EP0481156A1 - Use of non-woven textiles for the protection of musical, audio and video media and packages or envelopes made therefrom - Google Patents

Abstract

In the use of non-woven fabrics based on heat-weldable synthetic filaments or fibres for the protection of musical, audio and video media, the non-woven fabrics are constituted from synthetic filaments or fibres having a minimum tensile strength of 2.5 gr/dtex and/or a minimum elongation at fracture of 25%. A package or envelope for protecting the said media is produced from these non-woven fabrics, laminated preferably by gluing and/or by heat welding in lines or in spots onto supports such as paper (from 50 gr/m2 to 150 gr/m2), cardboard (150 gr/m2 to 400 gr/m2) or transparent, translucent or opaque plastic sheets of PVC, PP, PE or others, whose thickness varies from 30 mu m to 300 mu m.

Description

The present invention relates to the protection of musical, audio and video supports, rigid or semi-rigid, such as vinyl records and compact discs, and relates to the use of non-woven textiles for the production of packaging in general and of 'envelopes in particular for said supports.

In the musical field, the vinyl record has, during these last decades, represented a large part of the musical supports sold in the world. Despite all the technical improvements made to reading systems, the quality of listening is however affected in the long term by the more or less rapid deterioration of the musical medium, following the inevitable contact with the reading head as and when successive listening .

A big step has just been taken recently with the advent of the compact disc, which, in addition to the digital recording system itself, represents a clear improvement in the sense that the laser reading system avoids, by the total absence contact with the musical support, any degradation of the support by friction and wear.

However, so that the musical support does not get damaged and therefore does not tarnish the quality of listening, it is not enough to ensure its protection during playback - what we will call here protection active - but it is also imperative to protect the musical support in an appropriate packaging, whether for transport from its place of manufacture to the buyer, passing through the store, or simply at the user, when storage in a cabinet or during handling before and after reading. This protection will be called passive protection compared to the active protection mentioned above.

Regarding this passive protection, currently two systems are used mainly respectively for vinyl media compared to compact discs recently introduced on the market.

For vinyl media the most commonly used system consists of two envelopes; the first, exterior, is generally made of hard cardboard and open on one side. The vinyl record is inserted in the second, generally made of fine paper, which is itself slipped in turn into the first envelope.

The second envelope is the most determining for the passive protection of the musical support because it is it which is in direct contact with it. In this regard, there are various envelopes on the market, based on plastic film or laminated paper / plastic film.

For compact discs a cassette system is most commonly used, with a central clip positioning the disc on a base with shoulder, which, theoretically, avoids any contact of the musical support with any other surface which could damage it.

These systems, despite the care taken by users, are not without representing certain dangers of damage to the musical medium.

Indeed, whether for the vinyl or the compact disc, the risk of seeing their damaged surface is not zero because it suffices that a foreign body, grain of hard dust or other, come to slip between the two surfaces - musical support and envelope or cassette - so that the simple friction of the two surfaces during handling causes damage by scratching of said musical support.

For the vinyl record, some manufacturers have imagined replacing paper, which is very abrasive compared to this record, with a plastic film that is less hard and less abrasive than paper. However, the risk persists, especially when there is the unfortunate presence of hard dust between the film and the disc.

Regarding the compact disc, despite the shoulder provided in the support, handling the disc, inherently flexible in nature, can cause the two surfaces to touch and thus damage the musical support.

The aim of the present invention is to significantly improve the passive protection of musical, audio and video media, such as vinyl records or compact discs by using a specific textile surface intermediate between the support and its actual envelope or packaging, the textile surface of which the properties of softness, softness and porosity will avoid abrasion of the musical support by contact or friction, especially in the presence of a foreign body of a hardness greater than that of said support, the foreign body entering in this case in the support textile while avoiding scratching the musical support. In addition, the fact of using such a textile support gives the envelope or packaging additional corollary dust and antistatic properties.

The present invention derives from a technique developed for computer diskettes using specific textile supports, which prevent the magnetic support from being scratched and / or magnetized incorrectly (static electricity effect) by untimely friction on the envelope. protective exterior, usually PVC.

However, it has been noted that the vast majority of the textile supports generally used in this technique consist of a mixture of artificial fibers of cellulosic origin, such as fibranne, rayon, and synthetic heat-sealable fibers, the former being used for their antistatic properties preventing false magnetization of computer media during friction by rotation, and the seconds being mainly used for their heat-sealing properties, thereby ensuring the integrity of the textile support.

On the other hand, in the case of a computer diskette reading system, it is absolutely imperative to strictly observe the thickness and uniformity tolerances of the nonwoven textiles used, this in order to ensure minimal cleaning contact of the magnetic support while avoiding maximum contact, which would cause damage to the magnetic support by untimely friction.

In the context of the present invention, such nonwovens, based on artificial fibers, have given rather encouraging results, in the sense that said cellulosic fibers break and generate debris, which in turn dust the musical support. rather than keeping it clean.

