Coating processes – Spraying – Heated coating material
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-12
2001-11-20
Beck, Shrive P. (Department: 1762)
Coating processes
Spraying
Heated coating material
C427S421100, C427S426000, C427S207100, C156S330900, C156S331700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319559
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an method and system for adhering seat constituent materials together in forming an automotive seat. More particularly, the invention is directed to a method and system for applying an adhesive agent to a covering material in the process of bonding the covering material to a foam cushion member to create a bonded unit for forming an automotive seat.
2. Description of Prior Art
In forming an automotive seat, there has been known and employed an adhering method involving use of an adhesive agent, in which a covering material or trim cover assembly is adhesively bonded via an adhesive agent to the outer surfaces of a pre-molded foam cushion member or padding, so that a bonded unit obtained, having a predetermined configuration of a constituent part of an automotive seat, such as a seat cushion and seat back thereof.
Conventionally, an adhesive agent that has commonly been used in this field, comprises a primary component material containing an organic solvent therein and a curing agent, both of them being in a liquid state. A typical example of the primary component material used is an urethane prepolymer material with about 20% of organic solvent (e.g. methylene chloride) added thereto. In a hitherto operation, those two liquid materials are sprayed from the respective two injection nozzles of an atomizer or sprayer and mixed together in a mist state in the air. Such atomized mixture are forcibly impinged and applied evenly on the reverse surfaces of a covering material or on the outer surfaces of foam cushion member. This spraying operation has been conducted in a tightly closed room to improve a safety on the workers' part. The adhesive-applied covering material is then pressingly bonded to the foam cushion member by means of a bonding pressure die to produce a bonded unit.
Under those circumstances, the conventional adhering method in forming a seat has required adding an organic solvent (e.g. methylene chloride) to the primary component material in order to keep the adhesive agent in a proper liquid state, so that the liquid adhesive agent may be atomized well in the air and uniformly sprayed onto a cover material which is to be adhesively bonded over a cushion member.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-stated drawbacks, it is a primary purpose of the present invention to provide an improved method which eliminates addition of any organic solvent to a primary component material of an adhesive agent in applying the adhesive agent to a covering material in the process of bonding the covering material to a foam cushion member to create a bonded unit forming a seat or seat portion.
To achieve such purpose, in accordance with the present invention, there is basically provided the steps of:
providing a primary component material and a secondary curing agent, both of them constituting a base material of an adhesive agent;
applying a heat to the primary component material; and
atomizing and mixing together both primary component material and secondary curing agent in air in a direction to a covering material, so that the adhesive agent is uniformly applied to the covering material.
Accordingly, the use of heat is effective in lowering the viscosity of the primary component material, without use of any organic solvent, so that the primary component material may be properly atomized for mixing with the curing agent in the air, which in turns realizes a uniform applying of resulting adhesive agent to the covering material. Hence, a temperature of the heat is set to such a degree that lowers a viscosity of the primary component material used. Preferably, the primary component material is a urethane prepolymer material, in which case, about 80° C. temperature of heat is applied thereto so as to lower a viscosity thereof at an appropriate degree.
It is a secondary purpose of the present invention to provide a system for effecting the above-mentioned method.
For that purpose, the system, in accordance with the present invention, basically comprises:
an atomizing means including a first injection nozzle for atomizing or spraying said primary component material therefrom and a second injection nozzle for atomizing or spraying said secondary curing agent therefrom, the atomizing means being operable to atomize or spray both the primary component material and secondary curing agent and mix them together in the air in a direction toward a covering material;
a first storage means for storing the primary component material therein;
a second storage means for storing the secondary curing agent therein, the second storage means being in a fluid communication with the second injection nozzle;
an external fluid passage means provided for a fluid communication between the first storage means and the first injection nozzle,
an internal fluid passage means defined within the atomizing means, which internal fluid passage means allows for a fluid communication between the first injection nozzle and the fluid passage means; and
a heating means for continuously applying a heat to each of those first storage means, external fluid passage means and internal fluid passage means.
Any other specific advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from reading of the descriptions hereinafter, with reference to the annexed drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4298656 (1981-11-01), Mendelsohn
patent: 4352858 (1982-10-01), Stanley
patent: 4667084 (1987-05-01), Regge
patent: 5478014 (1995-12-01), Hynds
patent: 5643385 (1997-07-01), Kikuchi et al.
Beck Shrive P.
Browdy and Neimark
Calcagni Jennifer
Tachi-S Co. Ltd.
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