U.S. patent application number 11/196728 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-09 for process for continuous production of a flocked and dyed cloth backing.
This patent application is currently assigned to SOCIETE D'ENDUCTION ET DE. Invention is credited to Jean-Pierre Lion.
Application Number | 20060026778 11/196728 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34950072 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060026778 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lion; Jean-Pierre |
February 9, 2006 |
Process for continuous production of a flocked and dyed cloth
backing
Abstract
In this process of continuous manufacture of a flocked and dyed
cloth backing (S) including stages of application (3) of a
polymerizable resin (RP) layer to at least one surface of the cloth
backing, projection (4) of white or unbleached flock fibers (FF)
onto the resin layer, polymerization (5) of the resin to fix the
flock fibers on the cloth backing, deposition (1) of at least one
sublimable dye (E) to dye the flock fibers, and sublimation (6) of
the deposited dye, the stage of deposition (1) of at least one
sublimable dye (E) is carried out before the stage of projection
(4) of the flock fibers, and the stage of sublimation (6) is
carried out after the stage of polymerization (5) of the resin by a
simple application of heat without application of pressure to the
cloth backing (S).
Inventors: |
Lion; Jean-Pierre; (Laval,
FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
YOUNG & THOMPSON
745 SOUTH 23RD STREET
2ND FLOOR
ARLINGTON
VA
22202
US
|
Assignee: |
SOCIETE D'ENDUCTION ET DE
LAVAL
FR
|
Family ID: |
34950072 |
Appl. No.: |
11/196728 |
Filed: |
August 4, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
8/488 ;
8/467 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06P 1/0004 20130101;
D04H 11/00 20130101; D06P 5/004 20130101; D06P 5/003 20130101; D06P
5/001 20130101; D06Q 1/00 20130101; D06Q 1/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
008/488 ;
008/467 |
International
Class: |
D06P 5/00 20060101
D06P005/00; D04H 11/00 20060101 D04H011/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 4, 2004 |
FR |
04 08626 |
Claims
1. Process of continuous manufacture of a flocked and dyed cloth
backing (S) comprising stages of application (3, 11, 21) of a
polymerizable resin (RP) layer to at least one surface of the cloth
backing, projection (4, 12, 23) of white or unbleached flock fibers
(FF) onto said resin layer, polymerization (5, 13, 24) of the resin
to fix the "flock" fibers on the cloth backing, deposition (1, 11,
22) of at least one sublimable dye (E) to dye the flock fibers, and
sublimation (6, 14, 25) of the deposited dye, characterized in that
the stage of deposition (1, 11, 22) of at least one sublimable dye
(E) is carried out before the stage of projection (4, 12, 23) of
the flock fibers, and the stage of sublimation (6, 14, 25) is
carried out after the stage of polymerization (5, 13, 24) of the
resin by a simple application of heat without application of
pressure to the cloth backing.
2. Process according to claim 1, wherein said at least one
sublimable dye (E) is deposited on the cloth backing (S) before the
stage of application (3) of the polymerizable resin (RP) layer.
3. Process according to claim 1, wherein said at least one
sublimable dye (E) is deposited on the polymerizable resin (RP)
layer before the stages (23 and 24) of projection of the flock
fibers and polymerization.
4. Process according to claim 2, wherein said at least one
sublimable dye (E) is deposited uniformly on said at least one
surface of the cloth backing (S) or on said polymerizable resin
(RP) layer.
5. Process according to claim 2, wherein said at least one
sublimable dye (E) is deposited in the form of patterns on said at
least one surface of the cloth backing (S) or on said polymerizable
resin (RP) layer.
6. Process according to claim 1, wherein said at least one
sublimable dye (E) is mixed with said polymerizable resin (RP), and
the mixture layer obtained is applied (stage 11) to the cloth
backing (S).
7. Process according to claim 1, wherein the polymerizable resin
(RP) layer is applied uniformly to said at least one surface of the
cloth backing (S).
8. Process according to claim 1, wherein the polymerizable resin
(RP) layer is applied in the form of patterns to said at least one
surface of the cloth backing (S).
