NONWOVEN NATURAL SILK FABRIC AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME

Abstract

Disclosed is a sheet of nonwoven natural silk fabric, and particularly a sheet including threads and/or fibres of fibroin coated with sericin A, B and C. Also disclosed is a method for producing a nonwoven natural silk fabric, and particularly to a method including a step in which a thread of natural silk is deposited by a silkworm on a surface of a substrate.

Claims

1-25. (canceled)

26. A sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile; comprising yarns and/or fibres of fibroin coated with sericin A, sericin B and sericin C; said yarns or fibres comprising fibroin in a quantity between 70% and 80% and sericin A, sericin B and sericin C in a quantity between 20% and 30%, by weight with respect to the total weight of the yarn or fibre; and comprising at least one protruding border located at the periphery of said sheet.

27. The sheet according to claim 26, wherein said protruding border has a thickness between 0.1 and 100 mm and a width between 0.002 and 12.5 mm.

28. The sheet according to claim 26, wherein the surface area occupied by said protruding border represents less than 10% of the total surface area of said sheet.

29. The sheet according to claim 26, wherein said sheet is partially or entirely of a three-dimensional shape.

30. A sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile; comprising yarns and/or fibres of fibroin coated with sericin A, sericin B and sericin C; said yarns or fibres comprising fibroin in a quantity between 70% and 80% and sericin A, sericin B and sericin C in a quantity between 20% and 30%, by weight with respect to the total weight of the yarn or fibre; said sheet being partially or entirely of a three-dimensional shape.

31. The sheet according to claim 30, wherein said sheet is partially or entirely of a convex shape.

32. The sheet according to claim 31, wherein the convex shape is a polyhedron; a cone; a sphere; a partially hollowed sphere; a hemisphere; an ovoid; a dome; or a combination thereof.

33. An item comprising or being formed from at least one sheet according to claim 26.

34. An item comprising or being formed from at least one sheet according to claim 26, each substrate being clad or covered in whole or in part with the sheet.

35. A manufacturing method of a nonwoven natural silk textile, comprising the following steps: (a) rearing a silkworm; (b) taking the silkworm at a time when it secretes natural silk; (c) depositing it on a surface of a substrate wherein: the surface of the substrate does not contain rough areas with size greater than 3 mm; the surface of the substrate does not contain recesses with width greater than 1.5 cm; and the surface and/or the substrate is configured so as to restrict the progression of the silkworm; (d) waiting the time required for the desired quantity of natural silk to be deposited on the surface of the substrate, or for the silkworm to have secreted all its silk; (e) removing the silkworm from the nonwoven natural silk textile obtained; and (f) optionally, separating the nonwoven natural silk textile from the surface of the substrate.

36. The manufacturing method according to claim 35, wherein the surface of the substrate is of a two-dimensional shape.

37. The manufacturing method according to claim 35, wherein the surface of the substrate is partially or entirely of a three-dimensional shape.

38. The manufacturing method according to claim 35, wherein the surface of the substrate is an oval; a disk; a polygon; or a combination thereof.

39. The manufacturing method according to claim 35, wherein the surface of the substrate is a polyhedron; a cone; a sphere; a partially hollowed sphere; a hemisphere; an ovoid; a dome with a polyhedral base; or a combination thereof.

40. The manufacturing method according to claim 35, wherein the surface of the substrate contains no rough areas and/or no recesses.

41. The manufacturing method according to claim 35, wherein the nonwoven natural silk textile is a sheet.

42. The manufacturing method according to claim 35, wherein the substrate is raised.

43. The manufacturing method according to claim 42, wherein the substrate is raised by means of a tube, a column and/or a rod.

44. An item comprising or being formed from at least one sheet according to claim 30.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0135] FIGS. 1 to 4 are photographs representing examples of nonwoven natural silk textile sheets of two-dimensional shape according to the invention.

[0136] FIGS. 5 to 8 are photographs representing examples of sheets according to the invention, made of nonwoven natural silk textile having undergone a post-treatment.

[0137] FIGS. 9 to 15 and 24 are photographs representing examples of items according to the invention, comprising or being formed from at least one sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile, and/or comprising a substrate clad or covered in whole or in part with a sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile.

[0138] FIG. 16 is a diagram representing the different steps of a manufacturing method of a nonwoven natural silk textile according to the invention.

