TITLE

REFLECTING LEATHER AND ITEMS OF CLOTHING. FOOTWEAR.

ACCESSORIES. UPHOLSTERY AND PRODUCTS IN GENERAL

MADE OFREFLECTINGLEATHER DESCRIPTION

The present patent relates to leather for making clothes and to items of clothing made with it, and in particular concerns a new reflecting leather for producing items of clothing, footwear, accessories, upholstery etc.

The use of leather for producing items of clothing, footwear, bags and accessories in general, as well as upholstery for furniture, car seats etc. is known.

Numerous types of leather processing are known, such as washing, liming, tanning, dyeing, etc.

Said treatments are designed to stop the degenerative processes of leather and refine its quality and softness.

At present, the leather used is relatively opaque, i.e. it does not reflect the light.

There are items of clothing provided with reflecting parts, consisting of portions of film made of reflecting plastic material and applied to the garment by gluing or stitching.

In addition to the various application operations, said reflecting films therefore also require the use of labour to carry out said operations.

Said reflecting films, furthermore, may become detached and are limited to some parts of the item of clothing. Leather for the production of items of clothing, footwear, accessories, etc.

with reflecting properties does not exist.

The subjects of this invention are a new type of leather with reflecting properties and the items of clothing obtained with it, in addition to footwear, accessories and products in general. The aim of the new type of leather is to have considerable reflecting properties.

A further aim of the new type of leather is to eliminate the need to apply reflecting films on its surface for the production of reflecting items of clothing. A further aim of the new type of leather is to produce reflecting items of clothing that are not monochromatic.

A further aim of the present invention is to improve visibility, in conditions of poor or no lighting, of the products made with said reflecting leather.

These and other direct and complementary aims are achieved by the new type of leather with reflecting properties constituted by leather on which a layer of reflecting mixture is applied, said mixture consisting of vitreous and/or ceramic and/or plastic and/or oriented spheres or microspheres, with the use of binders if necessary.

The characteristics of the new reflecting leather will be highlighted in greater detail in the following description.

The new reflecting leather comprises a layer of leather and a layer of reflecting mixture.

The leather is obtained by means of known systems and methods and may therefore have undergone any suitable treatment, hence it may have any thickness, density, colour, etc.

The reflecting mixture comprises vitreous and/or ceramic and/or plastic spheres or microspheres and at least one binder.

Alternatively, oriented spheres or microspheres can be used.

Alternatively, said reflecting mixture comprises only said vitreous and/or ceramic and/or plastic and/or oriented microspheres, without the use of binders.

The binder has various functions and characteristics, mainly: the function of binding and making the vitreous or ceramic microspheres adhere to the leather; - transparency in order not to mask or cover any patterns deriving from prints or polychromatic prints; flexibility, which keeps the leather supple and allows it to bend.

The binders used can be resins, varnishes or other substances suitable for the purpose. The vitreous or ceramic spheres or microspheres consist of portions of glass or ceramic and, particularly in the case of said microspheres, have characteristic dimensions in the order of one tenth of a millimetre.

Spheres or microspheres made of plastic can also be used.

The application of vitreous spheres or microspheres does not modify the colour shade of the item of clothing or product treated.

Alternatively, using said oriented spheres or microspheres, i.e. spheres or microspheres provided with a silvery hemisphere, the item of clothing or product takes on a chromium-plated shade on the surface treated with said reflecting mixture. The mixture of vitreous or ceramic or plastic or oriented spheres or

microspheres, with or without additional binders, is applied to the leather preferably before the item of clothing is made up.

Said reflecting mixture can be applied via any of the known methods, for example spraying, screen-printing, immersion or bath, surface pressure or other appropriate methods or systems.

In particular, said reflecting mixture can be applied by spraying said binder on the surface to be treated and subsequently distributing normal or oriented spheres or microspheres.

According to the invention, the reflecting mixture can also be applied by compression of the layer of spheres or microspheres previously distributed on the surface to be treated.

The reflecting mixture can also be applied by combining said two methods.

The new reflecting leather has considerable advantages.

The new leather is entirely reflecting or partially reflecting, and the reflecting surface is distributed according to the treatments performed.

The new leather is reflecting and can be monochromatic, polychromatic, of different colours or printed in different colours before application of the reflecting mixture.

The new leather does not require additional labour or work to obtain the reflecting effect, either before or after production of the item of clothing.

The item of clothing, or other reflecting product, obtained by using the new reflecting leather described above does not require additional operations or work processes to obtain the reflecting property.

Said reflecting leather can therefore be used for making up any type of product, for example items of clothing, footwear, bags, suitcases and

accessories in general, underwear, gloves, upholstery for furniture, etc. Said reflecting leather can also be used to cover bicycle and motorcycle saddles, car seats etc.

Any product made with said reflecting leather therefore has considerable visibility and can be easily located also in conditions of poor or no lighting. Therefore, also the user who wears or is using the product is more visible and can make his/her presence known also in places with poor or no lighting.

Therefore, with reference to the preceding description, the following claims are expressed.