SYNTHETIC WEATHERPROOF FIBER CANVAS FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INDOOR AND OUTDOOR FURNITURE

Abstract

A synthetic weatherproof fiber canvas for application in furniture items for use in indoor or outdoor environments, type “straw lattice”, ‘Hindu straw” or “Hindu canvas”, composed by Polyester, Polypropylene, Rayon, Nylon, high-tenacity Polyester, Viscose, Linen, Aramid and/or PVC. A raw material in base putty format for extrusion is submitted to a fiber design phase to define fibers that will compose the synthetic fabric strip and dyeing phase with dye, receiving admixture for UV protection. The dyed putty is submitted to a chemical extrusion process, where it is extruded in a dedicated die with the shape of the fabric tape, with thread pattern defined by the manufacturer. The tapes produced feed a loom machine (MA), which will organize and weave them in any canvas in a square, rectangle, hexagon, trapeze or other pattern.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present description refers to the invention of a canvas for furniture composed by a latticed pattern of extruded strips simulating fabric threads in any pattern possible.

The canvas mimics the famous “Hindu canvases”, but resistant to the harmful effects of sunlight and constant rainwater incidence, enabling to use the furniture items manufactured with them in outdoor areas of homes and establishments.

In addition, their constructive characteristics prevent early aging of the canvas, peeling and discoloration effects, avoiding fiber separation or fabric ripping, saving production time and cost as they do not require the execution of common production stages of the traditional canvases.

DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF THE ART

Usually made with cotton, cellulose paper or straw, canvases used in the fabrication of furniture for miscellaneous use are widely known by consumers, especially the ones who like more traditional design.

As it is known, the “Hindu canvas” is a type of fabric with differentiated diagonal pattern, well known by its durability and strength, which made of it a popular choice for several uses, including furniture items.

This kind of fabric is usually made of cotton, but other fibers can be also used. The canvas pattern is created by weaving strips or tapes of yarns joined in order that each warp or web ‘fluctuates’ over two or more strips in the opposite direction. This creates a diagonal pattern, which is visible on the web surface.

Also known are the canvases made of synthetic material, such as polyester, which are usually plain polyester canvas where fabric cutouts are applied to simulate the strip interlacing.

Within the context of furniture, “Hindu canvases” are frequently used to create chair seats and backrests, as well as for sofa linings. The strength and durability of the fabric make it ideal for these uses, as it is capable of withstanding regular wear and tear, and maintain its appearance.

The traditional “Hindu canvas” made of fabric is also known for its distinctive texture, which adds a visual interest element to the furniture. It provides an assortment of colors and patterns, enabling a broad range of aesthetic options.

No patent documents have been found, which exemplify any technique currently applied, but it is known that Hindu canvases are hard to manufacture, usually handmade or produced in special machinery for cross-weaving the fabric strips. When made in machines, cotton must pass by stages for dyeing, yarn handling to create fibers, fiber interlacing to form fabric strips, and further weaving in looms to create the known canvas pattern.

Another common problem is the difficult cleaning of these fabrics, making them delicate elements subject to damage resulting from extended utilization.

An additional problem is the frequent wear of the fabric and its threads due to weather conditions. That is, the constant incidence of sunlight and rain deteriorates the fabric, and thus prevents furniture items from being used in outdoor areas, or with high circulation of people.

By their turn, canvases made of plastic material by using the current techniques, exhibit a false and unconvincing appearance, and their use is aimed to be a more cost-effective option when compared to traditional canvases, because they do not provide the visual and touch aspects as the interlacing of fabric strips. This type of canvas has never been well accepted by more demanding customers, who value traditional design when choosing their furniture.

Therefore, to solve the state-of-the-art problems, the inventor proposes herein a new canvas configuration, made of material derived from plastic, which properties and manufacturing process define a product with higher strength, lower cost and capable of replacing the traditional design.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Once explained in a summarized way, now the present invention will be detailed by the figures attached, in which:

FIG. 1—shows a strip of synthetic fabric, manufactured by the extrusion process, simulating fabric fibers or threads in a pattern defined by the manufacturer;

FIG. 2—shows another strip of synthetic fabric simulating fabric fibers or threads in another pattern defined by the manufacturer;

FIG. 3—shows a strip of synthetic fabric, malleable, being manipulated by human hands to exhibit its proximity with traditional fabric strips;

FIG. 4—shows the application of strips in a loom;

FIG. 5—shows the application of strips in a loom, which interlaces them in a square pattern to define the canvas of the invention in this chosen pattern;

FIG. 6—shows one type of canvas pattern as defined in the present invention, exhibiting the possibilities and flexibility to obtain a “Hindu canvas” with realistic and sophisticated visual aspect, in any pattern possible. It shows the rectangle canvas pattern.

FIG. 7—shows another type of canvas pattern as defined in the present invention, exhibiting the possibilities and flexibility to obtain a “Hindu canvas” with realistic and sophisticated visual aspect, in any pattern possible. It shows the hexagon canvas pattern.

FIG. 8—shows another type of canvas pattern as defined in the present invention, exhibiting the possibilities and flexibility to obtain a “Hindu canvas” with realistic and sophisticated visual aspect, in any pattern possible. It shows the trapeze canvas pattern.

FIG. 9—shows another type of canvas pattern as defined in the present invention, exhibiting the possibilities and flexibility to obtain a “Hindu canvas” with realistic and sophisticated visual aspect, in any pattern possible. It shows the square canvas pattern.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the figures attached herein, the present invention is comprised by a canvas (1) made of synthetic fabric, mixing raw material derived from plastic, molded in order to obtain weatherproof fabric fiber strips, which are processed in strip loom to produce the canvas pattern, and its further application in miscellaneous furniture items. The canvas (1) characteristics enable the utilization of the furniture items in outdoor areas, as it is resistant to rain and sunlight incidence, not discoloring and neither aging over time. The canvas pattern is defined to achieve the visual effect of the famous “straw lattices”, “Hindu straw” or “Hindu canvas”, which compose seats, backrests, and several details of furniture items to be used at home and in other environments.