9. Process according to claim 1, wherein for the stage (4, 12, 23)
of projection of the flock fibers (FF), polyester flock fibers with
a fine titer, preferably of less than 1.5 Dtex, are used.
10. Process according to claim 9, wherein polyester fibers with a
titer in the range from 0.3 to 1 Dtex and with a length of between
0.2 and 0.5 mm are used.
11. Process according to claim 9, wherein super microfibers of
polyester with a titer of roughly 0.3 Dtex are used.
12. Process according to claim 1, wherein as the polymerizable
resin (RP), a 100% solid resin is used, with a high softening
point, preferably a softening point above 170.degree. C.
13. Process according to claim 12, wherein a polyurethane resin is
used as the polymerizable resin (RP).
14. Process according to claim 1, wherein a resin with weak
adhesive power is used as the polymerizable resin (RP).
15. Process according to claim 14, wherein the polymerizable resin
(RP) is an acrylic resin in a modified aqueous dispersion.
16. Process according to claim 3, wherein said at least one
sublimable dye (E) is deposited uniformly on said at least one
surface of the cloth backing (S) or on said polymerizable resin
(RP) layer.
17. Process according to claim 3, wherein said at least one
sublimable dye (E) is deposited in the form of patterns on said at
least one surface of the cloth backing (S) or on said polymerizable
resin (RP) layer.
18. Process according to claim 10, wherein super microfibers of
polyester with a titer of roughly 0.3 Dtex are used.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to a process for continuous
production of a flocked and dyed cloth backing.
[0002] Obtaining monochrome flocked surfaces with a given shade is
well known and well managed. "Flock" fibers are prepared by their
manufacturer and dyed to the desired shade by conventional textile
dyeing processes. These dyed fibers are then applied by the classic
process of "flocking" and are fixed on a backing by implantation in
a polymer resin layer. The final color of the flocked product is
then obtained by a combination of the initial shade of the "flock"
fibers, the density of these fibers that are applied on the
backing, and the pigmentation of the resin in which the fibers are
implanted. This process of obtaining monochrome flocked surfaces is
widely used. It has several disadvantages, however, both for the
flock manufacturer and for the industrial user: [0003] for the
flock manufacturer, production in medium quantities of several
thousand meters of flocked products in a given uniform color calls
for several hundred kilograms of "flock" fibers that are dyed to
the given desired shade (roughly 200 kg of "flock" fibers per 2000
m.sup.2 of the manufactured flocked product); the dyeing and
finishing of such a quantity of textile fibers lead to significant
wastes of dyes and textile finishing agents that themselves dictate
onerous operations of waste water treatment as well as frequent
operations of draining and cleaning manufacturing and dyeing
materials; [0004] at the site of the industrial user of "flock"
fibers, this same production in medium quantities entails major
dead times in production as a result of the operations of cleaning
machinery that are essential between each change of shade; by way
of example, production of 2000 m.sup.2 of flocked product in a
given shade can take from 3 to 4 hours of production time and the
preparation and machinery cleaning time can take half the
production time; segmented production, moreover, increases
systematic losses caused by the production process.
[0005] On the other hand, use of white or unbleached fibers to
produce flocked products is known. The use of white or unbleached
fibers has multiple advantages both for the "flock" fiber
manufacturer and for the industrial user: [0006] for the "flock"
fiber manufacturer, elimination of the operations of textile dyeing
and elimination of the use of dyeing materials, which leads to
savings in material and energy, reduction of wastes, elimination of
waste water treatment operations, and major improvement in
industrial efficiency by the significant increase of quantities
produced relative to the fibers; [0007] for the industrial user of
"flock" fibers, major improvement in productivity by reducing the
cleaning time and downtime of the machinery (time that can make up
50% of the production time); reduction of losses and wastes caused
by changes of color and by cleaning; and elimination of messy work
for employees.
[0008] Obtaining a flocked and dyed product from white or
unbleached fibers is obviously possible by a supplementary printing
operation carried out again on the flocked white or unbleached
product.
[0009] Among the printing techniques, printing-sublimation that is
applicable to certain synthetic fibers allows continuous production
(in rolls) of flocked and dyed products, either plain or
reproducing a given monochrome or polychrome pattern.