In the case of computer diskettes this phenomenon occurs in a closed environment and is not unacceptable. On the other hand, for the application in open environment envisaged with the musical supports (entry / exit of the support of its envelope), the dust or debris of nonwovens give at the limit an effect opposite to that sought, at least in this which concerns the dustproof effect.

Document EP-A-0 074 833 discloses an envelope for magnetic disks consisting of a mixture of fibers with low melting point, but this is a support intended to provide active protection to the disks during their reading. .

Document DE-A-2 011 813 also discloses the use of polyester fibers in the textile industry for, among other things, the manufacture of carpets. These are elastic fibers, which are not suitable for the passive protection of music, audio and video discs.

Other solutions better suited to the envisaged application have been sought. Thus, nonwovens based on heat-sealable synthetic fibers or filaments, having sufficient breaking strength as well as minimal elongation at break, have given entirely positive results.

According to the invention, the use of nonwovens based on fibers or filaments is characterized in that the nonwovens have a minimum tenacity of 2.5 gr / dtex, preferably 3.5 gr / dtex, and / or a minimum elongation at break of 25%, preferably at least 50%.

Such nonwovens therefore protect musical, audio and video media against abrasion, give an anti-dust effect (without debris) and, moreover, treated appropriately with an antistatic sizing, give an antistatic effect.

According to the invention, nonwovens are used whose weight per square meter is between 15 gr and 80 gr, preferably between 30 gr and 50 gr, these nonwovens being made of synthetic fibers or filaments such as polyester or polyamide .

Still according to the invention, the nonwovens have a fiber or filament content varying between 50% and 100% by weight, the other part consisting, where appropriate, of a binder either in powder or of the latex type.

Polyester fibers or filaments have very good resistance and good elongation at break and are therefore particularly suitable for the intended application, unlike for example certain polypropylene fibers. However, nonwovens based on polyamide fibers or filaments, for example, having good resistance as well as good elongation at break can be used.

Use will therefore advantageously be made, as nonwovens, of at least binary mixtures of synthetic polyester or polyamide fibers or filaments, in a proportion varying from 5% to 95% and vice versa.

As nonwoven manufacturing processes, thermalbonded, powderbonded or spunbonded type nonwovens are used, or laminates of these different nonwovens.

The thickness tolerance and uniformity criteria necessarily required for the use of computer diskettes are much less strict for the envisaged application for the protection of music, audio and video media.

Given the particular nature of flexibility of the nonwovens which are the subject of the invention for the protection of said supports, it is however recommended to continue to use as an outer layer of the protective covering of supports, such as paper (50 gr / m2 - 150 gr / m2), cardboard (150 gr / m2 - 400 gr / m2), plastic sheets (PVC, PP, PE, ...) transparent, translucent or opaque and whose thickness varies from 30 um at 300 µm. These supports ensure the intrinsic rigidity of the packaging and thus allow the user, among other things, easy handling.

For this purpose, a lamination of the nonwoven to the rigid or semi-rigid outer envelope will preferably be done by gluing or heat sealing, and this by line or by point, so as to ensure a minimum gluing of the two supports and therefore the integrity of the packaging, while preserving the required functions of flexibility and softness of nonwovens.

• - amélioration significative de la protection passive des supports musicaux contre l'usure par abrasion;
• - effet antipoussière ;
• - effet antistatique.

The invention generates the following advantages:

• - significant improvement in the passive protection of musical supports against abrasion wear;
• - dustproof effect;
• - antistatic effect.

Claims (7)

1. Use of nonwoven textiles based on heat-sealable synthetic fibers or filaments for the protection of musical, audio and video media, characterized in that the nonwovens consist of synthetic fibers or filaments having a minimum tenacity of 2.5 gr / dtex and / or a minimum elongation at break of 25%. 2. Use of nonwoven textiles according to claim 1, characterized in that the tenacity is at least 3.5 gr / dtex and / or the elongation at break is at least 50%. 3. Use of nonwoven textiles according to claim 1, characterized in that the nonwovens have a weight per square meter of between 15 gr and 80 gr, preferably between 30 gr and 50 gr. 4. Use of nonwoven textiles according to claim 1, characterized in that the synthetic fibers or filaments are polyester fibers or filaments or polyamide fibers or filaments or an at least binary mixture of such fibers or filaments. 5. Use of nonwoven textiles according to claim 1, characterized in that the nonwovens have a content of fibers or filaments varying between 50% and 100% by weight, the other part consisting, where appropriate, of a binder either in powder or latex type. 6. Use of nonwoven textiles according to claim 1, characterized in that the nonwovens are of the type called thermalbonded, powderbonded or spunbonded, or laminates of these different nonwovens. 7. Packaging in general and envelope in particular, for the protection of musical, audio and video media, of the vinyl disc type and of the compact disc type, characterized by the use as described in one or more of claims 1 to 6 of textiles nonwovens, preferably laminated by gluing and / heat sealing, by line or by point to supports such as paper (from 50 gr / m2 to 150 gr / m2), cardboard (150 gr / m2 to 400 gr / m2) or plastic sheets of PVC, PP, PE, or other, transparent, translucent or opaque, the thickness of which varies from 30 μm to 300 μm.