RS55474B1 - APPAREL APPARATUS PLANT, ESPECIALLY TO THE PHARMACY - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject invention relates to the plant and to the appropriate procedure for finishing garments.

Specifically, the subject invention finds an application that provides an advantage but which is not exclusive only to the process of scrubbing jeans (denim canvas) to which the description will explicitly refer in the following text without losing its generality.

STATE OF THE ART

Currently, the garment finishing/washing process involves the use of at least 70 liters of water for each individual garment to which chemical additives (chlorine, permanganate, solvents, etc.) are added that allow the garment to be transformed from its raw state (untreated) into a garment with scrubbing effects that are highly valued especially by young buyers.

Typically, the finishing of garments, especially jeans, that need scrubbing consists of the following stages: 1 - manual scraping with sandpaper or abrasive brushes when the cleaning effect

so it demands.

2 - washing the garment with enzymes with an average consumption of 10/13 1 for each

article of clothing,

3 - rinsing in the washing machine with an average consumption of 26/30 1 for each garment

subject,

4 - manual finishing using chemicals (permanganate); 5 - neutralization in a washing machine with metabisulfite with an average consumption of

10/13 1 for each item of clothing,

6 - rinsing in the washing machine with an average consumption of 26/30 1 for each item of clothing,

7 - centrifugation of each individual item of clothing and,

8 - final drying (rotating drum type) of each item of clothing.

We will now go through each stage in more detail:

1. HAND SCRAPING: strictly manual processing of the garment with assistance

special equipment (sanding wheels, sandpaper) produced aging effects by rubbing clothes (so-called "scratching" or "scratching"). The aforementioned treatment is associated with the creation of fine dust, which, through appropriate suction hoods, must be moistened in special rain chambers. This fine dust contains all the chemicals used in the processing of the fabric and must therefore be transferred to a treatment plant.

2. WASHING FROM EVN GARMENT WITH EMZYMES: The garment is subjected to

washing procedure called "Stone Washed" which can last from 10 to 45 minutes in a washing machine with the use of chemical enzymes at temperatures ranging from 45 to 50 °C. With this treatment, the garment is cleaned of glue, indigo and sulfur used in fabric processing procedures;

the listed chemical products, together with the water, must be successfully purified by adding the chemical additives required to achieve a neutral pH.

3. WASHING IN THE WASHING MACHINE: The stage that is needed to get dressed

items cleaned after treatment.

4 MANUAL FINISHING USING CHEMICAL PRODUCTS: The procedure that

used to bleach indigo or sulfur on localized surfaces. The chemical reagent corrodes indigo or sulfur but does not act on cellulose. The most widely used product is potassium permanganate, a harmful and flammable substance, hazardous to the environment, which can damage eye tissue, irritate the skin and, if the dust is inhaled, can damage the respiratory system and mucous membranes. In order to limit the damage, the spraying of the above-mentioned substance takes place in cabins with a water film and the operator must wear all the necessary protective clothing. The product that gets into the water is taken to the cleaning plant.

5. NEUTRALIZATION IN THE WASHING MACHINE WITH METABISULPHITE:

Procedure used to neutralize permanganate. The use of metabisulfite and permanganate is subject to inspection control in order to check their eventual release into the environment.

6. RINSING IN THE WASHING MACHINE: The stage required to get dressed

item cleaned after treatment.

7 CENTRIFUGATION: Procedure of mechanical removal of liquid from clothing

subjects.

8 FINAL DRYING: The procedure for final drying of garments that may vary depending on the fabric to be dried.

The above treatment can be used in whole or in part in a particular wash procedure to achieve a washed look.

The stages described above, in addition to creating danger for workers who are constantly exposed to risks in the stages of processing, require significant amounts of water, which must be taken to the purification system since it is unusable in the subsequent stages of processing. The disposal of these liquids implies the use of additional chemical substances needed to ensure that the quality of purified water meets regulations.

EP-A1-0 377 417 refers to the procedure of decolorizing denim fabric by spraying under pressure a jet of preheated water (with the possible addition of chemical compounds) to that part of this fabric which is kept perfectly and uniformly taut so that the jet of water can energetically pass through the fibers of the same.

FR-A1-2 335 636 describes a plant in which trousers are attached and tensioned and subjected to sandblasting or shot blasting, followed by steam treatment and hot air drying. This process gives the jeans the desired worn and faded look. The pants are preferably fastened with clips at the waist and hooks at the end of the legs so that air can blow through the inside of the clothing. Sandblasting uses gravel or metal chips while deflection plates are used to create swirling air currents for the final drying stage. Ready-made items pass through equipment that is divided into three chambers, for three stages of the process, so that the trousers can be passed through a finishing tunnel where the first chamber is supplied with an air filter.

DE-A1-10 2008 059586 describes a process in which the wear effect is created intentionally, in at least one part of the end piece of the article. Paint or pigment adhered to or contained in the end compartment is at least partially removed by the jet of liquid. The pressure of the liquid is preferably in the range of 80-160 bar, and its temperature is 10°C - 40°C. The cross-section of the jet is, for example, round, elliptical, polygonal, diamond-shaped or trapezoidal. The tangent angle between the jet and the textile surface is preferably 15°. Abrasion is created using, for example, washing stones, rollers and/or sandpaper Garments are made as a final or semi-finished product These are, for example, a sock, skirt, shirt, jacket or coat. Textiles contain cotton or are made of denim

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The intention is that with the present invention, the effects of washing by scrubbing can be obtained on clothes with little water consumption and in the complete absence of chemical products that are inconvenient to dispose of.

Therefore, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a garment finishing plant which does not have the above-described shortcomings and which, at the same time, is easy and economical to make.

According to the subject invention, the plant and the related process for finishing garments made according to the independent patent claims or in any dependent patent claim that depends, directly or indirectly, on at least one of the independent claims 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PICTURES

For a better understanding of the subject invention, various preferred embodiments are now described, purely by way of non-limiting examples and with reference to the accompanying figures, where: Figure 1 schematically shows a garment processing plant according to

the present invention,

Figure 2A shows a first exemplary embodiment of a nozzle used in the plant of the figure

1,

Figure 2B shows another exemplary embodiment of a nozzle used in the plant of the figure

1,

Figure 3 shows a series of outlets on pressure fluid nozzles that are

shown in Figures 2A, 2B; and

Figure 4 shows enlarged details of the plant from Figure 1.

THE BEST WAY TO CONDUCT PR ONALS

In Figure 1, the number 100 indicates, as a whole, the plant for finishing garments according to the subject invention.

As we will see, it is possible to apply the appropriate procedure for the finishing of garments, which is also the subject of the present invention, on the said plant 100.

The plant 100 consists of a first line for introducing garments 10 (not shown), especially jeans (denim), which is connected to a second finishing line 20 in which various devices for finishing said garments are arranged (see below).

The plant 100 also contains a third feed line 30 for circulating and treating fluids used in various treatments.

With the help of a special electronic control unit (EC,eng. electronic control unit) it is possible to design the look that should be transferred to the garment and set the values of the technological variable parameters based on the different types of fabrics that need to be finished.

In particular, the electronic control unit (EC) provides the possibility of finishing garments according to the programs set by the programmer, who can choose the type of processing that needs to be performed from a previously designed archive. The above-mentioned finishes can be, for example, fringes, scratches, tears, discoloration and localized wear. Moreover, it can be foreseen the possibility to insert into the software managed by the electronic control unit (EC) a digital image from which the procedure to be carried out can be derived in relation to the weight of the constituent elements and the color of the fabric to be treated.

As shown in the figure, the garments to be processed are manually fed into STATION I and, by means of semi-rigid structures (not shown), moved along a lowered track to STATION II where they are introduced into the finishing cabin 21 which is partially closed. Several nozzles 22 are provided on the walls of the finishing cabin 21, each of which is hydraulically connected to a corresponding high pressure pump 23. The nozzles 22 spray, on the garments that are in the finishing cabin 21, a high-pressure liquid that is drawn from the collection tank 31. In this case, the abrasive liquid in this stage of processing can be only water or some aqueous solution. Preferably, but not necessarily, that water or aqueous solution is hot.

Note that in the present invention the primary function of water is not to wash the garments, as is the case in prior art finishing plants, but to mechanically abrade the fabric.

On average, each nozzle 22 sprays from 10 l/min to 20 l/min, preferably 14 l/min, at a mean outlet pressure in the range of 100 bar to 300 bar. Of all the water that is dispersed in this phase, at least 70% is recovered at the end of the treatment (see the following text).

Water under high pressure is sprayed on the garments according to variable parameters of time, temperature and pressure based on the technical characteristics of the fabric and the treatment to be performed.

Still using the first introduction line 10, the garments are moved from STATION II to STATION III and introduced into the material shrinkage cabin 24 in which at least one nozzle 25 sprays, on the garments themselves, hot water at a temperature and pressure that is variable, based on the technical characteristics of the fabric to give the garments the required technical shrinkage.

We remind you that in the field of textiles, the so-called "technical shrinkage" is a factor that serves to avoid shrinking or changing the size of the garment after household washing.

Therefore, industrially, according to the type of fabric, hot washing is carried out and dimensional stability is given to the product. "Technical shrinkage", then, is nothing more than the percentage difference in the size of the product before and after washing it in hot water

After passing through the collection cabin 24, the garments are manually or automatically introduced into the centrifuge 26 (STATION IV) where water is extracted from the garments. The garments are then manually removed from the spinner 26 and dried in a rotary drum (not shown).

As illustrated in the figure, all fluids used in the machining process are pumped to the pretreatment filter 32. The fluid exiting the pretreatment filter 32 is then sent to the reverse osmosis device 33 which completes the recovery and treatment process.

The purified fluid is then injected into the above collection tank 31 through pipe 34 and reused in the next cycle.

With this type of work, it is possible to save up to 93% of fluid with significant energy savings.

Another important saving factor is the possible amount of energy used, especially the amount of fuel gas that is usually used to produce steam in the laundry department.

On the contrary. the final result can be obtained by the process in question, with only the mechanical effect of water at room temperature. It is worth noting that the only phase in which the use of hot water is expected (where, therefore, there is a need for an electric or gas boiler) is related to the processing for the collection of clothing items, which is carried out, as we said, in the collection cabin 24

At that stage, solar energy can be used for water heating.

In the finishing cabin 21, electromechanically driven nozzles 22 are located on the rim of the finishing cabin 21 and have the same shape, but different diameters.

A first embodiment of the nozzle 22A is shown in Figure 2A.

The nozzle 22A is mounted on a support structure 50 consisting of the first prismatic block 51, which is attached to the wall of the finishing cabin 21. From the first prismatic block 51, the second prismatic block 52 protrudes, on which the support rod 53 of the nozzle 22A is mounted. The supporting rod 53 is connected to the second prismatic block by means of a ball joint 54 which can be electromechanically moved by means of devices not shown.

In particular, the nozzle 22A consists of a cylindrical main body 22A<*> which is extended, towards the interior of the finishing cabin 21, by a conical body 22A<**>

The end 22A<***>of the conical body 22A<**>is provided with at least one outlet opening 55A, 55B, 55C, 55D, 55E of the type shown in Figure 3.

Specifically, the outlet opening 55A forms a simple circular opening, the exit opening 55B forms a single segment, the exit opening 55C has a wave shape, the exit opening 55D forms a curved part, and the exit opening 55E is provided with a set of three circular openings.

Another embodiment of nozzle 22B is shown in Figure 2B. Said nozzle 22B is essentially a cap of spheroidal shape, but it can have a different shape, and is held by a support rod 63 which is fixed to the wall of the finishing cabin 21 by means of a ball joint 64, which can be electromechanically moved by means of devices not illustrated.

Alternatively, all of the above nozzles can be operated directly by moving the first prismatic block 51 (Figure 2A).

Even nozzle 22B is provided with exit ports 55A, 55B, 55C, 55D, 55E, which are shown in Figure 3.

The nozzles 22A, 22B will act on those points that are coordinated by the program controlled by the electronic control unit (EC), which moves autonomously in all directions.

From the mentioned nozzles 22A, 22B, by means of high pressure pumps 23, fluids of variable pressure and duration will be sprayed directly on the garments as a function of the final effect and the type of fabric to be finished. Said fluids will act only mechanically on the garments, abrading the surface, causing wear and aging effects, as programmed.

As shown in more detail in Figure 4, each individual garment (CP1), (CP2), (CP3), (CP4), (CP5) is manually placed on a corresponding mannequin (MN1), (MN2), (MN3), (MN4), (MN5) transported by the aforementioned first 10 garment insertion line shown in Figure 1.

Each (CP1), (CP2), (CP3), (CP4), (CP5) is then lowered from above into the finishing chamber 21 on the corresponding dummy (MN1), (MN2), (MN3), (MN4). (MN5), by actuating the extendable rod and subjecting it to at least one high-pressure spray, produced by at least one nozzle 22.

It is interesting to note that the special scrubbing effects can be achieved by combining the movement of the nozzles 22 with the rotational-translational movement of the garments (CP1), (CP2), (CP3), (CP4), (CP5), by operating the corresponding mannequins (MN1), (MN2), (MN3), (MN4), (MN5)

Garments (CP1), (CP2), (CP3), (CP4), (CP5) are arranged, one by one, in the finishing cabin 21 and may undergo the same or different finishing depending on how the electronic control unit (EC) is programmed.

Therefore, to summarize, we can say that, depending on the desired finishes and the desired final appearance of the garments and after setting the desired program on the appropriate software, the surface of the garments that are in the finishing cabin will be exposed to the fluid spray from the nozzles, which with variable pressures and duration perform abrasion in a programmed manner.

The subject invention also relates to a process for finishing clothing items, especially jeans (denim canvas), which consists of the phase of sending an abrasive fluid, under high pressure, to the clothing items.

Moreover, the abrasive fluid may be an essentially water-based abrasive fluid having an average outlet pressure in the range of 100 bar to 300 bar and, preferably, a flow rate in the range of 10 l/min and 20 l/min.

Said process may optionally include a centrifugation phase, during which the garments are subjected to centrifugation, followed by a drying phase of the garments themselves.

The main advantage of the plant and the corresponding process which are the subject of this invention consists in the fact that the following steps in the process are completely eliminated:

- manual or mechanical sanding with sandpaper,

- washing clothes with enzymes,

- rinsing in the washing machine,

- manual finishing with chemicals (permanganate),

- neutralization in a washing machine with metabisulfite; and

- rinsing in the washing machine.

All this results in consequent conservation in terms of water consumption and has a much lower impact on the environment.

In addition, due to the small amount of water required for the operation of the plant, its installation can be carried out even in low-developed countries with scarce water resources.

Claims (6)

1. Plant (100) for the treatment of aging of clothing (CP); said facility contains: the first line for the introduction of (10) garments (CP); and - the second finishing line (20) for processing garments (CP); said plant (100) is characterized in that said second finishing line (20) comprises at least one finishing cabin (21) provided with at least one nozzle (22; 22A, 22B) which is suitable for sending a hot liquid under high pressure, essentially water-based which is withdrawn from the collection tank (31), to at least one garment (CP) available in said finishing cabin (21), thereby producing mechanical abrasion on the garment; and the said plant (100) also contains a third feed line (30) for circulating and treating the fluid used for various treatments, where the purified fluid is then injected into the said collection tank (31) through the pipe (34) and reused in the next cycle. 2. Plant (100), according to claim 1, characterized by said nozzle (22; 22A; 22B) suitable to spray said liquid, which is essentially water-based, at an average outlet pressure in the range of 100 bar to 300 bar and, preferably, with a flow rate in the range of 10 l/min to 20 l/min. 3. Plant (100), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it contains a centrifugal station (26) for centrifuging the articles of clothing (CP) and, if necessary, a drying device for drying the articles of clothing (CP) themselves. 4. Plant (100), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the nozzle (22; 22A; 22B) represents at least one opening which is shaped as a simple circular opening (55A) or is shaped like a slot (55B) or is shaped like a wave (55C) or is shaped like a curved part (55D). 5. A plant (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the nozzle (22; 22A; 22B) is movable relative to said garments (CP). 6. Plant (100), according to claim 5, characterized in that the special scrubbing effects can be obtained by combining the movement of said nozzles (22; 22A; 22B) with the rotational-translational movement performed by the garments (CP).