Manufacturing method of integrated foam-molded product

• US 10,118,323 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2014
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Kogyo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Delta Kogyo Company Limited
• Inventors: Fujita, Etsunori, Ogura, Yumi, Kawasaki, Seiji, Wagata, Shigeki, Enoki, Yoshimi
• Primary Examiner(s): Schiffman, Benjamin A
• Application Number:
  US14/479,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20150072107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1209 by impregnating a preformed part, e.g. a porous lining
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1214 Anchoring by foaming into a preformed part, e.g. by penetrating through holes anchoring by moulding in general B29C37/0078; outsert moulding B29C45/14344, B29C70/74
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1228 Joining preformed parts by the expanding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1276 the preformed parts being three dimensional structures which are wholly or partially penetrated by the foam
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/14 the preformed part being a lining B29C44/1209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/16 shaped by the expansion of the material
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0092 Producing upholstery articles, e.g. cushions, seats B29C63/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2275/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2713/00 Use of textile products or fabrics for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts B29K2105/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/58 Upholstery or cushions, e.g. vehicle upholstery or interior padding mattresses, cushions B29L2031/751
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/03 3 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/022 Foam
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/003 Interior finishings
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/065 of foam
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/40 comprising polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/266 characterised by an apertured layer, the apertures going through the whole thickness of the layer, e.g. expanded metal, perforated layer, slit layer regular cells B32B3/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/024 Woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/026 : Knitted fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/20 : foamed in situ
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/245 : another layer next to it being a foam layer
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/64 : Back-rests or cushions B60N2/2222 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/021 : Lofty fabric with equidistantly spaced front and back plies, e.g. spacer fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/08 : Upholstery, mattresses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24314 : Slit or elongated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 : Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3325 : Including a foamed layer or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/469 : Including a foamed layer or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/647 : Including a foamed layer or component

Abstract

To obtain an integrated foam-molded product whose manufacturing cost is reduced and which makes an effective use of a property of an integration target. Foaming heat generated at the time of the foaming of a polyurethane foam raw material, whose influence has been conventionally prevented by contriving a special measure, is positively used. The integration target is influenced by foaming heat generated at the time of the foaming of the polyurethane foam raw material in a mold, to thermally deform into a desired shape along a mold shape. Consequently, it is possible to mold the integration target into an arbitrary shape in a step of integrating the integration target with a polyurethane foam layer in the mold by integrated foaming, and therefore, there is no need to work the integration target to a state closer to a final shape in a step before it is disposed in the mold, which can simplify manufacturing steps and reduce manufacturing cost.

Claims

1. A manufacturing method of an integrated foam-molded product which injects a polyurethane foam raw material into a mold to foam the polyurethane foam raw material and integrates an integration target disposed in the mold with a polyurethane foam layer, the method comprising:

thermally deforming the integration target by foaming heat generated at the time of the foaming of the polyurethane foam raw material to mold the integration target into a predetermined shape, and obtaining an integrated foam-molded product in which the integration target is integrated with the polyurethane foam layer,

wherein the integration target is made of a three-dimensional structure having air permeability and comprising a three-dimensional knitted fabric having a pair of ground knitted fabrics and connecting yarns knitted back and forth between the ground knitted fabrics, wherein the integration target is molded into the predetermined shape by the thermal deformation along the inner surface of the mold while a pressure of gas generated at the time of the foaming of the polyurethane foam raw material is used for shape retention of the three-dimensional structure,

integrating the three-dimensional structure with the polyurethane foam layer in the mold while suppressing an entrance of the polyurethane foam raw material into gaps between the connecting yarns through the ground knitted fabric by the pressure of the gas, and

joining a skin layer to at least part of the three-dimensional knitted fabric to provide the integration target as a skin layer joined three-dimensional structure,

wherein as the three-dimensional knitted fabric, a gray fabric not having undergone a heat setting process is used, and

wherein, when the skin layer is joined to the gray fabric of the three-dimensional knitted fabric, the skin layer is joined so as to have a slack relatively to the gray fabric between joined portions.

2. The manufacturing method of the integrated foam-molded product according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional structure forming the skin layer-joined three-dimensional structure at least partly has a sparse portion that is formed as a sparser structure than a peripheral portion or formed as a void, and the polyurethane foam layer is fixed to the skin layer via the sparse portion.

3. The manufacturing method of the integrated foam-molded product according to claim 2, wherein the skin layer and the three-dimensional structure forming the skin layer-joined three-dimensional structure are joined to each other by sewing or melt adhesion, or via a hook-and-loop fastener.

4. The manufacturing method of the integrated foam-molded product according to claim 1, wherein part of the ground knitted fabric included in the three-dimensional knitted fabric is disposed in the polyurethane foam layer.

5. The manufacturing method of the integrated foam-molded product according to claim 1, the method being applied to manufacturing of an integrated foam-molded product forming a seat cushion, a seat back, a headrest, or an armrest of a vehicle seat.