[0139] FIG. 17 is a photograph representing an example of a substrate suitable for use in a manufacturing method of a nonwoven natural silk textile according to the invention.

[0140] FIGS. 18 and 19 are photographs representing silkworms during a step of a manufacturing method of a nonwoven natural silk textile according to the invention.

[0141] FIGS. 20 and 21 are diagrams representing particular embodiments of a manufacturing method of a nonwoven natural silk textile according to the invention.

[0142] FIG. 22 is a diagram representing a set of substrates suitable for use in a manufacturing method of a nonwoven natural silk textile according to the invention.

[0143] FIGS. 23 and 25 to 30 are photographs representing examples of sheets of nonwoven natural silk textile according to this invention, partially or entirely of a three-dimensional shape.

[0144] FIG. 31 is a photograph representing an example of a sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile according to the invention, partially of a three-dimensional shape. This sheet is in the form of clothing and has undergone post-treatments.

EXAMPLES

[0145] The present invention will be understood more clearly in view of the following examples illustrating the invention in a non-limiting manner.

Example 1: Sheets of Nonwoven Natural Silk Textile

[0146] FIGS. 1 and 2 show two sheets of nonwoven natural silk textile of a two-dimensional shape. The sheet represented in FIG. 1 is a square sheet having the dimensions 70 mm70 mm0.2 mm containing four protruding borders of width 3 mm, giving same a thickness of 1.5 mm at the periphery thereof. The sheet represented in FIG. 2 is a square sheet of 500 mm sides and 0.5 mm in thickness containing four protruding borders of width 3 mm giving same a thickness of 1 mm at the periphery thereof.

[0147] FIG. 3 shows sheets of nonwoven natural silk textile of a two-dimensional shape, which are disks of diameter 70 mm and thickness 0.3 mm containing a protruding border of width 3 mm giving them a thickness of 1 mm at the periphery thereof (FIG. 4).

[0148] FIG. 4 shows a sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile of a two-dimensional shape, which is a rectangle devoid of borders obtained by cutting a sheet according to the invention, having the dimensions 60 mm100 mm0.2 mm.

[0149] FIG. 23 shows a sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile partially of a three-dimensional shape, which is a cone with a hexagonal base containing a protruding border at the periphery of said base. The edges of the cone are marked by the presence of a protruding border along the entire length of the edge.

[0150] FIG. 25 shows a sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile entirely of a three-dimensional shape, which is a dome with a rectangular base containing a protruding border at the periphery of the rectangle.

[0151] FIG. 26 shows a sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile entirely of a three-dimensional shape, which is an ovoid.

[0152] FIG. 27 shows a sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile entirely of a three-dimensional shape, which is a hemisphere containing a protruding border at the periphery of the cutting plane.

[0153] FIG. 28 shows a sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile entirely of a three-dimensional shape, which is a partially hollowed sphere.

[0154] FIG. 29 shows a sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile partially of a three-dimensional shape containing a protruding border at the periphery thereof, which is in the shape of flower petals.

[0155] FIG. 30 shows a sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile partially of a three-dimensional shape, which is an asymmetrical shape.

Example 2: Sheets of Nonwoven Natural Silk Textile after Post-Treatment

[0156] FIGS. 5 to 8 show sheets of nonwoven natural silk textile having undergone a post-treatment step: printing (FIG. 5), thermo-modelling and dyeing (FIG. 6), stitching (FIG. 7), pearl embroidery (FIG. 8).

[0157] FIG. 31 shows a sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile partially of a three-dimensional shape, which is the form of clothing. The item of clothing is a corset and has undergone a plurality of post-treatments: stitching a hem on the border, perforation of the border with incorporation of rings and threading of lacing.

Example 3: Items Containing or being Formed from at Least One Sheet of Nonwoven Natural Silk Textile, and/or Comprising a Substrate Clad or Covered in Whole or in Part with a Sheet of Nonwoven Natural Silk Textile

[0158] FIGS. 9 and 24 show a parallelepipedal three-dimensional item comprising five sheets of nonwoven natural silk textile permanently joined together by the edges thereof. This item was obtained by means of the method described in Example 5 as illustrated by the diagram in FIG. 20. The periphery of the hollowed face contains a protruding border and the edges of the parallelepiped are marked by the presence of a protruding border along the entire length of the edge.