[0010] This operation is conventionally carried out in steps. More
exactly, after the flocked product has been produced, a temporary
preprinted paper with sublimable inks is placed in contact with the
flocked product, and the combination is raised for several seconds
to a temperature of close to 200.degree. C. that can initiate
sublimation of the pigments contained in the ink used. The
impression carried by the temporary paper is thus faithfiilly
"transferred" hot to the flocked backing, by imparting to the
latter a dyed appearance, plain or multicolored, depending on the
graphic characteristics of the temporary preprinted paper.
[0011] This process of printing-sublimation, used by the holder of
this patent application to continuously print his flocked articles,
is described especially in documents EP-A-0 913 271 (or U.S. Pat.
No. 6,224,707) and EP-A-0 993 963 (or U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,297).
These two documents call for use of polyamide or polyester "flock"
fibers, of which the "titer" (diameter) is between 0.5 Dtex and 20
Dtex, and whose length is between 0.3 mm and 3 mm.
[0012] The polyamide fibers, for example of "Nylon 6" or "Nylon
6-6" (filed trademarks), resist rather well the crushing caused by
the printing-sublimation operation, during which the "flock" fibers
are subjected to the combined effect of heat--roughly 200.degree.
C. to 210.degree. C.--and the application pressure of the
preprinted paper on the flocked backing. Conversely, resistance to
washing and rubbing, dry and wet, of the shades obtained in this
way on the polyamide fibers as well as the brightness of these
shades are weak.
[0013] On the other hand, polyester fibers lead to impressions with
very good fastness or resistance to washing, rubbing, light . . .
and they allow shades that are lively and bold to be obtained.
Under the conditions described in the aforementioned documents, the
polyester "flock" fibers, however, have the disadvantage of lying
down under the combined action of temperature and pressure during
the printing-sublimation operation. This results in that the
"flock" fibers on the surface of the flocked and dyed backing
exhibit unattractive crushing and general orientation. The feel of
the flocked surface is rough, at least in one direction, i.e., in
the direction corresponding to the passage of a finger "the wrong
way," and the printed surface is flat and crushed.
[0014] This crushing phenomenon could be limited by reducing the
intensity of the pressure applied during the printing-sublimation
operation. Perfect and stable contact, however, must be maintained
between the flocked backing and the preprinted temporary paper for
the entire printing-sublimation operation. If this were not the
case, any movement, however tiny, of one of the two elements
relative to the other during this operation would impart a blurred
or "smeared" appearance to the impression obtained on the flocked
backing. This is because the fact of having to maintain close
contact between the preprinted paper and the flocked backing during
the entire printing-sublimation operation obviously implies
application of a certain pressure to the combination and a
guarantee that this pressure is entirely constant and very uniform.
A compromise must thus be found, on the one hand, between a
pressure strong enough to maintain close contact between the
preprinted paper and the flocked backing, and, on the other hand, a
pressure weak enough to prevent crushing of the "flock" fibers of
the flocked backing during the printing-sublimation operation. Such
a compromise is difficult to achieve, and, in any case, it does not
allow complete satisfaction to be provided at the same time for the
sharpness of the impression obtained and a soft feel of the flocked
surface of the backing.
[0015] The adverse effect of crushing that is caused by the
printing-sublimation operation could be limited by using as a
flocking adhesive a polymer resin with an elevated softening and
melting point, or by a selection of polyester fibers with improved
resistance to temperature, such as, for example, "PCT"-type fibers.
The improvement obtained with polymer resins with little thermal
sensitivity is significant, but it does not prevent a preferred
orientation of the "flock" fibers. There are fibers with improved
thermal resistance; but they are only available in titers exceeding
1.5 Dtex, and the printed flocked product obtained with these
fibers still maintains a "rough" touch. The use of such fibers is
thus possible, but the result obtained is not satisfactory with
respect to the "feel" of the flocked product.
[0016] Thus, the object of this invention is to provide a process
that makes it possible to obtain a flocked and dyed product from
white or unbleached fibers, not requiring any repeated printing
operation, the flocked and dyed product having an extremely soft
feel, without orientation and invulnerable to the action of
temperature (this process does not disrupt the possible orientation
of the "flock" fibers imparted to the flocked layer before the
sublimation operation).
