MARKING ELEMENT

Abstract

A removable marking element for the labelling of a textile comprises a fabric layer, having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface, and an adhesive layer for securing the marking element to a textile by heat and pressure, wherein said adhesive layer is bonded to the lower surface of the fabric layer, wherein the adhesive layer is composed of at least two sublayers, including a first sublayer forming an outer layer of the marking element and comprising a thermoplastic urethane for securing the marking element to the textile by heat and pressure, and a second sublayer bonded to the first sublayer and located between the first sublayer and the fabric layer, wherein the second sublayer comprises a thermoset.

Claims

1. A marking element for the labelling of a textile, comprising: a fabric layer, having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface; and an adhesive layer for securing the marking element to a textile by heat and pressure; wherein said adhesive layer is bonded to the lower surface of the fabric layer; wherein the adhesive layer comprises at least two sublayers, the at least two sublayers comprising a first sublayer for securing the marking element to the textile by heat and pressure, wherein said first sublayer forms an outer surface of the marking element, and a second sublayer located between the first sublayer and the fabric layer, wherein the second sublayer comprises a thermoset.

2. A marking element according to claim 1, wherein the first sublayer comprises a thermoplastic urethane.

3. A marking element according to claim 1, wherein the second sublayer comprises a thermoset urethane.

4. A marking element according to claim 1, wherein the thermoset has a decomposition temperature of above 205 C.

5. A marking element according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a third sublayer, wherein said third sublayer is located between the second sublayer and the fabric layer.

6. A marking element according to claim 5, wherein said third sublayer is a thermoplastic urethane.

7. A marking element according to claim 5, wherein the third sublayer is bonded to the lower surface of the fabric layer and to the second sublayer.

8. A marking element according to claim 5, wherein the degree of crystallinity of the third sublayer is higher than the degree of crystallinity of the first sublayer.

9. A marking element according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the first sublayer is between 30 and 70 g/m.sup.2.

10. A marking element according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the second sublayer is between 5 and 45 g/m.sup.2.

11. A marking element according to claim 5, wherein the thickness of the third sublayer is between 40 and 80 g/m.sup.2.

12. A marking element according to claim 1, wherein the first sublayer comprises tackifiers.

13. A marking element according to claim 1, wherein the first sublayer comprises a polyester-based thermoplastic urethane with a melt volume-flow rate according to ISO1133 situated between 10 and 15 g/10 min.

14. A marking element according to claim 1, wherein the first sublayer comprises a polyester-based thermoplastic urethane with a melting temperature situated between 120 C. and 140 C.

15. A marking element according to claim 5, wherein the third sublayer comprises a polyester-based thermoplastic urethane with a melting temperature situated between 140 C. and 190 C.

16. A method of removing the marking element of claim 1, which has been attached to a textile by heat and pressure, comprising applying element heat and pressure for a period between 2 and 12 seconds, wherein the maximum applied pressure is between 2 and 5 bar and the maximum applied temperature is between 120 C. and 205 C.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the said heat and pressure is applied for less than 8 seconds.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 presents a schematic representation of a cross section of a first embodiment of a marking element according to the invention;

[0031] FIG. 2 presents a schematic representation of a cross section of a second embodiment of a marking element according to the invention;

[0032] FIG. 3 presents a DSC curve of the third sublayer;

[0033] FIG. 4 presents a DSC curve of the first sublayer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The invention will now be described in greater depth based on the following detailed description of two embodiments of marking elements according to the invention. The purpose of this description is to give illustrative examples and to indicate further advantages and special features of embodiments according to this invention and should not be interpreted as a limitation of the scope of the application of the invention or of the patent rights requested in the claims. This detailed description employs reference numerals to refer to the appended drawings.

[0035] Embodiments of marking elements (4) according to the invention are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. These marking elements (4) comprises a fabric layer (5) and an adhesive layer (6). This fabric layer (5) comprises an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface. The function of the adhesive layer (6) is to secure the marking element (4) to a textile by the appliance of heat and pressure. Said adhesive layer (6) is bonded to the lower surface of the fabric layer (5).

[0036] The marking element (4) represented in FIG. 2 further comprises a logo, a barcode or a name which is applied to the upper surface of the fabric layer (5). This logo, barcode or name here forms the upper outer layer (7) of the marking element (4). The appliance of said logo, barcode, name, etc. can for example be done by thermal printing, embroidery, digital printing or sublimation.

