Patent Application
20060053570
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing of a printed and woven towel. More particularly, this method relates to the printing of a pictorial pattern on one side of the towel and the weaving of a stripe design/pattern on the other side of the woven towel.
Towels having a printed pattern or having a woven design on a towel are well known in the art. Typically, printed towels use a screen printed process for imparting a pictorial design or pattern onto one side of the towel, and a process of a woven stripe is intended for the other side of the towel. Also, woven towels after their initial weaving process (no pattern imparted) typically have designs or patterns woven to one side of the towel, such as floral motifs, indicia, stripes or other pictorial designs.
There remains a need for a method of manufacturing such that one side of a woven towel includes a woven design or pattern, such as stripes, and the other side of the woven towel includes the screen printing of a pictorial design or pattern thereon. This process enables the woven towel to be reversible, such that the user can display the pattern or design on one side of the towel or the stripe design on the other side of the towel.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a woven towel such that one side of the towel includes a printed design or pattern thereon and the other side of the towel includes a woven design or pattern woven into the towel for forming a distinctive woven towel.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a woven towel that uses a print screening process for imparting a design or pattern that includes a floral design, a scenic design, indicia, a geometric design and the like to one side of the woven towel having a design, such as stripes, woven into the other side of the towel.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a woven towel that can be mass produced in an automated and economical manner and is readily affordable by the user.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of making a woven towel, comprising the steps of weaving a woven towel to form a first surface and a second surface using a weaving loom; and forming a woven pattern by weaving one or more colors on the first surface and weaving only white thread on the second surface to form a white woven surface for receiving a printed pattern thereon. The method of making the towel further comprises the steps of screen printing a design on the white woven surface using a screen printing apparatus for forming a woven towel having two surfaces with two different designs; and washing, tumbling and drying of the woven towel using a finishing apparatus.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon the consideration of the following detailed description of the presently-preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The woven towel 10 and its component parts of the preferred embodiment of the present invention are represented in detail in
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the woven towel 10 has a first surface 22, a second surface 24, and perimeter edges 26a, 26b, 26c and 26d. The woven towel 10 is made from a 100% cotton terry material.
During the weaving process, the first surface 22 is woven to have a stripe pattern 36. Additional woven designs or patterns can be woven into the first surface 22 such as a pictorial design, a geometric design, a scenic design, a floral design, indicia and the like.
During the manufacturing process, the second surface 24 is screen printed to have a pictorial design or pattern 40. The screen printing process can impart other pictorial designs or patterns that include a floral design, a scenic design, a geometric design, indicia and the like.
The method of manufacturing the woven towel 10, as shown in
STEP 1: Weaving a towel 10 using a weaving loom 12 to form a woven towel 10.
STEP 2: The weaving loom 12 is then used to weave a plurality of stripes 30 using color cotton thread 32 and white cotton thread 34 such that the first surface 22 is provided with the color cotton threading 32 to form stripes 30 to form a woven stripe surface 36. The white cotton threading 34 is retained on the second surface 24 to form a white woven surface 38 (which is used for the printing of a pattern or design thereon).
STEP 3: Screen printing of a design or pattern 40 is then performed using a screen printing apparatus 14 on the white woven surface 38 to form a screen printed surface 42. The screen printing apparatus 14 can be a rotary screen printer or a flatbed screen printer for imparting of the design or pattern 40 thereon to form the woven towel 10.
STEP 4: A finishing process is then used to wash, tumble and dry the woven towel 10 using a finishing apparatus 16.
Accordingly, an advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a method of manufacturing a woven towel such that one side of the towel includes a printed design or pattern thereon and the other side of the towel includes a woven design or pattern woven into the towel for forming a distinctive woven towel.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a woven towel that uses a print screening process for imparting a design or pattern that includes a floral design, a scenic design, indicia, a geometric design and the like to one side of the woven towel and having a design, such as stripes, woven into the other side of the towel.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a method of manufacturing a woven towel that can be mass produced in an automated and economical manner and is readily affordable by the user.
A latitude of modification, change, and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances, some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.