[0017] To do this, the object of the invention is a process of
continuous manufacture of a flocked and dyed cloth backing
comprising stages of application of a polymerizable resin layer to
at least one surface of the cloth backing, projection of white or
unbleached flock fibers onto said resin layer, polymerization of
the resin to fix the flock fibers on the cloth backing, deposition
of at least one sublimable dye to dye the flock fibers, and
sublimation of the deposited dye, characterized in that the stage
of deposition of at least one sublimable dye is carried out before
the stage of projection of the flock fibers and the stage of
sublimation is carried out after the stage of polymerization of the
resin by a simple application of heat without application of
pressure to the cloth backing.
[0018] As the sublimation stage is carried out without application
of pressure to the flocked cloth backing, there is no risk of
crushing of the flock fibers, and consequently the surface of the
flocked backing maintains a pleasant and soft feel. Moreover, as
the deposition of the dye or dyes on the backing is carried out
before the stage of projection of the flock fibers (flocking),
there is no risk of the flock fibers being crushed in the case in
which the operation of deposition of the dye or dyes is carried out
by placing some dye vehicle in contact under pressure with the
cloth backing that has to be dyed and flocked. The invention,
however, does not exclude the case in which deposition of the dye
or dyes is carried out by a non-contact process, for example by
pulverization or by inkjet.
[0019] The process according to the invention can have, moreover,
one or more of the following characteristics:
[0020] in a first embodiment of the process according to the
invention, said at least one sublimable dye is deposited on the
cloth backing before the stage of application of the polymerizable
resin layer;
[0021] in a second embodiment of the process of the invention, said
at least one sublimable dye is deposited on the polymerizable resin
layer before the stages of projection of the flock fibers and
polymerization;
[0022] in one or the other of the first and second embodiments,
said at least one sublimable dye is deposited uniformly on said at
least one cloth backing surface or on said polymerizable resin
layer;
[0023] in a variant, said at least one sublimable dye is deposited
in the form of patterns on said at least one cloth backing surface
or on said polymerizable resin layer;
[0024] in a third embodiment of the process according to the
invention, said at least one sublimable dye is mixed with the
polymerizable resin and a layer of the mixture obtained is applied
to the cloth backing;
[0025] in any of the three embodiments of the process of the
invention, the polymerizable resin layer is applied uniformly to
said at least one surface of the cloth backing;
[0026] in a variant, the polymerizable resin layer is applied in
the form of patterns to said at least one surface of the cloth
backing;
[0027] for the stage of projection of the "flock" fibers, polyester
"flock" fibers with a fine titer, preferably less than 1.2 Dtex,
are used;
[0028] preferably polyester fibers with a titer in the range from
0.3 to 1 Dtex and with a length of between 0.2 and 0.5 mm are
used;
[0029] again, more preferably, super microfibers of polyester with
a titer of roughly 0.3 Dtex are used;
[0030] as the polymerizable resin, a "100% solid" resin is used,
with a high softening point, preferably a softening point above
170.degree. C., for example a polyurethane resin;
[0031] as the polymerizable resin, a resin with weak adhesive power
is used, for example an acrylic resin in a modified aqueous
dispersion.
[0032] Other objectives, characteristics and advantages of the
invention will appear during the following description of several
embodiments of the invention given by way of example with reference
to the attached drawings, in which:
[0033] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a first embodiment of the
process of the invention;
[0034] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a second embodiment of the
process of the invention; and
[0035] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a third embodiment of the
process of the invention.
[0036] Referring first of all to FIG. 1, it is apparent that the
first embodiment of the process according to the invention
comprises a first stage 1 that consists in depositing at least one
ink E containing at least one sublimable dye on a backing S that
unwinds continuously in the direction indicated by the arrow F, a
second stage 2 of drying of the ink E that has been deposited on
the backing S, a third stage 3 consisting in applying a layer of
adhesive A (polymerizable resin RP) to the layer of ink E, a fourth
stage 4 or flocking stage consisting in projecting "flock" fibers
FF onto the polymerizable resin RP layer, a fifth stage 5 or fixing
stage consisting in having the resin of the adhesive A polymerize
in order to fix the bottom of the "flock" fibers FF in the resin,
the free portion of said "flock" fibers FF extending essentially
perpendicular to the surface of the resin layer, and a sixth stage
6 or sublimation stage consisting in having the sublimable dye or
dyes contained in the ink E sublimate in order to dye the "flock"
fibers FF.
