Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Pore forming in situ – Composite article making
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-31
2001-06-12
Kuhns, Allan R. (Department: 1732)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Pore forming in situ
Composite article making
C029S091100, C264S261000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06245264
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention generally concerns a method of producing an upholstered article, that is to say for example an article which includes suitable padding for example for comfort-enhancing purposes, such as part of a motor vehicle seat, for example a seat armrest.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various methods are known for the production of upholstered articles. For example, DE 43 00 375 A1 discloses a method of producing an upholstered article comprising a first method step in which a cover for forming the outside component of the article is introduced in a taut and fold-free condition into a deep-drawing mold. Then, in a second step in the method, the cover is foam-backed with a reaction mixture which, after the reaction has taken place, forms a cushion core. A third step in the method then involves the provision of a body which is stable in respect of shape, at the rear side of the cushion core, being the side that is remote from the cover which accordingly forms the outside of the upholstered article. This operation can be effected by casting a hard coating material. Such a method can be carried into effect by employing a mold tool with first and second cover members which are different from each other.
A method of producing an upholstered article can also be effected by means of the use of a mold tool which comprises three different cover members. In such a method, in a first step therein, a skin or surface layer is cast, replacing the above-mentioned cover of the upholstered article. In a second step in this method, a cushion core is produced from a reaction mixture at the rear side or inwardly facing side of the cast skin, this involving the second cover member of the mold tool. In a subsequent third step in the method, a third cover member which replaces the second cover member is then used to produce a body which is stable in respect of shape at the rear side of the cushion core, by virtue of casting a suitable hard coating material.
Consideration may be given at this point to German patent application No 198 33 098 setting forth a method of producing an upholstered article, wherein an upholstery cover is produced by molding, with a hollow space or cavity which is open at one side being defined therein. A core portion is introduced into the cavity in the upholstery cover, the core portion being provided at its surface with raised configurations. The raised configurations of the core portion bear against the inside surface of the cavity of the upholstery cover so that the core portion is held at a defined spacing at all points from the inside surface of the upholstery cover. A coating material is then introduced into the gap determined between the inside surface of the cavity of the upholstery cover and the surface of the core portion, between the upholstery cover and the cushion portion. The coating material introduced into the gap fills the gap and is hardened in the gap, firmly connecting the core portion to the upholstery cover. That method is suitable in particular for the production of upholstered articles without undercut configurations because it would scarcely be possible, or it would be possible only at the cost of considerable complication and expenditure, to introduce a core portion having such undercut configurations into the upholstery cover which is open at one side and which would be correspondingly formed with undercut configurations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing an upholstered article with core portion therein, wherein the core portion can readily have at least one undercut configuration and an upholstery cover around the core portion can nonetheless be easily produced and reliably joined to the core portion.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing an upholstered article which affords a simplified and rational operating procedure with the respective component parts of the upholstered article being produced in positions such as to facilitate manufacture of the article.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing an upholstered article which involves integration of the method steps involved in producing respective components of the article, such as to speed up the operating procedure of the method.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are attained by a method of producing an upholstered article wherein at least two cover portions of an upholstery cover of the article are cast or molded in mutually spatially separated relationship. The cover portions are applied to a core portion, forming the upholstery cover therearound. A defined gap remains between the surface of the core portion and the inside surface of the upholstery cover, and a coating material is introduced for example by pouring into that gap. The coating material fills the gap and hardening thereof connects the core portion to the upholstery cover.
As will be seen from a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention hereinafter, the fact that the upholstery cover is composed of at least first and second cover portions means that it is readily possible for the core portion to involve at least one or a plurality of undercut configurations. The cover portions of the upholstery cover then only have to be designed with suitable peripherally extending separation or end faces in order to be able to fit the cover portions to the core portion which has undercut configurations, in a condition of being suitably adapted to the core portion.
It will be noted that the cover portions of the upholstery cover and the core portion can be produced in mutually separate mold tools or in a common mold tool.
The coating material which is introduced into the defined gap between the core portion and the upholstery cover comprising suitable cover portions and which is hardened in the gap to join the core portion to the upholstery cover enclosing same is preferably a hard coating material. In that way the stability in respect of shape of the upholstered article produced in accordance with the method of the invention is achieved by virtue of the hard coating material in its hardened condition, when for example the core portion itself is not stable in respect of shape. It will be appreciated that it is also possible for the core portion itself also to be stable in respect of shape. In that case, the coating material which fills the gap between the core portion and the upholstery cover therearound, when in the hardened or set condition, can still further increase the level of stability in respect of shape of the article.
In a preferred feature of the invention, the coating material used is a polyurethane (PU)-hard coating material. Such a material is available at inexpensive cost.
A preferred feature of the invention provides that the cover portions of the upholstery cover are provided with connecting members at their end faces which extend at the periphery of the respective cover portions. In that arrangement the coating material penetrates between the end faces of the cover portions and mechanically firmly connects together the cover portions of the upholstery cover, after hardening has occurred, to form the upholstery cover. The connecting members may comprise openings and projections, pins or the like which can be fitted into the openings. That form of the method according to the invention, which involves the use of connecting members between the cover portions, affords the advantage that not only are the cover portions of the upholstery cover mechanically firmly connected to the core portion by means of the coating material, but also the cover portions become a virtually one-piece upholstery cover, along their peripherally extending end faces. That reliably prevents the occurrence of undesired points of separation between the end faces of the cover portions, without involving a complicated structure or operating procedure.
In accordance with another preferred feature of the invention the cover
Krause Markus
Storch Helmut
Grammer AG
Kuhns Allan R.
Lillie Raymond J.
Olstein Elliot M.
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