Tape-shaped locking member for seat skin material fixation, and process for producing resin molded product with locking member

• US 8,118,363 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kuraray Fastening Co., Ltd. (Kuraray Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kuraray Fastening Co., Ltd. (Kuraray Company Limited)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Takaaki, Ogawa, Shiro, Takehara, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US12/669,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20100181817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 297/218.2, 243/06, 24442-452
• US Class Current: 297/218.2
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 18/0042 of a mushroom type
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 18/0076 Adaptations for being fixed to a moulded article during moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5833 by hook-and-loop type fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/16 incorporating synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/0632 of the touch-and-close type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/27 including readily dissociable fastener having numerous, protruding, unitary filaments randomly interlocking with, and simultaneously moving towards, mating structure [e.g., hook-loop type fastener]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/2708 Combined with diverse fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/481 Method

Abstract

A tape-shaped engaging member F for fixing an upholstery material to seats, which includes a hook surface fastener composed of a double Raschel-knitted base fabric 1 and projecting mushroom-type fastening elements 2 on the surface of the base fabric and a foamed resin layer 3 integrally united to the back surface of the hook surface fastener, and a method of producing a resin molded article equipped with the engaging member. The tape-shaped engaging member is easily set to a mold, has good in-plane flexibility and deforms in good conformity with three-dimensionally curved surfaces.

Claims

1. A tape-shaped engaging member for fixing an upholstery material to seats, which comprises:

a hook surface fastener including a double Raschel-knitted base fabric and projecting hook fastening elements on a surface of the base fabric; and

a foamed resin layer integrally joined to a back surface of the hook surface fastener, wherein

the hook fastening elements are mushroom-type fastening elements that are melted tip ends of cut monofilaments of yarns connecting two Raschel-knitted fabrics of the double Raschel-knitted base fabric, the cut monofilaments projecting outwardly from the double Raschel-knitted base fabric.

2. The tape-shaped engaging member according to claim 1, wherein a height of the hook fastening elements is 1.0 to 2.0 mm and a density of the hook fastening elements is 45 to 65/cm².

3. The tape-shaped engaging member according to claim 1, wherein the foamed resin layer is a foamed polyurethane layer.

4. The tape-shaped engaging member according to claim 1, wherein an in-plane flexibility of the tape-shaped engaging member is 2.0 mm or less when expressed by a center-plane floating distance which is a distance between a plane and a central portion of an arced tape-shaped engaging member determined by bending the tape-shaped engaging member along a ¼

circular arc with a 1/40 mm curvature on the plane.

5. A method of producing a resin molded article having an engaging member, which comprises:

setting the tape-shaped engaging member as defined in claim 1 in a recessed portion disposed in a mold with the surface having the fastening elements facing toward a bottom the recessed portion;

introducing a foamable resin into the mold;

allowing the foamable resin to foam and solidify to form a molded article having the engaging member; and

releasing the molded article having the engaging member from the mold.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a width of the recessed portion is the same as or slightly narrower than a width of the foamed resin layer integrally joined to the back surface of the hook surface fastener, and the foamed resin layer is inserted into the recessed portion when setting the engaging member into the recessed portion.

9. The tape-shaped engaging member according to claim 1, wherein the cut monofilaments of the yarns include a fineness of 200 to 600 dtex.

10. The tape-shaped engaging member according to claim 1, wherein the double Raschel-knitted base fabric includes a knitted ground made of multi-filament yarns of 200 to 300 dtex/30 to 72 filaments.

11. The tape-shaped engaging member according to claim 1, wherein the foamed resin layer includes a density of 20 to 100 kg/m³.

12. The tape-shaped engaging member according to claim 1, wherein the foamed resin layer includes a porosity of 90 to 98%.

13. The tape-shaped engaging member according to claim 1, wherein the foamed resin layer includes a thickness of 4 to 10 mm.

14. The tape-shaped engaging member according to claim 1, further comprising a flexible adhesive layer that integrally joins the foamed resin layer to the back surface of the hook surface fastener, the flexible adhesive layer including a thickness of 0.01 to 0.5 mm.

15. The tape-shaped engaging member according to claim 1, wherein a melted surface of the foamed resin layer integrally joins the foamed resin layer to the back surface of the hook surface fastener.

7. A seat molded article made of a foamed resin body, which comprises:

a tape-shaped engaging member in a predetermined portion of the seat molded article, wherein the tape-shaped engaging member includes

a hook surface fastener including a double Raschel-knitted base fabric and projecting hook fastening elements on a surface of the base fabric, and

a foamed resin layer integrally joined to a back surface of the hook surface fastener, and wherein

the foamed resin layer is embedded in the foamed resin body and the hook fastening elements appear on the seat molded article.

8. A method of producing a seat, which comprises:

covering the surface of the seat molded article having the engaging member as defined in claim 7 with an upholstery material; and

engaging the hook fastening elements of the engaging member with cooperating fastening elements on a back surface of the upholstery material, thereby fixing the upholstery material to the surface of the seat molded article.