Removable clothing patch and associated methods

Abstract

A customizable garment patch including at least a first layer, the first layer being a printed graphical layer, a second layer attached to the first layer being a fabric substrate layer, the first layer attached to the second layer by sublimation printing, an adhesive applied to the second layer, the adhesive capable of connecting the garment patch to a surface and the adhesive being a water soluble glue.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an ornamental garment patch comprising: creating a design and cutting instructions stored as an art file on a computer readable medium; providing a template sheet of fabric; printing the design onto the template sheet; and cutting the ornamental garment patch from the template sheet by a laser cutter apparatus following instructions provided by the art file; wherein the ornamental garment patch has a first layer, the first layer being a printed graphical layer, a second layer attached to the first layer being a fabric substrate layer, and a third layer of three dimensional graphical adornments attached to the first layer, the graphical adornments forming right angle shapes when viewed along a sectional view.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein: the art file comprises graphics, bleed lines, cut lines, and registration marks.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising: aligning registration marks printed onto the template sheet with predetermined positions on the laser cutter apparatus.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein: printing the design onto the template comprises direct dye sublimation printing.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein: the template sheet comprises a machine washable polyester having a simplex knit.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising: melting edges of the ornamental garment patch using the laser cutter apparatus.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising: applying an adhesive to the ornamental garment patch after it has been cut from the template sheet.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein: the first layer comprises dispersed inks deposited onto the second layer by direct dye sublimation printing.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein: the second layer comprises a machine washable polyester having a simplex knit.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein: the second layer is comprised of at least 40 denier polyester fabric.

11. A method of fabricating an ornamental garment patch with three dimensional graphical adornment comprising: creating a design and cutting instructions stored as an art file on a computer readable medium; providing a template sheet of fabric; printing the design onto the template sheet; and cutting the ornamental garment patch from the template sheet by a laser cutter apparatus following instructions provided by the art file; wherein the ornamental patch is and capable of being removed and relocated to substantially any other location on a garment and have three dimensional graphical adornments attached to itself, the graphical adornments forming right angle shapes when viewed along a sectional view.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein: the ornamental garment patch has at least a first layer and a second layer.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein: the first layer comprises dispersed inks deposited onto the second layer by direct dye sublimation printing; and the second layer comprises a machine washable polyester having a simplex knit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other features of my invention will become more evident from a consideration of the following brief descriptions of drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary removable clothing patch and attachment method.

(3) FIG. 2a is a perspective view of an exemplary clothing patch attached to a base fabric.

(4) FIG. 2b is a cross sectional view of the exemplary clothing patch and fabric of FIG. 2a.

(5) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of exemplary method of manufacture of removable clothing patches.

(6) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary clothing patch being removed from a larger sheet of fabric following cutting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(7) Referring now the drawings with more specificity, the present invention essentially provides a removable clothing patch or clothing decal as at 10 in the form of a layered clothing patch that can be attached and detached from clothing using temporary, semi-permanent, and permanent means. The clothing patch 10 according to the present invention preferably comprises a three-dimensional construction comprised of two or more differing layers, the first layer being a graphical layer 11 and the second comprising at least a fabric layer 12. Clothing patch 10 may preferably be attached to fabric substrate 50 by use of a gluestick 60 or other adhesive means 15.

(8) The clothing patch 10 is preferably constructed from a machine washable fabric or other flexible material. Preferably, the fabric is a polyester fabric which is capable of being cut using machine cutting or a laser cutter 30. Preferably, if laser cutting is used in manufacture, the fabric is one which does not burn during laser cutting, and preferably is a fabric that creates an unfrayed edge. The polyester fabric preferably does not shrink when washed and/or dried using machine washers/dryers, and may preferably capable of stretching in both directions resulting from a simplex knit or V shape pattern knit. Preferably the fabric may be crafted from 40 denier semi dull polyester, 70 denier texturized polyester, or higher denier polyesters depending on strength needs of the patch application. The fabric may preferably have a matte finish or a gloss or high gloss finish. In certain other embodiments the patch is composed of cotton, leather, vinyl, and/or silk, depending on the user's mechanical and aesthetic desires.

