GARMENTS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a device and a method for cleaning fabrics, in particular garments, in extreme conditions. These extreme conditions can be a lack of space and in particular the absence of sufficient quantities of water, as found for example in space in space stations or ships. The proposed device and method are also applicable for saving water where washing large quantities of fabrics is necessary, such as towels, sheets, tablecloths, napkins, etc. in hotels, hospitals or restaurants.

BACKGROUND ART

Extreme situations are conceivable in which it is necessary to wash or clean fabrics, in particular garments, but where there is not enough space and/or amounts of water to carry out the cleaning. An environment that is characterized by extreme conditions, at least for the human being, is space. Astronauts who travel into space load the spaceship with large quantities of clean garments that once used become waste, since there is no possibility to wash them in space. The garments take up a lot of space and it is necessary to provide means for the disposal of the used garments. The classic washing machine is not a feasible solution, as the water brought into space takes up space, is of considerable weight and must be used for more important purposes, such as the astronauts’ consumption. The rotation of the drum inside the washing machine requires gravity in order to work. On board the ISS (International Space Station) astronauts wear special antibacterial garments that can be worn longer than normal garments. The used garments are not washed, but replaced by new garments transported into space. For long flights in space it is not possible to provide the spaceship with new clean garments. Of course, it is unpleasant for the astronaut to wear dirty garments and also creates problems from the perspective of hygiene and therefore health. Worn garments contain body oils and fats, dead cells, dust, sweat and bacteria that can cause rashes and infections and can also make the environment terrible considering their odours. It has been described that antibacterial garments become greasy and heavy after some use. The Chinese utility model CN205347798 proposes a kind of washing machine adapted to also work in microgravity conditions, which however requires the supply of water and therefore loading the spaceship with tanks for washing water. UMPQUA Research Company has tried to develop a water jet washing machine since 2011 which is capable of working in the absence of gravity but which is not always used due to the adverse behaviour of water in microgravity. The solution currently applied is the use of antibacterial garments that can help prevent infections and reduce odours, but rashes still manifest and after a few uses the users feel oily and heavy and the garments can no longer be worn. For this reason they cannot be worn longer than usual garments and a provision of the same for the entire duration of a three-year flight would take up too much space. A satisfactory solution has not yet been found.

Also in areas such as hotels and hospitals, it is desirable to reduce the amount of water necessary for washing clothes or linen.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The invention has the object of proposing a device and a method for cleaning fabrics, in particular garments, in extreme conditions, in particular in conditions without sources of water. A further object of the invention is to provide a relative device and method which requires little space. Another object is to provide a device and a method which are capable of cleaning fabrics, in particular garments, in the absence of gravity. A further object of the invention is to provide a method and a device which are capable of reducing the amounts of water necessary for washing fabrics, in particular garments and linen.

Further objects or advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.

The purpose is achieved by a method for cleaning fabrics, which comprises the following steps:

(I) preparation of a continuous thread by unravelling a fabric,

(II) passage of the thread through at least one cleaning material, and

(III) production of a fabric with the clean thread leaving the treatment of step (II). This concept of unravelling a fabric, cleaning the thread thus obtained and reassembling a fabric with a clean thread allows considerably reducing the spaces necessary for cleaning or washing and significantly reducing the amounts of cleaning material needed. Various cleaning materials are conceivable, the choice of which is dictated by the types of dirt found on the fabric.

In a very preferred variant of the invention, in step (II) the thread passes through a non- Newtonian fluid and optionally a solvent capable of dissolving oils and/or fats and/or is optionally treated with UV rays. In this regard, the cleaning method according to the invention can advantageously be implemented using the capsule or the cleaning device according to the invention described below. The non-Newtonian fluid, in particular in combination with a solvent capable of dissolving oils and/or fats, has proven to be very suitable for cleaning fabrics such as garments, towels or sheets from body dirt.

The invention also relates generally to the cleaning or washing of objects, in particular threads and fabrics, with a non-Newtonian fluid and optionally with a solvent capable of dissolving oils and/or fats. This cleaning avoids the use of the traditional water-detergent system.

