WO2004030484A1

WO2004030484A1 - Process for making a watertight joint between a fastener and a lined garment

Info

Publication number: WO2004030484A1
Application number: PCT/IB2003/003358
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marc Butz
Original assignee: Riri SA
Current assignee: Riri SA
Priority date: 2002-10-04
Filing date: 2003-07-23
Publication date: 2004-04-15
Anticipated expiration: 2005-04-04
Also published as: AU2003247133A1

Abstract

A description is given of a process for waterproofing the joint between the two tapes (2, 3) to which the teeth (4, 5) of a watertight fastener (1, 11, 21) are fixed and two hems of a garment consisting of a waterproof layer (6) and a fabric layer (7), positioned on opposite sides of the two tapes (2, 3), comprising the following steps: a) fixing each edge of the fabric layer (7) of the two hems on a first side (2e, 3e) of each of the tapes (2, 3) by means of one or more seams (Ki); b) applying to the second side (2m, 3m), opposite the first side (2e, 3e) of each of the said tapes (2, 3), a strip (8) of weldable fabric material fixed to the tape by means of at least one welding or bonding line (S) formed approximately parallel to the rows of teeth (4, 5) and interposed between these and the area (Z) comprising the said one or more seams (Ki), the said strip (8) having one ortwo free flaps (8s, 8t), at least one of these (8s) extending in the direction of the said area c) fixing, by welding, the edge of the waterproof layer (6) of each of the two hems to the aforesaid free flap (8s) of the corresponding strip (8) extending in the direction of the area (Z).

Description

Process for making a watertight joint between a fastener and a lined garment.

The present invention relates to the technological field of waterproof garments, for nautical sports, recreation or similar purposes, where each garment consists of two layers, one superimposed on the other, and one being waterproof while the other is made of fabric, and is provided with one or more waterproof fasteners whose teeth are fixed on two tapes which lie adjacent to each other and which are connected to two opposing hems of the garment.

Although no significant problems are encountered in making a watertight joint between the said tapes and the waterproof layer by welding, a problem arises when the said tapes have to be joined to the fabric of the other layer. This is because this operation has to be carried out by making a seam, through the holes of which water can penetrate, even though the holes may be partially blocked by the sewing thread, and therefore the objective for which a waterproof fastener is used cannot be attained.

In the known art, attempts have been made to overcome this problem by fitting flaps of complex configuration which are folded over in such a way that they adhere to the fastener and the seams, thus protecting the latter, mainly in a mechanical way, from the penetration of water.

The application of this system is complicated, and the system is only relatively reliable and does not provide a totally secure solution.

In order to overcome the problems indicated above, the inventor of the present invention has devised a process, which is novel as far as he is aware, in which strips of weldable fabric material are applied by welding to the said tapes, each of these strips having at least one free flap positioned longitudinally with respect to its welding line, the strips being used, as explained in detail below, for fixing the fastener to the waterproof layer while they cover, with a secure watertight sealing action, the area of the seams formed for fixing the fabric layer.

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is a process for waterproofing the joint between the two tapes to which the teeth of a waterproof fastener are fixed and two hems of a garment as described in the attached Claim 1.

Another object of the present invention is a set of components interconnected in such a way as to enable the said process to be carried out.

A more detailed description will now be given of the process according to the invention, and of the said set of components interconnected to enable it to be carried out.

In the aforesaid description, reference will also be made to the attached drawings, which show:

- in Figure 1, an enlarged cross section of a waterproof fastener connected to the hems of a lined garment in a watertight way by means of the process according to the invention, in which a strip of electro-weldable fabric material having a single free flap is applied to each tape;

- in Figure 2, a perspective view of what is shown in Figure 1 ;

- in Figure 3, an enlarged cross section of a waterproof fastener in the same conditions as those of the preceding figures, to each tape of which is applied a strip of electro-weldable fabric material having two free flaps extending on opposite sides; - in Figure 4, a perspective view of what is shown in Figure 3 ;

- in Figure 5, an enlarged cross section of another example of embodiment in which the waterproof layer is welded on to the free flap extending in the direction of the teeth of the fastener.

Figures 1 and 2 show how, by applying the process according to the invention, a watertight joint is made between the tapes 2 and 3, to which the teeth 4 and 5 of a waterproof fastener 1 are fixed, and the two hems of a garment consisting of a waterproof layer 6 and a fabric layer 7 (in practice, a lining), one of these being superimposed on the other; in the drawing, the two layers 6 and 7 are shown separated from each other while the process is being carried out, before they are brought next to each other by an action which takes place after the process has been completed.

