Method of manufacturing reinforcing cloth of sheet pad and apparatus therefor

• US 7,758,802 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2006
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mold Technical Office Co., Ltd., Toyota Tsusho Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mold Technical Office Co., Ltd., Nitto Boseki Company Limited, Toyota Tsusho Corporation
• Inventors: Shimada, Masanori, Nakano, Minoru, Wakamatsu, Koji, Ishida, Shunpei, Iwasawa, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson; Christina
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAUTH, GALEN H
• Application Number:
  US11/367,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20060197250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,599 Days
• Field of Search: 264/546, 264/554, 264/516
• US Class Current: 264/554
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3644 Vacuum bags; Details thereof, e.g. fixing or clamping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/006 Using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/045 using gas or flames
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/049 using steam or damp
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/10 Isostatic pressing, i.e. using non-rigid pressure-exerting members against rigid parts or dies
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/004 Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics fibres combined with plastic layers B29C51/145; compression moulding of reinforced plastic articles in matched moulds B29C70/46; using pressure difference B29C70/44
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/10 Forming by pressure difference, e.g. vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/28 for applying pressure through the wall of an inflated bag or diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0854 in the form of a non-woven mat
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/30 Vehicles, e.g. ships or aircraft, or body parts thereof vanes or blades B29L2031/08, air bags B29L2022/027
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3005 Body finishings
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/771 Seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5875 by adhesion, e.g. gluing
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/7017 characterised by the manufacturing process; manufacturing upholstery or upholstery springs not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/005 Making three-dimensional articles by consolidation D04H1/22 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a reinforcing cloth of a seat pad includes: fixing a sheet on a mold having an outer shape substantially identical to a shape of the reinforcing cloth and provided with a plurality of air holes interconnecting an internal space with an outer surface; forming a closed space between the mold and a cover member by covering the sheet fixed on the mold with the cover member; heating the sheet; shaping the heated sheet into a shape following the outer shape of the mold by exhausting air from the closed space through the air holes; and demolding the sheet from the mold after removing the cover member.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a reinforcing cloth of a seat pad, the method comprising:

fixing a sheet on a mold having an outer shape substantially identical to a shape of the reinforcing cloth and provided with a plurality of air holes communicating an internal space with an outer surface;

forming a closed space between the mold and a cover member by covering the sheet fixed on the mold with the cover member;

heating the sheet;

shaping the heated sheet into a shape following the outer shape of the mold by exhausting air from the closed space through the air holes; and

demolding the sheet from the mold after removing the cover member,

wherein the sheet is made of a nonwoven fabric containing granular thermoplastic resin and has a back portion, side portions and roundabout portions,

the mold has a front surface portion, side surface portions and a rear surface portion,

when fixing the sheet on the mold, the back portion of the sheet is placed on the front surface portion of the mold, and the sheet is bent so that the side portions and the roundabout portions of the sheet are placed on the side surface portions and the rear surface portion of the mold, respectively, and

when shaping the heated sheet, the cover member is deflated to be sucked by the mold so that the sheet having been heated is deformed to be sucked and comes into close contact with the mold, and

wherein a cylindrical portion is provided on the mold,

the sheet is provided with a through hole, and

when fixing the sheet on the mold, the sheet is put on the mold by inserting the cylindrical portion of the mold to the through hole of the sheet.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sheet has a structure of two or more layers, in which a nonwoven fabric is laminated on at least one surface of a resin exudation preventing sheet.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is fixed by magnets when fixing the sheet on the mold.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

exhausting the air in the closed space through the air holes before heating the sheet.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein heated air is supplied to the closed space when heating the sheet.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein during heating the sheet, heated air is supplied to the closed space through the air holes by supplying the heated air to the internal space of the mold.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the closed space is formed by at least the mold, the cover member, and a cover frame which is formed so as to enclose the mold and to which the cover member is fixed.

8. A method of manufacturing a reinforcing cloth of a seat pad, the method comprising:

fixing a sheet on a mold having an outer shape substantially identical to a shape of the reinforcing cloth and provided with a plurality of air holes communicating an internal space with an outer surface;

forming a closed space between the mold and a cover member by covering the sheet fixed on the mold with the cover member;

heating the sheet;

shaping the heated sheet into a shape following the outer shape of the mold by exhausting air from the closed space through the air holes; and

demolding the sheet from the mold after removing the cover member,

wherein the sheet is made of a nonwoven fabric including low melting point fibers and high melting point fibers and has a back portion, side portions and roundabout portions,

the mold has a front surface portion, side surface portions and a rear surface portion,

when fixing the sheet on the mold, the back portion of the sheet is placed on the front surface portion of the mold, and the sheet is bent so that the side portions and the roundabout portions of the sheet are placed on the side surface portions and the rear surface portion of the mold, respectively,

when shaping the heated sheet, the cover member is deflated to be sucked by the mold so that the sheet having been heated is deformed to be sucked and comes into close contact with the mold, and

wherein a cylindrical portion is provided on the mold,

the sheet is provided with a through hole, and

when fixing the sheet on the mold, the sheet is put on the mold by inserting the cylindrical portion of the mold to the through hole of the sheet.

9. The method according to claim 8,

wherein the sheet has a structure of two or more layers, in which a nonwoven fabric is laminated on at least one surface of a resin exudation preventing sheet.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the sheet is fixed by magnets when fixing the sheet on the mold.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

exhausting the air in the closed space through the air holes before heating the sheet.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein heated air is supplied to the closed space when heating the sheet.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein during heating the sheet, heated air is supplied to the closed space through the air holes by supplying the heated air to the internal space of the mold.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the closed space is formed by at least the mold, the cover member, and a cover frame which is formed so as to enclose the mold and to which the cover member is fixed.