[0159] FIG. 10 shows an item comprising a bowl-shaped bottom part and a hemispherical top part consisting of a sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile entirely of a three-dimensional shape. The hemisphere was manufactured by means of a method equivalent to that described in Example 4, wherein the substrate comprises at least one hemispherical surface. It could also be obtained by means of the method described in Example 6 as illustrated by the diagram in FIG. 21, followed by a step of cutting of the resulting sphere. Associated with a candle, this item may serve as a candle holder. Associated with an electric circuit and a bulb, this item may serve as an interior lamp.

[0160] FIG. 11 shows an item formed of sheets of nonwoven natural silk textile cut and joined to form an artificial flower. FIG. 12 shows such a flower attached to a plastic stem.

[0161] FIG. 13 shows an item consisting of a substrate, which is a glass receptacle, covered on the entire outer surface thereof with a sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile. This item may serve as a candle holder, as illustrated in FIG. 14 which shows the item associated with a lit candle placed inside the receptacle.

[0162] FIG. 15 shows an item comprising a substrate which is a 7 cm diameter leather disk, which is clad on the entire surface thereof with a sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile. This substrate is thus entirely included in the sheet.

Example 4: Manufacturing Method of a Nonwoven Natural Silk Textile

[0163] FIG. 16 shows the various steps of an example of a manufacturing method of a nonwoven natural silk textile according to the invention.

[0164] Materials and Methods

[0165] Materials

[0166] The surface of the substrate used is typically of a two-dimensional shape; or of a three-dimensional shape and convex; smooth or not comprising rough areas wherein the size is greater than 0.1 mm; and solid, non-concave and devoid of concavities. It is made of plastic (PS, PMMA) or glass, which are materials that are impervious to sericin. The substrate and the surface thereof are in the shape of a square, disks, hemisphere or other shapes. The dimensions of the substrate are variable and at least 70 mm in length or in diameter. The silk yarn deposition surface is formed of the entire top surface of the substrate.

[0167] The silkworm is the caterpillar of Bombyx mori. The substrate is configured so as to restrict the progression of the silkworm. It is horizontally attached to a raising means, which is a rod secured in a support, for example a rectangular support. The rod and the support may be in any material, and are typically made of metal or wood. Any method suitable for attaching the substrate to the rod may be suitable, typically the attachment is carried out by means of an adhesive paper or an adhesive putty (such as Patafix). The attachment zone of the rod with the substrate may form an adhesion point for silk, but as said zone is situated below the substrate, the silkworm cannot reach it and therefore cannot form a cocoon. Examples of substrates with raising means used in the method are shown in FIGS. 17, 18 and 22.

[0168] Methods

[0169] The caterpillar of Bombyx mori is fed with white mulberry (Morus alba) leaves for 30 days. The rearing of the caterpillar so that it reaches the development stage where it secretes filament falls within the scope of conventional sericulture, well-known to those skilled in the art. The method is carried out at 22 C., in homogeneous light and with an ambient humidity of about 30%.

[0170] One or more silkworms are taken and deposited simultaneously on the substrate at a time when they secrete silk, and removed from the substrate when they have finished secreting all their silk. According to the thickness sought for the sheet, the number of worms deposited is adapted. The number of silkworms deposited simultaneously on the substrate is dependent on the dimensions of the substrate and the silk thickness sought, but it is typically 400 worms/m.sup.2, i.e. 4 worms/dm.sup.2. A waiting period then takes place for the time required for the sought quantity of natural silk to be deposited on the surface of the substrate, or for the silkworm to have secreted all its silk. At this stage, the silkworm is removed from the nonwoven natural silk textile obtained. Optionally, the nonwoven natural silk textile obtained is separated from the surface of the substrate.

[0171] Results

[0172] Each silkworm moves along the substrate and deposits the natural silk filament thereof on the substrate. This filament dries in a few seconds. Illustrations of this step of the method are shown in FIG. 18 and FIG. 19. FIG. 19 illustrates the fact that two silkworms can deposit their filament simultaneously on the substrate without impeding or wrapping around each other. As the silkworm sees the progression thereof restricted by encountering an empty space in front of it, it is compelled to change direction regularly, and to move along the surface of the substrate, this movement being restricted to the surface of the substrate. The silkworm thus moves to-and-fro along the substrate, thus depositing its yarn on the entire surface of the substrate. In general, the silkworm stops before falling off the substrate. Nevertheless, it may arise that a silkworm does not manage to stop when it arrives at the edge of the substrate, and falls off the substrate. It is then picked up and replaced on the surface of the substrate. The worm continues to deposit its filament on the substrate.