Advantageously, the non-Newtonian fluid is a dilatant. Advantageously, the non-Newtonian fluid has the appearance of a plasticine and does not leave particles or pieces on the thread after the passage, where only with the application of high forces the fluid breaks, acting like a solid, while applying weaker forces it acts like a liquid that wraps the passing thread, simultaneously rubbing it like a solid, thus removing particles that are on the surface of the thread. In a variant of the invention, the non-Newtonian fluid is a plasticine.

British document GB 396 219 A solves the problem of applying particular prints on knitted fabrics in which fabrics are printed, unravelled, the threads obtained from the unravelling are washed in the form of a ball of yarn, likely to eliminate excess dyes, and then knitted again to obtain a new fabric. There is no indication of using this method to wash fabrics, such as garments or linens in the form of individual threads.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a device for cleaning fabrics, in particular garments, which comprises

(i) a capsule comprising

(a) an inlet and an outlet for a thread;

(b) a chamber through which said thread can be guided; and (c) at least one non-Newtonian fluid contained in said chamber;

(ii) a transport system adapted to pass the thread through the capsule;

(iii) a connection to an unravelling system of said fabric which makes said thread available; and

(iv) downstream of said capsule, a knitting machine adapted to create a fabric with the clean thread exiting said capsule according to a stored program.

The transport system can be of various kinds and is used to automate the passage of the thread through the capsule. In this regard, the textile sector offers a wide range of more or less complex systems for grasping and transporting, in particular pulling, threads and also for threading threads and joining two ends of two threads to obtain a continuous thread.

There are also known systems for unravelling fabrics to obtain the thread forming them, such as for example described in the Mexican patent application MX 2012010090 A which describes individual elements for the transport, the winding of a thread. The document EP 1918432 A1 also proposes a device for untying a fabric which has previously been composed of a plurality of threads to allow the treatment of several threads simultaneously. The systems presented in the aforementioned applications do not pose the problem of cleaning a fabric, in the first case the described machine was developed only to recover threads from used fabrics, in the second case the treatment, which is not a cleaning or a washing, takes place on the fabric and not on the single thread.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the thread comes from the unravelling of a fabric, in particular of a garment which can be inserted/contained in said device. In this regard, the device preferably comprises a compartment in which the fabric to be untied can be placed. The transport system can simultaneously act as a system that pulls the thread through the capsule and as a system that unthreads the thread from the fabric. Advantageously, the cleaning device according to the invention further comprises a spool for winding the thread downstream of the capsule. A spool carrying a wound thread can be conveniently inserted into a knitting machine to recompose a fabric, such as a garment, from the thread. A combined transport system in the sense above can be a transport system which comprises a motor equipped with a rotatable shaft carrying the spool. By activating the rotation of the shaft and consequently of the spool with the motor, the thread exiting the capsule is wound by pulling the thread upstream of the spool through the capsule and upstream of the capsule by unthreading the thread from the fabric.

More complex systems, as known in the textile sector, are possible. It is also possible to not provide any motor with a spool, but to use as a transport system the element that feeds a knitting machine with a thread to unthread the thread from the fabric and to transport it through the capsule to then introduce it directly into the knitting machine. This solution decreases the time required, but is technically more complicated than the insertion of the spool.

To insert the thread into the capsule, needle systems with relative slots can be used. A capsule is advantageous which already comprises a piece of thread whose ends protrude from the capsule in order to be comfortably fixed on one side to the thread exiting the fabric and on the other side to the spool or to a unit that feeds a knitting machine.

The fabric can have various shapes, in addition to being a garment it can for example be a sheet, a towel, a tablecloth, etc.

Advantageously, the knitting machine is a 3D machine. The market offers a wide range of suitable machines, such as the Kniterate model from the company Kniterate of California (USA). Machines with the highest possible gauge number are advantageous. The higher the gauge number, the lower the number of layers of fabric to be overlapped to eliminate transparency.

Advantageously, the cleaning device according to the invention further comprises a guide upstream of the capsule, for example a rubber belt or a slot or groove in a wall which separates the untying zone of the fabric from the cleaning zone of the thread. This guide has the purpose of grasping or channeling the thread and ensuring that the thread passes into the cleaning area, in particular into the capsule only once it has been untied.

