Method of producing seat cushion member

• US 4,313,776 A
• Filed: 12/11/1979
• Issued: 02/02/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tachikawa Spring Company Limited (Tachi-S Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tachikawa Spring Company Limited (Tachi-S Company Limited)
• Inventors: Haraguchi, Youichiro, Urai, Muneharu, Hayashi, Koji, Abe, Tadafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Thibodeau, Paul J.
• Application Number:
  US06/102,399
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 428/286, 428/198, 428/310, 428/315, 156/220, 156/273, 156/290, 156/289, 156/281, 5/448, 5/480, 5/481, 264/257, 264/319
• US Class Current: 156/220
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/146 on the outside surface of the mattress or cushion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/5636 with the addition of heat
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/04 Dielectric heating, e.g. high-frequency welding , i.e. radio frequency welding of plastic materials having dielectric properties, e.g. PVC
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7864 using a feeding table which moves to and fro oscillating around an axis B29C65/7876
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7882 said parts to be joined moving in a circular path
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/0242 Heating, or preheating, e.g. drying B29C66/3464 takes precedence
• 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 66/436 Joining sheets for making articles comprising cushioning or padding materials, the weld being performed through the cushioning material, e.g. car seats joining through openings B29C66/304
• 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 66/721 Fibre-reinforced materials B29C66/729 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/727 being porous, e.g. foam
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/729 Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81871 of the welding jaws
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/751 Mattresses, cushions upholstery B29L2031/58
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/0278 Polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2317/08 Natural leather
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2601/00 : Upholstery
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/065 : of foam
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/30 : comprising vinyl (co)polymers; comprising acrylic (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 : characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/245 : another layer next to it being a foam layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/025 : comprising leather
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/046 : of foam
• CPC Class Codes: B68G 7/00 : Making upholstery manufacturing upholstered panels B68G13/00 ; from plastics B29D99/0092; sewing-machines D05B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1041 : Subsequent to lamination
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24826 : Spot bonds connect components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249958 : Void-containing component is synthetic resin or natural rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/647 : Including a foamed layer or component

Abstract

A method of and an apparatus for producing a seat cushion member by laminating a sheet of decorative surface material, a sheet of usual polyurethane foam material and a reinforcing web of fabric material in the above order, and subjecting the laminate to heating by a conventional heating unit and, at the same time, to high-frequency dielectric heating by a high-frequency welder to locally fuse required portions of the sheet of usual polyurethane foam material thereby welding the three layers into an integral structure.

Claims

1. A method of producing a seat cushion member comprising the steps of laminating a sheet of surface material, a sheet of untreated polyurethane foam material and a reinforcing web of fabric material in the above order, and subjecting said three-layer laminate to high-frequency dielectric heating by high-frequency welding means, while, at the same time, heating it by a second type of heating means, thereby locally fusing at least spaced areas of said sheet of untreated polyurethane foam material so as to weld said three layers into an integral structure at said spaced areas.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat generated from said second type of heating means is directed toward said reinforcing web of fabric material in said three-layer laminate to build up a temperature gradient across said three-layer laminate, so that at least the outside surface of said sheet of surface material may not be affected by the heat generated from said heating means.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of pieces of suspension cloth are partly laminated with the outside surface of said reinforcing web of fabric material in said three-layer laminate and are welded to said reinforcing web of fabric material in said welding step welding said three layers into the integral structure.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein a plurality of pieces of suspension cloth for forming a plurality of button-like projections are partly laminated with the outside surface of said reinforcing web of fabric material in said three-layer laminate and are welded to said reinforcing web of fabric material while, at the same time, forming the button-like projections on the outside surface of said sheet of surface material in said welding step welding said three layers into the integral structure.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a filler pad is laminated with the outside surface of said reinforcing web of fabric material in said three-layer laminate and is welded to said reinforcing web of fabric material in said welding step welding said three layers into the integral structure.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second sheet of surface material having a color or a pattern different from that of said first sheet of surface material is disposed in partly overlapping relation on the latter and is welded to said first sheet of surface material and to said sheet of untreated polyurethane foam material in said welding step welding said three layers into the integral structure.

7. A method of producing a seat cushion member comprising the steps of laminating a sheet of surface material, a sheet of untreated polyurethane foam material, and a reinforcing web of fabric material in the above order, subjecting said three-layer laminate to high-frequency dielectric heating by high-frequency welding means,

positioning a dielectric sheet means in the high frequency welding field so that it is subject to dielectric heating during the operation of said high-frequency welding means so as to accumulate heat generated internally thereof by a dielectric heating action, and

compressing spaced local areas of the laminate and fusing at least said spaced local areas of said sheet of untreated polyurethane foam material so as to weld said three layers into an integral structure at said spaced areas.

8. A method of producing a seat cushion member as in claim 7, including heating said three-layer laminate by a second type of heating means.

9. A method of producing a seat cushion member as in claim 7, where said dielectric sheet means has a higher fusing temperature than the materials of said three-layer laminate.