[0037] The backing S can be selected from a wide range of backings
that can be flocked, such as paper, cardboard, plastic film, woven
material, or nonwoven material. In the case in which the backing S
is composed of plastic film, in certain cases, before treatment by
the process of the invention, the backing can be advantageously
stabilized by thermal bonding of the plastic film onto a temporary
backing in a manner similar to that described in the aforementioned
document EP-A-0 993 963. In any case, the backing S can be present
in the form of a roll that is placed on a delivery spool (not shown
in FIG. 1) using which the roll is unwound continuously for
implementing the operations of stages 1 to 6 of the process
according to the invention.
[0038] The first stage 1, the stage of deposition of the ink E, can
be carried out using any means of conventional continuous
deposition such as by screen printing, photogravure, flexography,
offset or again by inkjet. The ink E can be deposited in such as
way as to cover the entire surface of the backing S or only
selected zones of the surface of the backing S according to one or
more predefined patterns. In both cases, a single ink or several
inks can be used in such a manner as to obtain a monochrome or
polychrome impression as desired, in a classic manner.
[0039] The second stage 2, the drying stage, can be carried out in
the classic manner, for example by passage over a heating drum or
in a tunnel furnace.
[0040] In stage 3, the polymer resin RP used as the adhesive A can
be deposited in a thickened and/or thixotropic aqueous emulsion
(acrylic or polyurethane resins), in the form of plastisols, or
else, in a preferred version of the invention, in the form of 100%
solid or "high solid" liquid resins, which can be polymerized by
thermal means or by irradiation (by ultraviolet or electron beams).
These latter resins, 100% solid or "high solid," have the advantage
of being able to exhibit a very high softening point, which can be
useful when the backing S, once flocked, is then subjected to heat
treatments at relatively elevated temperatures. One example of a
"high solid" resin that can be used for stage 3 is the
"IMPRANIL-IMPRAFIX" system from the BAYER Company, Germany.
[0041] In the case in which the flock fibers FF must be fixed
temporarily on the backing S, for example when the flock fibers FF
of the flocked and dyed backing obtained by the process according
to the invention must be able to be transferred entirely or
partially to another backing, for example a textile backing, after
having been covered completely or selectively, depending on the
case, by an operation of coating or by a screen printing operation,
with a hot-setting adhesive layer ("hot-melt thermofusible"-based
system) during subsequent treatment of the flocked and dyed
backing, a resin with weak adhesive power is used as the
polymerizable resin RP. For this temporary fixing of the flock
fibers, for example, an acrylic resin can be used that is deposited
in a modified aqueous dispersion in a limited quantity, for example
from 30 to 60 gr/m.sup.2 (weight of dry resin).
[0042] As wished or required, the polymer resin RP layer used as
the adhesive A can be coated uniformly or according to a given
pattern, for example by serigraphic coating on a rotary frame. The
resin layer has a final thickness of between 15 and 100 .mu.m,
depending on the nature of the "flock" fibers FF used for the
fourth stage 4. Generally, the finer the titer and the shorter the
length of the "flock" fibers used, the smaller the thickness of the
polymerizable resin layer can be.
[0043] During the fourth stage 4, the "flock" fibers FF are
projected into the polymer resin RP layer by any one of the
conventional flocking techniques that are well known and thus do
not need to be described in detail.
[0044] Although white or unbleached "flock" fibers of various
natures can be used for the flocking stage 4, preferably polyester
fibers (standard polyester of the PET type or modified polyester of
the PCT type) are used due to their good resistance to washing and
to rubbing and due to their good light fastness after they have
been dyed.