It would be possible to use multiple fibres or threads for the knitting, for example more than one monofilament. In fact, knitting machines that use more than one thread proceed faster. This would make the fabric reconstruction procedure faster but would make the unravelling process much slower and more complicated.

In an embodiment of the invention, the cleaning device further comprises a unit with antibacterial properties, in particular a UV lamp. This unit can be of various kinds and specifically allows eliminating bacteria from the thread. This unit can be materials with antibacterial activities through which the thread is passed, for example inside a further section created for this purpose in the capsule, or by a simple ultraviolet (UV) lamp which avoids creating further waste of materials contained in the capsule.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a capsule particularly suitable for the method and device according to the invention which comprises

(a) an inlet and an outlet for a thread;

(b) a chamber through which said thread can be guided; and

(c) at least one non-Newtonian fluid contained in said chamber, wherein the non- Newtonian fluid has the appearance of a plasticine and does not leave particles or pieces on the thread after the passage, where only with the application of high forces the fluid breaks, acting like a solid, while applying weaker forces it acts like a liquid that wraps the passing thread, simultaneously rubbing it like a solid, thus removing particles that are on the surface of the thread. In other words, the non-Newtonian fluid is a dilatant.

The capsule according to the invention is designed to wash fabrics in the form of the thread that constitutes them. The washing of the single thread that is extracted from the textile structure of a fabric allows reducing the spaces necessary for washing the fabric and obviously reduces the amounts of cleaning material necessary to wash or clean the fabric. The use of a non-Newtonian liquid as defined above, for example a plasticine, allows cleaning threads and therefore fabrics, if unravelled or untied, by unthreading the thread that constitutes them without the use of water, without the action of gravity and this in a way that requires only a few simple manipulations by the user, for example by the astronaut.

The term "thread" includes textile threads in general, which can be of a natural or synthetic nature, monofilaments or multifilaments, yams, fibres, etc.

In this regard, it is advantageous to use monofilament polymeric threads which lend themselves to the untying of the fabric by unthreading the thread that composes it. Preferably, one end of the thread is marked in the fabric to better identify the starting point for the untying.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the thread is composed of an antibacterial material to avoid particular antibacterial treatments during cleaning and to avoid or at least reduce the development of bacteria or germs in general on the fabric. Suitable polymers are in particular synthetic monofilaments with the properties of not absorbing dirt, but of leaving this dirt on the surface of the monofilament so that it can be completely reached by the cleaning material it passes through. In practice, any thread without slots of any kind is preferable, that is, a thread of a compact material with a smooth surface so that all the dirt can be deposited only on the surface and that in this way, passing through the cleaning material comes into contact with the whole surface and consequently with all the dirt, trapping it. Polymers usable for this purpose are for example polyamides such as nylon, polyesters or the like.

A multifilament tends to trap dirt in the spaces between the multiple filaments that form the fibre or thread. Consequently, by passing the multifilament through the cleaning material, part of the dirt is not reached by the cleaning material and remains in the fibre. These multiple filaments form a single fibre as they are rolled together. It would be possible to use them by unrolling them just before the cleaning process, by passing each of them in the cleaning material individually and then rolling them up again before inserting them in the knitting machine, with the advantage of obtaining a thicker but still soft and flexible fibre. This process would slow down the system and make it more complex. The use of a monofilament is more convenient and effective. With lower cleaning performance it is however possible to use the capsule and the cleaning device according to the invention also with multifilaments. Advantageously, the fabric is composed of a continuous thread which has been subjected to a 3D (three-dimensional) knitting. Such a fabric is suitable for the recovery of the continuous thread by unthreading it from the fabric. Such a fabric is elastic like a classic fabric and can easily be unravelled by unthreading the thread that composes it. Once cleaned in the capsule according to the invention, the thread can be knitted again to recreate a fabric. The fabric can have different shapes, such as for example a garment, a sheet, a towel, a tablecloth or other. Thus from the untying of a dirty garment with the subsequent cleaning of its thread, a clean garment can be recreated which is a garment like the one just unravelled or another garment that the astronaut needs. Instead of bringing ready-to-use garments to space, it is possible to only transport the threads that compose them and/or a small number of garments needed in space to produce or recycle them as needed, which saves a lot of space in the spaceship. In addition, tom clothing can be recycled by changing the intact parts of the thread into something new. In addition, the passage of the thread through a cleaning material of reduced dimensions instead of immersing the entire garment in a cleaning liquid significantly reduces the necessary supply of cleaning materials. In fact, the supply of cleaning capsules for three years according to the invention occupies a space of only 2.3 litres for each astronaut.

