Apparatus for bonding a cover material to foam

• US 5,942,081 A
• Filed: 01/08/1998
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Parrish, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aftergut, Jeff H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hendrix, Robert
• Application Number:
  US09/004,400
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 156/497, 156/583.1, 156/583.4, 156/498, 156/513, 156/581, 100/92, 100/315, 100/319, 100/323, 100/326
• US Class Current: 156/497
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/025 applied by a die matching with the profile of the surface of resilient articles, e.g. cushions, seat pads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/10 using hot gases (e.g. combustion gases) or flames coming in contact with at least one of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/483 Reactive adhesives, e.g. chemically curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/5057 positioned between the surfaces to be joined B29C65/5035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7841 Holding or clamping means for handling purposes clamping means for the purpose of applying pressure on the parts to be joined, in the area to be joined B29C66/81; work holders in general B25B; devices for holding or positioning work for welding metal B23K37/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7847 using vacuum to hold at least one of the parts to be joined vacuum work holders in general B25B11/005
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/0342 Cooling, e.g. transporting through welding and cooling zone
• 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 66/301 Three-dimensional joints, i.e. the joined area being substantially non-flat B29C66/5223, B29C66/5224, B29C66/5225 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/3494 while keeping the welding zone under pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/5326 said single elements being substantially flat
• 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 66/723 being multi-layered B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72341 for gases
• 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 66/80 General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81241 being porous or sintered
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81423 being concave
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8167 Quick change joining tools or surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8242 : Pneumatic or hydraulic drives using fluid pressure directly acting on the parts to be joined B29C66/8266
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 : Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9141 : by controlling or regulating the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91413 : the parts to be joined having different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/919 : characterised by specific temperature, heat or thermal flux values or ranges specific electrical resistance values B29C66/81262
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91931 : in explicit relation to the fusion temperature or melting point of the material of one of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/92653 : said stops being adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/92655 : by using several stops
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 : Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0097 : Glues or adhesives, e.g. hot melts or thermofusible adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/04 : cellular or porous
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/751 : Mattresses, cushions upholstery B29L2031/58
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/771 : Seats
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1028 : by bending, drawing or stretch forming sheet to assume shape of configured lamina while in contact therewith
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1031 : with preshaping of lamina

Abstract

A method and apparatus for bonding a cover (22) over the undulating surface of a foam cushion (10) by placing the foam cushion (10) on a tool (18), piercing the cushion (10) with a plurality of needles (44), lifting the needles (44) to lift the cushion (10) as the cushion is frictionally retained on the needles (44), heating ambient air and ejecting the hot air from the needles (44) and into the cushion to elevate the temperature of the cushion. A compression plate (58) with holes (60) extending therethrough is disposed against the backside of the cushion (10) with the needles (44) extending through the holes (60). The needles (44) with the cushion (10) thereon are lowered to place the undulating surface of the cushion against an adhesive film (82) on the backside of the cover (22) so that heat is transferred from the cushion (10) to melt the adhesive. The needles (44) are extracted from the cushion (10) as the compression plate (58) is held against the backside of the cushion to hold the cushion (10) against the cover (22) and the tool (18) and immediately thereafter cool air is ejected from passages (68) in the compression plate (58) and into the cushion (10) to cure the adhesive and bond the cover (22) to the cushion (10).

Claims

1. An assembly for bonding a cover of material over the surface of a foam cushion with an adhesive, said assembly comprising;

a support structure;

a tool supported by said support structure and presenting a working surface for receiving the finished side of the cover;

an array of needles supported by said support structure for piercing the cushion;

said assembly characterized by a compression plate having holes extending therethrough with said needles extending through said holes and a mounting mechanism for allowing movement of said compression plate relative to said needles to hold the cushion against the cover and the tool as said needles are extracted from the cushion.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 including a plenum chamber having a wall, said needles extending through said wall and having bores therein for conveying heated fluid from said plenum to ejection ports in said needles for heating the interior of the cushion, said needles extending various different distances from said wall, and further characterized by all of said bores in said needles being of equal dimension and of equal length to equalize the various mass flow rates through all of said needles.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by a tool support for moving said tool back and forth between a working position beneath said needles and a loading position with said working surface thereof facing generally forwardly.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by said compression plate including passages for ejecting cool fluid into the backside of the cushion.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 including a plenum chamber having a wall, a heater for heating ambient air to hot air in said plenum, said needles extending through said wall and having bores therein for conveying the hot air from said plenum to ejection ports in said needles for heating the interior of the cushion.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 including an ambient air cooler for supplying cool air to said passages in said compression plate.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said support structure includes a press having a base and a vertically movable ram, said plenum secured to said ram for vertical movement by said ram, said plenum having a bottom wall and said needles depending from said bottom wall, said compression plate being disposed under said bottom wall, said mounting mechanism including at least one actuator attached to said ram with a rod extending downwardly and supporting said compression plate for vertical movement relative to said bottom wall of said plenum.

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said tool is supported on said base and including at least one stop disposed between said ram and said base for limiting downward movement of said ram to prevent said needles from engaging said tool.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 including means for adjusting the distance each needle extends from said bottom of said plenum.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said needles extend various different distances from said bottom wall, and further characterized by all of said bores in said needles being of equal dimension and of equal length to equalize the various mass flow rates through all of said needles.