[0173] A sheet of nonwoven natural silk textile is obtained by means of this method. Examples of sheets obtained using the method are listed in Table 2.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Sheet Shape Th Silkworms Time Dimensions (mm) (mm) M (g) NSW NG TN T (h) #1 Disk 0.3 0.163 1 1 1 72 Diameter: 70 #2 Square 0.3 0.172 1 1 1 72 Side: 75 #3 Rectangle 0.3 4.129 12 2 24 144 Length: 420 Width: 297 #4 Hemisphere 0.3 0.289 2 1 2 72 Diameter: 75 #5 Sphere 0.3 0.606 2 2 4 144 Diameter: 75 #6 Square 1.2 0.688 1 5 5 150 Side: 75 Th: sheet thickness (mm) measured at centre of sheet; M: total mass of sheet (g); NSW: number of silkworms in a group of worms deposited simultaneously on the surface; NG: number of groups of silkworms deposited on the surface; TN: total number of silkworms used for manufacturing the sheet.

[0174] The mean mass of natural silk produced by a Bombyx mori silkworm is 0.172 g.

Example 5: Manufacture of Items Comprising at Least Two Sheets

[0175] According to one alternative embodiment of the method described in Example 4, an item is manufactured using the following method, represented schematically in FIG. 20.

[0176] A first sheet is manufactured according to the method described above, then this sheet is detached and a second sheet is manufactured in the same way and left in place on the substrate. One edge of each of the two sheets is then moistened slightly, which induces partial dissolution of sericin. The two edges are immediately placed in contact, and the drying of the sericin holds the two sheets bonded together by one edge.

[0177] Silkworms are deposited on the substrate, and deposit silk which will permanently join the two sheets together by the edge. It is also possible to bond the sheets while the manufacture of the second sheet has not yet been completed, in which case the silkworms will simultaneously produce the second sheet and join it with the first sheet. By repeating these steps several times, an item comprising at least two sheets joined together permanently by natural silk is obtained.

[0178] The method represented in FIG. 20 particularly makes it possible to produce a parallelepipedal item including five sheets of natural silk forming five faces of a parallelepiped, such as the item represented in FIG. 9.

Example 6: Manufacture of a Sheet of Spherical Three-Dimensional Shape

[0179] According to one alternative embodiment of the method described in Example 4, an item is manufactured using the following method, represented schematically in FIG. 21.

[0180] The substrate is a sphere or pseudosphere. As they move to avoid falling, the silkworms will only deposit filament on the uppermost surface of the substrate. When the sought natural silk thickness has been deposited, the substrate is detached from the raising means and oriented such that the part not yet covered of the substrate becomes the uppermost part. It is not necessary to remove the silkworms from the substrate during the movement of the substrate. The silkworm(s) will continue to deposit their filament on the top surface of the substrate, and thus by successive movements of the substrate, it is possible to have the entire surface of the substrate covered with natural silk. The sheet obtained is devoid of protruding borders at the periphery thereof.

[0181] In the embodiment represented in FIG. 21, the substrate is an inflatable balloon and a reduced surface area, which is that which contains deflation means (for example a nozzle), is not covered with natural silk. By actuating the deflation means, it is then possible to deflate the substrate and extract it from the spherical or pseudo-spherical shape.

[0182] According to a further possible embodiment, the substrate is solid and is not removed after the manufacture of the sheet. A spherical or pseudo-spherical item comprising a substrate partially or completely covered with a sheet of natural silk is thus obtained.

Example 7: Substrate Assembly

[0183] According to an alternative embodiment of the method described in Example 4, a substrate assembly represented in FIG. 22 is used.

[0184] The substrates are configured such that a silkworm falling from its substrate would fall onto another substrate of the assembly, instead of falling onto the ground. This substrate assembly is advantageous as it makes it possible to reduce the number of procedures required to keep the silkworms on the surface of the substrate where they are to deposit their filament. A tray is also paced underneath the substrate assembly, which makes it possible to retrieve the silkworms that have fallen from substrate to substrate over the entire height of the substrate assembly.