Process for preparing cushioning structure using fiber assembly

Details Process for preparing cushioning structure using fiber assembly Process for preparing cushioning structure using fiber assembly

1997-12-29

2000-03-07

Yao, Sam Chuan

Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture

Methods

Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

156245, 156580, 264121, 264122, 425419, 425420, 425422, B29C 3504, B29C 3516, B68G 1102

Patent

active

060335017

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a process and an apparatus for preparing a cushion structure used for such as automobile and airplane seats, etc. Especially, a process and an apparatus for preparing a cushion structure from a mixture of synthetic fibers, in which binder fibers having a melting point lower than that of crimped matrix fibers are dispersed and mixed into the matrix fibers; wherein the fiber mixture is transported by entrainment with air flow into a mold cavity, and then turned a fiber aggregate (hereafter expression "a fiber aggregate" used herein is employed to mean "an aggregate of a fiber mixture".) into the cushion structure by a heating and a cooling process in the mold cavity.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the arts of preparing cushion structures, foamed polyurethane material is well used to form automobile or airplane seats and the like.
However, foamed polyurethane seats have problems that the chemicals used in the process of its production are difficult to handle and that freon is discharged. Furthermore, because the compression characteristics of foamed polyurethane seats show a unique feature that it is hard at the initial stage of compression and then abruptly sink down, it not only is scanty in the cushioning property but also gives a strong "bottom-hit feel". Still more, the seats have little air-permeability and consequently is apt to become stuffy, which renders the seats objectionable as cushion structures in many cases. On top of it, foamed polyurethane seats are soft and have little resilient power against compression because it is foamed. The resilient power can be improved by increasing ensity of foamed seats, but such also increases the weight and invites a fatal defect that its air-permeability is still aggravated.
Further, foamed urethane seats generate poisonous gases when it is burned out in the furnace and it is difficult to use for recyclable material, then it is longed new material made of the fibers aggregate for the cushion structure instead of foamed polyurethane seats.
For producing said cushion structures in order to replace said foamed polyurethane seats, it has been widely practiced to turn the fiber aggregates, which include dispersed and mixed binder fibers in matrix fibers, into cushion structures by the heating and the cooling process. This is to say, the cushion structures are produced by uniting the fibers with the molten binder fibers dispersed and mixed into the matrix fibers, and then the molten binder fibers act as bonding agent to adhere the fibers at their points of intersection. And by adequate selection of polymers which form both matrix fibers and binder fibers, the cushion structures made of the fiber aggregates are expected to be able to replace foamed polyurethane seats having many defects said above.
In spite of these advantages of cushion structures made of the fiber aggregate, they have disadvantage such as increasing costs, because they require much man-power and excessive time to produce them. Therefore, there are many proposals on method/apparatus to make cushion structures from the fiber aggregates in order to reduce costs and man-power.
For instance, International Patent Application WO91/18828 discloses an apparatus for producing a cushion structures in a gas-permeable mold through which suction acts on its all sides in a vacuumed filling chamber as follows; inducing air flow by said suction; transporting loosened padding fiber aggregate with accompanied air flow into the mold; filling up an inside of the gas-permeable mold with said fiber aggregate; and thereafter turning said fiber aggregate into the cushion structure throughout a heating and a cooling process.
However, such apparatus must adopts a suction means to transport the fiber aggregate into a gas-permeable mold accompanied with air flow, which is induced by a suction which acts on the mold, because of this reason said apparatus has serious disadvantages as follows.
First, when mold cavity has more complicated shape (especially, when it has the shape

REFERENCES:
patent: 3325349 (1967-06-01), Reifers
patent: 5079074 (1992-01-01), Steagall et al.
patent: 5093946 (1992-03-01), Difloe
patent: 5482665 (1996-01-01), Gill

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