The capsule allows washing without water and is therefore particularly suitable for contexts where water is scarce, like in space, in ice, in the desert. It can also be convenient for companies that need to wash large quantities of fabrics to save water, such as hospitals and hotels.

The non-Newtonian fluid applicable in the invention advantageously has a density or viscosity suitable to completely wrap the thread, reach every part of its surface and exert a force on the dirt present on the thread which is sufficient to allow the thread to pass through the material, leaving the dirt trapped in the material. The crossing of the material by the thread advantageously does not cause the fragmentation of the material, in fact, the material preferably remains in a single piece and does not leave particles or pieces on the thread after the passage. Any material with these characteristics can be used. If a material other than a non-Newtonian fluid, but with these properties, is identified, it is possible to use it. Non- Newtonian fluid (or even amorphous fluid) is defined as a fluid whose viscosity varies according to the shear stress that is applied. Consequently, non-Newtonian fluids do not have a defined viscosity value. Many polymer solutions are non-Newtonian fluids, such as a mixture of corn starch with water. A suitable non-Newtonian fluid can have the appearance of a plasticine that by applying high forces breaks, acting like a solid, while applying weaker forces it acts like a liquid that wraps for example the passing thread, simultaneously rubbing it like a solid, thus removing particles that are on the surface of the thread. A non-Newtonian fluid in which the viscosity increases as the shear deformation increases is a dilatant (also called shear thickening fluid). The person skilled in the art easily identifies suitable non- Newtonian fluids.

The size and shape of the capsule can vary, a preferred shape is a cylindrical capsule. The materials that compose it can also vary, it can be made, for example, of glass, metal or plastic. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the capsule chamber further comprises at least one solvent adapted to dissolve oils and/or fats, in particular body oils and/or fats. Preferably, the chamber comprises a material which can be crossed by the thread which is soaked in said solvent. Advantageously, the chamber is divided into at least two sections, the first containing the solvent adapted to dissolve oils and/or fats, in particular a material soaked with the solvent, and the second containing the non-Newtonian fluid. The solvent can also be a mixture of several solvents or a succession of different solvents.

The person skilled in the art easily identifies solvents suitable for dissolving oils and/or fats. In exemplary form, alcohols, acetone, petroleum ether, etc. will be mentioned. Preferably, non-toxic and non-irritating solvents are selected.

A capsule equipped with a non-Newtonian fluid and a solvent in the sense of the invention allows dividing the thread cleaning into two steps: one step is the passage of the thread inside a material that is a solvent of oils and/or fat present on the thread. Advantageously, the solvent also dissolves any solid particles present on the thread. The other step involves passing through a material that does not allow the passage of any particle except the thread, i.e. crossing a non-Newtonian fluid. Advantageously, the thread first passes through the solvent and subsequently through the non-Newtonian fluid. This order guarantees a preliminary cleaning of the thread also from particles and avoids transporting dirt in the non- Newtonian fluid which would in this way quickly lose its cleaning capacity. Oils or greases covering other dirt would also easily pass through the non-Newtonian fluid.

Advantageously, the two cleaning materials are separated from each other by means of a dividing element which separates the chamber into two sections. The dividing element can be a simple wall or a diaphragm designed to avoid the contact of the two materials. The element can be made of any material suitable for this purpose, which can easily be identified by the person skilled in the art. Possible hypotheses are, for example, rubber materials. Of course, non-toxic materials are preferable. The dividing element is equipped with a hole for the passage of the thread which advantageously has dimensions such as to allow rubbing the surface of the thread without cutting it, possibly facilitated by elastic capacities of the material chosen for the element, so as to retain further dirt in the "solvent" section. The dividing element also serves to avoid reactions of the solvent with the non-Newtonian fluid.

In summary, it can be said that the non-Newtonian fluid retains the particles, while the solvent removes the oils and fats.

