ES2378799A1 - Antimicrobial towel. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Antimicrobial towel. This towel is constituted from a flat fabric (1) conveniently cut and composed of conjugated or linked microfibres (2), which also comprises in its composition a silver component (3) that gives said fabric antimicrobial properties that, in addition to those provided by the micro fibers (2) in terms of low volume and light weight, they make it especially suitable for use as a towel in sports, on trips and outdoor activities. The silver component (3) is constituted by particles (4) of said material that are integrated in the microfibers (2), and that are incorporated in said microfibers during the manufacturing process thereof. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

Antimicrobial towel

Object of the invention

The present invention is intended as indicates its statement, an antimicrobial towel.

Field of the Invention

This towel is the type that has great power absorbent and a great capacity of rinsing, in addition to low weight and volume, all of which makes them especially fit to be used in the practice of sports, travel and outdoor activities.

Background of the invention

Conventional towels are known from cotton with curl tie that are generally rectangular and which, due to their spongy character, serve to dry the face, hands and / or whole body after washing or bathing.

Microfibers are also known, the which are very fine synthetic fibers, and of very small diameter, that have very interesting properties among which its cleaning capacity.

These microfiber properties have course the development of new applications of them in already known or new products from diverse sectors that cover technical fabrics for professional use, clothing for use personnel, home textiles and product development of cleaning such as cloths, rags, chamois, mops or mops, to mention Just a few examples.

Recently, it has been developed and has been started to market a composite flat tissue towels totally by conjugated microfibers of great absorbent power and that they have, as main advantages, a great capacity of rinsing in in relation to their low weight and volume, which make them especially suitable for use in certain areas, and resource savings to the environment during the process of washing and drying the same, as more of them fit in the washing machine and dry more Fast saving water, soap, energy and time.

This type of towels is getting a great market acceptance by displacing conventional towels from curl, and are expected to continue doing so in new uses.

Towels with properties are also known antimicrobials by the application therein of additives or sizing, getting good results in the short term but losing their powers over time and / or after various washed

Summary of the invention

The applicant firm of the present invention, to root of the growing interest in health, hygiene and care staff, has done laboratory tests to determine the population of microorganisms in the towels, discovering the important presence of populations of bacteria and fungi in the same.

This important discovery in those cited trials has led the applicant firm to investigate until it can develop a new microfiber towel with properties antimicrobial that is not known and whose properties remain throughout the life of the same, enduring also all washings that are necessary.

To do this, and once analyzed the different existing technologies and procedures for obtaining a tissue with antimicrobial properties, it has reached the conclusion that the properties of silver could be exploited as a sanitizing agent and they are only known in the field doctor.

Once that conclusion is reached, it has been devised the antimicrobial towel object of the present invention, which It consists of a flat fabric composed of microfibers conjugated or linked whose uniqueness is that it comprises A component of silver in its composition.

With said silver component the towel take advantage of the sanitizing properties of silver and reduce completely the presence of microorganisms, offering a excellent antimicrobial activity that prevents the appearance of bacteria, molds and others, and that is of great durability since maintains its properties, as intended, throughout life useful of the towel no matter how much it is washed.

The silver component is constituted by particles thereof incorporated into the microfibers, adding said particles during the extrusion process of the microfibers, after which they will be knitted, cut and They will make the final towel.

The antimicrobial towel of the invention can be manufactured entirely with both conjugated and microfibers linked and, in both cases, of the special ones for the rinsing, of synthetic composition, preferably with eighty percent of polyester and twenty percent polyamide, and with particles of silver incorporated internally in the fiber as already indicated.

This towel, in addition to the uses indicated in the sport, travel and outdoor activities free, it is also suitable for hospital, child, geriatric use, Domestic and others.

These and other features will come off better than the detailed description that follows, which, to facilitate its understanding is accompanied by a sheet of drawings in which it has been represented a case study that only cites Sample title not limiting the scope of this invention.

Description of the drawings

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows schematically and in perspective a towel according to the invention,

Figure 2 illustrates a schematic view in perspective and large size of a piece of microfiber from which make up the towel,

Figure 3 illustrates a schematic view in plant and large size of several microfibers that make up the towel, and

Figure 4 illustrates a schematic view in large-scale microfiber plant in figure 2 in activity antimicrobial

Description of an embodiment

According to the drawings, the towel Illustrated antimicrobial consists of a flat tissue (1) composed of microfibers (2) of the specials used for rinsing and which, preferably, are of mass equal to or less than 1.3 decitex, with a diameter equal to or less than 11.5 microns and of the type conjugated with cross section properly (orange, star, trilobal, etc.) because they are very thin and high drying capacity.

To these microfibers (2) ultra-fine have been intrinsically added to them Silver component (3) that gives it excellent activity bactericidal (from 99.6 to 99.9% activity reduction bacterial, according to AATCC Test Method 100-1998).

The silver component (3) is constituted by particles (4) of this material that, due to their size, must be consider as nanoparticles, and they are applied in microfibers (2) in the process of extrusion or manufacturing thereof.

As schematically illustrated in Figure 4, a microfiber (2) with integrated silver particles (4) rejects bacteria (B) or other microorganisms that may adhere to the same.

The flat fabric (1) is soft type of 200 g / m2, which has undergone a process of ennoblement, dyeing, bleaching, fixing and finishing that gives it a touch extremely soft and fine, and that, due to its special composition, is very resistant to traction and practically no dimensional variations after domestic washing and drying (≤2.5%), also having great strength and a very good resistance to degradation by rubbing, sweat or light (3-5 / 5).

This microfiber fabric (1) (2) stands out also for its large drying capacity (more than 250% of its weight) and for its absorption time (less than 2.5 s), and undergoes a cutting process in pieces, usually rectangular and of variable dimensions according to need, which constitute each of them the corresponding towel. The cut may be made by different media and technologies without the result differing, such as by blade, by mechanical die, by laser, by thermal, by water jet or ultrasound.

Optionally, a process of confection, overlapping or edging (5) of the resulting towel edges to prevent it from fraying. The choice of one or the other alternative does not differ from its function of preventing tissue from fray and simply obey business decisions and / or production costs.

With this, the towel can already be considered finalized and ready for commercialization and use, but also You can add a customization, stamping or printing of creative designs (6) embellishments thereof and / or, simply, of a brand or trade name (7) for purposes advertising or promotional product.

Customization can be done by printing digital, transfer, conventional printing, screen printing, pad printing, jaquard or heat engraving. You can also present the towel other items like eyelets (8) (see figure 1), chains, cords, carabiners and / or the like.

The invention, within its essentiality, can be put into practice in other embodiments that differ only in detail from that indicated solely by way of example and which will also achieve the protection that collect. This antimicrobial towel can be made with the most suitable media, components and accessories, being able to component elements be replaced by others technically equivalent, because all of this is included within the claims.

Claims (2)

1. Antimicrobial towel which consists of a flat fabric (1) made of microfibers (2) conjugated or linked, characterized in that the flat fabric (1) comprises a component (3) silver in composition. 2. An antimicrobial towel according to claim 1, characterized in that the silver component (3) consists of particles (4) incorporated in the microfibers (2).