Method of making electric blanket shell

• US 4,070,217 A
• Filed: 02/13/1976
• Issued: 01/24/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CMI Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Fiberwoven Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Alexander M. II, Roth, Thomas M., Adkins, Allen H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weston, Caleb
• Application Number:
  US05/658,072
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 156/73.2, 156/148, 156/166, 156/176, 156/178, 156/272, 156/279, 156/283, 156/290, 156/306, 156/309, 219/212, 219/528, 219/529, 219/549, 28/72.2 R, 428/91, 428/95, 428/105, 428/114, 428/175, 428/198, 428/239, 428/247, 428/252, 428/255, 428/284, 428/286, 428/287, 428/288, 428/294, 428/295, 428/296, 428/300, 428/301
• US Class Current: 156/73.2
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/086 using a rotary anvil
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7437 the tool being a perforating tool perforating as mechanical pre-treatment B29C66/02242
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/21 said joint lines being formed by a single dot or dash or by several dots or dashes, i.e. spot joining or spot welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/232 said joint lines being multiple and parallel, i.e. the joint being formed by several parallel joint lines
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/306 Applying a mark during joining
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/43 Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles B29C66/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/45 Joining of substantially the whole surface of the articles methods or apparatus for laminating B32B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/729 Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7292 coated B29C66/72941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73941 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermosets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81433 being toothed, i.e. comprising several teeth or pins comprising a single tooth B29C66/81429, or being patterned
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/83411 Roller, cylinder or drum types B29C66/83431 takes precedence; rollers, cylinders or drums moving relative to and tangentially to the parts to be joined B29C66/8362
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2001/12 Cellulose acetate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2001/14 Cellulose acetate-butyrate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2021/00 Use of unspecified rubbers as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/18 : Polymers of hydrocarbons having four or more carbon atoms, e.g. polymers of butylene, e.g. PB, i.e. polybutylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/04 : Polymers of styrene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 : PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/08 : PVDC, i.e. polyvinylidene chloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2031/04 : Polymers of vinyl acetate, e.g. PVAc, i.e. polyvinyl acetate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/12 : Polymers of methacrylic acid esters, e.g. PMMA, i.e. polymethylmethacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/20 : PAN, i.e. polyacrylonitrile
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2059/00 : Use of polyacetals , e.g. POM, i.e. polyoxymethylene or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2063/00 : Use of EP, i.e. epoxy resins or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 : Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/003 : PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 : Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2071/12 : PPO, i.e. polyphenylene oxide; PPE, i.e. polyphenylene ether
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 : Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2038/0028 : Stretching, elongating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0246 : Acrylic resin fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0276 : Polyester fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/0831 : using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/00 : Methods or apparatus for laminating, e.g. by curing or by ultrasonic bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/004 : by physically contacting the layers, e.g. by the use of heated platens or rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 : Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/024 : Woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/06 : characterised by a fibrous or filamentary layer mechanically connected, e.g. by needling to another layer, e.g. of fibres, of paper
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/08 : the fibres or filaments of a layer being of different substances , e.g. conjugate fibres, mixture of different fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 : another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/05 : the layers not being connected over the whole surface, e.g. discontinuous connection or patterned connection using interposed adhesives or bonding materials applied in spaced arrangements B32B7/14
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/10 : at least one layer having inter-reactive properties
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/559 : the fibres being within layered webs
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 5/06 : strengthened or consolidated by welding-together thermoplastic fibres, filaments, or yarns
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/014 : Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/34 : flexible, e.g. heating nets or webs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2395 : Nap type surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24058 : including grain, strips, or filamentary elements in respective layers or components in angular relation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24132 : including grain, strips, or filamentary elements in different layers or components parallel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24636 : Embodying mechanically interengaged strand[s], strand-portion[s] or strand-like strip[s] [e.g., weave, knit, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24669 : Aligned or parallel nonplanarities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24826 : Spot bonds connect components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3707 : Woven fabric including a nonwoven fabric layer other than paper
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/608 : Including strand or fiber material which is of specific structural definition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/643 : Including parallel strand or fiber material within the nonwoven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/667 : Needled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/668 : Separate nonwoven fabric layers comprise chemically different strand or fiber material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/688 : Containing polymeric strand or fiber material

Abstract

An electric blanket shell is composed of first and second-needled textile fabrics with a yarn layer disposed in at least one of the needled fabrics. The yarn layer has a plurality of first planar yarns extending generally in a first planar direction. A heat-fusible component is disposed in at least one of the needled fabrics. A plurality of small, discrete sonically or ultra-sonically-produced fusion bonds, spaced from each other, link the needled fabrics to form a blanket shell. The fusion bonds form a series of patterns across a planar dimension of the blanket shell and the patterns define a series of channels, for receiving heating wires, between the needled fabrics. The patterns of fusion bonds are disposed in a direction traverse to the direction of the first planar yarns. The fusion bonds of any one pattern do not engage more than about 50% of the first planar yarns and overlaps of fusion-bond patterns are substantially avoided.

Claims

1. A method for producing an electric blanket shell comprising:

1. needling first and second batts of textile fibers and forming them into first and second needled fabrics each being an integral coherent structure, wherein at least one of the first or second needled fabrics contains a heat fusible component and at least one of the first and second needled fabrics contains a yarn layer having at least a first plurality of generally parallel yarns extending generally in a planar direction of the needled fabric;

2. stretching in a planar direction of and permanently setting at least one of the first and second needled fabrics prior to forming fusion bonds linking the first and second needled fabrics;

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fusion bonds are formed by moving the combination of the first needled fabric and second needled fabric past a sonic or ultra-sonic bonding station which successively forms bonds in a present pattern.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the stretching and setting of the at least one needled fabric are in the order of at least 10 percent up to 50 percent of the original length of the same.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the at least one needled fabric which is stretched and set includes the yarn layer and in which the stretching and setting of the one needled fabric are in the longitudinal direction of some of the yarns and the some of the yarns are stretched and set.

2. arranging the first and second needled fabrics into juxtaposition with each other;

4. and then forming a plurality of small, discrete fusion bonds spaced from each other, which link the first needled fabric to the second needled fabric and form at least one pattern of fusion bonds which extends across one dimension of the blanket shell;

and wherein the pattern of fusion bonds engage no more than about 50% of the said first plurality of generally parallel yarns of the yarn layer and are disposed transversely across the first plurality of generally parallel yarns of the yarn layer.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the sonic or ultra-sonic bonding station emits energy into the combination passing next thereto and a moving surface presents a pattern of small discrete anvils next to the opposite side of the combination to form the fusion bonds.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the stretching and setting of the said at least one needled fabric are usually 15 to 25 percent of the original length of the same.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein stretching and setting are obtained by heating the at least one needled fabric at a temperature less than the melting point of any of the components of the said one needled fabric.

9. A method as claimed in claim 6 including stretching and setting both needled fabrics in a planar direction.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the stretching and setting of both needled fabrics are obtained by heating at a temperature less than the melting point of any component of the first and second needled fabrics.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the stretching and setting of the first and second needled fabrics are the same and are in the order of at least 10 percent up to 50 percent of the original length of the same.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the stretching and setting of the first and second needled fabrics are usually 15 to 25 percent of the original length of the same.