Textile product having latent image that slowly appears following repeated washings

Abstract

A textile product is disclosed having a latent image created from water-based ink which is applied using a screen printing process. The image is thereafter hidden underneath a second image created from a plasticizing emulsion such as plastisol which is partially cured. The partial cure causes a portion of the plasticizing emulsion to be removed from the textile product during washing and after repeated washings, the latent image becomes revealed.

Claims

1. A garment comprising: a first image applied to a textile article using a screen printing process with water-based ink; and, a second image applied to the textile article to hide at least a portion of the first image, using a screen printing process with an uncured plastisol where the second image is thereafter partially cured at a curing temperature of between 220-250 deg F.; wherein about 50% of the first image will not become visible until the garment is subjected to more than one wash.

2. The garment of claim 1 where a layer of transparent plasticizing emulsion is applied directly upon a least a portion of the first image, using a screen printing process and thereafter fully cured prior to the second image being applied to the textile article.

3. A garment comprising: a first image applied to an article of clothing using a screen printing process with water-based ink; a second image applied directly upon at least a portion of the first image using a screen printing process and plasticizing emulsion comprising: a first application of a layer of an uncured plasticizing emulsion is applied directly upon a portion of the first image and is thereafter partially cured at a pre-determined curing temperature between 230-240 deg F.; and, a second application of a layer of an uncured plasticizing emulsion is applied upon a remaining portion of the first image not covered by the first application, and where the second application is thereafter partially cured at a temperature lower than the pre-determined temperature of the first application between 220-235 deg F.; wherein about 50% of the first image will not become visible until the garment is subjected to more than one wash.

4. A method for making a latent image appear on a garment initially covered by a coating of partially cured plastisol comprising the steps of: receiving a garment comprising a first image created from water-based ink used in a screen printing process, and a layer of plastisol deposited directly upon at least a portion of the first image; where the layer of plastisol has been partially cured at a curing temperature temperature of between 220-250 deg F.; washing the garment in a washing machine to remove a portion of the plastisol layer wherein about 50% of the first image will not become visible until the garment is subjected to more than one wash; and, repeating the step of washing the garment in a washing machine to remove additional portions of the plastisol layer to progressively reveal a greater portion of the first image.

5. The garment of claim 1 wherein the second image completely hides the first image.

6. The garment of claim 3 wherein the second image completely hides the first image.

7. A garment comprising: a first image applied to a textile article using a screen printing process with water-based ink; and, a second image applied to the textile article to completely hide the first image, using a screen printing process with an uncured plastisol where the second image is thereafter partially cured at a curing temperature of between 220-250 deg F.; wherein about 50% of the first image will not become visible until the garment is subjected to more than one wash.

8. The garment of claim 7 where a layer of transparent plasticizing emulsion is applied directly upon a least a portion of the first image, using a screen printing process and thereafter fully cured prior to the second image being applied to the textile article.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a prior art representation of a T-shirt having a first image created using a screen printing process;

(2) FIG. 2 illustrates the appearance of the T-shirt of FIG. 1 having a second image applied to obscure the first image using a screen printing process;

(3) FIG. 3 illustrates the appearance of the T-shirt of FIG. 2 following a second wash; and,

(4) FIG. 4 is illustrates the appearance of the t-shirt of FIG. 3 after a third wash.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(5) The textile product described in this section is a garment and the textile article is an article of clothing, namely a T-shirt.

(6) FIG. 1 is a representation of a T-shirt TS having a first image 10 created using a screen printing process.

(7) A screen printing machine (not shown) is used to create first image 10 upon T-shirt TS. Water-based inks (CCI Boost Pigment Concentrate+water) are used and after the image is applied, T-shirt TS is passed thru a tunnel dryer (not shown) at about 420 deg F. For purposes of illustration, first image 10 is that of a dinosaur although any image can be created using this well-known prior art screen printing process.

(8) A second image 12, opaque in appearance and in the shape of an egg, is applied to T-shirt TS to obscure first image 10. A representation of the appearance of the T-shirt after application and partial cure of second image 12 is illustrated in FIG. 2. Following application and partial cure of second image 12, T-shirt TS, first image 10 and second image 12 are collectively referred to as garment G.

(9) For determining the optimum partial cure temperature for the plastisol second image 12, multiple all-cotton T-shirts were used; each of which had a first image 10 depicting a dinosaur as described above.

(10) The next step was to apply the plastisol second image to each T-shirt TS but partially cure the T-shirts separately at different temperatures.