As shown in the drawings, each of the fabric layers 7 of the said two hems of the garment is fixed at its edge to a first side 2e, 3e of each of the said two tapes 2 and 3 by means of one or more seams Ki (two in the drawing) . A strip 8 of electro-weldable fabric material is then applied on the second side 2m, 3m (opposite the said first side 2e, 3e) of each of the tapes 2 and 3, by means of at least one welding or bonding line S. The aforesaid welding or bonding line S, essentially parallel to the rows of teeth 4 and 5, is interposed between these rows and the area Z which contains within it the seams Ki described above, and a free flap 8s of each strip 8 projects from it and extends in the direction of the said area Z. The process according to the invention then continues with the fixing, by welding or bonding, of the edge of the waterproof layer 6 of each of the two hems of the garment to the aforesaid free flap 8s of each strip 8. It should be noted that, in the drawing, the two edges of the waterproof layer 6 and of the fabric layer 7 are folded back to form a volute 10, but they could also be simply placed parallel to and facing the flap 8s and the tape 2, 3 (this configuration is not shown in the drawings).

Clearly, the waterproof layer 6, with its edges fixed in a watertight way by welding or bonding to the said flaps 8s of the two strips 8, encloses the areas of the seams Ki, thus preventing water from reaching them and penetrating into the garment through them. Thus the desired result is obtained, since, if the fastener 1 has a watertight seal in the area of its teeth 4 and 5, there will be no possibility of penetration through any point of the garment at its joint to the said fastener 1. In the figures considered up to this point, each of the aforesaid strips 8 of weldable fabric material has a single flap 8s extending in the direction of the area Z containing the seams, but, as shown in Figures 3 and 4 for a similar embodiment 11, each strip can also have a second flap 8t, extending in the opposite direction from the welding or bonding line 8. The two flaps 8t of a single set, which can have different lengths from each other as indicated in Figures 3 and 4, can be used by folding them on to the area occupied by the teeth 4, 5, in such a way as to create a barrier protecting the said teeth 4, 5 from impact and abrasion.

Figure 5 shows another example of embodiment, useful in some kinds of application, of a joint between a fastener 21, identical to those described in the previous cases, and two hems of a similar garment. The difference from the examples described previously consists in the fact that the waterproof layer 6 is fixed by welding not to the flap 8s extending in the direction of the aforesaid area Z of the seams Ki, but to the other free flap 8t extending in the direction of the teeth 4, 5. As can be observed, in this case both the waterproof layer 6 and the fabric layer 7 are fixed so that they simply face the strips 8 and the tapes 2 and 3.

It should be noted that the process according to the invention can be used both for garments in which the waterproof layer 6 is fitted externally (in other words at the top in the drawings ) and for garments in which the said layer 6 is fitted internally.

In order to visualize the effects of the process in the latter case, it is simply necessary to rotate the figures through 180°, without making any further modification to the said process.

Finally, it should be noted that the welding described in the present text can be carried out equally well by either thermal or chemical methods.

Claims

1. Process for waterproofing the joint between the two tapes (2, 3) to which the teeth (4, 5) of a watertight fastener (1, 11, 21) are fixed and two hems of a garment consisting of a waterproof layer ( 6 ) and a fabric layer ( 7 ) , one superimposed on the other, the layers being positioned on opposite sides of the two said tapes (2, 3), characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) fixing each edge of the fabric layer ( 7 ) of the said two hems on a first side (2e, 3e) of each of the said tapes (2, 3) by means of one or more seams (Ki); b) applying to the second side (2m, 3m), opposite the first side (2e, 3e) of each of the said tapes (2,

3), a strip (8) of weldable fabric material fixed to the tape by means of at least one welding or bonding line (S) formed approximately parallel to the rows of teeth (4, 5) and interposed between these and the area (Z) comprising the said one or more seams (Ki), the said strip (8) having one or two free flaps (8s, 8t), at least one of these

(8s) extending in the direction of the said area (Z); c) fixing, by welding, the edge of the waterproof layer (6) of each of the said two hems to the aforesaid free flap (8s) of the corresponding strip (8) extending in the direction of the said area (Z) comprising the seams (Ki).

2. Process according to Claim 1, in which each strip (8) of weldable material has two free flaps (8s, 8t) adjacent to each other and projecting on opposite sides of the said at least one welding line (S).

3. Process according to Claim 2, in which the waterproof layer (6) is fixed by welding to the free flap (8t) extending in the direction of the said teeth (4, 5).

4. Process according to one of the preceding claims, in which the said at least one welding line (S) is formed by a thermal method.

5. Process according to one of Claims 1 or 2, in which the said at least one welding line (S) is formed by a chemical method.

6. Assembly consisting of a watertight fastener (1, 11, 21) which forms a joint between two hems of a garment consisting of two layers (6, 7), one superimposed on the other, of which one (6) is waterproof, and the two tapes (2, 3) to which the teeth (4, 5) of the said fastener (1) are fixed, characterized in that there is applied, on one (2m, 3m) of the two opposite sides (2e, 3e, 2m, 3m) of each of the said tapes (2, 3), by means of at least one welding or bonding line (S) essentially parallel to the lines of the said teeth (4, 5), a strip (8) of weldable material having one or two free flaps (8s, 8t), at least one of which (8s) extends in the direction of an area (Z) opposite that occupied by the fastener (1), the edge of a hem of the said waterproof layer (6) being fixed by welding or bonding to one side of one of these free flaps (8s, 8t).