Description

Multilayer fabric and machine used to produce the said fabric.

The present invention relates to a multilayer fabric and machine used to produce the said fabric.

In particular, the present invention relates to a multilayer fabric used for different aesthetic treatments, such as esfoliating, levigating and cleaning surface treatments.

As it is known, monolayer fabrics provided with a series of microgranules coupled to at least one external surface of the fabric are available. The microgranules, which are made of synthetic material of any size, adhere to the fabric by means of chemical binders distributed on the external surface of the fabric.

In this way, the external surface of the fabric is rough and can be used to levigate and clean any type of surface, with particular reference to skin. The rubbing and levigation action given by the microgranules eliminates skin impurities, obtaining a valuable aesthetical effect and cleaning the skin. However, the said fabric has a significant drawback, since the direct contact of the microgranules with the skin can create irritation and traumas on the surface to be treated.

The said inconvenience is due to the nature of the microgranules, which often have angular surfaces and cutting edges that can damage the skin. Moreover, due to the prolonged rubbing action, the said microgranules may detach from the fabric, making the same fabric inefficient. Furthermore, the microgranules that are detached from the fabric deposit on the skin, containing parts of the binders that may cause allergies to the user, thus impairing the desired effect desired of the said fabric. Another drawback consists in the presence of the chemical binders that are necessary to make the microgranules adhere to the external surface, since they can cause skin irritation, especially in case of allergies to some of the substances contained in the binders.

The purpose of the present invention is to devise a multilayer fabric that is not impaired by the aforementioned drawbacks.

In particular, the purpose of the present invention is to devise a multilayer fabric for aesthetical skin treatments, able to provide surface levigation without causing skin abrasions or irritations.

Another purpose of the present invention is to devise a multilayer fabric and a machine used to produce the said fabric, in which the granules do not detach from the layers of the fabric, including after prolonged use. A further purpose of the present invention is to devise a multilayer fabric that is especially efficacious in aesthetical treatments, optimising the action of the granules contained in the fabric.

These and other purposes, which will become more evident during the following description, are achieved by a multilayer fabric comprising: at least a first and a second layer, with corresponding surfaces for mutual coupling; characterised by the fact that it comprises a plurality of granular elements positioned between the coupling surfaces of the said layers, that is to say by the fact that the first and second layer are coupled and contain a plurality of granular elements. The present invention also relates to a machine used to produce the aforementioned multilayer fabric, characterised by the fact that it comprises a coupling device for at least two layers of band that is unwound from corresponding coils, that is to say by the fact that the two layers are mutually aligned and originated by means of a corresponding unwinding device for each single coil; and a feeding device of granular elements installed upstream the coupling device.

Further characteristics and advantages will be evident after the detailed description of a preferred, although not exclusive, embodiment of a multilayer fabric and machine used to produce the said fabric according to the present invention. This description continues with reference to the enclosed drawings, which are intended for purposes of illustration only, and not in a limiting sense, whereby: - figure 1 is a perspective view of a multilayer fabric according to the present

invention;

- figure 2 is a side elevation and a cross-section of a portion of the multilayer fabric shown in fig. 1 ;

- figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of a machine used to produce a multilayer fabric;

- figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of a second constructive embodiment of a machine used to produce a multilayer fabric.

With reference to figure 1 , numeral 1 indicates a multilayer fabric according to the present invention. The fabric 1 of the present invention is preferably and advantageously applied in aesthetical surface treatments to levigate and clean the skin.

Advantageously, the fabric 1 finds further applications in any type of cleaning, for example house cleaning, and in any other sector other than cosmetics. In particular, the fabric 1 is composed of at least a first (2) and a second (3) layer, with corresponding surfaces (2a, 3a) designed for mutual coupling.

Preferably, the first and second layer (2, 3) consist in non-woven fabric and are obtained with the known process defined as "jet laced", that is to say they are non-woven fabrics obtained by means of pressurised water jets. It must be noted that fabric 1 can have any number of layers according to the different application requirements.

For example, figure 2 illustrates the cross-section of a fabric 1 having three layers (2, 3, 4), of which the central layer (3) is coupled on opposite sides to the external layers (2, 4). Each layer (2, 3, 4) is preferably made of non-woven fabric composed of multiple elements with weight not lower than 20 g/m ² .

For example, according to a first constructive embodiment, each layer is composed of viscose, polypropylene and natural cotton.

Advantageously, viscose is 40%, polypropylene 30% and natural cotton 30%. Alternatively, layers are made of lyocell, polypropylene, natural cotton.

Preferably, in this configuration, lyocell is 40%, polypropylene 40% natural cotton 20%.

Moreover, according to another constructive embodiment, layers may be composed of viscose, lyocell and polypropylene.

Advantageously, viscose is 40%, polypropylene 30% and natural cotton 30%.