(9) Patch 10 may be fabricated using any color or combination of colors. Patches may also be virtually unlimited in shape. The garment pieces can be shaped, by way of example, as hearts, stars, circles, rectangles, and the like. Further, patches may be shaped into logos of sporting teams, political campaigns, and other means of conveying information or allegiances. In further embodiments of the present invention, the garment pieces are seasonal, wherein the garment pieces contain holiday messages such as Merry Christmas, etc. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the garment pieces may be arranged or located in any pattern or location on a garment. For example, several patches may form a singular pattern or set of patterns when arranged on a garment in a puzzle-type fashion. Patches may also form adaptable, customizable, designs such as a chessboard and chess pieces, in which the user can decide the process of the demonstrated chess game.

(10) The clothing patch 10 is preferably attachable, detachable, and re-attachable to a fabric 50 as seen in FIG. 1. Preferably, patch 10 is attached using a glue stick 60. Glue stick 60 creates adhesive layer 15 which attaches patch 10 to fabric 50. In a preferred embodiment adhesive 15 composes a water soluble glue, having a specific gravity between 1.01 and 1.10, which dissolves when clothes or fabric 50 is washed. Then patch 10 falls off of the fabric 50 and is reusable. Other temporary adhesives include: pressure-sensitive adhesives such as tackified rubber adhesives, i.e. natural rubber, olefins, silicones, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, polyurethanes, styrene-isoprene-styrene and styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers, and other elastomers; and tackified or untackified acrylic adhesives such as copolymers of isooctylacrylate and acrylic acid, which can be polymerized by radiation, solution, suspension, or emulsion techniques. In certain embodiments, more permanent means of attachment such as permanent glue or stitching. In other embodiments more temporary means of affixation such as stickers, magnets, or hook and loop fasteners (Velcro) are used. Depending on the desires of the user and the shape of the patch a user may form a pocket as well as for merely decorative means. Buttons and other adornments may optionally be used in such an implementation.

(11) Looking now to FIGS. 2a, 2b an exemplary embodiment of patch 10 attached to exemplary fabric 50 is shown. In cross sectional view 2b, patch 10 is shown. Patch 10 preferably comprises at least a first graphical layer 11 and a second fabric or backing layer 12. The graphical layer 11 adheres to fabric layer 12 and preferably may be deposited on layer 12 by sublimation and deposition printing, preferably direct dye sublimation printing uses dispersed inks. The graphics 11 are printed or affixed to the front of patch 10 are preferably comprised of printed ink, regular ink, shiny ink, glitter ink, plastic, embroidery, and/or screen prints. Preferably, the ink or printing is deposited on fabric layer 12 using sublimation, which is best used in combination with a polyester fabric. Fabric layer 12 is preferably coated with adhesive means 15 for affixing patch 10 to fabric 50, which preferably comprises temporary glue described herein.

(12) It can be appreciated that patch 10 can be placed against a garment or other fabric or porous surface in place of fabric 50 and removably secured in place by engagement of adhesive 15 as seen in FIG. 2a. These patches When it is desired to remove patch 10, the patches are selectively disengaged patch 10 is removed. Depending on the adhesive 15 used, the patches are capable of being continually removed and replaced without damage to the garment or patch.

(13) Manufacture of removable patch 10 is preferably from a sizable printed polyester fabric. Prior to manufacture an art file is typically created using a computer and graphics processing program. The art file contains information pertaining to a large template of fabric 20. The art file contains information on graphics, bleed lines, cut lines, and registration marks 21 placed on template 20. Once the art file is completed, it is printed onto template sheet 20 using sublimation printing. Sublimation printing provides superior sharpness and significant cost savings, particularly when used in combination with polyester fabric. After printing registration marks 21 are aligned to known locations and preselected designs corresponding to removable patch 10 are cut out of template 20 preferably by way of a laser cutter 30 as in FIG. 3. Laser cutting is preferable to mechanical cutting as it is capable of fusing and/or melting the edges of patch 10 preventing fraying of the patch even during machine washing. Following cutting patch 10 is removed from template 20 as in FIG. 4.

(14) Affixing a patch 10 on fabric 50 as generally shown in FIG. 1 essentially comprises providing the patch 10 and, fabric 50, positioning the patch on the desired location of the fabric, applying a bonding means 15 to the patch 10 and bonding the patch to the fabric 50.

(15) Accordingly, although the invention has been described by reference to certain preferred and alternative embodiments, it is not intended that the novel arrangements be limited thereby, but that modifications thereof are intended to be included as falling within the broad scope and spirit of the foregoing disclosures and the appended drawings.