The invention is better defined by the manufacturing process of this fabric pattern on the canvas (1), to be described below. The synthetic fiber (2) can be composed by Polyester, Polypropylene, Rayon, Nylon, high-tenacity Polyester, Viscose, Linen, Aramid and/or PVC, with raw material in base putty format for extrusion.

First, the fiber design is prepared to define the fibers (2) that ill compose the synthetic fabric strip (3). In this phase, the plastic raw material putty of one of the possible materials listed above, or a mix of them, is submitted to a dyeing process with dedicated dye to achieve the desired color in the own putty, not requiring any paint application later. Still in this phase, the putty receives admixture for UV protection of the material to make it resistant to constant sunlight incidence.

The dyed putty is then submitted to a chemical extrusion process, where it will be extruded in a dedicated die with the shape of the fabric strip (3), with thread pattern (2) defined by the manufacturer, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. Once extruded, the putty is now in a pattern of threads (2) bonded in a malleable tape (3), follow to the drying phase in oven. Therefore, in this configuration, the putty extruded in bonded threads (2), is configured as dyed yarns, i.e. exhibiting color integrated to the own synthetic fabric, which means that it will not suffer any discoloration or peeling during its utilization in furniture fabrication, in addition to be provided with UV protection already integrated to the tape (3) by the admixture applied. In addition to these benefits, the process does not require the execution of stages in a tape and stranding machine for yarn creation, and further stranding for tape formation, thus reducing phases of the traditional process and production costs.

Therefore, when compared with traditional processes, the raw material or the canvas fabric manufacturing products is changed in the furniture production, i.e. with the plastic material replacing cotton and cellulose paper, and their consequent preparation and weaving processes, to achieve the fabric tape.

The tape (3) formation may provide finish in several thread patterns (2) defined by the manufacturer, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, simulating with visual perfection joined yarns, woven yarns, straw and any other possible aspect or desired pattern, thus opening a new variety of decorative options in utility furniture for indoor or outdoor environments.

Thus, the tapes (3) already produced in the pattern of threads (2) desired will feed a loom machine (MA), as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, where the latter will organize and weave them in a canvas pattern (1) chosen by the manufacturer. This canvas pattern (1), as shown in FIG. 6, can be any pattern desired, such as square, rectangle, hexagon, trapeze, and others, depending on the configurations and possibilities of the own machine. This process results in a one-meter canvas, ready to be cut and applied on the furniture items desired by any technique known.

The synthetic fabric canvas (1) disclosed herein also provides the benefit of not breaking its threads, which occurs in the regular fabrics, as it was obtained by tape (3) in extruded threads (2) and is composed to its final pattern by stranding (loom) machine (MA). Thus, differently from the canvases known, this is not a mere composition of low-strength cotton, and neither a plain pattern of plastic material simulating a canvas. Instead, the invention defines a real canvas (1) made of extruded strips (3) with synthetic thread pattern (2), stranded in loom machine (MA), to exhibit real canvas pattern visually identical to the traditional ones and identical to the famous “Hindu canvases”.

As a result, furniture items manufactured with this canvas (1) provide a visual relation with the traditional handmade ones with cotton fabric or straw, but highly resistant to constant sunlight and rain incidence, thus assuring long lifetime and extended utilization in several different environments.

As the tapes (2) that compose the canvas (1) exhibit a pattern of fibers or threads (3) designed by the own manufacturer, obtained by extrusion, the referred canvas (1) may provide a modern or innovative touch to the traditional pattern, emerging as a visual novelty in the furniture industry, and modernizing these dated and classical furniture items.

Claims

1-A synthetic weatherproof fiber canvas for use in the manufacture of indoor and outdoor furniture which characteristics provide resistance to rain and sunlight incidence, not discoloring or aging over time, and neither peeling, with such canvas pattern defined to achieve the same visual effect as “straw lattices”, ‘Hindu straw” or “Hindu canvas”, but composed of Polyester, Polypropylene, Rayon, Nylon, high-tenacity Polyester, Viscose, Linen, Aramid and/or PVC, with raw material in base putty format for extrusion, characterized first by making the fiber design to define the fibers that will compose the synthetic fabric strip, where this phase, the plastic raw material putty of one of the possible materials listed above, or a mix of them, is submitted to a dyeing process with dedicated dye to achieve the desired color in the own putty, not requiring any paint application later, andreceiving admixture for UV protection of the material;submitting the dyed putty to a chemical extrusion process, where it will be extruded in a dedicated die with the shape of the fabric strip, with thread pattern defined by the manufacturer, where once extruded, the putty now in a pattern of threads bonded in a malleable tape, follow to the drying phase in oven;the tapes already produced in the pattern of yarns desired will feed a loom machine (MA), where the latter will organize and weave them in a canvas pattern chosen by the manufacturer, resulting in a one-meter canvas, ready to be cut and applied on the furniture items desired by any technique known.

2-A synthetic weatherproof fiber canvas for use in the manufacture of indoor and outdoor furniture, according to claim 1 characterized by the formation of a tape, provides finish in several thread patterns defined by the manufacturer, simulating with visual perfection joined yarns, woven yarns, straw and any other possible aspect or desired pattern.

3-A synthetic weatherproof fiber canvas for use in the manufacture of indoor and outdoor furniture characterized by the canvas pattern, which can be any pattern desired, such as square, rectangle, hexagon, trapeze and others, depending on the configurations and possibilities of the own machine.