Method of making a covered article

• US 3,971,112 A
• Filed: 09/22/1975
• Issued: 07/27/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Amato, Frank M., England, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moon, Charlie T.
• Application Number:
  US05/615,640
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 29/460, 29/464, 29/91.1, 29/423, 29/407, 29/445, 264/46.6, 264/464, 156/78, 156/90, 156/93, 5/345 R
• US Class Current: 29/91.1
• CPC Class Codes: B68G 11/04 mainly composed of resilient materials, e.g. of foam rubber
• CPC Class Codes: B68G 7/00 Making upholstery manufacturing upholstered panels B68G13/00 ; from plastics B29D99/0092; sewing-machines D05B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/481 Method
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49778 with aligning, guiding, or instruction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4981 Utilizing transitory attached element or associated separate material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49888 Subsequently coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49895 Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"]

Abstract

A method of making a covered article such as an automobile seat cushion is disclosed. The method includes the steps of forming covering members from a covering material which is impervious to a foam material formed by reacting a foamable composition. The covering members are sewed together along sew lines to form a cover. A peripheral edge of the cover is joined to an interior peripheral edge of a locating member. A plurality of small openings are formed along the sew lines of the cover in the sewing operation. These openings are sealed so that the foam material produced upon the foaming of the foamable composition cannot flow therethrough. The cover and attached locating member are positioned in a foaming mold. The locating member aligns the cover properly with respect to the foaming mold so that a vacuum can be drawn on a die surface of the mold to draw a surface of the cover into contact with the die surface. A charge of the foamable composition is placed in an interior volume of the cover and the foaming mold is closed. The foamable composition is reacted to fill the interior volume of the cover with the foam material. The foam mold is opened and the cover is removed therefrom. The locating member is removed from the cover.

Claims

1. A method of making a covered article which comprises the steps of:

forming at least a pair of covering members of a covering material, said covering material being impervious to a foam material which is formed from a foamable composition;

sewing said covering members together along at least one sew line to form a cover having a peripheral edge portion therearound and an interior volume, said sewing operation placing openings through said cover which permit the passage of said foam material through said cover;

forming a locating member having both an inner peripheral edge portion therearound defining a central opening and locating portions between said inner peripheral edge portion and an outer peripheral edge portion, said locating member'"'"'s inner peripheral edge portion having the same general configuration as said peripheral edge portion of said cover;

joining said peripheral edge portion of said cover to said inner peripheral edge portion of said locating member;

sealing said opening along said sew lines joining said covering members together so that said foam material produced upon foaming of said foamable composition cannot flow through said openings;

locating said cover and joined locating member in a foaming mold having a mold portion containing a die surface upon which a vacuum can be drawn and an openable cover portion, said locating portions of said locating member being aligned with locating positions on said foaming mold to align accurately said cover with said die surface of said foaming mold;

drawing a vacuum on said die surface of said foaming mold thereby to draw a facing surface of said cover into contact with said die surface;

placing a charge of said foamable composition into said interior volume of said cover defined between an inner surface of said cover and its peripheral edge when said cover is held in contact with said die surface by vacuum;

closing said cover portion of said foaming mold;

reacting said foamable composition to fill said interior volume of said cover with said foam material;

opening said foaming mold;

removing said cover, foam material and locating member from said foaming mold;

removing said locating member from said cover having said foam material therein thereby to form a covered article.

2. A method of making a covered article which comprises the steps of;

forming at least a pair of covering members of a covering material, said covering material being impervious to a foam material which is formed from a foamable composition;

sewing said covering members together along at least one sew line to form a cover having a peripheral edge portion therearound and an interior volume, said sewing operation placing openings through said cover which permit the passage of said foam material through said cover;

forming a locating member having both an inner peripheral edge portion therearound defining a central opening and locating openings between said inner peripheral edge portion and an outer peripheral edge portion, said locating member'"'"'s inner peripheral edge portion having the same general configuration as said peripheral edge portion of said cover;

sewing said peripheral edge portion of said cover to said inner peripheral edge portion of said locating member;