For the solvent cleaning, it can be advantageous to provide it not as a liquid but to soak a support material with it. This variant allows a simultaneous action of rubbing the thread, which helps to remove materials attached to the thread, and also avoids excessive adhesion of the solvent on the thread, which would then be transported in the non-Newtonian fluid.

Suitable support materials are capable of absorbing the solvent and wrapping the thread. Cotton is a suitable material, but flakes of some other material, grains like sand, a heap of threads, etc. are also conceivable. The person skilled in the art easily identifies materials suitable for this purpose.

The capsule can contain more than two different cleaning materials and therefore different combinations of types of cleaning.

It is known from the fishing rod sector to pass the rod thread through a capsule containing a cleaning and lubricating material, as described for example in document ES 2 130 962 Al, without specifying the characteristics of the fluid used in the invention, i.e. a fluid with a viscosity behaviour adapted to wrap the thread like a liquid and at the same time adapted to rub it like a solid.

A final aspect of the invention relates to the use of the capsule, the cleaning device and the method in conditions of microgravity or without gravity, in particular in space on space ships or stations. The capsule, device and method do not require the presence of gravity for their operation.

The features described for one aspect of the invention may be transferred mutatis mutandis to the other aspect of the invention.

All the disadvantages of the state of the art solutions have been overcome by the present invention. The invention is based on a concept that does not require large quantities of water or cleaning material in general and avoids using the water-detergent system of the classic washing machine. The system allows removing any dirt particles from the fabric. Only small supplies of garments are required because they can be cleaned and used as many times as necessary. The whole system is compact, mainly automated and requires practically no maintenance. Each component, with the exception of the cleaning capsules, is reused and therefore there is no significant problem of waste disposal.

Said objects and advantages will be better highlighted during the description of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention given by way of example and not of limitation.

Variant embodiments of the invention are the object of the dependent claims. The description of the preferred exemplary embodiment of the capsule, cleaning device and cleaning method and their use according to the invention is given, by way of example and not of limitation, with reference to the attached drawings. In particular, it should be noted that the dimensions, materials, number and shape of the capsule and device components and their configuration can vary without deviating from the inventive concept and departing from the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 illustrates, in a section view, an embodiment example of the capsule according to the invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates, in a schematic representation, an embodiment example of the cleaning device according to the invention.

Fig. 3 illustrates, in a block diagram, an embodiment example of the cleaning method according to the invention.

Description of the embodiment example

Fig. 1 illustrates, in a section view, an embodiment example of the capsule 10 according to the invention. The capsule 10 is a cylindrical tube which has on one end a first hole 11 as an inlet and on the other end a second hole 13 as an outlet for a thread 12 passing through the capsule 10 The capsule 10 is divided into two sections by a rubber wall 18 The rubber wall 18 has a third hole 19 to allow the passage of the thread 12 from one section to the other. The first section comprises cotton soaked in ethyl alcohol 14 adapted to dissolve oils and fats and other substances present on the thread 12 The second section comprises a non-Newtonian fluid 16 adapted to eliminate particles present on the thread and not already retained by the cotton 14 or by the hole 19 of the rubber wall 18 or by the inlet 11

Fig. 2 illustrates, in a schematic representation, an embodiment example of the cleaning device according to the invention. The main elements of the device can be noted. A fabric 20 is unravelled or untied, producing the thread 12 which is guided by a guide 22, for example a rubber belt, which guarantees the passage of only an untied thread, in a capsule 10 as shown in figure 1 where the thread 12 is cleaned, which then exits the capsule 10 clean to be wound on a spool 24 located on a rotatable shaft 26 which can be actuated by a motor 28. The actuation of the spool 24 exerts a traction force on the thread 12 which is thus pulled and transported through the capsule 10 and the guide 22. The same traction force causes the thread 12 to be unthreaded from the fabric 20. The spool 24 can be inserted in a knitting machine (not shown) to recompose a fabric.

