Foam pad and process for production thereof

• US 20030162008A1
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proprietect LP
• Original Assignee: Woodbridge Foam Corporation
• Inventors: Lansue, Randall Joseph, Cappucci, Debra Marie
• Granted Patent: US 6,838,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/304.4
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1271 the preformed parts being partially covered
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5825 by hooks, staples, clips, snap fasteners or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 5/953 Comprising structurally defined foam material or configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24008 including fastener for attaching to external surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24017 Hook or barb
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24198 Channel-shaped edge component [e.g., binding, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24496 Foamed or cellular component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24504 Component comprises a polymer [e.g., rubber, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24512 Polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24711 Plural corrugated components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249923 Including interlaminar mechanical fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]

Abstract

A foam pad comprising a surface to which a trim cover can be secured, the surface comprising a channel having a width of up to about 15 mm. Disposed in the channel is one of a male portion or a female portion of a releasably engageable male-female trim cover attachment system. A trim cover having the other of the male or female portion attached thereto may be readily attached to the foam pad. A process and a mold for producing the foam pad are also described. The foam pad is particularly useful as a component of a vehicular seat system (e.g., seat bottom, seat back and the like).

Claims

1. A foam pad comprising a surface to which a trim cover can be secured, the surface comprising a channel having a width of up to about 15 mm, the channel having disposed therein one of a male portion or a female portion of a releasably engageable male-female trim cover attachment system.

2. The foam pad defined in claim 1, wherein the channel has a width of up to about 12 mm.

3. The foam pad defined in claim 1, wherein the channel has a width in the range of from about 4 to about 10 mm.

4. The foam pad defined in claim 1, wherein the channel has a width in the range of from about 4 to about 8 mm.

5. The foam pad defined in claim 1, the channel having disposed therein the female portion of the releasably engageable male-female trim cover attachment system.

6. The foam pad defined in claim 5, wherein the female portion comprises a female attachment portion and base portion.

7. The foam pad defined in claim 6, wherein the base portion has a larger surface area than a surface area of the female attachment portion attached thereto.

8. The foam pad defined in claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the base portion is encompassed by the foam pad.

9. The foam pad defined in claim 6, wherein the female attachment portion spans the width of the channel

10. The foam pad defined in claim 6, wherein the female attachment portion comprises a clip portion.

11. The foam pad defined in claim 10, wherein the clip portion comprises a substantially U-shaped cross-section.

12. The foam pad defined in claim 11, wherein U-shaped cross-section comprises a pair of generally upstanding walls defining a locking region therebetween for receiving a male portion of the male-female trim cover attachment system.

13. The foam pad defined in claim 12, wherein a distal portion of each of the upstanding walls comprises a locking portion for engaging the attachment portion of the element to be attached.

14. The foam pad defined in claim 13, wherein the locking portion comprises a first lateral portion projecting substantially toward the locking region.

15. The foam pad defined in claim 14, wherein the first lateral portion projects angularly with respect to the pair of generally upstanding walls.

16. The foam pad defined in claim 13, wherein the locking portion comprising a hook-shaped portion.

17. The foam pad defined in claim 5, wherein the foam pad comprises a plurality of female portions disposed in the channel.

18. The foam pad defined in claim 17, wherein the plurality of female portions are independent of one another.

19. The foam pad defined in claim 6, wherein the plurality of female portions are interconnected to one another at least one connecting portion.

20. The foam pad defined in claim 5, wherein the female portion is constructed from a polymer.

21. The foam pad defined in claim 20, wherein the polymer is selected from the group comprising thermoset polymer and thermoplastic polymers.

22. The foam defined in claim 21, wherein the thermoplastic polymer is selected from the group comprising polyethylene, polypropylene and mixtures thereof.

23. The foam pad defined in claim 21, wherein the thermoset polymer comprises polyurethane.

24. The foam pad defined in claim 1, further comprising a trim cover attached thereto, the trim cover comprising the other of the male portion or the female portion of the releasably engageable male-female trim cover attachment system.

25. A vehicular seat comprising the foam pad defined in claim 24.

26. A process for producing a foam pad in a mold comprising a first mold portion and a second mold portion releasably engageable to define a mold cavity, the process comprising the steps of:

disposing a female portion of a releasably engageable male-female trim cover attachment system on a retainer disposed on at least one of the first mold portion and the second portion;

dispensing at least one of an expandable polymeric composition and expanded polymer particles in at least one of the first mold portion and the second mold portion;

closing the first mold portion and the second mold portion; and

expanding the expandable polymeric composition or adhering the expanded polymer particles to each other to substantially fill the mold cavity and to partially encompass at least a portion of the female portion to produce the foam pad.

27. The process defined in claim 26, wherein the rail has a width of up to about 12 mm.

28. The process defined in claim 26, wherein the retainer has a width in the range of from about 4 to about 10 mm.

29. The process defined in claim 26, wherein the retainer has a width in the range of from about 4 to about 8 mm.

30. The process defined in claim 26, wherein the disposing step comprises releasably engaging the female portion to the retainer.

31. The process defined in claim 30, wherein the female portion comprises a female attachment portion and base portion.

32. The process defined in claim 31, wherein the base portion has a larger surface area than a surface area of the female attachment portion attached thereto and the expanding step comprising encompassing at least a portion of the base portion with the expandable polymeric composition or expanded polymer particles.

33. The process defined in claim 30, wherein the female attachment portion comprises a clip portion.

34. The process defined in claim 33, wherein the clip portion comprises a substantially U-shaped cross-section.

35. The process defined in claim 34, wherein U-shaped cross-section comprises a pair of generally upstanding walls defining a locking region therebetween for receiving a male portion of the male-female trim cover attachment system.

36. The process defined in claim 35, wherein the retainer is releasably engaged with the locking region during the expanding step.

37. The process defined in claim 36, wherein the retainer completely fills the locking region.

38. The process defined in claim 36, wherein the retainer incompletely fills the locking region.

39. The process defined in claim 26, wherein the expandable polymeric composition comprises a liquid foamable isocyanate-based polymer.

40. The process defined in claim 26, comprising the further steps of:

removing the foam pad from the mold; and

securing a trim cover to the female portion.

41. The process defined in claim 40, wherein the trim cover comprises the male portion of the male-female trim cover attachment system and the securing step comprises engaging the male portion on the trim cover with the female portion on the foam pad.

42. A mold for producing a mold product, the mold comprising a first mold portion and a second mold portion releasably engageable to define a mold cavity, a rail disposed on at least on of the first mold portion and the second mold portion, rail having a width of less than about 15 mm along substantially its entire length, the rail comprising a first section and a second section having different widths.

43. The mold defined in claim 42, wherein first section has a width greater than the second section.

44. The mold defined in claim 43, wherein second section has a width of less than about 12 mm.

45. The mold defined in claim 43, wherein second section has a width in the range of from about 4 mm to about 10 mm.

46. The mold defined in claim 43, wherein second section has a width in the range of from about 4 mm to about 18 mm.

47. The mold defined in claim 43, wherein the rail comprising a plurality of first sections and a plurality of second sections.

48. The mold defined claim 43, wherein the rail further comprises a transition section interposed between an adjacent pair of the first section and the second section.

49. The mold defined in claim 48, wherein the transition section comprises a varying width between respective widths of the first section and the second section.