Finally, the layers can be made of natural cotton and polypropylene. Preferably, natural cotton is 70% and polypropylene 30%.

It must be noted that all the aforementioned versions contain polypropylene to permit hot-coupling of the different layers.

In other words, the layers are overlapped and heated, as described below, to couple the different layers into a single fabric 1. More precisely, the connection is obtained by melting the polypropylene.

Preferably, if the fabric 1 has only two layers, each layer is advantageously composed of 30% polypropylene.

Alternatively, in case of three layers, the external layers are 30% polypropylene, and the central layer is 50% polypropylene. Finally, in case of four layers, the external layers are 30-35% polypropylene, and the internal layers are 50% polypropylene.

With reference to figure 1 , the fabric 1 also comprises a plurality of granular elements 5 situated between the coupling surfaces 2a, 3a of the said layers 2,

3. In particular, the size of the granular elements 5 preferably ranges from 20 μm to approximately 1500 μm.

It must be noted that for smaller sizes the granular elements 5 are basically in the form of powder and are advantageously released by fabric 1 during use. The reduced size of the granules ensures a tonifying and refreshing action of the granules on the user's skin without undesired effects.

Advantageously, according to the type of powder introduced between layers

2, 3, numerous treatments can be obtained with fabric 1 , especially for the skin.

Preferably, the granular elements 5 are sterilised by means of suitable gamma ray treatments of known type.

The granular elements 5 are advantageously obtained with one or more natural ground materials and distributed on the coupling surfaces 2a, 3a in

order to be trapped between the layers.

If fabric 1 has numerous layers, the elements 5 are preferably distributed between two consecutive layers (figure 2) in order to obtain a series of parallel planes for the granular elements 5. Preferably, the granular elements 5 are obtained from grinding one or more of the following ingredients: apricots, almonds, nuts, coconut, hazelnuts, olive lichens, lichees, mother of pearl, pearls, jojoba esters, wild rose and hydrolyzed silk powders, aloe barbadensis, oat, wheat, barley, corn.

Advantageously, in other embodiments, the granules may comprise any type of ingredient as necessary.

As illustrated in figure 3, the fabric 1 is obtained by means of a machine 6 that comprises a coupling device 7 of at least two layers 2, 3 in band form, unwound from corresponding coils 8, 9. In particular, the coils 8, 9 are unwound to feed the layers 2, 3 in band form along predefined travels P1 , P2, with the coupling surfaces 2a, 3a being interfaced.

A feeding device 10 of the granular elements 5 is installed upstream the coupling device 7, which distributes the elements 5 before coupling the layers

2, 3.

In particular, the feeding device 10 is provided with a doser 11 for the uniform distribution of the granular elements 5 on the coupling surface 2a of a layer 2.

The doser 11 is contained in a horizontal feed unit 12, in which the layers 2,

3 in band form travel along a horizontal direction.

The coupling device 7 is installed downstream the doser 11 , being preferably composed of a pair of contra-rotating heating rolls 13 that are overlapped to hot-seal the layers 2, 3.

In this way, the polypropylene contained in each layer is melted, coupling the different layers.

The fabric 1 is wound around a coil 14 by means of a drive unit 15 designed to feed the layers of the said coils 8, 9. As shown in figure 4, the machine 6 is designed to produce the fabric 1 with three layers.

In particular, the third layer 4 is unwound from a corresponding coil 15 and

moves along a corresponding travel P3.

The layer 4 is provided with a coupling surface 4a in order to be coupled with a second coupling surface 3b of the element 3.

According to the preferred embodiment shown in the figure, the machine 6 comprises a second doser 16 of granular elements 5 on layer 4.

It must be noted that the doser 16 is contained in a second horizontal feed unit 17, in which the layers 3, 4 in band form move travel along a horizontal direction with the coupling surfaces 3b, 4a that are interfaced.

The coupling device 7 is provided downstream the dosers 10, where the layers 2, 3, 4 are hot-coupled.

Advantageously, fabric 1 does not create traumas or damages to the skin or to any other surface treated with it during use.

In fact, the granular element 5 with suitable size to exert a basically abrasive action do not come in direct contact with the skin, being trapped between two layers of the fabric 1.

Therefore, the treated surface exclusively comes in contact with the external surface of one of the layers.

Moreover, it must be noted that the fabric of the invention does not make use of additives or chemical adhesives to couple the layers and the granular elements.

In fact, as described above, the granular elements are trapped between the hot-coupled layers.

This eliminates the risk of any allergic reactions due to chemical substances.

Furthermore, no risk of detachment from the layers exists for the granular elements, following to prolonged use of the fabric 1.

Advantageously, fabric 1 is resistant and suitable for multiple applications.

The invention is susceptible of industrial application; it may be also subject to numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the same inventive concept; moreover, details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements.