FR2645551A1 - Washing method to give denim clothing premature wear - Google Patents

Abstract

A system for washing articles of clothing such as denim jeans to give them premature wear and a fading of colour consists of rotating the garments in a drum containing water and solid abrasive bodies. The abrasive bodies are made with a surface covering, if not completely, from a relatively flexible material, such as a polybutadene polymer, with a Shore hardness of 50-70, and a compression index of 55-80 and preferably 65-70. The solid abrasive bodies are added to the washing water at a rate of 200 kgs per 100 kgs of clothes, in a machine with a drum diameter of some 1.48 m.

Description

 The invention relates to a process for premature wear of textile articles, as well as to the means for implementing this process and to the textile articles thus worn prematuremeiit.

 It applies more particularly but not exclusively to textile articles in cotton canvas having undergone dyeing and more especially still in blue fabric called "jeans".

 After a certain period of use of clothes made with this fabric, the surface wear suffered by the clothes naturally tends to lighten the color.

 However, fashion has imposed that before any use, in order to appear less new, the clothes undergo a premature wear operation tending to artificially lighten the color.

 In all the non-chemical processes known to date, use is made of bodies formed at least in part from products known for their abrasiveness, such as sandpaper (EP-A259948), expanded clay baked at very high temperature (FR-A-2605024), the most common product being pumice (FR-A-2517710 and 2525644, EP-A-238779).

 It is known to garnish with this abrasive product the side face of a rotary drum (FR-A-2514793) in which, with water, the garments are arranged so that by the rotation of the drum, the garments come periodically in contact with the abrasive linings which subject them to surface wear.

 Unfortunately, the pumice stone is crumbling, so the fittings often have to be changed, which is very demanding work.

 In order to overcome this drawback, conventionally the abrasive product is used in the form of pieces independent of each other and mixed with the clothes placed in the drum.

 For example, to prematurely wear one hundred kilogranes of clothing, we place with them in the drum of a washing machine about one hundred and fifty kilograms of pumice broken into pieces of the order of fifty millimeters in diameter, i cross-section and we stir all with water and possibly another agent for one or two hours depending on the type of treatment.

 As indicated above, the pumice stone crumbles and at the end of treatment it is recovered only about seventy five kilograms of pumice stone, many pieces of which remain in the folds and pockets of the clothes and require a long check and expensive.

 The seventy five kilograms of lost pumice stone is eliminated with the washing water and tends to clog the filters of the water treatment plants.

 In addition pumice is quite high cost, although it varies greatly with the seasons.

 It is also known (FR-A-2525644) to produce artificial abrasive elements in pumice stone powder reconstituted into pieces of various shapes using vitrified agglomerants.

 If this limits the crumbling of abrasive products and the aforementioned drawbacks which result therefrom, the fact remains that taking into account the abrasive power of these natural or artificial products and the percussions that the rotation causes against the articles and the drum , these deteriorate the machine and the articles: as far as the machine is concerned, at least the drum must be changed quickly and for example after about two years of use, even with a sheet metal drum. stainless steel, which of course greatly increases the cost price of the treatment.

 As for the articles, premature wear is accentuated at the right of the edges such as the edges of the folds, of the labels and pockets, which articles can thus be reached so as to oblige to put the garbage in the scraps or at least on side to be repaired.

 One of the results which the invention aims to obtain is a process of premature wear of textile articles which uses c-orps which themselves present after many treatments a practically zero wear so that they should not be realpl cs only after very many months or even years of use.

 Another result which follows from the previous one is a process which does not disturb the operation of the treatment plants.

 Is also a result of the invention, a process which promotes the longevity of the machine and does not irreparably reach the edges of articles such as the edges of folds, labels and pockets.

 To this end, it relates to a process of the aforementioned type, in particular characterized in that, instead of using bodies made of material known for its abrasive power, the articles are brewed with bodies made of relatively flexible material having shore hardness. between 50 and 80 and preferably between 60 and 70 as well as a compression index of 55 to 80 and preferably from 65 to 70.