[0045] Preferably, polyester fibers are used with a titer of less
than 1.5 Dtex, and even more preferably, with a titer in the range
of between 0.3 to 1 Dtex, with a length of between 0.2 and 0.5 mm,
in such a manner as to obtain a flocked backing with a soft or very
soft feel.
[0046] In one preferred version of the invention, "super
microfibers" of PET are used that have a titer close to 0.3 Dtex
and that are cut to a length of between 0.2 and 0.5 mm. These
fibers are marketed by the company VELUTEX-FLOCK S.A. in
GRANOLLERS, Spain. These "super microfibers" impart to the flocked
surface an exceptionally soft feel and have the advantage of being
essentially invulnerable to crushing when they are exposed to the
combined action of heat and pressure. This surprising and
unexpected property (it is commonly and logically accepted that
fibers of greater diameter have increased resilience) allows use of
flocked products with these fibers in applications such as
thermobonding, thermoforming or thermocompression (hot molding of
pieces covered with a flocked backing) or mold decoration that is
better known to those skilled in the art under the name "decoration
in mold" without its leading to crushing of the "flock" fibers and
without changing the visual appearance or the very soft feel of the
flocked product. In "decoration in mold," a plastic material is
injected into the mold whose cavity has a surface that is at least
partially covered by a flocked plastic film whose "flock" fibers
are rotated toward the inside surface of the mold cavity.
[0047] In stage 5, the polymerizable resin RP is polymerized by
irradiation (UV or electron beam) or by thermal means.
Polymerization by thermal means can be done by, for example,
passing the backing S through a tunnel furnace or over the
peripheral surface of a rotating heating drum at a temperature of
between 100.degree. C. and 180.degree. C.
[0048] In stage 6, sublimation of the sublimable dye or dyes
contained in the ink E is obtained by raising said dyes to a
temperature close to 200.degree. C., for example 210.degree. C.,
for a period of 30 to 45 seconds. There again, this can be done by
passing the backing S through a tunnel furnace or over the
peripheral surface of a rotating heating drum (it can be the same
tunnel firnace or the same heating drum as that used for stage 5,
said furnace or said drum then having sections with different
temperatures).
[0049] It will be noted that the time and temperature necessary to
obtain sublimation can be reduced relative to the values that are
indicated above if work is done in a low-pressure (partial vacuum)
atmosphere. In this case, the aforementioned tunnel furnace or the
heating drum can be placed in a chamber under a partial vacuum.
[0050] The sublimable dyes contained in the ink E are then
activated. They pass into the vapor phase, crossing the polymer
resin RP that under these conditions is perfectly permeable to
these gaseous dyes, and they begin to be fixed permanently on the
"flock" fibers FF. If, in stage 1, the ink E had been deposited
uniformly in one color, the flocked product with white or
unbleached fibers then takes on a uniform shade corresponding to
the selected dye formula. On the other hand, if, in stage 1, the
ink E has been printed according to a multicolor pattern, the
surface of the flocked product will reproduce the original pattern
with precision and sharpness, the progression of the gaseous dyes
being unidirectional.
[0051] During the above-described process, it is apparent that at
no time is the layer of "flock" fibers subjected to pressure and
high temperature at the same time. This results in that the "flock"
fibers FF are not crushed and that the flocked and dyed surface of
the backing S maintains a very soft feel.
[0052] After stage 6, the combination composed of the backing S and
of the layer of dyed "flock" fibers is cooled by natural cooling or
preferably by forced cooling, for example by passage over the
peripheral surface of one or more rotating drums cooled by water
circulation. In the case in which the backing S is a plastic film
stabilized by a temporary backing, the latter is separated from the
plastic film and rolled onto a take-up spool with a view to being
possibly reused as a temporary backing.
[0053] On the other hand, regardless of its nature, the backing S,
flocked and dyed, can be wound onto a take-up spool for later use
or for possible later treatment, for example "decoration in mold,"
thermoforming, thermocompression, thermobonding or others.