(11) After the T-shirts TS were printed with the dinosaur first image, dried using a tunnel dryer and thereafter allowed to cool, a screen printing machine was used to apply the second image using plastisol. The purpose is for the second image to cover at least a portion of the first image. In the example described herein, first image 10 is completely covered by second image 12 which is of an egg and the second image was comprised of silver plastisol (Wilflex Epic Silver Shimmer, manufactured by PolyOne, Inc.).

(12) The following partial cure temperatures were evaluated: 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 225, 230, 240, and 250 deg F. The objective was to determine how many washings would be required before the latent dinosaur image would come into view.

(13) The T-shirts were thereafter repeatedly washed in a home washing machine. T-shirts were separated and washed separately. Some were washed on a normal cycle (59 min total; warm water wash; with one Tide 4-in-1 detergent pad added) and dried in a home drier on normal cycle (59 min).

(14) Table 1 is a comparison of the number of washings required to reveal the latent image using various partial cure temperatures for a second image made from PolyOne 15370 PFX Epic Silver Shimmer Plastisol:

(15) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 PolyOne 15370 PFX Epic Silver Shimmer Plastisol Cover Partial Cure # of Washes For # of Washes For Temperature 50% Image Reveal Full Image Reveal 180 F. N/A (too gummy) N/A (too gummy) 190 F. N/A (too gummy) N/A (too gummy) 200 F. 1 1 210 F. 1 1 220 F. 1 to 2 5 to 6 225 F. 3 to 4 7 to 8 230 F. 4 to 5 9 to 10 240 F. 6 to 7 >10 250 F. >10 >10

(16) For 180 and 190 deg F., the temperatures were insufficient to obtain an adequate partial cure. The plastisol was gummy to the touch prior to washing, and separated from the T-shirts and formed chunks in the washer as well as stained the T-shirts.

(17) At the higher temperature levels of 240 and 250 deg F., the partial cure to the garment resulted in the plastisol adhering to the T-shirts so well that the second image remained intact after 10 washes.

(18) At 200-210 deg F., substantially all of the dinosaur first image was viewable after one wash.

(19) At 220 deg F., some coloration of the dinosaur image appeared after one wash, but the outline of the first image remained somewhat obscured. After the second wash, between approximately 25-50% of the dinosaur image 10 was viewable in FIG. 3; and 75% or greater of the dinosaur image 10 is viewable after the third wash as illustrated in FIG. 4. There was little further development of the image after the fourth and fifth washes.

(20) At a slightly higher temperature of 225 and 230 deg F., the plastisol image washed off more slowly, such that after three washes about 33% of the dinosaur image was visible.

(21) Thus, the working temperature range for plastisol for achieving a desired partial cure to all-cotton T-shirts occurs between 200 deg F. and 230 deg F.

(22) Based on the above, a partial cure temperature of about 220 deg F. for plastisol will cause first image to become mostly visible will be about 220 deg F. after between about 4-6 washes.

(23) With the top layer comprising silver plastisol alone, it was noted that, when orientating the T-shirt into certain positions under a light source, the reflectivity allowed portions of the dinosaur outline to be somewhat discernible. It then was determined that the addition of mottled brown plastisol spots to the silver plastisol would adequately cover the latent image. The removal characteristics of the brown and silver plastisol were similar to those of the silver plastisol alone at the temperatures tested (200, 210, 220, 225, and 230 deg F.).

(24) It also was determined that the wash-water temperature affected the removal of the plastisol. T-shirts with a dinosaur image and overprinted with silver plastisol partially cured to 230 deg F. were washed repeatedly on normal cycle in cold, warm, and extra-hot water (59 minutes total; one Tide 4-in-1 detergent pad added) and dried on normal cycle (59 min).

(25) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Wash Temperature (Normal Cycle, 59 min); Plastisol Cured at 230 F. # of Washes For # of Washes For Temperature 50% Image Reveal Full Image Reveal Cold 5 to 6 >10 Warm 4 to 5 9-10 Extra Hot 2 to 3 8-9

(26) For the dinosaur to be discernible it required approximately 5 to 6 washes using cold water, 4 to 5 washes using warm water, or 2 to 3 washes using hot water. Wash-water temperature thus affected the rapidity of plastisol removal, the slowest occurring in cold wash, and the greatest occurring in extra hot wash.

(27) Based on the above, about 220 deg F. is believed to be an optimum temperature to partially cure the second image made of plastisol since a higher cure temperature will require an unreasonably high number of washings to reveal the hidden image and thus may discourage the wearer. Consequently, a lower cure temperature will require fewer washings and the novelty of the product may be lost if the hidden image is shown after only a couple of washings.