 It also relates to the means for the implementation of this process and the textile articles thus worn prematurely.

The invention will be clearly understood with the aid of the description below, given by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the attached drawing which shows diagrammatically:
- Figure 1: one of the means for implementing the method of the invention,
- Figure 2: a machine seen in section, during processing of textile articles.

 In known manner, for the premature wear of the textile articles 1, use is made of bodies 2 which are mixed with the textile articles 1 arranged in a rotary drum 3 and the whole is stirred with water 4 and possibly another agent for a certain period of time.

 According to an essential characteristic of the invention, instead of using bodies 2 of material known for its abrasiveness, the articles are brewed with bodies 2 of relatively flexible material having a short hardness of between 50 and 0 and preferably between 60 and 70 as well as a compression index of 55 to 80 and preferably from 65 to 70.

 For one hundred kilograms of articles to be treated, one hundred to two hundred kilograms of body are added5, which one brews for a period of one hour or one hour depending on the type of treatellent, ie a tenips twice as brief as with pumice.

 The body weight depends on the diameter of the drum.

 For a machine 5 whose drum 3 has a diameter D of the order of one meter eighty, one hundred to one hundred and twenty kilograms of bodies will suffice given their increased action by their height of fall.

 For a machine 5 of smaller diameter, the necessary body weight then tends towards two hundred kilograms.

 Despite said height of fall, the bodies are not likely to perforate the wall 6 of the drum 3 since the shocks are absorbed by the material which constitutes You.

 The means for implementing this process essentially comprise bodies 2 of relatively flexible material having a shore hardness of between 50 and 80 and preferably between 60 and 70 as well as a compression index of 55 to 80 and of preferably from 65 to 70.

 The material will for example be an elastomer such as a polybutadiene.

 These bodies 2 will preferably have a spherical shape whose diameter d will be between thirty five and fifty millimeters and preferably between forty and forty five millimeters.

 Its weight will be around forty to fifty grams.

 They have a smooth lateral surface or have cells 7.

 For the tests were used bodies of forty two millimeters sixty seven in diameter whose average weight was forty six grams. The results have been found to be satisfactory.

 Articles 1 thus treated are reniarquable in that their edges are not irretrievably reached.

Claims (10)

 1. A method of premature wear of textile articles with a view to artificially lightening the color thereof, according to which method bodies (2) are used which are mixed with the textile articles arranged in a rotary drum (3) and mix everything with water (4) and possibly another agent for a certain period,  this process being CHARACTERIZED in that, instead of using bodies (2) made of material known for its abrasive power, the articles are brewed with bodies (2) made of relatively flexible material having a shore hardness of between 50 and 80 and preferably between 60 and 70 as well as a compression index of 55 to 80 and a preferential index of 65 to 70.  2. Method according to claim 1 characterized in that for one hundred kilograms of articles to be treated, one hundred to two hundred kilograms of body are added which are stirred for half an hour or one hour depending on the type of treatment.  3. Method according to claim 2 characterized in that for a machine whose drum has a diameter of the order of one meter eighty, one adds one hundred to one hundred and twenty kilograms of body (2).  4. Method according to claim 2 characterized in that for a machine of diameter smaller than a meter eighty in diameter, the weight of the bodies required tends to two hundred kilograms.  5. Means for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that they essentially comprise bodies (2) of relatively flexible material having a shore hardness between 50 and 80 and of preferably between 60 and 70 as well as a compression index of 55 to 80 and preferably from 65 to 70.  6. Means according to claim 5 characterized in that the material is an elastomer.  7. Means according to claim 5 or 6 characterized in that these bodies (2) have a spherical shape whose diameter is between thirty five and fifty millimeters and preferably between forty and forty five millimeters.  8. Means according to any one of claims 5 to 7 characterized in that the weight of each body is of the order of forty to fifty grams.  9. Means according to any one of claims 5 to 8 characterized in that each body has a dimpled side surface.  10. Textile articles characterized in that its treatment of premature wear has been carried out according to any one of claims 1 to 4.