[0054] In a second embodiment of the process of the invention,
illustrated by FIG. 2, the sublimable dye or dyes (ink E) are first
of all mixed with an adhesive A (polymer resin), their formulation
making it possible to obtain a given shade. This formulation can be
advantageously prepared by a computer-controlled mixing device. In
this case, the dye formula of the color to be reproduced can be
obtained by mixing four dyes comprising a quadrichromia
(trichromia+black), the exact quantities of the four dyes being
determined by a data processing system as a function of the desired
color to be reproduced.
[0055] Then, the mixture A+E of the polymer resin and the
sublimable dyes is deposited on the backing S (stage 11 of FIG. 2).
Deposition of the mixture A+E can be done, for example, in a
uniform layer by coating or according to a predefined pattern by
rotary serigraphic coating.
[0056] After stage 11, the process illustrated by FIG. 2 comprises,
moreover, a flocking stage 12 by which white or unbleached "flock"
fibers FF are projected and implanted in the dyed polymer resin,
followed by a stage of fixation 13 polymerization) by which the
"flock" fibers are fixed on their base by the dyed polymer resin,
and finally a sublimation stage 14 by which the sublimable dyes are
sublimated and fixed permanently on the "flock" fibers. The three
stages 12, 13 and 14 can be carried out in a manner and under
conditions similar to those that were described above regarding
stages 4, 5 and 6 of the first embodiment of the process of the
invention illustrated in FIG. 1.
[0057] The second embodiment of the process of the invention
illustrated by FIG. 2 only allows a backing with a flocked surface
that has a uniform color to be obtained. This result is obtained,
however, from white or unbleached fibers, with neither prior
coloring nor subsequent printing of the "flock" fibers, which leads
to extremely significant production savings. Moreover, as no
pressure is applied to the "flock" fibers FF during stages 13 and
14, the "flock" fibers are thus not crushed and maintain the
orientation that has been imparted to them during the flocking
stage 12. This results in that the flocked and dyed surface of the
backing 5 that has been obtained in this way maintains a soft or
very soft feel according to the fineness of the "flock" fibers FF
used. There again, if "super microfibers" as mentioned above are
used, the flocked and dyed backing will maintain a very soft feel
even if it is subsequently subjected to operations of "decoration
in mold," thermocompression, thermoforming, thermobonding or other
similar operations.
[0058] In a third embodiment of the process of the invention
illustrated by FIG. 3, the backing S is first of all covered by an
adhesive A that is colorless or uniformly pigmented white (stage
21). The adhesive A (polymer resin RP) can be applied in one
uniform layer (simple coating) or according to a predefined pattern
by rotary serigraphic coating. While the polymer resin RP layer
that has been thus obtained is still liquid, this layer of polymer
resin is then covered (stage 22) in a uniform or selective manner
with an ink E containing at least one sublimable dye by a technique
of contactless coating or printing, for example by pulverization,
projection or inkjet printing. While the layers of polymer resin RP
and ink E are still liquid, white or unbleached "flock" fibers FF
are projected and implanted in the resin RP layer through the layer
of ink E (flocking stage 23), then they are fixed on their base by
polymerization of the polymer resin (stage 24) and finally dyed by
sublimation of the sublimable dye(s) contained in the ink (E)
(stage 25). The stages 23, 24, 25 can proceed in a manner and under
conditions similar to those of the corresponding stages 4, 5, and 6
of the first embodiment of the process of the invention illustrated
by FIG. 1. According to the mode of coating or printing of the ink
E (stage 22), the flocked and dyed surface of the backing S will
have a uniform shade or a multicolored appearance that reproduces a
predefined pattern or random appearance.
[0059] There again, with the third embodiment of the process of the
invention illustrated by FIG. 3, provided that no pressure has been
applied to the "flock" fibers FF during the sublimation stage 25,
the "flock" fibers are not exposed to any crushing, and the flocked
surface of the backing S thus maintains a soft or very soft feel
according to the fineness of the fibers used in the flocking stage
23.
[0060] It goes without saying that the three embodiments of the
invention that have been described above have been given as a
purely indicative and by no means limiting example and that
numerous modifications can be easily made by one skilled in the art
without, however, departing from the scope of the invention. For
example, although in the three described embodiments only one of
the two surfaces of the cloth backing S is covered by "flock"
fibers and dyed, the described process could be applied to two
surfaces of the backing S.
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