Method of manufacturing reinforcing cloth of sheet pad and apparatus therefor

• US 20060197250A1
• Filed: 03/04/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mold Technical Office Co., Ltd., Toyota Tsusho Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mold Technical Office Co., Ltd., Nitto Boseki Company Limited, Toyota Tsusho Corporation
• Inventors: Iwasawa, Toshio, Shimada, Masanori, Nakano, Minoru, Wakamatsu, Koji, Ishida, Shunpei
• Granted Patent: US 7,758,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/102
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3644 Vacuum bags; Details thereof, e.g. fixing or clamping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/006 Using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/045 using gas or flames
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/049 using steam or damp
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/10 Isostatic pressing, i.e. using non-rigid pressure-exerting members against rigid parts or dies
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/004 Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics fibres combined with plastic layers B29C51/145; compression moulding of reinforced plastic articles in matched moulds B29C70/46; using pressure difference B29C70/44
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/10 Forming by pressure difference, e.g. vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/28 for applying pressure through the wall of an inflated bag or diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0854 in the form of a non-woven mat
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/30 Vehicles, e.g. ships or aircraft, or body parts thereof vanes or blades B29L2031/08, air bags B29L2022/027
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3005 Body finishings
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/771 Seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5875 by adhesion, e.g. gluing
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/7017 characterised by the manufacturing process; manufacturing upholstery or upholstery springs not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/005 Making three-dimensional articles by consolidation D04H1/22 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a reinforcing cloth of a sheet pad includes: fixing a sheet on a mold having an outer shape substantially identical to a shape of the reinforcing cloth and provided with a plurality of air holes interconnecting an internal space with an outer surface; forming a closed space between the mold and a cover member by covering the sheet fixed on the mold with the cover member; heating the sheet; shaping the heated sheet into a shape following the outer shape of the mold by exhausting air from the closed space through the air holes; and demolding the sheet from the mold after removing the cover member.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a reinforcing cloth of a sheet pad, the method comprising:

fixing a sheet on a mold having an outer shape substantially identical to a shape of the reinforcing cloth and provided with a plurality of air holes interconnecting an internal space with an outer surface;

forming a closed space between the mold and a cover member by covering the sheet fixed on the mold with the cover member;

heating the sheet;

shaping the heated sheet into a shape following the outer shape of the mold by exhausting air from the closed space through the air holes; and

demolding the sheet from the mold after removing the cover member.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the sheet has a structure of two or more layers, in which a nonwoven fabric is laminated on at least one surface of a resin exudation preventing sheet.

3. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the sheet is made of a nonwoven fabric containing granular thermoplastic resin.

4. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the sheet is made of a nonwoven fabric including low melting point fibers and high melting point fibers.

5. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the sheet is fixed by magnets when fixing the sheet on the mold.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

exhausting the air in the closed space through the air holes before heating the sheet.

7. The method according to claim 1,

wherein heated air is supplied to the closed space when heating the sheet.

8. The method according to claim 1,

wherein during heating the sheet, heated air is supplied to the closed space through the air holes by supplying the heated air to the internal space of the mold.

9. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the closed space is formed by at least the mold, the cover member, and a cover frame which is formed so as to enclose the mold and to which the cover member is fixed.

10. An apparatus for manufacturing a reinforcing cloth of a sheet pad, the apparatus comprising:

a mold for fixing a sheet, the mold having an outer shape substantially identical to a shape of the reinforcing cloth and provided with a plurality of air holes interconnecting an internal space with an outer surface;

a cover member forming a closed space by covering the mold;

a heating unit heating the sheet; and

an exhausting unit for exhausting air in the closed space.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the heating unit supplies heated air to the closed space.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the heating unit supplies heated air to the closed space through the air holes by supplying the heated air to the internal space.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a cover frame to enclose the mold and to which the cover member is fixed,

wherein the closed space is formed by at least the mold, the cover member, and the cover frame.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the cover frame includes a pair of movable frames capable of being separated in a horizontal direction, and the cover member is fixed to each of the movable frames.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein the movable frame includes a duct interconnecting the inside and the outside of the closed space.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the cover member has a pleat portion in a state before air in the closed space is exhausted.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the cover member includes an elastic cord so as to maintain a shape of the pleat portion.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the elastic cord is fixed to the cover member so as to intersect the pleat portion.

19. The apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the cover member includes a main layer with air-tightness and a reinforcing layer with tensile strength higher than that of the main layer, and

wherein the reinforcing layer is disposed on a surface of the main layer at a side where the cover member makes contact with the mold.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein the reinforcing layer is made of expandable raw materials in knit form.