SIMILAR MATERIALS

DESCRIPTION

The present invention concerns bags, cases and similar items, and in particular it concerns bags, cases and similar items in textile or similar materials featuring improved resistance.

Bags, cases and similar items are known, which are made of textile or similar materials.

Said bags, cases and similar items are sometimes preferred to others for the aspect of the fabric used, the relative flexibility of the textile or simlar material of which they are made, the easy application of inserts like paillettes, rhinestones or other small fabric decorative items.

The bags, cases and similar items in textile and similar materials, however, pose some drawbacks. The textile or similar material of which said bags, cases and similar items are made is easily subject to wear and deterioration.

The textile or similar material of which said bags, cases and similar items are made is easily subject to breakage following abrasion due to repeated friction. The textile or similar material of which said bags, cases and similar items ■ are made is subject to fading or damage due to the action of atmospheric agents like rain or intense sunlight.

The subject of the present invention is a new type of case, bag or similar item in textile or similar materials featuring improved resistance. One of the objects of the present invention is to produce cases, bags or similar items in textile or similar materials that are resistant to wear.

Another object of the present invention is to produce cases, bags or similar items in textile or similar materials that are resistant to abrasion.

Another object of the present invention is to produce cases, bags or similar items in textile or similar materials that are resistant to the action of atmospheric agents. One of the objects of the present invention is to produce cases, bags or similar items in resistant textile or similar materials with no need to modify the aesthetical features of the textile or similar material.

One of the objects of the present invention is to produce cases, bags or similar items in textile or similar materials with embroidery, writings, paillettes, rhinestones or other small fabric decorative items applied thereto, and wherein said items are resistant and not removable.

These and other direct and complementary objects are achieved by the new cases, bags and similar items in resistant textile or similar materials, whose shells or component parts are made of textile or similar materials, paper or a material derived from paper or cellulose, covered by a layer of external resistant plastic transparent or semitransparent material.

Said plastic transparent or semitransparent material ensures complete visibility of the internal textile or similar material, thus improving its appearance. Said plastic transparent or semitransparent material is more or less flexible depending on the specific type of plastic material used, according to its thickness and to the presence of any additives.

The textile or similar material may be fabric, nonwoven fabric or a similar material, or even a material derived from paper or cellulose. In each one of the shells or component parts that make up the case, bag or similar item, the textile or similar material and the plastic material are joined through injection moulding or injection-compression or rolling in moulds with compression moulding.

The layer of textile or similar material, in the appropriate shape, is positioned inside a mould having, in negative, the shape of the shell or component part of the case, bag or similar item to be obtained. The plastic material is successively injected in the mould.

The shell or component part of the bag or case or similar item obtained in this way is constituted by the textile or similar material that is positioned on the inner surface of said shell and by a layer of resistant and protective transparent plastic material. According to the invention, inserts, embroidery, writings, paillettes, rhinestones or other small fabric decorative items can be applied to the textile or similar material before it is introduced in the plastic injection mould, so that they can be seen from the outside and are protected by the transparent layer. According to the invention, each shell or component part of the bags, cases and similar items produced in this way can be provided, during the moulding process, with one or more accessories that are necessary for packing or closing the bag, case or similar item, like hinges, clips, locks, wheels. In this case said accessories are positioned in the mould or on the closing edge of the mould before the injection of the plastic material, so that they are completely or partially incorporated in the plastic material. According to the invention, the layer of plastic material may be carried out in different and various thicknesses, so that said shell can be rigid, semirigid or soft and flexible. The characteristics of the invention will be highlighted in greater detail in the following description, with reference to the drawings attached as non- limiting examples. In each one of the shells or component parts that make up the case, bag or similar item, the textile or similar material (M) and the plastic material (P) are joined through a moulding operation in a suitable mould (Sl, S2), as shown in Figure 1. The layer of textile or similar material (M), in the appropriate shape, is positioned inside a mould (Sl, S2) having, in negative, the shape of the shell or component part of the case, bag or similar item to be obtained. The plastic material (P) is successively injected in the mould (Sl, S2). Figure 2 shows a case comprising parts or shells consisting of a layer of textile or similar material (M) covered by a layer of plastic material (P).

Therefore, with reference to the above description and the attached drawing, the following claims are expressed.