sealing said opening along said sew lines joining saiid covering members together so that said foam material produced upon foaming of said foamable composition cannot flow through said openings;

locating said cover and joined locating member in a foaming mold having a mold portion containing a die surface upon which a vacuum can be drawn and an openable cover portion, said locating opening of said locating member being aligned with locating pins provided on said foaming mold to align accurately said cover with said die surface of said foaming mold;

drawing a vacuum on said die surface of said foaming mold thereby to draw a facing surface of said cover into contact with said die surface;

placing a charge of said foamable composition into said interior volume of said cover defined between an inner surface of said cover and its peripheral edge when said cover is held in contact with said die surface by vacuum;

closing said cover portion of said foaming mold;

reacting said foamable composition to fill said interior volume of said cover with said foam material;

opening said foaming mold;

removing said cover, foam material and locating member from said foaming mold;

removing said locating member from said cover having said foam material therein thereby to form a covered article.

3. A method of forming a covered seating member which comprises the steps of:

forming the necessary seating parts of a covering material which is impervious to a foam material which is formed from a foamable composition;

said covering material having a first surface to form the exposed portion of the finished member and a second surface to form the interior surface of the finished member;

sewing said seating parts together along sew lines to form a seating member having a peripheral edge portion and inner and outer surfaces, said sewing operation placing openings through said seating member which permit the passage of said foam material through said seating member;

forming a locating member having both an inner peripheral edge portion therearound defining a central opening and locating portions between said inner peripheral edge portion and an outer peripheral edge portion, said locating member'"'"'s inner peripheral edge portion having the same general configuration as said peripheral edge portion of said seating member;

sewing said peripheral edge portion of said seating member to said inner peripheral edge portion of said locating member;

placing said seating member on a seating buck with said inner surface of said seating member exposed thereby exposing the inner surfaces of said sew lines;

sealing said openings along said sew lines joining said seating parts together so that foam material produced upon foaming of said foamable composition cannot flow through said openings;

reversing said seating member so that said outer surface thereof is exposed;

locating said seating member and attached locating member in a foaming mold having both a mold portion containing a die surface upon which a vacuum can be drawn and an openable cover portion, said locating portions of said locating member being aligned with locating portions on said foaming mold to align accurately said seating member with said die surface of said foaming mold;

drawing a vacuum on said die surface of said foaming mold thereby to draw said outer surface of said seating member into contact with said die surface;

placing a charge of said foamable composition into an interior volume of said seating member defined between its inner surface and its peripheral edge portion when said seating member is held in contact with said die surface by vacuum;

closing said cover portion of said foaming mold;

reacting said foamable composition to fill said interior volume of said seat member with said foam material;

opening said foam mold;

removing said seat member, foam material and locating member from said foaming mold;

removing said locating member from said seat member having said foam material therein thereby to form a covered seating member.

4. The method of forming a covered seating member as set forth in claim 3 wherein:

said locating portions of said locating member are openings therethrough and said locating portions on said foaming member are pins which are received in said openings.

5. The method of forming a covered seating member as defined in claim 3 wherein:

a vacuum is drawn on said seating buck after said seating member has been placed thereupon whereby the seating member is accurately aligned with said seating buck and held in a fixed position relative thereto.

6. The method of forming a covered seating member as defined in claim 5 wherein:

said sealings of said opening along said sew lines is accomplished on said seating buck by bonding strips of a foam impervious material along said sew lines.

7. The method of forming a covered seating member as defined in claim 6 wherein:

said strips of foam impervious material have a self-bonding adhesive therealong for bonding it to said sew lines.

8. The method of forming a covered seating member as defined in claim 3 wherein:

said seating member is reversed as it is pulled off of said seating buck.

9. The method of forming a covered seating member as defined in claim 3 wherein:

said seating member and locating member are provided with sewing alignment devices thereon, and wherein said sewing alignment devices of said seating member and locating member are aligned with respect to one another prior to sewing said peripheral edge portion of said seating member to said inner peripheral edge portion of said locating member.