ANCHORING SYSTEM FOR ATTACHING A SHEET MATERIAL TO A MOULD-FORMED BODY AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20100044940A1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toscana Gomma S.p.A. (San Diego SpA)
• Original Assignee: Toscana Gomma S.p.A. (San Diego SpA)
• Inventors: Gilardi, Piero Enrico
• Application Number:
  US12/443,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20100044940A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 269/8
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/16 using magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1271 the preformed parts being partially covered
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/58 Upholstery or cushions, e.g. vehicle upholstery or interior padding mattresses, cushions B29L2031/751
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/771 Seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5825 by hooks, staples, clips, snap fasteners or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An anchoring system (1) attaches a sheet material (8) to a mould-formed body (7). The anchoring system (1) includes a plurality of anchoring elements (2) adapted to receive, in a snap coupling relationship, a fastening element (9) made integral with the sheet material (8). The anchoring elements (2) are fixed, in suitable positions, to an attachment element (5; 205). The anchoring elements (2) and/or the attachment element include ferrous material (4, 50; 104, 205) adapted to couple with a magnetic element carried by the mould. In this manner the anchoring system (1) can be correctly disposed in the mould and sunk into the foam material forming the body (7).

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. An apparatus comprising a mould having magnetic means and an anchoring system (1) for attaching a sheet material (8) to a mould-formed body (7), said anchoring system (1) comprising a plurality of anchoring elements (2) adapted to accommodate, in a snap coupling relationship, fastening means (9) made integral with said sheet material (8), and an attachment element (5;

205) to which said anchoring elements (2) are connected, characterised in that

said anchoring element (2) comprises a base plate (20) designed to be fixed to said attachment element (5;

205), and that from said base plate protrude two appendices (21, 22) which engender a snap anchoring seat (23) adapted to receive said fastening means (9) integral with said sheet material (8), and

said anchoring elements (2) and/or attachment element (5;

205) comprise ferrous material (4, 50;

104;

205) able to couple with said magnetic means carried by the forming mould, so that said anchoring system (1) can be correctly disposed in the mould and sunk into the foam material forming the body (7).

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, characterised in that said attachment element (5) is a supporting strip (5) to which said anchoring elements (2) are fixed in suitable positions.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, characterised in that on said base plate (20) of the anchoring element (2) a groove (27) adapted to receive said supporting strip (5) is formed so as to avoid rotation of the anchoring element with respect to the supporting strip.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23, characterised in that said ferrous material comprises rivets (4) which fix said supporting strip (5) to said base plate (20) of the anchoring element (2).

25. An apparatus according to claim 23, characterised in that said ferrous material comprises metal microspheres (104) disposed at least partially in said supporting strip and/or in said anchoring elements.

26. An apparatus according to claim 22, characterised in that said anchoring elements (2) are fixed to said supporting strip (5) by means of welding, gluing or stapling.

27. An apparatus according to claim 22, characterised in that said supporting strip (5) is flexible and can be bent according to a desired profile.

28. An apparatus according to claim 22, characterised in that said supporting strip (5) is of plastic material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and the like, and has a thickness ranging between 0.4 and 1 mm and a width ranging between 8 and 20 mm.

29. An apparatus according to claim 22, characterised in that said supporting strip (5) has a plurality of cuts (51) defining a plurality of portions (51) which can be bent along said cuts (51), so as to form a non rectilinear profile, shaped as a polygonal broken line.

30. An apparatus according to claim 29, characterised in that in proximity to said cuts (51) in the supporting strip (5) fixing means (50) adapted to retain said portions (5′

) of the supporting strip in said non rectilinear configuration are applied.

31. An apparatus according to claim 22, characterised in that it further comprises at least one portion (5′

) cut from said supporting strip (5) and joined, in a suitable position, on said supporting strip (5), so as to form a non rectilinear path.

32. An apparatus according to claim 21, characterised in that said attachment element (205) is a metal rod (205) having flattened portions (205a, 205b) whereon said anchoring element (2) is blocked.

33. An apparatus according to claim 32, characterised in that said anchoring element comprises a bridge of material (240′

), obtained by welding of two appendices (240) around said flattened portion (205a, 205b) of the rod (205).

34. A manufacturing method for an anchoring system (1) for attaching a sheet material (8) to a mould-formed body (7), comprising the following steps:

providing a plurality of anchoring elements (2) comprising a base plate (20) from which protrude two appendices (21, 22) which engender a snap anchoring seat (23) adapted to receive, in a snap coupling relationship, attachment means (9) made integral with said sheet material (8),

fixing the base plate (20) of said anchoring means (2) in suitable positions on an attachment element (5;

205),

applying ferrous material (4, 50;

104;

205) in suitable positions in the attachment element and/or in the anchoring elements;

positioning said attachment element (5) with the anchoring elements (2) in the mould, so that said ferrous material (4, 50;

104;

205) of the anchoring system can couple magnetically with magnets disposed in suitable positions in the mould; and

causing the foamable material to expand inside the mould to form said body (7) which incorporates the attachment element (5, 205) with the anchoring elements (2).

35. A method according to claim 34, characterised in that said step of applying ferrous material comprises the step of shooting metal microspheres (104) hot and under pressure into said attachment element and/or into the anchoring elements.

36. A method according to claim 34, characterised in that said attachment element (5) is a supporting strip (5) and the method further comprises the steps of:

making cuts (51) in said supporting strip so as to form a plurality of portions (5′

) that can be bent along the cuts (51), and

bending the portions (5′

) of the supporting strip along said cuts, so as to obtain a desired non rectilinear profile, shaped as a polygonal broken line.

37. A method according to claim 36, characterised in that it further comprises the step of applying fixing means (50) along said cuts (51) in the supporting strip, so as to retain the portions (51) of the supporting strip in said non rectilinear configuration.

38. A method according to claim 36, characterised in that it further comprises the step of cutting at least one portion (5′

) from said supporting strip (5) and joining said at least one portion (5′

), in a suitable position, on said supporting strip (5), so as to form a non rectilinear path.

39. A method according to claim 34, characterised in that said attachment element (205) is a metal rod (205) and the method further comprises the steps of flattening some portions (205a, 205b) of said rod and fixing said anchoring element (2) on said flattened portions (205a, 205b) of the rod.

40. A method according to claim 39, characterised in that said anchoring elements (2) are fixed by means of welding of two appendices (240) around said flattened portions (205a, 205b) of the rod.