[0037] The adhesive layer (6) consists of three sublayers (1, 2, 3) namely a first sublayer (1), a second sublayer (2) and a third sublayer (3). The first sublayer (1) forms an outer surface of the marking element (4), is provided to be attached to a textile by heat and pressure and is attached to the second sublayer (2). The third sublayer (3) is bonded to the fabric layer (5) and to the second sublayer (2). For the third sublayer (3) to be bonded to the fabric layer (5) and the second sublayer (2), a part of the third sublayer (3) is penetrated in the fabric layer (5) and a part of the third sublayer (3) is penetrated in the second sublayer (2). The second sublayer (2) is situated between the first sublayer (1) and the third sublayer (3) and is bonded on the one hand to the third sublayer (3) and on the other hand to the first sublayer (1). To form the latter bond, a part of the first sublayer (1) is partly penetrated into the second sublayer (2).

[0038] This second sublayer (2) forms a barrier between the first sublayer (1) and the third sublayer (3) and makes sure that the first sublayer (1) and the third sublayer (3) do not mix during the patching of the said marking element (4) to a textile, during the industrial washing of the textile and during the removal of said marking element (4) from the textile. To perform its function, the second sublayer (2) is made of a thermoset urethane with a decomposition temperature of above 250 C. The attachment/patching of the marking element (4) to a textile and also the removal of said marking element (4) from said textile is normally done at temperatures of below 210 C. Since the second sublayer (2) is made of thermoset which does not decompose at 210 C., this second sublayer (2) will not alter during the patching/removal of said marking element (4) and will always be able to perform its barrier function.

[0039] The first sublayer (1) is substantially made of a polyester-based thermoplastic urethane and the third sublayer (3) is substantially made of a different polyester-based thermoplastic urethane.

[0040] The first sublayer (1) is less crystalline than the third sublayer (3). This can be seen on the DSC curves of said sublayers (1, 3) shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. These curves are made with the aid of the standards ASTM D3418 and ISO11357 and they show the heat flow (W/g) on the vertical axis and the temperature ( C.) on the horizontal axis. FIG. 3 shows the DSC curves of the third sublayer (3), respectively the curve during the first heating, the curve during the cooling down and the curve during the second heating. The curve during the cooling down shows a high crystallisation of the third sublayer (3). Because of this crystallisation, the third sublayer (3) is very well attached to the fabric layer (5) and will not loosen during the use of the marking element (4). FIG. 4 shows the DSC curves of the first sublayer (1), respectively the curve during the first heating, the curve during the cooling down and the curve during the second heating. Here it can be seen that virtually no crystallisation takes place during the cooling down. When a marking element (4) is attached to a textile, the first sublayer (1) is heated and is then cooled down. During the patching of the marking element (4) to a textile, the first sublayer (1) liquefies under the influence of heat and is pressed partly into the textile. During the cooling down, the first sublayer (1) and thus also the part of the first sublayer (1) which has been pressed into the textile, hardens. From said DSC curves it can be derived that there is virtually no crystallisation during the cooling down of said polyester based polyurethane of the first sublayer (1). Because of this, the bond between the marking element (4) and the textile can be easily removed by the appliance of heat and pressure and this without damaging the textile and/or leaving adhesive residues on the textile.

[0041] Further, as can be seen in FIG. 1, the thickness of the third sublayer (3) is higher than the thickness of the first sublayer (1), and the thickness of the first sublayer (1) is higher than the thickness of the second sublayer (2). The thickness of the first sublayer (1) is approximately 50 g/m.sup.2. The thickness of the third sublayer (3) is approximately 60 g/m.sup.2 and the thickness of the second sublayer (2) is approximately 25 g/m.sup.2.

[0042] The first sublayer (1) further comprises tackifiers, a plasticizer and wax. The melt volume-flow rate according to ISO1133 of both the first sublayer (1) and the third sublayer (3) is situated between 10 and 15 g/10 min.

[0043] The polyester-based thermoplastic urethane of the first sublayer (1) has a melting temperature situated between 130 C. and 135 C.

[0044] The polyester-based thermoplastic urethane of the third sublayer (3) has a melting temperature situated between 150 C. and 160 C.