Fabric (woven – knitted – or nonwoven textile or cloth – etc.) – Nonwoven fabric – Including a foamed layer or component
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-15
2001-07-03
Copenheaver, Blaine (Department: 1771)
Fabric (woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.)
Nonwoven fabric
Including a foamed layer or component
C428S318600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06255237
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a laminated sheet. More specifically, the present invention relates to a laminated sheet which comprises (i)a specific foamed sheet containing a polypropylene resin and (ii)a non-woven fabric, and which is superior in its balance between rigidity and light-weight property.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (JP-A) No. 56-104054 discloses a laminated sheet obtained by melt-bonding a substrate with a non-woven fabric, the substrate being a foamed sheet of a polyolefin resin having high rigidity, a thickness of from 1.0 to 10.0 mm and an apparent density of not less than 0.25 g/cc. It is also disclosed therein that a main component of the substrate is a homopolymer or a copolymer of propylene, high density polyethylene or a mixture thereof.
The reference referred to above is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Although the laminated sheet disclosed in the noted JP-A is superior in its rigidity, it is not superior in its balance between rigidity and light-weight property. Therefore, it cannot be said that the laminated sheet is satisfactorily used as materials of, for example, car interior parts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a laminated sheet which is superior in its balance between rigidity and light-weight property, so that the laminated sheet can be suitably used, particularly as a car interior part.
The present inventors have undertaken extensive studies to obtain a laminated sheet which is so superior in its balance between rigidity and light-weight property as to be suitably used, particularly as a car interior part. As a result, it has been found that a laminated sheet comprising (i)a specific foamed sheet, which contains a polypropylene resin and has a high expansion ratio, and (ii)a non-woven fabric can give a desired laminated sheet that is superior in its balance between rigidity and light-weight property. And thereby the present invention has been obtained.
The present invention provides a laminated sheet comprising:
(i) a foamed sheet containing a polypropylene resin; and
(ii) a non-woven fabric,
wherein the foamed sheet has an expansion ratio, &khgr;, of from about 2 to 10, a cell diameter of not more than about 300 &mgr;m, and a thickness, h (cm), satisfying the following formula (1),
(100/
E
(1−(1−1/&khgr;)
⅔
))
⅓
≦h≦
2 (1)
wherein E is a modulus of elasticity in bending (kgf/cm
2
) of the resin which is to be a constituent of the foamed sheet and is not yet foamed.
The present invention also provides a car interior part obtained from the laminated sheet.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5585185 (1996-12-01), Smith et al.
patent: 54-144484 (1979-11-01), None
patent: 56-104054 (1981-08-01), None
patent: 62-13173 B2 (1987-03-01), None
patent: 524834 B2 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 9226037 (1997-09-01), None
Nagamatsu Tatsuhiro
Sakamoto Akinobu
Yamamoto Sakae
Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP.
Copenheaver Blaine
Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited
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