This invention relates to shower curtains.

Shower curtains are conventionally made from fabrics that are inherently resistant to penetration by spray such as dense but lightweight woven nylon, to which a silicone finish might have been applied.

These fabrics are less suitable for the higher pressure showers which are being more widely installed nowadays. They are in any event available only in plain coloured ^' form or in a limited range of designs created specially for the shower curtain market.

The present invention provides new shower curtains which do not need to be made of the fabrics referred to but which are rendered waterproof without detracting substantially from their appearance and which have a performance which is suitable for modern high pressure showers.

The invention comprises a shower curtain material comprising a fabric with a waterproof film attached on at least one face.

The film may be laminated to the fabric as by adhesive, and may be attached at discrete locations spaced apart over the area of the fabric.

The film may be a clear film, and may be polyurethane, say, 25 microns thick.

Such a film can be laminated to many fabrics used normally for other purposes - though principally for window curtains or furnishing, of course, and such fabrics are available in many colours and patterns whether as plain prints or with patterns woven or knitted in. This greatly extends the range of colours, patterns and textures available for use as shower curtains, making it possible to use even luxury fabrics which would otherwise absorb the spray leading rapidly to mould growth. This enables the shower curtain to be matched to or coordinated with the window curtains and other fabrics used in the bath or shower room.

The film is effective against spray, even high pressure spray, and unobtrusive both visually and from the point of view of the handle and drape of the fabric. It does not interfere with sewing or making up.

Examples of shower curtain materials according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of one method for making the fabrics;

and Figure 2 is a view of a fabric showing a pattern of discontinuous lamination adhesive application.

Figure 1 illustrates a laminating operation for producing a shower curtain material 11. A regular woven or knitted, plain or patterned or textured fabric 12 is withdrawn from a supply roll 13 thereof and fed by feed rollers 14 to a printing station 15 at which a urethane adhesive 15a is applied discontinously in a pattern as seen in Figure 2 of discrete spots of adhesive of diameter, say, two or three millimetres and spaced apart by several millimetres.

A 25 micron clear polyurethane film 16 is supplied from a roll 17 drawn off by feed rollers 18 and bonded to the adhesive-bearing side of the fabric 12 between rollers 19 then forwarded by feed rollers 21 to wind up as laminated fabric 11 on wind-up roll 22.

The new shower curtain fabric is commercially attractive because of the wide range of patterns and textures and indeed types of fabric that can be used - fabrics as diverse as 100% woven or knitted nylon or polyester/cotton blends have been successfully laminated and tested.

Other methods of application of the film and other distributions of adhesive (even a continuous rather than discontinuous application) can of course be used, as well as different films, for example poromeric films, may be used to equal effect.

Lace fabrics can be covered as by applying first a "solid" film coating then by coating the solid film prior to removing it. The solid film may for example be a water-soluble film like an alginate film.