Mould for manufacturing moulded material-covered product

• US 5,098,270 A
• Filed: 03/18/1991
• Issued: 03/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Atoma International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atoma International, Inc.
• Inventors: Rohn, Wolfgang K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Jay H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khanh P.
• Application Number:
  US07/671,148
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 425/117, 425/125, 425/DIG. 48, 425/388, 425/453, 425/4 R, 425/817 R, 425/188, 425/195, 425/193, 425/183, 425/184, 425/186, 425/442, 425/453, 264/46.6, 264/46.7, 264/46.8, 249/91, 249/93, 249/95, 249/120, 249/137, 249/139, 249/170-173
• US Class Current: 425/117
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/12 with incorporated means for positioning inserts, e.g. labels positioning reinforcements B29C70/541
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/143 Means for positioning the lining in the mould in general B29C33/12
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/148 Applying the foaming resin, moulding the lining or the like, with the lining turned inside out
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/58 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/04 Combined thermoforming and prestretching, e.g. biaxial stretching
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/06 using pressure difference for prestretching
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/08 Deep drawing or matched-mould forming, i.e. using mechanical means only
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/10 Forming by pressure difference, e.g. vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/771 Seats

Abstract

A mould for moulding the moulded product is also provided which includes a bottom and side wall formation surrounding the bottom proximate the periphery of the bottom, the bottom carrying on its surface a design to be carried by the moulded product, the bottom being separate from the side wall formation so that the side wall formation can be spaced from the bottom and be lowered to engage the bottom proximate the periphery of the bottom. The bottom may be one piece or may include a base supporting a tongue moveable to a raised position for receiving a bag or sack of material for the purposes of injecting foamable thermoplastics material onto the bag or sack.

Claims

1. A mould for moulding products using a bag of material, said bag of material including front and back seat back panels interconnected along one end and opposite sides and open along an opposite end, said mould comprising:

(a) a bottom separable into at least two components including;

(i) a base, and

(ii) a movable tongue which carries a design, said movable tongue being operable to receive a bag of material and to have the front panel of the bag of material conformed with the design carried by said movable tongue,

said movable tongue being pivotable at one end to said base to enable said tongue to be pivoted between a position raised from the base for mounting and demounting the bag of material thereon and a molding position wherein said movable tongue is operatively seated on said base through the back panel of the bag of material, and

(b) a side wall formation movable away from and towards the bottom to enable a body of foam material to be adhered to the bag of material in a manner to retain the design in the front panel thereof.

2. The mould of claim 1, wherein the bottom is undercut at its periphery for the purpose of cooperating with the lower end of the side wall formation to engage the bag of material therebetween.

3. The mould of claim 1, wherein the tongue also carries apertures for being secured to a source of vacuum.

4. Apparatus for moulding foamable material in place on cover material forming a bag-like structure to make a seat back component, said bag-like structure including front and back seat back panels interconnected along one end and opposite sides and open along an opposite end, said apparatus comprising

a tongue-like mould structure of a size and shape to extend within said bag-like structure through the open opposite end thereof,

said tongue-like mould structure having a mould surface of a predetermined shape operable when a bag-like structure is mounted in inside-out relation over the tongue-like mould structure into an operative position to be confronted by the outside surface of the front seat back panel of the bag-like structure,

a support structure and said tongue-like mould structure being mounted for relative movement with respect to one another between (1) a mounting and dismounting position wherein said tongue-like mould structure is supported in cantilever fashion by said support structure so as to accommodate the mounting of the bag-like structure in inside out relation over the tongue-like mould structure into said operative position and subsequent dismounting therefrom, and (2) a moulding position wherein said tongue-like mould structure is supported by said support structure through the back seat back panel of said bag-like structure,

a peripheral side wall mould structure mounted with respect to said tongue-like mould structure for relative movement between (1) an inoperative position enabling said bag-like structure to be mounted in said operative position with respect to said tongue-like mould structure and to be dismounted therefrom and (2) an operative position wherein said side wall mould structure extends from an inside surface of the front seat back panel along a periphery thereof,

means including apertures extending to the mould surface of said tongue-like mould structure for creating vacuum pressure conditions between said mould surface and the front seat back panel of said bag-like structure while said side wall mould structure is in said operative position sufficient to conform the outside surface of the front seat back panel confronting said mould surface to the predetermined shape thereof, and

a closure mould structure mounted for relative movement with respect to said peripheral side wall mould structure into an operative position wherein said closure mould structure cooperates with said side wall mould structure and the inside surface of a front seat back panel having its outside surface conforming in shape to the predetermined shape of the mould surface of said tongue-like mould structure to define a confined space within which a predetermined amount of foamable material is foamed in adhered relation to the inside surface of the front seat back panel of said bag-like structure.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said tongue-like mould structure is pivoted at one end to said support structure and said mounting and dismounting position is a raised position of said tongue-like mould structure with respect to said support structure.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said tongue-like mould structure and said support structure are configured such that when said tongue-like mould structure is in said moulding position and a bag-like structure in inside out relation is mounted in operative position over the tongue-like mould structure with the front seat back panel of the bag-like structure confronting the mould surface of said tongue-like mould structure a portion of the bag-like structure exterior of the periphery of said front back seat panel is unconfined.