Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or... – Composite having voids in a component
Patent
1993-05-17
1995-10-24
Thibodeau, Paul J.
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or...
Composite having voids in a component
296 971, 296 979, 29745261, 297DIG1, 427369, 427370, 427412, 428 71, 4283227, 428339, B32B 524
Patent
active
054608732
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a cover fabric with back-coated thin layer of latex foam, and to a foamed article integrally molded with the said fabric. More particularly, the invention relates to a composite cover material comprising a permeable fabric having a thin permeable layer of foamed latex adhered to its back or inner surface, and to a foamed article such as vehicle seats, seat cushions, headrests, armrests, sun visors and the like, all produced by utilizing the composite fabric of the invention in the integral molding technique.
BACKGROUND ART
It has long been well known to produce a soft foam article having a cover integrally adhered thereto by providing a permeable cover fabric in the shape of desired final article and pouring into the shaped cover fabric a soft polyurethane stock material to form a body foam which is integrally adhered with the cover fabric. However, if the liquid stock material is injected directly onto the inside surface of the permeable fabric, the material easily permeates into or even through the texture of the fabric so as to form disadvantageously partially stiffened areas uncomfortable in touch and called, e.g., hard spots or hard layers in the fabric. To avoid these disadvantages, it is proposed in the art to provide a buffer layer to prevent the stock solution from penetrating the cover fabric.
According to this proposal, it is alleged that a thin urethane foam (called "slab foam" or "slab urethane") is adhered as a buffer layer to the inside surface of the cover fabric. Polyurethane stock solution may be directly poured onto this urethane foam and penetrates only slightly into the urethane foam thereby to produce a thin "superficial" layer which provides sufficient bonding strength between polyurethane body foam and the cover fabric to which the slab urethane is adhered.
However, many disadvantages are found in that creamy polyurethane stock poured directly onto the slab urethane buffer layer tends to easily penetrate relatively large cells of the buffer layer or pass through the buffer layer to reach the cover fabric to adversely form thereat hard spots, or the poured stock material permeates the buffer layer over the wide range thereof to produce undesirable thick stiffened or impregnated layers.
On the other hand, for the purpose of avoiding penetration or impregnation of the body foam into the cover fabric, techniques to apply an airtight film on the inside surface of the cover fabric are proposed in various United States Patents. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,247,347 to Lischer et al., Jan. 27, 1981, 4,247,348 to Lischer, Jan. 27, 1981, 4,264,386 to Sears, Jr. et al., Apr. 28, 1981, and 4,287,143 to Sears, Jr. et al., Sep. 1, 1981 disclose applying of airtight films, preferably polyvinylchloride film, to the back surface of the cover fabric. Such airtight or impermeable films, however, deprive the finished foamed article of the permeability and leads to an uncomfortable feeling, such as a moist or sticky touch on the surface of the article.
If the use of thin urethane foam (called slab urethane) above-mentioned and the use of impermeable films taught by various U.S. Patents are combined, no particular effects can be expected to attain comfortable feelings on the surface of the article resulting from the permeability of the cover fabric. To attain the desired comfort, there must be an intermediate layer, which is permeable in nature, between the cover fabric and the body foam that also contributes to prevention of substantial penetration or :impregnation of the body foam into the intermediate layer itself.
Furthermore, use of the slab urethane as a buffer layer in the prior art is not found to be a favorable technique in that it involves time-consuming manufacturing processes such as producing first a large mass of foamed urethane and then slicing the mass into a plurality of slabs which are difficult to handle and require large space for storing them before using the same. Further, sliced slab urethane should be applied to the cover fabric by usi
REFERENCES:
patent: 2795207 (1957-06-01), Marco
patent: 3713868 (1973-01-01), Gordon et al.
patent: 4353955 (1982-10-01), Cook
patent: 4502234 (1985-03-01), Schaefer et al.
patent: 4544598 (1985-10-01), Meiller et al.
patent: 5034266 (1991-07-01), Kinlaw et al.
Goto Fumio
Ogawa Taro
Tanaka Yasuo
Thary Christian
Abraham David
Thibodeau Paul J.
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