) The reference number 1 shows the outer fabric material, 2 the protective barrier, 3 the composite inner fabric material of a first constant thickness, for example a pile fabric material of a second constant thickness, and the reference number 4 shows the impermeable adhesive strip or tape.

(7) FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show the joining of the fabric panels 11 and 12 by a ultrasound welding operation 5.

(8) FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show the joining of the fabric panels 11 and 12 by a simple stitching, generally indicated by the reference number 6.

(9) FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show the joining of the fabric panels 11 and 12 by a folded stitching or seaming, generally indicated by the reference number 7.

(10) According to the present invention, the first joining operation, schematically illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4 and 7, is carried out starting from two bi-/three-layer fabric panels, in a natural condition thereof, by either a simple 6 or complex 7 stitching, or by a spot sealing operation 5, carried out on an ultrasound seaming machine.

(11) The second operating step is in turn carried out by using a single specifically designed machine performing a cauterizing operation, schematically shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 8.

(12) Said cauterizing operation or step is carried out by blowing overheated air on an inner portion 3 of the fabric panels, for example in a pile fabric arrangement, at the joining line and on sides adjoining said line so as to burn the textile structure of the affected fabric surface.

(13) In this connection, it should be pointed out that said cauterizing step is a localized burning carried out by one or more of overheated air jets at a temperature preferably varying from 200° C. to 350° C. and at a pressure preferably varying from 1.5 to 2.5 bars.

(14) This hot burning processing method may be carried out on complex bi- or three-layer laminated fabric materials, of a pile, fleece, raised, brushed, non-woven type, or on a fabric material layer having either a smooth or a structured or textured surface.

(15) In the first case, the cauterizing step will fully burn the structure of the surface fabric fibers since they are brought to a plasticized status, and are flattened and partially removed.

(16) In the second case, the surface fabic piles are eliminated thereby the fabic material will be smooth and compact.

(17) In this operating step, the overheated air jet is directed only on the involved joining region by using the air jet temperature, flow rate and pressure necessary to cauterize or burn the surface being processed.

(18) The cauterizing step allows to modify and compact the involved textile material layer, thereby making it suitable for the following welding/sealing operation, since the thus achieved surface would prevent any liquids from passing therethrough, and moreover the adhesive will affect not single filaments having a poor mechanical strength, but the overall compacted surface thereby providing a good mechanical strength against tearing.

(19) Moreover, the cauterizing allows the fabric joining region thickness to be greatly reduced, which is very advantageous as raised pile fabric materials are processed.

(20) After the cauterizing operation, and on the same cauterizing machine, that is a machine obviously including cauterizing means and sealing means and an adhesive impermeable strip or tape 4 is immediately welded or sealed on the cauterized portion, which adhesive strip may comprise an adhesive film with different characteristics, compositions and thicknesses, to be easily fitted to different fabric materials and technical and marketing requirements, said adhesive strip comprising, for example, colored, light reflecting, customized films and so on.

(21) It has been found that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects.

(22) In fact, the invention has provided a method for making an impermeable joining on three-layer or bi-layer fabric materials which is much more simple than prior methods and comprises only two main operating steps, that is a joining of the fabric panels and cauterizing/taping of the made joining.

(23) In particular, the present invention allows to perform, in a quick and inexpensive manner, an impermeable joining on bi- or three-layer laminated fabric materials having a complex textile structure on the joining side thereof.

(24) In practicing the invention, the used materials, as well as the contingent size and shapes, can be any, depending on requirements.