Life ring and method of manufacture
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of manufacturing a life ring comprising:
- (a) unrolling a section of a knitted back polyester fabric with a top vinyl coating;
(b) cutting the section into a ring cover with a digital cutter;
(c) securing the ring cover in a ring mold;
(d) injecting the ring mold with urethane foam and permitting the urethane foam to cure;
(e) removing the ring cover with the cured foam from the ring mold and trimming the ring cover with the cured foam; and
(f) applying attachments.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A life ring includes a cover formed of a knitted back polyester fabric with a top vinyl coating, and a urethane foam core within the cover. The cover and the urethane foam core are formed into a ring shape. By using the noted cover material, the life ring can be manufactured without a painting step, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and improving the consistency of the finished product.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing a life ring comprising:
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(a) unrolling a section of a knitted back polyester fabric with a top vinyl coating; (b) cutting the section into a ring cover with a digital cutter; (c) securing the ring cover in a ring mold; (d) injecting the ring mold with urethane foam and permitting the urethane foam to cure; (e) removing the ring cover with the cured foam from the ring mold and trimming the ring cover with the cured foam; and (f) applying attachments. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of manufacturing a life ring without painting, the method comprising:
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(a) unrolling a section of a knitted back polyester fabric with a pre-colored top vinyl coating; (b) cutting the section into a ring cover with a digital cutter; (c) securing the ring cover in a ring mold; (d) injecting the ring mold with urethane foam and permitting the urethane foam to cure; (e) removing the ring cover with the cured foam from the ring mold and trimming the ring cover with the cured foam; and (f) without painting the ring cover with the cured foam, applying attachments. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of manufacturing a life ring comprising:
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(a) unrolling a section of a knitted back polyester fabric with a top vinyl coating; (b) cutting the section into a ring cover with a digital cutter; (c) securing the ring cover in a ring mold; (d) inserting a foam in the ring mold; (e) removing the ring cover with the inserted foam from the ring mold and trimming the ring cover with the inserted foam; and (f) applying attachments.
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Specification