Cover fabric with latex foam backing and integrally foamed article using the same

• US 5,460,873 A
• Filed: 05/17/1993
• Issued: 10/24/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Christian Thary, Fumio Goto, Taro Ogawa, Yasuo Tanaka
• Original Assignee: Christian Thary, Fumio Goto, Taro Ogawa, Yasuo Tanaka
• Inventors: Ogawa, Taro, Tanaka, Yasuo, Goto, Fumio, Thary, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Thibodeau, Paul J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABRAHAM, DAVID JAMES
• Application Number:
  US08/050,152
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 428/316.6, 428/322.7, 428/71, 428/310.5, 428/218, 428/339, 264/41, 264/51, 156/78, 427/412, 427/369, 427/370, 296/97.9, 296/97.1, 297/452.61, 297/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 428/316.6
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1261 Avoiding impregnation of a preformed part
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/14 the preformed part being a lining B29C44/1209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/321 the preformed part being a lining, e.g. a film or a support lining
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/04 Polymers of esters
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0064 Latex, emulsion or dispersion
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/043 Skinned foam
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/045 with open cells
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2313/02 coated
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/58 Upholstery or cushions, e.g. vehicle upholstery or interior padding mattresses, cushions B29L2031/751
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/751 Mattresses, cushions upholstery B29L2031/58
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/062 Cellulose fibres, e.g. cotton
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/08 Animal fibres, e.g. hair, wool, silk
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/0242 Acrylic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/0278 Polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/06 Open cell foam
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/724 Permeability to gases, adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2317/10 Natural fibres, e.g. wool, cotton
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/024 Woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/026 : Knitted fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 : characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/24 : one layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/245 : another layer next to it being a foam layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/32 : at least two layers being foamed and next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/01 : Foam
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/233 : Foamed or expanded material encased
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249981 : Plural void-containing components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249999 : Differentially filled foam, filled plural layers, or filled layer with coat of filling material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 : including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component

Abstract

A composite cover material to be used for making an integrally foamed article comprises a permeable fabric (10) and a thin layer of latex foam (15) strongly bonded via bonding zone (17) to said fabric. The latex foam layer (15) is made by applying high molecular latex material such as rubbers or synthetic resins as coating to back surface (12) of said fabric, and permitting said latex material to foam and cure. The latex foam has relatively fine mechanical open cells (18) in its internal part and further finer open cells (20) near its outer surface skin (22) which is permeable by virtue of minute holes (21) formed therein. The skin (22), though permeable by minutes holes, can serve as substantially flat and smooth barrier surface against liquid foamable mixtures poured directly onto said skin for making body foam (25) so as to guide slidingly said mixtures therealong and also prevent substantial impregnation into said latex foam.

Claims

1. A cover material for an integrally foamed article, comprising a gas permeable fabric and a first layer of latex foam having one side thereof bonded to the back surface of said gas permeable fabric,

said latex foam having mechanical open cells which are formed in an internal part thereof and communicating with each other from end to end, a second layer of latex foam formed on the other side of said first layer of latex foam, said second layer of latex foam having holes communicating with some of said mechanical open cells and being smaller in size than said mechanical open cells, said second layer of latex foam having a skin layer formed thereon, said skin layer having holes communicating with some of said holes of said second layer of latex foam and presenting a foam barrier surface which serves to guide a foamable mixture to be injected onto said barrier surface as a body foam of said article, such that said first and second layers of latex foam, said skin and said foam body are gas permeable.

2. A cover material as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mechanical open cells formed in said first latex foam layer exist with a density in the range of from 20,000 cells per cm² to 70,000 cells per cm².

3. A cover material as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fabric is selected from the group consisting of knitted, woven and non-woven fabrics made of natural fibers selected from the group consisting of cotton and wool, synthetic fibers and mixtures thereof, said fabric having gas permeability.

4. A cover material as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first layer of latex foam is formed from latex material selected from the group consisting of styrene butadiene rubber, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, natural rubber, silicone rubber and methylene butadiene rubber;

, and resinous latices selected from the group consisting of acrylic, urethane, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polystyrene and polyethylene, and alloys and copolymers thereof.

5. A cover material as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first layer of latex foam is an acrylic polymer.

6. A cover material as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first layer of latex foam has a thickness in the range of from 0.1 to 3.0 mm.

7. A cover material as claimed in claim 1 wherein said gas permeable fabric is a knitted polyester fabric, said first layer of latex foam is of urethane and said open cells of said first layer of latex foam exist in the number of 30,000-60,000 cells per cm².

15. A sun visor formed from the cover material of claim 1.

8. A method for manufacturing a cover material having latex foam backing, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a gas permeable fabric selected from the group consisting of knitted, woven and non-woven fabrics made of natural fibers selected from the group consisting of cotton and wool, synthetic fibers, and mixtures thereof,

b) stirring a first latex foam material and applying said first latex foam material to one surface of said gas permeable fabric as a coating on the back surface of said gas permeable fabric at a temperature in the range of 20°

-40°

C. with a uniform thickness such that said first latex foam material, upon completing its foaming and curing, has the thickness of from about 0.1-3.0 mm, said first latex foam material being selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, synthetic rubber and copolymers thereof; and

resinous latices including natural and synthetic resins and forms and alloy and copolymers thereof selected from the group consisting of acrylic, urethane, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, poly-styrene and polyethylene, and

c) drying said first latex foam material on said back of said gas permeable fabric at a temperature in the range of from 80°

to 120°

C. for the period of 3-5 minutes to form a first latex foam layer, and permitting said first latex foam material to cure at a temperature of 150°

C. for 2-3 minutes thereby to cause a second latex foam layer having a permeable skin layer thereon opposite said first latex foam layer to form on the surface of said first latex foam layer and also mechanical open cells to form in the internal part of said first latex foam layer, wherein said second latex foam layer also has internal mechanical open cells and is denser than said first latex foam layer;

said first and second latex foam layers and said skin layer being gas permeable;

whereby a cover material having a layer of latex foam bonded mechanically to said one surface is manufactured.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said first latex material is applied by means of knife-coating technique.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said first latex material is applied by means of roll-coating technique.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said stirring step b) is carried out for the period of 3-15 minutes while holding said latex material at a temperature in the range of 20°

-40°

C.

12. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein, after said drying and subsequent to said curing, said gas permeable fabric applied with said first latex foam layer is subjected to a crushing step thereby to increase the permeability of said first latex foam layer.

16. A sun visor comprising a cover material having a latex foam backing manufactured according to the method of claim 8.

13. An integrally foamed article composed of a cover material with a fabric formed from a plurality of fibers, and a layer of latex foam applied directly to the back surface of said fabric, and of a body foam formed from a liquid material poured directly on said latex foam and foamed and cured thereat,

wherein portions of said layer of latex foam on the side thereof adjacent to said back surface of said fabric embrace some of the individual said fibers of said fabric;

said layer of latex foam having mechanical open cells formed in the internal part thereof such that said layer of latex foam is permeable;

said layer of latex foam also having a layer of cells on a side of said layer of latex foam opposite from said fabric and a gas permeable skin layer on a side of said layer of cells opposite from said layer of latex foam, said skin layer being formed with holes and presenting a surface against a foamable liquid mixture for said body foam whereby said skin layer is capable of substantially preventing impregnation or penetration of said mixture and mechanically bonding with said body foam.

14. An integrally foamed article as claimed in claim 13 wherein said article constitutes a seat component.