The cleaning system described above can be contained in a metal casing (not shown), for example only 20 x 40 x 20 cm in size, with a wall that divides the interior into two main sections, one larger than the other. The fabric 20 is put in the greater empty section, such as for example the garment of an astronaut, while the other is the washing or cleaning section which comprises the motor 28, for example a 12 Volt motor, to which the spool 24 is removably connected on the relative shaft 26 and the capsule 10. The guide 22 is located between the two sections and ensures only the passage of one untied thread 12. The capsule is arranged in such a way that it can easily be replaced if the cleaning materials contained therein are depleted.

Washing with the device is very simple. The fabric 20 is placed in the main compartment. An empty spool 24 is placed on the shaft 26 of the motor 28 and a fresh or not yet depleted capsule 10 is inserted which provides a piece of thread inside, which protrudes therefrom. One end of the thread protruding from one end of the capsule 10 is fixed on the spool 24. The end protruding from the other end of the capsule 10 is hooked to the loose thread that derives from the untying of the fabric 20. In this regard, the end of the loose thread 12 can be coloured to be more easily identifiable. The loose thread 12 is passed under the guide 22 placed for example on a wall (not shown) which divides the main compartments of the device. The motor 28 starts and sets the spool 24 in rotation. The thread attached to the spool 24 pulls the thread 12 on the spool 24, unravelling the entire fabric 20 and pulling the thread 12 through the cleaning capsule. After 2 to 15 minutes, the time employed depending on the size of the fabric, a spool 24 of clean thread is ready. The spool 24 is withdrawn and placed in a 3D knitting machine which uses the clean thread to realize the fabric just untied or another.

To use the device shown in figure 2, the dirty garment is put into the device where the garment is unravelled by unthreading the thread that composes it. The thread obtained is passed through a series of cleaning materials inside the capsule. The thread cleaned in this way is wound on a spool. The spool is inserted into a 3D knitting machine and a garment is recreated.

Figure 3 illustrates, in a block diagram, an embodiment example of the cleaning method according to the invention. In a first step 100, the untying of a knit fabric takes place, obtaining the loose continuous thread. In the following step 102 the loose thread is passed through a series of cleaning layers, such as for example a layer with cotton soaked in ethyl alcohol 14 and a layer of a non-Newtonian fluid 16. In the third stop 104 the irradiation of the thread with UV rays follows. The method ends with step 106 in which the thread treated in steps 102 and 104 is knitted to obtain a fabric.

The device presented is compact, not very complex, and inexpensive, costing less than 17% of the costs sustained to buy antibacterial garments and towels for a team of six astronauts for a three-year mission. The volume of about 986 litres occupied by the device is approximately 37% of the space occupied only by the underpants and socks for the team.

The price is approximately US $ 22,500 including the purchase of the cleaning device, the knitting machines and the supply of garments, towels and sheets for a team of six people for three years.

Several tests have been carried out, obtaining satisfactory results in terms of cleanliness (and odour) of fabrics and in terms of the "constructive" quality of the remade fabric/garment.

An exemplary thread suitable for implementing the invention is antibacterial nylon monofilaments of Fujian Jiayi Chemical Fiber CO. in Japan with a cost of 2.00 - 2.50 US $/kg.

The Kniterate knitting machine allows the production of garments in one piece without having to cut fabrics and without needing seams.

The cleaning device without the knitting machine is inexpensive and can be manufactured for less than US $ 50. The components are cheap and easily available on the market. The device is quickly assembled, in less than an hour. The system can be automated. The only maintenance required is the replacement of the capsule when it is depleted or after changing the fabric. This replacement takes a few seconds.

One capsule can be produced with approximately US $ 0.1. Each astronaut needs around 3,200 capsules for a space volume of 2.3 litres in total. The capsules can also be assembled and filled by hand. One operator takes about 53 hours to make 3,200 capsules. Supplying capsules for an entire six-person team for three years amounts to approximately $ 5,400. These numbers are reachable because the capsule can also have very small dimensions without losing cleaning effectiveness.

An exemplary Newtonian fluid that can be used is “ Pasta Intelligente " distributed by NETADDICTION Sri of Terni (Italy) as a plasticine for play or " Thinking Putty " paste by Crazy Aaron's (USA).

During operation, further modifications or variants not described herein of the capsule, device and cleaning method according to the invention may be implemented. If such modifications or such variants should fall within the scope of the following claims, they should all be considered protected by the present patent.