Decorating textile fabrics
OwnerEdward J. Lewis, Ian D. Ratteeinventors
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Abstract
A method of decorating a fabric is disclosed using a decoration material which contains a thin removable layer which is based on a thermoplastic polymeric film which also has elastomeric properties, and which also contains a dye or pigment. The layer is transferred to the fabric under the action of heat and pressure and subsequently heated further to break the layer down so that it does not adversely affect the handle or feel of the fabric being decorated. The decoration material may contain all of the components necessary to secure transfer of the decoration to the fabric and fixation of the dye or pigment in the fabric to a good degree of wash fastness. Simple heating and pressing treatments are the only ones necessary for effecting decoration.
Claims35
In a method of decorating a fabric which comprises taking a flexible substrate having a removable layer thereon which contains at least one dye or pigment in a film-forming polymeric base, bringing the flexible substrate with the removable layer thereon into contact with the fabric to be decorated under the action of heat and pressure, whereon the removable layer becomes more adherent to the fabric than to the flexible substrate, removing the flexible substrate to leave the removable layer adherent to the fabric and heating the assembly comprising the removable layer with the fabric, the improvement which comprises the removable layer being formed of a thin film of thickness at most 20 microns and on the basis of a thermoplastic polymeric material having elastomeric characteristics, heating the said assembly to a temperature sufficient to cause physical break-down of the thin removable layer so that it breaks up into discrete particles in a discontinuous distribution, but not sufficient to cause damage to the fabric, whereby the dyes or pigments become fixed to the fabric to give a fast coloration and the thin film layer breaks down to residues in discontinuous form not adversely affecting the fabric or color fastness properties of the so decorated fabric.
In a method of decorating a fabric which comprises taking a flexible substrate having a removable layer thereon which contains at least one dye or pigment in a film-forming polymeric base, bringing the flexible substrate with the removable layer thereon into contact with the fabric to be decorated under the action of heat and pressure, whereon the removable layer becomes more adherent to the fabric than to the flexible substrate, optionally removing the flexible substrate to leave the removable layer adherent to the fabric, and heating the assembly comprising the removable layer with the fabric, the improvement which comprises the removable layer being formed of a film sufficiently thin and of sufficient physical properties on the basis of a thermoplastic polymeric material having elastomeric characteristics that heating the said assembly to an intermediate temperature, greater than the transfer temperature but less than a temperature at which the fabric is damaged, causes physical breakdown of the thin removable layer so that it breaks up into discrete particles in a discontinuous distribution, heating the assembly to said intermediate temperature whereby the dyes or pigments become fixed to the fabric to give a fast coloration and the thin film layer breaks down to residues in discontinuous form not adversely effecting the fabric or color fastness properties of the so decorated fabric.
A fabric decoration material comprising a flexible substrate and at least one layer transferable from the substrate to a fabric to be decorated, wherein the transferable layer has a thickness at most 20 microns, contains at least one colorant material selected from the class consisting of dyes and pigments, contains at least one additive which serves to assist the fixation of the colorant material in the fabric under the effect of heat and is in the form of a film which is based on a thermoplastic polymeric material having elastomeric characteristics which may be caused under the effect of heat and pressure to adhere more strongly to a fabric to be decorated than to the flexible substrate, and which when transferred to a fabric under the action of heat and pressure and subsequently heated to a temperature below that at which the fabric may be damaged undergoes physical breakdown from its film form into discrete particles in a discontinuous distribution whereby to form a discontinuous decoration on the fabric surface.
A fabric decoration material comprising a flexible substrate having printed thereon a removable layer based on a film-forming polymeric polyvinylbutyral composition, containing a colorant material selected from the class consisting of dyes and pigments, containing appropriate additives to fix the colorant material on the fabric to be decorated, if necessary in combination with the polyvinylbutyral base of the removable layer, the layer being adherable to a fabric to be decorated under the action of heat and pressure more strongly than the layer is adhered to the flexible substrate, and which when transferred to a fabric under the action of heat and pressure and subseqently heated to a temperature below that at which the fabric may be damaged is sufficiently thin that it undergoes a physical breakdown from its film form into discrete particles in a discontinuous distribution to form a discontinuous decoration on the fabric surface.
A printing ink for use in the manufacture of decoration materials and comprising an ink vehicle of a thermoplastic polymeric film-forming material capable of being cross-linked, a cross-linking agent capable of cross-linking the polymeric film-forming material, at least one pigment, a thermally activated catalyst promoting the cross-linking reaction between the thermoplastic polymeric film-forming material and the cross-linking agent and selected from amine salts of acids and a high temperature plasticiser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.